Alexandrite is a rare variety of color change chrysoberyl, prized for its amazing optical properties. This remarkable display of colour-change occurs with variations in ambient lighting. The more marked a transition in colour and more vivid its saturation, the more valuable an alexandrite is. It is for these reasons: degree of colour-change and saturation –…
When our customer expressed an interest in buying gold bullion, however was reticent to go “all in” and make a substantial investment, we suggested he consider combining an appetite for some yellow metal with a desire to present his wife with a lovely birthday present. The first step was to acquire a meaningful gold ingot…
Our customer sketched out his client’s request, detailing a bracelet set with 5 gemstones of various shapes set in a line of custom crafted mountings on a chain: Our gemologist and lapidary worked together in preparing two options consisting of various shapes in natural gemstones: …
Hand engraving is the craft which forms one of the original cornerstones of the jewellery arts. The fabrication and sharpening of gravers and the techniques employed to cut metal and stone, are skills which extend far back to the earliest manifestations of our craft, evoking great masters of the Italian Renaissance – Lorenzo Ghiberti, Benvenuto…
Life’s journey brings unexpected opportunities to learn and profit. One such occasion occured recently when a sales trip abroad with stops along the way visiting wholesale customers, extended into the weekend. An upcoming local event appropriately headlined Important Jewels Auction provided respite from a day otherwise relegated to time in front of a spreadsheet doing…
Our expert has been trading in opals from most of the known sources for over 30 years – therefore when the request was made by the designer (see Part 1) for a series of fire opals in 5 to 10 carat sizes, we had the unique combination of knowledge, inventory, and global contacts, to meet…
Recently a routine visit to a famous designer’s gallery led to a brief query from the jewelry designer: “My staff and I have been trying to source fire opals for an important client for weeks – do you have any idea where to find large fine gem fire opals in 4 carat plus sizes in…
Note to my reader: In keeping with a practice set down by the eminent diamond researcher and gemologist Stephen Hofer, I am using the more “colourful” spelling for color in the article below. There are three distinct categories of diamond which require defining in order to appreciate where Coloured Diamonds come from. The following three…
The garnet is a manifold of “worlds” comprised of mineral species which have certain crystallographic features in common but are defined by differences in their natural chemistry. First starting from the left in the series above is the group of 5 Hessonites in various shapes our lapidary cut from rough we purchased from…
A quick jaunt to Macau for dinner and a preview of fine French antique furnishings.