Category Archives: Sapphire

The Color of a Lotus Blossom

Back in July, I discussed the distinction between rubies and pink sapphires, but the corundum conundrum does not end there. Another variety of sapphire exists, which is even more ill-defined. The padparadscha (that’s pronounced PAHD-puh-RAHD-shuh) is a variety of sapphire that has no official technical definition. “Padparadscha” is simply a trade name for sapphires of…

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Sapphire – September Birthstone

Many societies throughout history have elevated the color blue above almost any other. Royalty in the Ancient Near and Middle East wore blue. Hindu deities were often depicted in various shades of blue. Persians believed the Earth rested on a giant sapphire, the reflection of which colored the sky. The Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt were…

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How Precious Am I?

What do Imperial jadeite, black opal, demantoid garnet, and alexandrite all have in common? First of all, they are all exceptionally rare gemstones. Second, they can command thousands to tens of thousands of dollars to even millions of dollars per carat. Third, they have all historically fallen under the unfortunate appellation “semi-precious” because they are…

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Corundum Conundrum – Ruby vs Pink Sapphire

There’s an old adage in the jewelry industry: “If you’re the seller, it’s a ruby; if you’re the buyer, it’s a pink sapphire.” The world of colored gemstones is by no means as highly organized or regulated as is the world of diamonds. By comparison, diamonds are fairly simple and straightforward. Colored gemstones comprise the…

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Summer Jewelry Care

Summer has finally settled in. Summer activities abound with the sun out, so it’s worth mentioning that some jewelry needs to be treated a little differently during the fun things we all love to do when it gets beautiful outside. One of the most common jewelry problems I see during (or right after) summer is…

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Pantone Color of the Year

I’m not usually a mainstream kind of guy, but fashion critiques of the Golden Globes and Grammys are everywhere online and in print. With the Academy Awards coming up on March 2nd, they’re not going away any time soon, so I thought I’d offer my two cents. So let’s talk fashion for a bit. Let’s…

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