December 2007
In our newsletter this month:
Gift Ideas for the Holiday Season
Shipping Advice for December
New and Interesting Gemstones
Gemstones Worth Knowing
Customer Questions
Gift Ideas for the Holiday Season
We receive a lot of email at this time of year asking us for gift suggestions. So we've collected some of our best ideas for this month's newsletter. We hope this makes your holiday shopping just a little easier.
If you're looking for a very special gift, a good place to start is with our Top Grade Gems. Our staff selects the finest pieces from our inventory for this group, so if you want our personal recommendations, you'll find them here. Not everything in this group is expensive, by the way; we include particularly fine examples of many inexpensive gems as well as our finest sapphire, tourmaline and spinel.
A personalized gift is always appreciated, so you may wish to consider a birthstone or anniversary stone. You can make your choice by month or by signs of the zodiac. There are recognized alternative choices for many months as well.
Another nice gift idea is a matched pair of gems. Well-matched pairs are actually quite difficult to find, but we buy our gems in volume and our staff spends a lot of time going through parcels of gems to put together matched pairs. We've made it a bit of a speciality and we typically have as many as 500 matched pairs in our inventory, with around 30 gem types represented. Click here to see all our matched pairs.
If you're looking for an inexpensive but unique gift, consider a gemstone carving. We have interesting figurines in a dozen different gem types, even some in sapphire and ruby. The carved turtles are a particular favorite and they are a traditional symbol of a long life here in Asia.
If you'd like to purchase a large gemstone but are looking for something fairly inexpensive, have a look at our huge selection of cabochons. These are popular with collectors and make nice momentoes as well as stunning jewelry. We currently have more than 25 types of cabochons in our stock.
Finally, we are often asked what are the best values in fine gemstones today. Everything seems to get more expensive every year, but in our opinion the finest gems for the price are tourmaline, spinel, spessartite garnet and zircon. This year we're recommending tanzanite as well, since we were lucky recently to buy some very fine pieces at an excellent price.
Shipping Advice for December
At this time of year we take special care to make sure our customers receive their orders promptly and reliably. We've shipped gemstones to more than 70 countries and we've become experts at international shipping. So here's some advice to take the worry out of ordering an important gift online.
We strongly recommend FedEx for all holiday gifts. It's fast (3 to 4 days to nearly anywhere in the world) and you can track your shipment online so you'll know exactly when it will be delivered. It is remarkably reliable as well. Just make sure your give us your correct address and provide a telephone number as well in case of any problems with delivery.
Please note that loose gemstones may be imported duty-free to the USA, but FedEx shipments to other countries may be subject to tax and duty. If you're unsure about the situation in your country, please email us and we'll advise you about the quickest and cheapest shipment method.
A final note: we cannot ship gemstones to France by FedEx due to customs clearance issues. Registered mail is the best shipping method to France, so order early! |
| New and Interesting Gems -- updated August 28th |
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Maw-sit-sit from Burma: Maw-sit-sit is one of the more unusual gemstones in the world, from its curious name to its variable chemical composition. It was named after the village in northwestern Burma which is close to the site where it was first found. That mine is still the only source.. Maw-sit-sit is considered to be a rock rather than a mineral, since it is composed of a number of different minerals, including kosmochlor (a mineral related to jadeite) and varying amounts of jadeite and albite feldspar. We have an excellent selection in a wide range of sizes and shapes, including some matching pairs. |
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Sapphire Cabochons from Ceylon and Thailand: We've recently acquired some large blue sapphire cabochons from Ceylon of exceptional, color, in size from 1.5 to 7 carats. Sapphire cabs of this size and quality are hard to find. All told, we have more than 100 sapphire cabs in stock, with the blues from Ceylon and the greens from Thailand. You'll also find a nice selection of matched pairs. |
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Watermelon Tourmaline Slices from Mozambique: We've had many requests for slices of watermelon tourmaline crystals and we've finally found some nice pieces from Mozambique. These make marvellous pendants and are also very popular with collectors. These range in size from 3 to 14 carats and are only about 3 mm in depth so they are easy to work into jewelry that will lie flat. |
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Golden Beryl from Madagascar: The beryl family is one of the most important gemstone families. It includes emerald, aquamarine and morganite as well as golden and red beryl. Beryl is quite a hard stone (7.5 to 8 on the Mohs scale) and suitable for all kinds of jewelry. This golden beryl from Madagascar has excellent brilliance and clarity, with a number of pieces graded IF. You'll find a very good selection of pieces in a variety of shapes in sizes up to 10 carats. |
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Alexandrite from Tanzania: Alexandrite is one of the rarest of all colored gemstones and is famed for its color change from green in daylight to red under incandescent light. Fine faceted alexandrite over 1 carat is more valuable than sapphire, ruby or emerald. We've recently purchased some small pieces in the 3 to 5 mm size in oval and round portuguese cut. The color change is not as dramatic as in the larger sizes, but the price is exceptionally good for natural alexandrite. |
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Pink Tourmaline from Mozambique: Pink is the most popular color in tourmaline and we have just expanded our stock with some outstanding new pieces. The shades range all the way from rose pink to hot pink and purple pink. We have more than 350 pieces in all, in a wide range of sizes and shapes. We buy pink tourmaline whenever we can find it, but rarely find this many fine pieces. |
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Chrome Diopside from Russia: Chrome diopside is one of the few gemstones colored by chromium. Its rich green is unique in the gems world, rivalled only by the best tsavorite garnet and chrome tourmaline. We have recently purchased some very fine matched pairs for earrings, as well as a number of larger solitaires. |
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Turquoise from Afghanistan: Turquoise, the sky blue cousin to lapis lazuli, has been known and valued for thousands of years. We've bought some new pieces from Afghanistan, in an interesting variety of blue and blue-green hues. A number of pieces have the fascinating veining that is so typical of natural turquoise. Sizes range up to 18 carats. |
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Chrysoberyl Cat's Eye: The most famous and valuable cat's eye gemstone is chrysoberyl cat's eye. In fact when the term cat's eye is used alone in the gem trade, it always refers to chrysoberyl cat's eye. All other types of cat's eye gems require an additional varietal designation, such as cat's eye apatite. Chrysoberyl cat's eye is so highly regarded due to its excellent hardness (8.5 on the Mohs scale), superb luster and remarkably sharp cat's eye effect. We have just found some excellent pieces at an unusually good price, including some hard-to-find matched pairs. |
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Spinel from Burma: We buy fine spinel whenever we can find it, and we've recently added some very fine pieces of Burmese spinel in larger sizes. You'll find reds, violets, blues and grays in a variety of shapes, including a number of cushion cuts. Sizes range from 1.5 carats all the way up to 5 carats. |
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Star Sapphire from Thailand: Thailand is well known for star sapphires, both the unusual black and gold ones as well as the traditional deep blue. We've recently added some excellent blue star sapphires to our extensive inventory, with sizes up to 14 carats. |
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Hessonite Garnet from Madagascar: Hessonite belongs to the grossularite garnet group, which also includes tsavorite garnet. While most grossularite garnet is green, hessonite typically has a orange-brown color which has earned it the nickname cinnamon stone. We rarely find hessonite in the market, but we've just bought an excellent selection of matched pairs in a variety of shapes. |
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Kyanite from Cambodia: We've just purchased a new stock of faceted kyanite from Cambodia, in a sparkling sapphire-like blue. Kyanite is usually cut as cabochons, but recently higher-grade material has been cut in facets. Like most kyanite, these exhibit the interesting color streaking which is the kyanite hallmark. You'll find sizes from 1.5 to 9.5 carats. |
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Apatite from Madagascar: Apaptite from Madagascar is famous for a vivid blue-green that is reminiscent of paraiba tourmaline. We have just acquired some excellent new pieces in the 1-2 carat size, with superb color. Apatite tends to have some minor inclusions, but many of these pieces are graded VS or beetter. We also have stock in the popular green apatite, known as the "asparagus stone." |
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Chrysoprase from Tanzania: Chrysoprase is considered the rarest and most valuable stone in the chalcedony quartz group. That's quite a distinction considering that the chalcedony species includes agate, chalcedony, onyx, carnelian, bloodstone and jasper. But chrysoprase, it is fair to say, is also the least known of all the chalcedony varieties. Chrysoprase is a vivid apple-green to deep green gem, colored by trace amounts of nickel, and makes stunning jewelry. |
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Ruby-Zoisite from Tanzania: Ruby-Zoisite, also know as anyolite, is the natural combination of ruby and zoisite crystals in a single specimen. Zoisite, the same mineral as tanzanite, provides an earthy green and black color while ruby lends exciting pink and red highlights. Ruby-zoisite is usually cut en cabochon or carved. We've recently purchased some excellent cabs, but also some unusual and rarely seen faceted peices. |
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Cat's Eye Apatite from Africa: Cat's eye apatite can often be confused with the more expensive chrysoberyl cat's eye, but apatite is a softer stone (5 on the Mohs scale) that is best used for pendants and earrings. It does exhibit a very striking cat's eye effect, however, and is sought after by collectors. We've recently bought some first rate pieces in green, blue and honey, in sizes from 2 to 10 carats. |
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Yellow Sapphire from Thailand: We've just acquired some brilliant yellow golden and yellow orange sapphires from Thailand, mainly in sizes from 1 to 3 carats, with a few larger pieces as well. You'll find a nice range of shapes, with many pieces VS or VVS clarity. |
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Ruby Cabochons from Madagascar: Recently we've found some excellent ruby cabochons from Madagascar in the 3 to 14 carat size. These are pure red and some are clean enough to be graded translucent. These cabs make wonderful jewelry and the price is very attractive. We've just added some terrific matched pairs as well. |
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Grossularite Garnet from Kenya: Grossularite (or grossular) garnet is a calcium-aluminium garnet. The name grossular is derived from the botanical name for the gooseberry, grossularia. Grossularite garnet combines excellent brilliance and hardness. We've recently acquired some very fine pieces from Kenya, mainly in the 1 to 2 carat size. |
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Gemstones Worth Knowing
Each month we focus on one of the lesser known gemstones. This month's featured stone is Apatite.
Apatite, a stone seldom found in jewelry stores and virtually unknown to the general public, is beloved by collectors for its many different colors and forms. Only with the recent availability of the neon blue-green variety from Madagascar, has its jewelry use increased. The color of the best specimens of this type rivals the famed Paraiba tourmalines, but apatite is not quite as hard, so its not recommended for daily wear rings.
We have apatite from Madagascar in a range of greens and blues, including a number of pieces in the popular neon blue-green. To see all our stock in this intriguing gemstone click here.
Customer Questions
Every month we answer questions of general interest from our customers. Please feel free to send your questions to help@gemselect.com, with "Newsletter question" in the Subject line. |
| Q: |
What is the most durable gemstones? SK, USA |
| A: |
Many people would answer "diamond", since it is the hardest of all the gemstone materials. But there is more to durability than just hardness. For example, diamond has perfect cleavage, meaning it can be split with a single blow. Corundum (ruby and sapphire), while not quite as hard as diamond, has no cleavage, a property they share with spinel. Some other gems which are quite hard, such as emerald, typically have internal fractures which are filled by oiling, and thus require special care. For more information on caring for your fine gems, please see our information pages on Caring for Gemstones and Cleaning Gemstones.
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| Q: |
When you give gemological information for each gem, you include something called "color of streak". What does that mean? Why is it important? Thanks, for your answer, DN, New Zealand |
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The streak test is one of the many methods used to identify gemstones. Each gemstone has an inherent color, that is, it's true color not affected by any impurities. The color of a mineral when powdered is called the streak of the mineral. Crushing and powdering a mineral eliminates some of the effects of impurities and structural flaws, and is therefore more diagnostic for some minerals than their color. Streak can be determined for any mineral by crushing it with a hammer, but it is more commonly obtained by rubbing the mineral across the surface of a hard, unglazed porcelain material called a streak plate. The color of the powder left behind on the streak plate is the mineral's streak.
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| A final note -- If you send us email, please be assured that we answer all our email very promptly, 6 days a week. But we sometimes have problems with spam filters on the receiving end, so please adjust the settings on your mail client so you can receive mail from help@gemselect.com.
Best wishes for the holiday season !
Your friends at GemSelect |
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