Australia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines & Tahiti
Colors Found
Black, cream, gold, golden yellow, gray, orange, pink, silver & white
Family
Organics
Hardness
2.50 - 4.50
Refractive Index
1.52 - 1.66
Relative Density
2.60 - 2.85
Pearls are one of the oldest known gems and for centuries were considered the most valuable. So valuable if fact, that the Roman General Vitellius allegedly financed an entire military campaign with just one of his mother’s Pearl earrings! Thankfully, the days of island inhabitants free diving into azure oceans to harvest Pearls are more or less over. The lust for uncultured Pearls once decimated entire species of mollusks, relegating this gem of the sea to the elite few. Today, thanks to the innovations of Japanese noodle maker, Kokichi Mikimoto (the man who perfected Pearl farming and who convinced the world to accept them), these fragile ecosystems are now safe, with natural uncultured Pearls usually appearing only as antiques.
Legends and lore The Romans were particularly enamored of this gem of the sea. Rome’s Pearl craze reached its zenith during the 1st century BC when upper class Roman women (the lower ranks were forbidden from wearing them) wore their Pearls to bed so they could be reminded of their wealth immediately upon awakening. They also sewed so many into their gowns that they actually walked on their Pearl-encrusted hems. The famously excessive Emperor Caligula, having made his beloved horse a Consul, decorated it with a Pearl necklace. A lover of luxury, Julius Caesar, apart from his well known military accomplishments, was also an expert in Pearls and could reportedly accurately ascertain their value by simply weighing them in his hand. Cleopatra flaunted her enormous wealth and power during a competition with Marc Anthony to see who could host the most lavish dinner party. She allegedly crushed a Pearl from one of her earrings into a glass of wine to demonstrate to Marc Anthony how she could drink the wealth of nations. The first known source of Pearls was the Persian Gulf and the ancients of the area believed that Pearls were a symbol of the moon and had magical powers. Indeed, the oldest known Pearl jewelry is a necklace found in the sarcophagus of a Persian princess who died in 520 BC. The earliest written record of their value is in the “Shu King,” a 23 BC Chinese book in which the scribe sniffs that a lesser king sent tribute of “strings of Pearls not quite round.” The Chinese also used Pearls in medicinal ways to cure eye ailments, heart trouble, indigestion, fever and bleeding. To this day Pearl powder is still popular in China as a skin whitener and cosmetic. In India, Pearls were believed to give peace of mind and strengthen the body and soul. In antiquity, it was thought that swallowing whole or powdered Pearls cured matters of the mind and heart, strengthened nerves and even improved virility. The Koran states that a good Muslim, upon entering the Kingdom of Heaven, “is crowned with Pearls of incomparable luster, and is attended by beautiful maidens resembling hidden Pearls.” While Queen Isabella had to hock her impressive collection of jewelry to fund Christopher Columbus’ expedition to discover the New World, the investment paid off as the discovery of Pearls in Central American waters added to the wealth of Spain. The flood of American Pearls onto the European market earned the newly discovered continent the nickname “land of Pearls.” Unfortunately, greed and lust for these gems of the sea resulted in the depletion of virtually all the American Pearl oyster populations by the 17th century. During the Dark Ages, while fair maidens of nobility cherished delicate Pearl necklaces, gallant knights often wore Pearls onto the battlefield. They believed that the magic possessed by the lustrous gems would protect them from harm. Pearls have long been considered ideal wedding gifts because they symbolize purity and innocence. In the Hindu religion, the presentation of an un-drilled Pearl and its piercing has formed part of the marriage ceremony. In the West, Pearls are the recommended gift for couples celebrating their 3rd and 30th wedding anniversaries.
Just the facts The Pearl begins life as a foreign body (a grain of sand, coral or parasite), which makes its way into the shell of a marine or freshwater mollusk - usually oysters or clams. The mollusk’s defense mechanism starts to coat the intruder with layers of a slightly iridescent substance, “nacre” (from the Arabic word for shell “naqqarah”), which is the attractive outside of the Pearl. In its natural environment this will, after many years, form a Pearl that is of a significant size and quality. Unlike natural Pearls, cultivated Pearls do not begin as accidental intruders. First cultivated by the Chinese as early as the 12th Century, the process starts with “nucleation.” A cultivated Pearl usually begins its life when a spherical bead or a piece of mantle tissue is placed inside the mollusk. After this seeding process, the Pearl farmers place the mollusks in wire-mesh baskets and suspend them in water. The aquaculturists carefully tend to the mollusks, overseeing their development for 18 months to 5 years. The depth of the nacre coating, an important factor in determining the color of Pearls, depends on how long the seeded Pearls are left in place before being harvested. Usually, only half of the Pearls will be marketable and less than 10% of these will be top-quality. While Pearls are classified as colored gems, there is a unique appeal about them. Unlike other gemstones that are born of earth and fire, Pearls are waterborn organic gems that originate from living animals. They are also unique in the sense that the principals of the 4 C’s (color, cut, clarity and carat weight) cannot be applied to them. The evaluation of Pearls requires a different set of criteria. A Pearl is appraised according to the display of color, luster, surface clarity, shape and size.
Pearl’s two colors The body colors themselves can be white, cream, pink, rose, golden, silver, gray and black. As color preference is subjective, there is no such thing as a bad body color - it is purely a matter of choice. Apart from the obvious body color, there is actually a second color to consider when evaluating Pearls. This second color is actually a result of subtle iridescence. While not instantly obvious, especially when similar to the body color, this effect lends Pearls much of their allure. Typically, this iridescence is seen most strongly on the crest of a Pearl’s horizon. This beautiful, shimmering effect is known as the “orient” or overtone and denotes the depth of the nacre. Pearls with rich colorful orients are generally more coveted than those that have little or no orient.
Pearl luster Pearls are bright, reflective gemstones. While Pearls with clean and even surfaces reflect more light than Pearls with blemished surfaces, please remember that as a natural creation, like inclusions in mineral gems, most Pearls do have blemishes. Intelligent jewelers solve this problem by concealing blemishes near the drill holes. Weight and size As with other gemstones, value and size are intrinsically linked. The bigger the Pearl the more desirable it becomes. However, there is one important difference: Pearls are measured and expressed by their size, not weight (e.g., 8.5 millimeters).
Pearl locations As with all things natural, Pearls can only grow in the right conditions. Different Pearl varieties from different locations command different prices. The best quality Pearls are found in the waters of French Polynesia, Japan and China. However, due to the different environments, mollusk species and farming techniques, all cultivated Pearls have their own distinctive qualities. The three main Pearl varieties on Gems TV are Freshwater Pearls, Tahitian Pearls and South Sea Pearls.
Freshwater Pearls Although historically originating in Japan, China is now a major producer of Freshwater Pearls. Our Chinese Freshwater Pearls are farmed in the Fuchum, Wu and Ling Rivers of the Zhejiang province in southern China. China has successfully concentrated on Freshwater Pearls using not oysters but freshwater clams. The humble clam, while not as widely celebrated as its cousin the oyster, is equally capable of producing high-quality Pearls.
Tahitian Pearls Tahitian Pearls are from French Polynesia and are named after the tropical island of Tahiti. Grown in the large black-lipped saltwater oyster (Pinctada Margaritifera), Tahitian Pearls are celebrated for their exceptional beauty. Tahiti’s pure and tranquil waters are the ideal cultivation grounds for the dramatic Tahitian Pearl. Tahitian legend says that Te Ufi (Pinctada Margaritifera) was given to man by Oro, the god of peace and fertility, who came to earth on a rainbow and offered the Pearl to the beautiful princess Bora Bora as a sign of eternal love. First appearing in Europe in 1845, Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugenie was responsible for bringing Tahitian Pearls into fashion. After the fall of Napoleon, Empress Eugenie’s necklace was auctioned at Christies for $20,000. “Ezra” was the most famous natural Tahitian Pearl, the centerpiece of a necklace that was part of the Russian crown jewels. Tahitian Black Pearls are prized and admired throughout the world. The first Pearl farms were established on the atoll of Hikueru and the island of Bora Bora in the early 1960’s. Exports began in 1972 and production was subsequently expanded on the islands of Marutea Sud and Mangareva. Today, Tahitian Black Pearls are cultivated in Pearl farms in a sprawling group of atolls and islands in French Polynesia, primarily the lagoons of the Tuamotu-Gambier Archipelago. Tahitian Pearls generally range in size from 8 millimeters to 16 millimeters and consist of many thousands of layers of Aragonite (a variety of calcium carbonate). In contrast to many other Pearl varieties, Tahitian Pearls are cultured for 4 - 5 years and have a nacre thickness of 3 - 10 millimeters. Tahitian Pearls display a shimmering orient or overtone that is green, blue, pink or violet in color. These orient colors are in striking contrast to their silver to black body color and are sometimes given specific names (e.g., deep green is called “fly wing,” “peacock” for the combination of green and pink, and “eggplant” is a dark toned body color combined with pink).
South Sea Pearls Highly coveted, South Sea Pearls come from Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Cultured in varieties of Pinctada Maxima, this large, warm-water loving, gold and silver-lipped oyster produces Pearls of fabulous colors.
ALEXANDRITE
June’s birthstone
Origins
India, Madagascar & Tanzania
Colors Found
Teal, blue green to forest green changing to violet, crimson red, raspberry, purple & orange
Family
Chrysoberyl
Hardness
8.50
Refractive Index
1.74 - 1.76
Relative Density
3.70 - 3.78
Known in Russia as the “gem of the tsars,” Alexandrite is truly a miraculous gemstone. Often described as “Emerald by day” and “Ruby by night,” when viewed under sunlight Alexandrite appears teal to forest green, but when seen by candlelight, it appears violet, crimson red, raspberry, purple or orange. Scant availability, remarkable color change, excellent durability and a sparkling “sub-adamantine” or Diamond-like luster, makes Alexandrite a “must have” for any true jewelry connoisseur. A rare variety of Chrysoberyl, Alexandrite ranks alongside Ruby and Sapphire as one of the world’s most coveted gemstones.
Legends and lore Early one chilly October morning in 1830, a Russian peasant charcoal burner, Maxim Stefanovitch Koshevnikov, was making his way through the silver birch forests along the banks of the Tokovaya River. Tripping on the exposed roots of a large tree felled by a storm, he discovered some green gemstones. Quickly identified as Emeralds, by 1831 this deposit in Russia’s Ural Mountains was being mined. The Tokovaya Emerald mines also yielded other gemstones, including a new one that had the strange ability to change color. When viewed under sunlight, rich green colors appeared but when seen by candlelight it displayed red hues. The gem was named “Alexandrite” after the young Tsarevitch, who was crowned Tsar Alexander II in 1855. Legend has it that Alexandrite was discovered by Emerald miners on his birthday, April 23, 1830, the year the Russian heir apparent came of age. As the date of the deposit’s discovery and the alleged naming of the gem conflict, Vitaliy Repej, a Ukrainian Alexandrite specialist, instead believes that Alexandrite was actually discovered on April 3, 1834, by the Tsar’s famous Finnish mineralogist Dr. Nils Nordenskjold and wasn’t officially called Alexandrite until 1842. Its birthday aside, this new gem created a sensation - everyone wanted an Alexandrite! But this was certainly no fun for the miners. Following the sparse Alexandrite veins through pegmatite rock with hand dug trenches, open pits and small tunnels, mining was very primitive to say the least. Imagine working through long winters plagued by biting cold and blinding snowdrifts. Summer brought no respite, just great swarms of gnats, mosquitoes and gadflies. The discovery of Alexandrite on the future Tsar’s birthday was considered especially fortunate as the colors displayed by this unusual gem can mirror the Imperial Russian military colors of red and green. Possessing nationalistic connotations, Alexandrite quickly gained popularity in Russia, where it was believed to bring good luck. Because of its two colors, in Russia it is also believed to invite loneliness if you only wear one piece of Alexandrite jewelry. Alexandrite is believed by crystal healers to strengthen the wearer’s intuition in critical situations. Some also attribute Alexandrite with the ability to aid creativity and inspire imagination.
Just the facts In gemology, any Chrysoberyl that changes color can be called Alexandrite. The nomenclature is not dependent on the colors of the change. However, Alexandrite’s color change is dependent on pure light sources (pure candescent light to pure incandescent light, for example sunlight to candlelight). Interestingly, the color change effect is not unique to Alexandrite. Many gem types display color change, such as Sapphire and Garnet. However, the degree of color change exhibited by Alexandrite is among the most extreme encountered in natural gems. Similar to Emeralds, inclusions are a common feature in Alexandrite. Inclusions record a gem’s natural relationship with the earth. Given the prevalence of synthetic Alexandrite, they are also a fascinating hallmark of authenticity that helps us distinguish real gems from artificial impostors. Because of this gem’s scarcity, Alexandrite is found in a wide variety of shapes and sizes faceted to maximize the carat weight and beauty of each individual crystal. Coveted for its beautiful and mysterious optical effects, when you look at a Cat’s Eye Alexandrite you can see a single band of light on its surface. Technically known as “chatoyancy,” this intriguing phenomenon is unique to the world of gemstones. It is caused by minerals reflecting a band of light back to the eye like a mirror. While beautiful Alexandrite is available from other locales, among Alexandrite connoisseurs, Russian Alexandrite maintains an historical pedigree that is highly coveted. In 1898 Edwin Streeter wrote in “Precious Stones & Gems”: “The wonderful Alexandrite is an Emerald by day and an Amethyst at night. Its market value is extremely variable and sometimes as much as £20 per carat is paid for a fine stone.” Today, the same Russian Alexandrite is worth many thousands of dollars! Although the Tokovaya deposit closed after only a few decades, limited mining is rumored to have resumed around 1995. To date, very little mining of Russian Alexandrite is taking place. In December 2005, “Colored Stone” reported that “there have been unconfirmed reports of new activity in this area, but no significant amount of material has hit the market yet.” While it is a country rich in gemstones, since the fall of the Soviet Union much of Russia’s gems have not been mined due to both economic conditions and outdated mining practices. Interestingly, both De Beers (a famed Diamond consortium) and Russian geologists are currently surveying Russian Diamond reserves and an offshoot of this exploration may be the discovery of new Alexandrite deposits. Regardless, very little Russian Alexandrite is available and those lucky enough to own one truly are custodians of a gem from a bygone era. While it wasn’t until 1996 that the tribal peoples of Andhra Pradesh unearthed the first hints of Alexandrite in the Araku Valley, since its discovery Indian Alexandrite has endured a history as turbulent as Imperial Russia. From much needed mining regulation in 1999, to the destruction of coastal mines during the 2004 tsunami, Indian Alexandrite has certainly had its ups and downs. Displaying teal apple greens with changes ranging from orange raspberries to grape, the first Alexandrite ever featured on Gems TV was from Vishnakahaputnam in Andhra Pradesh, India. Always on the hunt for this stunning gem, we recently encountered Indian Alexandrite from a new locale whose rich colors are reminiscent of Alexandrite from the original Russian deposit. Today, Indian Alexandrite primarily hails from Narsipattnanm, 62 miles inland from the first discovery in Vishnakahaputnam. It is characterized by an intense green with an incredible color change that ranges from vibrant Amethyst, to Ruby red and reddish purple. Formed hundreds of millions of years ago during the Paleozoic era, it is believed that the pegmatite rocks found at the location of Alexandrite’s discovery in the Urals in Russia and at Narsipattnanm are the same. Mining Indian Alexandrite is a dangerous business and the tribal miners risk life and limb tunneling muddy soil to a depth of 98 feet to find rocks rich with tiny clusters of Alexandrite. While gems from the famous Brazilian state of Minas Gerais have enchanted the world for over 100 years, good quality Alexandrite was only discovered in 1987. As with other mines containing pegmatite rocks, Brazilian Alexandrite is found in rugged areas that can be difficult to access. Usually mined using primitive hand tools, one of the most famous exceptions is the Hematitia mine, whose beautiful Alexandrite is now regrettably depleted. Although the majority of Brazilian Alexandrite contains many inclusions or is translucent, a tiny amount of better quality gems has been unearthed. In 2004, a new pocket of Brazilian Alexandrite was discovered, yielding blue green Alexandrite that changed to a delightful raspberry red. Mines in Madagascar, Tanzania and Mozambique, have been producing good quality Alexandrite for several years. African Alexandrite is typically located in wet regions near rivers and mined by digging through river beds by hand to unearth the Alexandrite-rich pegmatite rock. For approximately 90 years Russia and Sri Lanka were the only known sources of Alexandrite. Obtained from alluvial gravels (in contrast to most other deposits that are mined from host pegmatite rock), Sri Lankan Alexandrite is characterized by a fine Sapphire green color in daylight with a change to columbine red, similar to purplish red Spinel, in incandescent light.
MOONSTONE
June’s birthstone
Origins
Brazil, India, Madagascar, Sri Lanka & Tanzania
Colors Found
Colorless to brown, green, gray, pink, rainbow & yellow
Family
Feldspar
Hardness
6.00 - 6.50
Refractive Index
1.51 - 1.53
Relative Density
2.56 - 2.59
Popular with the Romans, who thought it was formed out of moonlight, and in India, where it is considered a sacred zodiac gem, Moonstone is one of the most coveted varieties of Feldspar. Other names for Moonstone include Adularia (a variety found in the European Alps near the Adula Group) and Selenite (from the Greek “selene,” meaning moon).
Legend and lore Laced with superstitions, suspicion, humor and romance, the earliest known traditions describe Moonstone as having been set in the forehead of a four-handed Indian god who represented the moon. Partly from its unique color, partly from a superstition that represented it as feeling the influence of the deity whom it adorned, it first gained the name by which it continues to be known today in ancient India. The gem’s modern western roots allegedly originate from the German word “mondstein,” (Moonstone) that was used to describe a lustrous variety of Feldspar in the late 18th century. This gem has always been revered because of its lunar attraction. In antiquity, Moonstone was believed to be the solidified rays of the moon and the glimmering light within was thought to be the light of the good spirit that lived within the gem. In ancient Rome, Moonstones were thought to change their appearance depending on the waning phases of the moon. They also thought that a picture of Diana, the goddess of the moon, could be seen in every Moonstone. In the Middle Ages, people thought that if you fell into a deep sleep after gazing into a Moonstone it would tell you the future. It has always been considered a feminine or “Goddess” gem. One Asian legend points out that where there is a moon there is no rain and so the name Moonstone means “no tears.” Moonstone is a highly prized gift for lovers as it is believed to arouse tender passion. According to another legend, a Moonstone placed in the mouth while the moon is full gives lovers the power to read their futures together. In antiquity, men also used Moonstone to predict the future by placing them in their mouths. A symbol of the third eye, Moonstone was once believed to balance yin/yang, protect against epilepsy and sun stroke, cure headaches and nose bleeds, and ensure a high yield in crops. Today, crystal healers believe that it can help men open their feminine emotional aspects. In some cultures, it is also believed to accentuate the wearer’s nature, whether positive or negative.
Just the facts Moonstone is a potassium-rich orthoclase member of the Feldspar group of minerals and is closely related to Sunstone and Labradorite. The name Feldspar comes from the German “feldt spat,” meaning “field stone.” This is because when Feldspar weathers, it releases large amounts of plant nutrients, such as potassium, which enrich the soil. Moonstone shows a blue-whitish opalescence called “adularescence” (sometimes described as a “billowy” light or shimmer) that glides over the surface of the gem. Interference phenomena, due to the intergrowth of two different types of Feldspar with different refractive indexes, from the gem’s layered structure are the cause of this effect. Moonstones are often cut as cabochons to maximize this effect. Traditionally, Moonstone has a silver to blue sheen, a transparent to translucent to opaque clarity and a colorless body color. Sri Lankan Rainbow Moonstone possesses all these qualities and as it is quite rare and becoming rarer, it is definitely a “must have” for any jewelry collection. Sri Lankan Rainbow Moonstone is laboriously chipped directly from a host deposit in Meetiyaguda, Sri Lanka. Interestingly, Sri Lankan Rainbow Moonstone typically displays such a stunning transparent clarity (not usually associated with this gemstone), intense bright blue shimmer and dazzling iridescence (the rainbow-like color effect seen in some gems caused by cracks or structural layers breaking up light into spectral colors) that it can be cut as a faceted gemstone. This is truly unique and further accentuates the desirability of this highly collectible exotic gemstone. Tanzanian Moonstone is a relatively new variety sourced from the Arusha region of Tanzania (the same region as Tanzanite). ข้อมูลจาก GIT, SGS
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