The Skyjems Rarity Archive: Origin & Treatment of Our GIA-Certified Coloured Gemstones
The Skyjems Rarity Archive: Origin & Treatment of Our GIA-Certified Coloured Gemstones
A periodic, data-led look at what actually sits in The Archive — the origins our certified stones come from, and how (or whether) they have been treated. Compiled from the GIA-certified, in-stock coloured gemstones in the Skyjems collection as of June 2026 (238 stones). Figures are aggregate only; no individual stone or price is disclosed. This is a curatorial observation, not investment guidance — fine gemstones are not financial instruments.
The defining signature
The Archive skews overwhelmingly toward untreated material. 97.8% of our GIA-certified sapphires are unheated — in a market where the large majority of sapphires are heated — and our certified rubies, spinels, garnets, chrysoberyls and aquamarines are, at present, entirely untreated. Emeralds are the natural exception: nearly all emeralds worldwide are oiled, and we disclose the degree on every report.
Sapphire — origin and heat (92 certified stones)
Sapphire is the deepest part of The Archive, and its character is defined by heat status and origin.
- Heat: 97.8% unheated; only ~1% heated (the remainder unspecified). Unheated stones are the rarer, more sought category.
- Origin: Sri Lanka (Ceylon) leads at 47.8%, followed by Madagascar 19.6%, East Africa 7.6%, Thailand, Australia and Tanzania (~3% each), with smaller representation from Kashmir, Ethiopia, Vietnam and beyond. About 7.6% carry no origin determination on the report.
Emerald — origin and oiling (75 certified stones)
Emerald origin in The Archive runs counter to the popular assumption that Colombia dominates.
- Origin: Zambia leads at 56.0%, ahead of Colombia at 16.0%, then Brazil 8.0%, with smaller representation from Sri Lanka, Russia, Ethiopia, Burma and Bolivia.
- Treatment (clarity enhancement / oil): roughly 79% show a disclosed degree of oiling — the accepted, near-universal emerald treatment — while the remainder show none to minor. The degree is stated on each GIA report; it is the one disclosure that should never be omitted.
The untreated cabinet (ruby, spinel, garnet, chrysoberyl, beryl)
Across these varieties, every GIA-certified stone currently in The Archive is untreated:
| Variety | Certified stones | Untreated | Origins led by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruby | 10 | 100% | Mozambique, Vietnam, Madagascar |
| Spinel | 6 | 100% | Burma, Tanzania |
| Garnet (tsavorite/spessartite) | 12 | 100% | Nigeria, Tsavo (Kenya) |
| Alexandrite / chrysoberyl | 8 | 100% | Madagascar, India, Ceylon |
| Aquamarine / morganite | 13 | 100% | Brazil |
A deeper archive: our GIA reference library
The distributions above describe the stones currently in The Archive. They sit atop a deeper record: Skyjems draws on a private reference library of more than 230 GIA laboratory reports for coloured gemstones, accumulated over more than a decade of curation. The collection spans the principal coloured-stone families our clients seek — sapphire, emerald, alexandrite, ruby and fine beryl among them — sourced from the world's historic origins, from Ceylon and Kashmir to Madagascar, Zambia and Colombia.
Method & scope
These figures are compiled from the GIA-certified, in-stock coloured gemstones in the Skyjems collection as of June 2026 — 238 stones in total. Origin and treatment are taken as recorded on each stone's GIA report; where a report makes no origin determination, the stone is counted as unspecified rather than assigned. Categories with fewer than three stones are not broken out. The figures describe The Archive at a point in time and are refreshed periodically; they are a record of what we have chosen to carry, not a market index.
Compiled from the curatorial records of David Saad, Founder & Curator of Skyjems — a self-taught, widely respected coloured-gemstone dealer and honorary GIA Alumnus. The Archive is shown by private appointment; inquire with the curator to examine a specific stone and its documentation.