HOME	JEWELRY	GEM PLAQUE	GEMSTONES

A gorgeous solid 9kt gold ring of good quality manufacture, size 7. The highlight of the ring of course is the diamond-white, flashy, sparkling 7x5 millimeter oval Siberian white zircon; which weighs 1.34 carats. The gemstone was hand cut and hand faceted, and is a brilliant, flashy, good quality gemstones with all the fire of diamond. The gemstone is clean to the eye and transparent. The color is gorgeous, and the sparkle and flash spectacular, especially when the light catches it. Flanking the zircon are two accent stones, 1 1/2 millimeter round Siberian pink tourmalines. The combined weight of the two pink tourmaline gemstones is about 0.05 carats. These extraordinary gemstones are mounted into a very nice quality ring constructed of solid 9kt gold. Not gold-plated or gold-filled with chi-chi but merely glass "crystals" or "laboratory grown" (synthetic) gemstones. Why would you spend just as much or more to buy costume jewelry at the mall when you can have the real thing here? A genuine solid gold ring with genuine Siberian natural white zircon and pink tourmaline semi-precious gemstones!

Historically the colorless form of Zircon, known as "Matara diamond", has been the most popular and the most costly. White zircon as it is called today looks more like diamond than any other natural stone due the high refractive index of zircon. These physical properties cause zircon to come very close to diamonds in fire and brilliancy. Blue zircon was immensely popular in the 1880's and was used extensively in Victorian jewelry. In fact, jewelry from this period is a principal source today of blue zircons over five carats. Blue zircon and colorless zircon remain the most sought after and costly forms of zircon. Colorless zircon is occasionally confused with "cubic zirconia" due to the fact that both have been used a substitutes for diamonds. Cubic zirconia is a man-made synthetic gemstones. Zircon is a natural gemstone.

Tourmaline's name comes from the Celanese (i.e., Ceylon or Sri Lanka) word "turmali," which means "mixed". Bright rainbow collections of gemstone varieties were called "turmali" parcels. Tourmaline has been used as gem material for more than 2000 years. Since tourmaline occurred in many of the ancient mines that yielded other precious stones, tourmaline was most likely known by the ancient Romans, but called other names such as emerald or topaz. In these as well as other ancient cultures, it was believed that tourmaline acted to cleanse, maintain, and stimulate the energy centers of the body. It was believed to attract inspiration, to diminish fear, and encourage self confidence. It was held in such high regard that Empress Tz'u Hsi, the last Empress of China, who loved pink tourmaline, bought almost a ton of it from the Himalaya Mine in California, and was eventually laid to rest (eternally) on a carved tourmaline pillow.

Tourmaline occurs in more colors and combinations of colors than any other gemstone variety. Green or "chrome" tourmaline was "rediscovered" in the seventeenth century. This striking green gemstone is colored by the mineral chromium; hence the name "chrome" tourmaline. Brazilian miners exported green tourmalines to Europe, calling them "Brazilian emeralds". The color so dazzled seventeenth century Europe that they were known as "Brazilian Emeralds". Within a few decades tourmaline was also rediscovered in the country of Tanzania on the African continent. In the eighteenth century, it was discovered that these "Brazilian emeralds" had unusual electromagnetic qualities, and were not emeralds at all. Many stones in the Russian Crown jewels from the 17th Century once thought to be rubies and emeralds are actually tourmalines. Chrome tourmalines are relatively uncommon gemstones, costly, and in scarce supply. They were considered the rarest variety of tourmaline until in 1989 very small quantities of even rarer Paraiba neon blue-green was discovered in Brazil, which sells for as much as $20,000 per carat. The most popular color is peach (or pink) tourmaline, and one of the most famous mines in the world, played out and closed in 1913, was in California.

You might guess I travel extensively for a living. My profession is a purchasing agent for antique gemstones, which generally come from Russia, India, Ceylon, and Siam. I grew up in the Southern Urals of Russia, just miles away from some of the greatest gemstone producing regions in the world's history. Alexandrite, diamond, emerald, sapphire, chrysoberyl, topaz, demantoid garnet, and many other rare and precious gemstones are produced from the mountains within mere minutes or a few hours from the city I once called home. My interest in the fabulous history of Russian gemstones and the fabulous jewelry of the Czar's led to further education and conacts in India, Ceylon, and Siam, other ancient centers of gemstone production and finishing. Though perhaps difficult to find in the USA, antique gemstones are commonly unmounted from old, broken settings - the gold reused - the gemstones recut and reset.

Before this happens, before these gorgeous antique gemstones are recut, I try to acquire the best of them in their original, antique, hand-finished state - most of them centuries old. I believe that the work created by these long-gone master artisans is worth protecting and preserving rather than destroying this heritage of antique gemstones by recutting the original work out of existence. That by preserving their work, in a sense, we are preserving their lives and the legacy they left for modern times. Far better to appreciate their craft than to destroy it with modern cutting. Not everyone agrees - fully 95% or more of the antique gemstones which come into these marketplaces are recut, and the heritage of the past lost. But if you agree with me that the past is worth protecting, and that past lives and the produce of those lives still matters today, consider buying an antique, hand cut, natural gemstone rather than one of the mass-produced machine cut (often synthetic or "lab produced") gemstones which dominate the market today.

I have always been fascinated with jewelry and gemstones. Bangkok, Taipei, Hong Kong, Moscow, and Bombay are great places to find incredible deals on both gemstones and jewelry, and over the years I have made many friends within the trade in these five cities. So you can look for a steady flow of little treasures I discover in my travels, and I will be happy to share with you the best deals I can find through my industry acquaintances in these far-off Asian lands. Though I spend a good part of each year in Europe and Asia, most of the year I am here in the United States, and that's where all of my little treasures are. So you can count on quick shipping and careful packaging. And if I am not home - I have someone who does it for me!

Tweet

HOME	ABOUT US	OUR COLLEAGUES	FEEDBACK	CUSTOMER SUPPORT