Fewer exhibitors and a cautious market summed up the show this year. Classic gems garnered the most attention. One-of-a-kind high end items over $1 million dollars could be found on display. While a 13 percent drop…
Featured ArticlesA manufacturing process offered an unexpected surprise to a jeweler and it was not a pleasant surprise at all. This article is a warning that the outside of the jewelry may conceal something in the…
Featured ArticlesIn 2008, the U.S. signed into law the “Tom Lantos Block Burmese Jade Act affecting both rubies and jade from being exported to the U.S. This past October, the ban was lifted. What were the effects of…
Featured ArticlesThink of the beautiful glowing skin of a healthy baby or the dewy complexion of a beautiful young woman. These are excellent analogies because healthy skin has qualities similar to the skin of a pearl…
Featured ArticlesThe first diamond operation in Europe, Russia’s Lomonosov mines near the port of Arkhangelsk is set to double diamond production this year to over four million carats. Little has been written about diamonds from Russia’s European side, but in…
Featured Articles“This prince possesses the most beautiful pearl in the world, not by reason of its size, for it only weighs 12 1/16 carats, nor on account of its perfect roundness; but because it is so clear and…
Featured ArticlesEmerald is the most prized variety of Beryl. The use of emeralds in jewelry and objects of personal adornment date back more than two millennia. Emerald occurrences are known from North and South America, Europe…
Featured ArticlesFluorescence in diamonds continues to be a debated topic not only on its effect on value but whether diamond grading standards are consistent in the determination of the level of fluorescence. Ongoing discussions also concern…
Featured ArticlesFor nearly a decade now, the new find of opal in Ethiopia has been both welcomed and debated on issues of stability and high water content. Some of the material can be quite beautiful and with the…
Featured ArticlesExcerpt from the 2nd edition of Secrets of The Gem Trade, The Connoisseur’s Guide to Precious Gemstones by Richard W. Wise, GG (GIA) “On examining jades, one should regard those white in colour as the best, though…
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