What's the deal with Alexandrite?

For all of you June babies, you've probably at one point or another been confused about your birthstone. Pearl and Alexandrite are both consider birthstones for june, but what the heck is an Alexandrite anyway?  Well, to get technical, Alexandrite is a rare variety of pleochroic chrysoberyl found mainly in the Ural mountains.  Or in layman's terms, a color changing gemstone from Russia.  

The gemstone was named for the former Tsar of Russia, Alexander II.  It was discovered by a mineralogist in the early 1800's, who initially thought he had discovered a new deposit of Emerald.  It was only after the sun went down, and he lit candles in his laboratory that he noticed that the gemstone had turned from a blueish-green hue to a vibrant red.  

Gemstone dealers often romanticize Alexandrite with cheesy slogans like "Emerald by day and Ruby by night".  However, Alexandrite only shows distinct color change in EXTREMELY fine quality. Most commercial alexandrite displays only very subtle change in color.  In fact, genuine alexandrite with noticeable color change is usually far too expensive for common jewelry. Typically a synthetic color changing material is substituted for the real thing in things like mothers rings.  

That being said, rare exquisite Alexandrite does still exist in the market place.  The example shown below is a 26.75 carat cushion cut stone that is considered one of the rarest cut stones ever discovered with a high level of color change.

Alexandrite of this quality has not be found in decades.  Most of the original fine material found in Russia has been mined dry, and only very small or poor quality deposits have been located since. Other color changing stones have been found such as color changing sapphires and garnets, however, none match the exquisite beauty or intense gemological phenomenon as the original Russian' material.  

We do not currently have any legitimate alexandrite for sale in our store, and fine quality stones are still hard to come by.  We do, however, offer synthetic versions for sale in our Mother's Ring page.  

Visit us online at www.sydneyrosen.com to start shopping now! 

Apply for Financing at Sydney Rosen!

Our long-standing relationship with the American Gem Society (AGS) has allowed us incredible financing terms through their partners Wells Fargo!

You can now apply for 6-month 0% interest financing applicable to any purchase at Sydney Rosen Company.

Simply follow the link below to get approved today!

Financing with Sydney Rosen

Once approved you will be sent a Platinum Select card with your account information that can be used to purchase Engagement Rings, Wedding Bands or anything else you or your significant other could desire from our store!

Financing options are currently only applicable towards In-Store purchases.

Saltwater vs Freshwater Pearls

June is just a few days away!  With the "unofficial" official first month of summer comes Pearls.  Not just the birthstone for June, but a fun beach-themed organic gemstone that looks good with any outfit.  

Pearls are no longer just a simple strand necklace to be given for at 16th birthday or college graduation anymore.  Freshwater pearls from China and Southeast Asia are inexpensive today, making them a great everyday fashion item.  

Pearls are grown in mollusks using varying sized bead nuclei to begin the culturing process. Freshwater pearls start with a larger bead and are grown in rivers and lakes where faster moving water speeds the culturing process making them cheaper to make and therefore less expensive for the end consumer. Saltwater "akoya" pearls are grown using much smaller bead nuclei, and grow for much longer periods of time.  This makes their "nacre" or outer layers thicker and more lustrous, and more valuable. Saltwater pearls are also generally rounder as the culturing process is more even in still water.  

Many people still prefer to own both varieties of pearls.  Valuable saltwater pearls for special occasions, and funky freshwater pearl jewelry for everyday wear.  Here at Sydney Rosen, we have a wide array of pearl jewelry to suit any taste or budget.  Currently we are stocking tahitian south sea pearls in a variety of darker hues along with our classic white/cream strands.  

Visit us online at www.sydneyrosen.com to learn about our store, and stop by to see some pearls this summer! 

  

Gemstone of the Month: Emerald

Emerald is the birthstone for the month of May.  Not only is emerald one of the "big three" precious gemstones not called diamond (ruby and sapphire are the other two), but "Emerald Green" was the color of the year for 2013!  

Emerald is a green to blueish green gemstone in the "beryl" family of minerals.  Other gems in the beryl group include aquamarine, morganite, and various other colored stones.  The main coloring agent in Emerald is chromium, in fact, beryl which derives it green hue from another element such as vanadium is not considered to be true emerald and is often referred to as "green beryl".

Though treasured throughout history for its rich green hue, Emerald is usually visually imperfect to the naked eye.  Dark mineral inclusions are so common that almost all emerald in existence has been "oiled" to improve its appearance.  This process makes the eye-visible inclusions in emerald less noticeable.  Emerald is also relatively low on the Mohs hardness scale, leaving the stone vulnerable to breaking.

Columbia is most famous for its emeralds, and most of the finest quality material is still mined there today.  However, large deposits of good quality material have been found in Brazil, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Russia.  Many famous artifacts from the Incan empire of Peru, which comprised much of modern day Colombia are carved from solid slabs or Emerald.  Below is a famous Emerald carving known as the "Mogul Emerald"

Today the Emerald trade is still going strong.  It is a popular gemstone from simple birthstone jewelry to impressive red carpet pieces.

You can shop for emerald jewelry on www.sydneyrosen.com or by clicking the link below:

www.sydneyrosen.com

Continuing Education about Diamonds

As a professional gemologist, it is my duty to periodically brush up on my educational requirements regarding the items I sell.  Since our expertise here at the Sydney Rosen Company is primarily Diamonds, and April is the month of the Diamond, I felt it would be fun to go over some of the fundamentals with you all.

I'll start off with a diagram of the "modern" cut diamond.

There are 4 main parts of a full cut diamond.  The Crown, Pavilion, Girdle, and

.  The Crown is the top-half of the diamond from the Girdle to the Table.  The Pavilion is the bottom half of the diamond from the Girdle to the Culet.  The Girdle is the middle portion, which can range in thickness from thin to extremely thin, to thick to extremely thick, depending on how the diamond was cut.  The Culet is the point at the bottom of the diamond.  Older cut diamonds may have a large polished facet as a Culet instead of a point.  A fifth important part of a diamond is the Table, which is the large octagon shaped facet at the top of the stone.

Next I will briefly go over the 4 C's of Diamonds, which are Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight.

Cut:

A diamonds cut is determined as the combination of its relative proportions and how well they maximize the diamonds brilliance or light return.  Diamonds cut like the diagrams below will not display the proper amount sparkle.

The proper proportions and angles to create the most brilliant diamond are shown below:

In general, a diamonds brilliance is a factor of the Total Depth Percentage of a diamonds as compared to it's diameter, and the Diameter of the TABLE facet as compared to the Girdle Diameter which is shown below.

If the table size, and the total depth percentage fall within a desired range, the diamonds is said to be well cut.  The GIA goes further to give cut "grades" that range from Excellent, to Poor.  This cut grade system also takes into account Polish and  Symmetry, which are functions of how perfectly the rest of the diamond was finished.

Obviously, with the vast array of different diamond shapes, the desirable ranges for the table size and depth will vary from shape to shape.

Color:

Color is a much simpler metric.  It is the degree to which a diamond shows "color".  Diamonds are "Colorless" gems, however the vast majority are not perfectly white.  Most show some degree of yellow or sometimes brown.  The GIA developed a system that rates a diamonds color from D-Z.  D being the whitest, and Z the yellowest.  A Diamond's color is permanent, it is a function of trace elements that formed in the diamond as it was growing.  However, diamond can treated to improve it's Color.

Clarity:

Clarity is a measure of how free of inclusions or imperfection a diamond is.  Diamond is a mineral after all, and not all crystals will be perfect.  Most diamonds have blemishes and imperfections, however, if they cannot be seen to the naked to eye, they usually do not affect the overall beauty of the stone.

Carat Weight:

Carat weight is simple.  It is how much a diamond weighs on a gemological carat scale.  Carat weight and Cut have an interesting relationship, since how well a diamond is cut will determine how large it looks in comparison to it's true weight.

I hope this was a helpful reminder about the 4 C's.  There are more diagrams and more in depth lessons on our website.

Visit www.sydneyrosen.com to learn more!

All About Aqua

The birthstone for the month of March is AQUAMARINE.  Aqua is a light toned blue to greenish blue gemstone that is found in many locations all over the world.  The word Aquamarine comes from the latin for "seawater".

Aquamarine is in the Beryl family which also includes Emerald and Morganite.  While Emerald is generally known to have eye visible inclusions, Aquamarine is prized for its purity.  

Aquamarine is found on almost every continent in the world.  However, areas that are most famous for the gem are Brazil, Mozambique and Madagascar.  Aquamarine is often confused with another birthstone Blue Topaz, however, Topaz is typically a darker more saturated blue.  Since fine color Topaz is a much more abundant in the marketplace (and less expensive) than fine Aquamarine, it is often used as a suitable alternative for those shopping for a light blue gem.

A few years ago in 2012, the Smithsonian displayed the "Dom Pedro" Aquamarine, which is the world's largest cut Aqua, next to the infamous hope diamond.  This obelisk shape gemstone weighs over 10,000 carats, making it one of the largest gemstones of any variety ever cut.

Keep following the blog for more posts, and as always visit us online at www.sydneyrosen.com !

2014 Academy Awards Best Jewelry

The 2014 Oscar's were last night, and your favorite celebrities did not disappoint in their selections of the worlds finest jewelry to wear on the red carpet.  Here is a recap of some of the most dazzling looks from last nights broadcast....

Charlize Theron in GORGEOUS Harry Winston Cluster necklace and classic diamond studs.

Best Actress winner Cate Blanchett's Opal and Diamond earrings from Chopard.



America's sweetheart Sandra Bullock wore Lorraine Schwartz vintage style diamond ear clips.



Naomi Watts and Jennifer Biel followed the trend of night by wearing short diamond chokers.



America's OTHER sweetheart wore (yet again) a diamond necklace draped down her back...



And of course, who could have missed Angelina Jolie's knockout 42 CARAT flawless diamond earrings...


Sadly, we will have to wait until the Emmy's at the end of the summer to gawk at more of hollywoods most beautiful leading ladies jewelry...but i'm sure i'll find something else to before then to grab your attention.

Visit us at www.sydneyrosen.com to shop for your very own custom made jewelry.