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Written by Joanne Simmons

Filed under

afghanistan, blue, Brazilian Paraibas Tourmaline, cabochon, cecile raley designs, diamond, faceted, gemstone, green, melee, mozambique, namibia, Neon Green, windex

What I Have Learned about Paraibas

May 12, 2016

Written by Joanne Simmons

This blog entry has been a long time coming - I should have written it over a year ago, when I first started buying Paraibas on my inaugural visit in Tucson.

I have seen and admired Paraiba tourmalines ever since I got into the gem business in 2009. At that point, I knew little about buying and grading gems, but I was already attracted by their neon glow. I bought one single piece to make a tie bar...

Written by Yvonne Raley

Filed under

black opal, blue, boulder opal, cabochon, carat, green, koroit opal, opal, play of color, queensland opal, welo opal

Buying Opals, Pro’s and Cons

Sep 23, 2014

Written by Yvonne Raley

I do not carry a lot of opal jewelry in my shop, but with the month of opal coming up, I can share with you my experience with this gem. As you know, opal is a very soft stone and that makes it hard to work with – one reason I don’t carry it much. Bezel settings look nicest, yet prongs are safest if you don’t want to crack the gem or expand an inclusion to the surface. You need an experienced...