May we see with new eyes, each old thing, each known thing.
An Atypical Guide to Gems: The Colour Of Gemstones
January 3, 2018
Our guide to gems will tell you what most other guides won’t tell you, which is: do not judge a stone by its colour. When shopping for a gem.
A typical gem guide will tell you to look out for cut and colour and size and origin – all the things you probably already know about. Those things are important if all you are doing is buying a gem based on numbers and figures, but let’s not forget that most of us buy gems to use in jewellery.
Only when the gem is set in jewellery will it look complete. And whatever the colour and quality of a gem, it is the setting that will reveal the potential of a gemstone.
Rose Cut Diamonds, Intan, and Antique Hand Cut Diamonds
January 3, 2018
There are two types of rose cut diamonds seen in much of the jewelry in this region, specifically South-east Asia. One is the ‘Western’ rose cut diamond and the other is the Straits Chinese rose cut diamond (intan). The Straits Chinese rose cut diamond is quite similar to the Indian polki diamond, which is an Indian cut diamond slice.
Historically the Western rose cut is hand cleaved, much like the Straits Chinese rose cut diamond. Hand cleaved diamonds reveal techniques of hand-cutting, with uneven facets at the crown of the diamond.