Custom Cut Gems
Lisa Elser is an amazing custom gemstone cutter who also travels the world purchasing the finest rough for her finished stones. I admire that she and her husband buy only rough from ethically mined sources and give back to the communities and people that make their business possible.
The Gem Trader
Brad Payne has a vast selection of rare gems not often seen in the colored stone industry. I particularly like his special gallery of US gems, which includes some great examples of Arizona amethyst, benitoite from California, rhodochrosite from Colorado, and others. Brad is great to do business with so check out his site! Based in Arizona and Michigan.
OBG International Gems & Mineral
http://www.infodyn.com/obg/ Offers mineral specimens from around the world including my favorite Arizona mineral Wulfenite. Owner Thomas Corson has been collecting minerals for 45 years and exhibits at the Arizona and Colorado gem shows. Based in Green Valley, Arizona USA.
Clear Cut Gems
Lloyd Forrester owner of Clear Cut Gems is a skilled faceter of custom cut gemstones including amethyst, aquamarine, citrine, garnet, sapphire, tourmaline, and topaz. He has some great photographs of his work and a nice presentation on how a gemstone is cut. Of course you can also buy some of his custom cut stones.
North Carolina Emeralds
Geologist Ed Speer has a great site to learn about North Carolina Emeralds. He presents detailed histories of all the North Carolina emerald mines and includes great photographs and illustrations of the most famous specimens found. You can also buy his new book Fieldtrip Guidebook Hiddenite District, Alexander Co, NC that explains the geologic formation of the emerald deposits.
Global Roughs
Ikem Onwude offers beautiful parcels of rough gemstones from Nigeria and other African countries. Amethyst, Beryl, Garnet, Sapphire, Topaz, Tourmaline, and Zircon are his specialties. He offers a 10-day return policy and accepts PayPal, MoneyGram, Western Union, and Coinstar. Based in Kubwa Abuja, Nigeria.
John Dyer
Award winning cutter John Dyer offers fantastic precision cut gems wholesale to the trade and retail to the public. He specializes in custom cut gemstones, concave faceting, and a combination of carving and flat faceting. They offer a 14-day return policy and are based in Edina, Minnesota USA.
Brume Jeroh
Brume is a Nigerian rough dealer that provided honest descriptions of his rough and works extremely hard to provide high quality rough from Nigeria. Pete Brush is his US supplier of rough and can be found at Western Gem. Both Brume and Pete are honest and trustworthy individuals!
Charities We Support
www.stiffpersonsyndromefund.org is the official US non-profit charity for the rare autoimmune disease Stiff Person Syndrome. They provide mobility equipment for individuals afflicted by this disabling neurological disorder with no know cause or cure.