2011 Impressive Gemstones AGTA Cutting Edge Awards

1st Place -Pairs & Suites
Clay Zava
Zava Mastercuts
Suite of pastel Cuprian Tourmalines (127.40 ctw.).
This suite is really one of a kind in terms of cut & colors of tourmaline. It takes an effort to find fine enough Mozambique Cuprian tourmalines roughs with good colors & fine clarity.


Honorable Mention
Pairs & Suites
Darrell Jang
Aspen-shaped leaves cut from a 15.09 ct. Peridot and a 11.15 ct. Heliodor.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE TH MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 The beryl & peridot with this cutting is very inspiring. I’m tempted to use his service for cutting my gemstones. The cutting design is very impressive. It makes ordinary gemstones look extraordinary & yet beautiful.

Impressive Spinels at The Smithsonian

Spinels are commonly found in occurrence with corundum (ruby and sapphire) and have historically been confused with each other due to their many similarities. The major sources of spinel gemstones are Burma, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Other significant occurrences are Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Viet Nam, and Russia

Tiffany & Co. Foundation donated the beautiful Sri Lanka & Tajikistan spinels to The Smithsonian Institution mineral and gem collection. The gems are exceptional in colors & quality which I believe they command high price in the gem market.

Little we know about spinels from Tajikistan due to Tajikistan spinel was found in a remoted area located in conflicted geographical situation of the Then-Soviet Union. These spinels are impressive in term of size, colors & their rarity.

The 14.02-carat violet-blue Sri Lanka spinel
The 16.79-carat orangey-pink Tajikistan spinel
Photography by Chip Clark. Gift of Tiffany & Co. Foundation, 2009.

Whitney Alexandrite

Photography by Chip Clark. Gift of Coralyn Wright Whitney, 2009.

Alexandrite is a gem variety of the mineral chrysoberyl, and is one of the most prized and exotic gemstones. The sensational feature about this stone is its dramatic color change from green or bluish-green in daylight to purplish-red under incandescent light. The original locality for alexandrite is Russia, however, now most alexandrite comes from Brazil, Sri Lanka, India, Tanzania, and Madagascar. Alexandrite in sizes over 5 carats are extremely rare.

The Whitney Alexandrite is one of the finest known alexandrites from the Hematita Mine in Minas Gerais, Brazil. This spectacular gem weighs 17.08 carats, and appears a raspberry color under incandescent light and a teal color in daylight. The Whitney Alexandrite is a gift from Coralyn Wright Whitney to the Smithsonian's fine gem collection in 2009. It is on view in the National Gem Gallery.

Visit The Smithsonian Institution mineral and gem collection to see the real gem.