Postcards from 'Gem Island'
What a wonderful trip to what is nicknamed ‘Gem Island’, the heart of Asia and where legand has it Sinbad sailed down rivers scattered with gemstones.Part buying trip part yoga and sightseeing, I was lucky enough to go to a couple of gem markets with a trusted gemstone trader/cutter friend and get a private tour of a gem lab where they test the stones and give them certificates of authenticity.
My mode of transport
Making friends on route
On the treasure hunt
In the gem lab
We got to see some state of the art new equipment, not just detecting the origin of the stone but also how much heat treatment if any did a stone have. Most machines would just say yes or no to heat, now we can detect how much.
We saw some beautiful sapphires, Sri Lanka is famous for its sapphires. I bought some great new pieces and some really special star sapphires.
We saw some beautiful padparadschas – the rarest of all sapphires and such an incredible colour. The name "padparadscha" comes from the Sinhalese word for "lotus blossom" as the gemstone's colour closely resembles that of a lotus flower.
We can’t wait to show you what we have – do book in and see us to be the first to see.
Read More
Minka & Friends: Meet Vincent Pardieu
We’ve long admired the work of Vincent Pardieu, a legendary field gemmologist whose travels and discoveries have illuminated the world of coloured stones. From the remote mines of Burma to the most...
Read more
From ancient royalty to modern-day heirlooms, pearls have long symbolized elegance, femininity, and quiet strength. But behind their soft glow lies a rich history and a world of variety that makes ...
Read more
Tourmaline has always held a special place in my heart; it’s been part of Minka Jewels since day one. There’s something truly irresistible about this gemstone: the vibrancy of colour, the way it pl...
Read more