Cuprite
INTRODUCTION Cuprite is a mineral species, cuprous oxide, with the formula Cu2O. It was named in 1845 by Wilhelm Karl von Haidinger. The name comes from the Latin “cuprum” in allusion to its composition. Cuprite is…
Gem NotesParaiba Tourmaline
Tourmaline is one of the most popular and complex gemstones and has a long history. Due to its rich chemistry and growth conditions, it comes not only in many different colors but also in unusual…
Market TrendsColored Stone Market
In Asia, jewelers report improving sales as consumers spend on luxury. In the USA, cautious mood greets traders as more markets emerge from COVID-19 closures. A range of colors are expected to see good demand…
Colored Stone MarketGem Focus June 2020: Kunzite: a rosy spodumene with an American name
Spodumene is almost exclusively a pegmatitic mineral of the pyroxene group that forms in monoclinic system with a chemical formula of LiAlSi2O6. Its hardness is 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs’ scale and displays perfect prismatic cleavage. Transparent and colored varieties show strong pleochroism. Strangely, the name spodumene means “ash-colored” in Greek referring to the dull and colorless examples when it was first named in the second half of the 19th century.
*Gem Focus & Market Pulse (Free Subscriber)Gem Focus May 2020: Engraved Gems
Engraved Gems. Timeless Seals and Canvases of Ancient Scenes.
*Gem Focus & Market Pulse (Free Subscriber)The Gemguide – Gem Market News – May/June 2020 Edition (All Articles)
Easy access to all articles from the The Gemguide May/June 2020 Edition.
Featured ArticlesDiopside
The upbeat albeit uneventful Tucson gem shows at the beginning of 2020 have been followed by the unprecedented effects of COVID-19. While it is too early to predict any outcome, it is clear that almost everything in the gem business has been experiencing an extreme slowdown.
Market TrendsVayrynenite
In the course of my 40+ year career in gemology, many gemstones have crossed my desk but rarely are they so special that they take your breath away. In the last year, this happened twice. The first time was with a 24 ct unheated padparadscha sapphire in a private collection.
Gem NotesInsurance: No Profit – No Loss
Barron’s Dictionary of Insurance Terms defines indemnity as, “Compensation for loss. In a property and casualty contract, the objective is to restore an insured to the same financial position after the loss. But the insured should not be able to profit by damage or destruction of property, nor should the insured be in a worse financial position after loss.”2 In essence, the insured is not to make a profit or sustain a loss but to break even in the event of casualty loss.
News ArchiveThe Virus Impact and the Future
The diamond industry like so many came to halt. Rough prices are sliding among little mining and low demand. However, polished prices have not been as impacted for the time being. Canada mining in some financial trouble with Dominion Diamonds entering into solvency protection. However, they anticipate resuming mining operations when global markets reopen.
Diamond Market