#2) The Oscars: Who Wore What Jewels

Diamonds are Still King

and the Lapel Pin is Proving its Sticking Power!

The Women, The Men, and at the Vanity Fair After-party

Lauralee from WhoWoreWhatJewels.com has really pushed herself to give us THREE Oscar features highlighting the jewels worn by the women, the men, and what was seen at the Vanity Fair Oscar party!

Diamonds were everywhere, but none as striking as those worn by Coco Jones, who donned a $15 million, 104-carat Harry Kotlar necklace, and Scarlett Johansson, who sparkled in $5 million worth of De Beers diamonds totaling 102 carats.

And check out model Anok Yai who wore De Beers’ Forces of Nature ‘Dignity’ Tassel Necklace, set with dozens (yes, dozens) of fancy brown rough diamond crystals - AWESOME!

There were emeralds - and more emeralds, pink spinels, fancy color diamonds, those fancy color rough diamonds, and more!



Tap here to get the details, and see who wore what at the Oscars, courtesy of Lauralee at WhoWoreWhatJewels.com!

Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

Auctions offer a fantastic opportunity to study and appreciate jewelry from the past, whether it’s a specific era from the late 1800s or early 1900s, a remarkable center stone, or exquisite craftsmanship. Upcoming sales at Sotheby’s, Christie’s, Heritage, and others showcase a great assortment of jewels to get a closer look. So let's take a look.

from Heritage Auctions:

A Buccellati Sapphire, Gold Necklace (seen above)

Sapphire cabochons

Metal: 18k white and yellow gold

The cabochons measure approximately 5.75 x 4.50 x 3.00 mm. Total estimated weight of the cabochons in this necklace is approximately 25.00 carats.

Marked 18k Italy, Gianmaria Buccellati and accompanied by signed Gianmaria Bucellati necklace box/folio for safekeeping.

Tap here to see what auction jewels we have chosen for you today!



by Emily “D.D.” Frontiere

for the Roskin Gem News Report

The market for fine Type A jadeite jade free of any and all treatments and enhancements is undeniably centered in East Asia. There, buyers eagerly scoop up rich green stones with an even and glowing texture mined in Myanmar for incredible amounts of money – some pieces fetching millions of dollars. Conditions in the Americas are markedly different. While there are certainly devoted fans of jadeite jade in the Western hemisphere, public awareness of the stone is much more limited, and native gems never reach the astronomical values attached to some of their Eastern counterparts. As such, it came as a surprise that a new development in the world of fine jadeite jade premiered at the AGTA Tucson Gem Show by the American-based company, Mason-Kay.

The team at Mason-Kay, led by Jeff Mason, are top jade experts in the USA. They offer testing services and assistance with valuation. Dealing with fine Type A jadeite jade exclusively, Mason-Kay buys and sells estate pieces, as well as acting as a wholesaler distributor.



This year, they debuted a collection of fine Guatemalan jadeite jade pieces boasting a collection of features previously seen in a handful of examples too sparce to market. This material is characterized by a combination of three hues – blue, gray, and green – paired with exceptional transparency.

Tap here to learn more about this

important find of Guatemalan Jadeite Jade.

CHAMWE KAIRA

Windhoek Observer Magazine

Journalist Chamwe Kaira at Windhoek Observer Magazine writes about Namibia's diamond fields... or should we say beaches? You see, much of what is being mined in Namibia is either under layers of sand at the beach, or just off the coast laying on the sea floor.

"Namibia has the richest known marine diamond deposits in the world, with diamond resources estimated at approximately 75 million carats in approximately 1.0 million square kilometres of seabed.

"Marine diamond deposits represent around 80% of the partnership’s total diamond production and 94% of its diamond resources, based on the Anglo American 2024 Integrated Report. Anglo American owns De Beers."

In an update, Kaira offers a quick diamond production comparison of Namibia with other De Beers properties.

"Diamond production in Namibia rose by 3% to 600,000 carats, driven by higher-grade mining and improved recoveries at Namdeb. [Namdeb is a Namibian De Beers partnership]

"Namdeb is well-known for its unique position, with diamond exploration and mining along the south-west coast, offshore in the shallow waters, and inland areas of Namibia’s //Karas Region. It is quite fascinating to see diamonds being vacuumed up at the beach and from the sea floor."

Other Southern African production: "In Botswana, production decreased by 31% to 4.2 million carats as a result of planned actions to lower production at Jwaneng. According to De Beers’ production report for the fourth quarter ended 31 December 2024, deliberate lower production at Debmarine Namibia partially offset this."

Tap here to read more from Namibian diamond mining

and production reports in the Windhoek Observer Magazine.

Once again, Sammantha has sent us another amazing photomicrograph, this time, an enhydro [Greek for "water within" - hydrous].

Looking up the definition of "enhydro" in our copy of Rui Galopim de Carvalho's book, Gempedia, an enhydro is a cavity/negative crystal inside quartz that contains water.

This fluid inclusion contains a visible gas bubble that is often times mobile (tilt the stone and the bubble moves towards a higher level).

This particular enhydro inclusion seen here was found in a quartz from Brazil. This photomicrograph is a stack of 32 images and was taken at ~30x magnification.

Sammantha Maclachlan is an accomplished gemmologist and photomicrographer. Her attention to gemmological detail and beauty is evident within the incredible shots shown here and in the Roskin Gem News Report online magazine. We thank Sammantha for sharing her images, and welcome you to enjoy the page!

Tap Here for more Gemmological Eye-Candy from Sammantha Maclachlan! 

Tanzania Daily News

Mariam Said in Dodoma

March 3, 2025

The Mining Commission’s Directorate of Inspection and Mineral Trade has engaged key stakeholders in developing new guideline for prices of gemstones in the country to ensure a well-regulated and fair trading environment.

Speaking at a recent meeting in Dodoma, the capital city of Tanzania, which involved mineral valuers, small-scale miners and buyers, the Commission’s Director of Mineral Audit and Trade, Mr. Venance Kasiki, [the Tax Officer] said the gathering aimed to assess and set gemstone prices for the next three months.

The stakeholders participated under the umbrella of various associations, including the Tanzania Women Miners Association (TAWOMA), the Federation of Miners Associations of Tanzania (FEMATA), the Tanzania Mineral Dealers Association (TAMIDA) and the Tanzania Brokers Association (CHAMMATA).

The story goes on to say that Kasiki assured stakeholders that the new prices would be transparent and easily accessible through online.

“The approved prices ceiling will be published on the Mining Commission’s website and other official platforms. I urge all stakeholders to regularly check these sources or visit resident mining officers for updates,” he emphasised.

What does this mean for the miners, and for the buyers?

Tap here to find out more of this new Tanzanian Price Guideline!

California's NEW Professional Conference for Gemologists, Appraisers and Jewelry Sellers

Mason-Kay Jade is proud to present the inaugural International Jade Summit at the Monterey Bay Jade Festival, to take place at Custom House Plaza in Monterey, CA on June 14th, 2025 -- the weekend after JCK Vegas!

This all-day event will feature educational seminars for gemologists, appraisers, jade sellers and jade carvers. Speakers include a jade miner, a jade discoverer, a gemologist, and a geologist/geophysicist!

Learn firsthand about the world of jade from industry leaders including Kirk Makepeace of Jade West Mining in Canada, Mary Lou Ridinger of Jade Maya in Guatemala, and Jeff Mason of Mason-Kay Jade in the USA.

Breakfast and lunch will be included, and there will be plenty of time allotted for professional networking and browsing the Georg Schmerholz Jade Carving Exhibition and the Monterey Bay Jade Festival, in sight of Old Fisherman's Wharf and the Monterey Bay!

This is a can't-miss event for anyone in the jewelry industry who wants to deepen their understanding of jade. We are proud to support this event as it's headlining sponsor to educate the gem and jewelry trade on a stone with fast-growing demand.

The International Jade Summit

at the Monterey Bay Jade Festival

Sat. June 14th, 2025

Register at montereybayjadefestival.org

Exhibitions

"Discover Tucson" with Duncan Parker

The Canadian Gemmological Association

March 19 -

The Canadian Gemmological Association will be hosting Duncan Parker, Vice President, Jewellery Specialist, at Dupuis Fine Jewellery Auctioneers at their monthly webinar.

Parker will be speaking on his latest visit to the Tucson Gems & Minerals Shows - "Discover Tucson."

Assets 2025 Conference / National Treasures

International Society of Appraisers

April 2-4 -

ISA, the International Society of Appraisers' 37th annual Assets conference "National Treasures" is being held at The Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City hotel on Wednesday through Friday, April 2-4. 

ASJRA 20th Anniversary Conference

The Association for the Study of Jewelry & Related Arts

May 17-18 -

The Association for the Study of Jewelry & Related Arts (ASJRA) has announced its 20th Anniversary Conference will be held virtually on the afternoons of May 17/18, 2025.

The conference, titled A Snapshot in Time: Speakers Return for ASJRA’s 20th Anniversary, will feature several well-known speakers from the past, presenting updated versions of their previous lectures

BrankoGems in Montana

International Gemmological Conference in Helena

June 13-15 -

BrankoGems has organized the first USA International Conference in Helena, June 13-15, 2025 with pre- and post-conference trips to Yogo, Missouri River, and Rock Creek Sapphire Mines ... and Yellowstone Park.

(Tours are limited to a maximum of 30 attendees for sapphire mine trips.)

Many renowned international experts will be discussing Sapphires from Montana, Turquoise Grading, addressing the challenges and difficulties we all face in the identification and determination of natural vs. synthetic and treated diamonds and other gems.

Australian Opal Awards

July 23-26 -

Australian Opal Awards (AOA) is a respected non-profit organisation with a rich history and deep commitment to the Australian opal industry. Originally founded in 2000 as the ‘Opal Jewellery Design Awards Association’ (OJDAA), the organisation later evolved into the ‘International Opal Jewellery Design Awards Association’ (IOJDAA). Over the decades, it has grown into a cornerstone for celebrating and promoting Australian opals, with a focus on highlighting their natural beauty, craftsmanship, and artistic potential.

Exhibition 23rd - 26th July 2025

Australian Opal Awards Gala night 25th July 2025

Gala Night ticket sales close Friday, July 4th, 2025

Jewellery award entries must be submitted by Friday, July 4th, 2025.

 GIA and AGS “Converge” 2025

Symposium & Conclave: an Historic Collaboration

September 7-10 -

Registration for Converge, the singular gem and jewelry event combining the unique expertise f the American Gem Society (AGS) and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), is now open.

Industry professionals, including AGS members, can explore registration options and other key details for the September 7 – 10, 2025 event in Carlsbad, CA, at www.ConvergeEvent.com.

Trade Shows

TEFAF

Maastricht, Netherlands

– March 15-20, 2025

The Australian Jewellery Fair

Sydney, Australia

– April 6-7, 2025

Istanbul Jewelry Show – Informa Markets

Istanbul, Turkey

– April 16-19, 2025

Jewellery & Gem, ASEAN Bangkok – Informa Market

Bangkok, Thailand

– April 23-26, 2025

GemGenève

Geneva, Switzerland

– May 8-11, 2025

TEFAF

New York, New York, USA

– May 9-13, 2025

Jewellery Kobe (IJK) – Reed Exhibitions

28th International, Kobe, Japan

– May 15-17, 2025