Category Archives: Gem History

Siberian Amethyst, Debunking Another Myth of the Gem Trade.

by Richard W. Wise, G.G.

A lovely example of Zambian amethyst, note the red flashes at 6 and 12:00 oclock. The alternating zones of purple and blue deliver a particularly velvety color

Quartz is as common as dirt. At 12% it is the most abundant mineral in the earth’s crust and the primary component of ordinary dust. Quartz is extremely stable and unlike other mineral components of the earth’s upper layer does not easily break down.

Amethyst is purple quartz, but despite the relative abundance of the mineral, exceptional fine rich purple amethyst, commonly called Siberian or deep Siberian color is extremely rare. In Medieval times, there were two distinct varieties of gemstones bore the name. t Oriental amethyst, was actually purple sapphire and Occidental amethyst, the quartz gem that bears the name today. Amethyst has seesawed in value over the centuries, today the finest of the fine might command $100 per carat at a high end jewelry store, in 1652, Nicols declared it to be of equal value to a diamond of the same weight.

I am not sure where the term Siberian originated and exactly how it became associated with the finest color in amethyst. The usual reason why a specific locality gives its name to the finest quality of a given gemstones, (Kashmir sapphire, Burma ruby and Paraiba tourmaline) is because the region is known to produce a particularly fine quality. This is not the case with “Siberian” amethyst. The fact is that for the past two centuries, the finest amethyst has come from Ceylon and Brazil (Streeter 1879)

Siberian amethyst is found in the Ural Mountains, with deposits outside the town of Mursinsk near the city of Ekaterinburg. Amethyst has been mined in this area since at least the 18th century and probably earlier. Sampling amethyst from mines active in this area in the 1830s, Gustav Rose, geologist with the famous Humboldt expedition (1837-1842) makes the following comment. “The Mursinsk amethyst at times is very dark violet-blue surpassing that from Ceylon but mostly it is pale violet-blue (purple) or spotted and striped (zoned).” John Sinkankas, who edited Rose’s text, calls this a “refreshing reappraisal” of Siberian amethyst and points out that Rose apparently held amethyst from Ceylon in the highest regard. In 1900, the great German gemologist Dr. Max Bauer make the identical point adding only Brazil as a source of the finest examples of amethyst. It is important to note that both these celebrated experts were able to view samples from actual working mines. Other writers (Farrington 1903) identify Siberia as a major source for amethyst in the U. S. but this is contradicted by Streeter, Kunz and G-H Herbert Smith, whose popular Gem-Stones was, perhaps the most popular general book on gemstones in the 20th Century went through 14 separate editions between 1913-1972.

Up until the 1990s the primary world source for amethyst were the Brazilian mines at Pau d’Arco, Rio Grande do Sul and Marabá. (Epstein 1988). Pau d’Arco located in the Brazilian state of Para was discovered in 1979 and was known to produce a rich sometimes over saturated purple, which often exhibited the much desired red flash in incandescent light. The other two sources produced a lighter brighter hued gem. This writer saw large parcels of amethyst, often hundreds of carats, from all these sources available for sale in the gem market at Teofilo Otoni during this period.

In the 1950s a new location of exceptionally fine gem material was located in Zambia in a 15 x 30 km belt, trending northwest in the Mwakambiko hills of the Mapatizya area of Zambia. This material, a medium dark royal purple has become famous for its dark blue zones which add a velvety “royal” quality to the face up color much as a bit of purple does in the higher qualities of sapphire. If one deposit were to be identified as the acme of amethyst it would be this one.

I was first introduced to the rough material in 1990. Much of it was being smuggled into Nairobi, Kenya. I had a good chance to examine the rough at that time and purchased several kilos. The rough was a uniform deep purple of 80-85% tone with deep blue zones running through it. Cut into gems it faced up with rich velvety slightly bluish purple and in incandescent light, the diagnostic red flashes and occasionally almost blue flashes of scintillation that are the hallmark of deep Siberian quality. Mining activity continues in Zambia but the major strike of exceptional material was mined out in the mid 1990s and a few gems cut from old rough are occasionally seen in the market.

Book Review: Tears Of Mermaids

Book Review:

Tears of Mermaids, The Secret Story Of Pearls

Stephen G. Bloom

St. Martins Press

ISBN: 9780312363260, $27.99

by Richard W. Wise, G.G.

First let me say I was a bit put-off by Mr. Bloom’s prose style. He is without a doubt an elegant writer, but the glib-gonzo style, which is ok in a short piece, rapidly gets under the skin when stretched out to book length.

Mr. Bloom is a journalist and though journalists are not expected to necessarily be experts on the subjects the write about, they do have a responsibility to thoroughly research the topic and get it right. There are times when Bloom does, but there are times when he does not.

His first and most egregious error occurs in his introduction. “Pearl pricing”, he says, “is totally subjective …The same strand can go for three thousand dollars or thirty thousand dollars.” Nonsense! Oh yes, there is a fool born every minute, but the fact is that pearls trade in a fairly orderly market. So, absent the fool, no such gap between bid and ask prices exists (or the buyer would be soon out of business). Bloom would have been correct if he had said that there is no universally accepted hierarchical grading nomenclature. That is to say, one dealer may call the finest pearls “AAA”, while another may simply start with a single “A”. However the basic criteria: size, symmetry, surface, luster, orient and overtone are universal and used by all.

The writer’s statements about the people he meets in his travels say a great deal more about Mr. Bloom than they do about his sources. For example, early in the book he meets a survey group, including the celebrated former National Geographic writer Fred Ward who “seemed too important to have anything to do with me.” Well, I am familiar with that group and they have one afternoon in which to survey an entire gem show full of pearl dealers. Could it be that Ward was simply focused on his work? Given the book’s stated objective, one wonders why his Chapter 5, The Rana of Fresno, was included at all. Bloom takes such obvious pleasure in exposing the foibles, real and imagined, of his sources that, at times, it is difficult to tell if he is truly writing a book about pearls or just an extended gossip column.

Bloom’s comparison between the pearl and cocaine trade is unfortunate, as are the constant inferences that the pearl trade, and pearl dealers in general, are really quite sleazy. Bloom spends a page and a half justifying the cocaine comparison, finally admitting that “the biggest difference is that the possession of pearls is legal.” Cocaine is sold by neighborhood dealers and pearls by local jewelers, hey, no difference there! He might also have mentioned that unlike cocaine, pearls are not reduced in purity at every step along the distribution pipeline, and do not destroy the life of the purchaser– but that would have ruined the riff.

The above issues aside, there is much of value in Bloom’s book. Few have the opportunity to spend so much time trying to understand this old and arcane industry. Bloom’s first chapter, covering the history of pearls from the time of Columbus, is well researched and provocative. Interesting as well is his chapter on life as a deckhand on a Pearl boat off the Australian coast, though his attempt to capture the Australian argot is ludicrous and his contempt for the working sailors palpable. Yeah Stephen, having been a deckie, I kin tell yuz dat is ezakly the way sailors are “supposed to talk.”

His chapter on pearl trading in Hong Kong is excellent as is his description of diving off the Jewelmer pearl farm. A looming environmental catastrophe in the Philippines and his last two chapters about his visit to the island of Cubagua (where it all began) are thoughtful and poignant. Had he spent more words discussing real issues of this sort and less time lampooning the hard working people who made his book possible (I am one of those local jewelers), I would have enjoyed it a good deal more.

The Wittelsbach; Old Stone New Myths

Update on Oyo Valley Red Tourmaline:

: A range of hues in red tourmaline from Nigeria’s Oyo Valley. Note the exceptional transparency (crystal) in these gemstones Photo: Robert Weldon

You’ll recall I mentioned the new Oyo Reds from Nigeria in my last post. Here is an image. There has been little red tourmaline in the market in the past few years and much of what was previously available was also from Nigeria. This material occurs in very large crystals that are sawn then cut. Very large eye-flawless gems are available, with stones up to 50 carats not uncommon.

Prices of this new material are very competitive and suites of matched stones, a rare occurrence in tourmaline, are available.

Gala Book Signing, The French Blue, at The Mount

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The crowd assembled in Edith Wharton's parlor just before the reading. In the foreground, Hope and Bob Corneau, parents of R. W. Wise goldsmith, Michael Corneau

Knoshing at The Mount. The table was set in the manshion's beautifully restored dining room

The Dining Room at The Mount as it appears when the historical treasure is open to visitors.

Lenox, November 19th.

reading to an overflowing crowd gathered at The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Lenox summer cottage, actor George Bergen, dressed as the 17th Century adventurer and gem dealer Jean Baptiste Tavernier, Baron of Aubonne, read two chapters from my just published historical novel, The French Blue. The novel, five years in the writing, is a fictionalized version of the six voyages of Tavernier which culminated in the acquisition of the Great Blue Diamond that subsequently became the Hope Diamond.

The evening was, for me, a uniquely satisfying experience. Over the five years it took to write the novel, I read it over many times but, few authors get to sit in an audience and listen to their own work interpreted by a professional to an appreciative audience—I savored every moment. The reading, part of The Mount’s ongoing series of readings, was held in Wharton’s parlor. Wine was served in the grand hall and a tasty selection of hors d’oeuvres was offered in Edith’s beautifully restored dining room.

: Richard Wise with neighbors David and Marty Ekstrom

It was an unusually balmy November evening with temperatures in the 50s and The Mount was beautifully decorated for the event. The agenda including an introduction by Rebekah Wise, a reading of two chapters; The Diver and The Dinner Party by George Bergen and ended with a short Q&A with the author.

I would like to particularly thank Susan Wissler,The Mount’s executive director, who along with her staff, Sarah Kogan, Elaine Roberts, Ross & Nynske Jolly, Megan La Marre and Sam Tomashek, made the evening a memorable one.

The event was recorded by videographer Michael Sinopoli and we hope to have a video of Jean Baptiste Tavernier reading two chapters from the novel, posted on The French Blue website; www.thefrenchblue.com, in the near future (More images). Continue reading →

From The Sun King To The Smithsonian, The Epic Journey of The Hope Diamond

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On a dark night in September of 1792, someone made off with the 69 carat French Blue diamond. Confiscated from King Louis XVI by the revolutionaries of the French National Assembly, the gem, along with the rest of the French Crown Jewels, had been secreted in a royal storehouse for safe keeping. Many of the gems stolen that night were subsequently recovered by the French government. The French Blue was never seen or heard of again.

Read the complete article: HERE

Rough Roulette; Colombian Emerald Part II

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By Richard W. Wise, G.G.

“Round and round she goes and where she stops, nobody knows.”

I have heard it said that each time you put an emerald on the wheel the chances of breaking the stone are about 50/50. I recall one hot and dusty afternoon in the late 1980s I was sitting with some friends at a cafe in Teofilo Otoni, a town which was, at that time, the gemstone capital of Brazil. A ragged looking garempiero rode by on a motorbike, turned around and rode back to the cafe. He knew my friend, a Brazilian cutter, so he pulled a dirty scap of cloth from his shirt pocket and let us have a look. The cloth contained an emerald crystal from the mines ant Santa Terezinha de Goiás. The miner had rode all through the night to bring his find to Teofilo. During the 80s Goiás produced emerald that rivaled some of the better gems Colombia had to offer. (pictured left: Entrance to the shaft at La Pita Emerald Mine. Guacharos wait for the tailings. Photo Richard W. Wise)

The perfectly formed hexagonal crystal showed a verdant medium-dark green color that looked exceptionally fine. I don’t recall the actual weight (somewhere in the 25 carat range) but the crystal was about the size of my index finger. This crystal lacked the jewel-like transparency of the Colombian crystals pictured in Part I and was difficult to evaluate. I could see the pepper like inclusions typical of of Goiás emerald but little else.

The asking price of the Brazilian crystal was a quarter of a million dollars. Long story short, I didn’t make an offer. I thought the crystal lacked the transparency necessary to evaluate it and I wasn’t prepared for a quarter of a million dollar spin of the wheel. I later heard that the crystal had been sold for something close to the asking price and that when it was put on the wheel it had literally exploded leaving the buyer with nothing to show for his purchase.

High Rollers:

Hurry, hurry, hurry and welcome to the high stakes world of the rough buyer where every parcel is a gambol. In this world, where a single bet may exceed a million dollars, the dealer across the table from me is a high roller. The parcel so casually scattered across the desk in front of me is a big time rise. Perhaps 1400 carats, it is from the new mine, La Pita, a complex of adjacent shafts in the Colombian state of Boyaca. One mine actually bears the name La Pita, the others are Consorcio, Cunas, Totumos and Polveros. In a country where the old mines have been producing since before the Conquistadors conquered their local owners in the mid Sixteenth Century, serious commercial mining only began at La Pita in 1997. (Pictured left: the author works his way through a half mile tunnel to the surface. Foreground, miner pushes cart full of mine tailings, these will be given to guacheros waiting at mine entrance for further sorting: Photo: Ron Ringsrud)

We are about to watch the fashioning of two of these crystals into gemstones. In this high stakes world a dealer needs an edge. Having a lapidary with the skill of Adolpho Argotty is just such an edge. According to Argotty, in his workshop, loss on the cutting wheel is perhaps 4% and that is perhaps why Argotty is rated the best. He is presently traiing the second generaltion, his niece, Fernanda, who sits at a wheel at his side (see image above right).

Argotty doesn’t just pre-form the stone he supervises the entire process:

“Would you ask an architect to just put up the bones of a structure and let others finish it?” he asks.

(images: above: Adolpho Argotty, holds forth: Picture Richard W. Wise) It takes just about a half an hour. Argotty works away the emerald held between his thumb and forefinger. He grinds a bit then holds the stone up and squints at it in the sunlight all the time carrying on an animated conversation in Spanish with my partner Ron Ringsrud. Ron loves Colombia. He deals exclusively in Colombian Emeralds, has been coming to Bogotá for twenty-five years and speaks fluent Spanish.

The workshop is surrounded by windows on three sides. The light is good. The two crystals have been blocked out, that is to say, they are now the size and shape of the finished gem. Argotty decided to cut the best crystal into a standard rectangular emerald cut. The stone started out at 7.17 carats it now weighs 4.77 carats and it is ready for the faceting wheel. Argotty is excited about this gem. He hands it to Maria Fernanda to polish the table, he wants a closer look.

She hands it back.

“This one”, he says, “will be worth at least $10,000 per carat.”

The second stone which began at 8.53 carats has been shaped into what Argotty is calling a rose cut. I am confused because the stone obviously has a pavilion and looks very much like an antique style emerald cut with overly large corners. Later we figure out the problem is in translation, Argotty means an old style cut which this stone obviously is. Even before polishing commences we see visible inclusions in the stone. It now weighs 6.44 carats.

Step #1 Sealing & Certification:

In Adolpho Argotty’s workshop, preformed stones are dipped into hot paraffin. The objective is to seal any surface breaking fissures to insure that no residue of the polishing compound makes its way inside the stone.

Colombian cutters become a bit testy when the subject of lab grading is raised. If you love emerald you must be prepared to accept some surface breaking fissures and yes, cedar oil is universally used as a treatment to hide these fissures. However, both dealers and cutters feel that they are getting a bad rap from some American and European Gem Labs. Most labs use a uniform four step grading process to grade the level of enhancement: none, minor, moderate and heavy. Gubelin adds insignificant between none and minor and AGL (American Gemological Laboratories) uses its own proprietary scale. Columbian Esmeraldaros believe that this system lacks consistency. The labs, they contend, are afraid to use the term none. According to Argotty, he has delivered emeralds that he personally cut and knows to be totally without enhancement, to major European labs which in turned issued reports claiming these emerald contained a filler. The reader should bear in mind that a certificate grade of none is in no sense a clarity grade,the stone can still look like a broken coke bottle. It just contains no filler, no clarity enhancement.

I examined hundreds of finer stones in the course of my week in the Bogata market and with but a single exception, every stone I saw had some surface breaking fissures. Taking Ron Ringsrud’s advise I rejected any stone with fissures on the crown or girdle or those with fissures on the pavilion that I felt might n anyway compromised the durability of the stone. This, by the way, would make a good definition of the term minor enhancement.

Next, Dopping, Faceting and Polishing. Stay Tuned.

Learn the truth about how Emeralds and other fine gems are graded and priced!

Follow me on gem buying adventures in the pearl farms of Tahiti. Visit the gem fields of Australia and Brazil. 1
20 carefully selected photographs showing examples of the highest quality gems to educate the eye, including the Rockefeller Sapphire and many more of the world’s most famous gems. Consider my book: Secrets Of The Gem Trade, The Connoisseur’s Guide To Precious Gemstones.

“Wise is a renowned author… He’s
done a marvelous job of this first book, monumental work, a tour de force…My recommendation: Buy this book”.

Charles Lewton-Brain, Orchid

whether you like to know what the best colour is in Tanzanite, or how to grade a Diamond, you will find it in this book. No other book I read before dealt with this topic is such detail as Richard Wise’s masterpiece.”

A. Van Acker, FGA
Amazon June 2005

“Secrets Of The Gem Trade: The Connoisseurs Guide To Precious Gemstones by Richard W. Wise is an impressive new reference for dedicated dealers and collectors of gems, gemstones, and … pearls. Introducing and descriptively exploring each and every gem covered in the easy-to-use reference, Secrets Of The Gem Trade contains an illustrated summary of each stone inclusive of its history and general information, hue and tone, saturation, which may be noticed as the finest, an understanding of the particular gems rarity, and the caution for synthetics and how to depict them, however depending upon the stone there may be description of clarity, color fading, multi-color effect, etc. Secrets Of The Gem Trade is very highly recommended to anyone interested in gemology as a superbly organized, authoritative, comprehensive, and easy-to-follow reference.”

Midwest Book Review
April 2006

Only $31.95. Read a couple of chapters online: www.secretsofthegemtrade.com.

Buy it on Amazon: www.amazon.com

Golconda Diamonds Part II

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The Legendary Blue-White Diamonds, Rarest of them All

by Richard W. Wise

Just recently it was my good fortune to examine one of the legendary diamonds of Golconda. These gems were originally mined in India in the 16th-18th Centuries. The mines were tapped out by about 1725. Many of the world’s most famous diamonds, including the Regent and the Sancy (pictured above right), The Hope and the Koh-i-Noor came from the mines of Golconda. This gem was accompanied by a GIA certificate rating it D Flawless, the highest possible diamond grade and a Gublin Laboratory certificate that identified the stone as a Type IIa. (Regent above left, Sancy above right)

As discussed in my previous post, recent scientific analysis has shown that diamonds with proven Golconda provenance are of a specific type of rare, pure carbon diamond known as Type IIa. Less than 1% of the world’s diamonds are Type IIa. Scientifically speaking, Type IIa diamonds are an almost pure carbon diamond containing no significant amount of nitrogen in the crystal lattice. Nitrogen is the impurity in diamond that imparts the yellowish hue. The lack of yellow makes for a pure colorless (D,E,F) color diamond. Some experts claim that all Golconda diamonds are Type II. There is, as far as I know, no scientific evidence to back up that claim.

Blue-White Beauty:

Golconda stones are the true blue white diamonds of legend. Today, dealers use the term blue white to describe diamonds that exhibit blue ultraviolet fluorescence. About 30% off all diamonds will exhibit this characteristic. Though ultra-violet fluorescence is not visible to the naked eye, though its effect may be. Blue is the complement of yellow, meaning that blue fluorescence in diamond effectively cancels out some of the yellow in the diamond’s body color. As a result, fluorescent diamonds will face up whiter than their actual color grade might suggest–a fluorescent H might look like a D color. It is UV fluorescence is also responsible for the super-charged saturation of very fine Burma-type rubies.

The gem I examined, a 9+ carat D-Flawless took on a distinct distinct bluish glow in direct sunlight. I had never seen this before. The blue glow was distinct and visible. Unable to believe my eyes I re-examined the certificate, it read: “no fluorescence”! I checked the stone myself, there was absolutely no fluorescence in either short or long-wave UV. How could this be?

Ian Balfour in his book, Famous Diamonds specifically mentions a “light blue tinge” as a characteristic of The 140 carat Regent Diamond. The Regent, originally called “The Pitt” was brought to England in 1670 and is, unquestionably, of Golconda origin (above left). Diamond scholar Herbert Tillander describes this affect as a “blue afterglow.” and notes that most Type II diamonds do not fluoresce. One exception, the Hope Diamond, a Type IIb (contains Boron) will not only fluoresce it will actually phosphoresce meaning that the stone will continue to glow last after the UV light source has been removed. Tillander further notes that some Type II diamonds have been found in South Africa’s Premier Mine, other sources mention Brazil.

Blue Haze:

Not all Type IIa diamonds exhibit this characteristic though Golconda stones do. I was able to examine another D-Flawless type IIa that placed side by side with the 9 carat, failed to exhibit the blue glow. In the Golconda stone, in direct sunlight, the blue hue floated above the gem like an early morning haze.

Fine Crystal; The 4th C:

Perhaps due to their pure carbon composition, Golconda diamonds exhibit another characteristic, a high degree of transparency, Balfour describes The Regent as having a “unique limpidity” that some dealers refer to as “super-d” or what I refer to in my book Secrets Of The Gem Trade, as a super-crystal. Very fine gems of all colors possess this characteristic. Compare a regular wine glass with one made of lead crystal, hold both up to the light and you will get the idea. When compared to another D color Type IIa not of Golconda origin, the difference was unmistakable. The characteristic strikes one as a combination of ultra-limpidity coupled with what connoisseurs refer to as “whiter than white” both characteristics were visible in the Golconda but not in the other gem.

The stone I examined was cut in a fashion almost identical to the Regent, a cut known as a baroque brilliant or old European (image left). Stones cut in this fashion are of a different character than the modern brilliant. The crown is higher and the pavilion facets are shorter and broader.

A fine diamond possesses two characteristics that define its beauty, brilliance and dispersion. Dispersion is the ability to break white light up into its constituent rainbow colors. In the single minded pursuit of maximum light return, modern brilliant cut gems have sacrificed dispersion to produce maximum brilliance. As a result they have become soul-less light return machines. A well cut baroque brilliant by contrast will exhibit a balance of brilliance and dispersion that gives the diamond its distinct character and beauty–a character that is missing in so many modern super-ideal cuts.

(image above, side view of Golconda diamond), Compare the color of the center with the side trillion that is definitely not of Golconda origin.

To summarize, there appear to be three visual characteristics that define the beauty of Golconda diamonds: A high degree of limpidity (crystal), an ultra-whiteness and a blue afterglow that appears in natural daylight. Golconda gems are Type IIa diamonds and this can be established by scientific testing. All Type IIa diamonds, however, are not Golconda diamonds; to be considered Golconda, they must possess the visual characteristics just described.

It is unclear whether Type IIa diamonds from other sources possess the characteristics discussed above, there certainly are some that do not. However, in the final analysis, we are interested in gems not geography. in gems beauty is the ultimate criterion. When it comes to Golconda diamonds if they deliver the goods, how much does source really matter.

If you are interested in learning more about Golconda Diamonds or are simply looking for a new way to dazzle your friends at cocktail parties. Read more about the four Cs of connoisseurship. Follow me on gem buying adventures in the pearl farms of Tahiti. Visit the gem fields of Australia and Brazil. 120 carefully selected photographs showing examples of the highest quality gems to educate the eye, including the Rockefeller Sapphire and many more of the world’s most famous gems. Consider my book: Secrets Of The Gem Trade, The Connoisseur’s Guide To Precious Gemstones.

“Wise is a renowned author… He’s
done a marvelous job of this first book, monumental work, a tour de force…My recommendation: Buy this book”.

Charles Lewton-Brain, Orchid

Only $37.95. Read a couple of chapters online: www.secretsofthegemtrade.com.

Buy it on Amazon: www.amazon.com

“Secrets of the Gem Trade” subject of Ventfort Hall lecture

– July 30, 2007

Described by Gemkey Magazine as “one of the world’s foremost gem connoisseurs,” gemologist Richard W. Wise will bring his expertise to a Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum visual presentation on Wednesday, August 29 at 4 p.m. A Victorian Tea will follow this final lecture of Ventfort Hall’s summer series.

Admission for the lecture and tea is $15 per person, members $12. For more information or reservations, please call 413-637-3206. Ventfort Hall is located at 104 Walker Street in Lenox.

The Golconda Diamond

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Golconda Diamond

by Richard W. Wise

Just the other day one of my readers emailed a question about Golconda diamonds. A search of the literature reveals a great deal of uncertainty about the exact meaning of the term. The source of some of the confusion can be traced to the fact that the term Golconda diamond, like many another bandied about by diamond dealers and auction houses has more than one definition; this one appears to have two; one geographic the other varietal.

Definition 1:

Until the year 1725, when diamonds were discovered in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, most of the world’s diamonds came from India. A group of mines concentrated around the Krishna River in the Kingdom of Golconda, located in the modern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, were one major source of Indian diamonds. A majority of the diamonds mined were subsequently sold in the City of Golconda which became a major trading center. Several of the major mines, including Rammalakota and Kollur are mentioned by the famous Seventeenth Century French gem merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier as being a source of high quality diamonds.

Thus, our first definition: A Golconda diamond is a diamond from a specific geographic area within the historic Kingdom of Golconda.

Tavernier was one of the first connoisseurs to notice that diamonds from these mines were often exceptionally transparent and describes the best of the stones as” gems of the finest water.” The four criteria for evaluating any gemstone are: Color, Cut, Clarity and Crystal. These are what I refer to in my book, Secrets Of The Gem Trade, as “the Four Cs of Connoisseurship.” The term “water” combines two of the four, color and crystal. Color in diamond refers to relative colorlessness, a diamond graded “D” the highest grade, is a diamond totally without any trace of yellow. Crystal is the synonym for transparency that I have chosen to describe the fourth C of connoisseurship. I chose it because of its connotation (clear as crystal) and because it starts with the letter C and rhymes with the other three and is easily remembered.

Modern scientific analysis has shown that many famous high quality diamonds such as the Cullinan, Regent (image: at top of page) and The Koh-I-Noor that can be proven to come from the Golconda area are of a specific type of rare, almost pure diamond known as Type IIa. Less than 1% of the world’s diamonds are Type IIa. Scientifically speaking, Type IIa diamonds are diamonds that conduct electricity and contain no significant amount of nitrogen in the diamond crystal lattice.

Nitrogen is the impurity in diamond that imparts the yellowish hue. The lack of yellow makes for a pure colorless (D,E,F) color diamond. For some unknown reason, possibly plastic deformation of the crystal or unknown color centers, some type IIa diamond have yellowish, brownish or even pink body color. Some experts claim that all Golconda diamonds are Type IIa. There is, as far as I know, no scientific evidence to back up that claim.

Definition 2:

Science has not explained the exceptionally degree of transparency found in many Golconda stones. Some Type IIa diamonds also exhibit exceptional transparency or crystal. It may have something to do with the purity of the carbon crystal lattice. Type IIa diamonds are highly transparent in shortwave ultraviolet light.

The visible attribute is variously described as “clear as a mountain stream”, “whiter than white” and “super-d”. Some of these terms are misleading what we are talking about is super-crystal.

Transparency is more important in gems that are poorly cut. In India, then as now, good proportions took a backseat to size and weight. The French Blue, the type IIb gem that eventually became the Hope Diamond was originally 112 carats. Five years after Tavernier sold the stone to Louis XIV, Pitau the king’s diamond expert recut the stone to 66 carats to improve its brilliance and life a 40% loss in weight that would never have been countenenced in India. Visually, gems of fine water, however well cut, possess a unique beauty not found in other diamonds. In a world flooded with diamonds, this is indeed something special.

Thus, our second definition: Diamonds regardless of geographic origin that are of high color (D-E) that exhibit exceptional crystal are often called Golconda Diamonds.

The situation discussed above in not unique. Before gemologists worked out a way to identify the geographic origin of some diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald; gems with characteristics similar to those from a certain source were often described using geographic terms such as Cape (as in Good Hope), Kashmir, Burma and Ceylon. These terms have become ingrained in the public mind and associated with certain levels of quality. So today gemstones that can be proven to come from a famous location will often command a high premium that has little or no relationship to the quality of the given gemstone. At auction, diamonds with a proven Golconda provenance may fetch a premium of 50% or more over a diamond of comparable quality that lacks the Golconda provenance.

How does one establish that a diamond is from Golconda? Well, if you can document a chain of ownership dating back to 18th Century India you have a good case. If you are depending on science, forgetaboutit. Even if all Golconda diamonds were type IIa, it does not follow that all IIa diamonds are from Golconda. In fact we know that Brazil has produced type IIa stones.

So, eventually, you think, science will solve the puzzle. Not likely, diamonds are formed within the earth’s mantle deep beneath the country rock where ruby, sapphire and emerald are formed. Diamonds do not contain the signature inclusions that can be matched up with specific geographic locations that make it possible to identify their origin.

Ok, so which would you rather have, a diamond with high color and exceptional crystal or a diamond from one of the historic mines of Golconda? Well, if you are selling the best answer is both because if it of the finest water and a proven Golconda provenance it will command the highest premium of all. Speaking for myself, give me the most beautiful rock. Wouldn’t it be a lot simpler if the finest diamonds came from Hoboken, New Jersey.

“Wise is a renowned author… He’s
done a marvelous job of this first book, monumental work, a tour de force…My recommendation: Buy this book”.

Charles Lewton-Brain, Orchid

Only $37.95. Read a couple of chapters online: www.secretsofthegemtrade.com.

Buy it on Amazon: www.amazon.com

Semiprecious; A Term In Search of an epitaph

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In this post: Book Review: Hope Diamond by Richard Kurin

by Richard W. Wise, G.G.

©2007

Semiprecious is like semi-pregnant, it is a word that makes no sense. No less an authority than Robert M. Shipley, the founder of GIA, called it “an indeterminate and misleading classification”. Still, some people, including a good many dealers, stubbornly cling to it like limpets sucking on a rock. In ancient days do you suppose King Tut and the rest of the royals knew that they were using second class gems to decorate their tombs? When will this term finally be consigned to the linguistic dustbin where it truly belongs?

The French philosopher Voltaire insisted that intelligent discussion was impossible unless terms were defined. I contend that the precious versus semiprecious is a distinction without a difference and that semiprecious is a truly meaningless term. To use a meaningless term is to talk nonsense. To prove the point, I will issue this challenge. I say that the term precious cannot be defined in a way that excludes gemstones other than the usual list.

Consider, if you will, the usual suspects: The list of precious gems usually includes: diamond, ruby, blue sapphire and emerald. Right? Well if so what criteria make these gems and only these gems precious? All possess the usual criteria; beauty, rarity, value, durability but to the exclusion of all others? Take beauty, emerald can certainly be beautiful but is it more beautiful than its first cousins the aquamarine, the red beryl, the heliodor? It is worth more in the market than aquamarine and heliodor but is far more abundant and lower priced than red beryl.

Alexandrite, is another case in point, it possesses all of the criteria and is rarer than every gem on the list yet it is excluded. Why is blue sapphire a precious gem and yellow sapphire only semi-precious? Cuprian tourmaline from Paraiba, Brazil is hugely expensive, it is certainly beautiful and rare and durable to boot. Why isn’t cuprian tourmaline considered a precious gemstone?

If its precious, its, well precious but if it’s semiprecious is somehow less than precious. What makes one stone precious and another less so and why, one might ask, would anyone marketing a product use a term to describe that product that denigrates that product?

Win a Free Book:

I will give a free signed, hardbound copy of the 1^st edition of my book: Secrets Of The Gem Trade, The Connoisseur’s Guide To Precious Gemstones to the first of my readers to provide a definition of the term Precious that includes diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald and excludes all other gemstones.

A couple of ground rules; First, according to The Pocket Oxford to define means to “ to mark out the boundary of…to give the exact meaning of a word” thus if I say andesine is a precious gemstone the question is, what are the criteria that determine preciousness and does the given gem meet them? Second; a definition is not a list so something like “precious is a gemstone category that includes diamond, ruby, sapphire and emerald.” is not acceptable because it is redundant like saying a “a rose is a rose”. What is required and acceptable is a true definition one that provides a basis, a series of criteria by which a stone is either included or excluded from the select company of precious gems. Third: Your answer must be posted in the comments section (below) of this blog post on or before April 20, 2007.

Book Review:

Hope Diamond, The Legendary History Of A Cursed Gem by Richard Kurin, Smithsonian Books, Harper Collins. $24.95

This wonderfully researched and lively account traces the story of the Hope Diamond and in the process debunks and dispels much of the misinformation surrounding the world’s most famous gem.

The debunking begins on page one. Years ago I heard a story that Harry Winston shipped the Hope to the Smithsonian by regular mail in a plain brown paper wrapped package. It went by mail alright in a plain brown wrapper but it was insured for a million dollars.

Kurin begins his tale at the beginning by making his own journey to northwestern India to the fabled Kingdom of Golconda and the storied mines of Kollur. This is the mine mentioned by the famed 17^th Century French gem merchant, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier. Tavernier, the man who sold the diamond to Louis XIV of France was famously silent about where he obtained the stone but he does mention Kollur as a source of colored diamonds and based on that single mention, most experts have deduced that Kollur was the source.

What did he find in Kollur? Snakes! After a difficult three day journey following Tavernier’s route by car, snakes and very little else. There exists barely a trace of the old mines which were played out and abandoned in the 18^th century. The presence of snakes together with a nearby mountain and bit of local folklore leads Kurin to speculate that perhaps, Kollur was the site of the original Valley of the Serpents mentioned by Marco Polo. A bit of a leap, perhaps, unlike Mogok, Kollur isn’t a deep valley but the locals do have a two-headed bird god and that is something the Burmese contender lacks.

Source of The Great Blue:

Kurin pulls together an interesting, if flawed, argument for Kollur as the source of the Hope. He points out that when Tavernier sold the stone to the Sun King, the Hope was barely fashioned, almost rough. From this he concludes that the stone was purchased at the mines.

His next conclusion is a bit more of a reach. With the meticulous attention to detail that he demonstrates throughout, Kurin discovered a short note by Tavernier on the original chart made up by the French gem merchant, describing number six of the best twenty stones Tavernier sold to the French monarch in 1668.

“C’est un autre diamante que j’achetais l’an 1653 a la mine de Coulour.”

Taking this statement and the fact that there are no other stones immediately adjacent to that bit of text, the author speculates that the autre diamond, to which Tavernier refers, may be the blue and if so, Kurin concludes, it was purchased in 1653 at Kollur.

The question is; to which diamond does the note refer and was number six another diamond purchased or another diamond purchased at Kollur? The passage can be read either way. The note, as Kurin points out, was not next to the Hope which was number one on the list. To that I would add two additional points that pose certain difficulties in accepting Kurin’s speculations: First, number six is a colorless diamond and both the stones, numbers five and seven, immediately adjacent to number six are also colorless and second; number six is shown as completely faceted even though, according to Tavernier’s own words, it was originally purchased at the mines at Kollur. Fact is, any dealer worth his salt knows a bit about recutting. The real question is; why if Tavernier did hold on to the stone for fifteen years why didn’t he recut it?

To the above I would add a further quibble. Tavernier was a dealer and speaking as a dealer I can state with some authority that our biggest thrill is the hunt. After the adrenalin rush of bagging a big, beautiful and expensive stone, a dealer’s next thrill is selling that big beautiful expensive stone to obtain the capital to begin the hunt all over again. Would a dealer hang onto such a treasure for 15 years if he could have sold it? I doubt it.

Harry Winston and The Smithsonian:

The book is a great read. I discovered interesting facts and important information not previously available with each turn of the page. One particular favorite is the section in which the author reproduces the correspondence between Harry Winston, his lawyers, The Smithsonian, their lawyers and the IRS and its lawyers that detail the labyrinthine negotiations that resulted in Harry Winston’s donation of the Hope Diamond to The Smithsonian. Winston was more than willing to donate the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian but he was also determined to receive its full value as a tax deduction.

Cartier versus Evalyn Walsh McLean:

In Chapter 19 we learn that Pierre Cartier was the man most responsible for promoting the Hope’s hard luck legend. Cartier bought the Hope in 1910 for $110,000 and was successful in selling the great blue to Evelyn Walsh McLean and her husband for $180,000 the same year. Cartier’s myth making nearly backfired, fearing the curse, the McLean’s tried to back out of the deal and Cartier had to seek court action to enforce the sale. In the end the fabulous wealthy socialites bought the stone on the installment plan for $1,000 a month.

Hope Diamond is the most authoritative account of the legendary blue gem published to date. It is also a great story packed with anecdotes detailing the machinations of the rich and shameless. Highly Recommended. Under 20 bucks on Amazon. Buy on Amazon

Interested in reading more about real life adventures and secrets of the gem trade? Follow me on gem buying adventures in the exotic entrepots of Burma and East Africa. Visit the gem fields of Austrailia and Brazil’s famous Capao mine. 120 photographs including some of the world’s most famous gems. Consider my book: Secrets Of The Gem Trade, The Connoisseur’s Guide To Precious Gemstones.

“Wise is a renowned author… He’s
done a marvelous job of this first book, monumental work, a tour de force…My recommendation: Buy this book”.

Charles Lewton-Brain, Orchid

Only $39.95. You can read a couple of chapters online: www.secretsofthegemtrade.com.

Buy it on Amazon: www.amazon.com

Rocky Road II; Grading The Colorful

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Rocky Road II; Grading The Colorful

By Richard W. Wise, G.G.

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who will be the biggest of them all? An Interview with Michael Haynes

After several near misses last Saturday I spent a bit of quality phone time with Michael Haynes, President of Collector’s Universe (CU). First a little background: You will recall from Part I that CU has acquired American Gemological Laboratory (AGL) the only major gem laboratory that quality grades colorful gemstones. The acquisition that took place in early 2006, with a 3.5 Million upfront payment to AGL President C. R. Beasley with an additional 3.5 million payable in five years.

Collectors Universe is a public company traded on NASDAQ with a market capitalization of 120 million dollars. The company bills itself as “the leading provider of value added authentication and grading services of high-value assets”. According to Haynes; last year CU certified 1.8 billion dollars worth of collectables including 65% of all stamps certifed, 85% of sports cards and perhaps 45% of all coins.

AGL is CU’s third acquisition on the road towards its publicly stated objective of becoming the major purveyor of gemstone quality reports “maybe not tomorrow, or next year, but within the foreseeable future. As part of its strategy CU had previously acquired GCAL a diamond grading laboratory and Gemprint the company that has patented a method of taking an identifiable “fingerprint” of a cut diamond.

Michael Haynes is a passionate pitchman. He sees CU’s coming dominance of the certification business as a win-win for everyone. Why he asks isn’t the fine gemstone business experiencing similar growth levels as other luxury products? According to CU’s president, it’s a matter of consumer confidence or the lack thereof. He contrasts the experience of buying a Hermes scarf with that of buying a ruby necklace. You go to a Hermes store. There is no question of authenticity or value; it is only a question of price. You go to the jewelry store and you enter a world of doubt. Is it real? What is it really worth? “Money”, says Haynes, “travels the path of least resistance.” Buying an expensive piece of jewelry, all you have to rely on is the seller and he is after all the seller. Independent third party certification by a publicly traded company will end the doubt and level the playing field, Haynes puts it succinctly: “remove doubt, increase sales”.

As any professional will attest, much of what Haynes says is spot on. Consumer doubt is a component of a large majority of missed sales opportunities particularly high-end sales. Doubt coupled with professional ignorance and competitive low-balling have made gem and jewelry selling a competitive mine field (read: my blog post: Getting an Appraisal; Some Do’s and Don’ts.)

Next I asked Haynes how he foresees CU succeeding where so many have failed? “By establishing an promoting a consistent standard.”

How about competition from GIA? Haynes barely skips a beat. “That’s a question”, he suggests, “you should be asking GIA”. With CU’s triumvirate of acquisitions Haynes appears confident that CU has covered all the bases. If the Gemological Institute of America wishes to compete in colored stone grading game, it is GIA that will be playing catch-up.

Laboratory One-upmanship:

At the season opener, Tucson 07, CU will throw out the first ball of the season. Its AGL subsidiary will announce a plan to offer a range of gem certificates. From being one of the most expensive labs, AGL is about to become the least expensive offering a range of modestly priced grading reports. In a separate conversation last week, AGL President Cap Beasley outlined the new program. The Lab will offer certification on a series of levels called Fast Track. For $25, Fast Track I will offer a credit card sized report providing just authentication and enhancement. Fast Track II will add the 4 C’s for $50 and for $75 Fast Track Premier will add type as in Burma-type, Paraiba-type, etc.

Collectors Universe is aiming at the consumer. The aim is to produce a document that is easily understood by the retail buyer. Perhaps this new format will accomplish that. AGL’s current offerings are not all that easy to understand. Though in recent years the lab has added a Total Quality Integration Rating (TQIR) to summarize all of the various grading factors and give the gem an overall quality grade.

Book Review

The Sancy Blood Diamond

In this historical potboiler, author Susan Ronald traces the history of the Sancy Diamond from the mines of Golconda to its current tranquil resting place in The Louvre. As the largest and most famous diamond in Europe from the Fourteenth through the Seventeenth Century, The Sancy had many admirers and several owners; from Charles the Bold through Napoleon, kings, queens, cardinals and dukes, some of them major players on the stage of European history.

Ronald does more; she is a knowledgeable political-historian and along the way she weaves the Sancy’s chronology into to woof and weft of European political history.

As Ronald shows, The Sancy and by extension other famous gems did more than add luster to the crowns of European Monarchs. Goldsmiths were Europe’s first bankers. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that long before the present conflicts in Africa, large and famous gems provided the bloody collateral of choice, pledged by Europe’s crowned heads to the financiers who bankrolled Europe’s major conflicts.

Ronald’s account is authoritative, fast paced and reads like a Machiavellian analysis of history. From the killing fields of Nancy, to Charles I’s beheading, to the court of the Sun King, Ronald shows how sex, power and greed as represented by The Sancy, fueled the politics of Europe. The book was published in 1995, don’t know how I missed it. The book is particularly relevant given the present interest in conflict diamonds. Highly recommended. For more on the stone and the author: www.thesancydiamond.com

Ronald, Susan, The Sancy Blood Diamond, Wiley & Sons, New York, (hardcover) $27.95, $18.45 on Amazon.

Into Africa:

For the first time in twenty years I will miss the Tucson Gem Shows. I will be in Brazil and cruising the coast of West, South and East Africa until mid-February. Meanwhile the contest goes on. (see the previous post, Rocky Road I) Guess the value of the French Blue diamond in 1698 and win a free copy of my book, Secrets Of The Gem Trade, The Connoisseur’s Guide To Precious Gemstones. The Secrets website will also not be functioning for orders. If you need it right away order it on www.Amazon.com. (See below)

Interested in reading more about real life adventures in the gem trade? Follow me on gem buying adventures in the exotic entrepots of Burma and East Africa. Visit the gem fields of Austrailia and Brazil. 120 photographs including some of the world’s most famous gems. Consider my book: Secrets Of The Gem Trade, The Connoisseur’s Guide To Precious Gemstones. Now only $26.95. You can read a couple of chapters and order online: www.secretsofthegemtrade.com.

Buy it on Amazon: www.amazon.com