Roskin Gem News: Our Gem Report from Las Vegas
Gary Roskin –
Roskin Gem News Report –
In-person trade shows give us the opportunity to see what’s available, what’s new, and maybe something we missed along the way. This year’s JCK Las Vegas show and the Antique Jewelry & Watch Show were no different as we were able to find a good number of gems and jewels worthy of your inspection.
So let’s get started!
Ben Kho Gems
The beauty of in-person trade shows is that you not only get to see the most beautiful gem materials up close and personal, but you also get to connect with the exhibitors. Sometimes, you see old friends and colleagues. Other times, you meet someone new.
Ben Kho is an award winning gem cutter, so when we came across his exhibit, with so many beautifully cut gems, we asked Ben to pick out any three gems for us to photograph.
On the left, a great looking sphene, with its amazing dispersion (fire) and visible doubling! (All three of these gems are doubly refractive, but only the sphene has large enough birefringence to see the doubling in a photo like this.) In the middle, a Santa Maria Aquamarine. (Santa Maria most often refers to the deep blue aquamarine color, but it can also refer to the specific Brazilian locality where it was originally found and named.) On the right, a beautiful rich green-blue Indicolite Tourmaline.
Photo by Gary Roskin.
Blue Moon Enterprises
The Nichani family always has a nice variety and selection of moonstones. Cat’s-eyes, rainbows, moon faces, and more.
From Blue Moon Enterprises.
Photos by Gary Roskin.
John J Bradshaw & Coast to Coast Rare Stones
You cannot visit John J Bradshaw or Coast to Coast Rare Stones without enjoying the gemological oddities. When asked “what’s new?” Bradshaw and Mike Gray set up a suite of gems that show very strong fluorescence to UV. With the latest UV “torches” available with stronger output, gemologists have been discovering that more gems actually fluoresce! (We just needed a stronger UV torch!)
Bottom image shows the gems fluorescing under one of the latest UV flashlights (torches).
From John J Bradshaw and Coast to Coast Rare Stones.
Photos by Gary Roskin.
The Chromia Collection, by KHR Jewels
As large as JCK has become, it is impossible to cover the show in the days allotted. Because you are racing through the show and trying to see as much as you possibly can, there are those booths that you almost miss, but luckily do not.
Something catches your eye, and you break your neck looking back to see what it was. In this case, literally, there was a real show-stopping tanzanite necklace on display at KHR Jewels in their Chromia Collection… set with eleven huge (up to 23 mm) round tanzanites! We grabbed the attention of Earl Van Senus to come over and tell us all about this piece.
Once we introduced ourselves, he gave us all the details: Eleven large round brilliant Tanzanites, with a total weight of over 400 carats! From old original Block D mine run, the tanzanite has a total weight of 429.17 cts., measuring from smallest to largest, approximately 15 mm up to 23 mm, surrounded by diamond melee with a total weight of 20.16 cts. Wow!
Then, Earl proudly brought out a few more gem-set pieces from the collection, just as a gemological challenge.
First, for the true gemological nerd, a near colorless jeremejevite (pronounced “yer-uh-mee-yay-vite”). This is an incredibly rare gem. From a consumer’s view, Jeremejevite can be easily mistaken for any number of more common colorless or light blue gems. But from the mineralogical side, this is where it becomes nerdy.
According to Gems by Webster (and geologyscience.com), Jeremejevite crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system (biaxial). Some, including Webster, have noted that it also shows a pseudo-Hexagonal (pseudo-uniaxial) habit. Mindat.org on the other hand, along with U.S. Geological Survey, has its crystal system as Hexagonal (uniaxial), and not Orthorhombic. GIA’s research confirms that the gemological literature seems to be, paraphrasing here, conflicted. Most, but not all, report that Jeremejevite has a uniaxial core and areas of a biaxial rim (see The Sisk Gemological Reference, vol. 2). This author recalls a conversation overheard in the GIA laboratory where one senior gemologist was talking about finding both a uniaxial optic figure from the center core of the crystal and a biaxial optic figure from the edge. Needless to say, it is an odd rare gem – and a great gemological conversation piece.
Earl also brought out two more rings, one set with a rare Triplite (which we had never heard of before), and the other set with a rare Benitoite (that, of course, we knew). Topping off the gemological show-and-tell, he came out with the Trapiche Emerald ring pictured below.
Notice that perfect dark blend of purple and blue hue. Now THAT is how Tanzanite should look!
From old original Block D mine run, the tanzanite has a total weight of 429.17 cts.,
measuring from approximately 15 mm up to 23 mm, WOW – surrounded by diamonds with a total weight of 20.16 cts.
Also shown here, a beautiful 18.72 mm X 16.62 mm, 23.54 carat Trapiche Emerald surrounded by 1.44 cts. t.w. diamonds.
By KHR Jewels from their Chromia Collection.
Photos by Gary Roskin.
Enchanted Designs Ltd.
The vivid opal-like screaming vivid iridescent colors drew us over to the booth where we met our friends, Tom Chant, John Reed, and Christine Wigley, at Enchanted Designs, miners of fossilized Canadian ammonite. They were exhibiting many magnificent specimens, like this one seen here below, but also having ammolite in the case, gems that have been cut and polished from the fossilized ammonite shells.
Left to right, John Reed, Renato Takata, and Tom Chant.
Photo by Gary Roskin.
HANASHINJU / Komatsu Cutting Factory
Being a Japanese diamond cutter and looking for something new to cut, Kazuo Komatsu looked to the local Japanese gem, and in 1992 became the first to facet pearls. (Reportedly, the thick nacre of the South Seas, Tahitian, and Freshwater Edison cultured pearls are exceptionally well-suited for being faceted.)
We stopped by the company booth and saw a wonderful selection of faceted pearls; many beautiful faceted South Seas (Saltwater bead nucleated cultured pearls), and “Edison Pearls” (Freshwater bead nucleated cultured pearls – most likely grown in China) seen here below. In order to get “the look,” you need a bead nucleus. The roundness you see in each of the flat facets is reportedly the bead nucleus. (For more on Faceted Pearls, Tap Here!)
Left, 14 to 18 mm Edison Cultured Pearls (bead nucleated Freshwater).
Bottom, Edison Cultured Pearls, 9 to 12 mm.
Photos by Gary Roskin.
Equatorian Imports
You expect Ray Zajicek at Equatorian Imports to pull out a few emeralds and red beryl (“red emerald”) jewels from the safe – after all, over the past 50 years, this is what he has been known for.
But not this time. He reached into his pocket and showed us this, a 39.74 carat Oregon Sunstone! now that’s big!
Photo by Gary Roskin.
MANAK
When we are looking for the unique in diamonds, whether colorless or fancy color, we stop by MANAK. And we were overwhelmed once again by the number of diamonds that were photo-worthy. Here is just a small sample.
Below (left) a matched pair of Fancy Intense Yellow, SI1, 10.57/10.43 carats, and a somewhat matched pair of multi-color slices (right).
Photos by Gary Roskin.
FURA Gems
The unpublished theme of this year’s Vegas shows must have been “expect the unexpected.” Here we are at FURA Gems, meeting with Gianluca Maina, FURA’s Marketing Director, and expecting to see rubies from their Mozambique deposit [remember the $34 million ruby?]. However, directly in front of us were a few light tables with a small assortment of bi-color sapphires from their Australian deposit. This type of material has been cutting some very popular trendy designer colors. Designers like it because each one is unique, and, for the most part, very affordable!
Photo by Gary Roskin.
Glittering Gems
Antique Jewelry & Watch Show
We met up with Yash Mehta from Glittering Gems. They were exhibiting old, new, and some combinations of both, featuring jewels and “Gems with Flamboyance and Flair.” With a slogan like that, how can you not stop and take a look.
Here is just a small sampling of what we saw. We will have more for you next week as we cover additional sights from the shows.
Highlighting the “old with the new” category is this magnificent emerald and natural diamond necklace, featuring a 12-carat Colombian antique emerald bead, centered in a new strand of faceted colorless natural diamond beads. Below, from an inventory with so many to choose from, we cherry picked two unique cuts, a 3-carat Fancy Intense Pink, flat triangular cushion rose cut natural diamond, along side an 8-carat, cushion shape, D color, portrait cut natural diamond.
Below, a 3-carat Fancy Intense Pink, flat triangular cushion, rose cut diamond,
along side an 8-carat, cushion shape, D color, portrait cut natural diamond.
Omi Prive
So you want to see something incredible? Stop by and see Omi. As their motto says, it all starts with a gemstone. The talk at the stand, even with all of the incredible gems both loose and mounted in the cases, was this Lavender (pink/purple) no heat Sri Lankan Sapphire emerald cut – it was a stunner. But just like the gents at Bradshaw/Coast to Coast, the ladies at Omi were excited to show us the fluorescence. Because the gem has chromium (probably giving it its purple color), under the latest UV torch, this gem fluoresces like crazy (and no, “like crazy” is not the gemological fluorescence grade – but maybe it should be in this case – see image below). [I wonder how it looked out in the Las Vegas sun? – gr]
Color has been described as Pink, Purple, Purple-Violet changing to Orangy Pink-Purple, as well as Kashmir-like with its silky appearance.
Photos by Jeff Mason (left) and Gary Roskin (right).
(Right) Featuring a 4.38 carat cushion grey spinel, accented with 0.28 carat total weight of 28 round diamonds, all set in 18K white gold, accented with black rhodium.
Images by Jeff Mason, courtesy of Omi Prive.
Pearl Exporting Company
Sundeep Shah at Pearl Exporting Company gave us a quick demonstration of their Japanese Akoya saltwater Keshi pearls necklace/scarf that unwraps to become a shawl. Worried about the strands breaking? Absolutely knot (pun intended) – as each pearl has been strung with numerous strands of silk. See for yourself with the closeup of one of the products they had on display (see image below). Want to see something truly unique? Check out the woven Keshi beads!
Pioneer Gems
Antique Jewelry & Watch Show
When you see a black rock pendant, attached to diamonds and faceted gemstone beads, finished with a diamond clasp, you have to ask yourself, “What the heck is that?” Or, excuse me, ask Aakash Sanchetti, “Could you tell me a little bit more about this Carvin French necklace?” Yes, this is a natural piece of black diamond rough, capped by near colorless diamonds, and strung on a necklace of faceted black diamond beads, finished with a near colorless diamond clasp.
Who is Carvin French? Tap HERE.
strung with faceted black diamond beads, and finished with a near colorless diamond clasp,
made by Carvin French Jewelers, New York.
Photo by Gary Roskin.
SPARKLES and COLORS USA Inc./Lakhi Gems Group
If he sees you coming, be prepared for Sailesh Lakhi to reach back and show you something fantastic. Or maybe a few things, like this matched pair of Sri Lankan no heat royal blue sapphires, total weight 23 carats! Or maybe you were looking for the matched pair of emerald drops to wow your friends at the next wedding you are attending – a matched pair of Zambian pear shape drop cabs, 78 carats total weight! And just to top off the jewels of the day, how about this fantastic Burmese no heat ruby ring? The “pigeon blood” ruby weighs 3 carats, and is surrounded by four magnificent rose cut diamonds, Burmese ruby melee, and diamond melee down the shank.
Matched pair of oval royal blue no-heat sapphires from Sri Lanka. Approximately 23 carats total weight.
Matching pair of pear-shape drop cabochon Zambian emeralds. Approximately 78 crats total weight.
Photos by Gary Roskin.
4 large colorless rose cut diamonds, accented by Burmese rubies and diamonds,
all set in white and yellow gold.
Photo by Gary Roskin.
We intend on posting more from the shows next week!
