Gemstone Knowledge
SOOKJAI KNOWLEDGE
Gemstone Knowledge
A considered guide to gemstones — from colour and cut to origin, treatment and the stories behind each stone.
Origin · Other Gemstones
Santa Maria Aquamarine: The Story Behind One of Aquamarine’s Most Famous Names
Santa Maria began as a Brazilian locality and became one of aquamarine’s most recognizable names, leaving a legacy that now reaches far beyond the place where the story began.
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Origin · Tourmaline
Does Origin Matter in Tourmaline?
Tourmaline comes from many celebrated sources, but origin does not automatically determine beauty or quality. For most stones it adds context; in special markets such as Paraíba, provenance can also influence value.
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Emerald · Origin
Does Origin Really Matter When Choosing an Emerald?
Emerald origin can influence history, provenance and market value, but a famous country name is not a quality grade. Here is where origin matters—and where the individual emerald should come first.
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Emerald · Origin
Nigerian Emerald: The New Chapter in Emerald Origins
Nigeria is not a newly discovered emerald country. Its documented blue-green emerald, unusual geology and a recent green beryl discovery reveal a lesser-known origin whose story is entering a new chapter.
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Emerald · Origin
Brazilian Emerald: What Should You Know?
Brazilian emerald comes from a diverse network of mining regions rather than one defining source. From Bahia and Goiás to Belmont and Nova Era, its modern history reveals an origin whose reputation has changed dramatically over the past several decades.
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Emerald · Origin
Zambian Emerald History
Zambia’s emerald story is a modern transformation: from an overlooked beryl occurrence in 1928 to one of the world’s most important emerald regions, shaped by geology, industrial mining and global trade.
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Emerald · Origin
Colombian Emerald: What Makes It So Famous?
Colombian emerald is one of the most famous origin names in the gemstone world. Its reputation grew from unusual geology, exceptional stones, centuries of trade, historic mining districts and a legacy that shaped how generations imagined fine emerald.
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Origin · Spinel
Vietnamese Spinel: Colour, Character and Origin
Vietnamese spinel is famous for the vivid cobalt-bearing blues of Luc Yen, but the origin also produces pink, red, purple and many different expressions of blue. Explore the landscape, colour range and character behind one of spinel’s most distinctive modern sources.
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Origin · Spinel
Burmese Spinel: Colour, History and Origin
Burmese spinel is known for vivid red and hot pink, but Myanmar’s spinel story is far broader than one colour or the modern Jedi name. Explore Mogok, Namya, the history behind red spinel, and why origin should not be confused with a colour grade.
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Origin · Spinel
Mahenge Spinel: Colour, Character and Origin
Mahenge is famous for vivid pink-to-red spinel with an electric, lively character, but the Tanzanian origin produces more than one colour. Explore the discovery that built its reputation, the market meaning of “Mahenge colour,” and why origin should not be confused with a quality grade.
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Sapphire · Colour
Madagascar Sapphire: Colour, Character and Origin
Madagascar sapphire spans far more than one familiar look. Explore the blue-green character traders sometimes associate with the origin, its wide range of sapphire colours, the brighter character seen in some Madagascar rubies, and why appearance alone cannot establish where a stone came from.
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Origin · Sapphire
Siam Ruby: The Story Behind Thailand’s Historic Ruby Name
Siam Ruby is a historic name connected with the ruby fields of eastern Thailand. Explore its purplish-red association, the Chanthaburi-Trat deposits, the decline of large-scale mining and how local ruby helped shape Thailand into a major coloured-stone centre.
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