June 1, 2001  Fine quality Tanzanite continues to be in short supply.  

June 1, 2001 Ekati diamond mine in British Columbia reported diamond production of 2,629,000 carats fo the 12 months ending January 31, 2001.

May, 2001  New ruby strike reported in the eastern province of Toamasina, Madagascar.   The rubies are of mostly dark material.

March 3, 2001  Gold Institute in Washington, D.C. report forecast an annual  production increase of 1%.  Gold production in Mexico, Mali, Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Peru is up dramatically. Production in the U.S. is expected to fall by 9%. 

February 1, 2001 Majestic Resources, an Australian based corporation, reports it has recovered an 83 carat diamond from the Riet river in Angola.  The diamond is a perfect octahedral shape and is valued between $500,00 and $850,000.

January 16, 2001 A rare vivid blue, marquis cut diamond  diamond ring recently sold for 2.6 million.  In the same auction a 9.35 carat, fancy vivid yellow round brilliant cut diamond sof for $970,000/ 

October 1, 2000 Argyle Diamonds announced it recently tendered its selection of pink diamonds.  The tender consists of 47 diamonds, all weighing a little more than 56 carats.  The majority of the stones are a deep, intense pink.  Some are a vivid purplish pink.

March 2000  Novatek, a company in Utah announces it has perfected a technique to turn brown diamonds into yellow-green, green-yellow diamonds.  The process uses high temperature and high pressure to realign the lattice structure eliminating brown color graining in the crystal. 

March 16, 2000  A vivid pink emerald cut diamond was recently cut by Mouw Precious Jewels of Beverly Hills, California.  The diamond weighs 18.33 carats and is believed to be one of the largest pink diamonds in the world.

March 16, 2000  General Electric recently announced it planned in conjunction, with Pegasus Overseas Limited to market yellowish green diamonds that had been processed under high temperature and high pressure conditions.  The starting material is typically diamonds with a mostly brown or brown - yellow body color. 

March 1, 2000   Gemstone Evaluation Laboratories are finding an increased number of sapphires and rubies that have been treated with oil in the attempt to mask the location and size of internal inclusions.  The problem with this procedure is the oil can dry up leaving a less attractive gemstone.

February 16, 2000  A Geologist from Expatriate Resources claims to have found an emerald source in the Yukon.  The original discover dates to September 1998.  Exploration conducted in July 1999 showed numerous emerald bearing host rocks in an 800 by 400 meter area.  The firm plans to return in July 2000 to explore further.

February 2000  Novatek, a manufaturer of industrial diamonds announced it has discovered a process that can transform brownish diamonds into fancy yellows and greens.  The diamond crystal is placed in powdered graphite and magnesium oxide inside a pyrophyllite and soapstone capsule. The capsule is heated and then placed in a diamond press.  The diamond crystal will change color depending on temperature, pressure and length of treatment.  

October 1999  Emeralds discovered in North Carolina.  James Hill claims he has mined more than 3,000 carats of emeralds in an open pit mine on his family's property in  Hiddenite, North Carolina.  The two largest specimens are 70 carats and 180 carats.  It is estimated the 70 carat specimen will yield two cut faceted gemstones weighing over 10 carats each. 

October 16, 1999  During a dig under the London's Royal Opera House, archaeologists discovered a jewelry workshop.    The  archaeologists found remnants of tools, crucibles, a mold for a round brooch as well as silver, gold, lead, iron, and glass dating to about 800 A.D.    The shop was part of an ancient shopping center in what would have been Lundenwic, an Anglo-Saxon town that flourished between 720 and 866 A.D. 

October 1, 1999 recent study, authored by the Gemological Institute of America and  released in Gems & Gemology studied 39 types of fillers used on emeralds.  The study concluded it was difficult and sometimes impossible  to identify the type of filler used on the emerald. Often emeralds are treated with one or more fillers.  It is estimated up to 90% of the emeralds sold in the market have undergone some form of enhancement. 

June 1999  A 14 year old boy discovered a new source of emeralds   while walking through the jungle.  The boy was attracted by colored stones his saw lying on the ground.  The deposit is near Paraiso du Norte, Brazil.  The gemstones exhibit a deep blue-green color.  The gemstones are somewhat reminiscent of emeralds mined in Zambia.  Surface mining produces gemstones that average one carat.  

June 1999  The Gemstone Mining, Inc., of Cedar City Utah is looking for a new trade name for its red beryl.  The firm owns mining rites to the Ruby Violet claim in the Wah-Wah mountain range in Utah.  This is the only known source of this mineral in the United States.  The firm plans to increase production, more material should be available in the fall.  The variety of beryl was discovered in 1897 by Maynard Bixby.  Bixby named the variety Bixbite.  Gemstone Mining Inc., would prefer to market the gemstones as "red emerald".

April 1, 1999  Madagascar continues to excite the gemstone world.   Gemstone deposits include; corundum, Chrysoberyl, garnets, tourmalines, zircon, quartz and diamond.  It is speculated to be one of the richest gemstone sources in the world.

Tanzanite supplies are scarce.   Even though mining has resumed fine quality and smaller calibrated sizes Tanzanite remains in short supply.  Prices for this material continues to rise.

March 1999  A group of astronomers lead by Steve Kawaler claim to have located a nearby star they believe is largely composed on pure crystallized carbon (diamond).  Kawaler stated, " It's a little more massive than our sun, which makes is about a million times more massive than than the Earth, so it's quite a hunk."  The density on the star is such that a teaspoon of the material would weigh several tons.  The star, BPM37093,  has a pronounced  bluish green color. 

February 2, 1999  Parai'ba Tourmaline - First discovered in 1989. Tourmalines from this mine have recently increased in value 20 - 30% as a result of dwindling supply. The intense color of these tourmalines is unlike that found anywhere else in the world.  Sources found nearby lack the intensity of color found at the original site.

January 28, 1999  Discovery of the world's first blue garnet was reported in Madagascar.  The color changing garnet exhibits both an "Indigo Blue" and a "Rhodolite "Red". 

November 16, 1998  The recently opened Ekaati mine in Canada's Northwest Territories is expected to produce 3 million to 4.5 million carats annually for the next twenty five years.  At full productions this amounts to 5 % of the world's annual production. Initial production will be sold through the firms offices in Antwerp.

November 16, 1998 The Argyle mine's Pink Diamond Tender included 63 pink diamonds.  It is estimated that these diamonds will bring prices twenty times that of a comparable colorless diamonds.

It is our belief, the best way to serve the public is to educate the consumer.  

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Laney's Diamonds & Jewelry   757 229-7333  Fax: 757 220-2370   Last Edited on June 06, 2001