GemologyTidbits.com

Happy Veteran’s Day

Posted on November 11, 2011 by mrahm

Happy Veteran's Day It is with heartfelt thanks that I write today to address the men and women of our armed forces. Your sacrifice and bravery is appreciated more than words can say. You put your lives on the line to keep our country safe and to uphold the freedom of our great nation.

It is with great respect and admiration that I wish you a Happy Veteran’s Day…may your day be special.

Author: Michelle M. Rahm is a GIA-trained Graduate Gemologist and is President of Colorado’s Mile High Chapter of the GIA Alumni Association. She has been selling gemstones and jewelry online since 1997. Visit her websites JewelryImpressions.com and OurCustomWeddingRings.com

Posted in Gemstone Tidbits | Leave a comment

November Birthstones: Citrine & Golden Topaz

Posted on November 10, 2011 by mrahm

November Birthstones: Citrine & Golden Topaz There are two birthstones generally recognized as birthstones for November: Citrine and Golden Topaz. Citrine is the orangish yellow variety of quartz, while golden topaz is the yellowish golden variety of topaz.

While golden topaz is a harder than citrine (8 on the Moh’s scale of hardness vs. a 7 for Citrine), citrine is less expensive and more plentiful in a variety of shapes and sizes, thus, of the two, citrine is the more common gemstone found in birthstone jewelry.

In addition to being November’s birthstones, citrine is the recognized gift for the 13th anniversary and golden topaz is the recognized gift for the 23rd anniversary.

Posted in 11. November Birthstone Tidbits | Tagged birthstone information, citrine, golden topaz, november birthstone, november birthstones | Leave a comment

Tourmaline

Posted on November 9, 2011 by mrahm

My plan for the end of October was to tell you a bit about tourmaline and show you some orange sapphire engagement rings in honor of Halloween. However, my father was unexpectedly admitted to the hospital and I was out of town dealing with that. He’s out now and doing well, thankfully. So I’m back in the office. I will be spending a few days catching up, then I’ll move into November information.

pink tourmaline crystal Pink tourmaline shares the honor of being October’s birthstone with opal. Tourmaline comes in every color of the rainbow, but generally pink tourmaline is considered the October birthstone.

For centuries tourmalines have adorned the jewels of royalty. The Empress Dowager Tz’u Hsi, the last empress of China, valued the rich pink colors above all other gemstones. The people of ancient Ceylon called tourmaline “turmali,” the Sinhalese word for “more colors.” Perhaps this is why ancient mystics believed tourmaline could encourage artistic intuition: it has the palette to express every mood.

Vivid reds, hot pinks, verdant greens and blues abound in this marvelous gem variety. Earth tones as varied as a prairie sunset are readily available. Not only does tourmaline occur in a spectacular range of colors, but it also combines those colors in a single gemstone called “bi-color” or “parti-color” tourmaline. One color combination with a pink center and a green outer rim is called “watermelon” tourmaline, and is cut in thin slices similar to its namesake.

Dark blue, blue-green, and green tourmalines are occasionally heated to lighten their color. Red tourmalines, also known as rubellites, and pink varieties are sometimes heated or irradiated to improve their colors. Heat and irradiation color enhancement of tourmalines is permanent.

Occasionally, some tourmalines may have surface-breaking fissures that are filled with resins, with or without hardeners. Care must be observed with these gemstones. Avoid exposing them to harsh abrasives and strong chemical solvents.

Information: Provided by the American Gem Trad Association
Author: Michelle M. Rahm is a GIA-trained Graduate Gemologist and is President of Colorado’s Mile High Chapter of the GIA Alumni Association. She has been selling gemstones and jewelry online since 1997. Visit her websites JewelryImpressions.com and OurCustomWeddingRings.com

Posted in 10. October Birthstone Tidbits, Gemstone Tidbits | Tagged tourmaline, tourmaline history, tourmaline information | Leave a comment

Caring for Opals

Posted on October 21, 2011 by mrahm

Opals, with or without enhancement, should be treated tender loving care as it ranges in hardness from 5-6.5 on the Mohs scale. Opal is softer than many other gemstones and should be stored carefully to avoid being scratched by other jewelry. It should also be protected from blows, as exposed corners can chip. Opal should not be exposed to heat or acid, or extreme temperature changes and air pressure changes. For this reason, the best way to clean opals is with a soft, damp cloth or soft damp toothbrush. Avoid using strong or abrasive cleaners.

Over time, opals can develop a network of tiny fissures, called ‘crazing’. For this reason, some gemologists recommend storing opals or opal jewelry in a damp environment or, especially for loose opals, submerged in water to protect them from crazing.

These amazing opal specimens from Rainbow Ridge in Virgin Valley, Nevada are stored in water-filled glass cases to protect them from crazing.

Information: Provided by the American Gem Trad Association Author: Michelle M. Rahm is a GIA-trained Graduate Gemologist and is President of Colorado’s Mile High Chapter of the GIA Alumni Association. She has been selling gemstones and jewelry online since 1997. Visit her websites JewelryImpressions.com and OurCustomWeddingRings.com

Posted in 10. October Birthstone Tidbits, Birthstone Tidbits | Tagged opal care, opal cleaning, opal jewelry, opal storage | Leave a comment

Opal Enhancements

Posted on October 21, 2011 by mrahm

Opals are often enhanced to improve their appearance and durability. Opals can be treated by a variety of methods to bring out their play of color. The two most common treatments are Sugar Treatment and Smoke Treatment. For either of these treatments to work effectively, the opal must be fairly porous.

For the sugar method, the white, gray, or black opals are immersed in a sugar solution and then in strong sulfuric acid, which carbonizes with the sugar and leaves microscopic carbon specks that blacken the body color, making its flashes of color more visible.

For the smoke method, opals are wrapped in paper before they are heated and smoked so particles of soot penetrate the opals surface, giving it a darker background color and enhancing the play of color.

Other opal treatments include permeation with colorless oil, wax, resin, plastic, and hardeners to improve their appearance and durability, which includes masking the appearance of crazing. Occasionally, some thinner or translucent opal may be painted with a black epoxy on the backside of the gemstone to darken the body color and improve the play of color.

Fire opal is not commonly enhanced.

Michelle M. Rahm is a GIA-trained Graduate Gemologist and is President of Colorado’s Mile High Chapter of the GIA Alumni Association. She has been selling gemstones and jewelry online since 1997. Visit her websites JewelryImpressions.com and OurCustomWeddingRings.com

Posted in 10. October Birthstone Tidbits | Tagged enhancing opals, opal enhancements, opal treatments, opals, treatment of opals | Leave a comment

Jacques Voorhees in Denver Tonight

Posted on October 20, 2011 by mrahm

Jacques is one of the funniest, most effective speakers I’ve ever heard. Join us for an enlightening evening full of tips for brick and mortar stores to effectively compete against e-tailers…just in time for the holiday season. Everyone is welcome…

Alumni Association Mile High Chapter Presents
Jacques Voorhees
President, VeriChannel, Founder of Polygon

Presents

Selling Diamonds & Competing Against e-Tailers Just In Time for Holiday Sales

When: Thursday, October 20, 2011

Where: CB Potts*1257 West 120th Avenue *Westminster, CO 80234 *(303) 451-5767

Just west of I-25 & 120^th on NE corner of Mariposa and 120th. CB Potts’ sign is difficult to read…it looks like a movie theater on the outside.

Jacques Voorhees What: Back by popular demand just in time for the holiday season: Jacques has a refreshing knack for taking a serious topic and making if fun, interesting and humorous. Retail store profit margins are under attack in the age of the Internet. Consumers used to come in with a Rap sheet in their back pocket. Now they come in with printouts from Internet e-tailers. Do you agree to meet the price, and kill your margin? Do you preserve the margin and not make the sale? Is there a third option? Yes, there is. Learn how to avoid the “will you meet this price” trap. Learn what you need to say to completely change the conversation, and earn the customer’s loyalty. Most importantly, learn how to preserve your profit margin.

Networking and food service begins at 6:30pm. Everyone is welcome to order off a limited food menu, separate checks will be issued. Announcements begin at 7:15. Presentation begins at 7:30.

Who: Open to everyone in the jewelry and related industries

Fee: $5 Mile High Chapter Members, $15 Non-Members.

Posted in Gemstone Tidbits | Leave a comment

Nevada’s Rainbow Ridge Opal

Posted on October 19, 2011 by mrahm

I mentioned in my previous post that smaller sources of opal are found in some US states including Nevada. While visiting the Tucson Gem Show last year, a colleague told me about the Rainbow Ridge Opal Mine in the Virgin Valley area of Nevada. The owner of this mine allows individuals to either pay $500* for a scoop of ground from the mine for one or two adults to dig through for opal. OR one can pay $70* per person per day to opal hunt on the tailing pile.

This colleague of mine told me he has been there a few times and has had varying degrees of success. But recently he hit the jackpot and found all the opal specimens you see on this page in just one scoop of ground. Look at the rainbow colors on this opal from Rainbow Ridge…amazing!

While he did say he enjoyed going to Rainbow Ridge, he warned me that it is an all-day event in the hot sun and it’s very hard work to dig through the clay to discover opal. At the end of the day, one can expect to be exhausted.

I think it would be a blast to arrange a field trip with our Colorado GIA Alumni Association to visit this mine and play in the clay to discover opal. How fun!

*2011 season prices. May be different in the future.
Michelle M. Rahm is a GIA-trained Graduate Gemologist and is President of Colorado’s Mile High Chapter of the GIA Alumni Association. She has been selling gemstones and jewelry online since 1997. Visit her websites JewelryImpressions.com and OurCustomWeddingRings.com

Posted in 10. October Birthstone Tidbits | Tagged nevada opal, nevada opal mine, opal mine, rainbow ridge, rainbow ridge opal mine | Leave a comment

Opal Sources

Posted on October 18, 2011 by mrahm

There are many different sources of opal although Australia is the largest producer of precious opal, producing about 90% of the world’s output.

Boulder opal is found in the Winton area of Queensland, Australia, while the major source of black opal Lightning Ridge in New South Wales, Australia. White opal is mined in south central Australia as well as the White Cliffs area of New South Wales. The white opal specimen you see here is from the White Cliffs are of New South Wales. I’m thinking a business trip to Australia is in order.

Other sources of opal include Mexico for fire opal and Brazil for precious white opal and some fire opal. Ethiopia, Canada, Honduras as well as the US states of Oregon, Idaho and Nevada also provide smaller sources of opal.

Posted in 10. October Birthstone Tidbits | Tagged opal, opal mines, opal sources | Leave a comment

Opal Colors and Types

Posted on October 17, 2011 by mrahm

There are many different types of opals in a variety of colors ranging from semi-transparent to opaque. The most common is white opal. You’ll find white opal in most types of commercial opal jewelry such as opal birthstone jewelry.

Crystal and water opals commonly have a colorless, transparent body, while the most valued variety of opal is black opal with a dark blue, gray, or black body color. Boulder opal combines precious opal with the host rock in which it forms.

My favorite type of opal doesn’t look like opal at all. Fire opal, like the faceted fire opals you see here, can range in color from bright yellow to orange or red. Fire opal is quite different from the other varieties of opal. Fire opal’s day-glo tones, which are translucent to transparent, are beautiful with or without play of color. Unlike most other opals, fire opals are often faceted.

In terms of play of color for other forms of opal, generally speaking the blues and greens are considered less desirable colors to the more preferred red flashes of color, which tend to be more valuable. But truly this is a matter of personal preference.

Opal, with or without enhancement, should be treated with some care. Opal is softer than many other gemstones and should be stored carefully to avoid being scratched by other jewelry. It should also be protected from blows, as exposed corners can chip. Opal should not be exposed to heat or acid.

Posted in 10. October Birthstone Tidbits | Tagged boulder opal, commercial opal, fire opal, opal jewelry, white opal | Leave a comment

My Favorite Opal Fact

Posted on October 11, 2011 by mrahm

In honor of opal birthstone month, I wanted to share my favorite fact about opal. There are two different types of opal, precious opal and common opal. Precious opal has beautiful play of color while common opal does not. So what causes this difference between the two?

I find it fascinating the play of color in precious opal is a result of its structure of perfectly tiny stacked silica spheres. Like oranges stacked in a crate, this orderly arrangement creates uniformly spaced gaps in opal’s structure, allowing light waves to bend and break into spectral colors. This amazing, perfect structure can be seen under extreme magnification.

If the silica particles are arranged randomly in varying sizes, there is no play of color and the opal is referred to as common opal.

Posted in 10. October Birthstone Tidbits, Gemstone Tidbits | Tagged opal, opal facts, opal information, opal phenomenon, play of color | Leave a comment

October’s Birthstone: Opal

Posted on October 10, 2011 by mrahm

Opal has ignited man’s imagination for more than 2,000 years with the flashes of fire that magically burn within its depths. Its multicolored flame makes it unique in the world of gemstones – giving it more variety of color and versatility of wear than perhaps any other gemstone.

Revered as a symbol of hope, fidelity, and purity, opal was dubbed the Queen of Gems by the ancient Romans because it encompassed the colors of all other gems. Opal is prized for its unique play of color, the ability to diffract light into flashes of rainbow color.

Opal, along with tourmaline, is the birthstone for October and the suggested gift for the fourteenth anniversary.

Information: Provided by the American Gem Trad Association

Posted in Gemstone Tidbits | Tagged october birthstone, opal, opal history, opal information | Leave a comment

Pleochroic Sapphire

Posted on September 30, 2011 by mrahm

Like most gemstones, sapphire is doubly refractive and like many doubly refractive stones, it generally shows pleochroism.

Pleochroism is an optical phenomenon that is a direct result of double refraction…when a light beam splits and travels in different directions at different speeds, each component of that split beam will absorb different colors. Thus, the gem will appear to have different colors. Pleochroic gems show different colors when viewed from different crystal directions.

Blue sapphire in particular shows moderate to strong pleochroism of violetish blue and greenish blue. The photo of the ring above is a terrific example of how sapphire can show pleochroism. Pleochroism is sometimes mistaken for color zoning (another common characteristic of sapphire). For more information about both pleochroism and color zoning, visit my previous posts below:
http://www.gemologytidbits.com/blog/2011/03/28/pleochroic-aquamarine/
http://www.gemologytidbits.com/blog/2011/03/29/pleochroism-vs-color-zoning/

Posted in 9. September Birthstone Tidbits, Gemstone Tidbits | Tagged pleochroism, sapphire, sapphire info, sapphire information | Leave a comment

Sapphire Clarity

Posted on September 24, 2011 by mrahm

Sapphire Silk As I mentioned previously, there are three basic gemstone types in terms of clarity:
Type I stones are usually eye-clean…those include aquamarine, green tourmaline, blue zircon and others

Type II stones generally show SOME eye-visible inclusions. Those include alexandrite, sapphire, ruby, andalusite and others

Type III stones are almost always included, such as emerald.

Sapphires are Type II stones so they generally shows some eye-visible inclusions, but they usually have a higher clarity than rubies. The enlarged picture shown above shows some fine rutile needle inclusions known as “silk” inside of this sapphire. The fine silk in sapphire is actually a desired clarity characteristic that can make a sapphire look velvety…this is especially common in Kashmire sapphires.

When the needles have a negative effect on the beauty of a sapphire, heat treatment is sometimes used to destroy rutile needles and improve clarity.

Image: Provided by GIA
Author: Michelle M. Rahm is a GIA-trained Graduate Gemologist and is President of Colorado’s Mile High Chapter of the GIA Alumni Association. She has been selling gemstones and jewelry online since 1997. Visit her websites JewelryImpressions.com and OurCustomWeddingRings.com

Posted in 9. September Birthstone Tidbits, Gemstone Tidbits | Tagged rutile needles in sapphire, rutile silk, sapphire clarity, sapphire silk | Leave a comment

Round Pink Sapphire & Diamond Halo Engagement Ring

Posted on September 17, 2011 by mrahm

Thanks to some high-profile celebrities, pink sapphire engagement rings seem to be gaining popularity. Pink sapphire is by far, the most common color of engagement ring we sell.

She’ll turn heads with this eye-catching 18k white gold pink sapphire engagement ring with 66 G-H color eye-clean SI1-SI2 clarity natural diamond accents weighing 0.64 cttw. Best of all, the center stone is a stunning 7.5mm round gem quality Chatham lab grown pink sapphire. The shank graduates from 2.5mm to 3mm wide. The halo is 4mm high and 12mm in diameter. You won’t find a better bargain anywhere. This gorgeous ring is made to coordinate with diamond wedding band KI-117037, sold separately.

Our eco-friendly Chatham-created synthetic pink sapphires are real pink sapphires with the same chemical, physical and optical properties as their natural counterparts. Gem quality means there are no inclusions visible to the naked eye.

You can visit our YouTube Channel to see videos of this ring and many others. Or visit ourcustomweddingrings.com to see our selection of orange sapphire engagement rings and other gorgeous gemstone engagement rings.

Posted in Custom Rings, Gemstone Tidbits | Tagged pink sapphire engagement ring, pink sapphire halo engagement ring, pink sapphire ring | Leave a comment

Pink Sapphires

Posted on September 16, 2011 by mrahm

I touched on pink sapphires in my July post concerning the color range of rubies. Many stones that are called “rubies” by some retailers are really pink sapphires because they are too pink and light in tone to be a true ruby.

Differentiating ruby from pink sapphire in gemological terms can be confusing because most of us think of pink and red as two different colors. But in gemological terms the color range of pink sapphire is light-tone red to light-tone purple with weak to vivid saturation. Basically, when you look at a corundum stone, if you’re first reaction is that the stone is pink, then it’s likely a pink sapphire. If your first reaction is that it is red, then it’s likely a ruby. And if your first reaction is the stone is purple, then it’s likely a purple sapphire.

So what causes the color in pink sapphires? Pink sapphire gets most of its color from chromium, the same trace element that makes ruby red. Sometimes traces of titanium can also contribute to pink sapphire’s color.

Natural vividly saturated pink sapphires can bring in top dollar in the colored stone market because they are stunningly beautiful and rare. And thanks to some high profile celebrities, pink sapphires are gaining popularity. The emerald cut pink sapphire above is a Chatham-created pink sapphire. Thankfully, vivid pink sapphires are available in more-economical lab-grown varieties as well.

Posted in 9. September Birthstone Tidbits, Gemstone Tidbits | Tagged chatham pink sapphires, lab-grown pink sapphires, pink sapphire color range, pink sapphires | Leave a comment

Custom Padparadscha with Diamond Halo Bridal Set

Posted on September 14, 2011 by mrahm

This stunning padparadscha and diamond bridal set was a special gift to Karlene for her 15th wedding anniversary. She wanted something special, something that no one else had…a bold and beautiful bridal set custom made from scratch.

She started with a concept: she wanted a double halo ring with large 9mm round Chatham #2 padparadscha in the center. Then she told us what components she liked from different rings. We worked with her one-on-one to put the components together and create her dream ring…a Chatham padparadscha engagement ring accented with natural diamonds along with a custom contoured padparadscha wedding band. Click her for details on how you can create your own custom ring from scratch read about our four Cs of Custom Jewelry.

Our eco-friendly Chatham-created synthetic padparadschas are real padparadschas with the same chemical, physical and optical properties as their natural counterparts. Gem quality means there are no inclusions visible to the naked eye.

You can visit our YouTube Channel to see videos of this ring and many others.

Posted in Custom Rings, Gemstone Tidbits | Tagged create your own ring, custom engagement rings, custom rings, custom wedding rings, padparadscha engagement ring | Leave a comment

Eye-catching orange sapphire engagement ring

Posted on September 13, 2011 by mrahm

There seems to be a growing popularity for orange sapphire engagement rings lately. I’ve had several inquiries in just one week. I look forward to sharing them with you over the next month.

This delicate 18k white gold padparadscha engagement ring features G-H color eye-clean SI1-SI2 clarity natural diamond accents weighing 0.33 cttw. Best of all, the center stone is a stunning 5.5mm princess cut gem quality Chatham lab grown padparadscha orange sapphire surrounded by an 8mm square diamond halo. The shank graduates from 2mm to 2.5mm wide. The cathedral is 4mm high and features an open design gallery. This gorgeous ring is made to coordinate with diamond wedding band KI-117221-W, sold separately.

Posted in Gemstone Tidbits | Tagged orange sapphire engagement ring, orange sapphire wedding ring, padparadscha, padparadscha engagement ring, padparadscha wedding ring | Leave a comment

Padparadscha Sapphires

Posted on September 12, 2011 by mrahm

I think my favorite sapphire color is the padparadscha, because it’s so unique. Padparadscha in it’s true form ranges from pinkish orange to orangish pink…like the color of the lotus flower of Sri Lanka for which padparadscha is named (in Sinhalese).

Natural padparadscha sapphires generally come with a higher price per carat than other fancy colored sapphires because they are rare and very beautiful. The colors you see above represent the colors of Chatham-created padparadscha sapphires, which include a pure orange color not generally recognized as a true padparadscha color.

So what causes the color in padparadschas? Remember the trace minerals iron and titanium cause the color in blue sapphires…well, iron and chromium combined can cause the unique color of padparadscha.

Posted in Gemstone Tidbits | Tagged loose padparadscha engagement rings, padparadscha color, padparadschas | Leave a comment

Sapphire: A rainbow of colors

Posted on September 9, 2011 by mrahm

Sapphire is the birthstone for September, and while most people think of sapphire as being blue, sapphire is actually available in a rainbow of colors.

I mentioned in my previous post that the gem species corundum is colorless in its purest form and colorless sapphire is very rare. But colored sapphires are very abundant in many colors…including blue sapphires, pink sapphires, orange sapphires, yellow sapphires, green sapphires and purple sapphires. Remember, there is no red sapphire, because red corundum is actually ruby.

Posted in Gemstone Tidbits | Tagged blue sapphires, corundum, orange sapphires, pink sapphires, sapphire, sapphire colors, yellow sapphires | Leave a comment

Birds of a Feather: Sapphire & Ruby

Posted on September 8, 2011 by mrahm

Did you know that sapphire and ruby are essentially the same gemstone with different colors? That’s right, both sapphire and ruby belong to the gem species Corundum. Ruby is the red variety of corundum and, while most of us know sapphire as being blue, sapphire encompasses all the other colors of corundum.

The difference in color is due to trace elements within the corundum. Pure corundum is composed of only aluminum and oxygen and is colorless. But colorless corundum is very rare. If corundum has the trace element chromium, the crystal will be red and therefore will be a ruby. If corundum has the trace elements iron and titanium, the color will be blue, and therefore, blue sapphire. I will discuss the other colors of sapphire in future posts.

Posted in 9. September Birthstone Tidbits, Gemstone Tidbits | Tagged corundum, Ruby color, ruby infromation, sapphire color, sapphire information | Leave a comment

Happy Veteran’s Day

November Birthstones: Citrine & Golden Topaz

Tourmaline

Caring for Opals

Opal Enhancements

Jacques Voorhees in Denver Tonight

Alumni Association Mile High Chapter Presents
Jacques Voorhees
President, VeriChannel, Founder of Polygon

Presents

Selling Diamonds & Competing Against e-Tailers Just In Time for Holiday Sales

When: Thursday, October 20, 2011

Nevada’s Rainbow Ridge Opal

Opal Sources

Opal Colors and Types

My Favorite Opal Fact

October’s Birthstone: Opal

Pleochroic Sapphire

Sapphire Clarity

Round Pink Sapphire & Diamond Halo Engagement Ring

Pink Sapphires

Custom Padparadscha with Diamond Halo Bridal Set

Eye-catching orange sapphire engagement ring

Padparadscha Sapphires

Sapphire: A rainbow of colors

Birds of a Feather: Sapphire & Ruby

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Alumni Association Mile High Chapter Presents Jacques Voorhees President, VeriChannel, Founder of Polygon

Presents

Selling Diamonds & Competing Against e-Tailers Just In Time for Holiday Sales

When: Thursday, October 20, 2011

Search GemologyTidbits.com

Recent Posts

Categories

Archives

Like JewelryImpressions on Facebook & Win Prizes

Like OurCustomWeddingRings on Facebook & Win Prizes

Custom Engagement Rings

Enchanta Collection

Omni Interchangeable Jewelry Collection

Lab-Grown Rubies & Sapphires Video

GIA.edu

DiamondBuyingConsultant.com

Blogarama

Meta

Alumni Association Mile High Chapter Presents
Jacques Voorhees
President, VeriChannel, Founder of Polygon