The Gemmology Journal

Gem Focus: Morganite — The Pink That Needs Room to Show

October 2, 2026

Morganite is beryl's pink-to-peach face, coloured by manganese and diluted by nature. Why size matters more than with any other pink gem, what to assume about heating and irradiation, and where the 2026 market stands. Read more...

Unheated royal blue Ceylon sapphire, stone 47005-15R, as recorded on its Digital Gemstone Passport

Ask Your Assistant About Our Sapphires: The Gemmology MCP Server, Version 2

September 18, 2026

The Ministry of Gems Gemmology MCP server has grown from three tools to thirteen: verified definitions and 25 handbooks, live stock with AUD prices, cryptographic passport verification, published sapphire price... Read more...

Royal blue Ceylon sapphire, stone 47013, photographed for its Digital Gemstone Passport

How to Verify a Gemstone Before You Buy: Laboratory Reports, Passports and What an AI Can Check

September 18, 2026

A gemstone can be verified at three levels: the laboratory report on the laboratory's own site, a house record that is cryptographically signed so anyone can check it, and —... Read more...

Gem Focus: Rubellite — Why Red Tourmaline Is Cut Long

September 1, 2026

Rubellite is tourmaline's pink-to-red face, coloured by manganese rather than chromium. What that means for how it is cut, what must be disclosed, and how the 2026 market is actually pricing it. Read more...

Gem Focus: Red Spinel — A Red That Owes Nothing to Ruby

August 15, 2026

Spinel spent a thousand years being called ruby. An FGAA gemmologist on what red spinel actually is, where it comes from, what is honestly known about its treatment, and what... Read more...

Queensland boulder opal pendant showing ironstone and play-of-colour

What Is Boulder Opal, and Why Does the Ironstone Stay On?

August 11, 2026

Boulder opal is precious opal that formed in seams and pockets running through ironstone in Queensland, and it is cut with that host ironstone left on the back. The rock... Read more...

Australian boulder opal ring worn on the hand

Opal for Everyday Wear: Durability, Settings and the Engagement Ring Question

August 11, 2026

Opal can be worn every day, but it asks more of you than sapphire or diamond. At 5.5 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale it will pick up fine scratches... Read more...

Australian opal pendant showing bright play-of-colour

What Determines the Value of an Australian Opal

August 11, 2026

An opal's value is set by eight drivers, weighed roughly in order: body tone, brightness of play-of-colour, which colours are present (red rarest through to blue most common), pattern, how... Read more...

Australian opal pendant worn — the October birthstone

Opal: The October Birthstone and Australia's National Gemstone

August 11, 2026

The October birthstone is opal, with tourmaline as the modern alternate. Opal is also Australia's national gemstone, proclaimed in 1993, and Australia has historically produced the large majority of the... Read more...

The Sapphire Engagement Ring Buyer's Guide (Australia, 2026)

July 25, 2026

How to buy a sapphire engagement ring in Australia: choosing colour, origin and treatment, the 4Cs, settings, certification, honest budget guidance and bespoke design. Read more...

Ceylon Australian Sapphires by Ministry of Gems

Ceylon vs Australian Sapphires: Which Should You Choose?

July 25, 2026

Ceylon vs Australian sapphires compared honestly: colour, price, treatment and best use-cases — from a gem house that mines, cuts and FGAA-grades both. Read more...

The Unheated Ceylon Sapphire Buyer's Guide (Australia, 2026)

July 25, 2026

How to buy an unheated Ceylon sapphire: verifying treatment, the 4Cs, Ceylon vs Australian, honest pricing, and buying direct from a three-generation mine-to-market gem house. Read more...

How Much Does a Ceylon Sapphire Cost? A Guide to Price Per Carat

July 21, 2026

What a Ceylon sapphire really costs per carat, explained by our FGAA-qualified gemmologist — the honest AUD ranges and the four things that move the price. Read more...

The Ministry Index — Edition I: Winter 2026

July 20, 2026

The inaugural Ministry Index: a monthly, data-led reading of the natural gemstone market from a mine-to-market house — vault statistics, the rise of the southern spectrum, and the unheated skew. Read more...

Ministry of Gems gemmologist grading loose Ceylon sapphires at The Gem Session in Dubai

How a Gemmologist Selects Sapphires: Inside The Gem Session

July 14, 2026

Watch a Ministry of Gems gemmologist select loose Ceylon sapphires in Dubai — grading each stone by colour, clarity, cut, heat, origin and certification. The six questions we ask of... Read more...

How Gold Jewellery Is Made: From Blue Wax to Solid Gold

July 11, 2026

Follow a Ministry of Gems ring through every stage of the lost wax casting process — from a blue wax pattern to solid gold — inside our Sri Lankan jewellery... Read more...

Anna Lulinkova, Ministry of Gems FGAA-qualified gemmologist, inside one of our Ceylon sapphire mines

Echoes from the Mine: our documentary series begins inside Ceylon Sapphire Mines

July 9, 2026

The official trailer for Echoes from the Mine is live — filmed 20 metres underground in our own Ceylon sapphire mines in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka. Read more...

Opal Types Explained: Black, Boulder, Crystal and White

July 7, 2026

The four great opal types compared — body tone, brightness and value — plus the solid-vs-doublet test every opal buyer must know. Read more...

Planning the Proposal: A Jeweller's Practical Guide

July 7, 2026

Finding the ring size covertly, bespoke timelines, keeping the secret, and the elegant fallback most people never consider — a jeweller's proposal playbook. Read more...

The Gemstone Gift Guide: The Right Stone for Every Occasion

July 7, 2026

Birthdays, anniversaries, new babies, graduations — a jeweller's honest playbook for choosing gemstone gifts that land, at any budget. Read more...

Wedding Bands and Eternity Rings: Completing the Stack

July 7, 2026

Matching a band to your engagement ring, the full-vs-half eternity decision, sapphire accent bands and stacking — a workshop guide to the second ring. Read more...

Gemstone Cuts and Shapes: Choosing the Right One for Your Stone

July 7, 2026

Oval, cushion, emerald cut, cabochon — how each shape serves colour, size and style, and why ovals rule the sapphire world. A cutter's-eye guide. Read more...

How Much Should You Spend on an Engagement Ring? An Honest Answer

July 7, 2026

Forget the three-months-salary myth. How to set an engagement ring budget that fits your life — and make every dollar of it visible on the hand. Read more...