Multicolour

The use of natural alexandrite in jewelry is limited by its rarity as well as its lack of availability in specific sizes and shapes. It is a unique and special gemstone that few jewelers ever even have the opportunity to stock. And because of its obscure and esoteric nature, fine alexandrites can rival or exceed the prices of similar sized diamonds, like this exceptional 1.62-carat certified Brazilian alexandrite.

Sphene is generally considered to be a collector's gemstone. And with its high refractive index and amazing dispersion, Sphene’s remarkable brilliance exceeds even that of a diamond. Green is the most valuable color and this striking 3.61-carat round from  Afghanistan is an excellent example. Although relatively unknown to the public and largely ignored by jewelry designers, sphene is a favorite among cutters and connoisseurs for its mesmerizing color and fire. 

Taaffeite was first discovered already cut and polished in Ireland in 1945. At the time it was mislabeled as a spinel, but upon further inspection it was determined that the mineral was actually a new and yet to be identified gemstone. It was eventually named after Count Taaffe, the Dublin gemologist that discovered it.

A beautiful ring featuring an outstanding Brazilian alexandrite. Alexandrites from this deposit are well known for their beautiful color in every kind of light. The center stone is encircled by high quality VVS diamonds that continue along the shank on both sides and throughout the under gallery. GIA certification for the alexandrite center is included with the purchase of this ring.

Tsavorite garnet was first discovered in Tanzania in 1968, and was named after the Tsavo National Park by the promoters from Tiffany & Co. The national park is located near the border between Kenya and Tanzania. Although Tsavorite is the name usually associated with the darker green garnets, there is no universally accepted standard that designates which shade of green qualifies as tsavorite.

Formerly known as pink beryl, the name Morganite was suggested by gemologist George F. Kunz the namesake of kunzite, and renamed as a separate gemstone in 1911 after J. Pierpont Morgan, an American banker and collector. This pretty, peachy-pink variety of beryl, like this 14.20-carat portuguese cut gem, is found chiefly in Brazil and Madagascar. Intense colors are hard to find and even light colors may command high prices. The pastel pink colors are a result of the presence of manganese or cesium. 

This large Jeremejevite crystal is from a yet to be disclosed locality in Madagascar. The color appears to be very slightly yellowish but from our experience, most of these stones look white after faceting. This piece weighs 54.91cts and measures 24.1 x 21.6 x 14.9mm. It will probably yield a 16 carat plus stone if handled by an experienced cutter. Large near clean crystals like this are quite unusual and few labs were even willing to commit to the identification of this one. A window was polished to aid in identification by refractive index and also to help the lapidary with orientation. Meanwhile, check out faceted Jeremejevites : https://goo.gl/sMwT1Y

Paraiba tourmalines are among the most sought after colored stones in the world. Prices of top stones have perhaps appreciated more than any other gemstone over the last 10-15 years. These stones are from the Mavuco area of Mozambique. Only some 10% of recovered stones actually show blue-to-green Paraiba-like colors without heat treatment. Unfortunately, there is little new production and stones like these are nearly impossible to find. 

This sapphire was graded as dark blue with moderately strong color saturation. The color is prized in the world of sapphires and darker stones like this will benefit from some windowing, and while some windowing may be apparent in this  image that is enlarged some 15 times depending on your screen size, it is not distractive and the thing that stands out about that stone is the beautiful Burmese blue color.

Brazilian alexandrites appear reddish purple-to-purple red under incandescent light while their daylight colors are often more blue than green. The incandescent colors of Brazilian stones usually possess a strongly purplish secondary hue and the best colors are considered to be purplish red or raspberry red.

Trying to come up with an original idea for your jewelry designs? Here are three fancy tourmaline slices, which could help you unleash your creative side.

Phantom amethysts contain ghost like images of another crystal within it that are aligned with the outer crystal. These beautiful amethyst slices were prepared to display the unusual patterning. Zoning in Amethyst is also known as the Chevron effect and we can look at the Chevron logo to see the similarity. In this case, the phantoms clearly align with the hexagonal crystal faces to create the arrangement.

Superb Tahitian Pearl in drop shape with silver body-color and green overtone.

This unusual specimen is an extremely rare #gemstone from Southern Madagascar. Measuring 19.60 x 7.90 x 7.8mm and weighing 11.97-carats, the crystal appears to be exceptionally clean with an obvious orthorhombic habit. Considered to be one of the rarest minerals on earth, #Grandidierite is a gem collector’s dream for its extreme rarity, its relatively high hardness and for the strongly saturated neon colors in which it may occur. We expect to retrieve a 5.00 to 6.00-carat faceted stone from this one although its still open for offers from crystal collectors.

The most prized of all the chalcedonies, chrysoprase, is the fine grained fibrous apple green variety, which owes its lovely color to the presence of hydrated nickel silicate.  It is rarely seen in commercial jewelry because stones of consistent color and calibrated sizes are difficult to obtain in large quantities, but this beautiful gem  often seen in designer and  one-of-a-kind jewelry items.

Watermelon tourmalines slices are  multi colored, but not in the sense that refers to faceted stones. Watermelon slices are pink in the center and green around the outside. The crystals are always sliced perpendicular to the C axis to highlight the colors and patterns in the cross section. Madagascar has seen the most prolific production of these kinds of tourmalines, but they have also been found at many other tourmaline sources.

Gorgeous 13 carats Bi-Color Tourmaline in pear shape from Tanzania.