Search Results
Fine Jewelry University Articles matching: “Pink sapphires”
Showing only FJU Article results. Click here to show all results.
Fine Jewelry University (Show All FJU Articles)
-
Gem in the Spotlight: Tsavorite Garnet
The discovery of Tsavorite in East Africa in the 1960s changed the jewelry world. Here was a gem with the color to rival the most exquisite emeralds and the clarity of the cleanest sapphires, all with the time tested durability of garnet. Tsavorite is a unique form of garnet with a stunningly vivid green color. It is bright and lively with a high refractive index giving it excellent sparkle and scintillation. Tsavorite is…
-
What Are Lab Grown Diamonds?
…nature, a fake (in fact it is a beautiful and highly valuable gem). But if it is being sold as a diamond, it becomes a fake. Most gem simulants are trying to imitate diamonds, but there are also simulants for other valuable gemstones (sapphires, rubies, etc.). Here are some of the more popular diamond simulants. Synthetic Rutile was introduced in the late 1940s and used as an early diamond simulant. Next on the man-made diamond simulant play is Strontium Titanate . This …
-
Gem in the Spotlight: Spinel
… and even today is often used as a substitute for similar looking stones. In recent years, spinel has started to move out of the shadows and be appreciated in its own right, and we can see why. Its colors rival even the best rubies, sapphires, tourmalines, and other more popular gems. For only the 3rd time in the last one hundred years, the industry is modifying the official birthstone list. Spinel will be joining peridot as the August birthstone! This change was officially …
-
How Are Lab Grown Diamonds Made?
…quest continued. Diamonds are a crystalline form of carbon, and so making artificial carbon crystal was the problem of lab grown diamonds. For decades, manufacturers of synthetic gemstones tried growing diamonds like they grew rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. It failed. Then they had the idea to grow diamonds in the lab like they grew in nature. High Pressure High Temperature Diamonds How does nature form diamond crystals? Nature does it very deep underground. Diamond …
-
Gem in the Spotlight: Jade
…can be carved, and can be taken to a high polish. Nephrite is commonly found in a darker olive green color but can also be very light green, orangey-red, black, and yellowish green. Jadeite can come in many different colors including pink, purple (often called lavender jade), blue, black, white, and the most valuable/desirable color: a vibrant green. The finest of all green jadeite colors is a saturated emerald green that is almost transparent, and it is called “…
-
Gem in the Spotlight: Opal
… to have a black body color. A gemologist with right training and equipment will be able to detect this treatment. Opals can also sometimes be dyed, giving them an unnatural but fascinating body color such as a vibrant green or pink. Some opals that have cracked can sometimes be reused by making “mosaic opals” gluing smaller broken pieces of opal together in something similar to stained glass windows. This is also a good time to discuss doublet and triplet opals. These …
-
Gem in the Spotlight: Topaz
… topaz if more orange). Smokey Topaz: Brownish grey color. Blue Topaz: The most common color. A full range of shades is available from light Sky Blue to dark London Blue. Topaz is also found in less commonly known colors like green, pink, and purple. Imperial Topaz is by far the most valuable variety, while colorless topaz is often the least expensive. The modern era has given us many new advances in gems. One of the biggest is blue topaz. Gem suppliers use a neutron …
-
Gem in the Spotlight: Quartz
… ways of saying “Quartz!” Crystal Name Color Amethyst Purple Citrine Yellow to reddish orange to brown, greenish yellow Prasiolite Green (often mistakenly referred to as Green Amethyst) Rock Quartz Clear Rose Quartz Various shades of pink, typically has a smooth, milky or hazy appearance Smoky Quartz Transparent brown Morion Dark-gray or black crystal quartz Rutilated Quartz Typically colorless and can have black or gold needle inclusions Ametrine Purple and yellow/…
-
Gem in the Spotlight: Pearl
… rainbow colors that shimmer on or just below a pearl’s surface). Pearls come in a range of colors, from white to black, with many shades in between. The most valuable pearls are those with a pure, even color, such as white, pink, or silver. Luster: Luster is the intensity of light reflected from a pearl’s surface. Pearls with excellent luster have sharp bright reflections on the surface. Pearls with high luster are more valuable than those with a dull or cloudy surface…
