How to Identify Gems

 

by Don Clark IMG CSM

One of the biggest challenges for the gemologist is not only obtaining accurate data, but properly analyzing it and learning how to identify gems using this data and the process of elimination. After making some initial tests, they begin looking at long lists of potential species in an attempt to narrow the list down to just one gem. It is easy to lose your way in a sea of data and overlook important clues. Because of this, it is best to follow a list of testing procedures. Going through the same procedures in the same order each time you examine a gem makes it easier to navigate through the sea of data and, hopefully, keep you from overlooking important clues.

Step 1: Clean the Gem

The first step in any identification is to clean the gem thoroughly. Lint closely resembles surface scratches, so keep a small artist’s brush handy. If you see scratches on the surface, try to brush them off.

Step 2: Examine under 10x Magnification with a Loupe

Next, examine the stone with a loupe and an overhead lamp. You will see much more with a loupe than with a microscope, because of the constantly changing relationship between the stone to the light.  The loupe is the gemologist’s best friend.  Inclusions that are easily missed with the fixed lighting of a microscope will suddenly appear, then disappear again. This is oblique lighting taken to the extreme and it is a very useful technique. Examine the stone from every direction, constantly holding the stone under the light. Look inside and look at the surface. Give it as thorough an examination as possible.

Look for the following information. Write down everything you see. You never know what will be important later.

Cut

Is the gem well cut or does it look like something a student was practicing on? Look for discipline in the cutting — meaning do the facets meet at well defined points and are all the facets in a tier the same size? If it is a cabochon, watch the light pass over the surface and note if the movement is smooth and even, or if it snakes across the surface.

Also note the polish. The surface may be mirror-like or it may dull. You may find it is pitted, even with an otherwise good polish. On some gems you will find the polish does not cover the whole facet. Note all these facts.

Color

Note everything to do with color, not just the hue, but zoning and pleochroism as well. These are very important in identification as well as determining value. Write down answers to questions such as: How saturated is the stone?  What secondary tones are present (if any)?  How pure is the hue?

Inclusions

Inclusions are some of your most important clues in gem identification. Some are identifying in and of themselves; others help you make important distinctions between species, or between natural and synthetic gems.

Even if you are not sure what you are seeing, make a note of it. This is another case of where you do not know what may be important later.

Physical Characteristics

Note any physical characteristics you may see. This includes any fractures and whether they are straight or curved, large or small, few or numerous. Note any little chips on the culet or edge. You may need the microscope to see them clearly, but that comes later.  Just note their position for now.

You may also find damage to the gem. This has little to do with identification, but it can have a lot to do with value, so make a note of it.

Step 3: Microscope Examination

If you did your first examination carefully, there are only a couple of things to check. The first things to inspect more closely are the inclusions. On stones where they are important to identification, you may need to use moderate to high magnification and a variety of lighting techniques to see them clearly.

Next, turn the stone sideways and check to see if it is an assembled stone. You do not need to do this if there are inclusions that run nearly top to bottom. However, if the stone is lacking inclusions, or if it only has a couple small inclusions that may be bubbles, it could be a doublet.

You can still miss doublets unless you immerse the gem. This is messy and cleaning the stone is time consuming, so it is not a standard procedure. Your safety net is that Gemology Tools or other computer programs/databases will let you know if your unknown may be an assembled stone. If your other data does not eliminate the possibility of an assembled stone, you will have to go back and use the immersion technique.

If you haven’t already, look at the fractures. See if they are something other than conchoidal.

Write down your observations as you go along.

Step 4: Check for a Color Change

Color change is defined as the difference between what you see in natural light verses incandescent. You will usually see the change between incandescent and fluorescent, but rarely between natural and fluorescent. You need to check every stone for a color change. Whether this becomes a separate step depends on what lighting you use in your initial examinations. During your examination, you are likely using three light sources: the room lighting, an overhead lamp with the loupe, and the one in your microscope. If your room lighting is natural and another of your light sources is incandescent, you have the lighting needed to check for a color change, all you need to do is to pay attention to what you have seen. If not, you will have to take another step to determine if the color is stable or changes.

Step 5: Test the Refractive Index (RI)

The next step is to take a basic RI reading. That is two positions on the table at 90 degrees apart, noting the highest and lowest RI.

You do not need to use the polarizing filter unless you get the same reading in both positions. That would indicate a singly refractive gem, which is an important clue. If your results still indicate a singly refractive gem, you will need to confirm that with a polariscope.

Step 6: Polariscope Testing

In most cases, your RI readings will tell you if a gem is doubly refractive. When you think a stone might be singly refractive, a quick check in the polariscope is necessary.

You can also find the optic sign on many stones with minimum effort using a polariscope as well as look for pleochroism. These are useful clues and it is worth the minute or so it takes to check for them.

Write down everything you see.

Step 7: Search a Relevant Database of Gem Information

At this point, enter your data into Gemology Tools or a similar tool. It has fields to enter data, like high and low RI; optic sign, which may be nothing more than singly or doubly refractive; and specific gravity. It also has fields to enter your observations. These include color, pleochroism, polish luster, transparency, and most of the inclusions you found with magnification.

These are the fields found in the Gemology Tools software, after examining your gem, enter this information in to generate a list of possible gem species.

After entering your information, it will do a search for gems that match your criteria. From the results, you can compare the properties of the possible species. The easiest way to narrow down your options at this point is to look for the properties that are shared by the fewest stones. Measure one of those properties, enter it in Gemology Tools and do another query.

In many cases, that will be enough to make a positive identification. If not, you will have to look for another property to measure. Continue this process until you only have eliminated all but one species.

Examples

While preparing this article, I had the following stones to identify. These were not made up as examples, but were actual gems that needed identifying; however, they perfectly illustrate the procedures you should follow and the problems you will likely encounter.

Example 1

Unknown Gem #1

This stone looks like a tourmaline. Part of this observation is based on the shape of the stone — tourmaline crystals are elongated, so rectangular gems are common. The color is green, but slightly grayish. It is certainly not an emerald or other chromium-colored gem.

With the loupe, I see that it is well cut. It has some fingerprints and fractures, but no identifying inclusions.

The end facets are black with no light passing through them. This is called a “closed C axis” and is common to tourmaline, but little else. For our purposes we will simply note that it has strong pleochroism.

Next I took a basic RI reading. On the long axis it measured 1.643. Turning it sideways, it read 1.641.

I put it in the polariscope, which verified that it was doubly refractive, but it did not show any stress. Since I thought I had enough information to prove it was tourmaline, I did not make much effort to find the optic sign, but went right on to my database search.

In Gemology Tools I entered the following information:

Color: green

Transparency: transparent

Pleochroism: strong

Luster: Vitreous

RI High: 1.643

RI Low: 1.641

Optic Character: DR

To my surprise, I got four possible species: apatite, asparagus stone, viridine, and tourmaline. All but viridine have the same optic sign and all their specific gravities overlap. I looked further and noticed that the only separating factor is birefringence. That made sense, as tourmaline has a very high birefringence (.018 to .040) and I had just measured a tiny bit.

I went back to the refractometer and tested another facet. I got a high RI of 1.651 and entered that in Gemology Tools. This time when I did a search I got just tourmaline.

The total time on this identification was about 10 minutes.

Example 2

Unknown Gem #2

This is a transparent, blue gem. With the naked eye, I can see that it has nice color, is well saturated, and just slightly greenish. It is factory-cut with a big window and has some long straight, inclusions.

As I examined it with a loupe, the inclusions jumped right out at me. Most of them are internal fractures, but a few are clearly parallel growth tubes.

A photo of the growth tubes visible in Unknown Gem #2 when examined with a loupe.

This told me it was either a tourmaline or an aquamarine. I took a basic RI reading and determined that it was doubly refractive. I did not bother with the optic sign, as that appeared to be unnecessary.

I entered the following information into Gemology Tools:

Color: blue
Optic Character: DR
RI High: 1.583
RI Low: 1.569
Transparency: transparent
Luster: vitreous
Magnification: hollow growth tubes

A search gave me only one possible gem, aquamarine. That made the identification complete and it only took about 5 minutes.

Example 3

Center Stone

Unknown Stone #3 – Center Stone

The loupe reveals that this has a rich blue color, it is transparent and well cut with sharp facet edges. There is no pleochroism visible. Inside I can see zoning and some needles, but a microscope is needed to see them more clearly.

Under 20X with back lighting, I could tell that the zoning is straight — these are not curved striae. The needles were a bit of a surprise, as they are red.

Next I took a RI reading and measured 1.774 on the long axis. I couldn’t get a reading on the short direction as it wouldn’t sit flat on hemisphere. All I could get from the polariscope was that the stone is doubly refractive.

Next I entered the following information in Gemology Tools search engine:

Color: blue
Optic Character: DR
RI High: 1.774
Transparency: Transparent
Magnification: straight growth lines

I got assembled stones, benitoite, and sapphire for my results.

I know this is not an assembled stone, because the inclusions run up and down through it. Benitoite has more dispersion than a diamond, at .044. If it were a benitoite, I would have seen that. So the answer is sapphire.

Again, the identification took about five minutes.

Example 4

Unknown Gem #4

This ring features a big yellow stone that is eye clean. The loupe revealed a couple of fine fingerprints that were only visible from side. The stone showed strong doubling. No pleochroism was observed. It has a good commercial cut, with sharp facet edges and good meets, but lots of chips and scratches in the polish.

The microscope didn’t reveal anything new.

I took my RI readings and got 1.620 and 1.618. This does not accord with the strong doubling I observed. Like the tourmaline above, I am working almost directly on an optic axis. I know birefringence is much higher than .002.

Polariscope testing was a bit tricky as the setting is closed under the stone. Since I had so little information, I wanted the optic sign. I found it through the table by holding the ring at a 45 degree angle. The gem is uniaxial.

I was now able to enter the following information into Gemology Tools:

Color: orangish yellow
Optic Character: DR U
RI High: 1.620
RI Low: 1.618
Polish Luster: Vitreous
Transparency: Transparent

The search results gave me three possibilities: assembled stones, calcite and tourmaline.

I went back to microscope to see if fingerprint went from the top to bottom, but I couldn’t tell anything for certain. That meant I needed to do an immersion test.

This ring was so large, I had to use a water glass to submerse the entire thing. Fortunately, I had some olive oil that was beyond its peak, so it was used. By using immersion, I was able to tell the stone was whole, that it was not assembled.

That left calcite and tourmaline. Calcite is very soft, with a hardness of only 3. The facet edges were too sharp for it to be calcite, so I ended with a positive identification of tourmaline.

This identification took about 15 minutes, with a good part of that spent cleaning the oil off the stone.

Conclusion

The search features of Gemology Tools allow for easier and more accurate identifications than ever before. It has many other software modules that are also very useful, but outside the scope of this article.

Gemology Tools is available with a substantial discount with a new membership.

It takes a lot of experience to become familiar with the gems and the testing procedures required for proper identification. There is a longer and more detailed version of this article for IGS members. To accompany this lesson, we also have a series of “What is it?” quizzes. These give examples of other practical identification problems. Together, they will give you a good idea of how to precede with your identification problems.

New Procedures

Material
Hard high
Hardlow
SGhigh
SGlow
RIHigh
RIlow
Birefringence
OpticSign
Disper-sion

MALACHITE
4.5
3.5
4.05
3.60
1.909
1.655
.254
B-
-

SIDERITE
4.5
3.5
3.96
3.83
1.873
1.633
.240
U-
-

SMITHSONITE
5
4
4.45
4.30
1.848
1.621
.227
U- A
.037

AZURITE
4
3.5
3.89
3.30
1.846
1.63
.106 – .110
B+ A
-

RHODOCHROSITE
4.5
3.5
3.70
3.40
1.840
1.574
.201 – .220
U- A
-

EPIDOTE GROUP
7.5
5.5
4.20
3.10
1.830
1.640
.004 – .049
B+/- A
.019 – .030

TOURMALINE GROUP
7.5
7
3.90
2.82
1.820
1.604
.006 – .080
U-
.017

UNAKITE
7
6
3.20
2.85
1.760
1.520
-
A
-

PARISITE
4.5
4.5
4.36
4.25
1.757
1.676
.081
U+
-

With the advent of Gemology Tools, searching data has become much easier and errors are minimized. All you have to do is enter your information and let the computer search the data for you. This is a wonderful asset for the gemologist as it removes the tedium while minimizing errors.

As nice as this is, that is just the icing on the cake. The data searching features of Gemology Tools are so powerful you can do things never before possible. The International Gem Society has developed new procedures to take advantage of this technology. This simplifies the identification process, reduces the amount of lab work required and the time involved, while reducing errors. That is a significant advancement from one single piece of inexpensive software.

Traditional gemology teaches that when examining an unknown gem, the two most useful pieces of information are the refractive index and the specific gravity. While an RI reading is fairly quick and straight forward, specific gravity readings are time consuming and often inaccurate.

Gemology Tools allows you to search by visual properties as well as measured data. That means that, with only a visual observation, an RI and polariscope exam, you can begin your search. Time consuming specific gravity readings and referencing huge charts are now a thing of the past.

Read More

Gem Identification Tools and Equipment

There is nothing more important to a gemologist that his or her gemological testing equipment. For some this may mean a lot of expensive and cumbersome equipment. For others it may mean only a few instruments carried in a shirt pocket. But regardless of how many instruments you require, it is important to be fully aware of the ability of each one to its fullest. Here are some of the most often used gemological testing equipment, and how YourGemologist ranks them in importance.

---

Gemological Binocular Microscope

These are great if you are always in your office or store. But how often do you do your buying of gemstones in your store or office? These microscopes are great for research, retail selling, and identification of difficult gemstones such as some synthetics. But no gemologist worth their salt should rely solely on one of the big, expensive monsters for synthetics, anyway. If you are in the field (or out on the streets) they are difficult, if not impossible, to carry. And you will almost never find a plug when you need one. Best to train to grade and identify gemstones with a 10X hand loupe. Then, when you get asked to make that special buying trip to the tanzanite fields of Tanzania, you won't have to pay extra air fees for your luggage that is overloaded with your microscope. And....where are you going to plug the damned thing in, anyway! Save your money on a moderate scope for the office or store, and put your money into something useful like a full size spectroscope...or more inventory for your store. Let's face it, has anyone thought about why the New York Diamond Dealers Club does not have rows upon rows of big expensive microscopes lined up on the tables. Because they don't need them.

---

10x Triplet Jeweler's Loupe

This is the instrument of choice of the best gemologists. With this you can separate synthetic moissanite or cubic zirconia from natural diamond, clarity grade a diamond, cut grade a diamond...and you don't have to plug it in anywhere. Fits in your pocket. Show me a gemologists who can't do a complete diamond analysis with just the loupe, and I will show you a gemologists who is not worth much on a buying trip. Learn to grade with just a loupe! It will be the greatest benefit to your gemological ability that you will learn.

---

Mag Light with Dark Field

If you want to be creative get yourself one of the cool MagLite's with a dark field illumination attachment. It has a built-in 10x loupe that works well. Its meant for those of you who need dark field illumination to do clarity grading, but are smart enough to know better than carry a microscope around with you in your luggage.

---

Refractometer

One of the most important tools in the gemologist's tool set. The refractometer can give you the refractive index including the optic character and sign of the gemstones, if you are properly trained. But far too many people think you just put the stone on the refractometer, read the RI and make the identificatin. This is just not correct. One must be properly trained to know how to use the refractometer properly and to get the most from its testing ability. The new generation of refractometers is seen above with a cubic zirconia hemicylinder that is far easier to use and much less likely to get scratched. Remember, training and practice are very important with the refractometer. Very important tool but with that comes the need for proper training.

---

Jemeter (infrared reflectance meter)

Now here is a tool never to leave home without. Although it is not taught much in the United States, the Jemeter is the best tool for testing refractive index of a stone. Its digital, it runs on batteries so its portable. And it will read far beyond the 1.81 reading of the normal glass version of refractometer. And it will also test for birefringence so no need for a polariscope. It requires some care to maintain calibration...but then if you are going to own gemological equipment you need to get used to caring for your equipment anyway. And how difficult are they to use? I carried the one in this picture for over 10 years and 400,000 miles around the Caribbean. Never failed once. And not once did I ever carry a traditional refractometer in my suitcase. Did not need one. These may be hard to find now since they have not been in production for a number of years, but if you can find one you should seriously consider buying it.

---

Polariscope

The polariscope is a critical piece of equipment for any gemologist's office. It can easily identify single and double refractive gemstones, and in many cases allow you to view the optic interference figure and give you the optic character of the gemstone. Too large and difficult for travel, but on the desk of a properly trained gemologist the polariscope can help make gemstone identification far more accurate and efficient.

---

Dichroscope

Very useful tool that no gemologist should be without. Critical in identifying many synthetic and imitation gemstones. The dichroscope allows you to actually see the pleochroism in a gemstone, in other words it allows you to see the multiple colors that many gemstones produce. Since your eyes cannot separate these colors in most cases, the dichroscope uses calcite crystals to separate the light waves and allow you to see the seperate colors. This is a very important addition to your testing tools and one that no gemologist can be without. Don't travel without one.

---

London Dichroscope

The British came up with a dichroscope that is based on polaroid filters. Works as well as the expensive counterpart above, but costs much less. Not as accurate on individual gemstones that require color separations that are only slight in variation, but an important tool for travel and for looking at parcels of gemstones at once. A very good tool to have in addition to the calcite dichroscope.

---

Chelsea Filter

Never, never, never leave home without your Chelsea Filter. As a GIA Graduate Gemologist I can attest to why the GG's of this world do not understand the Chelsea Filter...the GIA does not teach it properly. It is perceived as some ancient filter once used to ID synthetic emeralds. Not even close! The Chelsea Filter can separate every tanzanite imitation on the market from the real thing. It can identify the chromium content of Colombian emeralds, give a red reaction to natural Lapis Lazuli, show chromium content of jade, separate synthetic blue spinel from natural. So many, many things this little filter can do that US gemologists don't even know about. Learn about this very important gem identification tool. It is one of the most important tools that will keep you from having to lug all that heavy, electricity eating equipment around with you when you travel. I always carry a Chelsea filter when I travel to shows or mines.

---

Master Colored Grading Set

In your store or office these should be diamonds. But few gemologists are gullible enough to travel with a set of master color grading diamonds. I have used a couple of sets of color grading CZ sets for years. I check them on an ongoing basis with an AGS Master Set that we have in the office. So far, no changes in color, in spite of what some places will tell you. If you travel, stay with the CZ master sets. If you are home or office based, you should make every effort to own a set of diamond master color stones.

---

Spectroscope

Never, never, never leave home without your spectroscope. Unfortunately, this is another piece of equipment that the GIA falls far short with their training. A gemologist that is well trained with a simple hand held spectroscope can identify so many, many gemstones that it might amaze you. And I mean with nothing else but a hand held spectroscope. That is some training that will serve you well in buying, appraising, and identification of gemstones in the field...no matter what field you are standing in. The spectroscope allows you to see the absorption lines due to elements in a gemstone that allows for identification. A well trained gemologist will always want to have a spectroscope in their tool chest.

---

Specific Gravity Liquids

These used to be important for identification of a lot of gemstones...in the office or store. But try taking some on a trip with you! Yikes! Far too toxic. And leave them to sit for a while, and then go back to check if they are still accurate with their SG measurements. No way. You have to start pouring in a little methylene iodide..a little bromoform...a little of this...a little of that. What a headache. Get yourself a carat scale that will hold an attachment and get your specific gravity the old fashion way...hydrostatic weighing. Its more accurate and a lot cheaper. Plus with the toxicity of the SG liquids most gemologists have stopped using them and gone back to using the hydrostatic method of obtaining specific gravity.

---

Electronic Scales

God Bless The Japanese and Americans for developing some digital, electronic scales that are accurate and durable. The carat scale on the far left is from the US company: Dendritics, and the gram/pennyweight scale on the immediate left is from Tanita in Japan. Both have traveled the same 400,000 miles as the Jemeter above. And never once failed and never once got out of calibration. Thank you Dendritics and Tanita. Well done!

---

Ultraviolet Cabinet and Long Wave/Short Wave UV Light

Again, a great tool for the office. But there are several models on the market today that run on battery, give you the same light sources in a far smaller, hand held light source, and don't take up near as much room. There are a number of models out there so find one that is right for you. But by all means get one. You will need it.

---

Electronic Metals Tester

Be very careful about these testers. If the reaction is good then you can probably trust the tool. But if it says not good, that means get another opinion. These are as good as the gemologist using them. Which means everyone should be careful. They are better than trying to carry a vial of hydrochloric or nitric acid around with you. But take negative readings with a grain of salt until you get verification from, preferably, an aqua regis test.

---

Leveridge Gauge

This has been a staple of gemological tools for decades. There are now a lot of fancy digital version on the market which makes it better for old guys like me to read the measurements. But I would not suggest that any gemologist be without one. They are vital in making weight estimations by measurement formula. Spend the money to get a good one. It will be money well spent if you take care of it.

---

These are the basics when it comes to gemological equipment. How much or how little of it all you need will depend on how experienced and how well trained you are as a gemologist. By far the best training you will find for gemology without the need for a lot of expensive equipment is with the International School of Gemology or the Gemmological Association of Great Britain. Both teach you to understand the "why" of gemology so you don't need to carry a lot of heavy equipment, and you don't need to carry a lot of reference books. I highly recommend them to anyone interested in gemology.

Read More

Famous Gemstones-Page 1

We have one of the most extensive resource on famous gemstones. These gemstones are classified alphabetically in groups. Within each group the respective gemstones are again classified alphabetically. Each gemstone has a dedicated page where it is dealt with in detail.

We have dealt with famous gemstones in both our Blog and in our Main Site. This is a comprehensive list of all the gemstones we have covered (Both in the Blog and in the Main Site).

If you want to view only the famous gemstones covered in our Blog, please click here to go to the famous gemstone category in our Blog.

Emeralds

Ashok Kumar Sanchetis Carved Emerald Smithsonian Institution

Atocha Emeralds

Beauharnais Emerald Collection - Grand Duchess Stephanie Emerald Parure

Cambridge and Delhi Dunbar Parure

Caravel Pendant

Carolina Queen Emerald

Catherine the Great Emerald and Diamond Necklace

Catherine the Great Emerald Jewelry

Chalk Emerald Ring

Crown of Andes

Duke of Devonshire Emerald

Emerald and Diamond Parure of Marie Louise Empress of France

Emerald Encrusted Utility Items in the Iranian Crown Jewels

Emerald Man

Emerald Necklaces of the Maharajah of Nawanagar

Emeralds of the Programa Royal Collections

Emerald Unguentarium/Vessel

Gachala Emerald

Godman Emerald and Diamond Necklace

Grand Duchess of Vladimir Tiara

Guiness Emerald Crystal

Hooker Emerald Brooch

Isabella Emerald

Jewel-Studded Special Settings-Emerald Studded Globe

Largest Faceted Emeralds from North Carolina

Loose Emeralds in the Iranian Crown Jewels

Mackay Emerald Necklace

Madeleine H Murdock's Emerald Necklace

Marie Therese Duchess d' Angouleme Emerald and Diamond Tiara

Maximilian Emerald Ring

Moghul Emerald

Naem Emerald

Norwegian Emerald Parure - Empress Josephine's Emerald Parure

Patricia Emerald

Queen Victorias Emerald and Diamond Tiara

Sacred Emerald Buddha

Spanish Inquisition Necklace

Significant Emeralds found in North Carolina

Swords, Daggers and Shields of the Iranian Crown Jewels

Three Crowns of the Iranian Crown Jewels

Thrones of the Iranian Crown Jewels

Tiaras of the Iranian Crown Jewels

Topkapi Emerald Dagger

Tumbled Emerald Necklace on Laughing wooden Buddha

Rose Quartz

World's Largest Star Rose Quartz - Michael Scott Collection

Rubies

Alan Caplan Ruby - Mogok Ruby

Chhatrapati Manik Ruby

List of faceted rubies greater than 10-carats in weight

J. N. Forster Rubies

Mandalay Ruby

Neelanjali Ruby

Nga Mauk & Kallahpyan Rubies

Peace Ruby

Prince's Ruby at the Bowers Museum

Rajaratna Star Ruby

Raviratna Star Ruby

Rosser Reeves Star Ruby

Star of Bharany Ruby

Sapphires

The Black Star of Queensland Famous Black Sapphire Gemstone

“Blue Belle of Asia” Sapphire

Blue Giant of the Orient

Catherine the Great's Sapphire

De Long Star Ruby

Empress Maria Alexandrovna Sapphire Brooch

Famous Blue Star Sapphires Greater than 100 carats in Weight

Gordon Star Sapphire and Gordon Sapphire Necklace

Hill's Kashmir Sapphire

List of Blue Sapphires Excluding Blue Star Sapphires Greater than 100-carats in weight

List of famous Sri Lankan blue sapphires greater than 100 carats in weight arranged in descending order of carat weights

List of famous blue sapphires in the world greater than 100 carats in weight arranged in descending order of carat weights

Logan Blue Sapphire

Midnight Star Sapphire

The Bismarck Sapphire Necklace

“The Lone Star”- Blue Sapphire

The Rockefeller Sapphire

The Ruspoli Sapphire

Star Of Artaban

Star of Asia Sapphire

Star Of Bombay

Star of India

Star of Lanka Sapphire

Queen Marie of Romania's Sapphire

St. Edward's Sapphire

Stuart Sapphire

Unnamed 393-carat Sri Lankan Blue Star Sapphire

Click  here for  Famous Gemstones  (Page 2)

More Famous Gemstones

Back to Famous Diamonds,Gemstones and Pearls

Read More

Famous Diamonds, Gemstones and Pearls

Famous Diamonds. (See Below)

Famous Diamond and Jewelry Collections

Famous Gemstones

More Famous Gemstones

More Famous Diamonds

Famous  Pearls of the World

More Famous Pearls

---

Agra Diamond

Ahmedabad Diamond

Akbar Shah-Jahangir Shah Diamond

Allnatt Diamond

Amarillo Starlight Diamond

Amsterdam Diamond

Archduke Joseph Diamond

Arcot Diamonds

Ashberg Diamond

Beau Sancy Diamond

Begum Blue Diamond

Black Orlov Diamond

Blue Empress Diamond

Blue Heart Diamond

Blue Lili Diamond

Blue Magic Diamond

Briolette of India Diamond

Centenary Diamond

Chloe Diamond

Conde Pink Diamond

Cullinan Diamond

Darya-i-Nur Diamond

De Beers Diamond

Deepdene Diamond

De Young Red Diamond

Dresden Green Diamond

Dresden White Diamond

Earth Star Diamond

Emperor Maximilian Diamond

Empress Eugenie Diamond

English Dresden Diamond

Eureka Diamond

Excelsior Diamond

Florentine Diamond

Golconda-D-Diamond

Golconda d'or Diamond

Golden Jubilee Diamond

Golden Maharajah Diamond

Golden Star Diamond

Graff Asscher Cut Diamond

Graff Blue Diamonds

Graff Cushion-Cut Diamond

Graff Imperial Blue Diamond

Graff Pink Orchid diamond

Graff Pink Supreme Diamond

Graff Purplish Red Diamond

Graff Vivid Yellow Diamond

Great Chrysanthemum Diamond

Gruosi Diamond

Gruosi Green Diamond

Heart of Eternity Diamond

Hope Diamond

Hortensia Diamond

Idol's Eye Diamond

Incomparable diamond

Indore Pears Diamonds

Iranian Yellow Diamonds

Jones Diamond

Jonker Diamond

Jubilee Diamond

Kahn Canary Diamond

Kimberley Octahedron 616 Diamond

Koh-i-Noor Diamond

Korloff Noir Diamond

Krupp Diamond

La Favorite Diamond

Lesotho Brown Diamond

Lesotho Promise Diamond

Letseng Legacy Diamond

Liberator Diamond

Louis Cartier Diamond

Mahjal-Algeiba Star Diamond

Matan Diamond

Millennium Star Diamond

Famous Diamonds continued(M to Z)Click here)

Page 1 of 2

(1)Hopes cats eye- over 500 carats.
It is the largest chrysoberyl Cats Eye in the world previously owned by Thomas P.Hope,the wealthy British banker and gem investor. This enormous cats eye is carved to represent an altar surmounted by a torch. It is hemispherical in shape and measures about one and a half inches in diameter.
(2)Blue giant of the orient-466 carats
This is the largest blue sapphire in the world-466 carats. Is was mined in the Ratnapura (Gem City) District of Sri Lanka in 1907.It is a treasured possession of a famous American Gem Collector.

The Bismark Sapphire Necklace,a Sri Lankan stone
©Smithsonian Institute,photo by Chip Clark

(3)Logan Blue Sapphire-423 carats
It is the second largest blue sapphire in the world. It has a rich deep blue colour and is completely flawless. It was gifted to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC by Mrs. John A Logan.
(4)Rosser Reeves Star Ruby-138 carats
This is the world's largest star ruby, and it combines the rare features of excellent colour,good transparency and a well defined star. It is one of the outstanding exhibits of the U.S National Gem collection at the Smithsonian Institute.

Rosser Reeves Star Ruby,a Sri Lankan stone
©Smithsonian Institute,photo by Chip Clark

---

Logan Sapphire Brooch,a Sri Lankan stone
©Smithsonian Institute

Gem producing areas of Sri Lanka (Marked blue) Galle,(marked purple)

(5)Blue Belle of Asia-400 carats
It is the third largest blue sapphire on record. It was discovered in 1926 from the paddy fields of Pelmadulla in the Ratnapura District. It is famous for its highly priced peacock blue color and excellent clarity. It is the valuable possession of a wealthy British gem collector.
(6)A British Royal Jewel-105 carats chrysoberyl cats eye
This chrysoberyl cats eye is of Sri Lankan origin. A reputed London Jeweler sold it to the British Royalty around 1900.The gemstone is of exceptionally fine quality and was cherished by four British Monarchs-Edward VI, George V, Edward VII, Queen Elizabeth II.

(7)Ray of Treasure-105 carats
This is another chrysoberyl Cats Eye weighing 105 carats, recently mined from the gem gravels of Sri Lanka. The stone displays a Milk and Honey effect, good transparency and has a well defined silver ray. It is a splendid flawless specimen and forms a part of the collection of the National Gem and Jewelry Authority of Sri Lanka.
(8)Star of India-563 carats
This is the second largest star sapphire in the world and is unique because it has excellent stars on both sides of the stone. It is part of the collection of American Museum of National History, and is mistakenly referred to as the “star of India", even though it is universally acknowledged as of Sri Lankan origin.

Read More

Splendors of Mughal India – I (Source:REENA AHLUWALIA)

I love world cultures! My curiosity over years has made me spend a lot of my time conducting self-studies on various cultures, their rituals, customs, and of course, jewelry.  I hope you enjoy my curated list of Mughal jewelry and artifacts in this blog post!

I have tried my best to attribute images to their creators and original sources. Please contact me if you know the source of images that are not attributed.

Mughal emperors were lovers of precious stones, numerous references show the strong cultural belief in gemstone properties. The Timurids, ancestors of the Mughals, had begun the tradition of engraving titles and names on stones of outstanding quality and, along with diamonds and emeralds, large spinel beads were their favorite. As much as these gems were a symbol of the opulence and dignity of the empire, they were also treasured as protective talismans.

Emeralds were enormously popular with the Mughal Court, whose emperors referred to them as “Tears of the Moon” because of their opaque transparency.

One of the most treasured jewel in Indian history: The Taj Mahal Emerald. Circa 1630-1650. A hexagonal-cut emerald, weighing approximately 141.13 carats, it is carved with stylized chrysanthemum, lotus and Mughal poppy flowers, within asymmetrical foliage, to the plain reverse and beveled border. This intricately carved stone is one of a small group of exquisite emeralds commissioned by the Mughal Court, possibly during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan. The name of the emerald is derived from its intricately carved surface of lotus, poppy flowers, and other foliage that mirrors the decoration of the Taj Mahal. At the Paris Exhibition of 1925, 'The Taj Mahal Emerald' was one of three large Mughal emeralds that featured prominently in Cartier’s Collier Bérénice, a spectacular shoulder ornament that also boasted pearls, diamonds, and black enamel.

The rulers of Mughal India often ordered their names and titles to be inscribed on rubies, emeralds and diamonds, a practice which originated in Iran under the Timurids (1370-1507). Some of these gems ended up in the collection of the Mughal emperors who continued the tradition. In some cases, as the gems were passed down further names were added below those of the previous owners. Many were repolished, recut and re-set as they were handed down. The inscriptions were executed using the traditional cutting wheel or diamond-tipped stylus.

The rectangular-cut emerald known as 'The Mogul Mughal' weighing 217.80 carats. It's a magnificent emerald with a great back story! Carved emerald with a Shi`ite invocation; Mughal or Deccani, 1695-1696. The reverse carved all over with foliate decoration, the central rosette flanked by single large poppy flowers, with a line of three smaller poppy flowers either side, the bevelled edges carved with cross pattern incisions and herringbone decoration, each of the four sides drilled for attachments, 2 1/16 x 1 9/16 x 7/16 in. (5.2 x 4x 1.2 cm.) Originally mined in Colombia, it was sold in India, where emeralds were much desired by the rulers of the Mughal Empire.

This carved flat emerald is set in a platinum, gold, and diamond pendant necklace. The emerald was discovered in Colombia, possibly by Spanish conquistadors, and found its way to India for cutting. Smithsonian, photography by Ken Larsen.

Historic and remarkable Mughal Emerald necklace. Small drill holes in the sides of the emerald, possibly used to attach the stone to a cloak or turban, also are consistent with a Mogul origin. The emerald is surrounded by round diamonds and is suspended from a double row diamond necklace; the diamonds total approximately 50 carats. A hallmark indicates that the Mogul emerald was set into the pendant and necklace in France around the turn of the 20th century. Smithsonian, photography by Ken Larsen.

The carved emerald dates from the late-17th to early-18th century, and was set within the elegant and understated mounting by Cartier in the 1920s. Photo: Sotheby's

Marjorie Merriweather Post’s platinum brooch from the 1920s, featuring a spectacular 60-ct. carved Mughal emerald surrounded by diamonds.

An inscribed Mughal emerald personal seal set in a diamond encrusted gold bangle and bearing the name of Major Alexander Hannay, an East India Company officer. Photo Bonhams

Mughal emerald and diamond sarpech. Mid-18th century. 78 emeralds are of Colombian origin. Photo: Christie's

Spinels (balas rubies) were highly prized in the Mughal court and were usually drilled as beads and used as pendant gemstones on necklaces, turban ornaments or earrings. Abu'l Fazl treasury historic records indicate a hierarchy of gems where spinels were listed in advance of diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds. They were admired for their colour which followed the Persian literary tradition of representing wine and the sun, evoking the light of dusk.

Tavernier reported that he counted 108 large balas rubies (spinels, it is believed) mounted on the famous Peacock Throne, all cabochon cut, the smallest weighing about 100 carats and some 200 carats or more.

An Imperial Mughal spinel necklace with eleven polished baroque spinels for a total weight of 1,131.59 carats. Three of the spinels are engraved. Two with the name of Emperor Jahangir (1569-1627), one with the three names of Emperor Jahangir, Emperor Shah Jahan and Emperor Alamgir, also known as Aurangzeb.

Inscribed royal spinel (balas ruby) weighing 249.3 carats. This majestic stone is inscribed with the names of its six imperial owners and has the distinction of having the second-most number of such inscriptions. It was a gift from the Safavid Shah Abbas the Great of Iran to the Mughal emperor Jahangir in 1621. Image courtesy of © The Al-Sabah Collection.

Rulers mentioned in inscriptions:
1. Timurid, Ulugh Beg (before 1449)
2. Safavid, Shah Abbas I (1617)
3. Mughal, Jahangir (1621)
4. Mughal, Shah Jahan (undated)
5. Mughal, Alamgir (Aurangzeb) (1659 – 1660)
6. Durrani, Ahmad Shah (1754 – 1755)

Detail: Inscription on an Imperial Mughal spinel necklace. These spinels mainly originated from the Badakhshan mine, in the 'Pamir' region (on the frontier between Afghanistan and Tajikistan). This province gave its derived name to spinels, described as 'Balas rubies' for decades.

The Taj Mahal Diamond [circa 1621] - a diamond with extraordinary provenance! Owned by Jahangir, ruler of Mughal India and father of Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal diamond was gifted by Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor for her 40th birthday. Diamond is inscribed in Arabic on either side.

Legendary Taj Mahal Diamond. I was fortunate to privately view and hold this diamond in the palm of my hand at Christie's New York in December 2011. It's an incredibly piece of diamond history.

Rare image of Mughal Coins. Mughal emperors. Photo: The David Collection

The powder flask was an essential firearm accessory and held the fine powder needed to make the gun fire. Gunmakers in India during the Mughal era (1526-1858) specialized in carving ivory powder flasks with animal figures. Often, as this example, the decoration consists of intertwined and composite creatures that seem to grow out of or attack one another. 18th century. Note: International trade in ivory is banned (The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

An unusual ivory Archer's Ring in the form of a Falcon probably Mughal, 18th Century formed by a three dimensional bird with ruby-set eyes and folded wings. Photo: Bonhams.

A rare Mughal archers thumb-ring of hippo ivory, India, 17th/18th Century. Sotheby's

Jade archer's thumb-ring. Mughal dynasty, 17th century AD. India. British Museum

1650. Thumb rings of this type were originally used in archery as a way of releasing the bow-string accurately without injuring the hand. Thumb rings made with precious materials became objects of royal status in the Mughal courts of India. Photo: V&A

Dress archery ring of Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan. Second quarter of the 17th century. Gold set with carved and polished uncut diamonds, rubies and emeralds. Photo: State Hermitage Museum.

A Mughal carved emerald flask with stopper, India, circa 18th century. The body of faceted hexagonal form, cut and carved on each face with a floral stem, the stopper carved with eight stylised leaves and a star design to the top. Sotheby's

Mango-shaped scent bottle Mid-17th century Rock crystal with rubies and emeralds set in gold. Mughal India. Image: Asia Society

Mango-Shaped Flask, mid-17th century India Rock crystal, gold and gemstone inlay. Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Mango-shaped container, rock crystal, inlaid with gold and rubies. India, Mughal; 17th century. The princes of the Mughal dynasty had a special love for semi-precious stones like jade and rock crystal, and their artists achieved a very high degree of perfection in carving objects such as dagger hilts, bowls, and rings from these materials. Grooves cut into the materials could then be inlaid with gemstones and gold. Photo: The David Collection

Crown of the Emperor Bahadur Shah II (the last Mughal emperor). 1850. Gold, turquoises, rubies, diamonds, pearls, emeralds, feathers and velvet. The Royal Collection©

Carved emerald circular box. Mughal India circa 1635. An identical cypress is carved on each panel. Similar boxes made of various precious materials appear in Indian miniatures from the early 17th century on. They could have been for medicines (including opium, a Mughal panacea) or to hold even more precious objects, such as uncut diamonds.

A Mughal gem-set silver and gold rosewater sprinkler. North India, , 17th/18th century. Photo: Christie's

An Indian gem-set gilt-metal casket with bird-head finial. Mughal, India. Photo: Sotheby's

A Mughal-style gemstone-encrusted white jade scent bottle. 18th/19th century. Of flattened circular shape on a short oval foot, the cylindrical neck fitted with a screw-top cover with a knop finial, the body inlaid in gold and inset with gem stones including diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds, depicting two panels on the front and back enclosing birds and blossoming branches, the sides with further blossoms.

Highly detailed plate. 17th century, Mughal India. Gold, kundan setting technique, uncut diamonds, rubies, emeralds and enamel. Presented by the ambassadorial mission of Iranian ruler Nadir-Shah to the Russian Imperial Court, 1741. Photo: State Hermitage Museum.

A diamond-inset and enamelled bowl and stand. Deccan or Mughal India, late 18th century. Photo: Christie's

Dish, colorless glass, decorated with enamel and gilded. India, Mughal; c. 1700. The flowers on the dish were contoured on the inside with gold and filled in with red and yellow enamel, while the outside was painted solely in yellow. This produces a kind of three-dimensional effect that is characteristic of Mughal glass art with painted decoration. Photo: The David Collection

Turban ornament. 1700-1750. Wearing plumes in a turban indicated royal status in Mughal India. Nephrite jade, gold inset with rubies, emeralds, probably topaz, with gold foil, rock crystal and pearl. Photo: V&A

Kundan set eagle pendant. Mughal, India. Rubies, diamonds, pearls, enamel. Photo: The Al-Sabah collection.

Mughal parrot finger ring (c.1600–1625) with a three-dimensional bird that can rotate and bob (possibly providing hours of entertainment for its owner) is set with rubies, emeralds, diamonds and a single sapphire. Photo: The Al-Sabah collection.

Bird Finger Ring (1st quarter of the 17th century), Indian, Mughal or Deccan - Gold, rubies, emeralds, turquoises; carving, kundan technique. Photo: The Al-Sabah collection.

Pendant in the form of an eagle, Mughal India, 18th century. Gold, cast and chased, set with foiled diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires in gold kundan. Photo: © Nour Foundation

This extraordinary figurine comes from the Mughal dynasty of India. Gold, pearl, ruby, diamond and enamel squatting duck on a stand. Photo: British Museum

Gold and enamel figurine of an elephant with large natural baroque pearl forming its back and diamonds on its head. Mughal, India. Image credit: British Museum

Golden spoon, quite literally!
A rare Mughal gem-set gold spoon, India, 17th-18th century. The back is delicately inlaid on the reverse with a lotus rosette comprised of radiating foil-backed diamond petals and rubies, the faceted tapering shaft inlaid with emeralds and bands of ruby quatrefoils within an engraved and chiseled gold framework.  Photo: Sotheby's.

A Mughal masterpiece. The necklace features five pendant diamonds (Origin: Golconda mines, India) with emerald drops. The central stone weighs 28 cts. and is the largest table-cut diamond known. The five surrounding stones—weighing 96 cts. collectively—comprise the largest known Matching set of table-cut diamonds from the 17th century. It is believed that the jewel once belonged to a Mughal emperor.

Mughal ruler Shah Jahan's Wine Cup. Jade. 1657. Jade cup carved in the form of a shell or gourd with carved handle terminating in the head of an Ibex & large floret shaped foot, left side underside view. This large cup is the finest known example of Mughal jade-carving. The Emperor's titles are carved on its side along with the date. Source: V&A Museum

Huqqa (water pipe) of emerald-green glass decorated with gold and yellow enamel
Northern India; 1st half of 18th century.

The motif was painted “in reserve,” which means that the gold was largely used as the background for the motifs – poppies and cypresses along with various leaf borders. A few details, such as the ribs or little leaves, were executed in gold or yellow enamel. A special refinement is the use of enamel inside, behind the flower heads. Photo: The David Collection

Portrait of Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Banu Begum). She was the favourite wife of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. She died shortly after giving birth to her fourteenth child in 1631. The following year the emperor began work on the mausoleum that would house her body. The result was the world-famous Taj Mahal. Photo: V&A

Miniature portrait pendant. Watercolor on ivory, gold, glass. 1830-1850, India. In this instance, an artist from Delhi has portrayed a courtesan dressed as a princess wearing elaborate Mughal gold and gem-set jewelry. Photo: The Walters Art Museum

A Bejeweled Maiden with a Parakeet. Illustrated single work. ca. 1670–1700, Mughal. India, Golconda, Deccan. The bird sits on the maiden’s henna-reddened fingers, each one of which is separately adorned by a diamond ring. She also wears strands of pearls, with emeralds and rubies.

A rare Mughal pale green jadeite snuff bottle. 1800-1900. The flattened, rounded bottle is well carved on either side with a large flower reserved on a dense ground of overlapping leaves. Either shoulder is carved with a smaller flower head as is the top of the mouth rim. The translucent stone is of pale icy green tone. 2 in. (5 cm.) high, pink tourmaline stopper and bone spoon.

Mughal gold and enamel belt buckle in two pieces with inlaid diamonds. Enamel decoration on reverse of tiger attacking a boar.   b. Rectangular element with small round ring through which oblong ring fits. Hook is attached to this. Enamel tiger attacking a deer in foliage on reverse of rectangular element. British Museum

Gold and enamel figurine of bird on a stand, set with diamonds, with a fish in its beak. Mughal. British Museum

Read More