Idar Oberstein Gem Cutting: What Is It?
The demand for the next new thing defines the Modern Age. However, this expectation of significant developments in rapid succession is a recent…
Online Education
For Gem Enthusiasts
- 27,297 Members
- 1,885 Articles
- 232 Gemology Businesses
Ways to Start Your Gemology Education
Join Our Thriving Community
1,885
Articles
27,297
Members
232
Directory Listings
The world's best gem articles, published weekly.
Most Recent Articles
The Hidden Meaning of Gemstones: Pearls
Learn about the hidden meaning of pearls, and which style might suit you best.
How Jewelry Companies are Coping with Record-Breaking Gold Prices
Over the past year and a half, the jewelry industry has had to contend with skyrocketing gold prices. In January of 2024, gold value circled $2,000…
Sapphire Treatment: The Complete Guide
Discover how ancient wisdom and modern science transform ordinary sapphires into extraordinary gems through four powerful enhancement techniques…
The Role of Sapphire Beyond Jewelry
Explore the remarkable evolution of sapphire role beyond jewelry in this informative article. Discover how sapphire’s exceptional properties…
Best Wedding Insurance in 2025
Our jewelry insurance guide reviews the policies of the top eight companies. Learn what to look for so you can find the coverage that’s right for…
Blue Sapphire is the Backbone of the Jewelry Market in 2025
This year, sellers at the Tucson Gem Shows reported observing a markedly different energy from their clientele. Rather than chasing the next new…
What is Madagascar Rainbow Moonstone?
Rainbow moonstone is among the many gemstone varieties that Madagascar is known to house. Specifically, the gem is part of the feldspar mineral…
Premium guides and must-read resources.
Recommended guides and resources
January Birthstone
Although many associate January's birthstone, garnet, with the color red, they can come in a variety of colors including red, yellow, orange, green and even blue.
February Birthstone
Thanks to its beauty and relative abundance, the February birthstone, amethyst, is used in all types of jewelry: from the mass market to the finest custom couture pieces.
March Birthstone
The March birthstone is aquamarine. Famed for millennia for its pure and even blue or blue-green color, potentially large size, and sparkling clarity, the aquamarine has been a valued gem to many cultures. Aquamarine is a variety of the gem species beryl, making it a close cousin of emerald.
April Birthstone
April's birthstone is diamond. The vast majority of diamonds are transparent, colorless, and show an extraordinary display of well-defined white and multi-colored flashes. Rarely, diamonds also occur in a rainbow of exciting body colors.
May Birthstone
May's birthstone is emerald, a rich green variety of the diverse beryl gem group which must exhibit a dark enough tone and saturation to be called by that name.
June Birthstone
June's birthstone is the pearl. Pearls can only be grown by a very small percentage of mollusk species which may live in either saltwater or freshwater environments. Each species produces a distinctive-looking pearl that is characterized by a specific range of colors and sizes.
July Birthstone
This vibrant red gemstone is the July birthstone and is closely associated with love, passion, and romance. While there are affordable options to be found, the largest and most beautifully colored rubies can be very expensive; the best rubies may be sold for the highest cost-per-carat costs of any colored gemstone.
August Birthstone
Peridot is the August birthstone. It is also sometimes called the “evening emerald” because of its unique capacity to sparkle under natural or artificial light. However, it should not be confused with emerald because peridot has its own distinct characteristics setting it apart from other gemstones.
September Birthstone
The September birthstone is sapphire. Sapphires are members of the gem species corundum. Depending on the exact chemistry of individual stones, sapphires may present a whole spectrum of colors with the exception of red. This is because red sapphires are put into their own category and called rubies.
October Birthstone
Pink tourmaline is the modern October birthstone, loved for its breathtaking beauty and awe-inspiring variations of the color pink.
November Birthstone
The most common birthstone for November is yellow topaz however citrine, another lovely yellow gemstone, has been rising in popularity as an alternative and is much easier to purchase.
December Birthstone
Blue zircon is known a modern December birthstones alongside blue topaz and tanzanite. The more traditional December birthstones are lapis lazuli and turquoise.
IGS Become Member