The Curator's Journal

The Colours of Tourmaline, Part 1: What is Tourmaline?

By Yaĝé Enigmus Tourmaline is an exceptionally beautiful gemstone that comes in numerous shades and hues. This gem of many faces has been valued since ancient times, and today tourmaline is among t...

Origins of Ametrine, Part 1: A Natural Bi-Colour Quartz

By Yaĝé Enigmus A wonderful and less commonly known variety of quartz which exhibits zones of amethyst alongside zones that display colours often associated with citrine, ametrine is a gorgeous bi-...

The Colours of Sapphire: A Corundum Rainbow

For many people, the word “sapphire” is synonymous with “blue”, but sapphires actually come in a multitude of other enchanting colours. This may come as a surprise to those who are only familiar wi...

David Saad is a guest with Johnna Crider on 'GettingStoned'

Listen now to David Saad is a guest with Johnna Crider on 'GettingStoned'  

David's Take on Synthetic Gems

In an interesting change of pace, one of David’s latest videos features his take on synthetic gems!  Watch the video at the end of this post, or click here to watch it on the Skyjems YouTube channe...

What gemstone shape (or cut) should I choose?

What shape is best for a sapphire? Which cut is best for an emerald?These are the types of questions David often gets from customers, and his advice in the video below is to keep an open mind when ...

Amethyst: The Classic Purple Gem

By Yaĝé Enigmus The colour of amethyst indisputably makes this gemstone one of the great treasures of the mineral realm and the most valuable single-colour variety of quartz. Residing among the mos...

A Brief History of Amethyst, Part 1: Violet Quartz in the Ancient World

By Yaĝé EnigmusPerhaps one of the oldest and most well known gems, amethyst has been valued by human beings from countless cultures and civilizations throughout history. Amethyst was historically r...

Hardness vs. Durability

By Yagé Enigmus When considering which gemstone to purchase or wear in jewellery, it is important to choose a stone that will be appropriate for the desired use and able to withstand the stresses t...

Mohs Hardness Scale

By Yagé Enigmus For ages humans have observed that some materials were harder than others and could be used to scratch or grind down softer materials. This observation would have inspired primitive...