Autumn 2026 Colored Gemstone Market Review: Rubies Lead Sotheby’s Hong Kong as Ethiopia Joins the Paraíba Origins

Rubies took the top three lots at Sotheby’s Hong Kong High Jewelry sale in September 2026, and GIA and Gübelin confirmed Ethiopia as a new Paraíba tourmaline source. Key signals from auctions, mines and laboratories.

Sapphire Collecting Guide: From Color Grading and Origin Identification to Unheated Quality and International Gemological Standards

Sapphire is the collective designation for all gem-quality corundum varieties excluding red, with blue corundum colored by iron and titanium being the most iconic. Its valuation in gem curation rests upon four key dimensions: color grading, provenance, treatment status, and laboratory certification. The market holds Royal Blue and Cornflower Blue as the most highly prized color designations, with natural unheated status (no indications of heating) forming the core benchmark of physical rarity. This guide examines sapphire color grading, provenance identification across Kashmir, Burma, and Sri Lanka, the collector significance of unheated status, and evaluation standards established by leading international laboratories including AIGS, GIA, GRS, Gübelin, and SSEF.

What Is Spinel? Hardness, Color, Origins and the Unheated Standard

Spinel is a natural gem of Mohs 8 hardness, from vivid red to cobalt blue, and was long mistaken for ruby. A collector's guide to its properties, color range, origins and certification.

JUSTLEE Masterpiece: 17-Carat Unheated Mozambican Paraíba Tourmaline Necklace, Certified by Gübelin and GRS

A 17-carat pear-cut unheated Paraíba tourmaline necklace of Mozambican origin, independently certified unheated by Gübelin and GRS. Conceived around the shimmer of water, the piece sets its electric blue-green stone amid a cascading wave of natural untreated diamonds — a JUSTLEE Masterpiece.

What Is Paraíba Tourmaline? Rarity, Origin, and the Value of Unheated Stones

Paraíba tourmaline is a rare copper- and manganese-bearing tourmaline prized for its electric blue-green glow. Learn what defines it, how Brazilian and Mozambican origins differ, why most stones are heated, and how certification and unheated status determine collector value.

What Is Alexandrite? Color Change, Origin Rarity & Untreated Certification

Alexandrite is a rare chromium-bearing chrysoberyl that turns green in daylight and red under incandescent light. A complete guide to what drives its color change, how Russian and Brazilian origins compare at auction, and why untreated stones with international lab reports define collector-grade quality.