We would like to take this opportunity to say a special THANK YOU to Jamey S aka Jamey Swisher without whom this website and much of it’s content wouldn’t be possible. Jamey’s knowledge of gemstones and gem material helps us all learn more with each post. His cutting abilities and explanations are easy to follow and appreciated by many. He also creates wire wrap jewelry and makes some amazing pieces. Here also, he gladly shares this knowledge with everyone. Just find the ‘Wire Wrap’ section in our GemAddicts forum to browse through the many pieces he has shared with us. As if that’s not enough, he also creates more with gold and silver. Read more…
AGTA ePrism October 7, 2009 edition is out. The leading subject is the election of the 2010 Board of Directors. Quoting their article:
“Peter Bazar of Imperial-Deltah, Inc., Sushil Goyal of Liberty Gems, Inc., and Cynthia Renee Zava of Cynthia Renee, Co. were all elected to three-year terms as Directors. These terms will take effect at the 2010 AGTA Membership Meeting at GemFair Tucson….” We at GemAddicts extend our congratulations also.
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For centuries, precious gemstones were available only to the very wealthy. However, advancements in mining, transportation, and the science of treatments and synthetics, as well as the emergence of the internet and TV shopping channels, have made a wide variety of gemstones and gemstone jewelery accessible to the general buying public. While these advancements have opened new markets for the trade and new buying opportunities for consumers, proper disclosure of treatments and synthetics has not kept pace with those advancements.
Up to now, the industry has done little to protect consumers from unscrupulous dealers who misrepresent their products. This unresponsiveness toward consumers has had a serious and damaging effect on consumer confidence in the gem and jewelery trade.
Read more…
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???
The Sept 29th edition of the ISG QuickConnect Newsletter has arrived. The subject is near and dear to my heart – Tourmaline. Specifically Pink Tourmaline and it’s treatment found in some stones. As usual, the photographs are top notch and the information definitely worth saving. Rather than giving you a short advance view here, I’ll leave you with the link to see for yourself.
Read full issue here
Thank you for visiting GemAddicts! We hope you’ve enjoyed it, we look forward to your next visit. While you’re here, visit our new Gallery of Gemstones! The link is to the right.
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.