In my ongoing quest to add interesting
and valuable content to the Jewelry Collecting site, I
research several new websites every week looking for
outstanding products, services, and fascinating people I
think you will enjoy reading about. When I find
something exceptional, I contact the site owner, artist,
or retailer and invite them to be interviewed, and write
a story about them and their products or services. There
are presently several articles in the works which will
be published over the coming month and into the fall.
I also actively seek out information about gemstones,
because after all, gemstones are the heart of any great
jewelry collection, even costume jewelry which often
celebrates the beauty of gemstones with wonderfully
realistic simulants. Whether you collect precious or
semi-precious loose stones like fancy diamonds,
amethyst, goldstone, or ammolite, turquoise and silver
Native American jewelry, or antique jewelry, one or a
multitude of different gemstones are most likely the
focal point of your collection.
I personally like to know everything I can about the
gemstones in my own collection, and for me, a good
understanding of the stone is an exciting part of the
collecting experience. I know many of my visitors are
also interested in learning more about the gemstones in
their jewelry or loose gemstone collections, and that
you would like to know more about the stone’s origin,
formation, properties, faceting information, gemstone
care, and what key elements you need to look for when
purchasing loose gemstones and gemstone jewelry.
With this objective in mind, I set out last month to
find an expert in the science of gemology who could
answer our diverse and complex questions about
gemstones. It is one thing to search the Internet and
gather general information from a dozen anonymous online
sources, and quite another to ask tough specific
questions of a real person who knows what they’re
talking about and who gives you direct and technically
correct answers. I was determined to find such a person
and invite them to be a contributor of gemological
information and become an interactive participant by
answering our visitor’s questions.
Welcome to ‘Our Gemology Expert’, Barbara W. Smigel,
PhD.
Graduate Gemologist, GIA
I
am delighted to announce that I found our expert! I am
pleased to introduce you to Barbara W. Smigel, PhD.
Graduate Gemologist, GIA, who has accepted my invitation
to be “Our Gemology Expert”. After a long hard search I
could not believe my good luck in finding Barbara. My
first peek into her website told me that here was a true
professional, a gemologist with a wonderful talent for
educating others, a flair for presenting the stories of
gemstones, and whose impeccable attention to detail
leaves no stone unturned (pardon the pun).
I have now had the pleasure of speaking with Barbara a
couple of times by telephone (she in Las Vegas, Nevada
USA and me in the Lake Simcoe region of Ontario, Canada)
and learned something new and vastly interesting about
gemstones each time. Barbara is a born teacher, and
thankfully for us, loves to share her wealth of
knowledge about gemstones and the science of gemology
with those of us eager to learn.
We extend a big warm welcome to Barbara, and would like
her to know how much we appreciate her acceptance of our
invitation. I know her invaluable input will enrich your
visiting experience here at the Jewelry Collecting site.
Barbara will be sharing her gemological opinions,
comments, and buyer guidelines for our ‘Everything You
Ever Wanted to Know About’ series of articles, each of
which focus on a specific gemstone. She is also looking
forward to answering your gemstone questions, and at
least once per month we will feature one of your
questions with Barbara’s answer to it.
About Barbara
Barbara’s PhD. in biology and illustrious credentials as
a veteran professor of biology for more than 20 years
gave no hint of the passionate gemstone collector she
would later become. She had always thought of stones as
places for bugs to hide under. Then about 10 years ago a
serendipitous event changed the course of Barbara’s
life. Casually leafing through a coffee table book about
gemstones, she fell in love with the images of the
stones, admired their beauty, and knew she wanted to
collect them. This day marked the beginning of her
journey of self-discovery in which she became not only
astute student, but teacher, self-described ‘obsessive
gemstone collector’, faceter (gemstone cutter), jewelry
designer, and retailer with a fascinating and busy
online gemstone shop,
Artistic Colored Stones. Barbara was simply meant to
be a gemologist, and gemstones have become her life’s
work.
Barbara obtained her Colored Stone Diploma in 1998 and
received the Graduate Gemologist credential GG (Graduate
Gemologist) from GIA in 2003. Retired from her career as
a biology professor in 2001 to dedicate herself to the
increasingly busy Artistic Coloured Stones, Barbara
still teaches biology and gemology courses as a
“Professor Emerita” at Community College of Southern
Nevada in Las Vegas. She has also developed an
Introduction to Gemology course for Community College of
Southern Nevada’s Geology Department. Starting out as a
traditional on-campus format, this course is now
available through CCSN in an Internet version and
allowing students throughout the world to learn about
the science of gemology. Kudos to Barbara for also
creating an absolutely free version open to anyone
interested in learning more about the science of
gemology, but who don’t wish to take an official course
with deadlines, grades, and fees, which you can access
at
Introduction to Gemology. I encourage you to check
out this highly recommended resource.
As you can see, Barbara will be a wonderful asset to the
Jewelry Collecting site and we appreciate her giving of
her time and expertise for as long as her busy schedule
allows. In communicating with Barbara over the last
month, my interest has been increasingly piqued by the
virtual library of gemstone material on her
information-packed website. My creative spirit has been
awakened by viewing her gemstone offerings, and her own
unique and beautiful jewelry designs. I find myself more
and more intrigued by the science of gemology, and have
developed a profound appreciation for the relevance and
value of gemstones.
As my interest in gemstones grows, so to does my desire
to create gemstone jewelry and other gemstone creations.
Lately I find myself daydreaming and sketching rough
designs everywhere I find paper and pen. Soon I will
begin my journey to master the skills and techniques
required to execute my designs. Certainly learning about
gemstones from a gemologist will fuel this new passion,
and inspired by Barbara’s story, I intend to jump in
with the same determination, fervor, and dedication
Barbara had and still has for gemstones and gemology.
Thanks, Barbara!