An internally "flawless" 100-carat diamond was on show Monday in Dubai ahead of being sold at auction next month by Sotheby's, where it could fetch up to $25 million.

The stone, which was discovered a decade ago in the De Beers mines of South Africa, will go under the hammer at a "Magnificent Jewels" sale in New York in April, the auction house said.

One of five diamonds weighing more than 100 carats that have surfaced on the market over the past 25 years, the jewel's estimated sale price is between $19-25 million (18-23.7 million euros), according to Sotheby'

The auction house describes it as the "ultimate emerald-cut diamond, weighing 100.20 carats, D colour, internally flawless" and "unlike any diamond offered at auction before".

Frank Everett, Sotheby's vice-president of sales for jewelry, told AFP in Dubai that the diamond was "for anyone who really desires the best of the best".

Everett said the diamond could be worn as "a pendant on a necklace, or a cuff bracelet or a ring" although someone might buy it "to admire it just as an object in its own right".

Sotheby's hopes that showcasing this "perfect" diamond in Dubai and other locations ahead of the April sale can help it attract the attention of the Middle East's wealthy elite.

 

An internally "flawless" 100-carat diamond was on show Monday in Dubai ahead of being sold at auction next month by Sotheby's, where it could fetch up to $25 million.

The stone, which was discovered a decade ago in the De Beers mines of South Africa, will go under the hammer at a "Magnificent Jewels" sale in New York in April, the auction house said.

One of five diamonds weighing more than 100 carats that have surfaced on the market over the past 25 years, the jewel's estimated sale price is between $19-25 million (18-23.7 million euros), according to Sotheby'

The auction house describes it as the "ultimate emerald-cut diamond, weighing 100.20 carats, D colour, internally flawless" and "unlike any diamond offered at auction before".

Frank Everett, Sotheby's vice-president of sales for jewelry, told AFP in Dubai that the diamond was "for anyone who really desires the best of the best".

Everett said the diamond could be worn as "a pendant on a necklace, or a cuff bracelet or a ring" although someone might buy it "to admire it just as an object in its own right".

Sotheby's hopes that showcasing this "perfect" diamond in Dubai and other locations ahead of the April sale can help it attract the attention of the Middle East's wealthy elite.

 

"While there have been a number of challenges in the diamond market recently, the medium to long term fundamentals look positive. This, combined with the resilience of Letšeng diamonds to pricing constraints, leaves Gem Diamonds well placed to take advantage of the favorable supply/demand dynamics in the market in order to continue its growth in 2015 and beyond," Elphick said.

Roger Davis, the company's non-executive chairman, told shareholders that despite a weakening of rough prices in the fourth quarter of 2014, due to concerns over bank lending and liquidity, Gem Diamonds expects some firming in the rough market as banks in Dubai and elsewhere take steps to fill the funding gap with manufacturers. The medium to long-term outlook for diamond demand is expected to remain favorable, with diamond prices beginning to trend upward in the second half of 2015.

The strategic focus at Gem Diamonds this year will be to continue creating value by focusing on mining and selling diamonds efficiently and responsibly. "We remain confident in our ability to continue delivering returns to our shareholders through this focused execution of strategy as is demonstrated by the group's dividend policy," he said.

IIa Technologies has also launched a center of excellence that is a first-of-its-kind diamond research center, which will contribute all the scientific know-how to different teams within IIa Technologies. The center aims to further develop existing diamond growing technologies and offer high-quality grown diamonds for various technology industries and applications, beyond the luxury sector. It will also continue research on the microwave chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) method of growing diamonds so as to establish next-generation applications for grown diamonds that will have far-reaching implications in the semiconductor, healthcare and engineering sectors.  

The world’s largest diamond greenhouse developed by IIa Technologies, was inaugurated by Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the Singapore Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, and was attended by representatives from the Economic Development Board (EDB) this morning.

Speaking at the opening, Vishal Mehta, the CEO of IIa Technologies, said, “We are extremely proud to have created the world’s largest diamond greenhouse right here in Singapore, the innovation hub of Asia. Today, IIa Technologies is the only diamond greenhouse in the world that can grow high-quality type IIa diamonds, which are considered the purest and rarest types of diamonds.”

Lim Kok Kiang, the assistant managing director of the Singapore Economic Development Board, added, “IIa Technologies’ investments in Singapore opens new opportunities for research into the use of diamonds for high-tech applications, such as high-precision cutting tools, quantum computing data storage, optical imaging and radiation detection. This will enhance the competitiveness of Singapore’s research and development ecosystem and manufacturing capabilities, particularly for the precision engineering, medical instruments, optical equipment, electronics and semiconductor industries.”

CULTURED IN SINGAPORE

Additionally, to coincide with Singapore’s jubilee celebrations this year, IIa Technologies has also launched “Cultured in Singapore,” a new brand initiative that underlines the technological advancement in diamonds that the company has achieved in Singapore. The new “Cultured in Singapore” brand  identifies the origin of IIa diamonds and endorses that these diamonds were 100 percent cultured in Singapore, a country known for its innovation and high levels of sustainability. The brand initiative is also aimed to proudly position Singapore as a grown diamond resource for the world.  

Mehta said,  “IIa grown diamonds are the first-ever sustainable, conflict-free, origin-guaranteed, high-quality diamonds that were conceptualized and cultured in Singapore. Creating a diamond resource within Singapore truly showcases what the country stands for – progressive technology, innovation and business resilience.”
 
A NEW DIAMOND CHOICE FOR CONSUMERS

Diamonds continue to see high demand throughout the world. However, the mined diamond supply has seen a constant decline in the past decade driven by the fact that key diamond mines have passed their peak production levels. The global mined diamond supply is estimated to drop to 13 million carats in 2050 from the projected 133 million carats in 2014, considering a base case scenario. This occurs in light of the rising demand from various markets such as the U.S., India and China which is likely to widen the demand and supply gap.

Industry reports suggest that over the next 30 years, grown diamonds will become a dominant player in high-technology applications and very significant diamond source for the luxury world. Grown diamonds are also predicted to provide a good hedge for diversification of use in an industry that has, so far, heavily relied on a single product --  gem-quality diamonds.

New York-based Pure Grown Diamonds is the world’s largest retailer-distributor of IIa grown diamonds and part of IIa Holdings Group. Lisa Bissell, the CEO of Pure Grown Diamonds, said, “IIa grown diamonds come at a time where consumers are looking for more options. In addition to being conflict-free, these diamonds come at a cost that is 30 percent to 40 percent less. The diamonds are identical to their mined counterparts with the only difference being their point of origin.”
 

Diamonds come in many different shapes. Each diamond shape possesses its own unique qualities, so exploring and learning about the various shapes is worth your while. NYC Diamond District offers the highest quality certified diamonds to satisfy all tastes. 

The cut of a diamond is what determines how the light that enters the diamond is reflected and therefore how much fire and brilliance the diamond will exude. A diamond that is cut too shallow with respect to its width will allow too much light to pass straight through the diamond, leaving little light to reflect. Such a diamond will appear dull and lacking in brilliance. Conversely, a diamond cut too deeply will allow light to escape from the sides of the diamond, also appearing dull.

POLISH AND SYMMETRY
In addition to the proportions of the diamond, both the polish and symmetry affect the beauty and brilliance. Poor symmetry due to uneven alignment of the facets will cause the light to be misdirected and therefore not shine out the face of the diamond. Unsmooth facets or pour polish will cause the surface to look dull and may cause the diamond to look cloudy.

DIAMOND SHAPE

Round Cut Diamonds

 
The Round, or Brilliant Cut Diamond is, by far, the most popular shape for diamond engagement rings. It is cone-shaped to maximize light return through the top of the diamond. It is cut to have 58 facets-33 on the crown and 25 on the pavilion. The relationship between the angle of the crown (above the girdle) and the pavilion (below the girdle) is complementary. A steep crown angle is complemented by a shallower pavilion angle, and vice versa.

Princess Cut Diamonds

 
Princess cut diamonds can make the perfect engagement rings since they are very clear. Their exquisite shape makes them an exotic treasure-as they are designed for getting top brilliance from their square cut. When purchasing a Princess Cut Diamond make sure that the setting for your ring protects the four pointed corners. The princess Cut diamond allows more acceptably for flaws.

Radiant Cut Diamonds
 
The Radiant Cut Diamond combines the more stylish square or rectangular shape with the brilliance of the more traditional Round Cut. It combines two diamond cutting styles-The Round Cut style and the Emerald Cut style, to create a non-traditional, yet still brilliant, diamond. This cut, created in 1977 by Henry Grossbard, was designed to maintain the beauty of each different type of diamond, while still creating something altogether different from anything available at the time.

Emerald Cut Diamonds
 
while it lacks the brilliance of diamonds cut with triangular and kite-shaped facets, it more than makes up for it in extreme clarity. It is like looking into glacier-pur ice. The Emerald-Cut diamond is so named because this cut was, originally, used only on emeralds. It is called a step-cut, which is the cut most commonly used on square or rectangular diamonds.

Marquise Cut Diamonds
 
The Marquise-Cut Diamond is a boat -shaped brilliant stone that is considered a "classic" shape for diamond engagement rings. As with all 'fancy cut' diamonds, color and clarity are the two most important qualities in this particular style of cut. The Marquise-Cut Diamond uses a cutting process similar to that of a Round Brilliant Diamond, but the diamond cutter maximizes the carat weight of the gem by elongating it into its distinctive 'boat-shape'. This way, they can eliminate all inclusions while maintaining as much of the unblemished stone as possible. However, because of the elongated shape, color and clarity imperfections are more obvious than they are in a traditional Round Brilliant.

Oval Cut Diamonds
 
The Oval Cut Diamond is a modified version of the most popular cut, the Round Brilliant. It is the perfect choice for buyers who are looking for characteristics similar to Round "ideal" Cut, but would like something in a shape that is more suited to their style. Since it is more unusual than the traditional Round Cut, it is suited for anyone who likes something a little different, without sacrificing the brilliance of the more common cut.

Pear Shaped Diamonds
 
The Pear-Shaped Diamond combines the tradition and brilliance of a round cut with a less common shape to create an unusual diamond that can still make light 'dance' as it does in the traditional Round Brilliant Cut. It is probably the most subjective diamond shape, as its size and proportions are really a matter of taste. The diamond usually contains 58 facets, allowing for light to pass through it much the same way in a Round, but makes more of an impression because of its much less common shape.

Heart Shaped Diamonds

 
The Heart-Shaped Diamond is considered the most romantic of all diamond cuts. Heart-Shaped Diamonds are also considered 'brilliants', because they are cut with triangular and kite-shaped facets, causing light to 'dance' when reflected back. A Heart-Shaped Diamond generally contains 59 facets, and is cut much the same way that a Pear-Shaped Diamond is. Often, a diamond cutter will cut a Heart-Shaped Diamond because the cleft at the top of the heart is a way of cutting out inclusions without loosing carat weight.

Asscher Cut Diamonds

 
The Asscher-Cut Diamond is also called a "square Emerald-Cut" because it is made using the step-cut process and has cropped corners. Because of the cropped corners, it is almost octagonal at first glance. They are bright, shiny, and clear in appearance. Like the Emerald-Cut Diamonds, they have the clarity of glacier-water ice, allowing you to see all the way through it. Since inclusions are obvious, it is important to get as flawless a gem as possible.

Cushion Cut Diamonds

 
The Cushion-Cut Diamond is an antique cut that has a classic, romantic appeal. It is, more or less, a cross between the Old Mine Cut, which was popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and a modern Oval-Cut Diamond. 

Symmetry

Symmetry indicates to the precision of the shape and procedure of facets in a diamond. Although to the naked eye finish features only have a tiny affect on appearance, symmetry is a substantial aspect. In diamonds that have low clarity grades, symmetry is less important, but in diamonds with very high clarity grades, symmetry is very essential. 

What Is Diamond Certification?

A certificate is a blue print of a loose diamond. Retailers Wholesalers, and consumers know a certificate as either a diamond grading report or a diamond dossier. A certificate reports a diamond's precise measurements, weight, cut and overall excellence. A certificate points out a diamond's individual characteristics and is a very valuable tool for classifying a stone. When shopping for a loose diamond, keep in mind that stones that have a grading report will help you make an educated decision on the diamond that is right for you.

What Is Diamond Fluorescence?

Fluorescence is a logically transpiring phenomenon that performs in certain minerals and gems. Some quality diamonds display a visible light when they are exposed to ultraviolet light. This light is known as fluorescence. Under most lighting conditions, a diamond's fluorescence is not visible to the naked eye, although the diamond will exhibit a soft colored glow if held under an ultraviolet lamp. 

Do All Diamond Fluoresce?

Not all diamond fluoresce. If a specific diamond does not fluoresce, the grading report will list the diamond's fluorescence as either inert or none.

What Are The Different Types of Diamond Fluorescence?

The degree of fluorescence diverges from faint to medium to strong to very strong. Faint means that the stone has a slight glow that is challenging to see under ultraviolet light. Very strong means that the diamond emits a deep glow that is very clear under ultraviolet light. The color of the fluorescence can also vary, although blue is the most common color. Yellow, green and white are other colors that a fluorescent diamond may exhibit.

How Does Fluorescence Affect A Diamond?

Fluorescence usually has no consequence on a diamond's appearance in steady lighting conditions. In some cases, however, a strong blue fluorescence can make a yellow colored diamond appear whiter. In rare cases, it can or cause a stone to appear milky or oily.

Diamond Fluorescence Guide

Diamond Cut

Understanding Brilliance, Dispersion & Scintillation

Well–balanced diamonds exhibit three different properties: brilliance, dispersion and scintillation. As light strikes a diamond's surface, it will either reflect off the table of a polished stone or enter the diamond. The light that is reflected is known as the diamond's brilliance —the flash of white light one will see when looking at a stone. As light travels through a stone, some of the light rays are separated into flashes of color. This is known as dispersion. The result of dispersion—the separation of white light into its spectral colors— is known as fire. Scintillation is flashes of color that are viewable as an observer moves a diamond back and forth.

The Old Mine Cut featured large facets and rounded corners, since the cutting was all done by hand at the time. They were designed to catch the beauty of candlelight. The Cushion-Cut Diamond contains 58 facets.

Diamond Selector

Fancy Color Diamonds Education Center

Fancy colored diamonds are exceedingly rare stones. Approximately one out of every 10,000 naturally manufactured diamonds are considered “fancy colored.” The term “fancy” was coined by the Gemological Institute of America to distinguish between natural-color polished diamonds which display color and white diamonds. Fancy color diamonds increase in value the more saturated they are with color. Whereas white diamonds are graded using D-Z scale, fancy colored diamonds are graded based on the degree to which the diamonds are saturated with color. In the 1970s, the GIA developed a grading scale for fancy color diamonds. Fancy color diamonds not referred to by letters but by the degree of fullness present in the stone. The color saturation is graded as follows: faint, very light, light, fancy light, fancy, fancy dark, fancy intense, fancy deep or fancy vivid. Fancy color diamonds come in a wide array of colors, including yellow diamonds, pink diamonds, orange diamonds, blue diamonds, pink diamonds, red diamonds, black diamonds, and purple diamonds, among others. 

Fancy Yellow (Canary) Diamonds

Yellow diamonds (also known as canary diamonds) are the most well-known of all fancy diamonds. Although many white diamonds appear yellow and are listed on the far end (Y-Z) of the standard diamond color scale, they are not considered fancy yellow diamonds.

Fancy Pink Diamonds

Pink diamonds are some of the most alluring fancy diamonds on the market. Due to their extreme rarity, pink diamonds are some of the most valuable stones that you can buy. Pink diamonds can contain any of the following hues: very light pink, light pink, fancy light pink, fancy pink, fancy intense pink, fancy vivid pink, fancy deep pink.

Fancy Green Diamonds

Fancy green diamonds are the second rarest fancy color diamonds, after red diamonds. Since green is a mixture of blue and yellow, green colored diamonds commonly range from blue-green to yellow-green. Some fancy green diamonds can also display hints of grey or brown as well.

Fancy Blue Diamonds

Fancy blue diamonds are among some of the rarest colored diamonds and therefore most valuable. The diamonds range in color from light blue to dark blue. The color breakdown for blue diamonds is as follows: faint blue, very light blue, light blue, fancy light blue, fancy blue, fancy intense blue, fancy dark blue, fancy deep blue and fancy vivid blue.

Fancy Orange Diamonds

Orange diamonds often contain brown, yellow or pink overtones and hues. Fancy orange diamonds typically come from the Argyle mine in Australia, or from South Africa. Orange diamonds are mostly graded as fancy orange, fancy intense orange, fancy vivid orange, fancy deep orange and fancy dark orange.

Fancy Brown Diamonds

Fancy brown diamonds are also known as chocolate diamonds, and receive their color from a change in the diamond’s molecular structure. Light brown diamonds are known as champagne diamonds and brown diamonds that contain hues of orange are known as cognac diamonds.

Metal Types | Engagement Ring Education | 

Choosing the right metal for an engagement ring is a fundamental part of the ring-design process. Once you know a bit about the basics of ring metals, doing the research and deciding on a metal is a rewarding and simple procedure. Deciding between white gold, yellow gold, or platinum is as much as matter of personal preference as it is of budget. People who prefer silver jewelry, for example, will likely prefer white gold or platinum engagement rings and wedding rings because their color more closely resembles silver or white. Gold not only comes in different colors (yellow, white, rose), but also in different grades of purity measured in karat weight (k or kt) —not to be confused with the unit of weight for diamonds, expressed as carats or carat weight (ct or cttw). 18K gold contains 75% gold—the remaining 25% is an alloy—and 14K gold contains 58.3% gold(in the case of 18K white gold, the alloy is what gives the gold its silver/white color). Gold is highly desirable because it does not tarnish, rust or corrode. It is a strong metal, which can still be sculpted into various shapes and is typically mixed with other metals in fine jewelry production to give it more strength and resilience. Platinum is much rarer and more durable than gold, but notably more expensive. Before you make a final decision, it is worth weighing the pros and cons of the various types of engagement ring metals.

Yellow Gold Engagement Rings

Yellow gold is the most common of the golds, partly because gold is yellow in its naturally occurring state. The yellow gold used in fine jewelry is typically alloyed with silver and copper; its color depends on the amount of pure gold in the alloy. The advantages of gold are that is does not corrode, tarnish or rust, so it can be counted on to provide lasting beauty. 

White Gold Engagement Rings

White gold is an incredibly beautiful and popular choice for engagement ring settings, which is quickly becoming the number one choice in engagement ring metals. White gold has the overall look of platinum, but is notably less expensive.

Platinum Engagement Rings

Platinum is a rare and valuable metal that is only found in limited quantities in a few, select regions of the world. The annual worldwide production of platinum is approximately 160 tons, compared to 1,500 tons of gold. This is why platinum is more expensive than the other precious metals.

Rose Gold Engagement Rings

Rose gold is a gold and copper alloy commonly used for specialized jewelry and coveted for its warm, reddish color. Rose gold is also known as red gold and pink gold, and sometimes as Russian gold, as a result of its popularity in Russia in the early 19th century. The difference between red, rose and pink gold is their copper content.

14kt Gold Engagement Rings

14 karat gold is one of the most popular choices for engagement and wedding rings today. 14kt gold contains 58.3% gold—14 parts gold and 10 parts of an additional metal or combination of metals such as nickel, silver, or copper. 14kt has the advantage of strength and hardness. 

18kt Gold Engagement Rings

18 karat gold is among the most beautiful and popular of metal choices for engagement rings and wedding rings today. 18kt gold is composed of 75% gold— 18 parts gold and 6 parts of an additional metal or combination of metals such as copper, zinc, cobalt, nickel, silver, or palladium.

DIAMOND CLARITY
DIAMOND INCLUSIONS
FLAWLESS DIAMONDS

Diamond Clarity refers to the presence (or absence) of inclusions in a diamond. Extremely rare flawless diamond do exist but the vast majority of naturally mined diamonds have imperfections or inclusions, including tiny feathers, scratches, trace minerals, and other characteristics that may impair the clarity of the stone. Inclusions can hinder how the light reflects, lessening the brilliance and prismatic effect of color in a diamond. Although not the only aspect affecting the sparkle of a diamond, when the clarity is poor light will not well through the stone making it look dull, cloudy or simply have visible eye sores.

When gemologist inspect diamonds for overall quality, they must painstakingly determine the clarity of the diamond. Using a 10x magnification loupe, gemologist determine the size, type, and position of the imperfections.

Flawless diamonds (FL, IF) may be the rarest and most expensive of all diamonds, however a diamond with imperfections visible only under magnification will be the best value for money and will not detract from its beauty.

When you have an intention to buy a diamond jewelry, for a guarantee that you will be selecting a diamond with no inclusions visible to naked eye, limit your selection to those diamonds graded VS2 or higher. "VS" means "very slightly included". Shopping for SI (slightly included) diamonds, however, will maximize your dollar and is great way to purchase a larger, better cut diamond at no additional cost. Such "eye clear" diamonds range from SI2 and upwards are recommended for the buyer looking for the very best value for money without compromising on the look or size of the stone. Eye-clean diamonds will not have any visible inclusions when viewed in the face-up position at 6-12 inches. Remember, that when a diamond is mounted into most engagement ring settings, small inclusions become even less visible because you are not looking through the stone. The average diamond ring sold in the US is SI2 or I1 in clarity.

FL
Flawless: No internal flaws. Very rare and very expensive diamond.


IF
Internally Flawless: No internal flaws. Also very rare and very expensive.


VVS1-VVS2
Very, Very Slightly Included: Extremely difficult to see inclusions under 10x magnification. Rare and expensive.


VS1-VS2
Very Slightly Included: Inclusions are not visible to the unaided eye. High quality.


SI1-SI2
Slightly Included: Inclusions are visible under 10x magnification. Good quality diamond.


I1-I2-I3
Included: Inclusions and flaws visible to naked eye.

DIAMOND SETTING
JEWELRY MODELS
DIAMOND JEWELRY APPEARANCE

The diamond setting is what we may think of as the "ring" (or other jewelry) portion without the center diamond. It is the band (referred to as the shank), any accent stones and the prongs which hold the center diamond. There are some kinds of diamond setting :

METAL : setting in either platinum, gold or others.

SIMPLE SHANK : A simple, traditional "solitaire" setting where there are no accent stones.

 
Solitaire Settings

SIDE STONES: These may be tapered stones (or baguettes) on either side of the center stone or smaller versions of the center stone on either side called a 3-stone ring. The 3 stones represent the past, present and future.

 
Side Stones Settings

PAVE’: Several small diamonds "paved" either halfway around the shank or fully around.

 
Pave' Settings

MOUNT : Traditional 4-prong settings allow maximum light to showcase brilliance; however, 6-prong settings may be used for larger center stones. There are also 2-prong settings to make unparalled brilliance.

 Studs 6-prong

DIAMOND CARAT WEIGHT
DIAMOND MEASUREMENT
DIAMOND SIZE


A carat is the unit of measurement which the jewelry industry uses to weight a diamond. One carat is equal to 0.20 grams. Often diamond weight is declared in points. One carat is equal to 100 points. Thus, a 0.75 carat diamond is equivalent to 75 points.

Simply put, carat weight is the size of the diamond. For someone likes to wear big jewelry and admires large diamonds, a stone of a higher carat weight might be the right choice. Larger diamonds are rarer than smaller diamonds as large raw diamonds are less frequently found during mining while very small diamonds are relatively commonplace. As the carat weight of a diamond increases, so does its rarity and its value, thus prices will be exponentially higher as the carat weight rises. A 1.00 carat diamond will be more than twice the price and value than that of 0.50 carat diamond.

In order to maximize carat weight and still get a diamond that is flawless to the eye and very white, consider dropping color and clarity ratings. Size and quality of cut will always be noticed first, where color and clarity can be very difficult to distinguish or appreciate in real life. The average diamond engagement ring sold in the US is about 0.50 carat weight, so anything that size or larger should be impressive.

The diamond weight will broadly speaking determine also the size of the stone, however a slightly deeper or shallow cut may result in very slight variations in the size of the "face" of the diamond. Below is a chart displaying popular carat weight and their ideal size in millimeters for round and princess cut diamonds. 

Gemstones come in every color and shade under the sun. Through time, a few of these gemstones have become considered precious gemstones through their color, beauty, rarity and durability. We are passionate about colored gemstones and a great deal of our jewelry includes natural colored gemstones. We also understand that with so many options, choosing a gemstone can be overwhelming, so we have put this guide together to help you when choosing to buy a colored gemstone.

General features of gemstones

Some features of gemstones are the same regardless of whether the gemstone is a sapphire, a ruby or an emerald and so firstly we will look at the aspects of jewelry gemstones which are universal to all gemstone types:

Color

The color of a gemstone is determined by how it absorbs and reflects light energy. The different materials and impurities which make up gemstones each absorb and reflect light differently which is why each individual gemstone type is a different color.

Why gemstones are colored

In some gemstones, the color is caused by an essential component of the gemstone meaning the gemstones only occur in that color. An example of this is peridot, the composition of which includes iron sulfide with the iron component responsible for creating the vivid green color in the gems.

In some other gemstones, the color is caused by impurities in the gemstone material and so these gemstone can occur in different colors created by different impurities. An example of this is sapphires which can be found in colors ranging from pale yellow to deep blue. Blue sapphires are caused by iron and titanium impurities, whereas yellow and green sapphires are caused by iron impurities alone.

How to describe color gemstones

When the color of gemstones is described, it is usually referred to by three distinct terms: hue, saturation and tone:

Hue is the basic color of the gemstone.

Saturation, which is sometimes called color purity or intensity, means the vividness, brightness or colorfulness of the hue of the gemstone.

Tone is the amount of color and covers the range of lightness to darkness of the hue.

The most highly prized gemstones are often those with a vivid and pure, strong toned, hue.

Cut

The cut of a gemstone refers to two aspects of the gemstone. The first is how well the gemstone has been cut to enhance the shine or sparkle and color of the gemstone. The second relates to the shape into which the gemstone has been cut.

Cabochon Cut

Colored gemstones are sometimes cut using a style called a cabochon cut which means they are given a flat base and a smooth domed upper surface. This type of cut is favored for color gemstones which are opaque, for example turquoise; those which are patterned, for example agate, or those that are heavily include such as star sapphires, which are sapphires included with rutile which, when cut, shows as a glittering six point star.

Faceted Cut

Colored gemstones, particularly transparent colored gemstones, are more commonly cut as faceted gemstones. There are two main types of facet which can be used, namely brilliant cut facets, where each facet is a triangle or a kite shape, or step cut facets where the facets are cut parallel to each other. In some cases, only brilliant cut facets or step cut facets are used however some gemstones are also mixed cut stones, with a mixture of brilliant cut facets and step cut facets used.

Cut Gemstone Shapes

The most common modern cut gemstone shapes are:

Carat

A carat is a unit of weight measurement which is used when determining the weight of gemstones and diamonds. One carat equals 200mg. A carat can also be sub-divided into 100 points, so 1 carat = 100 points. Larger gemstones are generally much rarer than smaller gemstones so the price of gemstones typically increase as the carat weight increases.

As different gemstones are made up from different materials, which differ in density, the size of a gemstone of a particular carat weight can vary between different gemstone types. Therefore, two gemstones that appear to be the same size may actually have very different carat weights. For instance, a sapphire is more dense than a diamond, so a one-carat sapphire will look smaller than a one-carat diamond. Let's use 6mm round shaped stones as examples :

Clarity

The clarity of a gemstone is a measure of any flaws found within the cut gemstone. Surface flaws are called blemishes and internal flaws are called inclusions. The flaws may include cracks or fissures, bubbles of gas or other materials or minerals caught within the gemstone as it formed.

For diamonds, the clarity of the cut stone is very important. However, for colored gemstones, the clarity of the gemstone isn't such an important factor. For example, whilst a very clear rich blue or pink sapphire may be very desirable, a blue sapphire with many rutile inclusion (also known as silks), which create a cats eye effect, can be every bit as desirable and valuable.

Furthermore, a beautiful bright cornflower blue sapphire which has a few inclusions may be worth much more than a drab grey blue sapphire which has no inclusions. In addition, some very beautiful and valuable colored gemstones, such as pearls or turquoise, are completely opaque. Therefore, for color gemstones, the clarity of the gemstone is a factor which is only relatively important.

Gemstone Hardness

Gemstones are rated in hardness using a scale called Moh's scale where 1 is the softest stone and 10 is the hardest. Diamonds are the only gemstones which have a hardness of 10 with all other gemstones being softer than diamonds. The different hardness of color gemstones means that there are some which are more suited to certain types of jewelry than others.

For example, sapphires and rubies have a hardness of 9 and so, similarly to diamonds, these are very hard stones. This means that sapphires and rubies are perfect for use in a ring as they do not scratch easily and can withstand daily wear and tear. However, a gemstone such as apatite, a beautiful clear asparagus green color gemstone, which has a hardness of 5, is relatively soft and could be scratched easily by a steel kitchen knife for example. This means that apatite is far too soft for use in a ring, as it would easily be damaged but if used in earring or a pendant, it would look stunning.

Therefore when choosing color gemstone jewelry, it is worth considering what type of wear the jewelry will get and whether the gemstone is hard enough to withstand that type of wear.

Precious Gemstones: Sapphires, Rubies and Emeralds

Sapphires, Rubies, and Emeralds are the most desirable precious gemstones, and are commonly used in fine jewelry.

Sapphire Education

Blue is not the only color!

Sapphires are formed of a mineral called Corundum which is the crystalline form of aluminum oxide and when you think of sapphires, it is likely that you automatically think of the color blue. However, sapphires are actually found in a range of colors. Our Wedding Ring specializes in blue sapphires and pink sapphires in particular but sapphires ranging from yellow and green though to purple can also be found. Whilst all of these colors are still called sapphires, when corundum is found in a red form, it is called a ruby.

Sources of Sapphires

Sapphires are mined all over the world with mines found in India, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Burma, Australia, Brazil, Thailand, Vietnam, Madagascar, Africa and even in the USA. Unfortunately, as with many gemstones, the sapphires which are considered the most valuable blue sapphires are found in the war torn region of Kashmir on the Indian border with Pakistan. Other sources of blue sapphires are Sri Lanka (previously Ceylon) as well as Australia and Thailand. Many pink and yellow sapphires are found in Madagascar with purple sapphires typically coming from Brazil.

The Value of Sapphires

As with diamonds, the value of a sapphire is dependent upon the 4C's of cut, clarity, color and carat.Sapphires are rare gemstones, much rarer than diamonds, and this too can add a premium to the value of a high quality sapphire. In the main, the color of the gemstone, even taking into account heat treatment to improve color, is determined by the location at which the sapphire was mined. To this end, the blue sapphires from some areas, such as Kashmir and Ceylon are considered particularly beautiful and are highly valued. High quality deep pink sapphires are also considered very valuable.

Durability of Sapphires

After diamonds, sapphires are amongst the hardest gemstones known to man. Corundum is 9 on the Moh's scale of hardness and this means that sapphires can be very durable hard wearing stones. As diamonds are harder than sapphires they can damage sapphires. Other sapphires and rubies can also damage sapphires, therefore as with all jewelry, it makes sense to store sapphire jewelry wrapped individually in a soft cloth.

History of Sapphires

Sapphires have been very popular and mystical gemstones throughout the ages. The Persians believed the blue of the sky was caused by the reflection from sapphires which supported the earth and King Solomon's seal was allegedly made from a sapphire. The association of sapphires with royalty continues to this day, with Prince William having proposed to Kate Middleton with his mother's iconic sapphire engagement ring. Sapphires symbolize sincerity and faithfulness. In addition, sapphires are the birthstone for September and, in the US, is associated with the 45th wedding anniversary.

Enhancement of Sapphires

Within the gemstone industry, it is acceptable and common practice for mined sapphires to be heat treated to improve their color and clarity. Untreated sapphires can occasionally be completely clear, however more commonly, they have multiple small inclusions often called silk bands. Whilst in some cases these inclusions can result in a beautiful gemstone, more commonly, the gemstone is considered more beautiful without the silk bands. As the silk bands are a result of the gemstone having cooled to quickly during its formation, by heat treating the sapphire it can be irreversibly clarified making it more desirable. The sapphire is still considered natural as no chemicals have been added to the gemstone. The majority of commercial sapphires have been heat treated in this way. In addition, by careful multiple heat treatment, the color of the sapphire may be made clearer or brighter, this is much less common however can result in the beautiful pale Ceylon Blue sapphires which are very expensive.

All of the sapphires used by us are Natural Sapphires and whilst the majority have been heat treated, some un-heated sapphires are available. However, due to the rarity of high quality un-heated sapphires, they are substantially much more expensive than those which have been subjected to heat treatment.

Care and cleaning of Sapphires

The weakest point of a sapphire is at the edge or point of the cut stone where any impact could cause the sapphire to chip or shatter, for this reason, it is best to remove your sapphire jewelry when doing rough work

Sapphires can easily be scratched or scraped by the edge or point of another sapphire, as well as by rubies and diamonds. To minimize the risk of this happening, always store your sapphire jewelry wrapped individually in soft cloth. After each time you wear your sapphire jewelry, use a soft jewelry cleaning cloth to remove the accumulated dirt before you putting it back in your jewelry box. All of our jewelry is supplied with a super-hi-microfibre jewelry cleaner cloth to help you do just this.

Give your sapphire jewelry a regular clean at home in a bowl of warm water with a few drops of washing up liquid. Soak the jewelry in the water for around 30 minutes, then using a soft brush, clean around the gemstone. Once clean, removed the jewelry and dry it using a soft cloth.

Ruby Education

Rubies are formed of a mineral called Corundum which is the crystalline form of aluminum oxide. This is the same mineral which forms sapphires, however only when the mineral is colored red, due to the presence of chromium as an impurity in the stone, is it considered to be a ruby. As a result, rubies are very rare, and very valuable, gemstones.

Sources of Rubies

Ruby mines can be found dotted around the world with the most well known mines in Burma (Myanmar) where the most valuable, pigeon blood red rubies, have historically been found however mines in Kenya have also been the source of some magnificent quality rubies. Ruby mines are also found in Pakistan, Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Mozambique and even in the USA.

The Value of Rubies

As with diamonds, the value of a ruby is dependent upon the 4C's of cut, clarity, color and carat.Rubies are extremely rare gemstones, very much rarer than diamonds, and this places a high value on a top quality ruby. In the main, the color of the gemstone, even taking into account heat treatment to improve color, is determined by the location at which the ruby was mined. The rubies termed pigeon blood red rubies, which traditionally came from Burma, are considered particularly beautiful and are highly valued. However strong, vivid, fire red rubies from any region are considered very valuable.

Durability of Rubies

After diamonds, rubies, along with sapphires, are amongst the hardest gemstones known to man. Corundum is 9 on the Moh's scale of hardness and this means that sapphires can be very durable hard wearing stones. As diamonds are harder than sapphires they can damage rubies. Other rubies and sapphires can also damage rubies, therefore as with all jewelry, it makes sense to store ruby jewelry wrapped individually in a soft cloth.

History of Rubies

Rubies have long been very sought after gemstones and have, for thousands of years, been one of the most valuable gemstones. They have long been attributed mystical qualities with ancient Burmese people believing they rendered a person invincible if they were inserted beneath the skin. It was also believed that rubies could predict impending danger by becoming darker. Rubies symbolize love. In addition, rubies are the birthstone for July and, in the US, is associated with the 40th wedding anniversary.

Enhancement of Rubies

Within the gemstone industry, it is acceptable and common practice for mined rubies to be heat treated to improve their color and clarity. Untreated rubies can occasionally be completely clear, however more commonly, they have multiple small inclusions often called silk bands. Whilst in some cases these inclusions can result in a beautiful gemstone, more commonly, the gemstone is considered more beautiful without the silk bands. As the silk bands are a result of the gemstone having cooled to quickly during its formation, by heat treating the ruby it can be irreversibly clarified and the color improved, making it more desirable. The ruby is still considered natural as no chemicals have been added to the gemstone. The majority of commercial rubies have been heat treated in this way.

All of the rubies used by us are Natural Rubies with the majority having been heat treated to improve clarity and color. , Some un-heated rubies are available. However, due to the rarity of high quality un-heated rubies, they are substantially much more expensive than those which have been subjected to heat treatment.

Emerald Education

Emeralds are formed of a mineral called beryl. Pure beryl is completely clear, however beryl is the same mineral which forms other gemstones such as aquamarine, helidor and morganite gemstones. The coloring of beryl is determined by impurities with the gemstone however, only when the impurity is chromium, is the grass green beryl called emerald formed. As a result,Emeralds are very rare and very valuable gemstones.

Sources of Emeralds

Emerald mines can be found around the world with the most ancient mines in Egypt where emeralds have been being mined for over 3000 years. Mines still exist in Egypt as well as other locations in Africa including South Africa, Madagascar and Zambia. Emerald mines are also found in Columbia, Brazil, Russia with some emerald deposits even found in the USA.

The Value of Emeralds

As with diamonds, the value of an emerald is dependent upon the 4C's of cut, clarity, color and carat. Emeralds are rarer than diamonds and large, clear vivid emeralds are even rarer, making these extremely valuable gemstones. In the main, the emeralds which are an intense grass green color are the most desirable and valuable however the nature of these gemstones mean that colors ranging from a pale green through to a deep rich green can also be extremely beautiful and valuable. As emeralds are type III gemstones, they naturally have many inclusions although these inclusions do not always detract from the value of an emerald.

Durability of Emeralds

Emeralds are an 8 on the Moh's scale of hardness and this means that are reasonably durable. However, the inclusions found in emeralds make them vulnerable to heat damage and extreme changes in temperature may cause them to break as can knocks or bumps. Also, given that many emeralds are oiled, exposure to harsh detergents or chemicals can dilute or dissolve the oil which has soaked into the emerald reducing their clarity and color. As diamonds, sapphires and rubies are harder than emeralds they can scratch or chip emeralds. Other emeralds can also damage emeralds, therefore as with all jewelry, it makes sense to store emerald jewelry wrapped individually in a soft cloth.

History of Emeralds

Emeralds have been mined for over 3000 years and were highly prized gemstones amongst the ancient Egyptians with Cleopatra known to have been a keen collector of emeralds. They have long been attributed with magical qualities such as the ability to heal the heart, improve the memory or increase fertility. Emeralds symbolize faithfulness. In addition, emeralds are the birthstone for May and, in the US, is associated with the 55h wedding anniversary.

Enhancement of Emeralds

As emeralds are type III gemstones, it is common for even very beautiful emeralds to have a great many flaws and inclusions. Within the gemstone industry, it is acceptable and common practice for mined emeralds to be oiled to improve their color and clarity. The process of oiling involves immersing an emerald in oil which seeps into the cracks and fissures which are commonly found in emeralds. This treatment has the effect of improving the clarity of the emerald. It is also not unusual for a green oil to be used to further enhance the color of the emerald.

Care and cleaning of Emeralds 

As a result of the inclusions in emeralds, whilst reasonable hard, they are vulnerable to breaking or cracking, particularly if bumped. As a result, it is best to remove your emerald jewelry when doing rough work.

Emeralds can easily be scratched or scraped by the edge or point of another emerald, as well as by sapphires rubies and diamonds. To minimize the risk of this happening, always store your emerald jewelry wrapped individually in soft cloth. When you remove your emerald jewelry after wear, use a soft jewelry cleaning cloth to remove the accumulated dirt before returning it back to your jewelry box.

Give your emerald jewelry a regular clean at home in a bowl of warm water with a few drops of a gentle washing up liquid. As emeralds have inclusions and flaws they are vulnerable to cracking if exposed to large changes in temperature, so make sure that the water you use is warm and not very hot. Also, the oil treatment applied to emeralds can be diluted or dissolved by harsh chemicals, so be carefully only to use gentle detergents. Soak the jewelry in the water for around 30 minutes, then using a soft brush, clean around the gemstone. Once clean, removed the jewelry and dry it using a soft cloth.

It is important never to clean emerald jewelry in an ultrasonic cleaner as the inclusions in the emerald leave the gemstone liable to break if ultrasonic vibrations were applied to it.

Platinum

Platinum is the strongest and rarest of the precious metals used in making jewelry. Platinum does not tarnish and through wear develops a beautiful white metal luster making it a perfect choice for jewelry.

Sources

Platinum is an extremely rare metal and until the 1800's Columbia was the only known source of Platinum. Since then Platinum has been discovered in Russia, Canada and South Africa, with almost 75% of the worlds platinum now sourced in South Africa.

Value

In view of the beauty, durability and rarity of platinum it is understandable that this precious commodity has a high value. However, whilst the value of platinum is significant, the price of platinum, although high, tends to remain relatively stable.

Durability

Platinum is the strongest and heaviest of all precious metals used for jewelry and because of its inherent strength it can be used in an extremely pure form, typically a purity of around 95% at which the metal has a beautiful metal white luster. In addition, platinum does not tarnish. However, although strong, platinum still can be scratched but these scratches can be polished out using specialist equipment. The strength of platinum makes it the perfect metal to hold precious gemstones securely in jewelry.

History of Platinum

For almost 3000 years, platinum has been used in the making or adorning of precious objects in the Africa and South America. More recently, the 16th century Spanish Conquistadors found platinum when panning for gold in South America, although they did not fully realize what it was, believing it to be some gold which hadn't formed correctly. It took until the late 1700's before the properties of platinum were fully understood by scientists and shortly after this the metal became more widely used for jewelry and decoration as well as for laboratory tools. Platinum went on to become a favored metal with jewelers such as Cartier and Faberge and was hugely popular during in the early 1900's. However, during the Second World War, the US government declared Platinum a strategic metal and its use in jewelry production was ceased. During the 1960s platinum jewelry once again became popular and it is now, once again, a favored metal with fine jewelers.

Care and Cleaning of Platinum

Although strong, platinum still can be scratched and over time these scratches can lead to a graying in the appearance of the platinum. These scratches can be polished out returning the platinum's intense bright luster. The polishing of platinum requires specialist equipment, so it is advisable to consult experienced fine jewelers, who are able to carry out such polishing correctly. As with all jewelry it is advisable to remove your platinum jewelry before doing any rough work such as DIY or gardening. Platinum can be given a general clean at home with soapy hot water.

Gold

Throughout the ages, gold has been one of the most sought after and prized of the precious metals. It has bewitched and inspired, with wars fought over it, ships sunk for it, and alchemists have dedicated their lives to trying to create it from base metals. And who can blame them, the lustrous glowing beauty of gold cannot help but be desired. However, gold does not only look beautiful, it is a very tactile and responsive metal making it ideal for jewelers to work with. Add to that the glowing sheen which gold reflects onto a wearer and gold becomes one of the most important metals in jewelry. Not only that, but with the price of gold having increased fivefold in recent years, it is a very precious metal indeed.

Sources

Gold deposits have been found throughout the world, with gold mines originally found in Ancient Egypt, Persia and India however gold deposit have also, through the ages, been mined in Africa, Britain, USA, South America, Australia, Russia and China. Whilst most gold was mined in South Africa until recently, currently the majority of gold mined in the world comes from China.

Value

As well as being a beautiful lustrous material, gold is also very easy to work with making it a very valuable metal. Historically, gold has long been used as currency as well as for adornment and ornamentation. It is understandable that this precious and beautiful commodity has a high value. At the moment the value of gold is higher than ever before, second only to the price of platinum in terms of precious metals used in jewelry.

Durability

Gold is a very malleable metal in its purest form and whilst this makes it a joy to work with, it also means that it is easy to damage due to its softness. Therefore pure gold, also known as 24 karat gold, is rarely used in jewelry as any knocks or scratches could deface the jewelry entirely. However, in its purest form, gold is tarnish resistant, meaning it retains its beautiful rich golden luster naturally. To strengthen gold for jewelry making, other metals having more durable properties, are mixed or alloyed with the gold, and the gold is then described in terms of karats.

Gold Karats

Karats is the term used to describe the purity of gold and gold alloys with 24 karats being equivalent to pure gold. The most common gold karats used in jewelry are:

Colored Gold

However, creating gold alloys has another benefit, in that, by choosing the alloying metals carefully, the gold can be imparted with another desirable color. For example, yellow gold is alloyed with an equal mixture of silver and copper, which maintains the yellow color of the gold. However white gold can be created by using a mixture of tin, zinc, copper and nickel. Not only does this produce a beautiful white metal, but the lower price of gold means that it is a very budget friendly alternatively to platinum. The other most common gold is rose gold, a beautiful warm pink gold, which is created by alloying gold with a majority of copper and a small amount of silver.

 

History of Gold

For almost 3000 years, Gold has been used in the making or adorning of precious objects in the Africa, the Middle East and South America mainly for creating artwork or adornments. However, through time, gold became a currency and eventually was used to form coins and bullion as well as jewelry, ornaments and artwork. Through time, a gold standard became accepted whereby a country was limited to issuing only the amount of currency equal to the amount of gold it held in reserve although by the end of the 20th century, other currencies could also be held as a reserve instead of gold. To this day however, gold is still a very prized material for jewelry.

Care and Cleaning of Gold

Lower karats of gold are more robust than higher karats of gold, however whatever the karat, gold can be scratched or dented and damaged. These scratches can be polished out but it is better to avoid damaging your jewelry in the first place. Ideally, any gold jewelry should be removed before doing any rough work such as DIY or gardening.

Gold can also be damaged and tainted by harsh chemicals and in particular, chlorine can cause gold to weaken and break, therefore it is also advisable to remove jewelry before swimming or carrying out domestic cleaning.

Through time, lower karat gold alloys can become tarnished and therefore will require to be polished using a soft jewelry cleaning cloth. Ideally after each wear you should clean your jewelry using such a cloth to remove the accumulated dirt before you put it back in your jewelry box. All of our Wedding Ring jewelry is supplied with a super-hi-microfibre jewelry cleaner cloth to help you do just this.

Gold can be given a general clean at home with soapy hot water and it is advised that it is checked and cleaned yearly by an experienced jeweler to ensure it is kept in tip top condition.

Silver

Silver has a long history of being a popular and valuable precious metal having been mined in Europe as long ago as 4000BC. These days Peru, Mexico, US, Canada and Australia are the main sources of mined silver. Whilst not as valuable as platinum or gold, the bright clean shine of silver has always made it a desirable metal.

Silver is a very malleable metal in its purest form and whilst this makes it a joy to work with, it also means that it is easy to damage. This malleability means silver is suited to creating vessels and utensil, their value enhanced by the antimicrobial properties of silver. However, these days, silver jewelry is more popular, and more valuable than ever before. As pure silver is easily damaged, for jewelry, silver is typically alloyed with copper and nickel to create sterling silver which is 92.5% pure.

Care and Cleaning of Silver

Sterling silver can be scratched or dented and damaged. These scratches can be polished out but it is better to avoid damaging your jewelry in the first place. Ideally, any silver jewelry should be removed before doing any rough work such as DIY or gardening.

Silver can also be damaged, tainted and stained by harsh chemicals therefore it is also advisable to remove jewelry before swimming or carrying out domestic cleaning.

Through time, sterling silver can become tarnished as, over time, the copper and nickel within the react to moisture and air which, over time, can cause silver to lose its appearance. Therefore sterling silver jewelry will need to be polished regularly using a soft jewelry cleaning cloth. Ideally, after each wear, you should clean your jewelry using such a cloth to remove the accumulated dirt before you put it back in your jewelry box. All of our Wedding Ring jewelry is supplied with a super-hi-microfibre jewelry cleaner cloth to help you do just this.

Silver jewelry can be given a general clean at home with soapy hot water to remove grit and grime. A silver cleaning cloth can be used to remove light tarnish. It is also advised that silver jewelry is checked and cleaned yearly by an experienced jeweler to ensure it is kept in tip top condition.

Garnet, the birthstone for January,  signifies eternal friendship and trust and is the perfect gift for a friend.  Garnet, derived from the word granatum, means seed, and is called so because of the gemstone's resemblance to a pomegranate seed.  References to the gemstone dates back to 3100 B.C., when the Egyptians used garnets as inlays jewelry.  Garnet is the name of a group of minerals that comes in a rainbow of colors, from the deep red of the pyrope garnet to the vibrant green of tsavorites.  Today, the most important sources for garnet are Africa, Sri Lanka, and India.

FEBRUARY BIRTHSTONE

AMETHYST

Amethyst, the gemstone believed by ancient Greeks and Romans to ward off the intoxicating powers of Bacchus, also is said to keep the wearer clear-headed and quick-witted.  Throughout history, the gemstone has been associated with many myths, legends, religions, and numerous cultures.  English regalia were even decorated with amethysts during the Middle Ages to symbolize royalty. It has been associated with many myths, legends, religions, and numerous cultures. Amethyst is purple quartz, a beautiful blend of violet and red that can found in every corner of the earth. Historically, the finest amethyst were found in Russia and were featured in much royal European jewelry.  Today, while Brazil is the primary source of this gemstone, fine material can be found elsewhere, especially in Zambia.

MARCH BIRTHSTONES

The two birthstones for March are aquamarine and bloodstone.

AQUAMARINE

The name aquamarine is derived from the Latin word aqua, meaning water, and marina, meaning the sea.  This gemstone was believed to protect sailors, as well as to guarantee a safe voyage.  The serene color of aquamarine is said to cool the temper, allowing the wearer to remain calm and levelheaded.  Its pale, cool color beautifully complements spring and summer wardrobes.  Aquamarine is most often light in tone and ranges from greenish blue to blue-green; the color usually is more intense in larger stones.  This gemstone is mined mainly in Brazil, but also is found in Nigeria, Madagascar, Zambia, Pakistan, and Mozambique.

BLOODSTONE

The second birthstone for March is bloodstone, a dark-green jasper flecked with vivid red spots of iron oxide.  This ancient stone was used by the Babylonians to make seals and amulets and was believed to have healing powers — especially for blood disorders.  It is sometimes called the martyr's stone as legend tells that it was created when drops of Christ's blood stained some jasper at the foot of the cross.  Generally found embedded in rocks or in riverbeds as pebbles, primary sources for this stone are India, Brazil, and Australia.

APRIL BIRTHSTONE

DIAMOND

As the April birthstone, diamonds are the ideal gift for a loved one.  And now you have more choices than ever. Get creative and give the ultimate gift of beauty: a fancy-color diamond. Fancy-color diamonds are natural, rare and truly exotic gem of the earth.  Diamonds in hues of yellow, red, pink, blue, and green range in intensity from faint to vivid and generally the more saturated the color, the higher the value. In fact, diamonds sparkling with intense color are rare and may be priced higher than a colorless diamond of equal size.  Because fancy-color diamonds are very desirable, color is sometimes introduced in a laboratory. These are correctly called color-treated diamonds. When purchasing a fancy-color diamond, the shopper should ask if any enhancements or treatments were used to improve its color and/or clarity.

MAY BIRTHSTONE

EMERALD

As the birthstone for May, the emerald, a symbol of rebirth, is believed to grant the owner foresight, good fortune, and youth. Emerald, derived from the word smaragdus, meaning green in Greek, was mined in Egypt as early as 330 B.C. Today, most of the world’s emeralds are mined in Colombia, Brazil, Afghanistan, and Zambia. The availability of high-quality emerald is limited; consequently, treatments to improve clarity are performed regularly.

JUNE BIRTHSTONES

June counts three gems as birthstones, pearl, Alexandrite, and moonstone.

PEARL

Historically, pearls have been used as an adornment for centuries.  They were one of the favorite gem materials of the Roman Empire; later in Tudor England, the 1500s were known as the pearl age.  Pearls are unique as they are the only gems from living sea creatures and require no faceting or polishing to reveal their natural beauty. In the early 1900s, the first successful commercial culturing of round saltwater pearls began. Since the 1920s, cultured pearls have almost completely replaced natural pearls in the market. 

ALEXANDRITE

A relatively modern gem, Alexandrite, was first discovered in Russia in 1831 during the reign of its namesake, Czar Alexander II, and is an extremely rare chrysoberyl with chameleon-like qualities.  Its color is a lovely green in both daylight and fluorescent light; it changes color to a purplish red in incandescent light.  Due to its rarity, some jewelers stock synthetic versions of this enchanting gemstone.  (Synthetic gemstones are man-made alternatives to the natural material, possessing the same physical, optical, and chemical properties as the natural gemstone.)
  

MOONSTONE

The third birthstone for June is the Moonstone.  It was given its name by the Roman natural historian Pliny, who wrote that moonstone's appearance altered with the phases of the moon — a belief that held until well after the sixteenth century.  A phenomenal gemstone, moonstones show a floating play of light (called adularescence) and sometimes show either a multirayed star or a cat's eye. Considered a sacred stone in India, moonstones often are displayed on a background of yellow (a sacred color) and are believed to encapsulate within the stone a spirit whose purpose is to bring good fortune.  Part of the family of minerals called feldspar, moonstone occurs in many igneous and metamorphic rocks and comes in a variety of colors such as green, blue, peach, and champagne. The most prized moonstones are from Sri Lanka; India, Australia, the United States, Mayanmar, and Madagascar are also sources.

JULY BIRTHSTONE

RUBY

There’s no better way to demonstrate your love than by giving a ruby in celebration of a July birthday. Rubies arouse the senses, stir the imagination, and are said to guarantee health, wisdom, wealth and success in love. Ruby is a variety of the gems species corundum. It is harder than any natural gemstone except diamond, which means a ruby is durable enough for everyday wear. Fine-quality ruby is extremely rare, and the color of the gem is most important to its value. The most prized color is a medium or medium dark vivid red or slightly purplish red. If the gem is too light or has too much purple or orange, it will be called a fancy-color sapphire.

AUGUST BIRTHSTONE

Two birthstones are available for August birthdays: Peridot and Sardonyx.

PERIDOT

Peridot is said to host magical powers and healing properties to protect against nightmares and to bring the wearer power, influence, and a wonderful year.  As peridot is a gemstone that forms deep inside the Earth and brought to the surface by volcanoes, in Hawaii, peridot symbolizes the tears of Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanoes.  Today, most of the peridot supply comes from Arizona; other sources are China, Myanmar, and Pakistan.  This gemstone comes in several color variations ranging from yellowish green to brown, but most consumers are attracted to the bright lime greens and olive greens.  Peridot, in smaller sizes, often is used in beaded necklaces and bracelets. 

SARDONYX

Sardonyx  is a form of onyx and is recognized by its layers of reddish brown and white banding.  It was popular with the ancient Greeks and Romans who carried into battle talismans of sardonyx engraved with images of heroes such as Mars or Hercules, believing that this would bring courage and victory.  Because of its attractive banding, sardonyx has long been used to fashion cameos (carved raised figures) and intaglios (the reverse of cameos).  This gemstone is found throughout the world.  The most attractive specimens are found in India, but material also is mined in Czechoslovakia, Brazil, Uruguay, Germany, and in the United States.

SEPTEMBER BIRTHSTONE

SAPPHIRE

Sapphire, the September birthstone, has been popular since the Middle Ages and, according to folklore, will protect your loved ones from envy and harm.  Medieval clergy wore sapphires to symbolize heaven, while commoners thought the gem attracted heavenly blessings.  Blue sapphires range from very light to very dark greenish or violetish blue, as well as various shades of pure blue.  The most prized colors are a medium to medium dark blue or slightly violetish blue.  Sapphire is a variety of the gem species corundum and occurs in all colors of the  rainbow.  Pink, purple, green, orange, or yellow corundum are known by their color (pink sapphire, green sapphire).  Ruby is the red variety of corundum.

OCTOBER BIRTHSTONES

October is another month with two birthstone choices – Tourmaline and Opal.

TOURMALINE

Tourmaline has become a favorite gemstone among jewelry designer, and gem collectors the world over. Since it is available in a wide variety of colors, it is ideally suited to almost anyone's taste. Tourmaline also is known for displaying several colors in the same gemstone.  These bi-color or tri-color gems are formed in many combinations; gemstones with clear color distinctions are highly prized.  One multi-color variety is known as watermelon tourmaline, and features green, pink, and white colors bands; to resemble its namesake, the gemstone is cut into thin slices having a pink center, white ring, and green edge.  Tourmaline is found in many localities including Brazil, Afghanistan, East Africa, and the USA.

NOVEMBER BIRTHSTONES

Two gems are appropriate for November birthdays - Topaz and Citrine.

TOPAZ

Topaz is a gemstone available in a rich rainbow of colors. Prized for several thousand years in antiquity, all yellow gems in antiquity were called topaz. Often confused with citrine quartz (yellow) and smoky quartz (brown), quartz and topaz are separate and unrelated mineral species. The most prized color of topaz is called Imperial topaz after the Russian Czars of the 1800s and features a magnificent orange body color with pinkish undertones. Topaz also comes in yellow, pink, purple, orange, and the many popular blue tones.

CITRINE

Citrine, the other birthstone for November is known as the "healing quartz". This golden gemstone is said to support vitality and health while encouraging and guiding hope, energy and warmth within the wearer. Citrine can be found in a variety of shades ranging from pastel yellow to dark brownish orange. It is one of the most affordable of gemstones and plentiful in nature. Citrine is found most frequently in Brazil, Bolivia, and Spain.

DECEMBER BIRTHSTONES

The three birthstones associated with December are Tanzanite, Zircon, and Turquoise

TANZANITE

Discovered in the late 1960s in Tanzania, and found exclusively in this tiny area of the world, tanzanite exhibits a rich violet-blue color for which the gemstone is treasured; often it is heat-treated to achieve this color.  Colors range from blue to purple, and tanzanites that are medium dark in tone, vivid in saturation, and slightly violet blue command premium prices.  As tanzanite can be less expensive than sapphire, it often was purchased as an alternative.  However, it has increased in popularity and now is valued more for its own beauty and brilliance than as a sapphire substitute.

ZIRCON

Derived from the Arabic words zar and gun, meaning gold and color, zircon is found in a wide range of colors such as: blue, yellow, orange, brown, green, colorless, and red (the most prized color). For many years colorless zircon was used to imitate diamonds.  Folk wisdom grants zircon the power to relieve pain, whet the appetite, protect travelers from disease and injury, to ensure a warm welcome, and to prevent nightmares guaranteeing a deep, tranquil sleep.  Major sources of zircon are the Chanthaburi area of Thailand, the Palin area of Cambodia, and the southern part of Vietnam.

TURQUOISE

The name turquoise, from the French expression Pierre tourques or Turkish stone, originated in the thirteenth century and describes one of the oldest known gemstones. Turquoise varies in color from greenish blue, through robin's egg-blue, to sky blue shades and its transparency ranges from translucent  to opaque. Turquoise is plentiful and is available in a wide range of sizes. It is most often used for beads, cabochons, carvings, and inlays. Although its popularity fluctuates in fashion, it is a perennial favorite in the American Southwest.

Introduction to Settings

Stone Setting is an art of firmly ascribing or fixing a gemstone into jewelry with a goal to present the highest beauty of a stone. Each and every piece of jewelry that encloses a gemstone has a setting and this setting plays a significant task in improving the appeal of a jewelry piece. The oldest technique of connecting gemstones to jewelry was bezel setting. But in modern times, jewelry designers have developed various other appealing methods of stone setting. The most commonly used setting methods include prong setting, bezel setting, channel setting, pave setting, tension setting etc.

Objectives of Stone Setting

Beauty Enhancement

One of the main objectives of a stone setting is to increase the beauty and radiance of gemstones and develop the appearance of metal designs. Stone setting should allow the highest light to reflect from various angles, which is entering in a gemstone. In most cases, prong setting is considered the best fit for showing the brilliance of a gemstone as it allows optimal amount of light to pass through the gemstone.

Safety of a Gemstone

Setting should also protect gemstones against any loss or damage due to wear and tear. Setting must hold a gemstone firmly and securely so that there should not be any chance of losing a gemstone from its grip. As well as, stone settings should provide safety to gemstones from any harm or scratches due to any blow or calamity. Bezel setting is considered the safest setting style for a gemstone, especially if the surface of the gemstone is below the surface of the bezel or metal.

User Friendly

Setting should also be user friendly as well as safe for other objects. Stone setting must provide comfort and alleviate to its wearer and should not have sharp edges which can harm other objects like skin, cloths etc.

Cover up the Stone’s Weaknesses

Setting should hide or cover up the weaknesses, if any, of a gemstone. Weaknesses like blemishes / inclusions in stone, improper cut etc. deteriorate stone and jewelry’s value and a setting style should try to cover up these imperfections as much as possible.

Stone Setting Methods

Stone setting is one of the fundamental stages of jewelry making, in which gemstones are attached in a metal casting. The main objective of stone setting is to hold a gemstone securely as well as to enhance the brilliance of a gemstone by showing its cut, clarity and color. Jewelry manufacturers use numerous methods to set a gemstone into a jewelry item, which generally is based on gemstone's cut and proportion. Some of these methods and techniques are accepted and appreciated worldwide, which are described as under:

Prong Setting:   

Prong setting, also known as claw setting, is the most popular and common method of setting stones into jewelry. It is the simplest as well as least expensive method of setting a gemstone. Also it allows the finest amount of light to pass through the gemstone, showing the gemstone at its utmost brilliance. This setting style is used for all types of jewelry items and mostly for solitaire engagement and bridal rings. 

This setting often has 3, 4 or 6 small evenly spaced metal claws or prongs that are bent over the girdle to firmly hold the gemstone in a piece of jewelry. These claws and prongs are comparable in shape and size and attached to the central base part, known as the head or basket, of a piece of jewelry. These heads or baskets are obtainable in various shapes and sizes varying on stone's shape and size. Frequent shapes of heads or baskets used in stone setting include round, emerald cut, princess cut, oval, marquise cut, pear shaped and trilliant cut. Each claw or prong extends upward and outward from the head and arching over the gemstone to form a secure and lasting grip. Prongs with platinum metal is considered very strong as platinum is a very dense and solid metal and its thin wires are adequate to hold the gemstone securely in its place whereas gold prongs with sufficient alloys also give a strong grip. 

Finishing

Finishing is the procedure in which surface of a piece is polished cleaned or textured. Finishing is the concluding step of jewelry manufacturing process and usually all jewelry items compel finishing. Finishing is very fundamental part of a jewelry developing process as it gives brilliance and beauty to a jewelry piece. Finishing is accomplished under various stages, which are described as under:

Metal Finishing

Metal Finishing covers any procedure or motion that alters the surface of a metal piece to attain a certain property or appearance. Metal finishing is preformed after a metal cast has been formed. Metal finishing covers many procedures like cleaning, soldering, plating, texturing etc. These processes are described as under:

Cleaning

Cleaning of metal casting indicates to all operations and activities that are achieved to remove sand, scale and / or excess metal from the casting. In jewelry making, cleaning is a continuous development used at various stages. Casting comes for cleaning either precisely from separated mold or after improvement by welding, soldering or other methods. Burned-on sand and scale are removed to improve the surface appearance of the casting whereas excess metal, in the form of fins, wires, parting line fins and gates, is also removed. Cleaning of metal casting can be done by many ways:

Pickling

Pickling is a process in which chemicals are used to eliminate oxide and carbon deposits from metal to attain a clean surface. This process will also remove all of the fire stain and oxidation caused by the soldering. In this process, a metal piece is immersed in a heated acid solution, usually acetic, citric or nitric acid. The acid solution is then removed by rinsing the metal piece in cool water as well as in limewater to neutralize any remaining acid. But due to the environmental reasons, shot blasting has largely replenished pickling.

Sand Blasting

Sandblasting is a wide-ranging term used for the course of cleaning, smoothing or etching a hard surface by compelling very fine bits of solid material across that surface at high speeds. Sandblasting technique gives batter finish than the finish attained by using sandpaper. In Sandblasting method, sand is the most commonly used material but sometimes other moderately uniform particles like synthetic beads, bits of coconut shell etc are also used. Sandblasting as a smoothing and cleaning method which is widely used where small bits of abrasive launched at the metal or other surfaces at a high velocity so that all dirt, flaws are knocked loose and can then be easily washed off. Whereas sandblasting as an etching technique is also very popular and usually applied onto crystal or glass. In etching process, abrasive is blasted at the crystal or glass lightly to turn it semi-opaque and this semi-opaque result is used to produce words or images on that crystal or glass.

Steam Cleaning

Steam cleaning insinuates to cleaning of metal casting through steam and it is suitable for removing oily or greasy residue.

Soap Water Cleaning

Soap water cleaning denotes to cleaning of metal casting by using mild soap detergent in water.  Supercritical fluid cleaning refers to cleaning of metal casting with small openings or complex design. This cleaning process is used mainly on liquid contaminants like petroleum, silicone, lubricants, waxes etc.

Ultrasonic Cleaning

It refers to the cleaning of a metal piece by using ultrasonic cleaners. Ultrasonic cleaner is a machine which uses a fluid that is vibrated at 20,000 cycles per second. When the vibration speed rises above the ultrasonic frequency level, bubbles explode and generate strong power, cleaning the surfaces and cavities of hard-to-clean metal pieces. This cleaning does not scratch the surface or harm metal pieces.

Polishing      

Metal polishing is the process of rubbing a metal piece to make it smooth and shiny as well as reduce the appearance of imperfections.

Tumbling

Tumbling is the process used to get brightness and shine in a metal piece. This process primarily uses steel shots and does not eliminate any metal in the form of fins or gates from the metal piece.

Bombing or Stripping

Both bombing and stripping methods are used to brighten metal pieces predominantly by way of cyanide and water baths. However, bombing removes metal and enhances the entire piece evenly but stripping tends to remove more metal from the high points such as prongs.

Buffing

Buffing refers to the use of grease compound in combination with wheels to harvest very smooth polished surface. It is the finishing step in the professional process.

Soldering   

Soldering is a method, used by jewelers, in making and repairing jewelry. By using this technique, two or more metal pieces are joined by applying a molten metal or metal alloy that has a lower melting point than the two metals being joined. This molten metal structures a bond when cooled and solidified. Soldering is also used in adding findings or links in a metal piece.

Plating

In terms of jewelry, plating is the method to cover or coat a thin layer of a metal to another metal surface mainly for the enhancing purposes.

Techniques of Plating

Electroplating

Electroplating is the process where inexpensive metals are regularly electroplated or coated with a thin layer of more lavish metals like gold (gold plating), silver (silver plating), rhodium (rhodium plating), copper (electro coppering) etc. In this process, an electric current is flown to coat an electrically conductive metal object with a relatively thin layer of precious metal.

Electroless plating

Electroless plating is the chemical accumulation of a metal coating onto a metal piece using chemical reactions rather than electricity.

Other Plating Techniques

Some other techniques are also used for plating like chemical plating, electrochemical plating, and mechanical plating, spray plating, hot dip plating etc.

Specific Metal Plating

Gold Plating    

Gold plating is a technique of depositing a gold layer of .175 microns (approximately 7/1,000,000ths of an inch) with at least 10-karat gold onto the surface of another metal, utmost often silver or copper, by chemical or electrochemical mode.

Silver Plating

Silver plating is a technique of depositing a silver layer on other metal surface mainly for decorative purposes on jewelry and household items.

Rhodium Plating

Rhodium is a noble metal, from the platinum family, with a whitish gray appearance. Rhodium, in raw natural state, comes in liquid state and not in solid state like platinum. In jewelry industry, rhodium is very widespread plating metal which gives very smooth, shiny and luxurious look, just like platinum, to a metal piece. This metal is pertained through the electroplating procedure to base metals like gold, sterling silver or some other metal alloy. This rhodium plating gives a silver tone finish, which is darker than a silver plated finish and darkens with time rather than tarnishing like silver plate. Rhodium plating is virtually identical to Platinum but on a fraction of the cost and frequently it is used on fashion rings and brooches.

Chrome plating

Chrome plating is a technique of depositing a thin layer of chromium on other metal surface mainly for giving a bright and glossy metallic surface, which is highly resistant to tarnish.

Other Metal Plating

Some other metals are also used for plating or coating a metal surface. For Example, zinc, tin etc.

Texturing

Florentine Finish

A Florentine finish is a crosshatched decorative method engraved into the surface of a treasurable metal. It is usually pertained by a hand tool and consist a series of parallel lines engraved in two directions perpendicular to each other. This finish reduces the reflectivity of metal and the lines are often coarser and more deeply incised than the matte finished or brush methods.

Hammered Finish

A hammered finish is a texture applied to the surface of a metal piece with a hammer to give it a dimpled look. A hammered texture gives the reaction of a series of small depressions in the metal. This finish is varied from light to deep hammering texture and usually increases the size of the metal piece. 

High Polish Finish

A high polish finish is super shiny and smooth polish applied to a metal surface that gives a highly reflective and mirror-like finish.

Satin Finish

Satin finish is a texture of a metal surface that is in between matte finish and a brilliant one. It is a series of tiny parallel lines scratched onto a metal surface with a wire brush or polishing tool to produce texture. Satin finish is achieved by various means and methods like sandblasting, wire brushing or chemically altering a shiny metallic surface. This finish gives impression of a soft, pearl-like luster instead of a bright polish.

Matt or Brushed Finish

A matte finish, also known as a brushed finish, is a texture applied to metal surface, which gives a dull and non-reflective finish. Matte finish is achieved either by a chemical process or by using an abrasive material to scratch the top layers of the piece. Stone Finishing Stone Finishing covers any operation or activity that adjust the characteristics of the gemstone to attain a definite property or look. Stone finishing is preformed after a gemstone is mined. A well cut and polished stone is contemplated to have a beautiful finish. Some of the popular stone finishing ways are described as under:

Stone Cutting & Polishing

Cut refers to the finish of a gemstone and geometric proportions. It is one of the most significant factors in defining gemstone’s brilliance and sparkle. The stone should be symmetrical in all dimensions so that it will appear balanced, and so that its facets will reflect light evenly, which will provide good brilliance to stone. A person who cuts and polishes rough gemstone and converts it into a finished gemstone is known as lapidary or cutter. Usually all gemstones are polished and cut with grits of harder substances. Since diamond is the hardest substance, it is often used to polish most gems, including the diamond itself.

A lapidary uses many techniques like drilling, sawing, grinding, tumbling, sanding, lapping and polishing to cut and provide the surface finishing to these gemstones. These techniques are explained as under:

Sawing

Gemstone sawing is a method of gemstone cutting in which a thin circular blade usually composed of steel, copper or a phosphor bronze alloy impregnated along the outer edge with diamond grit and is rotating at several thousand surface feet per minute literally scratching its way through a gemstone. A liquid material such as water or oil is used to wash away cutting debris and keeping the stone and the saw blade cool to avoid overheating.

Drilling

Drilling is a method used to make a hole in a gemstone either to create a bead or to remove inclusions. To drill in a gemstone, gem-cutters often use a small rotating tube or rod with a diamond tip or slurry of silicon carbide. Ultrasonic drilling is also very effective but costly and thus it is reserved for high-volume commercial drilling.

Tumbling

In this process, large quantities of rough shaped stones are often tumbled slowly in a rotating barrel or in a vibratory machine with sharp abrasives (usually silicon carbide) and water for days or even weeks. After this process, these stones are finished in very appealing shapes. In vibratory machines, it is much easier to observe the progress of stones inside while machines are on whereas standard tumblers must be halted in order to check progress of the stones. In addition to polishing gemstones, tumbling is frequently used to polish large quantities of metal jewelry. 

Grinding

Gemstone grinding is a very important procedure in which silicon carbide wheels or diamond-impregnated wheels are used to convert a rough gemstone into a desired shaped gemstone. This is called perform. This method is a liquid material such as oil or water is used to wash away cutting debris and keeping the stone and the blades cool to avoid overheating.

Sanding

Sanding is a procedure that is very much similar to grinding the process but it uses sharper tools. The purpose of sanding is to remove deep scratches left behind from sawing and grinding processes. This process removes material less rapidly, which ultimately allows more delicate control over final shaping of the stone prior to polishing. It polishes to create smooth curves and avoids flat surfaces.

Lapping

Lapping is the process, which is very similar to grinding and sanding. The only difference is that this procedure is performed with low pressure on one side of a vibrating or rotating flat disk known as a lap, and it is used particularly to create flat surfaces on a stone (as in faceting). Laps are often made of cast iron, steel, or a copper-bronze alloy, but other materials can also be used.

Polishing

Polishing is a method used to provide a mirror like shine and finish to the surface of a gemstone to expose light. This procedure begins once a gemstone is sawed and given the anticipated shape and sanded to remove rough marks. Polishing is attained either by rubbing a gemstone with powder or grit, or against another gemstone. 

Stone Treatments / Enhancements

Natural flawless gemstones are very rarely accessible. Gemstones are mined in a very rough state and they compel stone finishing by several ways to enrich the durability and appearance of stones. Some of these treatments or enhancements are permanent in nature whereas others are temporary. Gemstone enhancement has become very common and accepted practice and these days, vast majority of the gemstones are treated in some way before setting into a jewelry piece. According to the Federal Trade Commission's Guides for the Jewelry Industry, jewelers must disclose to the consumer all gemstone treatments that are non-permanent or require special care. On the contrary, jewelers are not required to disclose permanent treatments that don't require special care. It's important to remember that most gemstone enhancements greatly improve the appearance and hence the value of a stone.

Heating

Heating is one of the eldest and most shared treatment methods used to enhance the natural beauty of gemstones. It is a permanent procedure that can significantly improve color and/or clarity in a number of stones, including sapphire, ruby, diamond, aquamarine, amethyst, tanzanite, topaz, and tourmaline.

Irradiation

Irradiation is a permanent procedure in which gemstones are exposed to radiation usually to improve color. Irradiation is frequently used on smoky quartz, freshwater pearls, yellow beryl, diamonds, blue topaz and pink to red tourmaline.

Diffusion

Diffusion is a process in which surface color of gemstones is enriched through the use of chemicals in conjunction with high temperatures. This treatment is frequently used for rubies and sapphires.

Fracture-Filling

Fracture-filling is an enhancement process in which cavities or fractures are filled in a gemstone with an artificial substance like glass, plastic etc. This process is often used on diamonds to make flaws less visible.

Laser Drilling

Laser drilling is the permanent process of drilling holes into a stone with a laser to remove inclusions. This treatment is most commonly used for diamonds.

Oiling

Oiling is one of the oldest treatment methods used to enhance the color, smoothness and hide surface cracks of a gemstone. This treatment is often used on emeralds.

Dying / Bleaching

Dying or Bleaching is a process in which stones are dyed or bleached to improve their color or appearance. This treatment is often used on porous materials like jade, pearls, amber, coral, ivory etc.

Our history can be traced back to the very beginning.  In partnership with the city of New York, we obtained a location where the industry could thrive.  It is this prime location of 47th street that was considered an ideal place to do business.  It became the center of the jewelry industry as we know it today. With the high volume of transactions it allows 90 percent of the US diamond supply to pass through the hands of our jewelers.  We are now considered by many - the world's leading center of jewelry commerce.  Here you will find the most exquisite jewelry and gemstones, with unsurpassed service.

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