Know your gems

Want to look like an expert while browsing through these luxurious stones?

The Singapore JewelFest will feature some star pieces, such as a Van Gogh Iris necklace presented by Caratell featuring a 13.73-carat Afghan Emerald with coloured sapphires; Tsavorites, white and yellow diamonds in 18K yellow and white gold (retail price: S$1.3 million); and a Queen B necklace presented by Mouawad that can be transformed into a bracelet, featuring a single 19.37-carat pear-shaped Briolette diamond and some 32-carat white diamonds of various cuts (retail price: S$1.6 million). Confused yet? Here is a quick guide to what you need to know.

Tanzanite

Composed of the mineral zoisite, Tanzanite’s hue can range from blue velvet to rich royal purple. This exotic gem is found only in the hills of Merelani in northern Tanzania.

Spinel

Discovered in a range of colours from black and blue to orange and the most precious ruby red, Spinel is composed of magnesium aluminate, and coloured by chromium and iron. It is currently mined in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Tajikistan.

Paraiba tourmaline

This legendary tourmaline, discovered in the Paraiba hills in Brazil, range in colour from a spirited turquoise to a blue-green hue. The highly coveted radiant blue and turquoise ones have a high copper content.

Tsavorite

The brilliant green stone belongs to the garnet family and was first found in 1967 by a British geologist near the Tsavo National Park, along the border of Kenya and Tanzania.