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“Lagoon” Blue Tourmaline ring – Hand Crafted Platinum ring, Rare “Lagoon” Blue Tourmaline – 35.50ct. © Image courtesy of Tamir Jewels
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... In Tucson, successes were reported with rare sets like four radiant neon-pink Brazilian topaz totaling 100 carats; 380 carats of octagon-cut Brazilian aquamarine in a fine blue with a tinge of turquoise; and 13 pear-shaped Tanzanian moonstone cabochons weighing 223 carats. ...
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18K white & rose gold ring, Pink Tourmaline – 12.39ct., Pink Diamonds – 0.24ct © Image courtesy of Tamir Jewels
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Also featured in these categories were German hauyns in a sapphire blue color and above-average size, Russian demantoids from the Ural Mountains, and a 75-carat bi-colored Brazilian Imperial topaz in an orange-red.
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Bi-Colour Imperial Topaz 75ct © Image courtesy of Constantin Wild - Idar-Oberstein
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A gem manufacturer from Teófilo Otoni, Brazil particularly promotes innovations in gem cutting to answer the never-ending call for “something new and different”. Among the many fresh faceted manipulations he offers is his very graphic gem Puzzles. Using a variety of quartz material, Coutinho applies a special resin to bond puzzle piece shapes together.
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Canary Tourmaline
© Image courtesy of Constantin Wild - Idar-Oberstein
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Other faceting techniques attracting buyer attention include classic shapes with a “twist” like square, pear and oval into more organic concave or convex forms with or without checkerboard faceting; or rough and faceted cuts combined in one stone. “People want new and different things and because we do not find new colors everyday the only chance to be different is in how we use what we have,” he said.
Idar-Oberstein’s gem houses concurred that there also is demand for a mix of cutting styles in one piece like faceted with carved or rough with cut or different cut techniques on either the top or bottom of a stone. “We try to make it interesting and easy for our customers by giving them lots of options.”
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18K yellow gold ring - “Mint” Green Tourmaline – cushion, 18.04ct. © Image courtesy of Tamir Jewels
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Trends revealed in Tucson provide a range of choices to accessorize the latest fashions for 2008, including big quartz in rock crystal, smoky and rutilated types. Sapphire, aquamarine, tourmaline, topaz, turquoise, amethyst, and garnet varieties answer the call for accessories in popular blue, green and purple shades. Yellow and rose gold settings are especially favored in gem-set jewels. And designs with special meaning to the wearer are key, with gems the best conduit to conveying a multitude of messages.
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Slideshow credits see below article...
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Trends Trackers Saw Red in Tucson
By Deborah Yonick
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—Trends trackers attending the annual gem and jewelry shows in Tucson, Arizona February saw red in a variety of shades as the top color generating the greatest attention. But it wasn’t necessarily ruby that garnered the most excitement, rather a gemstone often mistaken for ruby — spinel.s
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Untreated Ruby from Madagascar
© Image courtesy of Stuller Inc.
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Unknown until the 1800s, spinel was often confused with other gemstones. Almost all large red gems in history are spinel. In fact, many famous rubies found in the crown jewels of the world are actually spinel.
In Tucson, the market was abuzz over spinel and news of a massive cluster of it discovered last summer at Ipango near the Mahenge District in Tanzania. The find, which ignited a stampede of miners to the region, consisted of a primary deposit of spinel found in marble. Nicely formed crystals, topping off at 275,000 carats, 5% of which were clean top-faceting material, were retrieved. The material is highly saturated in red hues that go to a shade of pink, with some pieces an orangey pinks.
18K white gold earrings, Aquamarine – P.S., 45.92ct., Diamonds – 0.91 © Image courtesy of Tamir Jewels
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Twists: Classic shapes like square, pear and oval with a twist in more organic concave or convex forms with or without checkerboard faceting © Image courtesy of Marcio Nonato Coutinho of Naturale Steine
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Since the early 1990s, pink spinel has been mined in this area. A few red stones have been found, but up until this latest deposit, the most notable gems have been a pink-orange color similar to that of “padparadscha” sapphire. Found in alluvial deposits, spinel rough typically consists of small octahedral crystals or fragments that weigh 0.1–2 grams, about 30% of which are suitable to facet for jewelry.
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3.85 ct Tanzanian Spinel © Photo by Pillar & Stone, courtesy of Gemworld International.
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Spinel was the talk of the Tucson show and one of its top selling gems as consumers are finally accepting it for the beautiful natural untreated gemstone it truly is. ...
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Paraiba Tourmaline from Brazil © Image courtesy of Akiva Gil Company
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... In the past three years, spinel’s popularity has grown and the recent find of exceptional large crystals in Tanzania has helped to escalate sale. Material has become available in sizes not typically found in spinel (usually stones over 5-10 carats are considered extremely rare), and the color from this find is very vivid and bright.
Next to spinel, garnet in all its color varieties also charmed buyers in Tucson. One particular interest has been bright orange mandarin garnet from Nigeria. “Mango” spessartite garnet in more of a yellow shade was also a success and a dealer from Idar Oberstein, Germany who specializes in garnet reported the gem’s red varieties as a market favorite, and an affordable non-treated alternative to ruby.
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18K white gold ring, Pink Spinel – 2.58ct., Diamonds – 0.48 © Image courtesy of Tamir Jewels
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But ruby maintains strong consumer recognition. Uncertainties, however, about new gem treatments and a pending U.S. embargo on goods from Burma—a favorite and major source of ruby, in response to human rights issues—has some searching for simple options.
18K rose gold ring, Rare Lavender Tourmaline – oval, 5.61ct., Diamonds – 0.86ct. © Image courtesy of Tamir Jewels
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So, several gem houses are promoting natural, untreated ruby with branding initiatives ranging from special offering of natural, untreated rubies from Madagascar to natural corundum of various colors produced under “Fair trade” protocol in Malawi, Southern Africa.
Nyala Ruby®
© Image courtesy of Columbia Gem House
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Nyala Ruby®
© Image courtesy of Columbia Gem House
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Other Fabulous Finds
Also hailed a Tucson showstopper was copper-bearing tourmaline from Mozambique. Buyers were gravitating toward non-heated goods in colors like soft blue that resembled Sri Lankan sapphire, lavender, bright green, and pink. However, traditional heat treated goods in a paraiba-like color also was popular
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132 ct Fireopal 'Chalchiuhtlcue' © Image courtesy of Constantin Wild - Idar-Oberstein
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“Finally, there’s something new that’s exciting on both sides of the counter,” said a prominent gem dealer exhibiting at the show, who hailed the material as one of his bestsellers. “At the show, intense green went first, then violet, purple, and blue. Larger stones sold out, too, both non-heated and traditionally heated.” ...
Other dealers noted strong sales for emerald, aquamarine, pastel pink sapphire, pink spinel, moonstone, labradorite, and deep blue chalcedony from Namibia.
Undoubtedly, the biggest trend in Tucson was for unique and unusual material. "A gem has to do more than just sparkle,", commented another dealer from Idar-Oberstein, Germany. "Beautiful, large or rare simply isn't enough. Customers want colored gems that are special and extravagant in more than one way." ...
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Slideshow credits:
01 - Tuson Impression © Image courtesy of Forty Two GbR. Zink / Lohmeyer
02 -Nyala Ruby® © Image courtesy of Columbia Gem House
03 - Constantin Wild holding a 75 carat bi-color imperial topaz © Photo by Bill Kalina
04 - Flat: Puzzles, using a variety of quartz material, Coutinho applies a special resin to bond puzzle piece shapes together.
© Image courtesy of Marcio Nonato Coutinho of Naturale Steine
05 - Tuson Impression © Image courtesy of Forty Two GbR. Zink / Lohmeyer
06 - 132 ct Fireopal 'Chalchiuhtlcue' © Image courtesy of Constantin Wild - Idar-Oberstein
07 - Natural Side: rough and faceted looks combined in one stone
© Image courtesy of Marcio Nonato Coutinho of Naturale Steine
08 - Reflections, faceting done on the bottom, with cabochon like domed top reflecting back the cut.
© Image courtesy of Marcio Nonato Coutinho of Naturale Steine
09 - Tansanian Spinel 4.94 ct © Photo by Wimon Manorotkul and stones from Pala International
Author
Deborah Yonick is a veteran gem and jewelry journalist who writes regularly for many
leading international jewelry magazines, as well as the online consumer column, The Jewelry Lady, at http://www.thejewelrylady.info.
© Created by ICA Gem Bureau Idar-Oberstein
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