The gem blog

Many people refer to gemstones as crystals, and when I started learning about gemmology I wasn’t quite sure what was meant by a crystal. During my Foundation course I learnt all about the seven crystal systems that describe how gems grow, and the different forms that...

When you imagine a gemmologist, you may think of someone peering closely at a gem, trying to uncover its secrets. It’s true that the first tool that most gemmologists turn to is their loupe. An eyeglass that magnifies by a factor of 10, the hand held loupe is probably...

When I began making jewellery I was a bit clueless. I knew that I wanted to make lovely jewellery with gorgeous gemstones, but it was only once I started out that I realised that I knew next to nothing about gemstones. Yes, I knew that rubies were red, emeralds were...