Mardon Jewelers at the Mission Inn

Mardon has developed its reputation as a fine jeweler by creating its own way of doing business. The Mardon Way is based on our passion for fine colored gemstones. Because we love the richly colored treasures that Mother Nature has created for us, we’re dedicated to setting these fine colored gemstones into beautifully made pieces […]

A client brought these three stones to our shop looking to sell them. She had purchased the stones while traveling and was under the impression the two 30 ct. greenish blue ones were aquamarines and the peachy pink stone was morganite. At Mardon, as gemologists, we always buy gems very carefully and only when we […]

Rainbow gem suites are quite popular– we see them assembled from all the colors of sapphire or with various colored gems that will make a full spectrum of color, but rarely featuring garnet. Our unique custom bracelet of rainbow garnets was made to order for a very happy client as her 40th anniversary gift.

If you think all sapphires are blue, take another look– this gorgeous bracelet is set with in an amazing array of beautiful sapphires, from deep purple to soft green to sunset orange to bright pink to golden yellow. In the gem trade, we call these unusual colors “Fancy” sapphires. Here are some handy insider tips […]

Recently, daughter Jenny and I spent a memorable Memorial Day weekend at the 2011 GIA International Symposium. This year, Symposium was divided into two tracks, one focused on current scientific research in the field of gemology, while the other concentrated on the future of business for the jewelry industry. This year’s keynote speaker was noted […]

This headline caught my eye in a recent email— the answer to this trick question is anyone! A newsletter by an insurance industry organization highlighted the fact that there are no federal or other governmental bodies setting qualifications for who may be a jeweler or a jewelry appraiser. A study by a related group also […]

This tale of woe illustrates some of the risks and challenges we jewelers face in our fascinating business. Last year, I had seen this lovely and large reddish purple tourmaline several times. Gem dealer Jack had tried mightily to tempt me with it, an unheated stone from the country of Mozambique in East Africa, an […]

These two sapphires are both from the island of Sri Lanka, both are heat enhanced, both are from the same vendor, both weigh about the same. Here's another photograph, same stones, same photographer (myself), same camera, same photo stage, similar macro lens, slightly different lighting. Can you guess which one costs more?