Those Color Change Stones ! Surprise Someone !

Wear the same necklace or earrings in the daytime, or at night, in florescent lighting or incadescent lighting and make people think you have a whole wardrobe of jewelry. Most people that have ever had anything to do with gemstones are aware that certain stones change color under varying light conditions. Many of these color differences are apparent only to the trained eye, but the so-called "color-change" gems exhibit this tendency to such a dramatic degree that it is obvious to even the untrained eye.

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For most Alexandrite is the everyday example and all know the saying : Emerald by Day - Ruby by Night", greenish under daylight or flourescent light and reddish under incandescent light.

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Color-change Garnet changes from bronze in daylight to a rose pink under incandescent light.

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Although most Sapphires have some color change to them and why good Sapphire markets only trade during daylight, the color-change Sapphire exhibits a range of many different color changes. Most color change Sapphires are blue under natural light and purple under incandescent indoor lighting.

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But there is a fourth color-change stone that in sizes from 5 carats up, exhibits a raspberry red to leaf-green color change as dramatic and complete as that of fine Alexandrite. So why doesn’t this Turkish delight get the respect it deserves? It's true name is Turkish Diaspore. But recently it has been given a new name - Zultanite. This marketing name - Zultanite—a deliberate misspelling of Sultanite which was already the registered trade name for another Turkish product. One would think Turkish-sounding names like Ottomanite or Caliphanite would have done a better job of invoking Turkish history, than substituting a “z” for an “s”? In any case, Zultanite Gems LLC, based in Fort Lauderdale, FL, has been doing its best since 2005 to capture attention for this inexpensive, all-natural rare gem with a hardness between 6 ½ and 7, and minuscule yields of 3 percent from the rough. Maybe the fact that this company has the sole rights to mining of this gem at its only known source, some 4,000 treacherous feet up in the mountains of Anatolia, prevents others from joining the company in the promotion of this gem.

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So take a look at these pictures above and note that unlike other color change gems that need separate lighting environments to show their color states, this highly pleochroic gem can perform multi-colored wonders when cut with that purpose in mind.

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One other stone that must be mentioned at this point because of it's popularity is Zandrite. This stone is a type of synthetic glass that was developed by a major glass manufacturer. One of the developing scientists realized that there was a gemstone marketing application possible and started the ball rolling to create a new synethic gemstone sensation. Based on the reaction from the public, he was quite successful. Since Zandrite changes color is the reason for it being named Zandrite ... sort of a cutesy take-off on the name of Alexandrite. It was most likely an effort to fool the unknowing consumer who might mistake the Zandrite name with the Alexandrite name and think they were getting the real thing for pennies on the dollar compared. Zandrite is a man-made lab created stone that was specifically produced to mimic Alexandrite, an imitation not a synthetic, but in many settings is a beautiful gemstone in its own right. This mimicing went over so well, that there are now other color-changes available in Zandrite gems.

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And not to be left out, is the Russian Lab-created Alexanderite. Synthetic lab grown (created) Chrysoberyl Alexandrite gems many times exceed natural Alexandrites in clarity and color change, and since they are 'real' Alexandrites grown from seed stones, confuse even some of the best gemologists and jewelers. Synthetic lab grown gemstones are like comparing a rose grown outside to one grown in a greenhouse, both are the real thing - BUT ! Also be cautious when buying lab-created Alexandrite, because many dealers indiscriminately use the term imitations and are making reference to color-change Corundum, which Alexandrite is a member of the family, instead of stating it is synthetic Alexandrite. A fine line but a distinction that should be made and disclosed to customers.

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Additional Info --- I have been informed I left out color-change Tourmaline. I was unable to find any reference to such, but do remember hearing about it the Tucson Gem Fair. I do not have one or have I ever seen one. If anyone can provide a picture showing both colors I would definitely appreciate it.

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Thanks to the ISG, Zultanite Gems LLC and others for information and pictures of color-change gemstones.
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Gemstone Jewelry - lightweight for summer !

For the hot summer season some lighter weight designs that encompass various gemstones and use an adjustable lanyard rather than fixed chain or beads to go around the neck.

A Druzy Mexican Agate Pendant with White Jade and Picture Jasper.

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An Ocean Jasper Pendant with White Jade and Wood Jasper.
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A Druzy Piranha Agate Pendant with White Jade and Wood Jasper
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GEMSTONES - Color Change !

Well an interesting surprise at the Gemstone Identification presentation at the Southwest Gem and Mineral Society meeting in San Antonio last night

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color-change Tourmaline !

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By no means is it as dramitic as the color change in Alexandrite when you go from daylight to artificial light with a 80% or better chnaging stone

but definitely better than what is seen in Garnet.

All of these color-change stones, and others can be located through various dealers on the internet, but probably not at your local jewelry store unless they specialize in colored gemstones, and then maybe not even these.

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GREEN GEMSTONES -- Marketing !

Here we go again ! With the popularity of the color Green for Spring and into early Summer, there are several green gemstones available for the jewelry wearer. You can find green in faceted gemstones, cabochon cuts, pendants and tumbled stones as well as crystals. The names of most of the green gemstones are familiar to most people - Emerald, Chrome Diopside, Sapphire, Spinel, Tourmaline, Diamond, Amazonite, Moss Agate, Kambaba Jasper - to name a few of the more popular. And there are a few color change stones that also can appear in greens - i.e. Alexandrite. But of course a green Diamond, a good Columbian Emerald or an Alexandrite will cost one a pile of money.

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So what do the miners, vendors and dealers do, use "marketing" techniques that draw the most attention from the public. Certain gemstones over the years are well known to most people, and the associated name makes them very popular and people know what they are looking for when they hear the names. Amethyst and Morganite are two examples. Amethyst, a purple member of the Quartz family, has colors that run from a very light lilac to a strong deep purple. Morganite, a pink member of the Beryl family, can be pink and range to a peach color. So over the years, when a person hears the name Amethyst, they immediately think of the February birthstone and the color purple. Likewise with Morganite, it is not only people that change their name, but gemstones sometimes do also. And so it was that in 1911, on the suggestion of the New York gemologist G. F. Kunz, for whom the purple gemstone Kunzite was named, that the pink variety of Beryl was ennobled to the status of a gemstone in its own right in honor of the banker and mineral collector John Pierpont Morgan and was given the name under which it is known today: Morganite.

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Green Amethyst (Prassolite)

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So with this history and naming in mind, dull named light green Beryl and green Prassolite got a "marketing" boost. Prassolite was marketed by the Jewelry TV stations and many dealers and eBay sellers as "Green Amethyst" and the latest marketing run is the naming by the same groups of the light green Beryl, calling it "Green Morganite". By doing this not only do the two gemstones get more notority, but the price per caret also jumps dramatically. This falls in line with the old known stone called 'Turkish Diaspore' now going under the catchy name of 'Zultanite", and costing the buyer more per caret for the material.
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Green Morganite (green Beryl)

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As with many things, marketing is the answer to an item selling or not selling, so "what is in a name ?" Nothing wrong with naming an item whatever you want if it sells better under the 'marketing' name, but the seller should also be aware and remind the buying public what the official agreeded upon gemological name of the gemstone actually is.
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SABOS SPRING BEAD BAZAAR - this Weekend

Vendors are setting up and the Live Oak Civic Center has been transformed into a "Bead Wonderland" for this upcoming weekend. In addition to 'beads', there are Jewelry Sets, Jewelry making Tools, Books, and many interesting things to see. The doors open at 10AM on Sat and 11AM on Sun and the Bazaar runs until 5PM both days.

See this Turquoise, Coral and Sardonyx Set along with other new designs and an excellant selection of Gemstone Beads and unmounted Cabochons and Pendants at the Jewelry by CnC booth, just inside the main entrance. Look for our sign as you enter the door.

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