JTV Blog

JTV Gemstone Treasures from Tucson: Pakistani Color Change Sphene!

Color Change Sphene from Pakistan Available Now on JTV.com

During our recent trip to the Tucson gem shows, Jewelry Television co-founder and Graduate Gemologist Jerry Sisk, and Senior Gemstone Buyers for JTV Shawn O’Sullivan and Jay Boyle, made a wonderful purchase of a very special gem with a phenomenal physical property: color changing sphene from Pakistan! Now is the time to purchase highly collectible color change sphene before it sells out on Jewelry Television and jtv.com. Unknown to the world until its discovery 3 or 4 years ago, color change sphene was something that we simply didn’t know existed in nature! None of our seasoned buyers had ever seen these gems and were quick to recognize their appeal to gemstone enthusiasts the world over. They purchased every last one of these amazing gems that the vendor had! Except for a few gems scattered across the globe from the first small production, this buy from the second production represents the ONLY commercial lot of  the Pakistani color change sphene gems this amazing find has produced to date--and Jewelry Television and jtv.com has it!

And now the bad news--we don’t have an abundance of these special gems. From what our supplier tells us, the production of material hasn’t been anywhere close to what was anticipated. To date, there have only been two small parcels of color change sphene rough to come from the mining area. There has been no new production in more than a year.

The discovery of this color change sphene was so special and exciting news for the gem world that a recent article written about it in a major trade publication. With color that goes from a dark chartreuse green in daylight/fluorescent lighting to an amber yellow in incandescent lighting to a brilliant amber yellow under candlelight, these gems are truly spectacular and will represent a significant addition to your gemstone collection! And the RI’s of the tested gems were over-the-limit of the laboratory’s refractometer…giving them an extraordinary amount of fire!

Our supplier is now left to wonder if there is more material to be discovered or was this a one pocket find and currently, no one has the answer to this question.

About the Mining Area of Color Change Sphene

The country of Pakistan is located in southern Asia and is bordered by India, Iran, Afghanistan and China. Pakistan is home to some of the tallest mountains in the world and as you might suspect, the mining area for this phenomenal gem is located in a remote, treacherous region of the Punjab Mountain Range that crosses into India. The deposit was found in an isolated region near the Pakistan/Afghanistan border.

The mining area is found thousands of feet up in the mountains and is only accessible some 4 ½ months out of the year (from late June to October). A small team of 4 to 6 miners access the area as the region is so desolate it would be nearly impossible to get help if one person was alone and injured himself. The material is mined from a primary deposit, meaning that it hasn’t been weathered by nature.

About the Color of Color Change Sphene

Upon the discovery of these gems, our suppliers sent several stones to some of the world’s most prominent labs for detailed study. They did determine the gems to have trace amounts of chromium, but it is actually the stronger presence of vanadium that is the primary coloring agent responsible for the color change.

We must also mention the color change observed in these sphene gems. While the color change may not be quite as dramatic as that seen in alexandrite or sapphire, it has most assuredly been classified as color change. Because of the stones’ strong pleochroism, the color change will give the appearance of “traveling across the face” of some of the gems.

About the Cutting of Color Change Sphene

Upon closer inspection of the gems, our buyers were quick to note their excellent cutting. Our supplier sent the rough material to a cutting factory in China to have expertly cut gems fashioned. Even without the added bonus of their color change property, these gems have an incredible presence that cannot be denied!

More about the Gemstone Sphene

One of the world’s newest and rarest gems, sphene possesses the rather unusual ability to take a beam of light and break it into all the spectral colors, which is known as its “fire” or “dispersion”. As a matter of fact, its rate of dispersion is greater than that of diamond.

Named after the Greek word for “wedge”, sphene is so named because its crystals are usually wedge shaped. As it contains titanium, it may sometimes be called by its mineral name “titanite”. Today, most sphene is predominantly green or yellowish-green, with just about every other color of the rainbow displayed by its fiery, intense brilliance.

Sphene is notoriously difficult to polish well. But when a lapidary is able to achieve this, sphene’s luster can approach or equal that of diamond.

Sources

Jerry Sisk, Jay Boyle, and Christopher Clark, JTV

Eric Braunwart, Colombia Gem House

Gems and Gemology, December 2011 issue

www.jewelersethicsassociation.com

JTV Gemstone Treasures from Tucson: Sphalerite

Each February brings the Tucson, Arizona gem shows, some of the most diverse in the world. JTV is always in attendance finding you the latest and greatest material. In some instances, it takes weeks for the merchandise purchased at these shows to make it to the Jewelry Television broadcast and jtv.com. Such is the case with the incredible sphalerite available now on jtv.com. Tune in all weekend long for special values on this highly collectible gemstone. Here's more from our very own Joni Loveday about sphalerite and why it should be in your gemstone collection. - Dana Sebby, Jewelry Television and JTV.com Community Manager

Sphalerite: A Brilliant JTV Treasure from Tucson

Our buyers are willing to take the extra steps necessary to acquire the very best gemstones for our customers! Case in point: sphalerite (pronounced SFAY-luh-ryte). At the recent Tucson Gem Show, our Bangkok buying team left early one day to meet with a gem vendor in the middle of the desert at his home office. What they were after was brilliant, fiery sphalerite gems and they got them. After negotiating some excellent prices, they packed up the gems and took them back to their hotel to sort and grade so that we could get these sparkling gems on air as soon as possible, and now we’re excited to introduce you to this glorious gem from Spain!

A rare treasure for gemstone collectors, sphalerite has a much greater rate of dispersion than that of diamond—not to mention that of most other gems. When we think about diamonds, one of the first things that come to mind is probably their brilliance; yet the fire and brilliance of sphalerite is unforgettable. Lighter stones demonstrate even more exceptional fire.

This gem is named from the Greek sphaleros, meaning treacherous, because of the difficulty it presents to miners when trying to identify it in the field. It closely resembles several minerals in appearance, including galena.  Sphalerite colors include a full spectrum from yellow to red and it’s often seen in various shades from yellow to green. As iron content increases, stones become darker.

Depending on its origin, some sphalerite may fluoresce--from orange to orangey red and red under ultraviolet light. Additionally, sphalerite has a couple of interesting properties. It is both pyroelectric (becomes electrically charged when heated) and triboluminescent (begins to glow when rubbed, pressed or struck).

A challenging material to fashion into gems, sphalerite can try the patience of even the most highly skilled lapidaries. Not only is it extremely soft (3.5 – 4), it also has perfect cleavage—in six directions, making it difficult to cut and polish! And, add in the fact that it’s a brittle gem and you have an idea of the challenge that awaits its potential cutter. Yet, when that talented lapidary is able to complete his task with a fashioned gem, the results are spectacular.

While sphalerite is found in several locations worldwide, only a few locales provide material that is gem quality. Spain and Mexico are the two most notable sources for fine quality material and as buyer George Williams has said before, “nothing in the world compares to the colors of the Spanish gems!”

Other facts about Sphalerite
•    While Spain isn’t known as a gem-rich country, it is the source for one of the most beautiful gems in the world….sphalerite.
•    These gems have an adamantine (“diamond like”) luster, meaning that at first glance, they could possibly be mistaken for fancy colored diamonds!
•    One word of caution: please resist the temptation to set your sparkling sphalerite into a jewelry mounting. It really is too soft and brittle for wear in rings. if you want to create a piece of jewelry, we ONLY recommend setting these stones into pendant or earring castings or semi-mounts!
•    Sphalerite is more fiery than diamond with its incredibly high rate of dispersion!
•    Sphalerite--definitely not a gem you’ll find at your local jeweler’s establishment.

It is our pleasure to  bring you the most beautiful gems, like this amazing sphalerite from Spain!

- Joni Loveday

Sources: George Williams and Jerry Sisk, JTV
February 2012

JTV World Tour: Vegas, baby! Gemstones and Jewelry from the Las Vegas Gem and Jewelry Shows

Jewelry Television is showcasing gemstone and jewelry finds we found in fabulous Las Vegas, home to one of the world's largest jewelry and gem shows. To get an idea of the kind of spectacular gemstone and jewelry items one can see at these shows, take a look at the tanzanite JTV's Shawn O'Sullivan is holding...

--or check out the stunning strand of South Sea Pearls that VP of Merchandising, Natalie, is wearing...

And these strands of "gold beads" pictured below? Yeah, those are actually Golden South Sea pearls with luster so fine they look metallic. It's enough to make this Pearl Girl swoon!

See JTV's exclusive behind-the-scenes photos from Las Vegas on the Jewelry Television facebook page, and for goodness sake, don't miss any of this weekend's programming as Jewelry Television and JTV.com pull out all the stops to bring you the best from Las Vegas! - Dana Sebby, JTV.com Online Community Manager

JTV World Tour: Gemstones from Nepal, Turkey, Russia, Czech Republic

Beginning Thursday, May 26, through Sunday, May 29, Jewelry Television and JTV.com will embark on the next leg of our spectacular World Tour of gemstones and their exotic origins. This week our destinations are Nepal, Turkey, Russia, and the Czech Republic, home to some of the most rare gemstones on earth, such as alexandrite and demantoid garnet, as well as newer faves like chrome diopside (pictured left is a beautiful Russian Chrome diopside ring in 10kt white gold with diamonds and is currently selling for only $206.96 on jtv.com). Be sure to tune in to Jewelry Television or shop JTV.com for all the best JTV World Tour gemstone and jewelry deals! 

 

 

 

JTV World Tour: Australia, Opal, Diamond, Chrysoprase, Sapphire

Did you know that the world's largest sapphire, the "Black Star of Queensland", which weighed in at 733 whopping carats, was discovered in Australia in 1930's? This gem-rich country is known as the origin of some of the world's finest opals, exquisite sapphire, incredible diamonds (like the ice green on pictured on the right, and gorgeous, minty chrysoprase. Don't miss our Featured Gemstone and Jewelry Discounts on jtv.com! Tune in to the Jewelry Television broadcast all weekend long or shop the JTV World Tour Gemstone Shop on jtv.com.

 

JTV World Tour: Mozambique - Aquamarine, Tourmaline, Topaz, Spinel, Amethyst and More

Hop on board the JTV World Tour as we take you to Mozambique! Join JTV all weekend long as we bring you incredible savings in the gemstones and jewelry from this prolific location. Senior Gemstones Buyer for Jewelry Television, George Williams, takes us behind the scenes in the Mozambigue gemstone trade.

From George: The Mozambique Paraiba tourmaline mine is about 3 hours drive from the city of Nampula, which is in the northern part of the country, about two hours by jet from the capital of Maputo, and about 350 miles from the Tanzanian border.  The particular mine I visited is now the only working Paraiba tourmaline mine in the country. The immediate neighboring mine, which was prolific a few years ago, has not been working legally for over a year, and has no washing capabilities. (View photos of the trip on the Jewelry Television facebook page.) Outside of the Brazilian Paraiba deposit, where production has been practically non-existent for years, this is the only copper-bearing tourmaline ever found that imitates those sought after tourmaline colors famously known as Paraiba. You can see why we are so excited to have the inventory of Paraiba tourmaline that we currently have at JTV, and why we are constantly on the lookout for more production of this rare gemstone.
 
Mozambique is also famous for its production of morganite, especially the fine pink to rich apricot colored varieties that we brand as “Cor de Rosa”. All of JTV's Cor de Rosa brand morganite must fit into a predetermined color quality range. Unfortunately, all the past production was a bi-product from a large tantalum mining project in an area called Marropino. The company has since made a cut into a new pegmatite which, to our sorrow, is not producing morganite of the same quality as Marropino, and it is not cost effective to go after the morganite only. We have secured enough “old” rough production to last through this year only, and we can only hope that changes.
 
Mozambique also produces aquamarine of good color, but more importantly, in bigger sizes (8x6 to 14x10) – similar to the Chinese Altai in quality, but much bigger in size.

 

JTV World Tour: India and Sri Lanka - Land of Sapphire, Diamond, Spinel and More

Tune in for the next stop on the JTV World Tour: India and Sri Lanka. These exotic locations are home to some of the world's best sapphire and diamond trading, but there are lots of other exciting gemstones found, traded and cut there. As always, JTV will bring you the best value in exceptional gemstones and jewelry during the JTV World Tour: India and Sri Lanka! You can view some of the behind-the-scenes photos on our facebook page at facebook.com/jewelrytelevision.

 

 

Pearls, Jade, Peridot and More on the 2011 JTV World Tour: Hong Kong

 

Customers are posting on JTV's facebook page today that they are missing out on great pearls deals by not ordering soon enough. We've had sell-outs on many of our featured gemstone and jewelry items today, and it's only DAY ONE of the Hong Kong leg of the JTV World Tour! Don't miss out--there are so many ways to JTV: view our broadcast, watch us live online at jtv.com/live, watch and order on your smartphone. Or, never miss a new item--sign up for the JTV Daily Sneak Peek email to see all of the new items of the day each morning in your email! - Dana Sebby, JTV.com Online Community Manager

 

Pearls, Color Gemstones and More as the JTV World Tour Takes You to Hong Kong

Beginning Thursday, March 24th, Jewelry Television makes its next stop on the 2011 JTV World Tour, Hong Kong! This exciting destination hosts some of the top Gemstone and Jewelry Shows every year and JTV makes every effort to send our seasoned gemstone and jewelry buyers to these can't-miss events. See some of our behind-the-scenes photos on our facebook page at facebook.com/jewelrytelevision to get a feel for the hustle and bustle of the show, as well as the sheer majesty of the historical trade port that is Hong Kong. And tune in to Jewelry Television, watch jtv.com/live, or watch us on your mobile phone, to own a piece of the Hong Kong gemstone and jewelry trade. We'll bring you incredible JTV-only deals on loose pearls and color gemstones, or if you prefer, buy them already set into rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets or pendants. The choice is yours during the 2011 JTV World Tour! - Dana Sebby, JTV.com Online Community Manager

JTV Weekend Update: Gemstones from Thailand, Spring Romantics Jewelry, and Bajidoo

Jewelry Television and jtv.com have so much in store for you this weekend I decided I had better put a quick weekend update out on the blog! We're deep into the JTV World Tour and there will be loads of precious sapphire, zircon and more from Thailand available at incredible JTV prices.

Jewelry lovers, we have the easiest, breeziest necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings that go perfectly with the JTV Spring Romantics trend. Feminine is in! Lace, soft pastels, muted prints, and ruffles are all great this season. Check out our New Romantics collection of jewelry at JTV.com. Think: layers of peal strands, drop earrings, and rings in a flower motif. 

And lastly...got Bajidoo? Watch the video below and find out why Jewel School by JTV is so excited about the upcoming show on Sunday, March 20th at 9:00am Eastern Time. You won't want to miss the JTV special offers over the weekend on gemstones and jewelry and jewelry making supplies. - Dana Sebby, JTV.com Online Community Manager