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Introduction to Gemology with Jeffery Bergman — origin

Introduction to Aquamarines: The mermaids' treasured gem

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Introduction to Aquamarines: The mermaids' treasured gem

Hey Lounges,  Today Jeffery "Master" Bergman is taking us through the legendary Mermaids' treasured gems: the Aquamarine, read on! A stunning example of a deeply saturated Brazilian "Santa Maria" blue Aquamarine Aquamarine derives its name from the ancient Latin word for "sea water" which depicts its lovely pale to medium blue color shades. Commonly referred to by it’s nickname Aqua, it is often found with a slight to strong greenish tint. A member of the beryl family, aquamarine is a close cousin to the revered emerald.   Old legends said that aquamarine is the treasure of mermaids, with the power...

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Introduction to Spessartite "Mandarin" Garnet

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Introduction to Spessartite "Mandarin" Garnet

Dark reds, tangerine orange, vivid lime green, soft pink, garnet is all these colors and more. There are garnets that change color in different light, translucent green garnets that look like jade, garnets with stars, garnets that have been mined for thousands of years and garnets that were just discovered in the last decade. Garnets are fairly hard and durable gemstones that are ideal for jewelry use.   Here is an example of one of the nicest "Mandarin" garnets we have seen - Asia Lounges Collection - Video by Arjuna Irsutti Photography   One garnet growing in popularity is a...

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Introduction to Paraiba Tourmalines

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Introduction to Paraiba Tourmalines

A new tourmaline variety discovered in 1989 left gem dealers searching for new adjectives to describe the brilliant blues and greens that are more vivid than any ever seen before. Tourmaline is the most colorful variety of any gemstone but, until the Paraiba deposit was found, no tourmaline had ever shown the intense turquoise, electric blue, rich sapphire blues, neon and emerald greens of the new discovery in Paraiba, Brazil. In fact, these colors haven't ever been seen with any consistency in any gemstone variety.   Featured in this picture is a Nigerian Paraiba type tourmaline - Asia Lounges Collection...

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Introduction to Burmese and Kashmir Sapphires

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Introduction to Burmese and Kashmir Sapphires

When it comes to the finest gem quality blue sapphires in the world, nothing can compare with the best stones from Kashmir in northern India, and its neighbor to the east, Burma. Sapphires were first discovered in Kashmir around the year 1880, in the region known as Padar. Mining activity went on for several decades, but the finest material came out within the first thirty years. By contrast, Burma has been producing sapphires from several localities for well over 1,000 years.   Queen of her own domain, this lovely and rich twilight blue unheated Burmese sapphire is the perfect example...

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Introduction to Ceylon Sapphire

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Introduction to Ceylon Sapphire

When you hear the name Ceylon, you would immediately think of beaches lined with palm trees, tea plantations and of course, their famous lovely blue sapphires. Now known as Sri Lanka, this island nation has been supplying the world with some very fine gemstones for the past 2,000 years, and it is one of the oldest sources in recorded history. Marco Polo visited Ceylon on his world tour. He wrote about the wonderful variety of sapphires and rubies found there. After hearing the news, the great Kaan sent a group of his ambassadors to meet with the King of the...

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