#1.) Our Gem Report from Las Vegas 2024

Taking Time to Take Pictures

Gary Roskin -

Roskin Gem News Report -

In-person trade shows give us the opportunity to see what's available, what's new, and maybe something we missed along the way. This year's JCK Las Vegas show and the Antique Jewelry & Watch Show were no different as we were able to find a good number of gems and jewels worthy of your inspection.



Tap here to see what we found at JCK and the Antique Jewelry & Watch Shows!

#3.) TEFAF New York

Where Art and Jewels Collide

Gary Roskin -

Roskin Gem News Report -

This year marked the ninth edition of TEFAF New York at the Park Avenue Armory, May 10-14, 2024. The Roskin Gem News Report covered the show, visiting with a number of fine jewelry exhibitors: Ariadne, FD Gallery, Boghossian, Otto Jakob, and Hemmerle.

TEFAF, the European Fine Art Foundation, is apparently one of the world's preeminent organizations for fine art, antiques, and design. TEFAF produces two fairs internationally - TEFAF Maastricht, in the Netherlands, and TEFAF New York. New York City is considered by many to have a prestigious and vibrant art market, thus providing the ideal setting for a TEFAF fair outside of Maastricht.

Tap here to see who we covered at this year's NY TEFAF Show.

Second week in a row...

#4.) Bernd Munsteiner

The Father of the Fantasy Cut

March 2, 1943 - June 6, 2024

Gary Roskin -

Roskin Gem News Report -

Bernd Munsteiner, the father of the “Fantasy Cut,” died on Thursday, June 6th, surrounded by his family, his wife Hanne, daughter-in-law Jutta, and grandson, Philipp, in Stipshausen, Germany. He was 81 years old.

Brave New World

Bernd Munsteiner was the determined young gem cutter who, after graduating from the school for art & design in Pforzheim, instead of going back to cutting traditional shapes with his father, took the rough gem materials, polished a top window, and then carved polished wedges into the girdles and pavilions, creating multiple displays of light within the gem, offering the world a new vision, the art of a gem – the Fantasy Cut.

We spoke to Bernd's daughter-in-law Jutta, long time close friend Hans-Jürgen Henn, and Smithsonian curator Dr. Jeffrey Post about the life and legacy of Bernd Munsteiner.

Tap here for our tribute to Bernd Munsteiner

THIRD week in a row...

#5.) Barbara M. Berk’s "Aquamarine Rhapsody" now in the Smithsonian

Platinum and Aquamarine Pendant Donated to the National Gem Collection

Gary Roskin -

Roskin Gem News Report -

Barbara M. Berk is an artist, an expert in textile techniques in metal, and a jeweler, weaving precious metals into museum quality wearable art, including brooches, necklaces, earrings and hair ornaments. Her award-winning works have been worn, displayed, placed in art museums, and now, “Aquamarine Rhapsody,” a woven platinum pendant, featuring a Sherris Cottier Shank carved aquamarine, resides at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History as part of the National Gem Collection in Washington, D.C.

Tap here to read all about the artists and the jewel.

Gary Roskin –

Roskin Gem News Report –

As we have been reporting here in the Roskin Gem News, Anglo American has been seriously considering the selling off of its diamond mining property, De Beers. BHP swooped in to attempt a takeover of Anglo, and in an effort to hold off BHP’s bid, Anglo started making plans to sell off unwanted/unnecessary properties. Their timing could not have been worse, as the natural diamond business has been heading in the wrong direction as of late. As we all know, business strategy says to “buy low, sell high.”

And this cannot happen for Anglo American until the natural diamond business turns around. And no one can predict that.

Two recent articles talk about Anglo American’s situation. One from a subscription only Investors Chronicle in the UK. The other, from Mining.com.

Tap here to read portions of both, with links to catch the rest of the story.

Wednesday 24th – Saturday 27th July, 2024

Lightning Ridge Opal & Gem Festival

Free entry to indoor and outdoor stalls (Agate Street – behind Chemist and Racecourse carpark)

Open Wednesday – Friday 9am to 5pm

Open Saturday 9am to 3pm

Jewellers, buyers, wholesalers, miners, rock hounds, lapidary enthusiasts and tourists are invited to experience the best Lightning Ridge has to offer with this culmination of information, spectacular jewellery, collectables, great deals and fantastic networking opportunities.

The Lightning Ridge Opal & Gem Festival boasts over 150 stalls with a huge range of products including gemstones, tools, lapidary supplies and lifestyle products.

Wednesday 24th – Saturday 27th July 2024: Australian Opal Awards Trade Show

Entry Fee: TBA, New Building in the Sporting Fields

Open daily from, 10am – 5pm Wednesday – Saturday

Saturday 2th July 2024: Annual Opal Queen Ball

Tap here for tickets and registration!

Chanel.com

We bring you this feature because of the extraordinary suite of sapphires used to make this collection of high jewelry - 5 central Kashmir sapphires, with a total weight of 42.86 carats.

The Haute Joaillerie “Sport Collection” celebrates the sports style of Chanel, anchored in the house’s history since the 1920s.

"An unprecedented encounter between two worlds, where elegance and excellence prevail. Designed to become one with the wearer, each high jewelry creation expresses the contours of an allure, according to Chanel – that of a woman always on the move."

Tap here to see this amazing collection of Kashmir sapphire jewels, from Chanel!

Bvlgari.com

To celebrate its 140-year long legacy in sourcing precious stones, Bvlgari has brought to light a unique marvel of nature: seven D flawless diamond drops, totaling an impressive 140 carats, all meticulously cut from the same rough stone. The spectacular radiance of the gems is magnified by a fully diamond-set Serpenti, whose sinuous body unfolds a dance of light, movement and endless rebirth.

Drawing from the timeless beauty of Rome, the Aeterna High Jewelry Collection is a tribute to Bvlgari’s 140-year-long vocation to perpetual reinvention. Born from the Maison’s ability to embrace the spirit of each era, it is a journey through the ever-evolving eclectic creativity and aesthetic codes of the Roman High Jeweler.

Tap here to see the collection of high jewels and marvel at the gems!

Registration for TREASURES – Royal Gems & Jewellery International Colloquium, which will take place at the Royal Treasury Museum in Lisbon, Portugal, on November 8-9, 2024, is now open.

This two-day event will offer lectures and panel debates with international speakers, as well as masterclasses, workshops and guided tours of the royal collections by our local experts, plus a unique opportunity to experience a gala dinner at the Royal Palace (Palácio Nacional da Ajuda ).

The Ajuda National Palace – Royal Treasure Museum is the worthy setting for the display of a unique collection with particular significance for a country with a nine-century history.

The two-day program includes a first day of talks and panels, introducing notable international collections and presenting our own national collection as the keynote address, offering not only a window to the past but also exploring the challenges of royal collections and highly important gems and jewellery for the future, and a second day of workshops, masterclasses and guided visits conducted by our own local specialists that were directly involved in the historic, artistic and gemmological study as well as conservation and preparation of the Portuguese Crown Jewels for display at the museum.

The program is enriched with a very rare opportunity to enjoy a Gala Dinner at the Royal Palace of Ajuda, the very same palace where heads of state are dinner guests by our President.

Tap here for more details and to register today!

See stunning jewelry pieces that trace the history of hip-hop from the 1980s to today.

Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry celebrates hip-hop's cultural influence through stunning jewelry worn by some of its iconic stars.

Highlights include Slick Rick’s dazzling crown, the Notorious B.I.G.’s legendary gold ‘Jesus piece,’ the diamond-studded Roc-A-Fella medallion for the record label co-founded by Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj’s sparkling ‘Barbie’ pendant, and pieces from Erykah Badu, A$AP Rocky, Joey Bada$$, FERG, and Tyler, the Creator, among others.

Tap here to find out more about the stunning jewelry pieces that trace the history of hip-hop

Gary Roskin -

Roskin Gem News Report -

In Kate Matthams' feature story, seen in Forbes.com from July 9th, she calls out seven extraordinary pieces of high jewelry at couture week in Paris. One was a Tiffany & Co. cuff bracelet, one piece in the 2024 Blue Book's "Iconic Stars" chapter. The stars in this cuff are set with mother of pearl inlay, acting as rays of the white and yellow gold stars, set with a central diamond, and nestled amongst a palette of freeform aquamarines and blue zircons, with one blue zircon cushion brilliant.

Tap here to read about the Iconic Star jewels in Tiffany's 2024 Blue Book!

Gary Roskin -

Roskin Gem News Report -

Another impressive collection of gemmological interests in this latest edition of the Journal of Gemmology, Volume 39, No. 2, 2024, Gem-A's professional peer-reviewed periodical, compiled by Brendan Laurs, Editor-in-Chief.

Represented by the cover, the feature story "Geographic Origin Determination of High-quality Green Jadeite-Omphacite Jade (Fei Cui) from Myanmar, Guatemala and Italy Using Statistical Processing Coupled with Spectroscopic and Chemical Analyses" looks at twenty-seven samples of high-quality green jadeite-omphacite jade from Myanmar, Guatemala and Italy to see if new methodology for geographic origin determination could be applied. And it looks promising.

Another feature looks at identifying gamma irradiation treatment in Morganite. Like the new Jadeite testing above, proving irradiation of Morganite is not quite there yet, but it does look very promising.

Tap here to read more of what's in this edition of Gem-A's Journal of Gemmology. 

Photomicrography: Images from Within

Images by Sammantha Maclachlan

This week, Sammantha has sent us another amazing photomicrograph, this time of a big blue halo found inside a known Beryllium diffused yellow/orange sapphire. Of course, these blue halos are not diagnostic of Be diffusion but of high heat treatment, which causes internal diffusion of titanium containing inclusions, such as rutile, resulting in these beautiful blue halos.

This is a stack of 23 images. 120x 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! 

The 2024 trade only Australian Opal Exhibition presents an opportunity to view an extensive display of Australian opal and opal jewellery, the largest range ever to be seen in one attractive location.

Every visitor to the Australian Opal Exhibition will automatically be entered in the 2024 raffle for a chance to win three nights accommodation at the Mantra at Sharks (room only) for the 2025 Exhibition.



Wednesday 31 July 2024 9.00am - 5.00pm

Thursday 1 August 2024 9.00am - 4.00pm

Tap here for more information and registration!

L’OFFICIEL SINGAPORE -

On Wednesday, June 12, in the historic heart of Venice, often referred to as “La Serenissima” or “the peaceful place of Italy,” a prestigious jewelry manufacturer unveiled its latest high-end collection, Chaumet en Scène.

The Scuola Grande di San Rocco, a residence steeped in history, provided an opulent backdrop for this extraordinary event. Models adorned in Chaumet en Scène jewellery graced the venue, their presence magnified by the Renaissance masterpieces adorning the ceiling above.

The evening was marked by the attendance of a constellation of celebrities and brand ambassador, including veteran South Korean actress Song Hye-kyo and ASTRO’s Cha Eun-woo, each donning exquisite Chaumet pieces. The highlight of the night was an enchanting performance by British singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, whose melodious voice added a sublime touch to an already unforgettable celebration.

Tap here to see was wearing Chaumet, in L’OFFICIEL SINGAPORE magazine!

Gary Roskin -

Roskin Gem News Report - 

Gemmologists will once again gather in London to attend the annual Gem-A Conference, this year on November 2-3, 2024, at the etc.Venues County Hall in London's Southbank. As in the past, the Conference boasts of an incredible line-up of speakers, and will bring together industry experts, researchers, and enthusiasts from around the globe.

This year's master of ceremonies will be Richard Drucker GIA GG, FGA (Hon), President, Gem-A, and President Emeritus Gemworld International.

Tap here for registration and more information of the event!

Gary Roskin -

Roskin Gem News Report -

Here at the Roskin Gem News, when we see "Gemstone Fire" and Kingman, Arizona all in the same sentence, we raise our eyebrows and start looking to see what gem mines are in danger.

After two days of looking, watching fire reports, we have come to the conclusion that there were no gem mines in any danger from this brush fire. It was most likely named "Gemstone" because Kingman is know for its turquoise gem mines (that, and being on Route 66 - "the Mother Road").

35°10'53.3"N 113°58'28.8"W - Fire Department coordinates for the fire.

Facebook images show the 117 acres burnt and now out.

Tap here to see images of the Gemstone Fire

Anthony DeMarco -

Senior Contributor -

Forbes.com -

It was 20 years ago that Cindy Chao founded her high jewelry business with $100,000 and a creative passion handed down from her father, a sculptor, and her grandfather, an architect.

Today, CINDY CHAO The Art Jewel is one of the most recognized and celebrated contemporary high jewelry brands in the world. She has a public gallery in Taipei and private showrooms in Hong Kong and Shanghai. Her works are installed in museums in Washington, D.C., Paris and London; her pieces have set records at auctions; and she has exhibited her creations at prestigious art fairs including the Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris, the European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) and Masterpiece London.

Tap here to learn more about Chao and her method of design.

The new High Jewelry collection from Gucci is an ode to the beauty of an Italian garden and its enchanting labyrinths.

Recently presented at a special event along the Amalfi coast, against the backdrop of the Oscar Niemeyer Auditorium in Ravello, Italy, the 140 one-of-a-kind jewels of Labirinti Gucci embarked "on a journey of discovery through intricate paths to reveal a flourishing vision of nature centered around three themes: symmetry and ordered beauty, geometric splendor, and blooming nature."

"Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and brooches are adorned with exquisite gemstones in vibrant hues from emeralds and tourmalines to tsavorites and diamonds, featuring new elements like the dragonfly and an updated interpretation of the House’s G motif.”

A feature article written by Fiona Flowers for Gotham Magazine tells you more!

Anthony DeMarco -

Senior Contributor -

Forbes.com -

Based in Milan since its inception in 1967, Italian fine jewelry brand, Pomellato, has been successful in pioneering the idea of that jewelry is not just a status symbol but an accessory to be worn at any moment of the day and changed like clothes.

As the brand has grown and evolved over the years, it has expanded this idea into high jewelry. For its latest foray into the highest form of jewelry expression, Vincenzo Castaldo, Pomellato’s creative director, unveiled the brand’s latest high jewelry collection, “The Dualism of Milan.”

Tap here to check out just a few of the 51 piece collection!