Gemstones & Terminology
- DIAMONDS
- RUBIES
- EMERALDS
- SAPPHIRES
- ALEXANDRITE
- JADEITE JADE
- NATURAL PEARLS
- AQUAMARINE
- SPINEL
- Opals
Sapphires
Ceylon Sapphires
The first emeralds were found in Zambia as far back as the 1920s but they were not mined in any significant quantities until the 1970s. Today, Zambia is considered second only to Colombia as an important source of emeralds in terms of value.
The small tear drop shaped island of Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka) lies off the tip off India in the Indian Ocean. Renowned for centuries as a source of beautiful gems, for a relatively small island, the wealth and variety of gemstones found here is nothing short of extraordinary.
Today it remains one of the most important gem localities in the world but it is probably best known for its range of sapphires which occur here in a rainbow of colours including the highly prized and rare Padparadscha sapphire. Ceylon blue sapphires are prized for their bright, mid to deep blue colour. The lighter stones are sometimes referred to as 'cornflower blue' with some having a little touch of violet to their hue whilst the deeper colours can look very similar to Burmese stones. Most Ceylon sapphires are found in alluvial deposits which are predominantly mined by primitive methods. The variation in colour as well as the tones and hues within those colours is unique to Ceylon.
Burma Sapphire
Whilst rubies from Burma are justifiably revered around the world, their sibling sapphires were, for many years, somewhat overlooked. The Victorian London jeweller Edwin Streeter described them as being overly dark and, despite this not being the case, his opinion was repeated by others and seemed to stick.
It took decades to reverse this but today Burmese sapphires are recognised for the wonderful gems they are, indeed many view them as surpassed only by sapphires from Kashmir. Burmese sapphires are found predominantly in alluvial deposits in the Mogok area in close proximity to rubies. Whilst rubies account for the majority of the gem output, sapphires forming only 10-20%, it is the sapphires that occur in larger sizes with rough weighing 40/50/60/cts not uncommon. Burma is also now known for producing excellent star sapphires, these rare gems appear to have a bright six rayed star floating just under the surface and are very beautiful. The best Burmese sapphires possess a rich, desirable intense blue with excellent saturation however they also occur in lighter shades as well as in purple, yellow and green.
Kashmir Sapphire
Kashmir sapphires have a truly exceptional colour, a rich, deep velvety blue that often seems to be lit from within. Importantly they also maintain this colour whatever lighting conditions they are viewed in, a fact which separates them from most other sapphires.
Their intense beauty, coupled with their rarity and the fact that only a handful of new stones appear on the market each year, means these wonderful gems are hugely desirable and command some of the highest prices for coloured gemstones in the world. They were discovered in 1881 after a landslide in the Himalayan Mountains of Kashmir revealed the beautiful crystals embedded in the soft, clay-rich earth. They were mined extensively over the next few years, under the control of the Maharaja, during which time many fine and large sapphires were discovered. However, by the end of 1888 operations had ceased and since then, despite various attempts, very little of importance has been recovered.
Padparadscha Sapphire
Padparadscha sapphires are a particularly special variety of sapphire, being the rarest of colours that sapphires are naturally found in. True padparadschas are a unique blend of pink and orange, exhibiting elements of both these colours in the same stone.
Historically found only in Ceylon, the name 'padparadscha' (pronounced pad-per-add-sha) is derived from the ancient Sanskrit word 'padmaraga' referring to the colour of a lotus flower. However, most lotus blossoms are actually more pink than orange so today it is often thought of as a mix of lotus pink and sunset orange. Due to their rarity these stones are amongst the most expensive in the world. As with all gemstones, those that are certified untreated will attract a premium and, like blue sapphires, many padparadschas are heated to improve their colour. Today orangey-pink sapphires are found in Vietnam, Tanzania and Madagascar. The spotlight was turned on these beautiful gems when Princess Eugenie became engaged with one in 2018. As with all sapphires, padparadschas are hard and durable which makes them ideal for setting in rings, particularly ones which will be worn every day such as an engagement ring.
Teal Sapphire
The first emeralds were found in Zambia as far back as the 1920s but they were not mined in any significant quantities until the 1970s. Today, Zambia is considered second only to Colombia as an important source of emeralds in terms of value.
Whilst we're all familiar with the blue variety of sapphires, some might not know that this family of gems comes in a rainbow of different colours including pink, purple, yellow and of course green. Green sapphires will range in hue from a yellowy-green through to a lovely deep slightly blueish green, a colour known as 'teal'. Named after the band of colour around the eye of the Eurasian Teal (a type of duck) it is a rich slightly mysterious colour that shifts its hue depending on the light, sometimes more green and other times more blue. For those who love the colour green and are thinking of a green stone for an engagement ring, a green sapphire can offer a more durable alternative to an emerald for those with a busy, active lifestyle. A fine quality green sapphire is typically more affordable than the same quality emerald would be too, size for size.
Diamonds
Golconda & Type IIa Diamonds
All diamonds can be classified into two main categories which are referred to as ‘types’, depending on the trace elements that are naturally present within the carbon crystal structure of the diamond.
Type I diamonds contain small amounts of nitrogen whereas Type II diamonds do not. Each of these types is then subdivided further and the term Type IIA is used to denote the very purest diamonds. This means there are no measurable impurities in the diamond of any kind which makes these stones exceptionally rare, they make up less than 2% of all gem quality diamonds found worldwide. Not only can these stones be perfectly colourless but they also possess an exceptional level of transparency which enhances their beauty and allows the brilliance and fire of the diamond to be appreciated to the fullest. Famous examples of Type IIA diamonds include the Koh-i-Noor and the Cullinan, which are part of the Crown Jewels, as well as the Krupp diamond which Richard Burton bought for Elizabeth Taylor and was later renamed the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond.
The design of the French cut had developed from the addition of extra facets to old table cut diamonds thereby altering them into much more lively stones.This style of cut has changed very little to this day and its evolution marks one of the earliest milestones in the development of the brilliant cut diamonds we know today.
Coloured Diamonds
Coloured diamonds or Fancy diamonds as they are also known, have become increasingly popular over recent years and are available in a beautiful range of colours from yellow and pink to blue and green.
Colour in diamonds can be caused either by a structural anomaly or by elements such as nitrogen or boron replacing carbon atoms within the crystal structure of the diamonds. In yellow diamonds it is nitrogen which is responsible and the strength of colour depends on how much of it there is, and also what form it has taken. When a coloured diamond is graded for certification by the GIA, the saturation of colour will be judged and one of the following grades will be assigned: Faint, Very Light, Light, Fancy Light, Fancy, Fancy Intense, Fancy Vivid, Fancy Dark and Fancy Deep.
White diamonds (graded from D colourless through to Z pale yellow, known as Cape diamonds) decrease in cost the more colour they display because they are valued for their lack of colour, i.e. their whiteness. However, the reverse is true for Fancy diamonds which will increase in cost the stronger and more vibrant the colour they display. We curate our coloured diamonds very carefully and always choose the most attractive of hues whether it is a Fancy diamond or Cape diamond.
Rubies
Burma Ruby
Rubies mined in Burma have long been held as the absolute ideal in terms of colour for a ruby, they are an exceptionally beautiful rich deep red with neither too much brown nor pink in it.
The term ‘pigeon’s blood’ has historically been used in an attempt to define this colour that is found in the best examples produced by this region. The Mogok Valley in Upper Burma (now known as Myanmar) has been the world’s primary ruby source for centuries and the origins of the mines are swathed in mystery and legend. What is certain is that references to these gems have been found dating back to the Shan Dynasty in the 6th Century. The mines were taken over by the King of Burma in 1597 and all rubies over a certain size had to be given to him on discovery rather than sold. Today there are many different mines in the area both privately owned and government run. New deposits were found in the Mong Hsu area of the country in the 1990’s and more recently a new source has been discovered in the northern region of Namya.
The design of the French cut had developed from the addition of extra facets to old table cut diamonds thereby altering them into much more lively stones. This style of cut has changed very little to this day and its evolution marks one of the earliest milestones in the development of the brilliant cut diamonds we know today.
Pigeon’s Blood Rubies
Historically, the term ‘pigeon’s blood’ has been used to describe the most beautiful and coveted colour for rubies, allegedly due to its similarity in colour to the blood of a pigeon.
Opinions differ as to the exact origin of the term with some saying it came from the Burmese, others that it was first used by the Chinese who had previously owned the area where the Burmese ruby mines were discovered and yet others sighting it as having Hindustani origins where lapidaries compared the colour to the blood red of a pigeon’s eye. Whatever the truth, one thing everyone agreed on is that only rubies of the finest vivid red colour with deep saturation and which showed a soft red fluorescence in daylight were referred to this way. Today rubies from both Burma and Mozambique can show this coveted colour and be certified as such.
Mozambique Rubies
The first significant ruby deposit in Mozambique was discovered in 2009 in an area called Montepuez. Remarkably, in less than fifteen years this country has become the world’s most productive source of gem-quality rubies.
Importantly, the output is not only significant in quantity but also in quality. The rubiesoccur in a wide range of qualities and characteristics but the best of them are low in iron and high inchromium like those from Burma and exhibit a similar vibrant colour with a strong fluorescence. The bestof the best of these will be given with the coveted ‘pigeon’s blood’ colour grade. A percentage of thesecombine this highly desirable colour with a level of clarity that means the stones require no treatment toimprove them. This means that excellent quality, untreated stones are available and these are the oneswe select for our jewellery.
Emeralds
Colombian Emerald
Historically, the very finest quality emeralds have been found in Colombia, in particular three key mining areas - Muzo, Coscuez and Chivor - which between them have been supplying the world with exceptional gems for many hundreds of years.
Stones from these locations are widely regarded to be the most beautiful and intense in colour with a purity of green unmatched by those from any other source. Whilst the earliest record of emerald mining was in Ancient Egypt, indeed Cleopatra loved these gems so much she is reputed to have had her own mine, the beauty of the stones from Colombia could not be rivalled. Since the 16th Century these stones have been widely traded throughout Europe and their superiority in terms of colour and size meant they quickly became the most highly prized emeralds in the world. Mining in these areas continues today and they are still producing exceptional quality gems which are as desirable today as they were to the early Colombians who first discovered them.
No Oil
Emeralds that have been certified as having no traces of oil in them are particularly rare. Almost all emeralds are treated with oil, usually at source, to enhance their clarity. This is such common practice that finding an emerald without any trace, however minor, is something special and truly noteworthy.
Zambian Emeralds
The first emeralds were found in Zambia as far back as the 1920s but they were not mined in any significant quantities until the 1970s. Today, Zambia is considered second only to Colombia as an important source of emeralds in terms of value.
The primary mining area is Kafubu and the most significant concessions are Kagem, Grizzly and
Chantete, all of which are open-pit mines. Currently Kagem alone is producing in the region of
20-25% of the worlds emerald supply. The output is varied in terms of both colour and clarity
but the top end of the range is acknowledged as very fine indeed. These emeralds get their
intensely saturated green colour from a combination of chromium, iron and beryllium. This iron
content is also significant in terms of durability as it helps to create a stronger internal
structure meaning that emeralds from this area measure slightly higher on the gemstone hardness
scale than those from other localities.
In 2018, the Kagem mine uncovered a significant 5,655-carat emerald. Named Inkalamu (meaning
lion) this gem was notable not only for its size but also for its exceptional clarity and evenly
saturated colour. Two years later in 2020, the same mine produced an even larger 6,225-carat
emerald which was subsequently named Insofu (meaning elephant). These extraordinary finds, like
all the emeralds in this area were formed more than 450 million years ago thanks to surging
magma from the earth’s mantle encountering a specific set of minerals in just the right
environment to allow for emerald crystal growth
Ural Mountain Emeralds
Emeralds were first discovered in the Ural Mountains in the early part of the 19th Century in an area about 100km northeast of Ekaterinburg. The story goes that in 1830 a local man noticed some green crystals around the roots of a fallen tree near the Takovaya river.
It didn’t take long to establish what they were and organised mining began within just a few
months. However, the world didn’t see any of the emeralds that were excavated over the coming
decades as they were regarded as property of the Russian crown. It wasn’t until the very end of
the century that this changed, when the Tsar took the decision to lease the mines to the New
Emerald Company (due to the ever-increasing costs of running them) and over the next 18 years
the company exported over 40 million carats of rough emerald. Quality varied with some crystals
suitable only for carving whilst others were perfect for faceting into beautiful gems with good
strong colour and high transparency and clarity.
In 1918 the Soviet government took ownership and control of the mines and production continued
apace with millions of carats mined each year, sometimes even exceeding the output of the
world-famous Colombian mines. During the 1940s and 50s the focus of mining in this area turned
towards beryllium ore, however emeralds were still recovered as a by product of this search and
production.
The focus shifted back again in the 1970s as demand for emeralds increased and new localities
for the ore were discovered elsewhere. Mining continues today and a walk around any major gem
fair will reveal a selection of Ural Mountain emeralds available for sale. However, these stones
are unquestionably rarer than those from larger more commercial localities such as Zambia and
Colombia.
Alexandrite
Alexandrite is a member of the Chrysoberyl family of gemstones and is known for its fascinating colour change effect from raspberry red to deep green.
It was first discovered in 1834 by the mineralogist Nordenskiöld in the Ural Mountains of Russia when it was initially mistaken for emerald as it had been found very close to an emerald mine. However further detailed examination of the gemstone, and the discovery by candlelight of its extraordinary ability to change colour, resulted in it being declared a new and exciting variety of gem altogether.
It is said that the first Alexandrite was discovered on the very day that the young heir to the Russian throne, Tsar Alexander II, turned 16 and came of age. It was therefore only fitting that this new gemstone be named in his honour. Not only was Alexandrite discovered on this auspicious day, but the colours of the gemstone mirrored the colours of Imperial Russia. It wasn’t long before it was heralded as the official gemstone of the Tsars.
Further discoveries of Alexandrite were made soon after in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and for many years these two places were the only known sources of this exceptional gemstone. It is very rare to find stones in large sizes and when this is coupled with good clarity and a strong and attractive colour change, the stone must be considered incredibly rare and valuable.
The colour change effect is caused by the very specific way Alexandrite absorbs light from the visible light spectrum. When viewed in daylight, which is rich in green-blue light, the stone will appear green however when the light is changed to candlelight, which is much richer in light waves from the red end of the spectrum, it will appear red. So the stone can be thought of as ‘sitting on the fence’ when it comes to making a decision about what colour it wants to be and it will ‘tip over’ on to one or other side depending entirely on the particular qualities of the light shining on it.
Jadeite Jade
Jadeite is a beautiful translucent gem that occurs naturally in a range of colours including yellow, white, lavender, red and black. However, it is the green varieties that most people will associate with the name Jade.
It is made up of millions of tiny interlocking crystals meaning this a very tough gem material that is ideally suited for use in jewellery whether cut as cabochons, beads or small carved pieces. The finest pieces come from Burma but it is also mined in Russia, Tibet and Guatemala. It has a long association with China where it is very highly prized, particularly the translucent apple green colour which is called Imperial Jade. This is the rarest and most valuable variety which is associated with prosperity, success and good luck.
Natural Pearls
Natural pearls are one of the earliest gems used for self-adornment and were once more highly valued and sought after than diamonds. They come from both rivers and seas and being organic are fairly soft, so need to be taken great care of to maintain their beauty.
Pearls can be found in saltwater or freshwater and are produced entirely by a natural process. They are formed in molluscs (oysters or mussels) as a defence against an irritant such as a parasite. The mollusc reacts by encasing the irritant in layers of nacre, which is a hard calciferous material like their own shells. Natural pearls are becoming increasingly rare and highly sought after with top quality examples costing hundreds of thousands of pounds. They were traditionally found in some of the most beautiful areas of the world, the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Manaar (between Sri Lanka and India), and the South Pacific for South Sea pearls.
Aquamarine
The beautiful watery blue aquamarine is a member of the Beryl family, the best-known member of which is emerald. It is found naturally in a range of shades varying from pale bluish-green through to a strong sky blue.
Aquamarine is often heated to intensify the colour and remove green tones, resulting in the strong blue coloured stones most often seen in jewellery. The colour is caused by tiny amounts of iron present in the crystals and large clean stones are not uncommon.
The name aquamarine means seawater in Latin and legend has it that it was the treasure of mermaids. Today it is the birthstone for March and rather fittingly the zodiac sign of Pisces. It is found in countries such as Mozambique, Madagascar and Zambia however the primary source is in Brazil. Here, the Minas Gerais area has produced some exceptional examples including the world’s largest aquamarine Dom Pedro, which, once cut and polished weighed an astonishing 10,363cts. The very finest aquamarines are known as ‘Santa Maria’ after the Santa Maria de Itabira mine in that area that was first known to produce the deeply saturated blue hue aquamarines.
Spinel
Despite being mined and worn since ancient times, it wasn’t until 1783 that spinels were identified as being distinct from rubies and sapphires, until then they’d been thought to belong to the same family of gems.
Historically they were often mined in the same areas of central and southeast Asia which could account for the confusion. These mines produced some exceptionally large and fine quality spinel crystals which were known as Balas rubies. They were treasured by kings and emperors, passed down generations, traded, stolen and used in payment for battles hard won.
A famous example of this can be seen in the Crown Jewels where the ‘Black Prince’s Ruby’ in the Imperial State Crown is in fact a spinel. It was acquired in 1367, by the Prince of Wales Edward of Woodstock (who came to be known as The Black Prince) as payment for a battle victory abroad.
Spinel occurs in a range of colours, from various shades of blue through purples and pinks to hot vivid reds. The colours can be ethereally pale or richly saturated, delicate or vibrant. They are known to exhibit an array of unusual optical effects, including asterism, chatoyancy as well as a colour change effect where some stones will appear different colours or varying shades of the same colour when viewed in differing light conditions. Far from being ruby’s poor cousin, the spinel is a wonderful gem in its own right and after so many years of being misunderstood it is finally beginning to enjoy its time in the sun.
Opals
Opals are one of the most fascinating and unique gemstones, renowned for their captivating play-of-colour—a phenomenon where vibrant flashes of colour dance across the stone as it moves. This mesmerizing effect is caused by the internal structure of the opal, which is composed of tiny silica spheres. These spheres diffract light, creating the characteristic flashes of colour, which can range across the entire spectrum.
Australian opals are highly prized for their quality and vivid colours. Black opals, which are primarily found in Lightning Ridge, are particularly valuable due to their dark background, which makes the play-of-colour more striking.
Opals are relatively soft gemstones, with a hardness of about 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale, making them more susceptible to scratches and damage. This softness, combined with their high water content, means they require special care. Opals should be protected from extreme temperatures and prolonged exposure to water, which can cause them to crack or lose their luster. Despite these vulnerabilities, opals remain a beloved gemstone, symbolizing creativity, inspiration, and love. Their unique beauty and the mystique surrounding their formation make them a favourite among gem collectors and jewellery enthusiasts alike.
