Gem of the Week: Morganite

A morganite ring weighing nearly 40 carats.
From Lang Estate and Antique Jewelry, San Francisco

A member of the beryl family along with aquamarine (which is pale blue) and heliodor (which is greenish), morganite is a pink stone revered for its clarity and fire. also known as "pink beryl," "rose beryl," "pink emerald," and "cesian beryl," morganite can exhibit “color-banding” by showing stripes of orange and/or yellow.


The stone gets its name from financier, J.P. Morgan and was so christened by the New York Academy of Sciences in 1910. The largest morganite specimen found to date is “The Rose of Maine,” found in Bennett Quarry in Buckfield, Maine in 1989. This massive stone weighs 50 pounds—not carats, pounds.

Morganite became a popular stone in jewelry designs of the late Edwardian era and into the 1930’s. Prized for its delicate color, this particularly feminine stone was the favorite for cocktail rings such as the one pictured here.

Gem of the Week: The Opulent Opal

Queen Charlotte's Opal Ring, 1810
The Royal Collection

Opal is actually a mineraloid composed of a system of small silica spheres which refract the light and cause tension within the stone. The spacing and number of these spheres governs the color of the light which is refracted from the opal. These spheres often exhibit tiny cracks which further change the “color play” (the rainbow effect that the stone demonstrates). Some gem-quality opals are backed with a dark stone material which serves to emphasize the color play.


Opals come in an array of colors and each exhibits unique color refractions. Fire Opal displays warm colors—oranges, yellow, reds and sometimes greens. Often, a Fire Opal is backed in dark stone. Peruvian opals show a blue-green body color. Opals also occur naturally in clear, white, gray, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, magenta, rose, pink, slate, olive, brown, and black. Black opals which exhibit flashes of red are the rarest of these stones.

Opals need special attention. They should not be cleaned in commercial jewelry cleaner as it will dry the stone out. Opals are prone to cracking. The best defense against this is handling your opals. The natural oils in your skin will serve to keep the stones from becoming brittle.

This is a stone with a very mystical quality. Opals have long been regarded as beautiful and they have graced the bodies of people for centuries. Opals reached a peak in popularity in Victorian England and were considered a sentimental favorite. Today, opals are often incorporated into silver jewelry. Their earthy, casual quality suits a variety of occasions.

Gem of the Week: Tanzanite

An extremely rare tanzanite brooch designed by
Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co.
Lang Antique and Estate Jewelry

Discovered in a Tanzanian mine in 1967, Tanzanite is a variant of the mineral zoisite. At first, incorrectly identified as a host of other gemstones, Tanzanite was finally correctly classified when geologist John Saul sent a sample of the stone to his father, Hyman Saul. The elder Saul was vice president of Saks Fifth Avenue and brought the stone to the Gemological Institute of America for identification.


Tiffany and Co. learned of this newly discovered gem and wished to create a line of jewelry featuring the brilliant stone whose colors ranged from blue to red to violet depending on the light. Executives at Tiffany and Co., however, weren’t too keen on its name, blue zoisite, thinking that it could be mistaken for the words, “Blue Suicide.” They renamed the gem, “Tanzanite” for the purposes of marketing, and the name was officially adopted for this unusual and rare stone.

Tanzanite is mainly found in Tanzania, though some veins have been found in other areas. The rarity of natural tanzanite makes it extremely valuable. This is one stone whose value is not affected by being color enhanced or treated. All tanzanite is heat treated to enhance the blue color in the naturally red-purple natural stone. Since it is universally heat-treated, the value is not diminished by human interference.

Tanzanite was recently adopted as one of the primary birthstones for December.

Gem of the Week: Tanzanite

An extremely rare tanzanite brooch designed by
Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co.
Lang Antique and Estate Jewelry

Discovered in a Tanzanian mine in 1967, Tanzanite is a variant of the mineral zoisite. At first, incorrectly identified as a host of other gemstones, Tanzanite was finally correctly classified when geologist John Saul sent a sample of the stone to his father, Hyman Saul. The elder Saul was vice president of Saks Fifth Avenue and brought the stone to the Gemological Institute of America for identification.


Tiffany and Co. learned of this newly discovered gem and wished to create a line of jewelry featuring the brilliant stone whose colors ranged from blue to red to violet depending on the light. Executives at Tiffany and Co., however, weren’t too keen on its name, blue zoisite, thinking that it could be mistaken for the words, “Blue Suicide.” They renamed the gem, “Tanzanite” for the purposes of marketing, and the name was officially adopted for this unusual and rare stone.

Tanzanite is mainly found in Tanzania, though some veins have been found in other areas. The rarity of natural tanzanite makes it extremely valuable. This is one stone whose value is not affected by being color enhanced or treated. All tanzanite is heat treated to enhance the blue color in the naturally red-purple natural stone. Since it is universally heat-treated, the value is not diminished by human interference.

Tanzanite was recently adopted as one of the primary birthstones for December.

Gem of the Week: The Pink Diamond

The Graff Pink
Sotheby's

When we think of “Fancy Color” (I still hate that term) diamonds, we tend to think of yellow and blue. However, diamonds are available in a wide range of colors. Among the most valuable of the colored diamonds are pink diamonds.

Pink diamonds have been in the news quite often in the last decade. To mark their brief engagement, Ben Affleck presented one to Jennifer Lopez—making the rosy-hued diamond all the more popular. Last month, a 24.78 carat diamond of “fancy intense pink” color took the world’s record for the highest price paid for any gem at auction. Auctioned by Sotheby’s, the diamond was purchased for $46 million by London jeweler Laurence Graff. The diamond—now named “The Graff Pink” sold for almost double the cost Graff paid in 2008 for a 35.56 carat blue diamond. Graff described the diamond thusly: “It is the most fabulous diamond I’ve ever seen in the history of my career.”

Like other colored diamonds, the more intense the color, the more valuable the stone. As I always caution you, when buying a colored diamond, make sure to ask if the stone has been treated or enhance to produce a more desirable color. While enhanced diamonds have their place, you should not be paying the same price you would for a natural colored diamond.

Gem of the Week: Turquoise

Prized from the dawn of ancient civilizations for its unique color and beauty, turquoise has played an integral part in the art and design of many different cultures. The stone itself is a mineral which is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminum. With its opaque blue-green color which is often flecked with black or gold, the turquoise not only has been used in jewelry, but also in mosaics and sculpture.

Victorian Gold, Ruby and Turquoise Tassel Bracelet
Lang Antique and Estate Jewelry

The ancient Egyptians employed turquoise frequently in ornamental pieces ranging from jewelry and armor to sarcophagi and mosaics. Similar uses arose in Persia (Iran), China, and the ancient Americas. The stone is strikingly beautiful against a variety of colors, taking on the richness of gold, the coolness of silver or acting as a brilliant counterpoint to precious gems.

During the mid-to-late Victorian era, when England’s fascination with other cultures swelled to its apex, many pieces of jewelry were deigned to incorporate exotic turquoise and to emulate the masterworks of the finest of the world’s jewelers.

Turquoise remains popular today. Frequently imitated, you’ve got to be sure that the turquoise you’re buying is natural. Similarly, natural lower-grade turquoise is often treated to enhance the color. These stones are markedly less valuable than vibrant natural specimen.

Gem of the Week: The Ravishing Ruby

Ruby and Diamond Bracelet
Lang Antique and Estate Jewelry

A member of the corundum family of minerals, rubies are the red sisters of sapphires and one of the four precious stones (the others being sapphires, emeralds and diamonds). Like diamonds and emeralds, the value of a ruby is determined by color and clarity. The most valuable rubies are those which exhibit a deep red color—often called “pigeon blood rubies.” While still valuable, rubies which display a pinker, orange or brown hue are not as prized as those which are the deepest red. Rubies often display a cloudiness due to mineral inclusions. Rubies which have excellent clarity (meaning that they are more readily translucent) fetch a higher price.


Modern jewelers often chemically treat rubies to change the color. When buying rubies, make sure to ask if the stones have been color-treated. You should not be paying natural-color prices for artificially enhanced stones.

Rubies have always been a popular gemstone. They were used with brilliant results in the 1930’s and 1940’s in magnificent over-sized brooches, rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces set in platinum and dramatically surrounded by diamonds.

Gem of the Week: The Canary Diamond

A Canary Diamond Engagement Ring
The Three Graces

As we know, diamonds come in a wide range of colors which, in the gem trade, are referred to as “fancy colored” diamonds. That name has always struck me as peculiar. Calling something “fancy” makes it seem less-fancy. For example, “Fancy Ketchup.” But, I digress. Of course, despite the inelegant name, there’s actually nothing quite as elegant as a colored diamond, and there’s also nothing quite as expensive.


Of the colored diamonds, I’ve always had a special fondness for “canary diamonds,” so called for their intense, “fancy” yellow color. The yellow color comes from the presence of nitrogen atoms during the stone’s compression process. Depending on the level of nitrogen, the color can cary in intensity from a pale yellow (which isn’t much good to anyone because it’s not quite yellow and it’s not quite clear) to a brilliant gold. Sometimes nitrogen will impart a brown color, thus making the currently popular “Chocolate Diamond,” or orange which creates the much rarer “Mandarin Diamond.”

Canary diamonds have long been prized for their pleasing color and cheerful light. When set with colorless diamonds in a platinum setting, they offer an unexpected burst of color which is really a sight to behold. As I’ve mentioned before, when purchasing “fancy colored” diamonds, always make sure that the color is natural. Many colored diamonds (especially blue) have been color-treated or enhanced. You shouldn’t be paying the same price for a color-enhanced diamond that you would for a naturally colored one.

Gem of the Week: Moonstone

Edwardian Moonstone and Rose Cut Diamond
Ring in Platinum and Gold
A. Brandt and Son

Whenever I hear, “moonstone,” I think of the 1868 novel, The Moonstone, by Wilkie Collins which was technically about a diamond. It was one of the novels that we filmed for Wishbone in the mid-1990’s. I have fond memories of that shoot. Just for fun, I’ve put a clip from that episode below.

However, an actual moonstone is a gemstone formed from sodium potassium aluminum silicate. The moonstone is so named because of the peculiar sheen with which it seems to radiate—really an optical trick cause by the reflection of light against internal planes of feldspar. The bluish-white color and opalescence of the moonstone also contribute to its lunar-like appearance.

Moonstone is usually cut in a cabochon to take full advantage of its moon-like presence. The stone was used in setting as well as strung beads and has been employed for centuries. Late Victorian and Edwardian jewelry often featured the moonstone. The effect of the moonstone’s inner radiance when set against the hard shine of gold and the sprarkle of rose-cut or mine-cut diamonds was particularly dramatic in candlelight and gaslight. Moonstones remain a popular gem today, often finding a place in settings which contain amethysts and multi-colored sapphires.

Gem of the Week: The Opulent Opal

Queen Charlotte's Opal Ring, 1810
The Royal Collection

Opal is actually a mineraloid composed of a system of small silica spheres which refract the light and cause tension within the stone. The spacing and number of these spheres governs the color of the light which is refracted from the opal. These spheres often exhibit tiny cracks which further change the “color play” (the rainbow effect that the stone demonstrates). Some gem-quality opals are backed with a dark stone material which serves to emphasize the color play.


Opals come in an array of colors and each exhibits unique color refractions. Fire Opal displays warm colors—oranges, yellow, reds and sometimes greens. Often, a Fire Opal is backed in dark stone. Peruvian opals show a blue-green body color. Opals also occur naturally in clear, white, gray, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, magenta, rose, pink, slate, olive, brown, and black. Black opals which exhibit flashes of red are the rarest of these stones.

Opals need special attention. They should not be cleaned in commercial jewelry cleaner as it will dry the stone out. Opals are prone to cracking. The best defense against this is handling your opals. The natural oils in your skin will serve to keep the stones from becoming brittle.

This is a stone with a very mystical quality. Opals have long been regarded as beautiful and they have graced the bodies of people for centuries. Opals reached a peak in popularity in Victorian England and were considered a sentimental favorite. Today, opals are often incorporated into silver jewelry. Their earthy, casual quality suits a variety of occasions.

Gem of the Week: The Topaz

Blue Topaz and Sapphire Brooch
Lang Antique and Estate Jewelry

A silicate mineral of aluminum and fluorine, the topaz has long been prized as a gemstone. Naturally, a pure topaz is colorless, however, the presence of other minerals and forces can create a variety of colors: yellow, gray, red, violet, pink, blue, green, brown, orange and amber. Naturally-occurring blue and pink topaz is extremely rare. Often, these days, gray or pale yellow stones are irradiated to create a deeper blue or pink color. If you’re buying a piece of jewelry that features blue or pink topaz, make sure to ask if the stones have been color-treated.


A relatively new phenomenon, mystic topaz, gives off an attractive iridescent rainbow effect as it catches the light. This, however, is not naturally-occurring and is the result of a colorless topaz that has been coated with a special material.

Early Victorian Pink Topaz and Green Garnet (Tsavorite) Pin
Lang Antique and Estate Jewelry

In ancient times, any yellow stone was called a topaz. As the ability to differentiate between specific gems became more scientific, the silicate stone we now know as topaz earned sole use of the name. There hasn’t been a period of time when the topaz wasn’t a popular gem stone. In its many hues, the topaz offers a brilliant refractive quality and a lot of elegance.

Gem of the Week: The Pearl



South Sea Pearl and Diamond Earclips
Lang Estate and Antique Jewelry





A natural pearl is one of the most beautiful and rare treasures of the world. A pearl is formed of calcium carbonate and is created when grit enters the soft tissue of a mollusk. In order to protect its tissue, the mollusk secretes nacre around the foreign object to smooth it. Layer upon layer of nacre, in time, creates a pearl. It goes to show that some of the most beautiful things are born of irritation. The most valuable pearls are round natural pearls. However, pearls come in a variety of natural shapes. Oblong, egg-shaped, oval or irregularly shapes pearls are often referred to as “Baroque Pearls.”


The majority of pearls on the market today are “cultured pearls” meaning that they don’t occur on their own in natural circumstances. Cultured pearls are farmed from “Pearl Oysters” which are manipulated by man in controlled settings to create the pearls. A “pearl farmer” intentionally irritates the oyster by adding foreign elements into its system so that the oyster must create a pearl.

Pearls can come from mollusks in saltwater or in freshwater. Pearls from the sea are generally regarded as more valuable. The beauty of a pearl is in its iridescent luster—a property it gets from the nacre. Pearls come in a wide range of colors from white to pink to black. For centuries, the pearl has been regarded as one of the most valuable natural creations—admired for its beauty and valued for their rarity. Who could possibly argue with the simple elegance of a shining pearl?

Gem of the Week: The Amethyst

A Georgian Amethyst Brooch With Pearls
The Three Graces

Prized for its deep color and hardness, amethyst is a type of quartz. Most amethysts are purple, however, a range of color exists between pinkish to a very deep eggplant color. Green quartz is often referred to as Green Amethyst. Ideally, a purple amethyst will exhibit a very deep color called “Deep Siberian” which, when cut correctly, will display flashes of red light, and sometimes blue.


Amethysts have been employed in jewelry-making for thousands of years. The stone’s hardness makes it ideal for intaglio carving. The Egyptians and ancient Greeks greatly valued the amethyst, the latter believing that the stone had been colored when Dionysus poured wine over it.

Once one of the “cardinal” gemstones—those considered the most valuable, among them: emeralds, diamonds, rubies and sapphires—discoveries of large quartz deposits in the Nineteenth Century devalued the stone a bit. Nevertheless, the amethyst is a beautiful gem which speaks of enduring elegance.

Gem of the Week: Malachite

This bright green mineral gets its name from its resemblance to the color of the leaves of the mallow plant. For centuries until the Nineteenth Century, malachite was ground for use as a green pigment in paint suspensions. However, the mineral’s properties reacted badly with acids which caused the color to fade or change over time.

Early Victorian Scottish Malachite Buckle Bracelet
Lang Antique and Estate Jewelry, San Francisco

Malachite has long been used in jewelry as well as in the decorative arts. The unusual vibrancy of the color, often banded with darker and lighter greens, immediately puts one in mind of nature. The Victorians frequently employed malachite in their jewelry—often in pieces designed to be worn during the day or in the country, when diamonds or other faceted gems were not considered appropriate. Jewelry makers in Scotland used Malachite with stunning creativity—crafting beautiful brooches, bracelets and rings which showcased the stone’s natural color and smoothness. Scottish artists often combined malachite with silver, colored agates and onyx to create complicated and amazing designs.

This luxurious mineral continues to be popular in jewelry and in furnishings. Legend has it that wearing malachite will ward of disease, witchcraft, and even lightning. That would be a nice side effect, but the best reason to wear malachite is simply that it’s beautiful.

Gem of the Week: The Citrine

Mounted by a sprig of garnets, amethysts,
aquamarine and pink sapphires, this105.35 carat
emerald-cut citrine dates to the 1950's.
Lang Antique and Estate Jewelry

A member of the quartz family, the citrine gets its name from the Latin word citrina which means “yellow.” The gemstone is typically yellow, but can range from orange to brown.  Natural citrines are very rare.  In fact, most modern citrines sold commercially are actually color-treated amethysts or yellow topaz.  Due to their similar chemical make-up, many citrines are found concurrently with amethysts.  When the crystals are joined together in a natural bi-color stone, the result is an “ametrine.” 

Natural citrine has been used for many years and was popular in English Victorian jewelry. Prized for its sunny color, the citrine is often paired with diamonds.  This also gives the effect of a canary (yellow diamond).  One of the birthstones for November, citrines remain a popular gemstone. 

Gem of the Week: Alexandrite

Adin Fine Antique Jewelry,
Belgium

A rare variety of chrysoberel , Alexandrite exhibits unusual color change properties due to the presence of chromium oxide. In natural light, Alexandrite exhibits a pine-green color. In incandescent light, the stone appears to have a yellow or orange color. And, in candlelight, the color is a fiery reddish pink to purple color.


Discovered in Russia’s Ural Mountains in 1830, Alexandrite was named for Czar Alexander II. A form of Alexandrite is also now mined in Sri Lanka, however this stone displays a different range of colors than the more valuable Russian Alexandrite. Sri Lankan Alexandrite tends to have a color range from blue to brown.

Alexandrite Bar Pin
Russian, circa 1890
A La Vieille Russie, Fifth Avenue, New York

Natural Alexandrite is extremely rare. If you happen to find an Alexandrite piece, make sure to ask if it’s natural or synthetic. Most often, the stone will be synthetic or a color-treated spinel. A true Alexandrite will display subtle colors as opposed to the brighter, more neon colors of synthetic.

Popular in Russian jewelry design of the Romanov Era, Alexandrite was also a favorite of French and English designers. Though difficult to find, this stone is one of the most unique and attractive gems created by our planet.

Gem of the Week: Morganite

A morganite ring weighing nearly 40 carats.
From Lang Estate and Antique Jewelry, San Francisco

A member of the beryl family along with aquamarine (which is pale blue) and heliodor (which is greenish), morganite is a pink stone revered for its clarity and fire. also known as "pink beryl," "rose beryl," "pink emerald," and "cesian beryl," morganite can exhibit “color-banding” by showing stripes of orange and/or yellow.


The stone gets its name from financier, J.P. Morgan and was so christened by the New York Academy of Sciences in 1910. The largest morganite specimen found to date is “The Rose of Maine,” found in Bennett Quarry in Buckfield, Maine in 1989. This massive stone weighs 50 pounds—not carats, pounds.

Morganite became a popular stone in jewelry designs of the late Edwardian era and into the 1930’s. Prized for its delicate color, this particularly feminine stone was the favorite for cocktail rings such as the one pictured here.

Gem of the Week: The Elegant Emerald

Fleur de Lis Emerald Ring, 1850, from The Three Graces

The emerald is a member of the beryl family of minerals and gets its famous green color from chromium. Emeralds have long been celebrated for their beauty and depth of color. Finding a “clean” emerald is a difficult task these days. Most emeralds are heavily included—meaning that other, unwanted minerals become trapped in the stone during the formation of its crystals. These inclusions dull the color and clarity of the stone. The clearer the stone, the more valuable the emerald.


The Egyptians were among the first to mine and prize the emerald, often making it the centerpiece of their jewelry. At the time, stones without inclusions which exhibited excellent clarity were judged as being “as clear as water.” The standard of an emerald’s “water” remained a concept that was employed well into the twentieth century. The birthstone for May, the emerald has long been considered to have mystical and enchanting properties. So much so that L. Frank Baum called the kingdom of his great Wizard of Oz, “The Emerald City.” Victorian jewelers were particularly fond of the emerald because of its color and the natural association of the color green with nature.

Today, fine emeralds are among the most valuable of gemstones. If you’re a jewelry collector, save up your money and spend it on an emerald of the best clarity that you can find. The value will only increase over time.

Gem of the Week: The Blue Diamond

Blue Diamond "Ballerina" Ring from Israel Rose

In my online novel, Punch’s Cousin, Lord Fallbridge describes the magnificent blue diamond that his father, Sir Collin Molliner, found in India. Julian wears a ring which bears a stone polished from the cuttings of “The Molliner Blue.” While Julian’s stone is fiction, the existence of blue diamonds is not.


When we think of diamonds, we tend to think of the wonderful icy colorless variety. However, diamonds naturally come in a range of colors—almost any imaginable color, in fact. Red diamonds are the rarest and dearest of all the colors. The value of “fancy color” diamonds depends on the intensity of the color, and as with white diamonds, the amount of inclusions (noticeable coal) in the stone.

Blue diamonds are highly prized for their mysterious beauty and depth of color. A blue diamond’s hue can range from a bright aquamarine color to a dusty blue-violet. Some often exhibit fluorescent characteristics. The color comes from deposits of boron during the compression process. Blue diamonds account for .1% of gem-quality diamonds.

Of course, the most famous blue diamond is the legendary Hope Diamond. This original 113 carat diamond was purchased in India by French merchant traveller Jean Baptiste Tavernier who described the stone as a “beautiful violet.” In 1668, Tavernier sold the stone to King Louis XIV of France who, later, had the stone re-cut. “The Blue Diamond of the Crown” or “The French Blue” was just over 68 carats after it was re-cut. The stone—along with many of the Crown Jewels of France—was stolen during the French Revolution and its resulting looting and riots.

The Hope Diamond, courtesy The Smithsonian Institute

In 1812, the “French Blue” resurfaced in the collection of London diamond merchant, Daniel Eliason. From then on, it was sold and resold many times (most notably to the family of Henry Phillip Hope), finally ending up in the collection of Pierre Cartier in 1910. Cartier sold the stone to American socialite Mrs. Evelyn Walsh who wore the stone until her death in 1947. Walsh’s entire collection of jewelry was purchased by Harry Winston who donated the diamond to The Smithsonian in 1958. The Hope Diamond remains on display in the Smithsonian today.

Whether it’s as large as the “Hope” or just a shimmering chip, the beauty of a natural blue diamond cannot be denied. Their very creation is proof that our world is capable of producing the most beautiful things.

Gem of the Week: The Spinel

Antique Spinel Necklace from The Three Graces.

Composed of Magnesium-Aluminum, the spinel is an often underappreciated and unrecognized gemstone. The spinel—through the presence of certain chemical combinations—can be colorless, red, blue, green, brown or black. Red spinels are often referred to as “Balas Rubies.”

In fact, spinels are often mistaken for rubies, sapphires, topaz or emeralds. The most famous case of mistaken-spinel-identity is the Black Prince’s Ruby—the centerpiece of the British Imperial State Crown. Not a ruby at all, this stone is a large, deep-red spinel weighing 170 carats.

The Black Prince's "Ruby," The Royal Collection

Spinels can offer the same brilliance that other gems demonstrate while exhibiting a hardness not present in stones such as the emerald. Modern jewelers often use the term “spinel” to refer to a lab-created stone. You may recall picking out your High School class ring and noticing that the hunk of pep-rally glass was referred to as “spinel.” Don’t be fooled by this. If you’re purchasing a spinel, make sure that it’s the real thing.

Very popular in Victorian and Edwardian jewelry, the spinel is often dominant stone in many antique and vintage designs. Their beauty and their durability earns them the right to the same fame that their better-known siblings enjoy.