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Fine Jewelry University Articles matching: “star sapphire”
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Gem in the Spotlight: Ruby
… arguably the richest history of all gemstones. Gemology of Ruby Rubies are in the corundum gem family along with sapphires. Corundum is an extremely durable form of aluminum oxide with a Moh’s hardness of 9. This makes ruby one of the … from trace amounts of chromium in the crystal structure. If they are too purple or too pink, they are called purple sapphires or pink sapphires, respectively. Since sapphires and rubies are the same gem material, they also share a refractive…
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Gem in the Spotlight: Iolite
…near the top of the list. Iolite’s color range of blue, blue-violet, and violet competes for public attention with sapphire, tanzanite, and amethyst. They may have name recognition, but iolite has a rich, unique color and great gem value on …. The Gemology of Iolite Iolite is the gem variety of the mineral Cordierite. Iolite was once known as a “water sapphire”. Dichroite is another synonym for iolite. Dichroite is a Greek word which loosely translates as two-colored rock. This …
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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 … thousands of years. But, what 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 …to positively identify as synthetic. Both, I feel, are impossible to identify in a piece of jewelry. Synthetic ruby, sapphire, alexandrite and emerald are very complex because there are different ways to make them. The inexpensive way to make…
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Gem in the Spotlight: Alexandrite
Emerald by day, ruby by night, more expensive than diamond and more illustrious than sapphire, emerald, or even ruby, alexandrite has been known around the world as one of the most sought-after gems for the … 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 fact, that color-…matter the occasion or budget, our gemologists will be able to find the right stone for you. Contact us today to
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The History of Diamond Cuts
…culet (the point at the bottom of the diamond). Diamonds have gone from one facet (the table) to 18 facets. This cut started to unlock the brilliance within the diamond, and variations of it are still used today. Another early diamond cut… are four triangle facets that point towards the corners of the crown. This gives the appearance of a four-pointed star. The pavilion is cut into four main facets. Moving Towards Brilliance The evolution of the diamond cuts then takes a …
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Jewelry Repair FAQ
… way it did before a gemstone fell out; who wouldn’t? That’s why we have literally 100s of carats of loose diamonds, sapphires, rubies, opals, pearls, and more in all shapes and sizes to choose from when selecting a replacement stone for …by the jeweler’s torch. However, with our laser welder we are able to retip prongs next to many gemstones (diamonds, sapphires, and rubies for example) without removing them, saving you time and money. Can my costume and fashion jewelry be …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Quartz
… Bloodstone Green jasper dotted with bright red spots Carnelian Reddish orange chalcedony Gemology of Quartz Quartz is known for its durability with a Mohs hardness rating of 7 (harder than opal and peridot but softer than topaz or sapphire). This makes it a fairly hard gemstone that is resistant to scratching and chipping. It is also resistant to heat and chemicals, which means that it can withstand daily wear and tear very well. All quartz has the same refractive index at…
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The Magic of Polarized Light
…gemstones, due to their unique chemical structure, actually polarize light themselves. These gems are doubly refractive (DR) and they will split incoming light in multiple directions. Some common examples of doubly refractive gems are sapphire, tourmaline, and moissanite. These are contrasted with singly refractive (SR) gems like diamond that only bend light in one direction. Gemologists use the term birefringence to refer to how doubly refractive a particular gem is. By …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Emerald
… and aquamarine) and are valued for their rich green color. The intensity of an emerald’s hue depends on the presence of chromium and vanadium in the crystal structure. Emerald’s Mohs hardness rating is 7.5-8 making it softer than sapphire and harder than amethyst and other quartz varieties. The refractive index of emerald ranges from 1.57 to 1.58, making it a moderately refractive gemstone. Its specific gravity ranges from 2.65 to 2.75. One of the distinctive features of …
