What were the trendsetting gemstones of 2017?

As 2017 comes to a close, we’d like to share our observations on trends and best sellers in the world of gemstones.

Most obvious, was the demand for unheated and untreated gemstones. From the well known classics like Alexandrites to more obscure and rare stones like Grandidierite and Vanadium Chrysoberyl, this year was mostly about green, teal, red and gold.

These were the top six gems selected by Multicolour.com customers for their jewelry designs and gemstone collections:

No 1 . Grandidierite

Grandidierite is considered to be one of the rarest minerals on earth and fine gemstones are always in demand. The discovery in 2015 of some beautiful stones for the first time in a century revitalized interest and their scarcity and high valuations continue to engender appeal.

Grandidierite coloration may resemble blue Apatite, Kornerupine, or Paraiba Tourmaline and the bluish components will increase with the Fe content. And, with a hardness of 7.5, Grandidierite is hard enough to be set up as a center stone in any kind of jewelry.

It’s a gem collector’s dream for its relatively high hardness along with the strongly saturated neon colors in which it may occur.

No 2. Alexandrite

It is a common misconception that alexandrite changes color from green to red. Brazilian alexandrites are known for their strong color change and daylight colors that often appear more blue than green.

In fact, the best alexandrites are teal, greenish blue, or blue-green under natural daylight or fluorescent light and change to purple-red or red under incandescent light.

No 3. Vanadium Chrysoberyl

Chrysoberyl is normally yellow, yellow-green, or brownish with its color being caused by the presence of iron. However, in some cases the presence of vanadium as a chromophore affects a magnificent minty green coloration.

The coloration is not only very rare, but also so bright and beautiful that vanadium chrysoberyls are or should be at the top of every collectors list.

No 4. Taaffeite

It was first discovered already cut and polished in Dublin, Ireland in 1945 and at the time, the gemstone was mislabeled as spinel

The primary difference between spinel and taaffeite is the double refraction found in the latter and this is the property we use to separate suspect stones for further evaluation.

The gem is found mostly in the alluvial deposits of Sri Lanka and Tanzania, but also occasionally in Mogok, Myanmar.

No 5. South Sea Pearl

The body color of South Sea pearls is judged the same way as other pearls. White and pinkish pearls usually command higher prices than yellowish or cream colored pearls.

However, when the yellowish hues become dark enough to be considered golden, their valuations can surpass similarly sized pinkish white pearls. Moreover, gold pearls have enjoyed a resurgent popularity this year and their higher prices are a reflection of that status.

No 6. Ruby

Mozambique rubies were the most important gemstones of the year. Ruby auctions of rough material generated tens of millions of dollars and the discoveries and mining of stones in the Montepuez area produced substantial quantities of fine goods many of which do not need to be heated or treated in anyway.

There have never been so many nice rubies around. Despite the surfeit, and even though demand has lagged, prices have remained stable as dealers are unwilling to cash in for less than their high costs.

All photographs courtesy of Multicolour Gems at www.multicolour.com