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Fine Jewelry University Articles matching: “star sapphire”
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Fine Jewelry University (Show All FJU Articles)
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Gem in the Spotlight: Tourmaline
… is one of the most beautiful gems that you’ve probably never heard of. Less popular than the likes of ruby or sapphire, tourmaline flies under the radar in the gem world and remains the best kept secret of gem collectors and connoisseurs who… it for hundreds of years. But, before the advent of modern gemology, most tourmaline was believed to be ruby, sapphire, or emerald. Gemology of Tourmaline Gemologically speaking, tourmaline is its own mineral and not a species or member of a…
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Gem in the Spotlight: Iolite
…near the top of the list. Iolite’s color range of blue, blue-violet, and violet competes for public attention with sapphire, tanzanite, and amethyst. They may have name recognition, but iolite has a rich, unique color and great gem value on …. The Gemology of Iolite Iolite is the gem variety of the mineral Cordierite. Iolite was once known as a “water sapphire”. Dichroite is another synonym for iolite. Dichroite is a Greek word which loosely translates as two-colored rock. This …
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How Are Lab Grown Diamonds Made?
… lab grown diamonds. For decades, manufacturers of synthetic gemstones tried growing diamonds like they grew rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. It failed. Then they had the idea to grow diamonds in the lab like they grew in nature. High … is to create an environment of extremely high pressure and temperature where diamond growth can occur. Each process starts with a small diamond seed which is placed in carbon and put under very high pressure and temperature to grow the …
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Art Deco vs. Art Nouveau Style Jewelry
…. Precious metals like platinum and white gold alongside rare and valuable gemstones such as diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires, were the materials of choice for Art Deco jewelry makers. The most prevalent diamond cut found in Art Deco jewelry… which led to very different expressions in jewelry. Once you learn about the fundamental styles of each, you will start to see their influence everywhere. They are also important guide posts that can aid in dating vintage and antique …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Ruby
… arguably the richest history of all gemstones. Gemology of Ruby Rubies are in the corundum gem family along with sapphires. Corundum is an extremely durable form of aluminum oxide with a Moh’s hardness of 9. This makes ruby one of the … from trace amounts of chromium in the crystal structure. If they are too purple or too pink, they are called purple sapphires or pink sapphires, respectively. Since sapphires and rubies are the same gem material, they also share a refractive…
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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 …
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Alternative Metals for Men’s Jewelry
… 6,191 degrees Fahrenheit. Tungsten is rated at about a 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness which is the same as Ruby or Sapphire and just below diamond (which is 10). Like these gems, tungsten is very scratch resistant and will not bend out of …come in around 7-8 on the Mohs hardness scale which is about the same as quartz or topaz but softer than tungsten or sapphire. Like most alternative metals, cobalt chrome bands are hypoallergenic and biocompatible. But, in our experience, …
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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 …
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Gem in the Spotlight: Aquamarine
… in shades of blue-green. Aquamarine has a refractive index of 1.577 to 1.583 and is doubly refractive. Aquamarine’s specific gravity is 2.72 and it has a Mohs hardness of 7.5-8.0. For comparison, this means that it is softer than Sapphire, harder than Quartz, and similar to Topaz. This makes it a very durable stone that is suitable for regular wear. But, care should still be taken to ensure that the stone is not damaged. Caring For and Cleaning Aquamarine To maintain the …
