24/11/2021
• Richard Chiu
What archeologists believed to be the oldest jewellery discovered in southwest Morocco between 2014 and 2018 could be evidence that social profiling was practised during ancient times.
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23/11/2021
• Mikaelah Egan
Of all the great debates in the gem and jewellery industry, the ‘hottest’ topic continues to be natural versus synthetic diamonds. Varying, and sometimes, ‘opposing’ information is continually published as both synthetic and natural diamond technologies continue to develop.
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16/11/2021
• Mikaelah Egan
While Australia remains the world's premier supplier of opal – accounting for approximately 90 per cent of the opal on the market – significant opal deposits were discovered in Ethiopia in 1994, 2008 and 2013.
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15/11/2021
• Mikaelah Egan
Australia – the home of opal – is well known the world over for black and white opal specimens; however, boulder and matrix opals are a huge part of the Australian opal industry and only increasing in popularity.
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01/09/2021
• Mikaelah Egan
Opal is famous for the incredible array of colours displayed, from vibrant reds – the most prized – to velvety purples and everything in between.
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10/08/2021
• Justin K Prim
Justin K Prim explores the fascinating variety of coloured gemstone cuts and how each one enhances the rough crystal to its full potential.
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03/08/2021
• Mikaelah Egan
Diaspore derives its name from the Greek word diaspora – meaning ‘to scatter’. The prized colour-change varieties may be better known as Csarite or, formerly, Zultanite.
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14/07/2021
• Mikaelah Egan
Apatite derives its name from the Greek word apate, meaning to deceive – referring to how this gemstone is often confused with other minerals, including the striking Parai´ba tourmaline.
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09/06/2021
• Mikaelah Egan
Kunzite, a variety of spodumene, is a relatively lesser-known gem in the world of jewellery – yet its beautiful pink-to- violet colouring, owed to the presence of manganese, continues to attract a growing number of admirers and collectors.
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11/05/2021
• Mikaelah Egan
The aptly named moonstone has been associated with the moon across various cultures throughout history. In Hindu mythology, moonstone is believed to be made of solidified moonbeams.
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09/03/2021
• Kathryn Wyatt
Morganite is a pinkish form of beryl. The beryl group of gemstones contains some of the most highly desired and more expensive of the coloured gems – the most famous of which is emerald – with a wide variety of colours represented, ranging from colourless to black.
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27/01/2021
• Kathryn Wyatt
Turquoise has been used as jewellery material for thousands of years and is one of the best-known ornamental gemstones. Finds in archaeological digs in Egypt date back 7,500 years and examples of carved turquoise can be found from 3,000 years ago in China, making it likely one of the first gemstones ever mined.
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05/11/2020
• Susan Hartwig
In part one of the jade series, we noted that the name ‘jade’ is a commercial term used for two minerals: jadeite and nephrite. Last month we focused on jadeite; this month, we focus on nephrite.
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13/10/2020
• Susan Hartwig
The lustrous texture and luminous colours of polished jade have been prized for thousands of years. Ancient cultures in North, Central and South America, New Zealand, Asia and Europe valued jade for its beauty, hardness and durability; properties that made it suitable for use in implements, jewellery, regalia and decorative items.
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27/07/2019
• Kathryn Wyatt
Have you heard the term ‘jet black’? It refers to jet, an organic gem material that originates from fossilised trees.
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