Latest Cut Gems
Umba Sapphire and Morogoro Spinel
12/08/08 18:35
Two new stones today. The first is a Sapphire from Umba
Tanzania. This one I cut in a emerald type
shape, but not a traditional emerald cut.
What's nice about these Umba sapphires is that
they are all natural, no heat or other
treatments. They also show a color shift
depending on the lighting. This one goes from
a violet to purple depending on the light.
The next stone is a Spinel from Morogoro area in Tanzania. This one has a real nice color and a nice size. It's 3.32 cts. and measures 8.5 mm.
The next stone is a Spinel from Morogoro area in Tanzania. This one has a real nice color and a nice size. It's 3.32 cts. and measures 8.5 mm.
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Blue Sapphire and White Topaz
23/07/08 21:41
Two new garnets
13/07/08 22:02
I finished up two new garnets this weekend. Both
are at the top of their class for color, and both
are from Tanzania.
The first is an Umbalite, followed by a very nice yellow Grossularite. These are the same type of garnet as mint and tsavorite, but yellow.
The first is an Umbalite, followed by a very nice yellow Grossularite. These are the same type of garnet as mint and tsavorite, but yellow.
Yellow Zircon
10/07/08 22:00
Here's one I missed photographing the other night.
It's a Zircon from Tanzania. These
stones are kind of a root-beer brown color,
but with just some gentile heating over the
flame from an alcohol lamp they turn yellow.
The more you heat them, the lighter the get.
This one I just heated a bit. If you heat them
too long, the will go colorless.
Pink Spinel from Tajikistan
08/07/08 20:21
Just finished up a new spinel. This is another
stone from Tajikistan that is 5.07 cts. Rather
large for these spinels. Here's an article by
Richard Hughes and Vincent Pardieu dealing with
ruby and these spinels from Tajikistan.
I haven't been slacking the past week, I was actually working on some stones for one of them members of the GemBusters forum. Here they are..
Try to guess what they are!
I haven't been slacking the past week, I was actually working on some stones for one of them members of the GemBusters forum. Here they are..
Try to guess what they are!
Color Change Purple Sapphire
26/06/08 21:57
The newest stone is this 1.68 ct. Color Change
Purple Sapphire. A very special
stone. First this is an all natural stone with
no treatments, not even heat. This alone is
very rare in a sapphire as about 95% of all
sapphires have been heat treated. The stone
also possesses a color change. It's hard to
photograph the color change with my lighting
set up, but the images below from Gem-e-Wizzard show the
color of the stone in various lighting. This
one would make a very interesting and unique
engagement ring stone.
The stone measures 7.5 x 5.6 mm, has excellent saturation and crystal. The origin on this gem is the Umba region of Tanzania Africa. This area is known for an abundance of fine gems including Sapphires, Garnets and Spinels.
This first image is the color of the stone in daylight and florescent lighting
This image is the color change with incandescent lighting.
The actual photo of the stone is shot with a mix of both lights with the majority of the lighting incandescent.
The stone measures 7.5 x 5.6 mm, has excellent saturation and crystal. The origin on this gem is the Umba region of Tanzania Africa. This area is known for an abundance of fine gems including Sapphires, Garnets and Spinels.
This first image is the color of the stone in daylight and florescent lighting
This image is the color change with incandescent lighting.
The actual photo of the stone is shot with a mix of both lights with the majority of the lighting incandescent.
Pink Tourmaline and some commissioned work
09/06/08 23:32
Just one new stone to add to the site this week,
but I have been busy doing some commissioned work.
It may seem like there are not many new stones
being cut, but lately a lot of the cutting has bee
per special request. If you don't see what you are
looking for, give me a call or email, as there is a
good chance I will have a piece of rough and could
cut you a gemstone in the design and shape you are
looking for.
The new stone on the site is this Pink Tourmaline. A beautiful 4.18 ct stone.
The other gems I finished up this week were this 3 stone set cut from Tanzanian Spessartite garnet. This is from the new find this year. The color on these is great. My main dealer in Kenya is telling me that this find is about dried up. This is pretty typical in the colored stone mining, they find a small pocket, and with in months it's worked out. These 3 stones total a bit over 4.25 cts.
The new stone on the site is this Pink Tourmaline. A beautiful 4.18 ct stone.
The other gems I finished up this week were this 3 stone set cut from Tanzanian Spessartite garnet. This is from the new find this year. The color on these is great. My main dealer in Kenya is telling me that this find is about dried up. This is pretty typical in the colored stone mining, they find a small pocket, and with in months it's worked out. These 3 stones total a bit over 4.25 cts.
New Sapphire and Tourmaline
01/06/08 13:41
Two new stones for today, the first is a sapphire from Madagascar
that is all natural with no heat or other
treatments. The next stone is a light green tourmaline
from Mozambique Africa cut with a checker
crown cushion shape.
Peridot from Pakistan
27/05/08 21:43
Here's a new Peridot from Pakistan.
Really nice color on this stone, and one of my
favorite cuts.
These stones from Pakistan are a bit hard to come by lately, especially in this nice color.
These stones from Pakistan are a bit hard to come by lately, especially in this nice color.
Latest Cut Gems
26/05/08 18:50
Three new stones this week: A blue sapphire from Songea
Tanzania with NO HEAT or other treatements, a
Rubellite
Tourmaline from Nigeria, and a Chrome Pyrope garnet
from Tanzania.
Songea Sapphire
Rubellite Tourmaline
Chrome Pyrope Garnet
I'm thinking about cutting something green next... maybe a tsavorite or a chrome green tourmaline. Enough red stones for awhile.
Songea Sapphire
Rubellite Tourmaline
Chrome Pyrope Garnet
I'm thinking about cutting something green next... maybe a tsavorite or a chrome green tourmaline. Enough red stones for awhile.
Sapphire Recut
19/05/08 20:02
This is a picture of a recut sapphire. I didn't get
around to taking a before picture, but it was the
typical native step cut. Lopsided, poor meets and a
deep belly along with a window.
For the recut I did a concave cut to bring out some more color from a light stone.
The finished stone is 3.12 ct.
For the recut I did a concave cut to bring out some more color from a light stone.
The finished stone is 3.12 ct.
Spessartite Garnet - NEW Find in Tanzania
19/05/08 19:58
Here are two new stones that are from the new find
of Spessartite in Tanzania. The color on these
stones is a fantastic fanta orange. All the stones
from this find will have small bubbles, the camera
really picks them up. In person they are not as
noticable.
1.95 ct
1.57 ct.
See the orange garnet page for more details.
1.95 ct
1.57 ct.
See the orange garnet page for more details.
Latest cut stone - May 11th
11/05/08 14:05
Here's the latest cut stone. This one is a yellow
tourmaline from Mozambique. I just finished the
design this week, and the shape of the rough fit
well with the design.
For more details on this gemstone see the Fancy Tourmaline page.
For more details on this gemstone see the Fancy Tourmaline page.
Oregon Sunstone
04/05/08 18:00
Here's a new Oregon Sunston. This one is cut in a
bar crown round. This one has excellent crystal
with no schiller. The color pocket doesn't extend
through out the entire crown, so if you tilt it
far, you will see the lighter area's in the crown.
Face up the color fills the entire stone. Measures
8.63 mm.
See the Other Gems link for detail of this stone and to purchase it.
See the Other Gems link for detail of this stone and to purchase it.