Jade Mining

Most jade on the market is composed of nephrite; jadeite is very rare and in its emerald-green, translucent form is called Imperial Jade.

Jade is the gem name for mineral aggregates composed of either or both of two minerals, Jadeite and Nephrite. Jadeite is a sodium-rich aluminous pyroxene; nephrite is a fine-grained, calcium-rich, magnesium, iron, aluminous amphibole. All jade is composed of fine-grained, highly intergrown, interlocking crystals of one or both of these minerals. Though neither mineral is very hard (6-7), jade is one of the toughest gem minerals known.

BC Polar Nephrite Jade Bear and Salmon fish on Nephrite Jade Rough

Jade mountains in northwestern B.C. east of Juneau, Alaska

The world jade market is estimated at 300 tonnes per year, with three quarters of this originating from British Columbia. The price of raw jade varies from less than $10 to $100 per kilogram depending on quality and quantity. The best B.C. nephrite is bought by local artists and transformed into artwork which is in demand internationally.

Cutting jade boulders at Jade West’s Ogden Mountain mine

The 2008 Beijing Olympics reignited China’s interest in nephrite. Dubbed the “Stone of Heaven”, China used it in Olympic medals and ran a campaign to remind citizens that nephrite is the country’s traditional jade. The surge in demand resulted in skyrocketing jade prices. Some export-oriented, jewelry-grade jade can sell for $200 a kilogram – a 10X increase from a decade ago.

Chinese Nephrite Jade Carving

Dragon Nephrite Jade BC Polar Nephrite Jade Elephant figurine

Chinese nephrite jade carved pendant

Miners search for stone as dump trucks dump tailings.

Police in Myanmar abandoned efforts to find the bodies of up to 100 jade miners who were buried when a mine dump collapsed in 2017. The 60m (200ft) high mountain of debris buryed miners as they slept. Jade pickers scratch a living scavenging for scraps of jade in the heaps of debris left behind by mining companies.

Van Cleef & Arpels - Treasure of Rubies

Rubies are naturally forged crystalline structures of aluminium oxide, a transparent mineral, that is coloured by trace elements. Named after the Latin term for red (ruber), the ruby owes its distinctive colouring – ranging from light pink to deep red – to chromium. Rarer than white diamonds, ruby has been revered throughout history. The Sanskrit word for ruby is ratnaraj, which roughly translates as ‘king of precious gemstones’

Van Cleef & Arpels’ affiliation with rubies continues with 'Treasure of Rubies' at a historic mansion on the western bank of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river. The high-jewellery offering is Van Cleef & Arpels’ second collection dedicated to Ruby.

'Treasure of Rubies' comprises 60 one-of-a-kind creations using a total of 3,000 carats of the finest, certified, and untreated rubies.

Lapidary Works of Art, Gemstones And Minerals at Bonhams

Emerald in Matrix Specimen Kagem Mine, Zambia. 21.5 kilos. $43k

Bonhams Lapidary Works of Art, Gemstones And Minerals was 21 May 2019.Exceptional Ruby of 8.97 carats. Untreated. $100k

A large single kunzite crystal, this precious specimen appears virtually gem-grade and facet quality throughout. Weighing 5209 carats. $8,800

10.53 pound single Rubellite Tourmaline crystal is an aggregate of parallel crystals, most of which are individually terminated. $94k

Red Spessartite Garnet from Nigeria. 37 carats. $3,800

Very large 9.27 carat Demantoid Garnet. It originates from the Ural deposits of Russia. $40k.

Blue Sapphire. 16.17 carats. No heat. $ 40k

High quality Spinel, 31.34 carats. $275k.

Bluish-green cushion cut tourmaline of 27.93 carats. $31k

116 carat tsavorite

283.74 ct rough tsavorite yielded a 116.76 ct square cushion cut.

Bridges Tsavorite unveiled the largest known square cushion-cut tsavorite, weighing 116.76 carats. The 283.74 carat rough stone was mined by the company in Merelani, Tanzania, in September 2017.

Chopard Red Carpet Collection

Chopard latest Haute Joaillerie collection is a line-up of 71 creations. The Red Carpet collection stems from the creativity of Caroline Scheufele. Chopard makes a point of honour of using only with the most exceptional precious stones.

5-20 “I Love You” Day in China

In Chinese culture, many believe the apple symbolizes a wish for peace.

May the 20th may seem like a normal day for you, but for those in China, today is a day of love. When you pronounce the numbers 5,2,0 in Chinese, 五二零 wǔ èr líng, they sound very close to the words 我爱你 wǒ ài nǐ. Close is good enough for the Chinese. 520 originated as slang to say I love you. It is an auspicious day to purchase high jewels.