This will be the last Garnet for the month of January. It’s one of the new Malaya garnets I picked up 2 weeks ago from Tanzania. This one is cut in my “Precision Gem 80 Star” round shape. Perfect color and cut. (That little orange spot on the top is just a reflection.)



This next one is one of the Nigerian Paraiba type Tourmalines. Right now it’s in the oven being heated. All of these Paraiba type stones will be shipped to R.W. Wise Goldsmiths, so if you are interested in one you can contact Richard. This way you will get Richard’s expert evaluation and grading on the stone. The stone is over 4 cts. and is cut in an opposed bar design. Look for it on Richard’s site in the next few weeks.

Tags: Garnet

I felt like cutting something fun, and wanted to keep with the garnets for a few more days. This is a new frosted star design I worked out, and this Umbalite Garnet was the perfect shaped stone for it. This one weighs 3.39 cts. and measures 8.82 mm. It’s a real bugger to photograph, it looks much nicer in person, and does have a lot of flash. All the white specs are dust, the stone is loop clean.



A small parcel of Mali Garnets arrived yesterday, and I just had to cut one. If you have never seen one of these in person, they look like yellow/green diamonds. The Mali Garnet has a tremendous amount of dispersion. This first one is 1.59 ct. and measures 7.09 mm.

Tags: Garnet

What better way to end out January than with a few Garnets, the birthstone for the month. Garnets are one of my favorite stones to cut too. The first on is an Umbalite Garnet from Tanzania, the first stone to be cut from the parcel I just got last week.



This next stone is a new Malaya Garnet from Tanzania with excellent color, cut in a SRB. Photographed straight on, and then with a slight tilt.

Tags: Garnet

Just a couple of new stones, as I was away for the weekend on a buying trip. I met with my main supplier from East Africa, and picked up some very nice stones, this red zircon being one. I was able to buy 4 very top color Tsavorite garnets, just perfect color, zircon, some excellent color Malaya garnets from Tanzania, a few Tanzanites, Umba garnet, beautiful color Umbalite Garnet and some Blue Sapphire from Songea and Kenya.

Here’s the new Red zircon



And a Asscher cut Purple Scapolite from Tanzania.



This is one of the Copper bearing Cuprian tourmalines from Nigeria. These are sometimes called Pariaba-Africana. This one is in the oven right now being heated, but I wanted to show the color right after cutting and before heating. We’ll keep our fingers crossed on how it will come out.



Below is a photo of the stone after heating. The color came out fantastic! Most of the stones don’t heat this well, and it’s always a big gamble... to heat or not to heat!

Tags: Zircon and Scapolite

Two new stones this week, the first is a Chrysoberyl from Tanzania. The color and flash are nicer in person, and the picture can’t show the dispersion. This one is cut in the classic Royal Asscher cut. 2.44 ct.



This next stone is cut on request, so it’s not posted for sale, unless the customer decides not to take it. It’s an Umbalite Garnet cut in a cushion shape. The weight on this one is 3.10 ct.



I have some new rough coming in from Nigeria. It should be here on Wednesday this week, including some of the Nigerian Paraiba type tourmaline. I have no idea of the quality as this is a new source for me, but we shall see....

Tags: Umbalite and Chrysoberyl

Two new stone for the day. The first is a Malaya Garnet from Madagascar, with very nice color. 6.9 mm so it will fit well into a standard 7 mm finding.



The next stone is an all natural unheated Sapphire from the Umba Valley in Tanzania.



This on is 6.77 mm and 1.63 cts.

Tags: Sapphire, Malaya garnet

I wanted to try something different, and since Asscher cuts are so popular with the people on Pricescope, I tried doing a 7 sided Asscher cut. Now this is a bit different from a traditional Asscher as each tier has the same angle all around. The stone is a zircon from Tanzania Africa. These stones are a honey brown color, but can be heated with very low temperature over a candle flame to change them to yellow. Below are the before and after heating colors.



I’m not posting this one for sale yet, as sometimes the color drifts back a bit after a day, and I need to heat it again.


This is a new Spessartite Garnet from East Africa. 6.6 mm, 1.36 ct., and a Tsavorite from Kenya that is .64 cts. Green is the hardest stone to photograph, especially the intense ones like tsavorite and chrome tourmaline. In person this stone is just outstanding.

Tags: Ziron, Tsavorite, Spessartite