gem indentification

Cultured pearls are grown in saltwater oysters and freshwater mussels and are organic in nature. Freshwater pearl necklaces have been found as far back as 200 B.C. in archaeological burial mounds in the state of Ohio.  Unbelievable, but true. Pearls contain layers of nacre which is secreted from mollusks around an irritant.  Natural pearls are very uncommon and considered most valuable as compared to farm grown pearls which are most...

The beautiful effects of opal rings are its rainbow like opalescence.  White precious opals have a beautiful play of color and are most well-known. Their color can go from pale cloudy yellow to transparent at its top quality. Precious black opals are black, dark gray-black, dark blue, dark green and gray black which are rarer than white opals.  Boulder opals occur as pebble rock which means the rock is the...

When considering your purchase of an antique engagement ring, there are four things to take into consideration-carat weight, color, clarity and cut. Carat is a measure of weight for a diamond. The European Cut diamond as compared to a Round Brilliant of the same millimeter size can weigh as much as 10-15% more because of cut.  (See the Cut paragraph for more details.) Most diamonds are under one carat and...

Gem buyers often ask whether cut or color matters more. The honest answer is that both matter, yet cut is the force multiplier. The right arrangement of facets and proportions can brighten a stone, balance color, hide or reveal inclusions, and protect corners and points. Let's understand what a cut is and how it differs from shape. In particular, we'll discuss the types of gemstone cuts buyers encounter most often....