We have been keeping a proverbial “ear to the ground” to bring you a list of the top ten gem trends to keep an eye out for while walking the 2017 Tucson gem shows.
1. Bumble
Bee Jasper - This should be on every top ten list. Aside from it’s
amazing sunshine yellow color this one is in limited supply making it all the
more in demand. Originally found in sulphur deposits in volcanic calderas in
West Java, this gem takes a brave miner and one that doesn’t react to stinky
smells (you know that rotten egg smell) as it is a sulphur-bearing mineral.
This one is the darling of everyone from artisan jewelers to the fine jewelry
set — Colette Fine Jewelry offered the pictured earrings in the AGTA Spectrum
Awards.
2. Fossil
Coral - The delicate floral pattern on these cabs have
captured the hearts and imaginations of the entire industry, making it our
number two pick. Imagine a summer or cruise collection with these little
flowers or an eveningwear collection in the black and white in blackened metals.
These gemstones are formed from ancient corals and should not be mistaken for
protected and endangered coral from the modern oceans of today.
3. Gemmy
Cabs
- There is nothing in today’s world of fine jewelry that speaks luxury more
than a rich, juicy cab of gem material ... think of the truly dramatic,
colored, upper-crust gems — pink tourmaline, Paraiba tourmaline, emerald, rhodalite
garnet, or aquamarine. They can all be found at the Tucson shows, from the
top-notch designers from Goshwara to this year’s AGTA Spectrum Awards™ “Best of
Show” winner from Leon Mege, Inc. — a platinum ring featuring a 4.71 ct.
Paraiba tourmaline cabochon accented with French-cut diamonds — to this
glorious spring stunner from Spark Creations at the 2014 LUXURY show in Las
Vegas.
4. Opal
–
Glowing all the colors of the rainbow, opal in any form has been hot for
several seasons and it is showing no signs of slowing down. From the ribbons of
opal in the Boulder opal to the famous Yowah and Koroit Nut varieties to the industry
favorite Ethiopian opal, there has been an opal piece in the winning categories
of almost every award competition in the last few years and on most red carpets.
5. Pearls
-
Pearls are hot-hot-hot! But I’m not talking your mother’s pearls. What you want
to look for are pearls that are anything but round — faceted, carved freshwater,
Tahitian, South Seas. Designers are setting gems right into the pearl, and
carved pearls are the hottest looks in the menswear arena ... like the simple, clean
Tahitian pearl pendants of Atelier Leseine’s new Moana Mana line.
6. Slices
of Massive Gems - The “massive” form of a gem material is
material that is not a crystal, a piece of a mineral with no particular shape
that is filled with inclusions or even part of the matrix. You have seen it
used prevalently in designer fine jewelry in Yael Designs’ rose-cut emeralds
from their Serendipity collection or the satin-soft glow of Sophia By Design’s
sapphire and ruby line.
7. Doublets - A
doublet is created by attaching two layers of material together. Opal for
instance is often found in thin translucent layers which, although beautiful,
are too fragile to be used in jewelry. By glueing a layer like this to a more
durable mineral such a onyx, the gem is not only made stronger, but colors in
the translucent opal are enhanced by the dark backing. Similarly, thin layers
of opaque gemstones can be attached to a clear top layer to create an
interesting new look. You have seen these in collections from major brands like
Tacori and Red Carpet Jewelers, most often clear or rutilated quartz over turquoise
or black onyx. These create a whole new dimension and a great way to use the
popular included quartz.
8. Phenomena
Gems - These are gems that display an odd phenomenon or
asterism — as in the case with star sapphire or gold sheen obsidian. Look for
gems with a cat’s eye effect or even a color change, as in the stunning new
Orissa Alexandrite or the color shift of Ammolite.
9. Turquoise
-
A perennial favorite, turquoise is the summer go-to gem! With so many of
the traditional turquoise mines closing, it is becoming rarer and harder to
come by these beauties, but they are available if you look hard enough.
10. Psilomelane
-
Erroneously, and uncommonly known as black hematite, Psilomelane is a group
name for black manganese oxide that you will be seeing more of as the season
moves forward. Truly a black-tie gem, this cabochon with the hard-to-pronounce
name (sahy-lóm-uh-leyn) displays a tonal brocade tapestry in shimmering black
on frosted charcoal.
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1. Bumble Bee Jasper:
2. Fossil Coral:
3. Gemmy Cabs:
4. Opal:
5. Pearls:
6. Slices:
7. Doublets:
8. Phenomenal Gems:
9. Turquoise:
10. Psilomelane:
3.