Pearls are enchanting and precious. They have been passed down from generation to generation. It’s safe to say that most households have a string, or two, handed down from a family member. Because they originate from seashells, pearls are often tokens brought back from beach vacations. They encapsulate beauty, grace, and tradition. Women of all ages embrace pearl jewellery. They…
Gemmology is the science of analyzing natural and synthetic gemstone material, from coloured stones to diamonds to organic material like pearls, amber and opals. A gemmologist is a person that is academically trained and qualified to identify and evaluate gems using specialized scientific equipment such as microscopes, refractometers, dichroscopes, spectrometers and more.
This is a situation that I deal with a lot. Customers ask for the price of a diamond, let’s say a 1.00ct G SI1 for example, and shop around in order to find the best price. Fair, right? Read on and you be the judge. When shopping for diamonds, customers typically look at the diamond report to ensure that they…
I recently attended the GIA Jewellery Forensics seminar. As a gemmologist, it is important to participate in continuous education in order to keep up to speed with new technologies, such as being able to identify a lab-grown diamond versus a natural one. As a jewellery appraiser, I need to understand how a piece of jewellery is made in order to…
Thinking of getting engaged? Have you started perusing the internet? Are you lost and confused yet? I find it unfortunate that the internet is the first stop when shopping for an engagement ring. I understand that in today’s day and age, it is the way to go when “researching” something you are planning on investing in. Geeze, I do it…
You may have heard people using and/or selling “ethical” or “eco-friendly” gold. What does that mean exactly? There are a few different types of gold on the market, the main ones being called “eco-friendly”, “ethical”, “recycled/reclaimed” and “dirty”. Here is a quick overview of their impact on the environment. Eco-friendly gold is mined with minimal disruption to the environment and…
There are many ways people use to clean their jewellery. Some raise my eyebrows! Unfortunately, some are not very effective and can even be very damaging to the jewellery. The best way to clean your jewellery will always be to take it to knowledgeable jewellery store personnel. They will not only clean your jewellery safely, but they should be able…
Diamonds and some coloured stones are often offered as investments. These investments can be sold with promises of quick increases in value, with short turnovers. With very expensive stones, a purchase share within a group may even be offered. The difficult part for a layperson is determining the actual value of the purchase. Typically there will be one or more…
This is probably one of the most commonly asked questions that I get as a gemmologist. “Can you tell me if this is real?” Often times people inherit jewellery from family members that have been passed down from generation to generation. The story that accompanies a piece of jewellery may have been embellished along the way too. Other scenarios are…
Many people wonder whether they should get their jewellery appraised. Is it worth it or just a waste of money? There are many reasons why you may need a jewellery appraisal and there are also many different types of appraisals, such as for insurance purposes, donations or estates to name a few. These appraisals all serve different functions so it…
With the snow falling early this year, many of us have thoughts of warm vacation get-away on our minds. One of the most common souvenirs people bring back from vacation, besides a t-shirt, is jewellery. Depending on your budget, you may be spending a couple of hundred dollars or 10’s of thousands of dollars. I regularly have clients ask me…
Diamonds are part of a dynamic trade in an industry that has changed significantly in recent years. The world’s supply of diamond rough has increased tremendously with abundant new sources in Canada and Australia. New advances in diamond technology, such as new treatments for improving colour and clarity, as well as treatment detection have added to the exciting changes in…