Gemstone

A few days ago, 52-year-old Lucas Ncipe, assistant general manager of the Canadian diamond mining company Lucara, received a phone call from one of his engineers working at the Karowe mine in Botswana. “We found something incredible,” was the phrase he heard. He almost dropped the phone when he realized what it was about: the second-largest diamond in the world, weighing 2,492 carats.

About 5% of engagement rings a decade ago were made up of colored gemstones, while today the percentage is more than 15%

At a prominent Shiite shrine in southern Tehran, Qasem Ashgari was buying yet another gemstone ring in the hope it would help his prayers to be answered promptly.

Asghari, in his 30s, who was already wearing several bands on each hand, had a specific ring in mind: A silver one, adorned with yellow agate and engraved with religious scripts.

One of the largest opals in the world was sold for $125,000 at auction in Alaska on Feb. 20.

The opal, dubbed the "Americus Australis," weighs more than 11,800 carats and is one of the largest gem-quality opals in existence, according to the auction house Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals. It also has a long history.

A pair of rare diamond and emerald spectacles from an unknown Indian princely treasury will be sold at an auction in London later this month.

The lenses were placed in the Mughal-era frames around 1890, according to auction house Sotheby's.

The spectacles will be offered at auction for $2 million - $3.4 million each, the auction house said.

Turkey is set to host an international conference on jewelry and gemstone next week in Istanbul.

A large medieval gold treasure consisting of adornments made of the precious metal and semi-precious stones has been discovered by accident by the police in the town of Kazanlak in Central Bulgaria inside the car of what appear to be treasure hunters.

Learn more HERE!

A 1,111 carat "high quality diamond" has been discovered at a mine in Botswana, said to be the biggest find in more than a century, according to the mine company.
 
The gem, only second in size to the Cullinan diamond which was unearthered in South Africa in 1905, was mined by Lucara Diamond Corp.
 

Victoria’s Secret model Lily Aldridge will wear the Fantasy Bra which costs $2million at the lingerie giant’s fashion show in December.

Vogue posted a video of supermodel dancing around in the Fireworks Fantasy Bra, which has 6,500 precious gems.