Introduction to Gemology with Jeffery Bergman — Jeffery L Bergman

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...

When you hear the name Ceylon, you would immediately think of beaches lined with palm trees, tea plantations and of course, their famous lovely blue sapphires. Now known as Sri Lanka, this island nation has been supplying the world with some very fine gemstones for the past 2,000 years, and it is one of the oldest sources in recorded history. Marco Polo visited Ceylon on his world tour. He wrote about the wonderful variety of sapphires and rubies found there. After hearing the news, the great Kaan sent a group of his ambassadors to meet with the King of the...

Until the early 20th century, the color of ruby was considered to range from the very palest pink to the deepest blood red. In fact, pink is just a low saturation of the color red. For example, if you put one drop of blood red dye in a glass and fill it with water, it will look pink. It was Western gemologists who started calling light colored rubies “pink sapphires” in the early 1900's, and the term continues to be used by many dealers and gemstone identification laboratories to this day.   Fine example of unheated pink Madagascar sapphire - AsiaLounges Collection...

Hey Loungers, The gemstone discoveries in East Africa in the 1960s transformed the jewelry world: new varieties, new colors, and new variations on existing species made that decade a most exciting time in the gemstone industry.   Prime example of a Forest Green Tanzanian Tsavorite - Learn more about this gem here. In 1968 in Tanzania, a magnificent brilliant green grossular garnet was discovered. The beautiful green garnet was also found on the Kenya side of the border in 1971, in the Taita Taveta district. In 1974, the new gem was named "Tsavorite", after the famous Tsavo National Park in Kenya....

Hey Loungers, Spinel is the great impostor of gemstone history. Many famous rubies in crown jewels around the world are actually spinel. The most famous is the Black Prince's Ruby, a magnificent 170-carat red spinel that currently adorns the Imperial State Crown in the British Crown Jewels. Henry V even wore it on his battle helmet! The Timur Ruby, a 352-carat red spinel now owned by Queen Elizabeth, has the names of some of the Mughal emperors who previously owned it engraved on its face, an undeniable pedigree! In Burma, where some of the most beautiful colors are mined, spinel...