Tanzanite is a highly sought-after gem for two reasons: its rarity (it is only found in one tiny area in the whole world) and its color range (a rich blue to violet-blue). Tanzanite is the trade name for blue-violet zoisite. However, while most well-known for its blue color, zoisite can be found in a range…
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Engagement rings often use diamonds as their centerpiece. While there is a long tradition of using diamonds, other gems such as sapphires also have traditionally been used in engagement rings, and in recent years, there’s been a resurgence in interest in diamond alternatives. If you are considering another kind of gemstone, know that there are…
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Sapphires are beautiful gemstones that people have mined for thousands of years. Though they are commonly thought of as blue, sapphires can come in almost every color of the rainbow. However, there are some unifying features of sapphires that they all share. Sapphires score a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, meaning they are very…
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It may come as a surprise, but not all garnets are the same—there are several major species of garnets. Learn more about the different major types of garnet.
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Sapphires remind us of beautiful blue stones, but they can vary greatly in color. Here are all the different colors of sapphires and why they vary.
Read MoreI source all of my Montana sapphires directly from the mine owners, so I have full confidence in the gems I offer. The largest active mine in Montana is located in the Sapphire Mountains, in what is referred to as the “Rock Creek deposit,” located just west of Philipsburg, Montana. The area is wild and…
Read MoreIn a recent post about ethical sourcing I touched on the concept of chain of custody, and I’d like to expand on that here. I’ll start by explaining the idea behind chain of custody: quite simply, its the knowledge of every set of hands a gem has passed through between the moment it is dug…
Read MoreIn the image above we see people working under what looks like very difficult conditions, and indeed they are. In the foreground we see men and women working with hand tools to turn over fresh soil, hunting for gem gravels containing precious deep blue sapphires–worth many thousands of dollars per carat when they are finished…
Read MoreIntroduction This is the first installment in a multi-part series about the gemstone mines of San Diego County, California. I had the good fortune to spend significant time in this area in the past few years, including a period of time working underground in the Oceanview Mine, currently the only mine where there is…
Read MoreI’m proud to announce that Earth’s Treasury is now an introductory member of the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA). The AGTA is the leading professional organization for dealers of colored gemstones, pearls as well as jewelers and other industry professionals. All members must annually commit in writing to the associations code of ethics–the most stringent…
Read MoreIntroduction: Photographing Gems and Jewelry I thought I’d write a post about photographing gems and jewelry, since getting excellent photos of both is crucial for my business–and takes a significant amount of my time. It’s also a topic I frequently see discussed online. No matter what anyone tells you, getting good photos of gems…
Read MoreWelcome to Earth’s Treasury–your source for fine gemstones, jewelry and gem mineral specimens. Earth’s Treasury was founded in 2012 as the realization of many of my passions: gems, minerals, jewelry, photography and more. I want provide the public with a focused collection of gems and jewelry created primarily from natural stones and materials mined from…
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