garnet

A beautiful Maine tourmaline with a color much like a tsavorite garnet!…

One of the rarest of all facetable gems, cut cuprites can show magnificent deep red color. However, these beautiful stones are too fragile for most…

Learn how gemstone optical properties, like refractive index and pleochroism, help gemologists identify gems and lapidaries choose cuts.

Distinguishing diamonds from their lookalikes requires educated eyes. Learn what visual features to look for and the properties of many popular…

Learn how to determine a gem’s optic character with a refractometer and identify optical effects you may encounter during gem identification…

Sphene, also known as titanite, has rich body colors, strong trichroism, and a fire that exceeds diamond. Although softer than many more popular…

Commentaries on the foundation stones of the Book of Revelation influenced the development of the Western birthstone system. Learn more about…

Gemstone inclusions are materials trapped inside gems as they form. Learn how gemologists use inclusions to help identify gemstones and their…

Simple doesn’t mean boring. Here are six simple proposal ideas to help you create a low-key but special and memorable experience for you and your…