This Week

in the Roskin Gem News Report

Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

Nine months after the brazen October 2025 robbery at the Louvre, two of the accused thieves have finally begun talking.

According to the French newspaper Le Monde (subscription required), the suspects have described how the robbery was planned, admitted that one of them knew the target was the Louvre, and even claimed the alleged mastermind complained they "could have taken more."

What they still won't reveal is what happened to France's stolen Crown Jewels after they were handed over in an underground parking garage.

Meanwhile, the Louvre has reopened the Galerie d'Apollon—but without the Crown Jewels. Reuters reports the display cases are gone, and the jewels will eventually be exhibited in a new, more secure gallery.

There is one bright spot.

Empress Eugénie's crown, recovered after being damaged - and dropped in the middle of the street - during the escape, retained all 56 of its emeralds. Only about ten of its 1,354 diamonds are missing, allowing conservators to restore the historic crown rather than reconstruct it.



Tap here for the latest investigation, remarkable restoration details, and what French investigators still don't know.



Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

When most people think "High Jewelry," they imagine flawless diamonds, Kashmir sapphires, Burmese rubies, or Colombian emeralds.

Van Cleef & Arpels has something else in mind.

Lapis lazuli.

Turquoise.

Coral.

Black onyx.

Malachite. Chrysoprase.

Those are hardly the gem materials one would expect to headline a High Jewelry collection. Yet in Van Cleef & Arpels' newest Fascinating Egypt collection, they become hieroglyphs, winged scarabs, temple columns, Egyptian goddesses, and some of the most imaginative jewels the maison has produced in years.

This summer, Van Cleef & Arpels is exploring more than a century of Egyptian-inspired design in two complementary presentations: Fascinating Egypt, its new High Jewelry collection in Paris, and a remarkable exhibition at Vienna's MAK Museum featuring more than 300 historic Van Cleef & Arpels creations—many reacquired over the years and rarely seen by the public.

Together, they demonstrate a lesson every gemologist understands: exceptional jewelry isn't defined solely by rare and expensive gem materials.

Imagination, design, lapidary skill, craftsmanship, and expert setting can transform familiar ornamental gem materials into unforgettable masterpieces.

Take a tour through more than a century of
 Van Cleef & Arpels' Egyptian-inspired design.



Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

GemGuide has updated its Old European-cut diamond pricing charts, lowering values across all size categories.

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For a period of time, exceptionally strong demand pushed Old European-cut diamonds (OECs) to very high premiums.

Today however, while demand remains healthy, those premiums have eased from their peak.

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At first glance, lower prices might suggest demand for OECs has softened.

Not so, according to Gemworld International President Stuart Robertson.

In an interview with the Roskin Gem News Report, Robertson explains that the extraordinary premiums seen over the past several years have eased back to more sustainable levels—not because the market has weakened, but because it has matured.

Not All Old Europeans Are Old

Authentic Old European-cut diamonds continue to trade in a specialty market where rarity, authenticity, and historical significance are major drivers of value.

This feature story also explores why authentic period stones command premiums over modern Old European-cuts, and why GemGuide continues to exclude Old Mine-cut diamonds from its pricing guide.

As Robertson explains, "The days of automatically discounting Old Europeans against modern round brilliants are long gone."

Tap here to read Robertson's insights into one of the diamond market's most specialized categories - Old European Cuts.

Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

For more than two years, the headlines about De Beers have come quickly...

▻ A $39 billion takeover bid for Anglo American by BHP...
▻ Anglo American rejects BHPs bids (plural)
▻ Anglo American puts De Beers up for sale... What?

▻ Diamond production reductions, pauses, ...

▻ Billions of dollars shaved off Anglo American's valuation of De Beers
 (aka: "write-downs"...)

▻ African Governments enter the negotiations...

▻ Former De Beers CEO Gareth Penny returns as a potential buyer...

▻ Multiple Reports of a $1 billion consortium...

◈

Individually, each of these headlines reported the news.

Together, they reveal how one of history's most iconic diamond companies found itself at the center of forces no one company could control.

Let's begin with the takeover bid.

$39 Billion?

It didn't start with a $39 billion offer for De Beers.

It started with a $39 billion offer for Anglo American.

That's a huge difference.

When BHP launched its unsolicited takeover bid in April 2024, its objective was clear. The company wasn't pursuing Anglo American because of diamonds. It wanted Anglo American's world-class copper mines, one of the mining industry's most valuable strategic assets.

Diamonds came with the package—a brilliant bonus, but they were never the real jewel of the deal.

Tap here to follow the headlines—

and discover how De Beers went from

being part of a $39 billion takeover bid

 to reports of a possible $1 billion deal.

Just when many in the gem trade thought they

finally understood the last round of U.S. tariffs...

the tariffs have changed again.

Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

The latest U.S. tariff announcements in late July have once again reshuffled the rules for importing gemstones. But unlike a simple across-the-board tariff, the same gemstone can now be treated very differently depending on where it comes from.

So we got out the loupe and took a closer look.

◈

Some gemstone imports remain exempt, while others now face tariffs of 10%, 12.5%, or even 25%. And if current proposals move forward, Canadian imports could face tariffs as high as 50%!

For example, Brazil now faces a 25% tariff on polished loose colored gemstones.

Thailand and Vietnam face 12.5%. India and Sri Lanka 10%.

If you're having trouble keeping track of all the changes, you're not alone.

With the help of AGTA's updates and reports—and conversations with AGTA President Bruce Bridges—we dug into the details, translated the government language into plain English, and examined what these latest tariff changes actually mean for U.S. gem importers.

Along the way, we also explain how AGTA continues to lead the industry's efforts in Washington—not only keeping the global gem trade informed about rapidly changing U.S. tariff policies, but also pursuing a permanent solution that would eliminate the need to revisit this issue every time trade policy changes.

Tap here before your next shipment crosses the border.



The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers Announces...


NEW Dates: September 5 & 6

with ...

an International Team of Speakers

for the Association’s 66th ACE©IT Fall Webinar Conference!

For its 2026 Fall Conference, NAJA has brought together an international team of speakers that includes both familiar favorites and exciting new voices. Each presentation is designed to deliver practical, real-world information—paired with interactive Q&A—that members can put to work in their appraisal practices right away.

◈

Saturday, September 5

Garnet Through the Ages: The Story of an Underrated Gemstone ● Celine Rose David, FGA

Understanding Art Jewelry ● Caitlin St. John, GIA GG

AI for Jewelry Appraisers: How It Works, How to Use It, and Knowing the Limits ● Trang Pham, GIA GG

250 years of American Jewels since American Independence ● Duncan Parker, FGA

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Sunday, September 6:

Don’t forget to look … You might miss a composite in the wild! ● Kerry Gregory, FGA

Oh, What a Find! ● Eileen Eichhorn, GIA GG

Dissent as Patriotism: Jewelry as a Quiet Act of Resistance in the United States ● Nicholle Mogavero, GIA GG        

Post-Loss Jewelry Appraisals – A forensic approach to valuing jewelry that no longer exists ● Scott Papper, GIA GG

◈

Tap here for more details and link to register for the event!

by Emily “D.D.” Frontiere

Contributing Editor

for the Roskin Gem News Report

Most gemology presentations involve taking notes.

This one involved turning off the lights, pulling out an improvised polariscope, and seeing who could spot writhing snakes, tabby extinction, bull's-eyes, airy spirals... and the occasional, "Wait... am I looking at it upside down?"

At the AGA Tucson Conference this past February, newly announced Alan Hodgkinson Medal recipient Kerry Gregory didn't just talk about the polariscope—she put one in everyone's hands.

Attendees of the session received a kit containing ten carefully selected gemstones, polarizing filters, a light source, and Gregory's Taylor-Gregory conoscope. Then the room came alive as everyone followed along together, discovering the optical behavior of different gemstones in real time.

What looked like a simple exercise was anything but. Gregory and her team sorted through more than 14,600 gemstones to assemble identical sets containing only the "friendly" examples that would reliably display the desired optic figures. They tested batteries, filmed instructional videos, and spent nearly two full days preparing the workshop—all so every participant could enjoy the same learning experience.

"The result was one of the most engaging, practical, and genuinely enjoyable gemology workshops I've seen," says DD Frontiere. It wasn't simply a lecture about a tool many gemologists admit they rarely use—it was an opportunity to build confidence with it.

Frontiere takes us inside this hands-on presentation, explains why the humble polariscope remains one of gemology's MVI—Most Valuable Instruments, and shows how Kerry Gregory transformed one of gemology's most intimidating tools into one of its most engaging learning experiences.

Tap here to see why Kerry Gregory's play-along polariscope workshop had everyone talking.



AUGUST

The 23rd annual Australian Opal Exhibition

Trade Only

Southport, Queensland, Australia

– August 5-6, 2025

Time & Shine Jewellery Trade Show

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

– August 16-17, 2026

The International Jewellery & Watch Fairs

Sydney, Australia

– August 22-24, 2026

Japan Jewellery Fair – Informa Markets

Tokyo, Japan

– August 26-28, 2026

SEPTEMBER

The Jewellery Show

Olympia, London, UK

– September 2-3, 2026

JOGS

Tucson, Arizona

– September 3-6, 2026

VicenzaOro

Vicenza, Italy

– September 4-8, 2026

NEW DATE


66th NAJA ACE©it

Mid Year Virtual Education Conference

September 5–6, 2026



Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair

Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand

74th Edition – Bangkok, Thailand

– September 8-12, 2026

HardRock Summit

Westminster, Colorado, USA

– September 10-13, 2026 (inside)

– September 10-18, 2026 (outside)

Jewellery & Gem World Hong Kong – Informa Markets

Hong Kong, China

NEW DATES

– September 14-18, 2026 AWE

– September 16-20, 2026 HKCEC

AGS Conclave

September 14-17, 2026

Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate

Orlando, Florida, USA

Madridjoya

Madrid, Spain

– September 24-27, 2026

InStore – Chicago

Chicago (Rosemont), Illinois, USA

– September 27-28, 2026

Tap here for the full year global trade show calendar

#1.) Gemstone Fracture Filling

Labs Find It in Ruby, Tourmaline, Spinel and Garnet

Are You Still Just Checking Emeralds?

Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

"We are seeing oiled stones outside of emerald every single day in the lab, and yet there is so little awareness about it in the market." – E Billie Hughes, Lotus Gemology, Bangkok

That comment came just days after the SSEF issued a Trade Alert warning that some emeralds are being cleaned, submitted to laboratories, and then re-filled before being sold with an earlier lab report. (And that's not new either!)

The SSEF alert focused specifically on fracture-filled emeralds.

But Billie Hughes pointed us in another direction.

How often are laboratories finding fracture filling in gemstones other than emerald?

The answer surprised us.

After speaking with GIA, SSEF, Gübelin, AGL, and Lotus Gemology, the message was remarkably consistent.

Fracture filling isn't just an emerald treatment. It's a fracture treatment.

Perhaps it's time we stopped thinking of fracture filling as an emerald issue. We routinely examine every gemstone to determine whether it's natural or synthetic. Perhaps it's also time we routinely examine every gemstone to determine whether it's been fracture filled.

Tap here to see why leading gemological laboratories
say it's time to look beyond emeralds.

#2.) The Bride of Frankenstein Necklace

A Masterclass in Jewelry Provenance

Movie Memorabilia and Jewelry Heritage Auctions

Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

A chance discovery in a Berkeley antique shop became an eight-decade provenance investigation—showing how research can become the most valuable part of a piece of jewelry.

Finding Hollywood History

What would you do if you walked into an antique shop and found an unusual old necklace? Would you ever imagine that it had been worn in one of Hollywood's classic movies?

Maybe you'd admire it? Buy it? Walk away? (I'm not paying THAT for some hand-painted glass necklace.)

But Not Tara


Vintage collector and costumer Tara Rech did something else. She asked a question.

"What is this necklace trying to tell me?"

The answer would take years to uncover and would ultimately trace the necklace back to one of the most recognizable actresses in horror film history—Elsa Lanchester—and to one of the most celebrated horror films ever made, Bride of Frankenstein (1935), starring Boris Karloff as "the monster."

Elsa Lanchester had a long stage and screen career as well. Not quite the household name as Karloff, but in Bride of Frankenstein, she made a name for herself.

The necklace wasn't a studio prop. It was hers. Which made searching through movie prop lists both time-consuming—and necessary.

Tap here to see how one collector turned a hunch
into documented Hollywood history

—and of course we have the auction results too!

#3.) Musée Lalique Robbery



$5 Million Heist Targets René Lalique Masterpieces

French authorities have released few details about the July 5 burglary.

Here's what has been reported—and why the reported loss

of even a single Lalique masterpiece would be significant.

Reports identify one iconic Art Nouveau jewel (seen here) among the works believed stolen, but French authorities are keeping the full inventory under wraps.

Just after dawn on Sunday morning, July 5, three masked thieves forced their way into the Musée Lalique in Wingen-sur-Moder, France, smashed six display cases, and escaped with what has been reported as approximately €4 million (about US$5 million) worth of René Lalique jewelry.

According to multiple published reports, the robbery lasted only about eleven minutes.

Beyond those basic facts, however, relatively little has been officially confirmed.

The Musée Lalique has not released a complete inventory of the missing works, and French investigators have likewise declined to identify the stolen objects individually as the investigation continues.

Tap Here to read the latest in this development