Events & AwardsMay 22, 2026
Instore Buys JA New York ShowThe deal closed this week, which means Instore will produce the JA NY show slated to take place this fall.
AuctionsJan 11, 2017
In NYC, An Auction That’s Bound to Delight Rock Hounds
In 2017, Guernsey’s will offer a collection of Muzo Colombian emeralds and star rubies in two separate events.
The Mountain Star Ruby Collection, discovered in western North Carolina in 1990, will be sold as one lot in April at Guernsey’s auction house.
New York--The two gem auctions scheduled for this year at New York City auction house Guernsey’s are the stuff of a gem hound’s dreams.
On April 25, the company will offer the Marcial de Gomar Collection, comprised of more than 20 loose emeralds--both cut and rough--plus 13 pieces of emerald jewelry.
The emeralds in this collection come from the personal collection of Manuel Marcial de Gomar, the founder of Emeralds International LLC, who spent more than five decades in the gemstone business. This includes years working in the Muzo mines in Colombia, known to supply some of the best emeralds in the world.
His knowledge of the South American emeralds also has led him to become an author, lecturer and consultant. His family still is involved in the rare emerald business.
On April 25, the company will offer the Marcial de Gomar Collection, comprised of more than 20 loose emeralds--both cut and rough--plus 13 pieces of emerald jewelry.
The emeralds in this collection come from the personal collection of Manuel Marcial de Gomar, the founder of Emeralds International LLC, who spent more than five decades in the gemstone business. This includes years working in the Muzo mines in Colombia, known to supply some of the best emeralds in the world.
His knowledge of the South American emeralds also has led him to become an author, lecturer and consultant. His family still is involved in the rare emerald business.
La Gloria
A notable lot in the collection is the 887-carat La Gloria, the largest Muzo rough emerald in North America, according to the auction house.
There also is the Marcial de Gomar star emerald. At 25.86 carats it is the largest of only 11 star emeralds known to exist, according to the Gemological Institute of America. It also is rare in that it is a double-sided star emerald, meaning it exhibits the phenomenon on both sides.
Marcial de Gomar knew famed American treasure hunter Mel Fisher, who brought him in for his expertise after he discovered the wreck of the Spanish ship Nuestra Señora de Atocha off the coast of Florida in 1985. Muzo emeralds were part of the haul that surfaced from that shipwreck.
A few gold coins, such as the one pictured here, from the wreck of the Nuestra Señora de Atocha in the Florida Keys will be included in the April auction.
A few of the stones, as well as some rare gold coins from the discovery, eventually came to be in Marcial de Gomar’s collection and are included in the April auction.
Then in June, Guernsey’s will auction off the Mountain Star Ruby Collection. This is comprised of four “extraordinary” star rubies weighing 342 carats total, which will be sold together as one lot.
“It was suggested to us that part of the extraordinary nature of them is where they were found and their individual brilliance, but also the fact that they are four matching stones and it would be crazy, almost criminal, to destroy the collection and the set,” Guernsey’s President Arlan Ettinger told National Jeweler.
Jarvis Wayne Messer found the stones in western North Carolina in 1990.
Although Messer made his living as a fishing guide in the area, he was a self-described rock hound who made a number of interesting discoveries that ended up in museums across the country.
When he first found the star rubies, he was lacking the necessary funds to prove the importance of his discovery, so he got a friend to cut the stones into their cabochon shapes to reveal the stars.
He then enlisted friends to put forward money to have the stones looked at it, giving them a share in the stones and the results from the findings in exchange.
The 139-carat Appalachian Star Ruby
After being examined by a number of gemological labs, including the GIA, the largest of the four, the 139.43-carat Appalachian Star Ruby, went on display at the Natural History Museum in London, where it drew more than 150,000 visitors in just a few weeks, Ettinger said.
Shortly after the exhibit, Messer died and the collection went to his family, with whom it has remained since. A friend of Messer’s, who also was one of the original “investors” in the find, is the one who reached out to the auction house.
Guernsey’s did not provide any pre-sale estimates on the gemstones.
Ettinger said that the Mountain Star Ruby Collection will be offered without a minimum reserve, while about half of the Manuel Marcial de Gomar Collection will be offered without a reserve price.
“These are wonderful and important stones,” he said. “The world will determine what they’re worth.”
Ettinger also noted that a number of experts who have examined the Appalachian Star Ruby throughout its history have compared it to the 138-carat Rosser Reeves Star Ruby, which is one carat smaller and actually has only a five-sided star as one line is broken.
The Rosser Reeves was appraised at $25 million in the early 1980s and about 20 years later at $40 million, according to Guernsey’s.
“By comparing Rosser Reeves to the Appalachian Star, the Appalachian Star, by every account, seems to come out ahead,” he said. “That’s not condemning Rosser Reeves at all; it’s simply saying that may be great, but so is this one. In fact, this one may even be slightly greater.”
Sales of the two family-owned collections will be held live at the Americas Society on Park Avenue in Manhattan, with online bidding held at LiveAuctioneers.com.
Though Guernsey’s has only sold jewelry only once before--a diamond and South Sea pearl necklace and matching earrings worn by the late Princess Diana--the auction house is not unused to holding auctions of rare and valuable items.
Notable past auctions have included a collection covering all eras of the life of John F. Kennedy, the contents of the S.S. United States and, most recently, the complete archives of Rosa Parks.
But within the past 10 days, the auction house has been offered another opportunity to auction off an exceptional mineral piece.
“If this is a new direction for Guernsey’s, I’m thinking of it like a surf board and I’m riding the waves,” Ettinger said.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on February 14, 2017, to reflect a change in the dates of the auctions made by Guernsey’s.
More on Auctions
The Latest
FinancialsMay 22, 2026
Richemont’s Jewelry Brands Lead the Charge in Q4The company’s jewelry sales were up in Q4 and the fiscal year, with Richemont raising prices in part because of the cost of gold.
CollectionsMay 22, 2026
Leigh Maxwell Celebrates 5 Years at Couture With ‘Bauble’ CollectionThe “Bauble” capsule collection of colorful one-of-a-kinds includes our Piece of the Week, the “Bauble” earrings, featuring rose zircon.
Brought to you by
All Eyes on Gold Prices. Alternatives to Look For. And What to BEWARE of in VegasAs gold prices rise, today’s retailers are looking for alternatives at prices that will appeal to wider audiences.
MajorsMay 22, 2026
Stuller’s New Packaging, Display Catalog Is Out The updated catalog has a newly dedicated section for gift wrapping.
Weekly QuizMay 21, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
PodcastsMay 21, 2026
Episode 5: Sotheby’s Frank Everett Puts the Auction Market in PerspectiveEverett covers colored stones’ surging popularity, the mellow return of the “Mellon Blue,” and his “The Devil Wears Prada” doppelgänger.
IndependentsMay 21, 2026
Springer’s Jewelers’ New Flagship Will Serve Next-Gen Luxury ShoppersFourth-generation CEO Lilly Mullen wants to emphasize experience, connection, and personalized service.
Brought to you by
How Modern Training Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage for Jewelry RetailersWith the trade and customer trust in mind, GIA® developed NextGem™ – on-demand training designed specifically for retail.
Events & AwardsMay 21, 2026
JA Announces Nina Pugliese Memorial ScholarshipThe new award, created in partnership with Henne Jewelers, honors the late designer’s legacy through supporting jewelry education.
SourcingMay 21, 2026
Botswana, Angola Join WFDBThe addition of the diamond-producing countries as nation affiliated members broadens the federation’s global representation, WFDB said.
CrimeMay 20, 2026
NYPD Warns of Jewelry Swap Scams Targeting SeniorsThe NYPD is warning elderly New Yorkers to keep their jewelry hidden when walking outside to avoid being a target.
IndependentsMay 20, 2026
Adornment & Theory’s New Store Feels Like Home Designer Viviana Langhoff has realized her dream of owning a space for her Chicago jewelry store that looks and feels like her brand.
Events & AwardsMay 20, 2026
Here Is Couture’s 2026 Education Lineup The sessions will run from Friday, May 29, to Sunday, May 31, with one being a live taping of an episode of Couture’s podcast.
Lab-GrownMay 20, 2026
Savannah Friedkin Jewelry Names New CEOFormer Stephanie Gottlieb Fine Jewelry executive Morgan P. Richardson is joining the lab-grown diamond jewelry brand.
WatchesMay 19, 2026
Here’s the AP x Swatch Pocket Watch That Caused PandemoniumThe $400 pocket watch is a blend of Audemars Piguet’s iconic eight-sided Royal Oak and Swatch’s unserious Pop watches from the ‘80s.
CollectionsMay 19, 2026
Chris Ploof’s New Collection Makes an Ancient Metal ModernWith gold prices on the rise, the “Modern Electrum” collection uses an alternative, non-tarnishing metal alloy composed of gold and silver.
IndependentsMay 19, 2026
Ellen and Michael Fruchtman Retire, Sell Marketing Agency Fruchtman Marketing has new owners, Erin Moyer-Carballea and Manuel Carballea, and will relocate to Miami.
ColumnistsMay 19, 2026
Peter Smith: The (Mostly) Immutable Sales TruthsIn a column for the 2026 State of the Majors issue, Smith lists 10 time-tested principles about sales that still ring true.
ColumnistsMay 18, 2026
Edahn Golan: What a K-Shaped Economy Means for Fine JewelryIn a column for the 2026 State of the Majors issue, Golan spells out how the growing economic divide in the U.S. is reshaping the market.
CollectionsMay 18, 2026
Foundrae’s New Collection Taps Into JoyThe “Limitless Expansion of Joy and Hope” collection evokes summer through colored gemstones and motifs of butterflies and florals.
CollectionsMay 18, 2026
Hancocks London Acquires Historic ‘Inchiquin’ EmeraldThe jewel, circa 1890, is from the late Victorian era and was owned by descendants of the last high king of Ireland.
Events & AwardsMay 18, 2026
Here Are the 2026 JCK Industry Fund Grant Recipients This is what the nine recipients plan to do with the funds.
Events & AwardsMay 15, 2026
JA, MJSA To Sponsor Roundtable at TJSThe discussion, "Rebuilding the Jewelry Workforce," will take place on Saturday, May 16, in Troy, Michigan.
SourcingMay 15, 2026
State of Diamonds: The Way Forward for Natural DiamondsThe jewelry industry is reassessing its positioning as Gen Z reshapes the retail landscape and lab grown continues to gain market share.
Supplier BulletinMay 14, 2026
A Diamond Is Forever Continues Desert Diamonds – Bridal ReinvigoratedSponsored by A Diamond Is Forever
SourcingMay 14, 2026
State of Colored Stones: The Spirit of Young American Gemstone CuttersThe next generation of lapidarists are entrepreneurial, engaged online, and see the craft as a means for artistic expression.
AuctionsMay 14, 2026
‘Ocean Dream’ Makes Waves at Christie’s, Fetching $17MIt was the second auction appearance for the fancy vivid blue-green diamond, which sold for $7.8 million at Christie’s Geneva 12 years ago.
