Sapphires from Down Under
Australia has been one of the world's major sapphire producers for more than 50 years. Historically, many in the industry thought of Australian sapphire only as very dark, near-black colors, but this is definitely not the case. It was also common to think Australian sapphires only came in dark blue, which also could not be further from the truth! The truth is, Australia produces a beautiful range of blues, denim, teals, greens, and yellow colored gems. It's now known for this color range as well as some of the most beautiful bi-colors you'll ever see. So, whether you're looking for standard...
Design with Colorless Gemstones
For the last couple of years, we've noticed an increased interest in colorless gems, which is the perfect fit for this month's alternative birthstone! While diamonds are traditionally April’s birthstone, there is a wide variety of colorless gems making their way into beautiful jewelry designs today. There is an array of colorless gems to choose from when looking for something different than diamonds. Depending on your design, or your client's needs, finding an alternative gemstone that speaks to you isn't as hard as you might think! SHOP COLORLESS GEMS
Spring has Arrived!
Did you know the term equinox comes from a Latin term that means "equality between day and night"? Well, the spring equinox made it's appearance earlier this week and to celebrate we're showcasing our Spring Collection. This Collection mimics the springtime colors budding here in the Pacific Northwest, which means all things pastel! You can find pastel colors in countless gemstone varieties like Aquamarine, Blue Topaz, Green Quartz, Morganite, Tourmaline, Sapphire, and of course our signature Neon Green Beryl. We hope you make time to stop and enjoy the beauty of the season, and might we recommend exploring our gems to kick...
FAIR TRADE FRIDAY: Supply Challenges with Responsible Sourcing
Did you catch last week’s Fair Trade Friday?Fair Trade Friday is our Instagram series where we discuss various topics related to responsible sourcing. Last week, our owner, Eric Braunwart sat down to talk about supply challenges when working with responsibly sourced materials and what you, as a designer, can do to better plan without compromising your values or mission. Click below to join the discussion. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Columbia Gem House (@columbiagemhouse) WATCH NOW
It’s Columbia with a U
"You do Colombian emeralds, right?” We get this question all the time. First, we do not source Colombian emeralds since we’ve not found a way to do so that follows our protocols, though we do have some gorgeous Brazilian emeralds! But more importantly to answer this question, it’s actually Columbia with a U - our name was inspired by the PNW where we were founded and proudly continue to operate from today. The Columbia River separates Oregon and Washington state and our first office building once overlooked that very river. In the 1970’s when Eric first began, it was very...
Water of the Sea Gem
As we approach Springtime, there's a new birthstone making waves. Aquamarine is the traditional birthstone for March and a member of the beryl family (just like Emerald or Morganite). This gem's direct Latin translation means "water of the sea" and even referenced in Greek Mythology, one of which tells a story of Aqua washing ashore after spilling from a treasure chest of Sirens. Outside of mythological tales, Aqua comes from a variety of locations around the world. Today, our team works with rough primarily sourced from Nigeria, with other significant deposits found in Brazil, Mozambique, Zambia, and Afghanistan. Our Nigerian...