The world’s first recorded opalized pearls, relics of creatures in an ancient inland sea dating back 65 million years, have been unearthed by two miners in the South Australian outback. Dr. Ben Grguric from the SA Museum, where the pearls have gone on display, said opal miners Dale Price and Tanja Burk were sorting through…
Last week, I sent out a client letter about Alrosa and the current government sanctions against Russian diamonds. Read it here. Today, I received notice from GIA (Gemological Institute of America) that the body will soon offer GIA Source Verify, a geographical origin notation for natural, mined diamonds that will be included on the GIA…
The bloody, brutal war in Ukraine caused the US government and its allies to ban the import of Russian diamonds. The jewelry industry fully supports this measure, but the sanction levied by the United States is porous because most Russian diamond material is sent to India for cutting and India is very friendly with the…
In an ever-changing gem marketplace, one of the newest additions to the diamond world is the lab-grown stones. Historically, diamond simulants like Cubic Zirconia (CZ) and moissanite offered customers a chance to wear something white and sparkly without having to buy a natural diamond. In the last few years, a new type of lab-grown diamond…
An industry magazine recently featured an interview with Francois Curiel, the international director of the luxury division of Christies and its Chairman for Europe. I thought I’d share some interesting bits with you since this is an area most of us never get to know well. The most relevant parts of the article for you…
It’s no secret that I love pearls’ subtle colors and soft light. I love all the shapes and the mixed colors that happen randomly in many pearls. Admittedly, I wear mostly rounds and teardrop baroques but all the crazy shapes we used to cast aside are considered fun to wear and for good reason. …
Your purple birthstone ranges from rich plums to pale lavender. It is the most beloved of all the quartzes and mined worldwide. Amethysts appear in royal jewel collections as well as in most of our personal jewelry collections. The word amethyst comes from the Greek “amethystos” which means “remedy against drunkenness.” The very literal…
Garnets: Not Just Dark Red Garnet, I serenade thee… Very few know your true glory as a gem is revealed in a breathtaking palette of hues. Citrus orange, sherry red, honeyed gold, raspberry, olive, plum, spearmint, lime, basil, blue, and pale, sea green and near-black. Fewer still realize that your sparkling radiance is higher than…
I love my appraisal work. Appraisals expand my exposure to pieces I would never know about and help clients know what they have, either for insurance or estate purposes. I thought I’d offer you a glimpse of a recent appraisal, with identifying information redacted. This report took many hours because I researched each piece…
We are all accustomed to reading reviews of products and businesses, the arts, politics, real estate, and anything else we might be consuming physically or emotionally. As a society, we care so fervently about events and things outside ourselves, but how often do we turn to those we love and just tell them how wonderful…
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