Blogs
Peridot’s Story
Peridot’s Story About two thousand years ago, under the light of a full moon, a small group of sailors landed on the shore of the tiny Island of the Serpents in the Red Sea. Their attentionwas caught by glowing olive green crystals in the volcanic earth. At dawn’s first light, the glow turned to a sparkle. In the capital city of Thebes, Egyptian royalty immediately fell for the mysterious gem: Pliny tells of the first specimen presented to Queen Berenice around 300 BC in his Naturales Historia, and many historians have speculated that at least some of the “emeralds” worn by Cleopatra
The Mogok Story
The Mogok Story At the beginning of time, so the legend goes, the giant serpent Naga laid three eggs. From the first egg came the King of Pagan. From the second, the Emperor of China. And from the last egg, all the Rubies. For more than 2000 years, the Mogok Stone Tract in Upper Burma – an isolated area, where mountainous jungle and deep valleys form a natural border with the Shan Plateau, and the Kyatpyin, Kathe and Luda Valleys enclose the major mining areas – has been renowned as a source of excellent rubies and spinels, among other stones. Some
Five Legendary Spinels
Five Legendary Spinels A popular cliché declares, ‘it is what it is’. This simple assertion, once named the ‘cliché of the year’, seems merely to state the obvious. In the case of the spinel, however, there’s something seriously wrong with this small bit of conventional wisdom. Five legendary Rubies. These are not what they are. They are, in fact, spinels. Many of these “Titled Spinels” as they are known, have fascinating histories that go back thousands of years. From the Samarian Spinel that supposedly adorned the Golden Calf of the Israelites in the Sinai Desert, to an engraved Moghul Dynasties chronicle in
Gem Renaissance – Spinel’s 21st Century Revival
Gem Renaissance – Spinel’s 21st Century Revival Here is the story of a sleeping beauty. After seeing the spinel, it would be a challenge to understand how this vibrant stone stayed overlooked for so long. When Gemcal began introducing the spinel to the American market at the 1996 GJX in Tucson, we encountered raised eyebrows from many. These days, the spinel is no longer the ruby’s poor stepsister. “Looks like a ruby, but at a tenth of the price” is no longer a true statement: along with their popularity, the price of spinels has soared. In many ways, the ruby
Five Majestic Spinels Jewels – From Mongol To Modern
Five Majestic Spinels Jewels – From Mongol To Modern Exploring Badakhshan the ancient part of the Timurid Empire, Marco Polo mentioned “fine and valuable Balas Rubies” he could not stop admiring. Most probably named after the Barlas tribe who were remnants of the original Mongol army of Genghis Khan. These colossal rubies were actually spinels, stones that had already been capturing the hearts, imaginations – and treasuries – of kings and queens for thousands of years. Emperors of the ancient Persian Timurid dynasty prized large, high-quality polished spinels for their beauty and their value; they also considered these stones to
Spinels In Medicine Harbor
Spinels In Medicine Harbor Sometimes it’s good to remember the old days. Back in 2001, even though it was the dawn of the new, modern century, Burma was still relatively isolated. There were few tourists, mining was mostly done by traditional methods, and transportation was crude. Here’s an account of our first trip to Namya… We didn’t know where we were going. With no official maps, we had to put our faith in the hands of our guide. Frantic GPS sessions were taking place near every small village on the way. We did try to get the names of these
Trip to Mogok
Trip to Mogok Mogok has always been an important source for gems, probably the finest in the world. However, the people of Mogok, miners, dealers are fascinating just as much. Enjoy the following snaps of Mogok everyday life. These are the people who discover the most marvelous nature’s creations. No doubt that the beauty they find daily is reflecting on their own.
AGTA, JA Add Spinel As Official August Birthstone
AGTA, JA Add Spinel As Official August Birthstone In June 2016 the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) and Jewellers of America (JA) added spinel as an official birthstone for the month of August. While this modern list of birthstones was devised during a meeting of the (American) National Association of Jewellers in Kansas City in 1912, ancient cultures have always believed in a connection between gemstones, the zodiac and the cosmos. In Hindu astrology, the spinel is associated with the planet of Saturn, as well as the sun and August’s fiery sign of Leo; the spinel’s celestial properties include the
Spinels On The Block- Record Spinels Auctions
Spinels On The Block- Record Spinels Auctions In 2015, Bonhams, a leading luxury auction house in London, set a record with the sale of a spinel that hadn’t been seen in 98 years. The plum-colored, 50.13-carat Hope Spinel from the renowned Hope Collection was last spotted at auction in 1917, where it sold for about US$ 120,000 in today’s currency. Bonhams expected the spinel to fetch around US$ 300,000: a bidding war brought the final price for the plum-colored stone to US $1.4 million – an unprecedented US$ 30,000 per carat. Richard W. Hughes, the prominent gemologist, has compiled information
An Endless Hallway With Reflective Mirrors: The Asscher Cut
An Endless Hallway With Reflective Mirrors: The Asscher Cut As Leonardo da Vinci once noted, simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. The truth of this statement shimmers in every angle of the Asscher Cut. The meticulous proportions in this simple Step Cut are the key to its incredible reflective mirrors effect, making it a classical, everlasting cutting design. The cut bears the name of an old and celebrated Jewish family from Amsterdam, led by Joseph Isaac Asscher. As early as the 16th century, Amsterdam was known as a center for diamond polishing. Thanks to an extensive trade network with Portuguese
The Spell Of Grey Spinel
Like the most magnificent thunderstorm, the Grey Spinel dazzles with its moods, a range of chic, elegant shades, its tones and enthralling warmth. If you are tired of flamboyance and looking for balanced sophistication, Grey Spinel is the answer. The cool, contemplative shades of grey will clearly keep you apart from madding crowd of everyday colors. Unlike the meditative emptiness of white nor the aggressive depressive black, grey is right in the rational, mature center. And yet grey gemstones have had less exposure in jewelry; although the first historically known diamonds were grey or black, due to the lack of cutting technology, almost
Lustrous, fiery zircons
Zircon (Zirconium Silicate ZrSiO4). Mohs hardness: 6.5 – 7.5 Refractive Index: 1.777 – 1.987 Lustrous, fiery, and considered to be among the oldest minerals on earth, the Zircon is one of the most fascinating gemstones in existence. Known for its durability, as well as its resistance to chemical attack, scientists have called the Zircon, a “tiny time capsule”, describing it as “the most reliable natural chronometer that we have when we want to look at the earliest part of Earth history.” The intriguing history of a Zircon begins with its formation: formed by crystallization from a magma or in metamorphic rocks,
Blue Zircon And The Red Horn Rhino
How do you think you’d feel – wearing one of the oldest stones on planet Earth? A gem described by Hindu poets as the ultimate gift to the gods? A jewel that can almost be described as alive?This jewel is the zircon. Known in ancient times as the Zargun or ‘the Golden One’, Zircon has been here forever, and is one of the oldest known objects on earth – a tiny fragment of zircon discovered in Western Australia is 4.4 billion years old! To put that into perspective, Earth itself is believed to have formed only about 150 million years