The biblical Aaron may have been the original King of Bling. More than 3,300 years ago, the first high priest of the Hebrews (and older brother of Moses) dazzled his followers with a gleaming breastplate fashioned with gemstones representing the 12 tribes of Israel. The inscribed gems — which included emerald, sapphire, amethyst and topaz […]
Often described as an "emerald by day and ruby by night," alexandrite displays a dramatic chameleon-like color shift depending on the light source. In normal daylight, a fine alexandrite will appear bluish-green, but under lamplight or candle flame, the gem transitions to a vibrant raspberry red. One of June's three official birthstones (the others are […]
From July 3 to 13, a three-piece collection of heart-themed jewelry designed by Anna Hu will be auctioned online by Christie's, with proceeds going to support healthcare workers fighting the global pandemic. Hu created these unique pieces exclusively for this charity project using rich brown diamonds mined by Alrosa in Yakutia, a region in the […]
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you awesome songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. In Trisha Yearwood's chart-topping single, "She's In Love With the Boy," the parking lot of a Tastee-Freez is the setting for the class-ring marriage proposal of a smitten teen. Written by Jon Ims and […]
Today's virtual tour of the Smithsonian’s National Gem Collection delivers an up-close and personal look at the colorful "Stars and Cat's Eyes" exhibit, starring the "Rosser Reeves Ruby," "Star of Asia Sapphire" and the "Maharani Cat's Eye." Occupying a wall case on the second floor of the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and […]
The world's leading diamond miners have hit the reset button on the "Diamond Producers Association," relaunching the global trade organization as the "Natural Diamond Council" (NDC), while at the same time replacing their "Real is Rare, Real is a Diamond" branding with the simpler phrase, "Only Natural Diamonds" (OND). NDC's new consumer-friendly website, naturaldiamonds.com, will […]
It took more than 10 years, but Forrest Fenn's treasure chest containing a $1 million cache of gold nuggets, gold coins, rubies, diamonds, sapphires and historical jewelry has been found. The eccentric multi-millionaire had sparked a mini gold rush in the Rocky Mountains north of Santa Fe when he published clues to the location of […]
"Buyers Guide," the third installment in Gemfields' short-film series, introduces the "6Cs" of buying a ruby or emerald. Gemfields takes the commonly known "4Cs" of buying a diamond — color, clarity, cut and carat weight — and adds "character" and "certification." The character of a gemstone is defined by its unique inclusions – the tiny […]
Welcome to Music Friday when we bring you classic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Today's featured song, "Golden Ring," chronicles Eric Clapton's complicated love triangle with model Pattie Boyd and The Beatles' George Harrison. When asked by VH1 in 1999 to name his favorite song from his own […]
Simple-to-use DNA testing kits, such as 23andMe and AncestryDNA, have been providing millions of families with eye-opening snapshots of where their ancestors came from. Now, the Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF) is employing similar DNA fingerprinting technology to determine the origin of natural and cultured pearls. By combining DNA fingerprinting with age-dating technology already provided by […]