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Gems

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

Gemstone Underdogs: My Favorite Under-Appreciated Gems

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
I've been buying beads and gems for about six years now, not as long as other addicts, but I buy every week, and I buy direct. I rarely buy online. Living right outside NYC provides me with a lot of opportunity to touch stuff, to loupe it, to see how it feels and acts under different lighting conditions. I have hardly seen everything, but I've seen a lot. And I think there are still gems out there... Continue reading
Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

Where does my Tanzanite Come From?

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

It is rare that one gets much insight into the actual method by which gemstones arrive at the gem dealer’s booths in New York, unless, that is, one knows buyers who shop direct – “from the mines,” so to speak. I know two people who do just this: one deals in the crystals that are displayed at mineral shows, the other sells gem quality pieces. The latter goes through his uncle, who is a gem dealer...
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Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

The Confusing World of Garnets: Varieties and Availability

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

Garnets, to me, are some of the most “disorganized” gems available on the market today.  Their sheer variety, but also their names, can be very confusing to the uninitiated, leaving the connoisseur not far behind.  Here’s an attempt to cut through the confusion.
“Garnet” really refers to a variety of gemstones that are related but not identical in their chemical properties. In terms of their...
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Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

Vintage Diamonds

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

If you read my blog, you know that I am infatuated with old stuff.  I like old mine colored gems, even though the cutting is often poor, I like antique jewelry, and my own designs often have an antique look.  I love the detail and workmanship of the jewelry work of bygone days.
But I also like bling. And nothing has more bling than a diamond. No wonder, then, that vintage diamonds appeal to me the...
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Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

Buying Sphene

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

I usually try to stay away from the softer gemstones – after too many experiences of them falling apart on you.  But sphene, which has a hardness of 5.5, is just such a beautiful stone that when J., my gemstone dealer friend who specializes in East African goods got a parcel, I just had to have some.
Sphene is also called “Titanite” because of its high titanium content. It has an extremely high...
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Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

The Fading Beauty of Spodumene

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

With so many interesting and neat gemstones on the market, knowing what's what can get very confusing. But some information should still be made more public! Kunzite is a pink gemstone that has gained some recent popularity. It is part of the family of Spodumene, which also includes a green variety called Hiddenite (colored by chromium), as well as clear and yellowish stones. The specimens are...
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Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

Inclusion or Crack? A Fine Line

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
We’re getting sucked into the lore together, my customers and I.  Once you own a couple of pretty pieces, you want more: bigger, better, more perfect looking.  And so the stakes increase.  Most of you now own a loupe, and the new customers already come equipped.  That’s the reputation I built, for better or worse.

And with May, the birthstone month of emerald, just having ended, I can breathe a...
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Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

Color Change Gems

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
Color change is a fascinating phenomenon in gems.  I have seen strong color change phenomena in three stones: alexandrite, garnet and sapphire.  But there are others, such as diaspore (which I don’t think I’ve ever seen).  There are also gems that have weaker color shifting effects, depending on the angle of the light.  This is called pleochroism.  Tanzanite, tourmaline, iolite and andalusite are... Continue reading
Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

Getting Cheated: How to Avoid Buying Fake Alex

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
It happens; it can even be unintentional.  You buy some alex, you and the seller think it’s real, and then it turns out to be lab created.  Alexandrite is one of the most imitated gemstones on the market today, and fakes have been around for a long time.  The lab guys I use hear it all the time: “But this was my grandmother’s, it can’t be fake.”  One of my colleagues had a ring just like that,... Continue reading
Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

The Story of a Sapphire

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
Sapphires seem to have disappeared from the face of the earth.  Literally – because we can’t get very far below it.  This is true of Ceylon in particular, and Burma is pretty much long gone.  African material you can get, Thai also, but not Ceylon.  The good stuff goes at exorbitant prices, and unheated stones have almost vanished.  Meanwhile, I have a small waiting list of people who are... Continue reading
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