Mardon Jewelers at the Mission Inn

Fabulous Opal Group

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.

1. 6.70 ct. Mexican Fire Opal

The term Fire Opal refers specifically to those Mexican opals that have an golden orange to red body color.  A Fire Opal may or may not have play of color– this one certainly does! Read the rest of this entry »

I-17700, 2.97 ct. Ceylon Sapphire

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 what is the best color for blue sapphires, we should consider several points of view. Read the rest of this entry »

14K enameled gold pin, a la Cartier

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 at $195 Read the rest of this entry »

Vintage California Gold-in-Quartz Watch Chain, Side #1

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, manufactured in the last half of the 19th century. Read the rest of this entry »

.86 ct Ceylon Padparadscha, Gem, no heat

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 fell in love with Padparadscha—a gemstone, not a girl. The privilege of seeing and handling a few magnificent specimens of this magical sapphire with the glorious sunset orange and pink color was like cupid’s arrow to the heart.

Since that time, I always seek out the dealers at the gem shows who’ve “got the goods” and have had the pleasure to own and sell a number of fine Padparadscha Sapphires. We recently sold this small but extremely fine example, a .86 ct. octagonal loupe clean Sri Lankan stone, perfect color and beautifully cut, certificates from GRS and AGTA showing no evidence of heat treatment.

Read the rest of this entry »

Extra Fine 7 ct. Ceylon Sapphire in Mardon Custom Ring

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 unique characteristics of each source allow us to classify many sapphires by their country of origin.

Country of origin can have a  significant effect on the value of a gemstone, especially when the stone is large and of fine quality. A certificate of origin from a top lab like GIA or GRS can make or break the sale of a fine stone. Determining the origin of a blue sapphire may be as straightforward as expert examination in a gemological microscope of inclusions and other characteristics, but it can require more sophisticated spectroscopic and other high level testing available only in the top labs. Read the rest of this entry »

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 shown below.

Well Formed Sapphire Crystal

Sapphire crystals form in the hexagonal system, with the long axis (z) intersected at 90 degrees by six axes (x,y) rotated 30 degrees apart. In this crystal, the z axis centers the crystal from long point to long point, and the six flat sides of the dipyramids are perpendicular to the x & y axes Read the rest of this entry »

Classic Blue Natural Sapphire

Our clients often ask “What is the best color blue sapphire?” There are two answers– the obvious is that personal preference should dictate your color choice. Every person has unique abilities to perceive color, based on such things as age, health, culture and genetic gifts. Some people prefer light pastel colors, others prefer rich intense colors. The best color for you is the one that pleases, stimulates, or excites you!

The more complicated answer has to do with gem grading and market preferences, the physical characteristics of natural sapphires, the geological sources of sapphire including Ceylon, Burma, Kashmir, Madagascar, Thailand, Australia, and Montana, and the various methods of color enhancement and heat treatment of sapphire. We’ll begin by discussing gem grading and market preferences.

Color is a very complicated phenomenon in gemstones, presenting many challenges for gemologists and gem traders. We begin by grading the color of blue sapphires in terms of hue, tone, and intensity– for a thorough discussion of color grading gems, visit the color grading page at our Gallery of Gems. Read the rest of this entry »

5.69 ct. Burma Peridot

A couple of years ago, a local attorney’s wife was in our store, browsing some colored stone jewelry in the estate case. I asked if she had any favorite gemstones– “none in particular”– so I asked about her birthstone.  She replied “Oh, I don’t like my birthstone, it’s peridot.” Read the rest of this entry »

Custom Peridot Pendant

Last August, our client, Meryl, was in our store getting a ring sized when she mentioned that she had never liked her birthstone, the peridot. A challenge like that is hard for a jeweler and gemstone lover to refuse, so I showed her this grand 5.o6 ct. peridot from Burma. She was delighted and entranced by the beauty of this wonderful gem– and it matched perfectly with the beautiful new sweater outfit she planned to wear to her son’s wedding in January.

I quickly sketched out and presented a design for a white and yellow gold pendant surrounded by diamonds.  The white sparkle and fire of the diamonds, set in white gold, accent and contrast the color of the center gem.  I also suggested some unusual pierced work along the undersides of the piece. She loved the concept and gave us the go ahead. Read the rest of this entry »