Introduction to Gemology with Jeffery Bergman — gemological laboratory

Dark reds, tangerine orange, vivid lime green, soft pink, garnet is all these colors and more. There are garnets that change color in different light, translucent green garnets that look like jade, garnets with stars, garnets that have been mined for thousands of years and garnets that were just discovered in the last decade. Garnets are fairly hard and durable gemstones that are ideal for jewelry use.   Here is an example of one of the nicest "Mandarin" garnets we have seen - Asia Lounges Collection - Video by Arjuna Irsutti Photography   One garnet growing in popularity is a...

When it comes to the finest gem quality blue sapphires in the world, nothing can compare with the best stones from Kashmir in northern India, and its neighbor to the east, Burma. Sapphires were first discovered in Kashmir around the year 1880, in the region known as Padar. Mining activity went on for several decades, but the finest material came out within the first thirty years. By contrast, Burma has been producing sapphires from several localities for well over 1,000 years.   Queen of her own domain, this lovely and rich twilight blue unheated Burmese sapphire is the perfect example...