Blue Sapphire: The Backbone of the US Colored Stone Industry. Corundum is an aluminum oxide mineral that occurs in the earth’s crust in abundance. It has been known as a common abrasive called “emery” when…
*Gem Focus & Market Pulse (Free Subscriber)What’s in a name? There are many instances in our industry where multiple names for the same gem exist either through trade names or color descriptions to make things “simple.” A few examples are tsavorite…
Gem NotesChallenges are affecting global appetite for gem products. Prices stable for finer quality natural gems. Bumpy road ahead but long-term outlook pretty positive. Mining sector fast to respond to current economic conditions. Confidence solidly behind…
Colored Stone MarketSpinel is a magnesium-aluminum silicate that forms in the cubic system. While most gemologists are only aware of gem quality, transparent spinels, it is, in fact, a solid solution series with many different species that…
Market TrendsTraditionally at this time of year we expect a general slowdown in the diamond trade. Summer holidays and industry shutdowns generally lead to reduced activity in the market. This has always taken place at this…
Diamond MarketNestled in a lush, forested valley in the Vosges Mountains, in northeastern France, lies the sleepy, traditional town of St-Marie-Aux-Mines. But it's not just any French village. For most of the year, day-to-day routine continues…
Featured ArticlesFor the first in our series on innovators in jewelry design, we are focusing on Philip Zahm, president of Philip Zahm Designs. Well established as a dealer of fine gemstones for decades, Zahm has been…
Featured ArticlesRecent developments have brought ‘due diligence,’ along with tracking and traceability, to the forefront of discussions and requirements in the diamond, colored stone and pearl industries (Hänni and Cartier, 2013;Archuleta, 2016; Cartier et al., 2018…
Featured ArticlesSpinel, the most misidentified and under appreciated gem in history, is gaining back its glory. Most gem professionals are made to believe that if it wasn’t for modern gemology, we wouldn’t know the difference between red spinel and…
*Gem Focus & Market Pulse (Free Subscriber)Ruby, the birthstone of July, is the king of gemstones. Ruby, the king of gemstones, has traditionally been much rarer than sapphire in nature, although both are varieties of the same mineral. This vibrant slightly purplish red colored…
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