A gem dealer's journal — ruby

Hey Loungers,  While some of you may have already read our 2016 article on the topic, we figured that a little refresher probably couldn't hurt.  It is undeniable that nowadays the attraction for colour gem is on the rise yet, very few actually know what they are buying and this could lead to a somewhat rude awakening.  In this article we intend on discussing some of the main points that one needs to know when purchasing a gem such as: treatment, cut, clarity, carat weight, origin and of course the importance of a serious gemological report backing your purchase as well...

Hey Loungers,  The last time we interviewed E. Billie Hughes was about two years ago, as Lotus Gemology was growing fast but, we kind of forgot to ask about one of the most talked about features of their lab: Hyperion Photo Library! Some of you may have heard of it here, others have visited it out of professional curiosity while others just wanted to take a look at the art that the Lotus Team, with Billie as their vanguard, produces with a photo camera and a microscope.  This said, few of us know how this amazing tool got created. Billie,...

Hi Loungers,  With "Journey through the Rough: The Making of a Gem" we discovered the very first step of the jewelry making process. Today, we'll see what happens when you contact the Creation Lounge in order to turn your dream piece of jewelry into a reality. To this end we will follow Lotus Gemology's Billie Hughes' journey with our team. Traditionally, there are two ways to start a jewelry project (either designing the piece of jewelry around a gem or, finding the gem that goes with a specific design). This time around, Billie asked us to come up with a design that would highlight her gemstones in...

Dear Loungers, You might have heard of terms like Royal Blue, or Pigeon’s Blood Red, but are unfamiliar with the meaning or origins of these color names. This post aims to introduce you to the color types that Asia Lounges will be using to describe our ruby and sapphire color types as well as to introduce you to the only gemological laboratory we will be featuring in these pages when it comes to ruby, sapphire, and spinel: Lotus Gemology. By clicking on the Lotus Color Types image below, you will be able to read about and better understand the reason...