(Rare Colored Gemstones)

Investment Gems…  We are proud to offer a selection of fine gemstones. Investment-grade gems are those that are unusually large or of fine quality for the species -- the type of specimens that standout and have a strong demand among serious collectors and investors alike. But unlike other types of collectibles like stamps or art, gemstones can be worn and enjoyed throughout generations, and as an asset group they have been trusted to hold their value extremely well for thousands of years (particularly in inflationary times).  Fine gems make excellent display objects as additions to traditional collections of crystallized minerals (“rough-and-cut” sets), and can obviously be used to create unique jewelry.  With help from our friends in the wholesale gem trade, The Arkenstone is proud to announce another update offering collector and investment stones on consignment from reputable sources in the trade. All are guaranteed for authenticity and quality, by our company .

 These updates will be continuing throughout the year as we can obtain special lots from wholesale sources within the gem trade, that we think have broad appeal to collectors and investors.

NOTE about photography:  photos have not been photoshopped or otherwise altered to enhance color or lustre. These stones are "better in person" because the photography is a high resolution standard we use now for minerals, and the small gems are being blown up to a huge magnification, which shows more flaws than the human eye can see. One should consider these photos as if looking through a 10-20X loupe at the gems.

Moldavites are a gemmy tektite from Czechoslovakia. They used to be a mineralogical mystery, but scientists now tend to believe they are an impact material formed from a meteorite scorching the earth and launching melted fragments into the air. It is technically a green natural glass, formed from fused earth, in other words. The impact of a meteorite in Bavaria 15 million years ago (the present Ries crater) has thus yielded us a unique gem: They are fascinating naural objects and make very unique and pretty collector's stones. This is a rounded brilliant cut of good size. The stone is clean, and really shows off the deep green color. Classic material and a real conversation piece. Relatively inexpensive too!

A very beautiful and impressive opal� it has an almost etheral quality to it. Unlike most opals with a white base or background color, this pear-shaped, double cabochon (polished on BOTH top and bottom so it can be displayed from either side) has a gorgeous yellow color and a stunning watery look that is dominated by a stupendous flash of colors across the entire face of the gem. It is riveting in person, characteristic of the very best quality of this new material from a small find in Ethiopia. Recently the material has been picked up by major worldwide gemstone companies and incorporated into very high-end masterpiece works. This is a museum class stone that is both wearable and collectible, and I think an investment as stones from this locality gain traction in the market. Also, nobody knows the size of the deposit - it cannot last forever, and then we are back to the more expensive Aussie opals of standard fashion. .Welo Opal is the only true stable opal that is mined in Ethiopia, according to many people who have handled it for the last 2 years as it trickled out. This opal has amazing fire play of all different colors. The Welo Opal is a very hard opal and thus very wearable.

One of the largest gems of this rare species that we have seen on the market, with certainly only a few larger in institutional and major private collections. It shows the unique light, bluish green color and saturation, that only phosphophyllites from the old finds of the 1940s-1950s have. These are spectacular stones for the species and are highly recommended for top collections both for the beauty and for their proven investment ppotential over time. We feel there is strong upside for these gems, as the few remaining great crystals out there will tend to be preserved at the prices they currently command, making large stones like these very rare commodities. In the past, surviving crystals were readily cut as the gems were worth more, before the modern mineral specimen market. These are absolutely stunning in person! I am not normally into faceted gems, but when they get this rare and this gorgeous, and merge with mineralogical rarity, how could i say no? I am told confidently by two well known gem trade experts that this is the biggest and best phospho cut gem on the market in years and is certainly among the top cut phosphos known to exist. It is an old stone, cut decades ago and long stashed away with the specimens in a prominent mineral collection. This is an IMPORTANT collector piece and , without a doubt, an investment-grade gem. It is as nearly clean as you can ask for in such large stone of a rare species, and it was recut to modern standards by Spectrum-Award winner Mark Kaufman for me. THERE IS NO COLOR IN MINERALS OR GEMS LIKE THAT OF A PHOSPHO!!! Smaller stones cut from the same old hoard recently sold out, at Tucson a few years ago, at $2500 per carat. Wholesale.

The holy grail of mineral collecting is also a high sought after collector's gem! And this is one of the largest gems of this rare species that we have seen on the market, with certainly only a few larger in institutional and major private collections. It shows the unique light, bluish green color and saturation, that only phosphophyllites from the old finds of the 1940s-1950s have. A small amount of modern material from new find shere, cannot compete. These are spectacular stones for the species and are highly recommended for top collections both for the beauty and for their proven investment ppotential over time. That said, clean and gemmy stones tend to be very small. This is why our two gems are important standouts. This is a huge, light bluish-green gem that is super brilliant and lustrous, and nearly clean except for only a few tiny veils that our hyper-sensitive camera picks up much more readily than the human eye. A museum piece to be sure! It is an old stone, cut decades ago and long stashed away with the specimens in a prominent mineral collection. This is an IMPORTANT collector piece and , without a doubt, an investment-grade gem. It is as nearly clean as you can ask for in such large stone of a rare species, and it was recut to modern standards by Spectrum-Award winner Mark Kaufman for me. THERE IS NO COLOR IN MINERALS OR GEMS LIKE THAT OF A PHOSPHO!!! Smaller stones cut from the same old hoard recently sold out, at Tucson a few years ago, at $2500 per carat. Wholesale.

Classic material from a classic, but now closed, locality ! Rhodochrosite is typically regarded as among the most beautiful of mineral specimens� and its legendary color make it a spectacular gem. This is a rather large-sized stone in an attractive marquise cut. The photos, although accurate, don't do this rare collector's gem justice because the camera enhances flaws that the human eye does not spot as readily. It is a super bright jewel of a gorgeous red-pink color. The gem is also exceptionally clean for the species and location (again, given the size, some internal flaws are acceptable. And the over-accuracy of the high-resolution professional photography enhances those small flaws which in person are not so obvious). In sum, this is a very "sweet" stone of exceptional size and quality. A must for any serious rough-and-cut set, or collection of connoisseur gems. They can only go up in value ow that the mine is closed, and few large stones of this size were ever available even in its heyday. Cut by Paul Cory.

This "modified trilliant" brilliant is an important gem. It is the largest type of this quality from the stash that I was shown at Munich; and it is perfect for a display, investment or jewelry. Bright and nearly eye-clean (the camera picks up more than the eye does), and we can't emphasize enough the wonderful, almost neon-like brightness and color. Choice stone for the connoisseur. From the cherry-picked collection assembled during several years of excavation by Dr. Federico Pezzota, discoverer of Pezzotaite and the man who handled the most of these demantoids as well, we are proud and privileged to offer this unique lot of gems cut from a modern day classic find : world-class demantoids from Madagascar.