Chalmers Gems (@chalmersgems)

During our last trip to China we had the privilege of watching our gemstones having their facets applied. Facets are the flat surfaces on the gemstone. First the beads are cut and polished and then they are individually put onto these machines to have their facets applied. Although this is ‘machine cutting’ I was surprised to see how labour intensive it really is. The great thing about buying beads that have been machine cut is that they are very uniform in shape and cut where as the hand cut beads tend to have a less uniform but more artisan appearance 😁 #beads #gemstones #faceting #cutting #gems #strands #jewellerydesigners #jewellerymakers #jewellerymakingsupplies #diyjewellery

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Have you ever noticed that faceted Tourmalines are often cut into rounds, rectangles or triangles?Well here is the reason why. The rough gemstone grows in a long thin crystal formation meaning it is suitable for the long rectangular cuts but when you look down on the Crystal it’s often triangular, which makes it suitable for rounds or trillions. As well as that it also shows a deeper colour when looking down the Crystal meaning the Lapidarist would determine which orientation shows the very best colour to make the most beautiful faceted gemstone. Follow us for more gemmy goodness 💎 #tourmaline #rubellite #roughgemstone #colourfulgemstones #gemmology #lapidary #gemcutting #jewellerydesigner #jewellerymaker #diyjewellery #jewelry #rare #watermelon

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I’ve bought this Old European Cut Diamond and I’ve estimated its weight to be 3.01ct. I now need to remove it from the Mount to check it weighs over 3ct or I’ve just lost a LOT of money! I’m removing from the setting which we will melt down at a later date. Follow us for the journey of this fabulous stone as we transform it into a new ring. #diamond #caratweight #oldcutdiamonds #jewellery #unset #jewellerymaking #crystal #gemmology #gems #crystals

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I’ve just done this incredible deal with a miner from Namibia on this very unusual Fluorite. This fluorite has grown along side Quartz, this can make it a bit tricky to cut as the two have different hardnesses and cleavage properties but it looks stunning. Also, it’s got some fabulous crystals on the top of some of the pieces. It grows in the cubic system and you can see some of the perfect cubes on each piece. Truly beautiful!! #fluorite #gems #crystal #unusual #green #blue #quuartz #cubic #crystalline #fluoriteandquartz #gemmology

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This is a 3cts old cut diamond and it is beautifully cut! The most common cut of diamonds are Round Brilliant cuts ans they are cut to very specific proportions which make them super sparkly. This diamond us an Old Cut and it was cut by an expert who has made it look exceptional. These are rare and a treat to see 😁 #diamond #diamonds #oldcutdiamonds #sparkly #brilliantcut #gems #jewellery #jewelry #gemmology #3carats

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The phenomenon of Adularescence is exhibited in Moonstone. The term Adularescence came from some very specific material that was mined in Switzerland in Mount Adular.

Moonstone is a very popular Gemstone because it has such an amazing colour and display and works fantastic in Jewellery. It looks especially nice when set into silver, as the colour and rainbow effect really stand out!

It is created by alternating layers of Orthoclase and Albite. The layers are so fine, and they are actually similar in size to a wavelength of light.

They are very fine layers, and when our eye looks down, it scatters the light and gives that amazing Schiller effect that goes across the surface of the Moonstone.

Watch the full Gemmology Lesson on our YouTube Channel

#ethicalgemstones #ethicalcrystals #ethicalgemstoneshop #ethicalgemstonesupplier #ethicalcrystalsuk #ethicalcrystalshop #jewellerymaker #jewellerydesigner #crystalcollector #crystals #crystalvibes #wirejewellery #jewellerydesign #silversmith #silversmithing #handmadejewellery

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What is Moonstone? 🤔🤔⁠
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Moonstone is part of the Feldspar family, one of Gemstones' largest families. It is called Orthoclase, which is its official name, and its sister is Amazonite. But within the Feldspar family, you also have other materials like Labradorite, but they are not as closely connected as Moonstone and Amazonite.⁠
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🔗 Watch the full Gemmology Lesson on our YouTube channel

#ethicalgemstones #ethicalcrystals #ethicalgemstoneshop #ethicalgemstonesupplier #ethicalcrystalsuk #ethicalcrystalshop #jewellerymaker

$Part 2 of identifying this gemstone which changes from red to green in different lights! Magic! In Part 1 we used our eye and our 10x loupe, this gave us lots of clues 😁. Gemmology is a science, it's a bit like CSI - we have to gather all the scientific clues and then use them to make a positive identification of the material. I am showing you how to use the Refractometer which is a very important piece of gem testing equipment, this will give us a reading of this materials Refractive Index. This material has an RI of 1.548 and is singly refractive, it changes from red to green in different lighting and you will see the swirly inclusions in Part 1. Drop your guess into the comments and follow us for the reveal in Part 3! #gemstones #red #green #testing #gemtesting #gems #refractometer #gemmology #gemology #identify #jewellery #jewellerydesigner #jewellerymaker #colourchange created by Chalmers Gems with Chalmers Gems's original sound$