Category: Loose Stones
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Design: Padparadscha Sapphire Setting
I haven’t had this stone for that long, but it became a quick favorite. I am not a big orange person, but even as a little girl, I was into peach colors. Which is what the padparadscha should have in spades. You might recognize this stone from a previous post. So,…
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David Klass Contest Solitaire Setting
I have been asked to post an entry of my design process. I wish I could post my thought process, but that’s just about impossible, seeing as how it took roughly 3 weeks to come up with the idea. The sketches themselves were a product of about 13 hours of just…
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Gem Blast: Moonstone & Sapphires
I’ve been helping a friend with a moonstone project for a while, serving as her personal shopper at times, and acting as a sort of consultant at other times. I have always loved moonstone with a blue sheen to it because it looked so mysterious and almost magical, but I…
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Evaluating a Moderately Included Red Spinel
So recently I was asked to consult on a stone for an international friend of mine. Typically what happens is that they will ask me to look at a stone that’s in the USA and then send it to them if it passes my inspection/and they like what they see…
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AGTA Spectrum 2015 Awards
A huge congratulations to all winners of the AGTA Spectrum Awards, but especially to Mr. John Dyer, of whom I currently have one of his gems in my gembox. Well done sir! And sweeping the entire “Innovative Faceting category at that! To see the entire list of winners, please check…
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Mahenge Spinel
The stone of the moment seems to be Mahenge spinel. Years ago a deposit of neon pink and red stones was discovered in the Mahenge region of Tanzania, Africa. The color was neon and was arguably better than the best rubies. They say that the color of the first ones…
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Gemstone Cutting Flaws
Most gemstones on the market are either cut by machine or cut on rudimentary machines. As a result there are a lot of gemstones out there that have a lot of issues and in my opinion, are less beautiful. I had mentioned in this post, Considering Gemstone Recuts, about recutting…
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Gem Blast: Purple Sapphire
One of the best things about visiting home is my favorite little gem shop. When I was there over the summer, I managed to catch a glimpse of this stone, and couldn’t stop thinking about it when I got home! So I sent my gemstone-buying-partner-in-crime, Erin of Willajune Jewelry to…
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Gem Blast: Considering Gemstone Recuts
I typically like to do Gem Blast posts as mostly pictures with little commentary, as it gives me a little break from writing, and I get to post pictures, which I love taking, but this one is a little bit different because it deals with a specific issue: Gemstone Recuts…
The Gemstone Project 