EditorsNov 22, 2024
Out & About: Inside the CD Peacock MansionStep inside the nearly 21,000-square-foot suburban Chicago jewelry store with Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff.
GradingMar 31, 2017
SSEF Warns of Improperly Labeled Sapphires
The Swiss gem lab says it is seeing sapphires from a new source in Bemainty, Madagascar coming in labeled as Kashmir.
Two “Kashmir-like” sapphires of exceptional quality and size, weighing 30 carats and 13 carats, from the new source at Bemainty, near the town of Ambatondrazaka, Madagascar
Basel, Switzerland--The Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF is urging the trade to be vigilant about the “Kashmir-like” sapphires from Madagascar now hitting the market.
In October, a new deposit at Bemainty, near the town of Ambatondrazaka, began turning out sapphires.
The source has produced a large amount of blue, fancy colored and padparadscha sapphires of “partly exceptional size and quality,” and appears to be “a new gem source of greater importance than anything we have seen in recent years,” SSEF said in a statement.
In fact, SSEF Director Michael S. Krzemnicki told National Jeweler in an email that the highest quality goods from the source can compete with sapphires from any other gem deposit.
However, the lab has analyzed a number of these “Kashmir-like” sapphires from the new deposit, ranging from 5 to 50 carats, and began noticing in January that many of the stones coming into the lab were accompanied by gemological reports denoting a Kashmir origin when they actually are from Bemainty.
SSEF said it came to the conclusion after observing the gemstones under a microscope and using a number of scientific methods including Raman microspectrometry, UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence and GemTOF for trace element concentration. 
The lab said as soon as it started getting the Kashmir-like sapphires, it initiated research and established stringent criteria to identify the new material and distinguish it from Kashmir sapphires when characteristic features permit.
The work is based on the lab’s decades of experience with origin determination, top-of-the-line analytical information and an extensive collection that is constantly upgraded with gemstones from new deposits.
And while the sapphires coming from Madagascar do have a “Kashmir-like” visual appearance--with a subtle and fine “milkiness” that results in a velvety blue color typical of those that come from Kashmir--there also are a number of telling factors that distinguish goods from the two sources, including differences in clarity, growth zones, color zones and variation in the zircon crystals that appear inside.
(For a more detailed explanation about the differences between the sources, see the lab’s full trade alert.)
Krzemnicki said the trade should be careful when offered Kashmir sapphires, especially in large carat sizes, as this is “highly prized material.”
“We (had submitted to us), during one week of the Basel show, an outstanding
amount of large sapphires (that) claimed to be from Kashmir but in reality originated from Madagascar--about 10 stones between 10 and 50 carats. This is beyond any logic, as sapphires from Kashmir above 10 carats are very scarce and--even at SSEF and during a show--not submitted on a daily basis,” he told National Jeweler.
SSEF maintains that the new source in Madagascar has great potential and will be asset to the gem trade, as long as the true origin is correctly disclosed.
SSEF maintains that the new source in Madagascar has great potential and will be asset to the gem trade, as long as the true origin is correctly disclosed.
More on Grading
The Latest
CollectionsNov 22, 2024
Piece of the Week: Xander Jane’s ‘Spiked’ Pearl StudsThese punk-inspired earrings from the new Canadian brand’s debut collection reveal the alter ego of the classic pearl.
SourcingNov 22, 2024
Facets of Fire Expands to Include Pear, Marquise DiamondsThe company brings its nanotechnology to two new fancy cuts for diamonds that feature its signature color and brilliance.
Brought to you by
Navigating Cybersecurity: Essential Guidance for JewelersFrom protecting customer data to safeguarding inventory records, it's crucial to learn how to tackle cybersecurity challenges.
Supplier BulletinNov 21, 2024
Tasha R Releases 2025 Labbelle Lab Diamond Jewelry CatalogSponsored by Tasha R
Weekly QuizNov 21, 2024
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
AuctionsNov 21, 2024
Gold Watch Gifted to Titanic Rescue Ship Captain Sells for $2MThree Titanic survivors presented him with the personalized Tiffany & Co. timepiece about a year after the tragedy.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Harris Jewelry Ordered to Reopen Claims Portal for Refund RequestsA federal court found that the jewelry store chain violated terms of the settlement reached after it was accused of defrauding customers.
Brought to you by
Enhance Your Expertise with IGI’s In-Person Courses in NYCThis fall, sharpen your skills in jewelry grading, quality control and diamond assessment.
CollectionsNov 21, 2024
Channel Elphaba in Muse’s ‘Have a Heart x Cynthia Erivo’ CollectionCynthia Erivo chose Dreams of Hope, an organization dedicated to empowering LGBTQA+ youth, as the charity for this year’s collection.
MajorsNov 21, 2024
Rocksbox Opens Pop-Up Store in San FranciscoThe new space was designed to evoke a warm, inviting vibe.
IndependentsNov 21, 2024
Mary Moses Kinney Is Now Part of The Edge’s Team Kinney, who spent nearly 30 years at IJO, has been hired to head Abbott Jewelry Systems’ new virtual marketplace.
CrimeNov 20, 2024
Sotheby’s to Pay $6.25M Settlement to NY State for Alleged Tax FraudThe auction house was accused of helping clients avoid paying taxes on millions of dollars’ worth of art purchased from 2010 to 2020.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
Kering Debuts New Jewelry Award With Sustainability FocusThe four finalists will present their pieces at the 2025 JCK Las Vegas show.
CollectionsNov 20, 2024
Pamela Love Channels Surrealist Artists in New CollectionThe “Camera Oscura” collection showcases earring designs celebrating female Surrealist artists Claude Cahun and Leonor Fini.
Policies & IssuesNov 20, 2024
Columbia Gem House Raises $10K for Reforestation EffortsThe money will fund the planting of 10,000 trees in critical areas across Oregon, Arizona, Montana, and other regions.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2024
The Jewelry Symposium Opens Registration, Scholarship ApplicationsThe event centered on advancing jewelry manufacturing technology will return to Detroit in May 2025.
CrimeNov 19, 2024
Woman Killed in Armed Robbery of Sacramento Jewelry StoreLocal reports identified the woman as the wife of the jewelry store owner.
AuctionsNov 19, 2024
‘A Tsar’s Treasure’ Fetches $2.9M at Sotheby’s Jewelry SaleA collection of pieces owned by Ferdinand I, the first king of modern Bulgaria, and his family, blew away estimates in Geneva last week.
MajorsNov 19, 2024
Trove Opens First US Flagship in NYCThe Australian jewelry box brand’s new West Village store will showcase new jewelers each month through its Designer in Residence program.
CollectionsNov 19, 2024
Snoop Dogg’s New Jewelry Collection Is All About Love“Lovechild” was created in partnership with Carolyn Rafaelian’s Metal Alchemist brand.
EditorsNov 18, 2024
Q&A: Helzberg CEO Brad Hampton on the Jeweler’s RebrandHampton discussed how Helzberg is improving the customer experience and why it was inspired by the company formerly known as Dunkin’ Donuts.
Policies & IssuesNov 18, 2024
Reciprocity Jewels Returns to NYC Jewelry WeekThe group will host several curated events and an exhibition of designer jewelry made with Peruvian gold traceable to the miners’ names.
CollectionsNov 18, 2024
Dolly Parton Shines in Collaboration with Kendra ScottThe collection honors the 50th anniversary of Dolly Parton’s “Love is Like a Butterfly” song, which shares a birth year with Kendra Scott.
Events & AwardsNov 18, 2024
IGI Jewelry Design Competition ReturnsThis year’s theme asks designers to take inspiration from classic fairy tales.
EditorsNov 15, 2024
Why Fine Jewelry Belongs at New York Comic ConSenior Editor Lenore Fedow makes the case for why more jewelers should be appealing to nerds at the annual event.
CollectionsNov 15, 2024
Marie Lichtenberg Battles Counterfeits with New ‘Raiz’in Scapular’ DesignsThe latest “Raiz’in” drop showcases a newly designed “Scapular” necklace and donates a portion of the proceeds to Make-A-Wish France.
WatchesNov 15, 2024
Piece of the Week: Citizen’s Commemorative Pocket WatchNo. 1 out of 100, the timepiece was created to mark Citizen’s 100th anniversary and will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s next month.
