The Curator's Journal

Beryllium treated Blue Sapphires

Blue Sapphire is a variety of the mineral Corundum in blue. Other two gem-varieties of corundum are Ruby (red) and Padparadscha (pinkish orange). Although blue is their most well-known color,sa...

Garnet

Red garnet is one of the most common and widespread of gems, found in metamorphic rocks (which are rocks altered by heat and pressure) on every continent. But not all garnets are as abundant as t...

Amethyst

Amethyst has a beautiful wine color and the Greeks associated it with Bacchus, the god of wine. Many believed that amethyst can keep its wearer clear headed or able to make rational business decisi...

Tourmaline

For centuries people were confused as to what the gem tourmaline was. Until the development of modern mineralogy it was identified as some other stone, such as a ruby, sapphire, emerald, and so on ...

Tanzanite

Tiffany and Co. recently discovered tanzanite and it is only found in one place on earth. It was found in a country named Tanzania. The gem was name after the country. Most crystals comes in diff...

Sapphire

Blue sapphire belongs to the mineral species corundum. It can be a pure blue but ranges from greenish blue to violetish blue. The name “sapphire” can also apply to any corundum that’s not red and d...

Red Ruby

According to the GIA: "Ruby is the most valuable variety of the corundum mineral species, which also includes sapphire. Rubies can command the highest per-carat price of any colored stone. This mak...