gems

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Scottish Gem Expert Hacked to Death in Kenya

(Newser) - Renowned Scottish gem expert Campbell Bridges has been killed by a mob armed with spears and machetes in Kenya's Tsavo National Park, the Independent reports. The murder is believed to be linked to a feud with squatters stealing gems from a Bridges family mine in the park. The mob set...

Brazen Paris Gunman Grabs $8M in Gems

(Newser) - A lone gunman boldly stepped into a plush Chopard store in Paris and walked out with $8 million in gems yesterday, reports the BBC. The thief, dressed in a suit and fedora, forced the staff to hand over 15 pieces of jewelry, then calmly exited into the aftyernoon sun. ...

Blue Diamond Sells for Record $8.4M

Industry hopes sale will stimulate trade slump

(Newser) - As the diamond market tumbles, at least it seems a blue one is forever, reports GlobalPost. A 7.03-carat rock unearthed in South Africa last year sold for more than $8.4 million at a Geneva auction today—setting a world record in price per karat for a gem of...

Downturn Dulls Gem Trade's Gleam

Effects felt worldwide as Americans stop buying bling

(Newser) - The worldwide slowdown in spending is making for rough times in all facets of the jewelry business, reports the Washington Post. More than a thousand jewelers in the US—which buys almost half the world's polished diamonds—have gone bust, and the effects are being felt from the mines of...

840-Pound Brazilian Emerald Lands in Court

Detectives puzzle over ownership of 840-pound Brazilian gem

(Newser) - A colossal emerald valued at almost $400 million is under lock and key in Los Angeles County while detectives try to figure out who owns it, the Wall Street Journal reports. Police managed to track down the 840-pound Bahia emerald after it was reported stolen last fall, but they also...

De Beers to Halt Work at Diamond Mines

Firm last suspended production during the Great Depression

(Newser) - De Beers has temporarily shut down its diamond mines in Botswana due to low demand for the precious stones, the Telegraph reports. The firm’s Botswana mines account for half of De Beers’ output, and about a fifth of diamond production worldwide. De Beers was not able to sell a...

Would You Mind If This Wasn't Mined?

Lab-created diamonds get ever closer to nature's version—to chagrin of some

(Newser) - De Beers might like you to think a “diamond is forever,” but try this on for size: “A diamond is for everyone.” In a secret Massachusetts lab, Apollo Diamond is using novel technology to grow diamonds virtually indistinguishable from their mined cousins, the Smithsonian reports. Unfortunately...

Couple Finds Rare Pearl in Clam Dinner

Purple pearl at local restaurant could be worth thousands

(Newser) - A Florida couple found an extremely rare purple pearl in their steamed clam dinner that could turn out to be worth thousands of dollars. The two stopped for seafood at a local restaurant when the man bit down on something hard in one of his middleneck clams. When cleaned off,...

Gems That Bankroll Burma Junta Remain on Sale in US

Congress closing loophole as a first step

(Newser) - Congress is moving to close a loophole in a law that forbids the sale of rubies from Burma, but the measure comes too late for the holiday shopping season, writes Marin Cogan of the New Republic. That means US shoppers—unless they take pains to question their jewelry shop's policy—...

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