Green Hauyne : A New Afghan Gem Discovery

We are always excited when something new and unusual appears on the gem market. In late 2023 we heard rumors of ‘Green Sodalite’ coming from the lapis mining area at Sar-i-Sang, in northeastern Afghanistan. In December we were shown cut gems of this material and, though mostly small, they were unusual and interesting. Our in-office testing however indicated they were in fact Hauyne rather than Sodalite – even more interesting! We sent the stones for further testing at the reputable GIT (Gemmological Institute of Thailand) and they confirmed this identification. This new material was indeed never before seen Green Hauyne. […]

EducationValaya SmithJuly 12, 2024Rare Gems, Gem Journal, Collector Gems, Hauyne, Green Hauyne

Rhodochrosite from Sweet Home Mine, Colorado USA - A Brief History

We are excited to now be able to offer some beautiful Rhodochrosite from the long closed Sweet Home Mine in Alma, Colorado, USA. The Sweet Home mine was initially established in 1873 high in the mountains, as a silver mine. As a silver mine it was not especially profitable and ownership changed many times and it was worked only sporadically until the 1990’s. […]

EducationValaya SmithFebruary 23, 2021Rare Gems, Gem Journal, Collector Gems, Rhodochrosite

Newly Discovered Afghan Pink Diaspore

Earlier this year, a new deposit of Diaspore was discovered in the Goshta district, near Jalalabad of Afghanistan. The size, color and clarity of the Afghan Pink Diaspore from this new deposit is truly unheard of.

EducationValaya SmithNovember 26, 2020Rare Gems, Diaspore, Pink Diaspore, Afghan Diaspore, Afghan Gems, Collector Gems

Misconceptions about Blue Zircon

While Blue Zircon is still relatively uncommon in the wider jewelry market, we have seen a dramatic increase in popularity, particularly in the US, in the past decade. Interestingly, there appears to be quite a lot of misinformation about this gem within the trade.

EducationMark SmithJuly 23, 2020Cambodian Zircon, Zircon, Blue Zircon