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On the face of it, there's nothing terribly unusual about a watch dial. But face the facts. Watchmakers have been getting a little stone-faced lately. Aventurine,...
"It’s been a tough few years in the natural diamond market," notes Jon Phillips, "seriously challenged by synthetics, lower demand and shrinking supply." "How will...
Martian Rocks: Corundum. Chromium. Opal. Chalcedony. Quartz. And now natural glass formed by meteorite impacts. ◈ 'Very Unexpected'NASA Rover Zapped a Rock on Mars And Found...
Manuel Marcial de GomarSeptember 13, 1935 — July 23, 2026 The emerald community lost one of its longtime ambassadors on July 23 with the passing...
◈ We continue with our ongoing series of gem-related patents dating back more than a century,uncovered and shared by William “Bill” D. Hoefer Jr., GG...

THE LATEST GEM NEWS

Bangkok Gem Night!

September 7th, 2026

Photomicrography: Images from Within by Sammantha Maclachlan

Another amazing image from Sammantha Maclachlan, this time, radial clusters of actinolite in quartz from Brazil. This is a stack of 18 images and was taken at 60x magnification.  ◈ Sammantha Maclachlan...

OBJECTIVE DIAMOND CLARITY GRADING: We Think We’re Being Subjective, but Our Brain is Doing...

Diamond clarity grading has always been considered subjective. An experienced grader looks at a diamond and says, “That looks like a solid SI₁ to me.” But why? What is...

Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim Presents “Silver Lining” – Diamonds, Gemstones and the Changing Role of Silver

Three exhibitions are now on view at the Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim in Pforzheim, Germany. They remind us of what silver has done for jewelry — and what it is doing...

Jardin d’Automne: Gemmologie & Francophonie Announces November Conference in Nantes

Gemology, diamonds, ancient jewelry, color science and the art of gem cutting come together November 20 at Nantes Université Gemmologie & Francophonie will hold its first full day of conferences,...

Royal Treasures Take Center Stage in Lisbon

Crowns, tiaras, historic gemstones and royal jewels come together at Lisbon's Royal Treasure Museum forTREASURES 2026, November 13–14. The Royal Treasure Museum in Lisbon, Portugal, will bring together museum curators,...

Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference & Responsible Gem Boutique

Join the CRJC on October 22 for the Responsible Gem Boutique at 5 South Wabash Ave.,AND October 23–24 at the Film Row Cinema in downtown Chicago for the Chicago...

De Beers: How Did We Go From $39 Billion to $1 Billion? The Answer...

For the past two+ years, the headlines have come quickly. A $39 billion takeover bid for Anglo American by BHP. Anglo American puts De Beers up for sale.Diamond production cuts....

COLORED GEM NEWS

Stone-Faced Watches: Time Is Set in Stone

On the face of it, there's nothing terribly unusual about a watch dial. But face the facts. Watchmakers have been getting a little stone-faced lately. Aventurine, lapis lazuli, malachite, opal, pietersite...

Gems on Mars? Rubies, Opals and the Hottest New Gem from Jezero Crater

Martian Rocks: Corundum. Chromium. Opal. Chalcedony. Quartz. And now natural glass formed by meteorite impacts. ◈ 'Very Unexpected'NASA Rover Zapped a Rock on Mars And Found a Gemstone Surprise ◈ NASA's Mars rovers...

Tariffs Again? Making Sense of the Latest Changes Affecting Gem Imports

Just when many in the gem trade thought theyfinally understood the last round of U.S. tariffs...the tariffs have changed again. Gary RoskinRoskin Gem News Report Over the past couple of weeks,...

The 23rd Australian Opal Exhibition: August 5 & 6, 2026!

The 23rd Australian Opal Exhibition: August 5 & 6, 2026, is all set - register NOW! Held at Southport Sharks, Gold Coast Only Two Weeks to Go! ◈ Wednesday 5 August 2026...

Gemstone Fracture Filling: Labs Find It in Ruby, Tourmaline, Spinel and Garnet—Are You Still...

"We are seeing oiled stones outside of emerald every single day in the lab, and yet there is so little awareness about it in the market." – E Billie...

Van Cleef & Arpels’ L’ÉCOLE: From Dubai to Shanghai to Seoul, Garden of Emeralds...

Some exhibitions open, close, and quietly disappear. Others continue to evolve. L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts, supported by Van Cleef & Arpels, has spent the past several years taking one of...

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DIAMOND NEWS

Canada Falls, Synthetics Rise, and the Diamond Market Splits in Two: Jon Phillips and...

"It’s been a tough few years in the natural diamond market," notes Jon Phillips, "seriously challenged by synthetics, lower demand and shrinking supply." "How will natural diamonds do when assailed...

OBJECTIVE DIAMOND CLARITY GRADING: We Think We’re Being Subjective, but Our Brain is Doing...

Diamond clarity grading has always been considered subjective. An experienced grader looks at a diamond and says, “That looks like a solid SI₁ to me.” But why? What is...

De Beers: How Did We Go From $39 Billion to $1 Billion? The Answer...

For the past two+ years, the headlines have come quickly. A $39 billion takeover bid for Anglo American by BHP. Anglo American puts De Beers up for sale.Diamond production cuts....

Van Cleef & Arpels Revisits Egyptian Revival at Vienna’s MAK Museum (and in its...

This summer, Van Cleef & Arpels reminds us how "ordinary" gem materials can be transformed into extraordinary jewels. Lapis lazuli. Turquoise. Coral. Black onyx. Malachite. Chrysoprase. Sometimes the magic...

GemGuide Updates Old European Diamond Prices

GemGuide has updated its Old European-cut diamond prices, decreasing them across all sizes. The revised prices are available now in the GemGuide Pricing App and will also appear in...

Diamonds, Gold, and Platinum: South Africa Is Still a Mining Giant—But the Rankings Have...

Mention South African mining and most of us immediately think of diamonds and gold. The country that gave us the Kimberley Mine, the Cullinan diamond and the Witwatersrand goldfields...

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ANTIQUE & ESTATE GEM NEWS

United States Patent Office: Process for the Manufacture of Artificial Pearls

◈ We continue with our ongoing series of gem-related patents dating back more than a century,uncovered and shared by William “Bill” D. Hoefer Jr., GG (GIA), FGA — educator, expert...

Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim Presents “Silver Lining” – Diamonds, Gemstones and the Changing Role of Silver

Three exhibitions are now on view at the Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim in Pforzheim, Germany. They remind us of what silver has done for jewelry — and what it is doing...

Royal Treasures Take Center Stage in Lisbon

Crowns, tiaras, historic gemstones and royal jewels come together at Lisbon's Royal Treasure Museum forTREASURES 2026, November 13–14. The Royal Treasure Museum in Lisbon, Portugal, will bring together museum curators,...

Louvre Heist Update: The Thieves Are Talking, but the Crown Jewels Are Still Missing

Nine months after one of the most brazen museum jewelry thefts in modern history, two of the men accused of carrying out the October 2025 robbery at the Louvre...

Sotheby’s New York Fine Watches Auction — A Quick Peek

The mid-June New York Fine Watches auction at Sotheby's featured several gem-set timepieces that caught our attention, from a demantoid-encrusted brooch watch, an ultra-thin sapphire-and-diamond pendant watch, to a...

Christie’s Magnificent Jewels Auction, and the Ethereal Jadeite Jade Necklace

Christie's Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels auction brought together many of the ingredients collectors typically chase: a Fancy Vivid Pink diamond by Bvlgari, a nearly 14-carat Kashmir sapphire, exceptional natural...

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CELEBRITY GEM NEWS

Accredited Gemologists Association: 2026 Celebrity Gemologist Interview featuring Christopher Smith of American Gemological Laboratories

2026 Celebrity Gemologist Interview featuring Christopher Smith of American Gemological LaboratoriesTuesday, August 18, 2026, 10am PDT NEW DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED Christopher P. Smith, President and Chief Gemologist of American Gemological...

The Bride of Frankenstein Necklace: A Masterclass in Jewelry Provenance

A chance discovery in a Berkeley antique shop became an eight-decade provenance investigation—showing how research can become the most valuable part of a piece of jewelry. What would you do...

Tiaras Fit for a Queen… Created for an Exhibition

When Her Majesty Queen Mary recently visited Gavnø Castle in Denmark, she wasn't there to admire the Danish Crown Jewels. Instead, she came to explore an exhibition of contemporary headpieces...

A Different Kind of Brilliance: Argyle Names 2026 “Rare Gem”

Argyle Pink Diamonds™ and West Australian Ballet are delighted to announceIsabella Triscari as their Rare Gem for 2026.The second year of a unique program, the Rare Gems partnership supportsthe talented dancers from the...

100 Years of Marilyn Monroe: When Provenance Becomes the Jewel

While Geneva auction houses continue to showcase extraordinary natural diamonds, Kashmir sapphires, Burmese rubies, and important signed high jewelry, another upcoming auction reminds us that provenance itself can become...

Jeweled Lapels on the Red Carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Met Gala

The 2026 Met Gala turned into a full-scale showcase of men’s high jewelry moments. Black tuxedos became the perfect backdrop for seriously jaw-dropping pieces.  Among the standout jewels was Elsa...

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