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Fine Jewelry University Articles matching: “Synthetic sapphires”

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Fine Jewelry University (Show All FJU Articles)

  1. A group of tanzanite loose gems and rings

    Gem in the Spotlight: Tanzanite

    …, even with its rarity and dynamic look, tanzanite is still less in price than more commonly known gems like rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Gemology of Tanzanite Gemologists refer to this gem as blue zoisite. The vast majority (current … to an Indian prospector named Manuel de Sousa who Ali showed the stones to. Manuel had originally thought he found sapphires, but after discovering they were too soft, he started searching for answers as to what these gems could have been. …

  2. Retipping is an important jewelry repair technique

    Jewelry Repair FAQ

    … way it did before a gemstone fell out; who wouldn’t? That’s why we have literally 100s of carats of loose diamonds, sapphires, rubies, opals, pearls, and more in all shapes and sizes to choose from when selecting a replacement stone for …by the jeweler’s torch. However, with our laser welder we are able to retip prongs next to many gemstones (diamonds, sapphires, and rubies for example) without removing them, saving you time and money. Can my costume and fashion jewelry be …

  3. Tsavorite garnet is a rare and beautiful green gem

    Gem in the Spotlight: Tsavorite Garnet

    The discovery of Tsavorite in East Africa in the 1960s changed the jewelry world. Here was a gem with the color to rival the most exquisite emeralds and the clarity of the cleanest sapphires, all with the time tested durability of garnet. Tsavorite is a unique form of garnet with a stunningly vivid green color. It is bright and lively with a high refractive index giving it excellent sparkle and scintillation. Tsavorite is…

  4. Blue Zircon loose gems and jewelry

    Gem in the Spotlight: Blue Zircon

    … edges. Treat your zircon with care and it can sparkle for many years and even be passed down through the generations. Final Thoughts Zircon has one major problem not of its own making. It is often confused with Cubic Zirconia, a synthetic diamond simulant. Cubic Zirconia, also known as CZ, is even incorrectly shortened to zircon by some. The situation is made even more confusing by the fact that in the past, zircon, like CZ, was also used as a diamond simulant. This only …

  5. Frequently Asked Question about Jewelry

    …, the Dollar Value can easily change considerably over a relatively short period of time. Appraisals are most often used for insurance purposes. What’s new with diamonds? Technology is changing the very nature of diamonds. First, new synthetic (man made) diamonds of gem quality are coming into the market now. Next, companies can now change the color of diamonds. They are making the diamonds both more transparent (whiter) and more colorful. Some colors are more vibrant then …

  6. The Birthstones

    … been a symbol of love, charity and victory. The bible states that wisdom is “more precious than rubies”. Rubies and sapphires are the same mineral, corundum. Ruby is red and any other color is called sapphire. Learn more about Ruby August’s … and durability making it suitable for regular wear and its brilliance is on par with even the most beautiful sapphires and rubies. It has a long and rich history and has even been mistaken for ruby in the crown jewels. Sardonyx is a lesser …

  7. Group of loose amethyst gems emerald cut trillion and oval

    Gem in the Spotlight: Amethyst

    … the world. Heavily increased supply dropped prices consistently over the last 200 years which is why, despite its beauty, amethyst is such an affordable stone today. About 50% of amethysts on the world market are now believed to be synthetic. This is a fairly recent discovery as many low cost, high quality, deeply colored amethysts are now appearing in inexpensive jewelry. Because the cost of testing is higher than the cost of even the natural stones it is not often …

  8. A collection of jade jewelry and loose gems

    Gem in the Spotlight: Jade

    …-1.688 Hardness: 6.5-7 Toughness: Exceptional (only slightly less than nephrite) Specific gravity: 3.3 Simulant and Synthetics Jade Jade has been replicated and imitated over the years. The most common imitations by far are dyed quartz, glass…, serpentine, maw sit sit, and hydrogrossular garnet. For a short amount of time, a few laboratories produced synthetic (lab-created) jadeite. This proved to be unprofitable and was quickly forgotten; however, a small amount of it remains on …

  9. Group of loose emerald gemstones

    Gem in the Spotlight: Emerald

    … extremely rare! Current estimates say that less than 1% of emeralds are untreated. Fracture filling is a treatment to the stone that makes the fractures less visible. There are many ways to do this with oiling, natural resin, synthetic resin, silicone, and epoxy being the most. The basic technique involves submerging the stone in the desired liquid (oil, resin, etc.) inside of a vacuum chamber. Then a vacuum is applied which pulls all of the air out of the cracks and draws …