The true worth of a gemstone can only be measured by its owner. Even a humble stone can hold priceless value when it carries memories and meaning. And when you think of gems as snapshots of ancient geological history, each and every one is precious. But alas, appraisers must assign a value, or price per carat, to each gemstone. To determine the monetary worth of an emerald, ruby, or sapphire, multiple factors are considered.

Shifting from striking blue-green in sunlight to soft purplish-red under artificial light, the outstanding alexandrite is a gemstone like no other. 

Glowing with silvery light, it’s obvious how moonstone got its name. In Hindu and Roman mythology, moonstones are frozen moonbeams. And like the moon, moonstone has long symbolized love, fertility, abundance, and renewal.

Light of the world. The Empress. Pandora. Frozen Flame. For millennia, opals have captured the imagination with their shifting rainbow sparks, and they've been called by as many different names as the colors they display within.

The tsavorite is brilliant and rare making it exceptionally valuable.

Cortez Pearls are the most rare cultured pearls in the world, with only 4000 produced annually. They display a rainbow of color unlike any other pearl because they are produced by the rainbow-lipped pearl oyster, found only in Baja, Mexico, and northern Peru.

Every gemstone has a long and unique history of usage and significance. These layers of meaning make jewelry endlessly fascinating for the collector. They also make it hard to choose favorites. What is your favorite gem?

There’s a reason gemstones are so valuable. Not only are they rare and beautiful, they require a tremendous amount of resources to retrieve from the earth. The average consumer doesn’t know where their gemstone came from, let alone what mining methods and labor practices were used to extract it. 

Social responsibility is the radical notion that business should benefit society. And it’s one of the most overused buzzwords today. At Thesis Gems and Jewelry, social responsibility is our reason for being — marketable buzzword or not.

I love the beauty and sparkle of gemstones and jewelry as much as anyone. But it’s what lies beneath the surface that really fascinates me.