The Journal · Topic

Gemstone Guides

Sapphires, emeralds, opals, pearls and the underrated stones — how to judge colour, treatment, durability and value in antique and fine gemstones.

Loose emerald, ruby, sapphire, citrine and amethyst gemstones on an antique tray with tweezers, a loupe and cut diagrams.
September 2026

Garnet, Amethyst and Citrine: The Underrated Antique Stones

Amethyst was once priced with emerald. Then Brazil happened. The stones that lost their value to supply are now the best way...

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A Victorian gold locket with a pearl star, an old-cut diamond spray brooch and an Art Deco onyx and diamond ring on green velvet.
September 2026

Natural vs Cultured Pearls in Antique Jewelry: Why the Difference Is Enormous

Before the 1920s every pearl in jewelry was natural, and natural pearls frequently cost more than the diamonds beside them. Most people...

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Antique old-cut diamond engagement rings and pear drop earrings in a velvet tray, with a jeweler's loupe and ring sketches.
September 2026

Cocktail Rings: The Statement Ring With a Prohibition Backstory

The cocktail ring was designed to be seen holding a glass you were not legally allowed to hold. Where the style came...

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Loose emerald, ruby, sapphire, citrine and amethyst gemstones on an antique tray with tweezers, a loupe and cut diagrams.
September 2026

Antique Opals: Why the Victorians Loved Them, and How to Wear One

Opal is water and silica, soft enough to scratch on a doorframe, and the Victorians put it in everything. Where the bad...

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Loose emerald, ruby, sapphire, citrine and amethyst gemstones on an antique tray with tweezers, a loupe and cut diagrams.
September 2026

Emeralds in Antique Jewelry: Oil, Jardin, and Fair Expectations

Almost every emerald you will ever see has been oiled, and that is normal. What jardin means, why emeralds are brittle despite...

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Loose emerald, ruby, sapphire, citrine and amethyst gemstones on an antique tray with tweezers, a loupe and cut diagrams.
September 2026

Antique Sapphires: Ceylon, Kashmir, and What “Unheated” Really Means

Origin and heat treatment move sapphire prices more than colour does. What Kashmir, Ceylon and Burma actually mean, why unheated stones command...

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Chart of common gemstone treatments — heat, oil, dye and glass filling — marking which are accepted and which reduce value.
August 2026

Common Gemstone Treatments: What's Accepted, What Kills Value

Heat, glass-filling, dyeing, irradiation — a plain-English guide to which gemstone treatments are normal, which quietly destroy value, and what a seller...

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Mohs hardness scale chart ranking gemstones from diamond at 10 to talc at 1, showing durability for everyday jewelry.
August 2026

Gemstone Hardness: What the Mohs Scale Means for Jewelry You Actually Wear

Mohs hardness tells you which gems survive daily wear and which belong in earrings. Here's how to read the scale and choose...

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Gold toi et moi engagement ring with a pear blue sapphire and pear diamond set side by side.
August 2026

What Is a Toi et Moi Ring? The Two-Stone Design Behind 2026's Biggest Trend

Two stones, one ring, and a love story that starts with Napoleon. Here's what a toi et moi ring actually is, and...

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