The Aussie Sapphire blog is now at www.aussiesapphire.com

However, for more active discussions, we suggest you check out our new forum ALF (Aussie Lapidary Forum) which is growing day by day and has lots of great information on gems, fossicking, lapidary and more.

The online shop is now working properly at www.aussiesapphire.com.au

We apologise for the inconvenience.  Remember, this blog is now maintained at the new location.

www.aussiesapphire.com/

The RSS newsfeed is now located at:

 http://aussiesapphire.com/blog/?feed=rss2

Please update your bookmarks and/or newsreader program and we hope to see you over at our new digs.

cheers from Aussie Sapphire

Time is running out for delivery by Christmas.  If you live overseas, we cannot guarantee parcels will arrive by December 24th even if sent by Fedex so please keep this in mind when ordering from now on.  Our Australian customers only have a few more days for guaranteed delivery by Star Track Express.

If you have left things to the last minute, may we suggest our new Gift Certificates.  This new feature allows you to load funds into your Gift Certificate account and then send to anyone via email.  Your recipient can redeem their certificate by simply following the instructions in their email. 

We have a lot of great items in the online shop now so there is plenty to choose from.  Have had a big run on our rough sapphire catalogue and a great response to our parcels of rough so we hope to list more when time permits. 

We will be working through the Christmas holiday break so please feel free to contact us any time.  Our mining activity will be a little interrupted by the need to harvest our oats crops and take care of other farming jobs.  Apart from that it will be business as usual.

Aussie Sapphire would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our customers for their support over the past year and wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.

cheers from Andrew and Leah

Gemmology Matters:  Turquoise is a hydrated copper-aluminium phosphate with the chemical formula CuAl₆(PO₄)₄(OH)₈·5H₂O.   Turquoise is a cryptocrystalline opaque mineral which is rare in gem quality.  Colour ranges from white through various blue colours to a yellowish green with the most valuable types usually considered to be a pure sky or “robin’s egg” blue with little green tone and even colour.   Colour type depends on the relative amounts of copper and iron in the stone with copper producing blue colour and iron producing green.  Although uniformity of colour is prized in turquoise, it is often found with brown/black veining or marks running through the stone – known as “Turquoise Matrix”, these types are usually worth less but may be considered more attractive by some buyers.

Turquoise is mined in the Southwestern United States, Iran, Tibet, and China.  Turquoise is usually found in dry regions and in association with copper deposits.  Particuarly in the USA, it is often mined as a by-product of copper mining.   Photograph at left shows a piece of turquoise from Nevada (image from Skystone Trading).   Australia is not a major source of turquoise with only small deposits found in northern Victoria, in the Narooma-Bodalla region of the New South Wales south coast, and at Amaroo station in the Northern Territory (Australian Museum).

Turquoise in its natural state is relatively soft at 5 to 6 on the Moh Scale.  It can be susceptible to damage or discolouration if exposed to prolonged sunlight, skin oils or chemicals in perfumes, cleaning agents, etc.  In order to protect against this, many turquoise gems are sealed with oil or wax.  A more radical form of this treatment is the creation of “bonded” or “stabilised” turquoise by impregnating the stone with epoxy or plastics under pressure.  Some turquoise is sold as “reconstituted” where small fragments of stone are ground and then bonded together to form a new stone – be aware that these types may include “filler” material and/or be dyed.  Imitations are also frequently used – the most common being white howlite dyed to imitate the blue of turquoise.  The cheaper turquoise used in beads or low-cost silver jewellery is usually heavily treated or may actually be imitation.  Very fine quality turquoise is rare and will command a high price – these stones should be verified by an expert.

Mythology and Lore:  Turquoise is among the worlds oldest known gemstones – many ancient civilisations valued it highly.  The name Turquoise is derived from the French “Pierre Turquois” meaning Turkish Stone as it was thought the gem came from Turkey.  Actually, the gems reaching Europe at the time came via marketplaces in Turkey from Persia (now Iran), where some of the oldest known turquoise mines are located.  In Persian, Turquoise is known as “Ferozah”, meaning victorious and it is the national gemstone of Iran to this day.

Ancient examples of its use survive to this day and it may seen in some of the most famous archeological artifacts.  The gold burial mask of Tutankhamun is heavily inlaid with gemstones of which turquoise features prominantly. The Aztecs also used the stone heavily and a number of examples of this work may be seen in work dating back to the time of Montezuma.

Image at left is of Tutankhamun’s Burial Mask – courtesy of the Egyptian Museum.  Image at right is of an Aztec double-headed serpent with turquoise mosaic – see the British Museum image collection of artifacts from Montezuma’s Treasure.

Many Native American peoples used the stone as a protective amulet – it is often associated with the sky and wind.  It is said that Apache warriors believed wearing  turquoise would improve their hunting prowess.  Turquoise was generally believed to bring happiness and good fortune to all and in fact, it did bring great fortune to the Anasazi people who mined the stone due to the high demand for it from other areas such as Mexico.

The typical Native American turquoise set silver jewellery is a relatively modern development (thought to date from the late 1880’s) – traditional pieces were more likely to use turquoise as beads, inlay or mosaic on natural materials such as wood and carvings.

However these days, the use of silver to complement the unique beauty of turquoise is closely associated with southwestern American culture and the popularity of this style of jewellery has spread worldwide.  This wonderful example of a handwrought silver bracelet is by Harry H. Begay and is available from Chacadog.com – it is not cheap but the quality of the workmanship and materials deserve no less.

Alternatives in Blue:  Blue is an extremely popular colour for gemstones and there are a range of other gems in blue or blue-green.  For transparent gems, we suggest blue topaz, blue zircon or aquamarine.  Although sapphire from our mine tends to be more saturated in colour, it is possible to buy sapphire in these sky-blue shades as well.  While topaz and zircon are reasonably affordable, you will pay quite a bit more for sapphire or for aquamarine of good (not washed-out) colour.  Blue alternatives in opaque gems might include chrysocolla, agate, lapis lazuli and other similar stones.

Links of Interest:

• Wikipedia article on Turquoise (very detailed)
• Bernardine Fine Art Jewelry – article on Turquoise
• ICGA Gem by Gem – Turquoise
• About Turquoise by Skystone Trading – focusing on American turquoise with lots of photographs of different types.
• GIA Library – Featured Gem: Turquoise

Hope you enjoyed this article on turquoise – stay tuned for the next gem of the month.

cheers from Aussie Sapphire

The catalogue is split into Rings, Pendants, Earrings and Cabachon Settings – all stock is in sterling silver (14k gold can be supplied as a special order but will take a little time to arrive from our USA supplier).

Settings are listed here.

We have increased our stock of settings designed for cabbed gems – these are particularly suited for opals and the like.  Note that we do have some cabbed gems in stock that we hope to list as soon as possible but there is a huge range of possibilities out there in the gem world.

While we dont recommend you leave it to the last minute, if you supply an address where parcels can be signed for, we can send by Star Track Express for fast, courier delivery within Australia.

cheers for now from Aussie Sapphire

Global tenders for sapphire extraction in Jammu and Kashmir

The problems of mining in such an area are obvious but perhaps the rewards would be very great for someone with the right experience and the ability to work cooperatively with the locals.  Our hope is that the people of the area benefit from these plans rather than see the wealth disappear without consultation or involvement in the scheme.

Genuine Kashmir sapphires are renowned for their beauty and for being very difficult to obtain – perhaps the difficulty of supply might change for the better.

cheers for now from Aussie Sapphire

Plenty of time left for shipping all your needs for the perfect Gemstone Christmas.

New stock:  After being asked time and again we have decided to offer full Mine Run Sapphire,the real thing with no specials removed, just $5 AUD/ ct.  Unbeatable value for the serious Gemstone enthusiast.  More mine run parcels of quality Tourmaline, Spessartite, Emerald have also been added with  small parcels at large parcel prices – check them now as next stock will be dearer.  Just check out the new Parcels of Rough category.

We have also added more great individual sapphire rough including some very affordable pieces – still great quality so take a look at these new items.

Christmas special is a 20% discount on all our handmade Gold Jewellery.  A great gift idea for the special person in your life.  Truly unique one off designs at 40-50% off  High Street Retail prices.

Andrew’s Christmas picks:  If you cant see anything above, try these super deals:

• Gem carat electronic scales just $36 AUD – weighs to 0.05 carats, great value, warranty etc.
• Diamond powder for faceting  20cts just $26 AUD Hard to buy this cheap – proven quality.
• Bag a beauty fossicking wash, great for young and old,fun and find guaranteed!! (Aussies only only sorry, overseas buyers look at the concentrated gravel). Check our Fossicking link.  Have fun!

Dont forget free Shipping for combined purchases over $100 AUD – just enter free_shipping in the box at the checkout (Redemption Code) to redeem this offer.

In the TRADE ?  Dont miss out on possible further discounts, ask today.

We have been spending a lot of time listing new products so please take a look – I am sure you will find something of interest.  Courier delivery is available so plenty of time to arrive before Christmas.

cheers for now from Aussie Sapphire

In the meantime, if there are any items that you would like access to large images for, just email us and we will arrange this.  Please bear with us while we sort this problem out.   If you know of any other little glitches, please let us know and we can try to solve them while we we are troubleshooting.

thanks for your patience from Aussie Sapphire

UPDATE (23/11/06): I think we have this problem sorted out now (hopefully).  All images should be now displaying normally.  If you see a glitch, please let me know so I can chase it up.  Sometimes computers can be very frustrating !!

Black Spinel: Dark Star

The article points out the benefits of using black spinel as a superior alternative to onyx or diamond and highlights some jewellers/dealers who have already discovered this fantastic gem.

“Braunwart (Columbia Gem House) is convinced many jewelers will resist the temptation to be onyx-wise and spinel-foolish. “The large difference in quality should outweigh the small difference in price,” he says”.

Here at Aussie Sapphire, we have been trying to tell the story of Black Spinel for some time.  So far, the feedback is very encouraging and we hope to see even more demand for this wonderful gemstone in the future.

Aussie Sapphire can supply black spinel at very competitive prices:  Retail price =  $6.50 AU/carat for faceted stones < 1 ct in size and only $4.90 AU/carat for faceted stones > 1 carat makes this a very affordable alternative.  Wholesale discounts are available to trade buyers.

Please browse our extensive range of black spinel calibrated gems – not everything is listed so please contact us any time to discuss your requirements.

cheers for now from Aussie Sapphire

We have just received some new pieces in 18k white and yellow gold – these look fantastic and would make someone special very happy.

Here is a lovely 18k Ring with sapphire and diamond

Click here to see more Gold Rings

These Triangular Sapphire & Diamond Earrings look great!

Click here to see more Gold Earrings

Last example is our Sapphire/Diamond Circle Pendant

Click here to see more Gold Pendants

Hope this has given you some gift-buying inspiration.  These discounts will last until Christmas Eve but remember, these are one-off pieces so dont wait too long.  If your tastes run along more practical lines, please view our range of other products including rough and faceted gems, blank jewellery settings, gem storage and lighting and more.

NEW:  Fossicking at home with our Bag a Beauty Sapphire Gravel and Concentrated Gravel packs – check out the Fossicking section for more information.  Great gift idea!!

Cheers for now from Aussie Sapphire

Photo at left from is a good example of Imperial Topaz from Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom

Gemmology Matters:   Natural Topaz is a fluro silicate with the chemical formula Al₂SiO₄(F,OH)₂ .  It is found in a variety of colors including brown, red, orange, pink, sherry, yellow as well as colourless.  Often the shades from yellow through to red are termed “Precious Topaz” with particular colour combinations described as “Imperial Topaz” – those gems denoted as Imperial and the very rare red varieties command the highest prices.  The definition of Imperial Topaz colour (reddish-orange?) can be quite complicated – see this Gemology Online thread for more discussion on this subject. 

 This example of a sherry coloured topaz crystal is from John Betts Fine Minerals (Gem Crystals catalogue) – this specimen is from Pakistan and shows the hexagonal crystal habit of topaz very clearly.

Green and blue topaz are naturally very pale, the very bright colours often found in jewellery today are the result in irradiation treatment – Sky Blue, Swiss Blue and London Blue are names used by the gem trade to refer to the depth of color.   See our Blue Topaz article for more information.   Please note that surface colour coatings are becoming more common in Topaz – starting with the multi-colour version of Mystic Topaz, but now also used to create other colours such as pink.  Gems treated in this way should be treated with care to avoid damaging the colour coating.  These types of gems should be far cheaper than naturally coloured stones so be wary when purchasing brightly coloured Topaz and ask about enhancement treatments first.

The principal sources for topaz is Brazil – also found in Sri Lanka, Russia, Australia, Africa, Mexico and Pakistan.  Topaz is an excellent gemstone for jewellery with a hardness of 8 – although it has perfect cleavage which may present some danger when setting in jewellery.  For this reason, topaz should be treated with care and protected from hard knocks.

Mythology and Lore:   While the blue variety of topaz is for those born in December, yellow topaz is the modern November birthstone.  Topaz may be given to celebrate the 4th, 19th and 23rd wedding anniversaries.

Most of the mythology for topaz relates to the yellow variety as natural blue topaz is quite rare and pale in colour.  The Egyptians believed that topaz was coloured with the golden glow of Ra – the sun god.  The importance of Ra made topaz a very powerful protective amulet for the faithful.  This link with the sun was also found in ancient Roman culture where topaz was associated Jupiter, also a God of the Sun.

Topaz was once thought to strengthen the mind, increase wisdom, and prevent mental disorders.  It was also thought to guard against sudden death.  Legend says that topaz has the power to dispel all enchantment and help improve eyesight.  The ancient Greeks used the gem to increase strength and make its wearer invisible in times of crisis.  Used in medicine in ancient time, topaz was said to cure insomnia, asthma, and hemorrhages.

 This imperial topaz photograph is from the Palagems Topaz Buying Guide which also has some excellent information on the famous Ouro Preto mine in Brazil (see link below).

Alternatives in Yellow:  The range of colour in Precious Topaz brings to mind the amber gold of fine cognac, the blush of a ripe peach and all the colours of a setting sun.   While its cheaper cousin, Citrine, is commonly used these days and is an alternative November birthstone, it is slightly softer and does not have quite the complexity of colour that is present in a particularly fine Topaz.  Sapphire is also found in yellow – while beryllium treated yellows now abound in the marketplace, a fine golden yellow sapphire of natural colour can command very high prices. 

Links of Interest:

• Bernardine Fine Art Jewelry – article on topaz
• ICGA Gem by Gem article – Topaz
• Pala Gems – Imperial Topaz Buying Guide
• Excerpt from Secrets of the Gem Trade (R.W. Wise) – Topaz, Visiting the Mine
• Mineral and Gemstone Kingdom – Topaz
• Wikipedia article on Topaz

Aussie Sapphire does not currently have any topaz in stock – we do have a small supply of good yellow sapphire (natural and basic heat only – no beryllium treatment).  None of this is currently listed but we invite you to contact us directly if you are interested.

cheers for now from Aussie Sapphire

We have some fantastic new items (some in 18k white and yellow gold) in stock now with lots more to list so we definitely recommend you take a look through these catalogues.  We have chosen some of our best blue sapphire for these pieces and we are thrilled with how they turned out. 

Here is just one example: – this 18k yellow gold ring features a 0.59 carat sapphire with 0.5 carats of diamond – four round diamonds squaring the sapphire with smaller accent diamonds channel set along the split shank.

This would make a fantastic gift for someone special – it looks fantastic !

We have more items to list and hope to do this over the next week.  More cut black spinel and a great new batch of sapphire cutting to sort through including some unheated sapphire.  Lots more to do so better get back to the grindstone – stay tuned here for more announcements.

cheers for now from Aussie Sapphire

cheers for now from Aussie Sapphire

Of course, black is the colour of choice for Halloween so we suggest you browse our great range of black spinel jewellery.  Dont worry if you missed out on buying something for this year, Black is always in fashion so get in early for next year.

The prices are no trick – so treat yourself !

Since Glen Innes is known as Celtic Country, I thought it might be of interest to point out that Halloween actually derives from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain.   Many of the modern traditions and symbols for Halloween date back to this “fire festival” of the Celts.

Samhain Eve is one of the main festivals of the Celtic calendar, and is thought to fall on or around the 31st of October representing the beginning of winter and the final harvest.   Celtic mythology holds that on this date, the boundary separating the dead from the living became blurred.  It is still the custom in some areas to place food out for the spirits or to set a place for the dead at the Samhain feast, and to tell tales of the ancestors on that night.

Traditionally, Samhain was time to take stock of the herds and grain supplies, and decide which animals would need to be slaughtered in order for the people and livestock to survive the winter.  Bonfires were an important part of the festival – with the bonfire ablaze, the villagers extinguished all other fires. Each family would then light its hearth fire from the common flame, symbolically binding the community together.

For those who would like to learn more about Halloween, we recommend the following links of interest:

• Wikipedia article on Halloween
• Mything Links article on Samhain 

Cheers for now from Aussie Sapphire – the most comprehensive source of faceted Black Spinel Gemstones.