A jeweler in Cabo San Lucas sold this Mexican matrix opal pendant to my client. He was very proud of the “Madonna” within the precious opal center. The white rhyolite matrix even has a “halo” or “glory” hovering over the figure! I was very interested in the inclusions, never having seen “fish scales” in opal […]
Blog Photo #1 Last week, the thought occurred to me that it was time to do an anniversary blog– looking back thru the archive, turns out I had missed the anniversary by a month– our first blog was posted September 18, 2008! We started the Mardon blog with the mission of consumer protection and education. […]
The warm rich allure of gold has always attracted mankind, so much so that we seek it avidly and value it greatly. This precious metal is never thrown away, and always has value anywhere on planet Earth. Mardon Jewelers buys gold to recycle and uses recycled Harmony gold in all the products we make. Recent […]
We recently had the privilege to work with this wonderful group of gem opals in the 7 to 10 carat category. The top row are opals from Mexico, including the orange red Fire Opal, and the others from Australia’s famous Lightning Ridge and Coober Pedy fields. The term Fire Opal refers specifically to those Mexican […]
Blue, the color of sky, ocean, peace and tranquility has long been associated with purity and wisdom. Blue colors dominate many forms of spiritual art. Cardinals of the Catholic Church, exemplars of chastity and celestial purity, often wore rings of blue sapphire. Blue has always been an important color for mankind, so when we ask […]
Here are a few selections from a large and interesting collection of quality estate jewelry we purchased recently. Most of the items are modern period, many from Europe like this enameled tiger that evokes the pieces Cartier made famous during the 40’s and 50’s. 6.7 grams of 14k gold with diamond eyes, priced to sell […]
This interesting and highly collectible “Prince Albert” style watch chain and fob is now on display in our Estate department. Though we have no direct provenance, because of the appearance and quality of the gem inlays and fob plus the fine craftsmanship, we’re pretty sure the piece is of California gold-in-quartz set in karat gold, […]
We published this article February 2009 with good response. Since Sapphire is the stone for September, we thought it appropriate to republish, with minor additions, editing, new pricing information and larger pictures. Early in my career as a gemologist, while working the gem identification counter at the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory in Santa Monica, I […]
Blue sapphires are found in many countries worldwide. The geological conditions in which they form determine the quality of the sapphire crystals. Some locales are known to produce exceptionally fine crystals, yielding extra fine gems. Each locale produces a range of gem material that shares common characteristics that are directly related to its unique geology. […]
The characteristics of any gemstone are directly related to the crystal from which it is cut, so it’s important to understand how the physical nature of the crystal influences the color of the gem. In the case of blue sapphire, one of the more common crystal forms is an elongated six sided dipyramidal form, as […]
