Denver Gem & Mineral Showcase 2017
With over 900 vendors and numerous geologic rarities, the 2017 Denver Gem and Mineral Showcase had plenty to see. Read about some highlights in…
Cinnabar Value, Price, and Jewelry Information
Magnificent red cinnabar is extremely soft and fragile, so faceted material is rare. It’s cut primarily for collectors and carvings.
The Mohs Hardness Scale and Chart for Select Gems
The Mohs hardness scale measures a mineral’s resistance to scratching. Find the traditional scale here and a chart of select gems ordered by hardness.…
Chalcedony Value, Price, and Jewelry Information
Technically, chalcedony (kal SED’ uh nee) is any form of microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline quartz, (meaning any form of quartz whose crystals…
An Introduction to Turkey’s Gemstones
Turkey’s gemstones include well-known species such as diaspore, chalcedony, and purple jade, as well as unusual specimens of lesser-known gems.…
Understanding Gem Synthetics, Treatments, And Imitations, Part 4: Synthetic Gemstone Guide
Many varieties of gems besides diamond can be created in the laboratory. Our synthetic gemstone guide covers many examples and explains their…
Albite Value, Price, and Jewelry Information
Albite, usually colorless but sometimes yellow, pink, gray or reddish. Translucent albite is sometime colored green by chrome jadeite. It is…
Feldspar Value, Price, and Jewelry Information
Feldspars are the most common minerals at the Earth’s surface. In fact, if the entire composition of the Earth’s crust were regarded as a single…
Hydrogrossular Garnet Value, Price, and Jewelry Information
Hydrogrossular differs from the other garnets in that it is never transparent. It ranges from translucent to opaque. The most common color is a…
IGS Become Member