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Difference between Synthetics and Natural Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald from Synthetics

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How to tell the difference between natural rubies, sapphires, emeralds from synthetics? Lookswise there is no difference between synthetics and natural gemstones. They have the same chemical composition, crystal structure, and properties as natural gemstones. The only way to tell is by looking at internal inclusions or clarity characteristics. The price difference between natural gemstones …

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How to Determine a Value of Blue Sapphire? Based on 4Cs plus OT – A Buying Guide [Video]

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I decided to do a video tutorial explaining how I will go about determining the value of a blue sapphire. The method I used to determine the value is by first categorizing the stone based on the 4Cs + OT method. The six criteria I have summarized in bullet form below: HOW TO DETERMINE A …

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What are synthetic diamonds (man-made diamonds) and will they affect natural diamond trade or value?

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Synthetic diamonds is one topic which is not going away from the news or diamond trade discussion for the last few months. Since the big announcement in early June by De beers that they are creating their own synthetic diamond jewelry line and then the second big announcement by US Federation Trade Commission’s (FTC) decision …

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How does ‘Phenomena Effects’ like Adularescence, Asterism, Chatoyancy, Iridescence, Play of Color, and Color Change affect the value of gemstones?

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In our previous blog posts, we have discussed how to determine the value of colored gemstones.  In summary, colored gemstones value affected by six factors. Color Carat Weight Clarity Cut Origin Treatment However, certain gemstones actually exhibit different phenomena effects like Adularescence Asterism Chatoyancy Iridescence Play of Color Color Change So, “How do these gemstones …

How does ‘Phenomena Effects’ like Adularescence, Asterism, Chatoyancy, Iridescence, Play of Color, and Color Change affect the value of gemstones? Read More »

How to buy an opal - white opal diamond ring rose gold ring

Natural Opal buying guide – How to check and understand difference between different opals?

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Opal is one of the most popular phenomena gemstones. They display very unique characteristics like ‘play-of-color’ or different background fire colors. They are quite abundant but also rare as well depending on the quality grades. Different quality has different price levels which we will explain below. HOW TO BUY AN OPAL – OPAL CLASSIFICATION  In …

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It is now possible to buy ethically sourced Zambian emeralds through partnership of Gemfields and Gübelin Gem Lab using Nano-Particle Technology.

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EMERALDS CAN BE ETHICALLY SOURCED Gemfields has decided to tackle head on a big issue which has been plaguing the gem trade for a long time.  How to guarantee the emerald you bought is ethically sourced? Through the partnership with Gübelin Gem Lab, they came up with a very creative solution by using Gübelin’s new …

It is now possible to buy ethically sourced Zambian emeralds through partnership of Gemfields and Gübelin Gem Lab using Nano-Particle Technology. Read More »

How would I choose a diamond ring? – GIA Graduate Gemologist Opinion

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How Should I Choose a Diamond Ring? For the last few years, I have custom made quite a few diamond engagement rings for locals, tourists and expats in Bangkok and most often the first question I am asked is ‘How should I choose a diamond ring?’. A perfectly relevant question it is, coming from someone who …

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What lab or certification is the best for checking your expensive ruby, sapphire or emerald?

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BEST LAB TO CHECK GEMSTONES What is the best lab to check gemstones? Buying a high quality ruby, sapphire or emerald isn’t cheap, but how do you know the beautiful expensive gemstone you are buying is the quality you are expecting? As I have discussed in our previous blog posts, it is very important to …

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How to Buy or Value a Fancy (or multi) Colored Diamond?

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HOW TO BUY FANCY COLORED DIAMONDS? – FANCY DIAMONDS ARE RARE Buying fancy colored diamonds is not easy.  Colored diamonds are one of the rarest and most fascinating gems in the market.  As there are so few of them available, it is very difficult to evaluate what should be the fair market price. These gems …

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Avoid buying conflict diamonds - CanadaMark & GIA certificate copy of 1.02 carat, G-color, IF-clarity Diamond

How to buy ‘conflict-free’ diamonds or avoid ‘blood diamonds’ when purchasing a diamond in Bangkok, Thailand?

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AVOID BUYING CONFLICT DIAMONDS IN BANGKOK, THAILAND An important issue which has been affecting the diamond trade (and many other commodities) since the beginning is how diamonds have contributed in funding conflicts like civil wars, genocide and terrorism. With the power of media and internet we can now see many articles, documentaries and famous movies …

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