Category Archives: Birthstone Tidbits

Tidbits of information about birthstones.

Chatham lab created emeralds vs natural

Posted on January 26, 2018 by mrahm

Recently a client contact me about buying an emerald. He wasn’t particular about whether it was a lab created emerald or a natural emerald. He had a budget of $10,000 in the event we found a really nice natural emerald. … Continue reading →

Posted in 5. May Birthstone Tidbits, Gemstone Tidbits | Leave a comment

Fine Pakistani Peridot

Posted on January 24, 2018 by mrahm

Fine quality peridot from Pakistan like these are still availble Continue reading →

Posted in 8. August Birthstone Tidbits, Birthstone Tidbits | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Madagascar: A gemologist’s journey (Ilakaka Sapphire Deposit)

Posted on February 5, 2015 by mrahm

Ilakaka was probably the most exciting mining stop for me on the entire trip. As a Gemologist, I learned about this discovery, saw pictures and videos of it in my studies, but never imagined I would ever go there. This … Continue reading →

Posted in 9. September Birthstone Tidbits, Madagascar | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Patriotic Colorado

Posted on January 21, 2014 by mrahm

Last night our GIA Alumni Association of Colorado got to visit the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum. It’s the second most visited university museum in the country full of amazing gems and mineral specimens. I learned something new last … Continue reading →

Posted in 3. March Birthstone Tidbits, Gemstone Tidbits | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Beware of “Manufactured Product” Written on your Gem Report

Posted on January 20, 2014 by mrahm

In my previous posts I discussed my continuing education lesson on Emerald Enhancements. There was one classification that I have yet to explain: Manufactured Product. When GIA classifies an emerald (or any other stone) as a Manufactured Product, this doesn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in 5. May Birthstone Tidbits, 7. July Birthstone Tidbits, 9. September Birthstone Tidbits, Gemstone Tidbits | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Select Your Loose Emerald Wisely

Posted on January 3, 2014 by mrahm

In my previous post I discussed my continuing education lesson on Emerald Enhancements. It was quite interesting learning how GIA judges clarity enhancements in emeralds. I mentioned that because emeralds are type III gemstones and are almost always included, most … Continue reading →

Posted in 5. May Birthstone Tidbits, Birthstone Tidbits, Gemstone Tidbits | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Clarity Enhancement In Emeralds

Posted on December 31, 2013 by mrahm

I just finished my GIA continuing education program for the year…talk about waiting until the last screaming minute. The final assignment was about clarity enhancements in emeralds. One of the well-respected researchers at GIA, Shane McClure, was showing examples of … Continue reading →

Posted in 5. May Birthstone Tidbits, Birthstone Tidbits, Gemstone Tidbits | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment