The Journey of the Gem

Diamonds

From dazzling salt and pepper hues to vibrant, fancy colours - diamonds are sure to leave you in awe. Let us take you on a journey of discovery as we uncover the captivating beauty of these precious gems!

Why do we love diamonds

For thousands of years, diamonds have been one of the most sought after gems due to their incredible rarity and unparalleled hardness. It wasn't until the 14th century when German and Indian gem-cutting pioneers discovered how to unlock an array of dazzling colors within these stones that we began seeing them sparkle like no other gem! Nowadays we are able to enjoy an astounding variety of diamond patterns that look like tiny universes radiating fire, scintillation, and brilliance - alluring qualities which transcend time immemorial! What's more, diamonds stand up incredibly well against wear from everyday use; if you're looking for something special to last through generations then there really is nothing quite as timelessly beautiful as a diamond.

Diamonds are more than just the typical sparkling clear crystal! From speckled to bold, vibrant hues, these precious stones can take on a wide array of shapes and colors. Perfect for any individual style or occasion, diamonds offer something truly unique just waiting to be discovered.

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Australian sapphire crystals found close to their place of creation often possess their native crystal shape, known as a dogtooth. However if the crystals have spent significant time in rivers or creeks they may have a more smooth, rounded appearance. Both are very interesting to view especially with magnification. 

Once mined most are then passed to a gem cutter who's job it is to bring the gemstone to life. Gem cutters are artists, craftspeople with a very accurate eye for detail. Before cutting some sapphires may be picked out for heat treating. These are normally gems that have a lot of rutile inside them. Rutile is another crystal that can grown inside the sapphire crystal and can cause the sapphire to look overly dark and unappealing. Heat treating can dissolve the rutile in much the same way as nature did back when the gems were created in lava flows. If heat treating is to occur its normally the gem cutters keen eye that makes the decision and carries out the procedure. Heat treatment of Australian sapphires is rare as most dont require it. In some parts of the world like Sri Lanka and Montana in the USA its a routine procedure carried out to about 95% of all sapphires mined. When cutting the gemstones simple but very precise tools are used that have not changed significantly inhundreds of years. They use a spinning disk covered in different grades of diamond dust and an arm that holds the gemstone on specific angles set by the gem cutter. There are many standard patterns that are used, the patten chosen will generally be determined by the shape of the rough gemstone. 

Art meets Science

Once cut the Sapphire is ready to be reintroduced to the world. Most traditional faceting patterns have been designed to focus photons of light. Photons that have been created in the center of a star, our Sun take about 100,000 years to reach the Suns surface then only 8 minutes to travel to the table or top of the gemstone, through the crystal, bounce off the pavilion facets and back up through the crystal, out the crown to the viewers eye. 

View Our Sapphire Collection