Lead Glass-Filled Ruby in Antique Jewelry

Another article recently found in Gems and Gemology, Summer 2010, in the Gem News International section....

Paraphrasing the article - More and more of the lead glass filled rubies are being seen in retail stores, jewelry websites and TV Shopping Channels. Even an old setting with seed pearls and mine cut diamonds had a new lead glass filled ruby in the center!

We stay away from this type of enhancement. Heat is now a normal occurrence in Sapphire and Ruby - it is more rare NOT to be heated and unheated gemstones can have a premium associated with them. Many Rubies are being filled to hide the cracks and issues most have. Our Burmese Rubies are free of this issue as can be seen in the certs. Though heated, even if some of the borax used as a catalyst gets sucked into a pit the size of a pin prick, the cert will indicate some sort of filler. This is very different than the lead glass filler which is usually performed on gemstones that would otherwise not be considered gem grade. We have seen some Rubies while in Chantaburi, Thailand, that were more glass than Ruby!

Learn more about what is being done to Ruby and Sapphire on our Learn More Page:

< Learn More >


To see Fine Ruby from Burma (prior to the embargo), visit our Ruby Photos Page where we discuss treatments of Ruby also:

< Ruby Photos Page >

Tanzanite and Other Gems Set with Colored Adhesive

Article appears in Gems and Gemology Magazine, Summer 2010, in the Gem News International section.

To paraphrase, a goldsmith in CA was working with gemstones set in a few bezel set rings, and mounted with Colored Glue. Rings came from a customer who had obtained them from a TV Shopping network. This colored glue enhanced the color of the original gemstones - Ruby, Amethyst and Tanzanite. After the adhesive was removed, the colors of the gemstones appeared much lighter. "The colored adhesive was obviously intended to enhance the appearance of the stones, as well as to help hold them in their mountings...buyer beware!"

Gee, where else have we heard Buyer Beware? We have been tell our customers and the public about all the issues, scams and enhancements that are out there - all meant to take your money! Visit our Learn More page to read some of the articles that All That Glitters has written.

< Learn More >


With All That Glitters, we disclose all we know about the gemstone and have an incredible Life Time Guarantee when it comes to something like this....

< Life Time Guarantee>

Gems & Gemology Articles, Summer 2010

Two good articles have appeared in Gems and Gemology Magazine, which is published by GIA - The Gemological Institute of America. http://www.gia.edu

The Wittlesbach-Graff and Hope Diamonds: Not Cut from the Same Rough

As the title indicates these two diamonds, thought to possibly be from the same piece of rough, have been determined to have come from two different pieces of diamond rough.

All That Glitters heard this information first hand before any articles had been published because of an unexpected discussion over dinner in Tucson of 2010. A number of distinguished members of the gem related trade/community assembled for dinner at the invite of All That Glitters. This included a former colored gemstone editor, a well known facetor and a few custom jewelers. The topic of conversation was soon opened up by the past editor of a well known jewelry/gemstone magazine. He was unexpectedly invited to the Smithsonian to perform some of the photography and be present when these two important historical diamonds were studied side by side. This gentleman slid his laptop computer around the table as we viewed still images and video clips of these two famous diamonds, while he told his story of how he even got to photograph the Hope Diamond while in his hand.

The owner of All That Glitters was also friends of art dealer who was raised/lived in NYC area and who went to school with Evalyn Walsh McLean's daughter (Ms. McLean was the last owner of the Hope Diamond prior to it's arrival at the Smithsonian). He said that he had even held it during one of his visits to the McLean's household. This same gentleman also had the good fortune to know Mr. Gallo, of the famous Gallo Wine Family - Mr. Gallo had given him a small painting by one of the Dutch Masters! Though this acquaintance of the owner of All That Glitters has had good luck, the McLean family had the opposite luck. Mr. McLean left Evalyn for another woman, lost his fortune and ended up in an asylum. Their son was killed in a car accident, and the daughter mentioned above, died of a drug overdose.

To learn more about the interesting history of the Hope Diamond, visit the following link:
http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/hope/hmain.html

Play-of-Color Opal from Wegel Tena, Wollo Province, Ethiopia

This relatively new find of Opal from Ethiopia has been taking the gem trade by storm, so to say. Previous material from this country tended to be chocolate brown as well as what one normally thinks of Opal. The older material had a tendency to crack. With this new find, the material has been quite stable and the colors span the rainbow, displaying play of color in various patterns. They are gemologically interesting as when they are placed into water, they become entirely transparent. Upon drying, they return to their original body color. This is called Hydrophane Opal. To quote the article - "Tena Opals become transparent when soaked in water, showing a remarkable hydrophane character....the white, opaque to translucent opals are remarkably durable...(the deposit) could become a major source of gem-quality opal...The Wegel Tena area has the potential to become a leading supplier of high-quality white play-of-color opal."

Some are saying that it is equivalent to fine Australian Opal. To view a few pieces of our Ethiopian Opal, visit the link below - we show an example of a before and after photo of a piece exposed to water; also, we have 3 cabs displayed on the page. Just scroll down until you see Opal! < Newly Photographed Gemstones >

All That Glitters Website and Info Changes for October 2010

Here are the changes to look for on the All That Glitters website for October 2010:

This Months Special: Tricolor 7.03ct Tourmaline

It is rare to see a tricolor, though bicolors are more common; less common when clean and in a decent size like this. The color can best be described as Smoky with a nicely defined Pink separation followed by Smoky once again...

This Months Gem News: All That Glitters Finds Dendrites In Tourmaline!!

So far, no one in the gemstone world that we have contacted has found dentrites or heard of Dendritesoccurring in Tourmaline. Not only does the Tourmaline we have contain Dendrites, but they are found in a Watermelon Slice!!! WOW! Currently in transit to our office and will be offered for sale shortly. This is another One-Of-A-Kind piece offered by All That Glitters!

Newly Faceted or Photographed Gemstones:

Two oval Diaspores weighing 2.09cts and 3.17cts have come back from one of our US cutters. Also, two wonderful specimens: Copper Ore from Morency, AZ with bright blues. and an incredible example of Rainbow Obsidian in the shape of a butterfly, done by the mine owners son who chooses the best pieces for his sculptures. Another two items consist of jewelry,an agate druzy set in a custom made sterling silver pendant and a watermelon quartz (dyed) pendant.

NOTE - All That Glitters heads to our West Coast Office for the winter at the end of October at about the timeframe our November Newsletter goes out. Not all of our inventory will be delivered to us by Brinks, so if you want to insure that you can make a purchase of anything you have been considering, please make that purchase over the next few weeks. In general, we will have a good selection of our inventory out there, but if we do not have it, it may be April or May before we have access to some items.