SourcingFeb 23, 2022
Tourmaline by the Ton: Maine Museum Celebrates ‘The Big Find’ 50 Years LaterSourcingMar 07, 2022
New ‘Holy Gems’ Collection Showcases Stones Mined in Israel
Parent company Shefa In Israel Ltd. holds the country’s only permits and licenses for the exploration and mining of gems.
Holy Gems’ “Inlaid with Sacred Love” ring features red garnet and diamonds in 18-karat gold ($25,000)
Netanya, Israel—A new jewelry collection has launched to showcase and market the colored gemstones now being mined in Israel.
According to Tali Shalem, CEO of Shefa In Israel Ltd., the journey has been some time in the making.
In the late 1980s, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and one of the most influential Jewish leaders of the 20th century, told the then-mayor of Haifa, Israel that there were precious stones in northern Israel yet to be uncovered.
Abraham (Avi) Taub, who started his career in the diamond industry in the 1960s at his father’s diamond polishing company, eventually learned about Schneerson’s proclamation and decided to act on it.
He established Shefa in Israel Ltd. in 1998 to begin exploration and mining.
Taub died from cancer in late 2019. Five months later, in March 2020, Shefa received an official discovery certificate from the supervisor of mines in the State of Israel for its first economic mine of precious gemstones.
Shefa now holds exclusive exploration permits for approximately 470,000 dunams (or about 116,140 acres) in northern Israel. Its focus is on two projects—Mount Carmel, with several potential primary deposits, and the Kishon Reach, an alluvial deposit.
The company said it is the sole holder of permits and licenses for precious gems exploration and mining in Israel.
See: Holy Gems’ Jewelry with Israel-Mined Stones
According to Tali Shalem, CEO of Shefa In Israel Ltd., the journey has been some time in the making.
In the late 1980s, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement and one of the most influential Jewish leaders of the 20th century, told the then-mayor of Haifa, Israel that there were precious stones in northern Israel yet to be uncovered.
Abraham (Avi) Taub, who started his career in the diamond industry in the 1960s at his father’s diamond polishing company, eventually learned about Schneerson’s proclamation and decided to act on it.
He established Shefa in Israel Ltd. in 1998 to begin exploration and mining.
Taub died from cancer in late 2019. Five months later, in March 2020, Shefa received an official discovery certificate from the supervisor of mines in the State of Israel for its first economic mine of precious gemstones.
Shefa now holds exclusive exploration permits for approximately 470,000 dunams (or about 116,140 acres) in northern Israel. Its focus is on two projects—Mount Carmel, with several potential primary deposits, and the Kishon Reach, an alluvial deposit.
The company said it is the sole holder of permits and licenses for precious gems exploration and mining in Israel.
See: Holy Gems’ Jewelry with Israel-Mined Stones
A selection of the new corundum found in Israel, called “Carmel sapphire” because of its origin on Mount Carmel
“The Regal Majesty” ring with Carmel sapphire, garnet, and diamond in 18-karat gold ($195,000)
This is “The Appearance of Heavens” necklace, with Carmel sapphire and diamond in 18-karat gold ($82,000).
“The Royal Earrings” are set with sapphire and diamond in 18-karat gold ($39,000)
Found gemstones include diamond, natural moissanite, sapphire—including new material they have dubbed “Carmel sapphire”—ruby, garnet, hibonite, spinel, ilmenite, zircon, and rutile.
Carmel sapphire is a corundum that has inclusions of a new mineral called carmeltazite, discovered in 2014 by Shefa and named the International Mineralogical Association’s 2018 Mineral of the Year. So far it has only been found on Mount Carmel in Israel.
Overall production numbers have been small so far, Shefa said, including fewer than 100 carats of sapphire, approximately 200 carats of spinel, fewer than 200 carats of garnet, and fewer than 200 carats of Carmel sapphire.
But Shalem said they believe there are millions of carats in their licensing area.
To showcase and market these Israel-mined gemstones, the company has launched a jewelry collection called Holy Gems.
The inaugural Holy Gems jewelry collection, created from the first commercial gems found in the Kishon mine, features 101 one-of-a-kind, numbered, high-end pieces.
Its classic designs from Michaella Taub were inspired by Bible verses about Israel to connect the designs to the story behind and uniqueness of the stones, the company said.
See: More Pieces from Holy Gems
“The Midst of the Sea” ring, with sapphire and diamond in 18-karat gold ($32,000)
Holy Gems’ “The Pure Flower” necklace is set with black spinel and diamond in 18-karat gold ($28,000)
“The Drops of Love” ring, featuring sapphire and diamond in 18-karat gold ($25,000)
All the collection’s gems were sourced in Israel, except for the diamonds—Shefa has found diamonds, but not yet in great enough numbers for commercial use—and set in 18-karat gold.
The one-of-a-kind pieces in the collection are priced starting at $20,000. They are sold online at Holy-Gems.com or at the company’s showroom in Akko, Israel.
The Holy Gems secondary collection, named Holy Gems Sacred Love, will be a more commercial line, including minimalistic fine jewels inlaid with red garnet from Israel. Prices will start in the $2,500 to $5,000 range.
Though there may be some collaborations in the future, Shalem said Holy Gems has exclusive use of the gemstones, which will always be associated with the brand.
Shefa has complete control of the stones through the supply chain, from mining to cutting via subcontractors to marketing them under Holy Gems.
Shalem also noted the company has no plans to make loose stones available via wholesale.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Sourcing
The Latest
AuctionsApr 27, 2026
12 Years Later, the ‘Ocean Dream’ Diamond Resurfaces at Christie’sThe largest known fancy vivid blue-green diamond could fetch more than $12 million at its second auction appearance.
ColumnistsApr 27, 2026
Stop Treating Mother’s Day Like an AfterthoughtEmmanuel Raheb says jewelers need to start marketing early and make it easy for customers to pick a gift for mom.
IndependentsApr 27, 2026
Longnecker Jewelry Celebrates 30 YearsIn honor of the milestone, the Nebraska jeweler has debuted Leslie & Co., its new in-house jewelry brand.
Brought to you by
Discover Timeless Treasures: A Showcase of Antique Jewelry & Timepieces in Las VegasGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
MajorsApr 27, 2026
JBT Re-Elects Jeff Corey as Board ChairThe trade organization, which held its annual elections earlier this year, also added five new board members.
Weekly QuizApr 23, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SurveysApr 24, 2026
Mother’s Day 2026 Jewelry Spending to Top $7B, NRF SaysNRF’s annual survey found that 45 percent of consumers plan to purchase jewelry for a loved one this Mother’s Day.
TechnologyApr 24, 2026
TwentyFour’s Digital-Age Locket Is a Virtual VaultThe “Vault” charm, our Piece of the Week, expands on the memories that can be stored in a locket by connecting to your phone.
Brought to you by
Las Vegas Antique Jewelry & Watch Show: Showcasing the Most Collectible Merchandise from Across the GlobeGain access to the most exclusive and coveted antique pieces from trusted dealers during Las Vegas Jewelry Week.
Events & AwardsApr 24, 2026
Hamptons Jewelry Show to Return in JulyThe open-to-the-public luxury jewelry and timepiece show, in its second year, is slated for July 23-26.
IndependentsApr 23, 2026
Meet the Real Moms of Day’s JewelersThe jeweler’s Mother’s Day campaign highlights the women who work there—mothers, grandmothers, women who want to be mothers, and dog moms.
Supplier BulletinApr 23, 2026
JM® Shipping Solution: Smarter Shipping for High-Value GoodsSponsored by Jewelers Mutual
Lab-GrownApr 23, 2026
Charles & Colvard May Sell Assets for $1.5MThe proposed agreement follows the moissanite maker’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing last month.
AuctionsApr 23, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Fetches $1MThe Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece Astor brought aboard the ill-fated ship sold for double its estimate at a Freeman’s auction.
CollectionsApr 23, 2026
Adam Neeley’s High Jewelry Collection Steps Into Salvador Dalí’s GardenThe “Dalí’s Garden” collection was inspired by a surreal dream Neeley had after cooking a recipe from Salvador Dalí’s 1973 cookbook.
IndependentsApr 23, 2026
Windsor Jewelers Names New Buying DirectorNatalie Feanny has been appointed to the role.
CrimeApr 22, 2026
New Mexico Couple Pleads Guilty to Selling Fake Native American JewelryThe pair falsely claimed their jewelry was made by Navajo artists, but it was imported from Vietnam.
AuctionsApr 22, 2026
Roberta Flack’s Jewelry Is Going Up for AuctionJulien’s Auctions is selling the musician’s fine and fashion jewelry alongside her clothing, gold records, and other memorabilia.
CollectionsApr 22, 2026
British Museum Curator Pens Book on ‘The Tudor Heart’Rachel King’s book dives into the history of the pendant believed to have belonged to Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon.
Events & AwardsApr 22, 2026
Here’s What Sy Kessler Has on Tap for Las Vegas The company will have deals on precious metals testers as well as the latest in lab-grown diamond detection technology and security.
WatchesApr 21, 2026
Coco Chanel Enters the Game with New Watch CollectionGabrielle “Coco” Chanel is a character in the “Coco Game” collection of watches and the queen in its first haute horlogerie chessboard.
IndependentsApr 21, 2026
Meet Jewelers of America’s 2026 ‘20 Under 40’ ClassThe annual list honors rising professionals on the retail and supply sides of the jewelry industry.
CrimeApr 21, 2026
Customs Nabs 1,500 Pieces of Counterfeit Jewelry Bound for NYCSeized in Kentucky, the packages include fake Cartier, Tiffany & Co., Chanel, and Fendi jewelry.
CrimeApr 20, 2026
Queens Man Convicted in Bludgeoning Death of Pawn Shop OwnerRodolfo Lopez-Portillo faces 25 years to life in prison after being found guilty in the March 2022 beating death of Arasb Shoughi.
TrendsApr 20, 2026
Beth Bernstein, Sonia Esther Soltani Pen New Jewelry Book“Jewelry Creators: Dynamic Duos and Generational Gems” highlights the relationships among 22 influential designers, brands, and gem dealers.
Events & AwardsApr 20, 2026
Atlanta Jewelry Show’s Spring Event Is Hitting the RoadThe AJS Spring 2027 show will be held in Savannah, Georgia, with future shows taking place in other Southeast cities.
MajorsApr 20, 2026
Kendra Scott Names New CFO, Chief Business OfficerThe jewelry retailer plans to open 20 new stores this year and expand into new product categories.
TrendsApr 17, 2026
New (Groundbreaking) Floral Jewelry for Spring 2026Flower motifs are the jewelry trend blooming amongst the new collections that debuted this spring.
