Prized throughout the ages, padparadscha sapphires are as beautiful and exotic as their name. No other colored gemstone compares to their unique mix of pink and orange. The term padparadscha is derived from the Singhalese word for a salmon colored lotus blossom. Overall, padparadscha sapphires are pinkish orange in color, but vary in hue and tone. The question of what exactly qualifies for the princely kiss of “padparadscha” is a matter of debate, even among experts. Today, padparadscha is narrowly defined by gemologists as a Sri Lankan sapphire of delicate pinkish orange color ..read more

Mandarin Spessartite Garnet is a rare form of orange garnet colored by manganese. The combination of vivid color and high refractive index make spessartite garnet one of the most brilliant stones in the world of colored gems. Its hardness is around 6.5 - 7.5 on the Mohs scale, making it ideal for jewelry. The gems occur in a range of colors from yellowish orange to reddish orange and orange-red. The pure orange, known as mandarin or fanta orange, is very rare and has been found in only a few deposits in Africa, notably in Nigeria. Top spessartites are highly sought after by gem co ..read more

The collection showcases 48 lots of exceptional polished diamonds, including legacy inventory of pink and red diamonds from the Argyle diamond mine and yellow diamonds from Rio Tinto’s Diavik diamond mine. The 48 lots were showcased in Australia, Switzerland and Belgium, with bids closing on 20 November, 2023 ..read more

The 17.61 carat, pear-shaped Bleu Royal diamond, set in a ring, fetched $43.8m. Part of a private collection for 50 years, it was the first time the Bleu Royal was sold at an auction. "This diamond is amongst the rarest to have been unearthed," Christie's said three fancy vivid blue diamonds over 10 carats have appeared for sale in its 250-year auction history, in 2010, 2014 and 2016. The 14.62 carat Oppenheimer Blue sold for over $57m in 2016 ..read more

Zimbabwe’s Sandawana mines have been an important producer of emeralds for 40 years. Sandawana has provided the industry with large quantities of very fine, typically small, stones. Mining at the most active area, the Zeus mine, is underground, with the ore processed in a standard washing/ screening trommel plant. Chemically, Sandawana emeralds typically have a very high chromium content. The Zimbabwe craton covers a large part of Zimbabwe and consists of Archean greenstone belts and granite terrains. The greenstone belts are important producers of gold, but they also contain signi ..read more

The Ocean Dream – a 5.50-carat Fancy Vivid Blue-Green diamond sold for $8,633,798, or $1,569,781 per carat. In May, Sotheby’s sold the Graff Yellow, a 100.09-carat Fancy Vivid yellow diamond, for a record $16.3m. In May at Christie's, the Winston Blue, a 13.22-carat Flawless Fancy Vivid Blue diamond, sold for $23.7m, setting a world auction record for price per carat for a blue diamond at $1,799,953 per carat. That record was broken by Mrs. Paul Mellon’s 9.75-carat Fancy Vivid Blue diamond, renamed the Zoe Diamond sold for $32,645,000, or $3,348,205 per carat at Sotheby’s in Nov ..read more

Dragon clip, 1969 It has taken Van Cleef & Arpels more than 15 years to amass the maison’s 850-strong private jewellery collection. Dragon Mysterieux clip in gold with garnets, emeralds, Mystery-set rubies, sapphires and diamonds, 2013. Composed of accessories, jewels and objets d’art from 1907, the creations were sourced from auction sales, dealers and private collectors. Egyptian inspired bracelet in platinum with sapphires, rubies, emeralds, diamonds and onyx, 1924. Peony clip in platinum and gold with Mystery-set rubies and diamonds, 1937 Bird cage in gold and gl ..read more

The “Infinite Blue” diamond has sold. The 11.28-carat fancy vivid blue diamond was estimated to sell for between $26m and $37m at Sotheby’s Hong Kong. The diamond fell short of that when a buyer paid $25.3 million for the stone at a single-lot sale ..read more

The World of Heidi Horten May sale series realized a total of US$202m, surpassing the US$162m low estimate for the three auctions. It became the most expensive private jewelry collection ever to appear at auction. The 90-carat “Briolette of India” diamond necklace by Harry Winston came in below estimate, selling for $7m. The 'Sunrise Ruby' by Cartier fetched $14.5m. It last sold for $30.4m ..read more

Billed as the “finest opal ever,” the Virgin Rainbow made its world debut at the South Australian Museum in Adelaide as the centerpiece of a larger exhibition to commemorate the centenary of opal mining in Australia. Veteran miner John Dunstan is credited with discovering the Virgin Rainbow in the desert soil of Coober Pedy in South Australia in 2003. Dustan has mined opals for 50 years, but the internal fire of the Virgin Rainbow is unlike anything he’s ever seen. Gibber plain near Coober Pedy The Virgin Rainbow is a Belemnite pipe, which is an opal that formed in the skel ..read more