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Fine Jewelry University Articles matching: “gem spotlight”
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Gem in the Spotlight: Alexandrite
… than sapphire, emerald, or even ruby, alexandrite has been known around the world as one of the most sought-after gems for the better part of 200 years. But, what makes this stone so special? Gemology of Alexandrite Alexandrite is the …. Alexandrite isn’t the only stone to display color-change phenomena. There are color-change varieties of many gems including sapphire, tourmaline, spinel, garnet, etc. Alexandrite is, however, the most famous for it. It is so famous, in…
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Gem in the Spotlight: Tanzanite
Beauty and rarity are two wonderful traits in a gemstone. Tanzanite has them both. In fact, it is estimated that Tanzanite is 1,000 times rarer than diamond. But, what … in tanzanite. Yet, even with its rarity and dynamic look, tanzanite is still less in price than more commonly known gems like rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Gemology of Tanzanite Gemologists refer to this gem as blue zoisite. The vast… that isn’t heated and is still pretty enough for jewelry displays trichroism. Trichroism is an effect that causes gemstones to display different colors when viewed at different angles. Tanzanite in its raw form has three colors: blue, …
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Synthetic Gems: The Whole Story
Ruby, sapphire, emerald and alexandrite are very beautiful gems and very rare in their stunning beauty. These four gems have been coveted by rulers and the rich for thousands of … if anyone could own them? At gem shows and museums, I have seen jaw dropping rubies, sapphires and emeralds. These gems in high quality have put ownership beyond most people to justify the price. Just a one carat gem could cost $3,000 … ring where people can spend over $10,000 routinely. The answer was to find a less expensive way to have these gems. It took over a hundred years and millions of dollars of research to create what nature can produce. Man made gems come …
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What Are Lab Grown Diamonds?
…copied, unreal, or even imitation. But, in this context, what do we mean when we say “synthetic diamond”? In the gemological world, synthetic is a highly technical term. When speaking technically, synthetic gems are man-made crystals … structure and chemical composition as a natural diamond. The same cannot be said of the many imitation or fake gems that are often, incorrectly, described as synthetic diamonds. This misrepresentation has seriously confused what the …
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Fake Diamonds: The Great Diamond Attack
…Synthetic corundum and spinal, Glass) or simulants are quite easy to separate. The diamond tester and understanding gem properties make choosing the diamond an easy task with these older lookalikes. Apathy and sloppy observation can let …inertia testers) is the front line in finding diamond fakes or look a likes. Modern science has developed a man made gem that can fake out the standard diamond tester. Moissanite is lab-created, silicon carbide, and it gives a positive …
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How to Sell Your Jewelry
… that determine the value of estate jewelry and the options to liquidating it. Does this mean you have to become a gemologist just to sell your jewelry? No. But some homework and note taking can mean a much higher price paid for your … factors. Preowned jewelry by in large is not as valuable as new. Some people will never buy a previous owned engagement set for superstitious reasons. I have had clients who could have saved hundreds of dollars if they would have bought…
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How to Tell If a Diamond Is Natural or Lab Grown
…best indicators of whether a diamond is lab grown is whether or not it is a Type IIa diamond. Type IIa is actually a gemological variant of the diamond that relates to how pure the carbon is that makes up the diamond. In nature, less … Type IIa. So, if a diamond is Type IIa, that’s a pretty good indication that it is lab grown. However, like any gemological test, the Type IIa test is only an indicator for the gemologist to use. There are lab grown diamonds that are …
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The Birthstones
… midst of cold, white (valley fog) and at times stark surroundings are rewarded with one of the most varying birth gemstones, Garnet. Garnet’s pizzazz energizes the gloomiest day. Garnet varieties brighten the world in colors of yellow … of red. Garnets are given as symbols of consistency, perseverance and good health. Garnet is also regarded as the gem of faith, constancy and truth and possesses many curative powers. Some of the lore surrounding garnets is that it …
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How to Value Inherited Jewelry
… that make up the jewelry are worth. For almost all fine jewelry, it is a combination of the current metal value and gem value. No value is added for style, condition, brand, market demand, or other factors. One quick warning, many “cash… with a one carat diamond and $50 in scrap gold was valued at $50 by these operations. The intrinsic values for the gems are based on the cash wholesale price of the gem minus any cost for re-cutting or re-polishing the gem if it is worn…
