#4) De Beers – for the Retail Jeweler!

DeBeers Presents New Jewelry Designs

and Promotes Diamond Storytelling

at JCK Las Vegas’ De Beers Group Breakfast

De Beers is stepping into more visible territory—both in jewelry design and in how it tells the story of its natural diamonds.

At the center of its new strategy are two launches: Ombré Desert Diamonds, a jewelry design concept built around "soft color blends" using brown natural diamonds alongside cape yellow diamonds; and Origin, De Beers Group, a branded polished diamond offering tied to digital traceability (Tracr).

By Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

Diamond Jewelry Design

As you know, the Roskin Gem News Report doesn’t usually spotlight jewelry design—unless it involves something truly interesting with gem materials. We have recently highlighted a few of De Beers' High Jewelry Collections that have appeared on the runway, using yellow and brown rough diamond crystals. De Beers has a new collection, and this time, internationally available in a lower price point.

Ombré Desert Diamonds is part of what De Beers calls a new “beacon” initiative—meant to be picked up by retailers across the industry. But what’s most notable is the company’s direct role in shaping the look of the jewelry itself.

While De Beers has influenced design trends before, e.g. the eternity ring and the three-stone ring, this level of involvement marks a more hands-on approach, really leaning in to help retail jewelers sell more natural diamonds - natural diamonds of a larger color palette to include TLBs (top light browns), browns, and what they are calling Amber (cape stones and brownish-yellows/yellowish-browns). And there are several reasons for this.



Color and Inventory

The Ombré concept is specifically designed to spotlight a wider range of natural diamond colors—light yellows (cape), and browns—a blended category that retail jewelers have traditionally struggled to sell - which also means De Beers has a backlog of rough in these colors. AND, maybe just as important, not so easily duplicated in synthetics!

All things considered, these diamond designs aim to help retailers move natural diamonds at more accessible price points, all within a design-forward, De Beers-backed program.

Origin – The Story

At the same time, De Beers is rolling out Origin, a polished diamond program that gives retailers a new tool for talking about provenance. Backed by the Tracr blockchain platform (owned by De Beers), Origin diamonds come with digital profiles that include country of origin, rarity scoring, and information about the social programs the stone has supported (which is a good thing).

The idea is to make it easier for jewelers to answer a growing number of customer questions about where a diamond came from—as well as who and what it supports.

👉 Tap here to read all about the De Beers JCK Breakfast

- De Beers and the story of diamonds!



Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

This top feature is a review of Christie's New York Magnificent Jewels Auction, on June 17th. Of course, there were diamonds—some of them truly remarkable—and we’ll showcase those in the next newsletter. But today, we’re focusing on the colored gemstone-set jewels that caught our attention.

So let's dive in.

In the Catalogue

As the catalogue notes, this auction featured "spectacular gemstones and designs from the world’s most renowned jewellery houses, including Bulgari, Cartier, Harry Winston, JAR, Van Cleef & Arpels, and many more." Christie's sale also included rare and beautiful Mughal jewels.

The Big, Bold, and Colorful

"Magnificent Jewels" certainly lived up to its name, showcasing some large and attention-getting colored gem-set jewels, period pieces, and signature designs.

Leading the non-diamond side of the sale was The Blue Belle, a very impressive - Big AND Bold 392-carat unheated Ceylon sapphire and diamond necklace (seen above) that achieved over $11 million.

That wasn’t the only sapphire to draw attention—there were three standout rings, each set with an exceptional blue sapphire: 1.) a 23.85-carat unheated Ceylon sapphire, mounted in a ring by JAR that sold for nearly $400,000; 2.) a 15.55-carat unheated Burmese sapphire, set into a ring by Cartier that brought in over $450,000; and 3.) an 8.45-carat unheated Kashmir sapphire, mounted in a ring by Van Cleef & Arpels that achieved more than $600,000!

India's Gemstone History - Large Carved Colombian Emeralds

Historical significance met bold design in two big and bold Mughal (Mogul) masterpieces: a carved Colombian emerald necklace featuring five carved emeralds that ranged in weight from 106 to 470 carats! (That's right - just five emeralds weighing almost 1,200 carats in one necklace!) That necklace sold for over $2.7 million. Then there was a three-strand Mughal necklace of large red spinel beads and good size natural pearls that reached more than $3.1 million!

It's Invisible

Van Cleef & Arpels was certainly well-represented, with several of its signature ‘Mystery-Set’ pieces: a large ruby and diamond pin - the Flower brooch - measuring nearly 4 inches across, that sold for $1.5 million; two pair of sapphire and diamond earrings, that sold for $250,000 each, as well as a similar flower brooch, that sold for $350,000; and two pairs of earrings, these set with ruby and diamonds—one pair that sold for $400,000, while the other sold for $800,000!

Cartier pieces also stood out, including a fabulous suite of coral and diamond jewels, a vivid 8.03-carat unheated Burmese pink sapphire ring flanked by large oval diamonds, which sold for nearly $1 million, and an Art Deco jabot brooch—set with carved rubies, cabochon emeralds, diamonds, with a big and bold 14 mm natural freshwater button pearl—that brought in just under $250,000, highlighting continued demand for signed period pieces.

Tap here to read the full COLOR feature - our review of Christie's Magnificent Jewels Auction, New York!

Conch pearl and faceted diamond bead necklace (below).

Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

On a personal note:

Writing about gems can be tricky business. As a journalist, you might write that you're bringing clarity to a story — but if you’re also a gemologist, that word hits differently. You don’t just read “clarity,” you see one of the 4Cs. You start thinking about grades, inclusions, maybe even reaching for the grading report.

The same goes for when writing about “phenomenal” gems. As a gemologist, the term phenomenal is reserved for only those gems with special powers:

asterism, showing a star;

chatoyancy, showing a cat’s-eye;

color-change, the changing of color in different lighting situations, as with an alexandrite;

adularescence, presenting a billowy blue or white light, sometimes in rainbow colors, as in a moonstone;

play-of-color, presenting a multitude of colors from the diffraction of visible light by closely packed silica spheres, as in an opal;

labradorescence, showing flashes of color, caused by interference of light within microscopic layers of feldspar, as with labradorite;

iridescence (or Orient), a rainbow of colors seen on the surface (or near the surface), caused by interference and diffraction of light reflecting from thin layers of nacre, as with pearls.

While the journalist can wax poetic about phenomenal gems when reporting on important or most beautiful jewels, the gemologist must reserve “phenomenal” for only those that have certain gemological characteristics.

Phenomenal gemstones do more than just display beautiful color—they exhibit those unusual optical effects caused by the way light interacts with their internal structures. Such effects aren’t just eye-catching—they’re diagnostic, helping gemologists identify both the species and the cutting orientation of the stone.

Collectively, these optical properties are known as phenomena, and the stones that display them are called phenomenal gems.

And this is where our pictorial begins — two phenomena, Color-Change and Chatoyancy, with four beautiful – and “phenomenal” – gems!

For a Phenomenal Time, Tap Here!

The V&A is proud to present the UK’s first major exhibition in nearly 30 years dedicated to Cartier.

Featuring over 350 dazzling objects, the exhibition traces the evolution of the Maison from the turn of the 20th century to today - showcasing everything from royal commissions and historic gemstones to iconic timepieces and rarely seen archival materials.

The exhibition celebrates Cartier’s pioneering approach to design and craftsmanship, highlighting some of its most legendary creations - including the Williamson Diamond Brooch, Grace Kelly’s engagement ring, and the iconic Panthère jewels - that led the Maison to become the first globally recognised jewellery house.

Designed by British architect and artist Asif Khan MBE, the exhibition offers a striking and immersive environment in which to experience over a century of innovation and artistry.

ADDED BONUS:

Lunchtime Lectures: Cartier Inspiration and Innovation

This talk is part of the V&A Academy Lunchtime Lecture Series.

Tap here for all the details!

An article in the Journal of Archaeological Science, reports on the discovery of a medieval sapphire ring from the Zvolen Castle in Central Slovakia. The article talks about determining the gem's country of origin, and how this information offers a history lesson for trade routes, as well as the importance of the wearer.

Noémi Beljak Pažinová, Ján Beljak, Peter Bačík, Stanislava Milovská, Bronislava Lalinská-Voleková, and Ján Štubňa, authored the research.

Locality The ring was found at today’s Pustý hrad (deserted) Castle above the city of Zvolen. The prominent Hungarian High Medieval royal castle was built in the late 12th century and served as the administrative centre of the Zvolen County.

The 18-karat gold ring dates from around 1300, and features a reddish-purple sapphire, estimated to weigh approximately 2 carats.

Using standard gemological tests, along with Raman spectroscopy, as well as EDXRF (Energy dispersive X-ray Fluorescence), the authors determined that the sapphire is in fact Sri Lankan.

Tap here to find out what it means to have found

a Sri Lankan sapphire, set into an 18-karat yellow gold ring,

from the fourteenth century in the Slovak Republic!

Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

A 37.34-carat Brazilian Paraíba tourmaline with stunning vivid blue hue—unheated, and reported to be from the original Batalha Mine—is now being offered by M.S. Rau, antique and estate dealers in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, for a whopping $9.85 million!

The stone stands out, not only for its weight and color, but for its confirmed Brazilian origin, a combination that is virtually unheard of today.

Brian Cook, a Brazilian gemstone specialist and principal of Nature's Geometry Inc., tells us that the 37 carater is definitely big for a Brazilian Paraiba of this quality. “It is immense for this color, which we call 'Heitorita.' " And it is spectacular! "It is the largest specimen in this color that I know of,” reiterates Cook.

Cook, who worked directly with Heitor Dimas Barbosa, the man who first uncovered these copper bearing tourmalines in the Brazilian State of Paraíba back in the mid- to late-1980s, notes that “this is very big for a stone from the type locality. And unheated makes this particularly rare."

Although copper-bearing tourmalines are now sourced from Mozambique and Nigeria, those stones from Brazil remain the most sought after by gem dealers and high-end collectors. Much of these cuprian tourmalines are subjected to low-temperature heating to help enhance the color. The 34.37-carater was not enhanced by heat.

Tap here to find out more about this Brazilian Paraiba!

A New Course Cycle

"Paris 1925: Following the Trail of Art Deco Jewelry"

June 11th, 25th, and July 2nd at 7 p.m. 

September 3rd, 10th and 19th at 7 p.m.

November 15th, 22nd, and 29th at 2.30 p.m.

Travel back in time to the Roaring Twenties and the 1925 Exposition, at the height of the Art Deco style.

Talks

"Art Deco Jewelry and the Year 1925 around the World" (Online Conversation)

July 1st

From the campus of L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts in Paris, embark on a world tour to discover Art Deco jewelry.

Free registration via Zoom (link to come)

Podcast "Voice of Jewels"

Season 9: Art Deco, Towards a New World 

Jewelry often looks to the future… In the interwar period, a new wind blew through creation. Jewelry became imbued with modernity: radical forms, unprecedented materials, speed, lightness. New jewels then recounted the contemporary metamorphoses of beauty.

In this new season, "Voice of Jewels" immerses the listener in the heart of a creative explosion, encountering audacious women and secret stories, through the jewels of a style that marked its time.

Each episode highlights an emblematic piece: a headband bracelet with rose motifs by Van Cleef & Arpels, an architectural brooch by Raymond Templier, a bracelet housing a secret powder box designed for Josephine Baker, and a Chinese-inspired box created by the Lacloche brothers.

Books

To celebrate the centenary of the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, L'ÉCOLE's librarians and bookseller offer a selection of various publications on Art Deco. 

Tap here for more detailed information!

We saw this post the other day on FaceBook from the Gübelin Gem Lab - a topic we have been reporting on for some time now.

Gübelin Gemmology

Like many other gemstones, paraiba tourmalines are naturally full of inclusions and fractures.

Clarity enhancement, a treatment widely known for emeralds, is now increasingly applied to other coloured gemstones, including ruby, sapphire, and paraiba.

This treatment involves filling fractures with a material whose refractive index closely matches that of the host gemstone. When the filler is applied, it reduces the visibility of the fractures, often rendering them nearly or completely invisible to the naked eye.

Microscopic examination is an effective method to detect clarity enhancement. Under magnification, the outlines of the filled fissures may appear blurred or unclear. In cases of strong filling, the fractures can become entirely hidden, often leaving behind characteristic colour flashes. If the gemstone is gently heated, the filler may expand, causing droplets to emerge along the fissure surface—a telltale sign of this treatment.

Understanding these treatments is key to appreciating the beauty and craftsmanship behind gemstones like Paraiba, while also ensuring transparency in the trade.

- Picture 1: Untreated fissures display sharp, reflective outlines.

- Picture 2: Filled fissures exhibit blurred and indistinct extension areas.

- Picture 3: Heavily filled fissures appear completely concealed, often showing characteristic colour flashes.

- Picture 4: A chain of minute droplets is visible along the surface of filled fissures, indicative of filler expansion.

📸: Keith Chow, Gübelin Gem Lab, Hong Kong

Check out their post on Facebook, here!

Gary Roskin

Roskin GemNews Report

We’ve known Gary Bowersox for decades—first when he would visit GIA in Santa Monica, sharing tales of his gem-hunting expeditions in Afghanistan, and later as he crisscrossed the U.S., partnering with retail jewelers to showcase the stones he sourced from some of the most remote regions in the world.

Now, with more than 50 years of adventure behind him, three books, a documentary film, and four articles in GIA's Gems & Gemology, Bowersox is easing back from the front lines of the gem trade. We caught up with him recently to hear his story—and to learn what comes next.

Q&A with Gary W. Bowersox:

The Gem Hunter Reflects on 57 Years in the Field

Renowned gem hunter, author, and Afghanistan expert Gary W. Bowersox has spent more than five decades exploring remote regions, sourcing stones, and telling the stories behind them. In this conversation, he looks back on his globe-spanning journey—from a spontaneous trip around the world to a shop in Waikiki, from Afghan mountaintops to mineral specimen suitcases—and hints at what’s next.

Tap here to read the full interview

with Gary W. Bowersox, Gem Hunter

Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

Mourning jewelry was never just decorative—it served a purpose, marking the passing of a loved one with symbolism, sentiment, and often remarkable craftsmanship.

Many were custom-made pieces, and the materials themselves—like woven hair, jet, banded black onyx, enamel, seed pearls, or bloodstone—were carefully chosen for their meaning.

At Hansons’ Derbyshire Summer Fine Art, Silver, Jewellery and Watches Auction, four such items stood out: a rare royal mourning ring commissioned by the future King George IV, an 18th-century ring set with natural onyx, a brooch containing hair and seed pearls, and a gold fob set with bloodstone—each offering clues not just to the person remembered, but to the time in which they lived.

Tap here to check out Hanson's Auction House and the Mourning Jewels we thought worthy of a gem-note!

Canadian Gemmological Association

Entry to the CGA's Seventh Emerging Artist Design Competition is closing!

Send Submissions NOW!

We are looking for extraordinary talent!!



The Canadian Gemmological Association (CGA) is excited to announce our 7th annual Emerging Artist Design Competition.

This competition is open to all students currently enrolled in a Canadian post-secondary jewellery design or metalsmithing program, and new grads who have graduated from these programs in 2024 or will graduate in 2025.

Deadline: June 30, 202511:59 PM EST

QUICKLY find the instructions to submit your designs here…

DEADLINE APPROACHING TO BOOK AOC AUSTRALIAN OPAL TOUR 2025

The deadline is approaching to book as spot on the 2025 AOC Australian Opal Tour. Following on from the Australian Opal Centre's successful 2024 Australian Opal Tour, this journey will again include unforgettable experiences.

This tour of iconic Australian opal locations will depart from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on Friday 26 September and return on Saturday 4 October 2025. Costs include charter aircraft, ground transport and tours, expert guides, meals and accommodation.

First stop will be Lightning Ridge New South Wales, home to the world’s most beautiful black opal and rare opalised fossils. Then on to Winton to learn all about Queensland’s boulder opal and Coober Pedy to discover South Australia's light and crystal opal. The tour will return to Sydney via White Cliffs, NSW where rare opal 'pineapples' are mined.

Throughout the tour the lucky participants will enjoy stunning outback landscapes and meet opal miners, cutters, sellers, gemmologists and paleontologists. The real star, however, will be Australian opal and the opportunity for first-hand knowledge at the source of this elusive gemstone, with those who know it best.

To register or express interest, email register@australianopalcentre.com.

Places are strictly limited. For further information, go to www.australianopalcentre.com/opaltour

Reminder:

Herkimer "Diamond" is actually doubly terminated Rock Crystal Quartz, found in and around Herkimer, New York.

from The Daily Post

https://mylittlefalls.com/

LITTLE FALLS, NY — Tucked into the rugged hills of Little Falls, the Russell Family Mine has emerged as a sparkling destination for rockhounds, families, and adventurers seeking the thrill of unearthing Herkimer diamonds and other rare crystals.

What began as a personal passion for owners Bob and Wendy Russell has blossomed into a shared experience, drawing visitors from across the country to this unique mountainside operation.



Celebrating their 20th year in the community, the Russells have opened their property to the public, offering a chance to dig for treasures while forging connections with the land and each other.

“It all started on this mountainside,” Wendy Russell recalled, her voice warm with nostalgia. “Bob and I met digging crystals on the ledge. He’s from Buffalo, I was living up north, and 24 years ago, we ended up here. Little Falls felt special from the beginning—the grass was greener, the sky bluer.

Bob proposed to me on the crystal ledge, and it’s been our home ever since.”

Tap here to read a very heartwarming story of the Russells

and their Herkimer Diamond Mine (in Little Falls, New York)

in the Little Falls Daily Post!

On a Personal Note:

It’s no secret that we search high and low for international gem news, doing our best to bring you—as the New York Times might say—all the [gem] news that’s fit to print. And we do find quite a bit of it. Some stories are genuinely gem-news-worthy. Others turn out to be little more than promotional fluff, and not exactly fit for re-posting.

And then there are those that include flat-out wrong gemological information—like this feature on emeralds from North Carolina.

I had to read this paragraph twice to be sure I wasn’t misreading it:

“Two basic varieties of emerald crystals are found in North Carolina. In the area around Little Switzerland and Spruce Pine, most emeralds are primarily composed of the mineral beryl. Emeralds found near Hiddenite, a very small hamlet in Alexander County northeast of Hickory, are usually a form of spodumene that exists nowhere else in the world.”

Yes, they really did write that one form of emerald is a variety of spodumene.

Of course, we know what they meant to say: that two important green gems are found in this part of North Carolina—emerald (a variety of beryl) and hiddenite (a variety of spodumene). A simple editing error, we hope, but what a doozy. We’ll try not to let that boner of a blunder ruin what might otherwise be a decent little news item.

So, let’s see what they did get right about gem hunting in North Carolina… - gr

Australian Opal Awards

Lightning Ridge, Australia

– July 23-26, 2025



GIA and AGS “Converge” 2025

Symposium & Conclave: an Historic Collaboration

– September 7-10, 2025