So you want a blue sapphire. Smart move. These stones are tough as nails, pretty as hell, and won’t cost you a kidney like diamonds do. But the sapphire market is full of tricks, heated stones...

So you want alexandrite. Yeah, good luck with that. This color-changing gem is rarer than hen’s teeth and trickier to buy than a used car from your sketchy cousin. Plus, 9 out of 10...

So you want a padparadscha sapphire. Join the club of confused shoppers. These sunset stones are pretty, rare, and pricey. They’re also the most argued-about gem on the planet. What counts as...

So you want to buy taaffeite. Good luck with that. I’m not trying to be mean. It’s just that buying one of the world’s rarest gems is like finding a needle in a haystack. Except the...

You know that feeling when something looks familiar but just doesn’t sit right? Like when you see an old friend from behind, but something’s off about their walk? That’s exactly what...

Back in 1952, gem labs in Sri Lanka tested a brown crystal long thought to be spinel. For years, dealers had sold these stones without much thought. They were pretty, sure, but nothing unusual. The...

In 1902, a gem collector in Sri Lanka noticed a dark stone among river pebbles. At first, it looked ordinary. But a closer look showed it was different. Scientists named it Serendibite, after...

Imagine a gem that never looks the same twice. Hold it in your hand and turn it. Green flashes from one angle, red-brown from another. Sometimes a golden light appears. This is andalusite, one of...