jewelry

Why are some gems more common in nature than others? Gemology teaches us that crystalline gemstones need five things to develop: ingredients,…

Little is simple and straightforward in gemology. Every established principle has an exception. This applies to gem classification as well.…

In crystallography, mineral habits refer to the way crystals form within a specific mineral. In A Guide to Gem Classification, I mentioned that,…

People often ask me about gem identification. More specifically, they ask me to identify their gems. Some think I can do this simply by looking at…

When choosing gemstones for jewelry, it’s crucial to understand more than just how beautiful a stone looks. Gemstone hardness and wearability…

Gemology involves studying the optical and physical properties that make gems such unique little treasures. Gem identification involves analyzing…

The simple 10X loupe fits in your pocket and costs less than any other piece of gemological equipment. You’ll learn more with it than any other…

The word “lapidary” usually refers to the creation of small objects from gem materials (not large objects like Michelangelo’s…

In all fields of lapidary, you’ll need to take large pieces of stone and turn them into useful, smaller sized pieces. If you’re in the…