“Shell Auranova” is the next generation of the brand’s bridal line, featuring half-bezel engagement rings with bold and fluid designs.
Why Gübelin Wants Us To Talk About Gemstones Like Wine
The lab’s new Gemstone Rating evaluates the quality, rarity and salience of a stone to assign it a numerical value from 75 to 100.

With diamonds, communicating the 4Cs immediately tells people what kind of stone they are getting.
But as anyone who works with colored stones can attest, communicating the quality, color, and attractiveness of a gem is a different story.
In response, the lab has introduced the Gübelin Gemstone Rating, a system designed to give points to a gem’s overall impression, Raphael Gübelin, president of the House of Gübelin, explained to National Jeweler.
Knowing it needed to be simple and effective, the lab created a comprehensive system based on points, inspired by the system used to express the quality of a wine’s vintage.
The Gübelin Gemstone Rating looks at three factors: quality, rarity and salience.
The key factor in this is, of course, quality, rating such visual aspects as color, clarity/transparency and cut.
Rarity evaluates the type of gemstone, its weight and any treatments used to enhance the gemstone.
Lastly, salience describes the uniqueness of the gem and its ability to stand out.
Experts at the lab will use these parameters to calculate a point value to communicate the beauty and rarity of a stone in one number.
High-quality gems receiving at least 75 out of 100 points will qualify for a rating.
Additionally, the gems will be assigned a designation based on their Gübelin Points rating: “exceptional” for those rated 100-97.5; “outstanding” for scores 97.4-95; “excellent” for those receiving 94.9-92.5; “superior” for 92.4-90 points; “fine” for 89.9-85 points; “good”’ for 84.9-80; and “fair” for 79.9-75 points.

The point system will allow the trade to be able to compare colored gems and assist in buying decisions, the lab said.
Currently, if you give someone in the trade a color and budget, they could come back with any number of options, Gübelin said.
“It would be much more efficient to have additional information saying, ‘I want a blue sapphire, 3 carat with nice color and in rating of 85 or 90.’ That already starts reducing the number of possibilities tremendously. It will help to get much closer to what’s desired.”
This will also allow consumers to better understand colored gemstones.
The lab developed the Gübelin Gemstone Rating for high-quality mined colored stones. Stones subjected to heavy treatments and lab-grown gems fall outside of its scope.
“The gemstone rating offers more orientation and we think more people will be interested in colored gemstones,” Gübelin said. “End-consumer will profit—and of course the industry, too.”
After some time, the service will be offered for a fee of 100 CHF (about $110 at current exchange rates) for a Gemstone Rating in combination with a gemological report.
A rating on its own costs 250 CHF (about $274), and the lab said it will give ratings to stones with reports from another lab.
The Gübelin Gemstone Rating is currently available from the company’s Lucerne laboratory only.
The Latest

Boucheron and Pomellato performed well in an otherwise bleak quarter for Kering amid struggles at Gucci.

Designer Deborah Meyers created her birds from oxidized sterling silver, rose-cut diamond eyes, and Akoya Keshi pearl feathers.

Six new retail businesses were selected for the 2025 program, which began in January.

The company said it expects sightholders to remain “cautious” with their purchasing due to all the unknowns around the U.S. tariffs.


Sponsored by the Gemological Institute of America

Simon Wolf shares why the time was right to open a new office here, what he looks for in a retail partner, and why he loves U.S. consumers.

The risk of laboratory-grown diamonds being falsely presented as natural diamonds presents a very significant danger to consumer trust.

A third-generation jeweler, Ginsberg worked at his family’s store, Ginsberg Jewelers, from 1948 until his retirement in 2019.

The company failed to file its quarterly reports in a timely manner.

The organization also announced its board of directors.

Charms may be tiny but with their small size comes endless layering possibilities, from bracelets to necklaces and earrings.

Located in Valenza, the now 355,000-square-foot facility includes a new jewelry school that’s open to the public, Scuola Bulgari.

Paola Sasplugas, co-founder of the Barcelona-based jewelry brand, received the Fine Jewelry Award.

A platinum Zenith-powered Daytona commissioned in the late ‘90s will headline Sotheby’s Important Watches sale in Geneva next month.

The basketball stars wear men’s jewelry from the “Curb Chain” collection.

The Signet Jewelers-owned retailer wants to encourage younger shoppers to wear fine jewelry every day, not just on special occasions.

The 21 pieces, all from a private collector, will be offered at its Magnificent Jewels auction next month.

Lilian Raji answers a question from a reader who is looking to grow her jewelry business but has a limited marketing budget.

The Indiana jeweler has acquired Scottsdale Fine Jewelers in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“Cartier: Design, Craft, and Legacy” opened earlier this month at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Van Cott Jewelers in Vestal, New York, is hosting a going-out-of-business sale.

Industry veteran Samantha Larson has held leadership roles at Borsheims, McTeigue & McClelland, Stuller, and Long’s Jewelers.
The two organizations will hold the educational event together this fall in Mississippi.

The entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” star will share his top tips for success.

The Ukrainian brand’s new pendant is modeled after a traditional paska, a pastry often baked for Easter in Eastern European cultures.

The jeweler has announced a grand reopening for its recently remodeled location in Peoria, Illinois.