North American Gems

• Color: Medium Brown-Orange

• Clarity: Eye Clean to Slightly Included

• Origin: Jeffrey Mine, Asbestos, Quebec, Canada

• Cut: Oval Brilliant

• Treatments: None

• Measurements: 8 x 6 mm

Certainly something we are not able to put together everyday; A fine and well matched pair of these distinctly colored Hessonites from the famous Canadian locality. A great match and a fine color, this is quite scarce material as you may imagine. A lovely and unusual set.

$95 / carat - $293 total

• Color: Medium Dark Orange

• Clarity: Eye Clean

• Origin: Little 3 Mine, Ramona, California

• Cut: Custom Trillion

• Treatments: None

• Measurements: 8.9 mm

A superb stone from an outstanding US locale - the famed Little Three Mine In San Diego county.  The outstanding precision cut is particularly striking in combination with the deep and distinctive color.  This is the Little Three Mine at its best - larger, clean gems where never common and this was in the period when Spessartite from any locale in the world was somewhat unusual. Though it is somewhat overlooked now, there was a long period where these stones were the world standard for Spessartite. A small operation, the mine’s emphasis was always on specimens (not on cutting rough) and Spessartite was unusual even here, Topaz being far more common.  A magnificent and precision cut 4 carat gem in top clarity and color. Great size and simply a lovely and historic old Ramona stone of the highest quality.

$875 / carat - $3587 total

• Color: Dark Greyish-Purple

• Clarity: Opaque

• Origin: Taos Co., New Mexico

• Cut: Freeform Cabochon

• Treatments: None

• Measurements: 21.7 x 18.6 mm

Another very unusual gem material, this time from a limited find at a U.S. locality.  Lepidolite is a variety of Mica, and as such is exceedingly tricky to work with and polish. Though it is found at numerous US sites, it is basically the cutting and polishing that are the limiting factors with these. Great size and the classic color. An unusual one!

$95 total

• Color: Medium Dark Orange-Red

• Clarity: Eye Clean

• Origin: Mont-Saint Hilaire, Quebec, Canada

• Cut: Rectangular Step

• Treatments: None

• Measurements: 8.1 x 6.6 mm

One of the rarest and most esoteric of gem materials, Villiaumite can be quite beautiful despite its fragile nature. Stones are almost always from either Russia or Namibia, this is one of the few times that we have been able to offer a fine Canadian example. And what a stone! Great size and color, completely clean and magnificent custom cut. Special mention needs to be made of this color - much lighter and brighter in tone than Russian stones and with a magnificent slightly orangish color that we almost never see. With a hardness of just 2 1/2, Villiaumite is difficult to get a decent polish, so the job here is nothing short of amazing. That before we even mention that it is partially water soluble as well! An excellent Canadian rarity to be sure.

$550 / carat - $1133 total

• Color: Medium Light Slightly Greenish-Yellow

• Clarity: Eye Clean

• Origin: Mexico

• Cut: Shield Brilliant

• Treatments: None

• Measurements: 26.7 x 18.1 mm

Large, clean pieces of this Feldspar group species from Mexico used to be fairly available on the market, but like so much gem rough, the supply has largely dried-up. They make for impressive and relatively affordable larger gems. Clean, bright and quite attractive when well cut. Great, entirely natural larger gem material.

$15 / carat - $320 total

• Color: Colorless

• Clarity: Slightly Included

• Origin: Kalahari Manganese Fields, South Africa

• Cut: Rectangular Step

• Treatments: None

• Measurements: 7.1 x 4.2 mm

A rare species we almost never offer. Facet grade material is only from South Africa and much of it came out years ago. Some light inclusions, but excellent cutting and starkly colorless - rare as such. Quite respectable size for the species as well.

$265 total

• Color: Medium Dark Violetish-Blue

• Clarity: Eye Clean

• Origin: California

• Cut: Oval Brilliant

• Treatments:  None

• Measurements: 5 x 3 mm

A simply stunning and essentially perfect matched pair of this classic collector’s gem.The color of this set is the absolute best you could hope for - both in hue and tone; a gorgeous medium dark violetish-blue. Stones are an exceptional match for color and cut. Larger accent pairs like this were rarely a priority when cutting this material and they are doubly rare in today’s market.

$1650 total

• Color: Medium Light Greenish-Yellow

• Clarity: Eye Clean

• Origin: Wilberforce, Ontario, Canada

• Cut: Round Brilliant

• Treatments: None

• Measurements: 9 mm

A really attractive gem from a niche locality - to say the least. This fine round in a pleasant yellow-green is actually cut from Canadian rough - a comment rarely given when talking Apatite. Absolute top-notch cutting and a very good size to appreciate this lovely Canadian gem.

$95 / carat - $252 total

• Color: Medium Dark Slightly Bluish Yellow-Green

• Clarity: Slightly Included

• Origin: Missouri River, Montana

• Cut: Custom Oval

• Treatments: Heat

• Measurements: 9.5 x 6.5 mm

A classic Montana Sapphire in a superb size and with a great presence. The color is a classic Montana mix of yellow-green with a slightly bluish modifier. There are no real eye distracting inclusions, however there is a bit of haze in the center. Also very indicative of the locale, it is not an unattractive effect as there is just a softening of the brillance - without sounding too poetic it has something of the effect of a distant rain shower. The quality of the cutting (and absolute precision US job) and overall size more than compenstate up for this - at nearly 3 1/2 carats, this is a huge Montana. Precision cut stones of this size are tougher and tougher by the year to locate and continue to appreciate in cost.

$550 / carat - $1875 total

• Color: Medium Dark Violetish-Blue

• Clarity: Eye Clean

• Origin: California

• Cut: Square Cushion

• Treatments:  None

• Measurements: 3.8 mm

A simply stunning and essentially perfect example. Absolute top color and tone with very fine US cutting.

$695 total

• Color: Medium Dark Violetish-Blue

• Clarity: Eye Clean

• Origin: California

• Cut: Triangle

• Treatments:  None

• Measurements: 4.3 mm

A simply stunning and essentially perfect example. Absolute top color and tone with very fine US cutting.

$895 total

• Color: Medium Reddish-Brown / Green

• Clarity: Transparent

• Origin: Oregon

• Cut: Custom

• Treatments: None

• Measurements: 20 x 14.3 mm

When in concert with phenomenal gem materials, the work of the late Tom Munsteiner is even more impressive - that is why enjoy his work with Oregon Sunstone so much.  This variety of Feldspar is well known for its range of color and presence of elemental copper platelets which catch the light and result in a 'schiller' effect.  Here you have a stone that combines the contemporary carving design that Munsteiner is known for with this lovely copper flash.  A great stone, finished in the highest tradition of Idar-Oberstein work.  A beautiful combination of the classic colors as well - the copper-brown and the distinct green. Unmounted Munsteiner stones are always scarce in the market and this one is complete with signed certificate from Atelier Munsteiner.

$750 total

• Color: Medium Dark Slightly Violetish-Blue

• Clarity: Slightly Included

• Origin: California

• Cut: Custom Oval

• Treatments: None

• Measurements: 6.6 x 4.2 mm

A gorgeous and very dispersive example of this classic collector’s gem. The popularity of Benitoite has never waned and continues to increase year after year - this despite the difficulty in sourcing finer stones. The color and tone on this gem is optimal - the instantly recognizable top color for the species. The cutting is a fantastic and fresh US job - this shape works particularly well with this tone and keeps it lively and bright. There is a single veil which we have tried to showed to the greatest extent in the photos above. It is not a structural issue and is well hidden to the point of the stone appearing nearly eye clean. A great, larger Benitoite that also has a full GIA report.

$2250 total

• Color: Various

• Clarity: Opaque

• Origin: Michigan

• Cut: Polished Slice

• Treatments: None

• Measurements: 17.3 x 9.5 mm

You may not initially suspect Datolite when looking at this stone, this unusual massive form of this mineral is not common and is quite unknown outside of a few dedicated collectors.  Typically Datolite is a completely transparent and colorless (even occasionally light green!) facetable gem.  On the shores of Michigan's Lake Superior are found nodules of Datolite that are remarkably unremarkable on the surface - when sliced and polished however these can come alive with superb patterns and colors.  These are found in association with Copper deposits in Michigan's upper peninsula so there is actually quite a bit of metallic, native Copper throughout the stone - a dynamic and attractive effect as light plays over the surface. Large and visually striking example.

$165 total

• Color: Medium Dark Red

• Clarity: Slightly Included

• Origin: Wah Wah Mountains, Utah

• Cut: Square Step

• Treatments: Clarity

• Measurements: 4.5 mm

Always in demand - one of the best known and most unique of the gemstones of the United States. Deserving special mention is the color here - it is superb and absolutely top. We are very careful when selecting these as lighter colors or shallow cuts can really rob a stone of its visual appeal. Extremely gemmy with just a few low-relief veils, absolutely nothing distracting. Fine color.

$1150 total