Southern Jewelry News
  • Featured
    • All
    • Featured
    • Featured Retailers
    • Retailer Roundtable
    • Sponsored Content
    • Supplier Spotlight
    Lambrecht’s Jewelers, 130-years-old and counting
    Celebrate with Gold®
    Tracing Diamond’s Origin
    Pickens, Inc.: Steady pace wins the race
  • Latest News
    • All
    • COVID-19
    • Furry Friends
    • Industry Awards
    • Industry Events
    • NRF
    • On The Move
    • Other News
    • Tradeshow News
    • Video
    • What's New
    VAHAN launches 2022 campaign – “A Moment for Me”
    FDIC Economist, Dr. LaVaughn Henry to keynote 2022 ASA International Conference
    Michelle Meltesen joins John Atencio Wholesale team
    Kovel Collection introduces Busy Bee designs
  • Podcast
  • Columnists
    Motivating your sales staff
    Keys to Effective Communication – Part IV
    The Retailer’s Perspective: With great power comes great fails
    The Retailer’s Perspective
    The Story Behind the Stone: Yearning for Kazakhstan
    10 Cybersecurity Questions small and medium businesses should ask in 2022
    Motivating your sales staff
    IAS Training’s Keys to Effective Communication – Part III
    Kate’s star-studded style. What will the next trend be?
    Motivating your sales staff
    IAS Training’s Keys to Effective Communication – Part II
    Retailing in a post-PC world
  • Classifieds
  • Subscriptions
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Print Subscription
No Result
View All Result
Southern Jewelry News
  • Featured
    • All
    • Featured
    • Featured Retailers
    • Retailer Roundtable
    • Sponsored Content
    • Supplier Spotlight
    Lambrecht’s Jewelers, 130-years-old and counting
    Celebrate with Gold®
    Tracing Diamond’s Origin
    Pickens, Inc.: Steady pace wins the race
  • Latest News
    • All
    • COVID-19
    • Furry Friends
    • Industry Awards
    • Industry Events
    • NRF
    • On The Move
    • Other News
    • Tradeshow News
    • Video
    • What's New
    VAHAN launches 2022 campaign – “A Moment for Me”
    FDIC Economist, Dr. LaVaughn Henry to keynote 2022 ASA International Conference
    Michelle Meltesen joins John Atencio Wholesale team
    Kovel Collection introduces Busy Bee designs
  • Podcast
  • Columnists
    Motivating your sales staff
    Keys to Effective Communication – Part IV
    The Retailer’s Perspective: With great power comes great fails
    The Retailer’s Perspective
    The Story Behind the Stone: Yearning for Kazakhstan
    10 Cybersecurity Questions small and medium businesses should ask in 2022
    Motivating your sales staff
    IAS Training’s Keys to Effective Communication – Part III
    Kate’s star-studded style. What will the next trend be?
    Motivating your sales staff
    IAS Training’s Keys to Effective Communication – Part II
    Retailing in a post-PC world
  • Classifieds
  • Subscriptions
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Print Subscription
No Result
View All Result
Southern Jewelry News
No Result
View All Result
Home Columnists

The Story Behind the Stone: Trapiche, Gabeesh

Diana Jarrett GG, RMV by Diana Jarrett GG, RMV
September 5, 2018
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

There’s a funny little gemstone variety that is more science than simply cute. I’m talking about trapiche gems. Trapiche (pronounced tra-PEE-che), it’s endlessly fun to say. But when you learn how they came to be, it makes grade school science fascinating all over again.

Jarrett HuizengaTrapiche emerald, white gold cufflinks. Courtesy Pamela Huizenga.

Trapiche stones are penetrating the marketplace today in larger quantities than previously. Once just a rock hound’s nerdy curiosity, trapiche stones are finding favor with serious collectors. The first ones that snuck into shows at the Tucson gem fairs were trapiche emeralds. Now we’re finding trapiche ruby pop up. By the way, trapiche sapphire, garnet, tourmaline and other gem-minerals exist, albeit in scarce availability. Give it time.

Jarrett OmiPriveLarge trapiche sapphire and diamond pendant. Courtesy Omi Privé.The word trapiche is Spanish for a six-spoked cogwheel used in old sugar mills. The stones themselves exhibit 6-rays emanating from a central ‘cog’ shaped formation. These rare lovelies are a miracle of nature.

First let’s talk about what it’s not. It is nothing like star stones which get their rays (called asterism) from tiny internal hair-like fibers which are exploited when the stone is cut en cabochon.

Trapiche 6-rayed stones occur when geothermal waters interact with a carbonaceous host rock.  A type of zoning occurs during mineral development making the gem cease to grow along rough edges and instead develops on smooth faces. The symmetrical formation of straight lines radiating from a central core add allure to the gemstone itself.

While they’ve not come to the fore until recent times, if it’s natural one has to image that it’s been around forever. Yes, it has. In the mid-19th century, Emile Bertrand first described these dazzling wonders, having seen them in Muzo, Colombia. It took about a century later until someone mentioned them again – this time with trapiche rubies being located in Mong Hsu, Myanmar (Burma).

Today, they are quietly slipping into couture goods as designers celebrate these intriguing stones with a story. Look for them in original jewelry – or better yet, grab a few for your favorite client who wants something ‘no one else has.’ That rarified condition may not last much longer.

Jarrett PenasTrapiche quartz found in Penas Blancas, Colombia.Award winning trade journalist and gemologist Diana Jarrett is a Registered Master Valuer Appraiser and a member of the Association of Independent Jewellery Valuers (AIJV). She’s a popular speaker at conferences and trade shows. Jarrett writes for trade and consumer publications, online outlets, her blog: Color-n-Ice, and www.jewelrywebsitedesigners.com. Contact her at info@dianajarrett.com, visit her website at www.dianajarrett.com, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter (Loupey).

Diana Jarrett GG, RMV

Diana Jarrett GG, RMV

Award winning trade journalist and gemologist Diana Jarrett is a Registered Master Valuer Appraiser and a member of the Association of Independent Jewellery Valuers (AIJV). She’s a popular speaker at conferences and trade shows. Jarrett writes for trade and consumer publications, online outlets, her blog: Color-n-Ice, and www.jewelrywebsitedesigners.com. Contact her at info@dianajarrett.com, visit her website at www.dianajarrett.com, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter (Loupey).

Related Posts

Motivating your sales staff

Keys to Effective Communication – Part IV

July 6, 2022
The Retailer’s Perspective: With great power comes great fails

The Retailer’s Perspective

June 30, 2022

The Story Behind the Stone: Yearning for Kazakhstan

June 30, 2022

10 Cybersecurity Questions small and medium businesses should ask in 2022

June 27, 2022

Latest News

What's New

VAHAN launches 2022 campaign – “A Moment for Me”

July 6, 2022
Columnists

Keys to Effective Communication – Part IV

July 6, 2022
Industry Events

FDIC Economist, Dr. LaVaughn Henry to keynote 2022 ASA International Conference

July 6, 2022

Other News

Michelle Meltesen joins John Atencio Wholesale team

Kovel Collection introduces Busy Bee designs

GN Diamond shares jewelers’ creative marketing tips

Stuller introduces several new offerings at JCK Las Vegas

JSA reports crimes against U.S. jewelry firms in 2021 exceeded pre-Covid levels

GCAL partners with VDB to add 8X® Cut Grade search filter

Southern Jewelry News

© 2022 Southern Jewelry News.

Additional Information

  • About
  • 2022 Trade Shows
  • Media Kit
  • Contact

Get Social with Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured Articles
    • Featured
    • Featured Retailers
    • Retailer Roundtable
    • Supplier Spotlight
    • Sponsored Content
  • Latest News
    • What’s New
    • Industry Events
    • Tradeshow News
    • On The Move
    • Other News
    • Furry Friends
  • Columnists
  • Classifieds
  • Subscriptions
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Print Subscription

© 2022 Southern Jewelry News.