Gehnabazaar | Gemstones Information | Jewelry Industry

achroite tourmaline

2009-04-23T18:09:00.001+05:30

achroite tourmaline
Originally uploaded by Sea Moon

Beautiful Crystal

Spessartine Garnet Crystal

2009-04-15T18:11:00.001+05:30

Spessartine - China (3)
Originally uploaded by adamantine

A 5 mm orange spessartine crystal from the Wushan Mine near Tongbei, China.

Tanzanite and diamond engagement ring

2009-04-13T17:28:00.001+05:30

Tanzanite and diamond engagement ring
Originally uploaded by rmrayner

Sexy tanzanite ring with diamonds....

Gehnabazaar - An introduction

2006-12-18T11:37:00.000+05:30

http://gehnabazaar.blogspot.com/ is our regularly updated info-initiative with unique jewellery business tips and information.

One major strength of this blog, apart from the extensive knowhow we share through it, is that its basis, apart from our experience, is the content we receive from *you*, our patrons.

Feel free to send us your tip/article, which we will present on this blog with a credit to you.

So go ahead, take a dip in the jewellery infospace ocean, take away some pearls and share a few gems with us.

Mithun and Janhavi (founders of www.gehnabazaar.com) can be reached at :

gehnabazaar@gmail.com

Gemstones fascinate me

2006-12-18T12:09:00.000+05:30

The mystery and magic of colored gemstones, thought to possess the ability to endow the wearer with certain attributes have long been a fascination for me. A gemmologist and jewellery designer by professsion, I believe in the positive effects the 'aura' of a gemstone can have on the wearer.

Platinum the rare metal

2007-10-26T11:19:00.000+05:30

Top 5 reasons Why platinum is not preferred metal in Indian jewellery market!

1) Its high melting point(1768 c) does not allow any bench worker to melt in the traditional melting furnace. It needs high resistant furnace to melt (other than gold melting furnace).

2) There are a handful of platinum manufacturers who manufacture platinum–diamond jewellery that to in bulk quantity. Thus the designs are fairly round the mill and individuals craving for unique designer jewellery cannot be compleatly satisfied.

3) Consumers in India, still buy jewellery on a large scale for investment rather than luxury. So it’s hard to get people think and pay for metal which compares to silver in colour and pay almost twice as gold.

4) The cost of production is very high because of its high value, low demand and high technology required to make it.

5) Platinum usually does not fetch a good cash buy back guarantee, which can be very hard on people buying for investment or want to change jewellery frequently.

Despite the above setbacks, platinum has been gaining popularity among the young genaration. In the near future we can only hope that a better manufacturing infrastructre will give the comsumer a larger variety and availabilty of platinum jewellery in the indian market.

Booming gold prices!!

2007-10-29T17:46:00.001+05:30

Gold prices are sky rocketing. It has already breached the Rs.10000/- mark (per 10 Gms) and it looks like there s no stopping to it.Rs11000 in the near future should not be a surprise at all. In the international market gold has already crossed the 28 year high mark. And a race to all time high seems very near.Factors that lead to increase in gold price are mainly crude oil and Currency. Rupee to dollar rate has become very strong in the recent times. From around Rs 44- Rs45 it has come to Rs38-Rs39. Crude oil has crossed the all time high to 90$ per barrel. Better late than never. start investing gold and gain from a long term point of view. check out this link about the gold price.

http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/20071018/big-move-coming-in-gold-price.htm

"Trust Mark" by AIGJTF

2007-10-31T12:17:00.001+05:30

All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation have made a very good effort in organising the Jewellery industry where in gold rate and purity of gold/diamond jewellery is concerned.Jewellers would need to apply for the Trust Mark at AIGJTF and the member jewellers having the "Trust Mark" logo in their showroom would need to follow a standardised gold buying and selling rate. Also these showrooms would deemed to have the License for selling BIS ( Bureau of Indian Standards ) Hallmarked Jewellery . So the consumers can benefit from the uniformity of gold rates and stop worrying about being overcharged.

But, hang on , just read the fine print below that clearly says, Disclaimer: While stating that a member jeweller has been found to confirm to the strict standards prescribed by AIGJTF under "Trust Mark", GJF deos not assume nor is GJF deemed to assume any responsibility whatsoever with regard to the purity, content or quality of any product sold by such jeweller.

So in simple words, the consumer should always be careful when buying jewellery and AIGJTF cannot be held responsible or guarantee for any inferior goods sold by the jewellers having the "Trust Mark".

P.S : Having license to sell Hallmarked Jewellery does not necessarily means that all the jewellery in the particular showroom is Hallmarked Jewellery. Main reason for this is that its not practically possible to test and hallmark each small items in the showroom.

For more infomation visit www.gjf.in

Art of gemstone buying!

2007-11-03T17:59:00.000+05:30

There are lots of points to be kept in mind before investing in gemstones. The popular belief that diamonds are forever and it gets up to 75% resale value, but coloured stones have no resale value is absolutely wrong. On the contrary investing in gemstones can be a profitable business if not just a hobby. For E.g.: A 3 carat Burmese (old Burma) Ruby which could be bought for around Rs.10000 per carat, now costs more than Rs.50000 Per carat. Simple reason: demand in increasing continuously but production is very limited. Nature’s resources are fast depleting. And the resources are also very scarce. All the good quality gemstones are already mined.

And moreover because of the improving technology, the treatments done on the new gemstones are getting more and more difficult to detect. As a result the natural untreated material is becoming rarer.

One should keep in mind the following points before investing in gemstones:

1) Learn to love gems for their beauty, portability, and privacy. Align yourself with a knowledgeable expert. This can be a dealer, a wholesaler, or a retail jeweler.
2) Do not buy a colored stone without a reputed gemological laboratory certificate. For amateur collectors, this is critical. Especially if the gemstone is of more value.
3) Try to get as much information as possible of a particular gemstone which you are going to buy.
4) Always go in for un-treated gemstones. Gemstones close to their natural state will be very rare in future.
5) Always buy from a reputed dealer or trusted source. Ask for a money-back guarantee for a initial period i.e. say 15 days. So that one can show the piece to some other expert and cross verify.

Happy buying!!

Gemological Institute of India have given a good article about how to buy a coloured gemstone. Must read for new shoppers!!

Victorian Influences in Indian Jewellery Design

2007-11-05T10:02:00.000+05:30

The Victorian influence in India can be traced back to 1876 when Queen Victoria was crowned Empress of India (1876), thereby encouraging trade between the two continents.

The Indian exotic woods, bright-coloured silks, enamelled and gem encrusted Mughul jewellery, had a profound effect on the jewellery and decorative arts produced in England then. The Indian rose-cut garnet encrusted jewels and cloisonné enamels worked their way into English design. Likewise, Indian jewellery designs too borrowed from the Victorian.

Infact, even today, long after India got its independence, the inimitable touch of the Victorian can be found in the Indian Jewellery Industry. Both the exclusive designers & the big jewellery design houses in India, have been churning out Victorian jewellery collections year after relentless year. But, what the buyer gets is sometimes far from the traditional Victorian fare and can only be labelled ' Victorian-Style INDIAN' jewellery. The delicate and curvy Victorian motifs combined with Indian motifs are very popular in wedding and festive diamond jewellery today.

Listed below are a few design elements that are characteristic of the jewellery of the Victorian era (1837-1901):

1) Jewellery was mostly made in18 to 22 karat gold & whenever diamonds were to be set, they were invariably white metal would be used to enhance their intrinsic beauty.

2) Natural elements like flowers, trees, and birds were predominant in the design. Commonly used motifs were serpents (a symbol of eternity), love and song birds, love knots, clasped hands and miniatures.

3) Two of the most popular design techniques were 'CANNATILLE' and 'REPOUSSE'. Cannatille jewellery used twisted strands of gold wire wound into elaborate designs giving it a delicate look, while Repousse typically had solid forms with raised and fluted edges.

4) Besides Cannatille and Repousse, the other techniques used were 'Filigree', Die rolling and Engraving which gave the illusion of mass and size, while only using a minimum amount of precious metal.

5) The jewellery was often accented with seed pearls, turquoise and pink coral. Other gemstones used include blue zircon, "pinked" or heat treated topaz, amethyst, peridot, citrine, aquamarine, garnet, ruby, sapphire and emerald.

6) Natural materials such as tortoise shell, lava, ivory and vulcanite too were popular choices, especially for carved pieces, miniatures and cameos.

See pictures of Victorian Jewellery here

You can pick a piece of precious history this Diwali, a Victorian style necklace or earrings maybe!

Identifying gemstones with a microscope

2007-11-06T17:39:00.000+05:30

All amateur gemologists would agree with me when I say that, at present the greatest challenge in the field of gemology is to identify heat treated and fractured filled gemstones. Especially rubies, sapphires and emeralds. Being the top three selling gemstones it becomes all the more important to detect the treatments in them.

The article "Under the Microscope" by Julie Nash and Arthur Skuratowicz from Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America (MJSA) gives us a wonderful insight in identifying the treatments like , laser drilled holes, fracture filling,HPHT and irradiation in diamonds,glass filled and heat treated rubies ,fracture filled emeralds,etc. There`s even a small article in how to handle a microscope.Even the self explaining microscope photos are worth a glance.

Herea a small para from the article...

"Preventing misidentification of gems is not just a case of identifying the variety and species of gemstone. In our current business climate, it's also important to identify the treatments that gems have undergone. Many of these treatments are considered routine in our industry, yet consumers are often shocked to discover that their emerald has been fracture filled, or their tanzanite heat-treated. Full disclosure of all gem treatments is necessary and often required by the Federal Trade Commission"....to read more click here

Award winning design

2007-11-12T11:24:00.000+05:30

Today morning after tea I was wondering if our art, designs and jewelery are dying a slow death. Looking at bulk made products everywhere, I was getting little frustrated.Creativity and art is rarely found in mass made products. But as it always happens with me ,I came across this fabulous piece of jewelery by Jeffrey Appling .After studying his jewelery I realised that he brings to his designs a meticulous craftsmanship that makes each individual piece both elegant and durable.Pearl Protrusion,(the ring in this photo) is made of platinum with faceted white and black pearls,and the set stones are tsavorite garnets and pink sapphires(other side).Just observe how neatly the pearls are faceted.

No doubt it bagged the first place in 2007 Jewelry Arts Awards by lapidary journal magazine.

consumers beware!

2007-11-15T22:17:00.000+05:30

I am really surprised and perplexed at how jewellers after giving spurious and inferior quality goods to innocent people, go away un-challenged by anyone??? .That too in this 21 century ,where information is at finger tips for everyone.

Just look at the seal in this ring. It says 23C .

That means the gold used in this ring is 97.5%.975 parts pure gold in 1000 parts of total gold. Absolutely absurd! such intricacy in rings or for that matter any item cannot be made in higher Karatage. Its pure logic,higher Karatage of gold is softer and heavier to work with. (thats one of the main reasons why diamonds are set in 18 Kt or less gold, because of the strength and hardness of lesser karat gold) Next time if you find any delicately worked item, with such seal ,just go to any testing centre and check the purity of the gold. Its that simple.You`ll see the results yourself. These days testing centres are found everywhere and theres no damage also done to your item. You get x-ray analysis within 5 min for a mere Rs50- 100/-. All the best buyers!

P.S :I tested the ring and it turned out to be 82.65 purity (i.e 19.84 Kt).

Awards winnig hand woven turquoise necklace!

2007-11-22T10:04:00.000+05:30

Here`s a wonderful peice of jewellery I just came across by mary darwall ! I loved the the flow of colours and the combination she has used. It has eleven turquoise cabochons, turquoise beads, freshwater pearls, glass seed beads, beading cloth, nylon thread, 49-strand wire, 14K closure and eather backing. This piece is hand needle woven... lovely! Worthy for the first prize on Jewelry Arts Awards 2007, isn`t it?

Diamond ring gift by Prince Azim of Brunei

2007-12-13T18:41:00.000+05:30

sometimes I wished I had friends like the son of Sultan ,Prince Azim of Brunei. Check out the ring he gifted to his close friend Jade Goody ( She is most famous for causing a diplomatic row with her allegedly racist remarks on Celebrity "Big Brother" )The ring is believed to be worth atleast £3million!!.

This is what I call friends for life ;),,kidding.

Read the full article with lots of pics ..

Victoria's Secret unveils 2008 Fantasy Bra

2008-10-23T10:07:00.003+05:30

Columbus, Ohio—With the holiday season approaching, Victoria's Secret unveiled its annual jewel-encrusted "Fantasy Bra" on Monday, with this year's lingerie creation totaling more than 1,000 carats and valued at $5 million.Jeweler Martin Katz crafted the 2008 Black Diamond Fantasy Miracle Bra using 3,575 black diamonds, 117 certified one-carat round diamonds and 34 rubies.The piece de resistance of the bra's design, however, is two black-diamond drops totaling 100 carats.

Indian diamond firms queue up in Botswana

2008-10-04T11:35:00.000+05:30

Anticipating an imminent supply crunch of rough diamonds, at least half a dozen Indian diamond-processing firms have lined up investment proposals worth over $30 million in Botswana, the African country that provides over 26 per cent of global roughs.Investments in Botswanian processing units would allow the firms to participate in the mining and beneficiation process, which will ultimately help them transport roughs to their cutting and polishing units back Diamond-mining countries have tightened norms for the supply of rough diamonds to processing units abroad. Instead, they have started encouraging processing companies to participate in mining and beneficiation through initial commitment in cutting and polishing there. Indian companies engaged in diamond processing import roughs through auctions in Antwerp. They also procure roughs from the spot market with a premium as high as 10-15 per cent.This is significant as the local processing units are facing a margin squeeze due to the high inventory, equivalent to nine months as against the usual 3-4 months of processing capacity, and huge spurt, about 15-20 per cent, in prices of roughs. India processes over 85 per cent of the global finished diamond.

Druzy Agate Freeform Pendant Bead

2008-10-03T10:35:00.001+05:30

Druzy Agate Freeform Pendant Bead
Originally uploaded by milminedesign

My imagination tells me to make a beautiful unique ring out of this by polishing the inside surface lol

Indo Argyle Diamond Council closes

2008-10-03T10:20:00.000+05:30

Paso Robles, Calif.—The Indo Argyle Diamond Council (IADC), a by-invitation-only, paid-membership program for Indian diamond jewelry manufacturers, will close this December because it has "accomplished all of its goals," the organization has announced.According to the IADC, over its 15-year history, the program has raised the U.S. market's awareness of India's ability to manufacture high-quality, sellable diamond jewelry in price points from mass market to high end.One of the most significant signs of the program's success has been the tremendous increase of jewelry exports from India to North America. The amount of finished-jewelry exports has gone from approximately $300 million in 1994 to $2.3 billion in 2007, the IADC reports.Another successful aspect of the program was its ability to introduce and secure appointments between IADC members and major North American retail jewelers. This was accomplished more than 3,060 times leading to every major retailer now purchasing directly from Indian jewelry manufacturers, according to the IADC. Some of these appointments took place in India during IADC-sponsored buying trips with the IADC management team.

Venus Jewel launches online diamond auction

2008-10-02T10:36:00.001+05:30

Mumbai, India—Diamond Trading Co. sightholder Venus Jewel has announced it is now offering a service that allows its customers to bid for diamonds online.According to a release from the Mumbai, India-based manufacturer, the new Venus Exclusive Diamonds (VED) is the first time an auction service has been offered by a diamond manufacturer.VED will upload new diamonds every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. IST (about 10:00 a.m. EST), displaying a minimum price for each of the diamonds.The auction will be open for seven days.

read more here

Burmese ruby ban takes effect

2008-10-01T19:23:00.001+05:30

Washington—A long-expected U.S. ban on gemstones from Myanmar took effect on Monday, 60 days from the date that President Bush signed the Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE Act of 2008 into law.Gems from Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) that entered the country prior to the ban can still be bought and sold in the United States, at least as long as supplies last.The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency has issued new, harmonized tariff system codes for all non-Burmese rubies and jadeite imported into the United States to distinguish those goods from the ones that have been banned, according to a press release issued on Monday by the Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC).The new codes, which encompass both rough and polished gemstones covered by the act, as well as jewelry containing ruby and jadeite, can be obtained by contacting the JVC."The Tom Lantos Block Burmese JADE Act of 2008 has a serious and long-term impact on U.S. jewelry manufacturers who import jadeite and rubies," said Cecilia Gardner, the JVC's president, chief executive officer and general counsel, in the release. "Use of the new Customs codes should begin immediately for all imports from non-Burmese countries of ruby and jadeite."

read more

http://www.nationaljewelernetwork.com/njn/content_display/colored_stones/e3i5452d1396a606a415cb2a0b049ee6387

Alarm in Raipur as Maoists reach diamond belt

2008-07-30T10:50:00.001+05:30

Maoists have begun extending their activities into Chhatisgarh's diamond-rich belt with the murder of a former village panchayat sarpanch at Amagaon in Raipur district, about 100 km from the state capital, on Saturday.
In the last six months, numerous villagers in Chhattisgrah have alerted the police about Naxalite presence in the forests of Gariaband, Mainpur and Churra blocks, including areas where kimberlite pipes - the most important source of mined diamonds - are located. Intelligence inputs have said CPI (Maoist) cadres are using this region as a safe haven because of the pressure mounting on them in South Bastar.
Raipur Inspector General of Police Y K S Thakur told The Indian Express that, in the last six months, there has been Naxalite movement in areas close to diamond deposits. "The security apparatus has been beefed up and vigil is being maintained in the area," he added.
The first incident of Naxalite violence in Gariaband - in which the rebels killed former sarpanch Niram Singh Dhruv - has raised concerns as the state Government has already started prospecting and mining of diamonds in seven districts, including Gariaband block in Raipur district.
"Naxalite incidents close to diamond deposit areas could slow down the process," an official of the state Mining Department said. "At least half a dozen companies are involved at an advanced stage of diamond prospecting in seven districts and the target is to start commercial production in next four or five years," he said, adding that diamond prospecting is being carried out in Raipur, Mahasamund, Durg, Dhamtari, Kanker, Jashpur and Rajnandgaon districts.
A group of 35 Naxalites stormed into 55-year-old Dhruv's house late on Saturday night. They locked his family members in a room and dragged him out of the house, accusing him of being a police informer. The rebels thrashed him with lathis, tied him to an electric pole and shot him dead. They also left pamphlets announcing "death penalty" to Dhruv and his son-in-law Dinesh Dhruv, who has not been seen after the incident.

Spectacular Precious Topaz

2008-07-22T12:13:00.001+05:30

Spectacular Precious Topaz
Originally uploaded by Jewelry Muse

A lovely imperial topaz and garnet pendant I just came across.

Kashmir Sapphires - The Real Story

2008-07-07T11:49:00.002+05:30

Kashmir sapphires were first discovered as the result of a landslide between 1879 and 1882 in the Kudi valley near the hamlet of Sumjam in the Padar region of Kashmir in the Himalayas. Upon hearing of these superb gems, the Maharajah sent a regiment of sepoy(soldiers) to protect the mines.

The first few years saw prolific mining for these fine gems and by 1882 they began to appear on the Indian market in Simla. Even in these early years, however, the recovery of these stones was exceedingly difficult due to the high altitude of the terrain, the inclement weather conditions and the fact the mines were only accessible during the short summer months from July to September.

In 1887 the British sent the geologist TD La Touche to the Kudi valley, who after an extensive survey, discovered that there were two mines. The original 'old mine' which procured the finest gems, consisted of a series of shallow pits on the Northeast wall of the valley, and the 'new mine' a trench located 100 metres south of the 'old mine'. Both mines were leased to C.M.P Wright and the Kashmir Mineral Company in 1906, but after the discovery of limited fine gems and due to the poor weather conditions they ceased in 1908.

Since the time of their initial discovery the production of Kashmir sapphires has remained sporadic and their supply limited. Valued for their velvety blue colour with a greenish dichroism when viewed from the side, these sapphires sometimes appear milky due to minute liquid filled cavities or crystals within the stone, an appearance which is often described as "sleepy'.

Hallmarked diamond by BIS- Is it a great idea??

2008-05-21T08:14:00.004+05:30

Bureau of Indian Standards are going to grade diamonds soon. It is great that government is taking good steps to standardise our diamond grading system, but little they know that it requires tremendous patience, dedication and efforts to even think of going in these lines. The infrastructure to grade diamonds should be handled by professionals and the work taken on hand should be relieved asap .It cannot give a laid back attitude like they show in other fields. All the best folkes!

The article goes like this....

Next time when you buy sparkling gems from a jewellery shop to cherish that special occasion, make it a point to ask for the gems inscribed with the BIS hallmark, like the one in gold and silver ornaments. Because, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has for the first time established the Indian standards on the quality parameters and grading of the polished diamonds in the country. read more