GemAddicts.com

Canadian Institute of Gemology (CIG) has issued their fall edition of the CIGem Newsletter. It features several photographs with credit to our own Jamey S aka Jamey Swisher for the photo support! It even links to us here at GemAddicts for even more photography help. There is quite a bit of wonderful information contained in it – don’t miss it!

Read full issue here

While you’re here, catch up on the latest gemstone news thru our articles posted below AND visit our new Gemstone Gallery! Link to the right….Thank you for visiting GemAddicts – we look forward to seeing you again.

October 6, 2009 edition of Colored Stone GemMail is out! As usual, it is stuffed with exciting information in the gemstone community. There’s another ‘Mystery Gem’ – I wonder if Astynax has one of these too?

I quote their own ‘sneak preview’ of my favorite article:

“As a sneak preview, answer the following: What makes a man like Gary Kratochvil of Sunstone Mining Company live in a teepee several months a year, in Oregon outback country, 30 desolate miles away from the nearest source of water, looking for elongated red, green, golden, yellow and clear sunstone roughs? What keeps Don Buford of Dust Devil Mining acting as a tireless sunstone apostle, inviting jewelers and designers out for weekend expeditions to dig for the sunstone they will cut and sell in their jewelry? Why does geologist Chris Rose of Spectrum Mining Co. spend so much of his non-mining time trying to right the wrongs done to Oregon sunstone by unfair competition from artificially-colored andesine sold as natural? You’ll find the answers in Colored Stone’s “Sunstone Update,” coming in print and pdf form in early November. Subscribe now to learn about the human drama of sunstone mining.”

Read full issue here

Thank you for visiting GemAddicts! We look forward to your next visit. Don’t miss our forums and NEW Gemstone Gallery – links to the right!

The International Colored Stone Association has published a wonderful article about Campbell Bridges this month. The feature picture of Mr. Bridges shows him surrounded by rocks that most can only dream of seeing in person. The tsavorite crystals still in matrix is amazing. Can you imagine finding those sparkling in the sun?

After reading the article, browse the site for a while. You will be delighted with surprise after amazing surprise.

Read full article here

Don’t miss our GemAddicts new Gallery while you’re here. More information is below, the link is to the right. Thanks again for visiting……..Y’all come back now, hear???

I would like to proudly announce the going live of our gallery of gemstones and gemstone materials. It is not entirely completed but is well on its way and more content will be added as the images get finished. Our goal is to provide an online reference guide for collectors, jewelers, gemologists, etc. of gemstones, jaspers, agates, telltale inclusions for both natural and treated materials, crystals& rough, as well as cut & finished pieces loose and in jewelery. We believe that this would be a very useful tool to double check identifications and the like so correct and better and more thorough IDs can be made. We hope you enjoy the gallery as well as find it a useful tool.

A special thanks goes out to Astynax, because without his contributions and hard work this project would have never come to be! He has spent a lot of time and put forth a lot of effort to bring this project to life and deserves a large kudos from everyone! So please drop by the forums and give him a big thanks for all his hard work!

Read more…

AGTA ePrism September 16, 2009 issue has been out for a few days but we are running a little behind providing these to you here. As colder weather arrives here in the US, we promise to post these a little more timely.

This issue not only highlights the Spectrum Awards – deadline for entry September 25, 2009 but also includes many interesting articles about the new colors we will see on the ‘Red Carpet’ for 2010. One of MY personal favorites is the article “Blue Chalcedony: The Sky Blue Gemstone in Designer Jewelry”.

Another wonderful article indicates that “Rio Tinto Group, the world’s third-largest mining company, will resume work on a $1.5 billion expansion of its Argyle diamond mine next year….”

Don’t miss a word!

If you haven’t signed up to receive this publication directed delivered to YOUR mailbox, you will also find a link to subscribe.

As always, we thank you for visiting GemAddicts and, while you’re here, don’t miss a visit to our forum. The link is to the right.

The new Colored Stone GemMail just arrived in subscriber’s mailboxes. Inside is a closer look at the Brazilian Gem Show; A Stellar Mystery Gem and Color-Change Zultanite.  The Brazilian Gem show is always a Star all by itself.  Don’t miss the beautiful photos of color change Zultanite!  Check out the Mystery Gem – a new Star is born.  If you are not currently a subscriber, don’t miss the opportunity to have this delivered to your own mailbox.

Check it out here

Thank you for visiting GemAddicts! We look forward to seeing you again. If you haven’t already done so, we invite you to visit our forums – link on right side.

Here is a link to the article/press release posted yesterday by Robert James at the ISG. It brings to light some supposed information about DSN/Art Garabedian that could be of serious concern to consumers as well as Industry Vendors. Is this information true and correct? We don’t know, but Robert James sure posted some rather convincing proof to back up his claims!!!! In the meanwhile we will have to sit and wait and see how this plays out! In the meantime we will contact DSN about a possible comment on this press release.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE

Jewelers Ethics Association Benefits Both Industry and Consumers

Marysville, WA (September 15, 2009) — Recent events regarding non-disclosure of gemstone treatments have eroded consumer confidence in the jewelry and gemstone industry.  The Jewelers Ethics Association (JEA) is a new organization formed to promote and support ethical business practices within the trade by providing information, education and mediation for consumers and the industry.  Membership is open to all members of the trade, as well as consumers, at http://www.jewelersethicsassociation.com.

“Over the past several years a widening gap has formed between consumers and the trade regarding information and knowledge,”  explains JEA President Lisa Brooks-Pike.  “No medium such as a consumer reporting organization exists for our industry, and there is very little enforcement of the FTC guidelines. We hope to help bridge this gap”.

JEA industry members must agree to do business in accordance with the JEA’s strict Code of Ethics.  They will receive frequent updates regarding the latest advancements in treatments and synthetics, as well as educational tips to help train their employees.  Consumer members will have access to the latest gem and jewelry news and information,as well as a list of JEA member jewelers in their area and online where they can shop with confidence, and dispute resolution, if necessary.

For more information, or to schedule an interview with Lisa Brooks-Pike, Please call Sherman Pike at 360-652-0805 or email at sherman@jewelersethicsassociation.com.

Solaris Sunstone™

I figured this is a very important situation to touch base on right now before anyone jumps in without thinking!! I would refrain from purchasing any of this material currently! There is NO proof that this material is not just the same duck as Ande-Lab dressed up with a nice new name/title! I find this slightly suspicious, to say the least, that not so long after the AGTA made their Public Announcement about:

With consumer and buyer protection in mind, the AGTA will now require its members who sell or consign any red andesine-labradorite to disclose it as diffused material, and indicate this either in plain language or by use of the industry accepted code, “U”, for diffusion*. If it can be determined that the material is natural, as in the case of particular Oregon material; then it may be disclosed as untreated.

Then suddenly a new material in the form of yet another red feldspar(which, factually to date, only naturally occurs in Oregon and NOWHERE else on the planet), looking an awfully like the Scamdesine of the past, but this time it is instead called a Sunstone! By calling it a Sunstone they actually bypass the AGTA Press Release mentioned above, if this material is indeed the same Frankenstone as before! If it is not, then why no massive news broadcast and hype that a new stone was found, like what would happen with any other legit, or even not so legit, finds!!!?? Why all hush hush and just suddenly be pushing all over the TV Shows and certain other well known Vendors’ websites as being a new stone and new find and, worst of all, that it is completely natural with no treatments!!!???? After all the news hype and legal hype that took place over the Scamdesine issue and no other red material being in existence naturally outside of Oregon, this should have been big time news, not a silent release under the radar, unless there truly is something to hide!?

And why price tags close to US$1000 from these US Sellers & Companies when Chinese wholesalers are posting same exact rings and stones for under US$30!!! The trade has some great mark-ups, no doubt folks, but come on, that is very unrealistic!

No any facts to help? Please post them! Any ideas? Post them! We need to get to the bottom of this one before it does any damage! And if it turns out to be legit, I doubt, I want to find as much info as possible since one of my personal favorites are any stones belonging to the Feldspar families of gemstones and minerals!

Campbell Bridges, the man who discovered Tsavorite garnet, was recently murdered, reportedly by claim jumpers near his mine in Africa.

Because supporters of Campbell are concerned that the authorities may not vigorously pursue the perpetrators of this heinous act, a petition has been created calling for official action. You can check out and sign the petition at:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/130/justice-for-campbell-bridges