Skyjems News
The Zing of Zircon, Part 2: Curious Character and Causes of Colour
Zircon is somewhat unique among gemstones in that it occurs with a wide range of variable properties, namely its refractive index, birefringence, s...
The Zing of Zircon, Part 1: A Jaunty Jewel
Species
Zircon
Chemical Formula
ZrSiO4
Mohs Hardness
6 - 7.5
Cleavage
Indistinct
Lustre
Vitreous to Adamantine
R...
The Perfection of Peridot, part 5: The Tale of Topazios
The written history of peridot gemstones begins sometime during the 5th Century B.C.E. when the ancient Egyptians are thought to have first discove...
The Perfection of Peridot, part 4: Provenance and Pedigree
Although peridot is found all over the world, there are some locations which produce stones in significantly higher quantities and yield significan...
The Perfection of Peridot, part 3: A Joy Among Jewels
Peridot is a wonderful stone to use in bespoke jewellery designs due to both its colour and reasonable availability. Although the rapid weathering...
The Perfection of Peridot, part 2: A Nuanced Name
The history of peridot’s nomenclature is even more complex than its current labelling. In the 18th Century, the mineral now known as “topaz” was of...
The Perfection of Peridot, part 1: A Glorious Green Gem
Species
Forsterite Olivine var. Peridot
Chemical Formula
Mg2SiO4 w/ Fe2+ and/or Fe3+
Mohs Hardness
6.5 - 7
Cleavage
Poor
...
The Splendour of Spinel, part 6: A Recent Return
Spinel now holds an important place in the world of bespoke gemstone jewellery, but for a large portion of history the stone was underappreciated. ...
The Splendour of Spinel, part 5: Mysterious Marvels
The spinel mines of central Asia produced many of the world's greatest spinels, and by extension some of history’s greatest “rubies”, but among the...
The Splendour of Spinel, part 4: Tajik Treasures
During the centuries in which the spinel mines of the Pamir Mountains were at their peak of productivity, countless high quality gemstones were une...
The Splendour of Spinel, part 3: Early Exploitation
Even though it is a lesser known gemstone, spinel’s history still stretches at least as far back as pre-Christian antiquity; some of the oldest kno...
The Splendour of Spinel, part 2: Types and Treatments
Spinel is one of many gemstones for which there are numerous varieties. Just like its cousin corundum, spinel gems can occur in a myriad of differe...