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Written by Joanne Simmons
Filed under
Alexandrite, amethyst, color combo, color scheme, Emerald, gem color, gem palette, Hauynite and Rhodolite, melee gems, Purple Garnet, Purple Sapphire, spinel, tsavorite, Unheated Tanzanite, zircon

My Favorite Color Combos

Post author
Written by Joanne Simmons
Going gem shopping, for me, isn't only about chasing down the nicest and most unusual gems.  It can also be about finding colors that work well with my designs or my other gems.  I get very exited when I find a bright 1.2mm melee gem that still pops, like the amethyst I recently added to some of my designs.  Amethyst may not be an exiting stone, but having purple melee IS exciting.

So one thing... Continue reading
Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
Filed under
Kenya, loliondo mines, mahenge spinel, Mahenge valley, Masai, mint garnet, Mozambique belt, pink spinel, pricescope, six fingered mama, spessartite garnet, tanzania, tsavorite

Why have Mandarin Garnet, Tsavorite Garnet, and Mahenge Spinel Become so Expensive?

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
A couple of months ago, I saw a discussion on PriceScope about availability of Tsavorite and Mint Garnet, Mandarin and Spessartite Garnet, as well as Mahenge Spinel, all of which come from the same regions in Tanzania and Kenya.  As a vendor, I can’t post on PS – which is a good idea by the way – but the question was an interesting one so I want to post my two cents here on my blog.

 
Mint Garnet
As...
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Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
Filed under
ceylon, cutting, diopside, dravite, elongated pear shape, gemstone, kyanite, rough, sapphire, spinel, tanzanite, tourmaline, tsavorite, watermelon

Why Don’t All Gems Come in Any Cut?

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
I got the following question from two customers just this week: can I supply a matched pair of Merelani mint garnets, elongated pear shape.  The answer – and I don’t even have to look – is “no.”  (I actually did find one pair, so I was wrong, but you’ll see the astronomical price tag on my Etsy site!)
So why doesn’t any gem come in any cut? The answer is really simple. Gems are cut to maximize the...
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Recent posts
My Favorite Color Combos Jan 28, 2016
Why have Mandarin Garnet, Tsavorite Garnet, and Mahenge Spinel Become so Expensive? Mar 06, 2015
Why Don’t All Gems Come in Any Cut? Jun 26, 2014