gemstone

Acugems, Gemstone Facial Treatment

Filed under: Spas

Gemstones have been used by various cultures for healing for millennia but now the Acugems Facial Rejuve treatment throws a modern twist on this ancient therapy. The therapy involves the use of gemstones, microcurrents and therapeutic light to re-educate facial muscles, encourage collagen production, smooth wrinkles and improve skin tone. The stones and color frequencies used depend on the individual consumer. Tourmaline is frequently used in the treatments because of its ability to maintain a positive charge on one end and a negative one on the other.

It takes a number of treatments to see lasting results. The Revive You spa in Stoneham, Massachusetts which offers the treatments suggests a set of 10 treatments which sells for $2,550. Their version of the treatment also includes a custom mask, exfoliating fruit enzyme, pore cleansing and brow design. Reporter Amy Saltzman of the Stoneham Sun tested out the treatment and describes the sensation of the Acutrone machine as a sharp tingle which is not painful. She found the treatment quite relaxing.

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Tags: acugems, facial, gemstone, treatment

Christie's To Auction Off Record Diamond

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

Its been twenty years since such a mighty colorless diamond has hit the auction block. At 101.27 carats, this gigantic gem is expected to bring in more than $6 million when auctioned at the Hong Kong branch of Christie's later this year. On display in London currently until February 27th it will be one of only four colorless diamonds over 100 carats ever auctioned. And I thought ten carats was a sizable rock!

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Tags: auction, christie's, diamond, diamond-auction, expire-images:2009-2-21, gemstone, jewelry

What is Zultanite?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Color changing gemstones are always popular with collectors. A while back I reported on the Leviev chameleon diamonds now comes news of a stone which has been around for a while but is poised to make its mark on the gemstone market. Modern Jeweler has a long piece on this stone which shows different colors depending on the light source used. Turkish diaspore used in jewelry since the 1970s. Now it is being sold under the name of Zultanite and higher quality versions of this stone are making their way to market. The stone shifts from varying shades of green in sunlight to a pinkish brown in incandescent light. Zultanite recently turned up at the gem show in Tucson and there seems to be interest both from home-shopping markets and from higher-end operations. Zultanite may be a chance for those who aren't quite ready for the high prices of chameleon diamonds or alexandrite to purchase a color-changing gemstone.

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Tags: gems, gemstone, jewelry, stones, zultanite

Tiffany Diamond Goes On Display

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

The huge diamond shown here is the Tiffany Diamond, the largest diamond currently on display in the U.S. It recently made its debut at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History in Washington. The 128.54 carat cushion-cut stone is on loan from Tiffany & Co. until Sept. 23. On top of hte stone is a gem-encrusted bird which was designed in the early 1960's by Jean Schlumberger. It is gold and platinum with white and yellow diamonds and a ruby eye. The priceless yellow diamond has only been worn twice, once by a Rhode Island socialite and once by actress Audrey Hepburn in a promotion for the film "Breakfast at Tiffany's." The rough stone was discovered in South Africa in 1877 and was 287 carats before cutting.

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Tags: diamoond, exhibit, gemstone, museum, smithsonian, tiffany

Zadora Timepieces

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Timepieces / Watches

Stunning doesn't even begin to cover the work of Andreas von Zadora-Gerlof and his latest jewelry creations, the Zadora timepieces. These amazing watches basically turn horology on its side. The time is read through on the side of the watch rather than the top. The dial rotates and the hand remains fixed. The winding and setting crown has a briolette cut diamond, the lugs are set with precious stones, and the time indicator is set with diamonds to mark the half hours. The hand wound movement, has a forty hour power reserve and is Swiss made.

By freeing up the real estate on the top of the watch von Zadora-Geldof is able to create intricate wearable gemstone sculptures. A queen bee with a delicate gold crown, an enamel flower, a pomegranate with a skin of green tsavorites, and fruit made of ruby cabochons also serves as a tiny pillbox. These watches are like nothing else I have ever seen. They cost $150,000 each and custom designs are available. The watch shown here is a snake of oxidized palladium and micro pave set with black and canary yellow diamonds and enhanced pear shaped emerald eyes, with a baroque South Sea pearl in its mouth.

After the jump, the skull, the bee and the pomegranate, three more of Andrea von Zadora-Geldof's sparkling wrist creations.

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Tags: gemstone, jewelry, timepiece, watch, wristwatch

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What Is A Pink Emerald?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

When I came across a press release from The Pink Emerald Company today I was a bit confused. I have never heard of a pink emerald. I checked my gem reference book which stated emphatically that emeralds are always green. So what to make of a press release touting the world's largest heart-shaped pink emerald? A little research reveals that the "pink emerald" is actually Morganite, a stone I mentioned earlier in the week.

The story of the fight over the pink emerald name is quite an involved one. Over the past few years, Dr. Christopher W. Hartnett has bought up mass quantities of the pink beryl and wants to increase public awareness and price for the stone. He's got a pretty decent start, this 169-carat near flawless, intense vivid fancy stone is priced at $2.6 million. But I think that it may take a while before the public is ready to spend big bucks on the pink emerald.

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Tags: beryl, gem, gemstone, pink emerald, PinkEmerald, stone