Welcome to the Members' Area for the 12/9/22 edition of the Gem Scoop Newsletter!
News and Announcements
Vault Collection Sign-up is OPEN!
Several years ago, a special newsletter was established for those who had interest in particularly high-end gems. Dubbed The Vault Collection, it has provided those on the list with the opportunity to buy some truly world-class gemstones. Due to the nature of the purchasing opportunities that fall into this category, The Vault Collection was never intended to be distributed broadly. Thus there is no "automatic" means of signing up, and only those who are already Gem Scoop members are eligible. Around once per year, we open up the list to new members. It is that time again! If you would like to be added to the Vault Collection list, please send us an email. For more information, read on below:
The Vault Collection is a newsletter for those who have an interest in commissioning high-end gems, generally valued in excess of $5,000. Jeff has cultivated relationships with dealers around the world and, as a result, will often have an opportunity to purchase such special stones within days of them leaving the mine and hitting the local markets. Due to world-wide demand for such exceptional gems, time to purchase is often very limited. As a result, those who wish to take advantage of these special opportunities must be willing to make purchase decisions quickly.
Curious about the types of gems that you might see? Here are a couple of world-class offerings that have been scooped up by Vault Collection subscribers in the last few months:
World-class Imperial Topaz
Massive, Top-Quality Congo Tourmaline
This Edition's New Cut Gems
For more information about and photos of any particular gem, just click on its image below. These discounts are valid through 12/23/2022, after which any unsold gems will be moved to the main site at regular price.
Please remember these important points about placing an order: Please reply to the GemScoop email address with your selection(s) or any questions you may have, and please be sure to provide a phone number at which you may be reached in the event of email disruption. Alternatively, you may email us directly from the gem detail page by clicking on the "Contact us about this gem" button.
TIPS:
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Are there several gems that interest you, but you only intend to purchase one? If so, please indicate your order preference. If your first preference has already sold, we would be happy to reserve your second preference, etc.
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Please remember that even if a gem is marked as "sold" or "sale pending," feel free to contact us to express interest in purchasing, as sometimes the initial purchase does not go through for various reasons.
Fine Rough for Custom Cutting
More top-notch new rough is on offer for commissioning this time around! If you'd like to give the gift of a commissioned gem to someone you love this Christmas, I won't have time to get the cutting complete before the big day. BUT, I would be happy to send a signed letter and a photo of the rough so that you can give to let that special someone know what will be coming their way!
If you'd like to discuss having us cut anything that you read about below, just send a quick email via the "Contact" link above, reply to the email you received, or contact us through the app.
Mahenge Garnet
A few years ago, the discovery of a new deposit of brightly colored Malaya garnets in Mahenge, Tanzania, took the gem world by storm. Since that time, it has been increasingly-difficult to source top quality material. However, I'm excited to have been able to acquire another parcel of "early production" rough. The earliest material to come from Mahenge had an amazing array of colors associated with it and was particularly well-known for the peachy-pinks and peach colors. Since that initial surge of material, it has become extremely hard to find rough in this color range, so I'm excited to be able to offer this up to our subscribers! This photo is a small sample of available material.
Material is available to cut stones in the range of 1.5 to 3 ct. and is priced around $300-$500 / ct., depending on size and color. Availability becoming limited. Please email as soon as possible to reserve.
Blue Sapphire
Believe it or not, this gorgeous blue "lump" is actually a piece of fine heated sapphire rough. Unlike most pieces of rough that we offer for commissioning, this piece was already ground smooth to remove all major inclusions and was lightly polished to make viewing of the interior easier. It is ideal for an oval shape and will produce a stunning, eye-clean or better finished gem of 3.1 to 4.7 ct.!
The color is a light but bright blue and is ideal for anyone wanting a gorgeous blue sapphire for a statement piece. The price for this special sapphire is $6,950. Sale Pending. Email us to be notified if gem becomes available
Copper-Bearing Tourmaline
High quality copper-bearing tourmaline rough (also referred to as "cuprian" or "Paraiba-type" tourmaline) is almost impossible to find in recent years. I am excited to have had the opportunity to acquire another piece of this material for our customers. This gorgeous pink piece shifts from an intense purplish magenta in natural light to a more true pink in indoor lighting. It has been confirmed to be copper-bearing by gemological analysis.
This piece will cut a finished gem of 3.2 to 4.8 ct. The price for this special tourmaline is $3,950. Sale Pending. Email us to be notified if gem becomes available
Rubellite Tourmaline
In the late 1990s, an amazing deposit of ruby-red and intense pink rubellite tourmaline was discovered in Nigeria. It produced heavily and was mostly exhausted within a few years. I consider material from this specific find to be the "best of the best" in rubellite, and in my opinion, there has been nothing comparable since.
Occasionally, a few pieces of "old stock" rough will pop up, and I never miss an opportunity to grab them when I can! These newly-acquired pieces will cut amazing gems. As with almost all of this material, there are some inclusions here and there, but that color more than makes up for it.
These pieces will cut relatively small gems, in the range of 1 to 2 ct. Price per ct. for finished gems will be in the range of $275 to $375 per ct. Availability becoming limited. Please email as soon as possible to reserve.
Blue zircon
I've offered blue zircon on the Gem Scoop before, but never from this source - Malawi! Material recently discovered in Malawi produces blues that are every bit as intense as those from Cambodia and in some cases even better. This photo represents a small sample of the available pieces in this lot.
This material will produce finished gems in the range of 1.5 to 3.0 ct. Pricing will be in the range of $150 to $350 per finished ct., depending on size, color, and overall quality. Availability becoming limited. Please email as soon as possible to reserve.