Gem Quiz - INSTOREMAG.COM

Here’s the Answer to November’s Gem Quiz

INSTORE Staff — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 00:45:47 +0000

OUR NOVEMBER CLUE noted uvarovite’s typically small crystals mean it often presents with a drusy moss-like look. Our winner, Karen Bandy of Karen Bandy Studio in Bend, OR, knows that look all too well – she’s used uvarovite in her earring designs many times. (Here is one of her creations combining uvarovite with chrysoprase).

It’s a lovely piece and it’s always nice to see our mystery stone of the month in action.

Well done, Karen, and all our Honorable Mentions, who also submitted the correct answer.

Honorary Mentions

Stuart Adelman
Artelle Designs Fine Jewelry & Custom Design
Plymouth, MN

Derrick Allen
SJ Jewelers
Rochester, MN

Matthew Baker
Sanders Diamond Jewelers
Pasadena, MD

Kelly Bennett
Bronzeville Estate Jewelry
Oceanside, CA

Caroline Berrettini
New England Gem Lab
West Hartford, CT

Denis Boulle
de Boulle Diamond & Jewelry
Dallas, TX

Mike Burnette
Gem Shopping Network
Duluth, GA

John Campbell
Canton Road Jewelry
Marietta, GA

Marco Capeder
Zinniker
Bülach, Switzerland

Sarah C. Chacon
Fred Meyer Jewelers
Salem, OR

Lisa-Marie Delgado
Gary J Long Jewelers
Stockton, CA

Junesse Farley
McNulty Jewelers in Black Forest
Black Forest, CO

Debra Gimeno
GIAMANTE Jewelers
Anchorage, AK

Steve Glazer
Bob Richards Jewelers
Germantown, TN

Jonathan Hart
Karen’s Jewelers
Oak Ridge, TN

Robin Hepburn
Orion Jewelry Studio
Pennington, NJ

Rachel Ingle
Vierk’s Fine Jewelry
Lafayette, IN

MaryAnne LaRussa
Futer Bros Jewelers
York, PA

Sherrie Ludwig
Copper Horse
Sharon, WI

Antoinette Matlins
Antoinette Matlins
Woodstock, VT

Babs McLaughlin
Barbara Smith McLaughlin Fine Jewelry
Stratham, NH

Robert Mitchell
Nord Jewelers
Kalamazoo, MI

Lori Moyer
L. Moyer Designs
State College, PA

Lindsay Panetta
Zen Diamond
Paramus, NJ

Leslie Phillips
Sather’s Leading Jewelers, Inc
Fort Collins, CO

Andrea Riso
Talisman Collection Fine Jewelers
El Dorado Hills, CA

Kellan Robinson
Kesslers Diamonds-Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI

Pam Rosas
Impress Jewelry Creations
Granger, IN

Jennifer Sabrio
Pattons Fine Jewelry
Baton Rouge, LA

David Schulte
Caffray Jewellers
Lemont, IL

Kate Shay
Scott & Co Fine Jewelers
New Oxford, PA

Dharti Sheth
Lika Behar Collection
Carlstadt, NJ

Madelynn Slobe
Swierenga Jewelers
Caledonia, MI

Kimberly Smith
J.H. Revell Jeweler’s
Bettendorf, IA

Ingo Stadtmueller
Wieting
Delmenhorst, Germany

Jennifer Sullivan
Goodman’s Jewelers
Madison, WI

Joshua Summers
Orin Jewelers
Northville, MI

Katrina Sustachek
Rasmussen Diamonds
Racine, WI

Stuart Tamres
Talles Diamonds and Gold
Reisterstown, MD

George Ward
Bonsall, CA

Kimberly Wilson
Bella Couture Carmel
Carmel, IN

Brian M Wilson
Royal Diadem Jewelers
Greensboro, NC

Robert Young
Robert Young Jeweler Extraordinaire
Belleair Bluffs, FL

The post Here’s the Answer to November’s Gem Quiz appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.

A Rare But Shy Beauty, I Prefer the Shadows to the Bright Lights

INSTORE Staff — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 01:18:28 +0000

I AM A SENSITIVE soul, too soft to be worn for jewelry and highly averse to light. If I were a French writer, I would have spent my life lying in bed, thinking existential thoughts. But as a much-sought-after collector’s gemstone, I am more likely to be found in a felt-lined tray at Tucson or the mineral section of a museum. Pull back the wraps and my ruby-colored beauty and metallic luster will be revealed. But cover me up quickly or my silver-driven dark side soon begins to take over.

Fill out my Wufoo form!

The post A Rare But Shy Beauty, I Prefer the Shadows to the Bright Lights appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.

I’m Green, I’m Rare, I… Have a Small Footprint…

INSTORE Staff — Mon, 20 Nov 2023 00:13:18 +0000

I AM THE ONLY true chromium garnet, with all the gorgeous green trappings which that entails. Yet, I am far less likely to be used in jewelry than my better-known green cousins like tsavorite and demantoid. The reason? It’s a size issue; my crystals are too small to be faceted into gemstones. The result is a drusy moss-like look that can bring life to a pendant but not much more. I was named after one of the founding fathers of Russian mineralogy following my discovery in the Urals in 1830.

Who am I?

Fill out my Wufoo form!

The post I’m Green, I’m Rare, I… Have a Small Footprint… appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.

Here’s the Answer to October’s Gem Quiz

INSTORE Staff — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 00:04:34 +0000

AND THE WINNER IS…

You have an edge in the Gem Quiz when the stone in question is found in your backyard. That was the case for our October winner, Emily Core of Perry’s Diamonds & Estate Jewelry in Charlotte, NC, who correctly identified Hiddenite, noting that she “went to the mine on a 5th grade field trip!” Well done, Emily, and all our Honorable Mentions who also answered correctly – and who disproportionately seemed to come from the Tar Heel State.

Honorary Mentions

Stuart Adelman
Artelle Designs Fine Jewelry & Custom Design
Plymouth, MN

Debra Austermuehle
Main Street Jewelry, Clayton
Clayton, NC

Matthew Baker
Sanders Diamond Jewelers
Pasadena, MD

Christine Barthmus
Chemistry Jewelry
Hood River, OR

Dawn Berner
Dawns Jewels
Brooklyn Park, MN

Caroline Berrettini
New England Gem Lab
West Hartford, CT

David Blitt
Troy Shoppe Jewellers
Calgary, AB

Denis Boulle
DeBoulle
Dallas, TX

John Bradshaw
John J. Bradshaw
Nashua, NH

Mimi Brummitt
Brummitt Studio
Raleigh, NC

Mike Burnette
Gem Shopping Network
Duluth, GA

LaToya Burt
Bradley’s Jewelers
Jacksonville, NC

Melbry Collins
Star Gems, Inc
Norcross, GA

Megan Cooper
Blue Heron Jewelry Company
Poulsbo, WA

Jonathan Cote
Cote Timeworks
Southern Pines, NC

Jim Cunningham
Sonseeahray’s Boutique
Conneaut Lake, PA

Sally Davis
Vierk’s Fine Jewelry
Lafayette, IN

Lisa-Marie Delgado
Gary J Long Jewelers
Stockton, CA

Maryfrances Dunker
MDJDesigns
Okemos, MI

Junesse Farley
McNulty Jewelers in Black Forest
Black Forest, CO

Dena Forte
Qurate
St Petersburgh, FL

Sandra Gentilcore
Gentilcore Jewelers
Pittsburgh, PA

Steve Glazer
Bob Richards Jewelers
Germantown, TN

Jonathan Hart
Karen’s Jewelers
Oak Ridge, TN

Marcy Higashi
Louis Anthony Jewelers
Pittsburgh, PA

Amy Hofmeister
The Kingswood Company
Columbus, OH

Rachel Ingle
Vierk’s Fine Jewelry
Lafayette, IN

Atin Jain
Hari Jewels
New York, NY

Michael Jakubowski
Gem Fanatic
Port Charlotte, FL

Brenda Johannes Boyd
Johannes Hunter Jewelers
Colorado Springs, CO

Mary Johnson
Mary Johnson Consulting
San Diego, CA

Scott Johnson
SJ Jewelers
Rochester, MN

Kathy Jones
Diadem Jewelers
Greensboro, NC

Jason Kangars
Estate Jewelers
Toledo, OH

Bailey Keister
Windham Jewelers
Windham, ME

Autumn Knight
Arizona Watch & Jewelry Service
Tucson, AZ

Angie Krowicki
Yarnal Jewelers
Castro Valley, CA

Cindy Lanoux
Pattons Fine Jewelry
Baton Rouge, LA

MaryAnne LaRussa
Futer Bros Jewelers
York, PA

Jennifer Long
Reusch Jewelers
Cheboygan, MI

Aidan Long
William Jeffreys Fine Diamonds and Jewelry
Mechanicsville, VA

Erik McGaughey
Costco Trading
Issaquah, WA

Jill McIntosh
Jack Seibert Jewelers
Columbus, OH

Stephanie McLeish
Michael Agnello Jewelers
St Clair Shores, MI

Tiffany Maes
Rings True
Carrboro, NC

Nina Mahl
Be On Park Fine Jewelry
Winter Park, FL

Marina Marcial
Emeralds International
Key West, FL

John Mattinson
John Mattinson Jewellery
Coquitlam, BC

Lynne Millard
Henley Jewelers
Eldon, MO

Robert Mitchell
Nord Jewelers
Kalamazoo, MI

Terri Mort
Gaithersburg Coin
Gaithersburg, MD

Mandy Mott
Becker’s Jewelers
Old Saybrook, CT

Lindsay Panetta
Zen Diamond Store
Paramus, NJ

Mark Redmon
Merkley Kendrick Jewelers
Louisville, KY

Robin Reed
Athens Jewelers
Mishawaka, IN

Elisa Reyes
Elisa Reyes
Ocala, FL

Silvia Rutherford
Westgem Gallery
Wheatland, WY

Irene Schrowang
Schneiders Jewelers
Kingston, NY

Julia Scott
Johannes Hunter Jewelers
Colorado Springs, CO

Cynthia Sexton
Capricorn Moon Jewelry Designs
Pleasantville, NJ

Kate Shay
Scott & Co Fine Jewelers
New Oxford, PA

Kimberly Smith
J.H. Revell Jewelry and Goldsmiths
Bettendorf, IA

Cathy Sturek
James and Sons Jewelers
Orland Park, IL

Jennifer Sullivan
Goodman’s Jewelers
Madison, WI

Joshua Summers
Orin Jewelers
Northville, MI

Stacy Summers
Dallas, TX

Jeff Teel
Stuart Benjamin & Co.
San Diego, CA

Shannon Waits
Clater Jewelers
Louisville, KY

Gina Wallach
Wallach Jewelry Designs
Larchmont, NY

Emily Westrick
Athens Jewelers
Mishawaka, IN

Thomas Wiggins
Werkheiser Jewelers
Bethlehem, PA

Brian M Wilson
Royal Diadem Jewelers
Greensboro, NC

Russ Zabler Zabler Design
Clarendon Hills, IL

The post Here’s the Answer to October’s Gem Quiz appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.

So Pretty They Named a Town After Me in North Carolina

INSTORE Staff — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 02:23:29 +0000

GREENLANDITE, LABRODORITE, ANDULUSITE … many gemstones are named for their origins, but I am one of the few to have given my name to a town: a spot in North Carolina that is the only place in America open to the public for emerald mining. My discovery in 1879 kicked off a minor mining frenzy, but since then I have lived mostly in obscurity. Which is strange, because my finest greenery rivals emerald, and I’m the only precious gemstone that can’t be synthesized.

Fill out my Wufoo form!

The post So Pretty They Named a Town After Me in North Carolina appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.

Here’s the Answer to September’s Gem Quiz

INSTORE Staff — Thu, 05 Oct 2023 03:38:54 +0000

AND THE WINNER IS…

Congratulations to Laura Pool, owner of Laura’s Jewelry Designs in St. Robert, Missouri, who correctly identified September’s mystery gem – Chrysocolla, which many jewelers also know as a soldering agent. Indeed, our quiz triggered happy memories for Lisa Charny of Barons Jewelers in Dublin, CA: “I actually knew this. My dad employed a very old school jeweler a loooong time ago who would use this for soldering. I was a kid at the time and simply called the gem ‘Cola’, as in ‘Coca-Cola’ not knowing any better. (Truth be told, I had to look up the spelling, as I always just referred to it simply as cola! Ha!”

Thanks for the story, Lisa, and also to all the other Honorable Mentions who entered the quiz and contributed the correct answer.

Honorary Mentions

Stuart Adelman
Artelle Designs Fine Jewelry & Custom Design
Plymouth, MN

Matthew Baker
Sanders Diamond Jewelers
Pasadena, MD

Rowan Becker
Rowan Becker
Thurmont, MD

Denis Boulle
DeBoulle
Dallas, TX

Heather Burleson
Burleson Valuations
Lexington, KY

Mike Burnette
Gem Shopping Network
Duluth, GA

Ray Chylewski
Hope Diamonds
Grass Valley, CA

Trisha Corleto
DePrisco Jewelers
Osterville, MA

Keith Courtney
David Scott Fine Jewelry
Panama City, FL

Kim Hatchell
Galloway & Moseley
Sumter, SC

Whitney Jahn
Silverado Jewelry Gallery
Saratoga Springs, NY

Karen Kuhn
Arabesque Jewelers
High Ridge, MO

Cindy Lanoux
Pattons Fine Jewelry
Baton Rouge, LA

Troy Lob
Irvine, CA

Aidan Long
William Jeffreys Fine Diamonds and Jewelry
Mechanicsville, VA

Lynne Millard
Henley Jewelers
Eldon, MO

Robert Mitchell
Nord Jewelers
Kalamazoo, MI

Julee Morris
Stambaugh Jewelers
Defiance, OH

Mandy Mott
Becker’s Jewelers
Old Saybrook, CT

Irene Schrowang
Schneiders Jewelers
Kingston, NY

Kate Shay
Scott & Co Fine Jewelers
New Oxford, PA

Dharti Dottie Sheth
Lika Behar Collection
Carlstadt, NJ

Madelynn Slobe
Swierenga Jewelers
Caledonia MI

Kimberly Smith
Revell Jewelers and Goldsmiths
Bettendorf, IA

Jennifer Sullivan
Goodman’s Jewelers
Madison, WI

Joshua Summers
Orin Jewelers
Northville, MI

Jeff Teel
Stuart Benjamin & Co.
San Diego, CA

Robert Young
Robert Young Jeweler Extraordinaire
Belleair Bluffs, FL

The post Here’s the Answer to September’s Gem Quiz appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.

Here’s the Answer to August’s Gem Quiz

INSTORE Staff — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 02:34:41 +0000

AUGUST’S MYSTERY STONE was Thulite, named in honor of its northern roots and which is Norway’s national gemstone no less. It thus seemed somewhat apt that our winner — Joseph Korona, co-owner of Korona Jewelry — would also hail from somewhere northern and famously snowy – Buffalo, NY. Well done, Joseph, who scores this month’s Jewelry Geek t-shirt, and all our Honorable Mentions, who also submitted correct answers. Keep an eye on this space. A new Gem Quiz will be posted soon.

Honorary Mentions

Shari Altman
B&E Jewelers &Gemologists
Southampton, PA

Matthew Baker
Sanders Diamond Jewelers
Pasadena, MD

John Bradshaw
Nashua, NH

Denis Boulle
de Boulle Diamond & Jewelry
Dallas, TX

Stephanie Cairns
Haig’s of Rochester
Rochester, MI

Larry Frith
Frith & Bradshaw Jewelers
Carmichael, CA

Sandy Gentilcore
Gentilcore Jewelers
Pittsburgh, PA

Steve Glazer
Bob Richards Jewelers
Germantown, TN

Dave Griffon
Griffon Jewelers
Bellville, OH

Marcy Higashi
Louis Anthony Jewelers
Pittsburgh, PA

Tony Jackson
Doland Jewelers
Dubuque, IA

Carsyn Knotts
Jewelry Studio
Bozeman, MT

Cindy Lanoux
Pattons Fine Jewelry
Baton Rouge, LA

Aidan Long
William Jeffreys Fine Diamonds and Jewelry
Mechanicsville, VN

Holly McHone
Holly McHone Jewelers
Astoria, OR

Laura Mae
Maejean Vintage
Lancaster, PA

Cheryl Mayo
Leighton’s jewelers
Merced, CA

Lynne Millard
Henley Jewelers
Eldon, MO

Josh Nix
Wickersham Jewelry
Rothschild, WI

Phyllis Painter
Designer Jewels Inc.
Houston, TX

Jennifer Sabrio
Pattons Fine Jewelry
Baton Rouge, LA

Adrianne Sanogo
Black in Jewelry Coalition
Philadelphia, PA

Lana Young
Futer Bros
York, PA

The post Here’s the Answer to August’s Gem Quiz appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.

I’m More Likely to Be Found in Your Shop than Your Cases

INSTORE Staff — Sat, 02 Sep 2023 02:53:45 +0000

IF YOU REACH for me to use as a smelting flux when soldering gold, you are following in a metalsmithing tradition that dates back to the antiquities. Indeed, I take my name from the ancient Greek for gold and glue. That I have become something of a minor gemstone owes to my beautiful sky blue to greenish coloring, which often results in me being confused with malachite, turquoise or azurite. That I haven’t become a major gemstone owes to my softness.

Who am I?

Fill out my Wufoo form!

The post I’m More Likely to Be Found in Your Shop than Your Cases appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.

The Northern Lights Aren’t the Only Colorful, Mysterious Thing in Norway

INSTORE Staff — Thu, 17 Aug 2023 02:14:32 +0000

I TAKE MY NAME from the ancient Greek for those frigid lands beyond the northern frontiers of what was then the known world. To extend the metaphor, it’s not unfair to say I continue to live on the fringes, although of the jewelry world. Despite being the national stone of Norway, where I was first found, my frequent impurities and mottled red/white appearance mean I’m typically cut into cabochons for use in pendants and big rings. To look at me, few would immediately recognize me as the zoisite brother of Tanzanite.

Who am I?

Fill out my Wufoo form!

The post The Northern Lights Aren’t the Only Colorful, Mysterious Thing in Norway appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.

Here’s the Answer to July’s Gem Quiz

INSTORE Staff — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 06:28:21 +0000

THE GEM QUIZ VENTURED into the obscure fringes of gemology with its mystery stone in July. But the correct answers came pouring in, regardless, led by Kiley Nash of Brinker’s Jewelers in Evansville, IN, who walks away with this month’s Gem Geek t-shirt. Well done everyone who submitted the correct answer – Baddeleyite, a stone with interesting properties but little name recognition. Keep an eye on this space. We’ll have a new Gem Quiz posted soon.

Honorary Mentions

Stuart Adelman
Artelle Designs Fine Jewelry & Custom Design
Plymouth, MN

Matt Baker
Sanders Diamond Jewelers
Pasadena, MD

Meghan Bear
Arareity Jewelers
Sacramento, CA

Denis Boulle
De Boulle Diamond & Jewelry
Dallas, TX

Heather Burleson
Burleson Valuations
Lexington, KY

Trisha Corleto
DePrisco Jewelers
Osterville, MA

Lisa-Marie Delgado
Gary J Long Jewelers
Stockton, CA

Junesse Farley
McNulty Jewelers in Black Forest
Black Forest, CO

Larry Frith
Frith & Bradshaw Jewelers
Carmichael, CA

Steve Glazer
Bob Richards Jewelers
Germantown, TN

Rachel Ingle
Vierk’s Fine Jewelry
Lafayette, IN

Arianna Key
The Diamond Center
Blue Ridge, GA

Cindy Lanoux
Pattons Fine Jewelry
Baton Rouge, LA

Aidan Long
William Jeffreys Fine Diamonds and Jewelry
Mechanicsville, VA

Kara Luckadoo
Diamonds Rock
Fairfield Township, OH

Lynne Millard
Henley Jewelers
Eldon, MO

Robert Mitchell
Nord Jewelers
Kalamazoo, MI

Mandy Mott
Becker’s Jewelers
Old Saybrook, CT

Chris Patrick
Hannon Jewelers
Baton Rouge, LA

Audrey Schlosser
Hinkamp Jewelers
Fayetteville, NC

Irene Schrowang
Schneider’s Jewelers
Kingston, NY

Kate Shay
Scott & Co
New Oxford, PA

Deepa Srinivasa
GSI
Mumbai, India

Jenny Starzman
Tobin Jewelers Mequon
Mequon, WI

Joshua Summers
Orin Jewelers
Northville, MI

George Ward
Ward’s Jewelers
Bonsall, CA

The post Here’s the Answer to July’s Gem Quiz appeared first on INSTOREMAG.COM.