THE GEM VAULT
Morphée's gemologist, Pamela Hastry, travels the world in the quest of rare gems. Discover her selection available for purchase and international shipment, or select a stone and make an appointment to design your own bespoke piece.
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To find out more about gemstones you can also participate in one of Pamela's Gem Talks, or even join her in one of her Travels.
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Click on one of the stone selections here below to discover the collection.
The rare Namibian blue Tourmaline has hues and saturation grades varying from the electric paraiba, to indicolite and the streaming blue green lagoon colors. Discover this fabulous gem straight from the mines.
NAMIB BLUE TOURMALINE
COLOR
Tourmaline’s colors vary greatly. Traces of iron, and possibly titanium, induce green and blue colors.
HISTORY
Somewhere in Brazil in the 1500s, a Spanish conquistador washed a green tourmaline crystal from the dirt and confused the vibrant gem with emerald. His confusion lived on until scientists recognized tourmaline as a distinct mineral specie in the 1800s.
CHEMISTRY
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Mineral: Tourmaline
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Color: All colors
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Refractive index: 1.624 to 1.644
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Mohs Hardness: 7 to 7.5
LEGEND
In Africa, tourmaline was once used as a stone to awaken one from "the dream of illusion". It was said to be the substance that would grant enlightenment. Alchemists believed it to be related to the philosopher's stone because of it's pyroelectric effect.
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Australia is the most famous source of opals in the world. The black opals from Lightning Ridge are the most valuable opals ever produced. The black backdrop heightens a huge play of saturdated colors in the gem, but the variety also includes incredible crystals that seem as though rainbows have been trapped in ice.
AUSTRALIAN OPALS
COLOR
Opal's microscopic arrays of stacked silica spheres diffract light and blaze of flashing colors. An poal's color range and pattern help determine its value.
HISTORY
In 1829 The novel “Anne of Geierstein” gave opal a reputation of being unlucky.
CHEMISTRY
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Mineral: Hydrated Silica
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Color: All colors
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Refractive index: 1.37 to 1.47
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Mohs Hardness: 5 to 6.5
LEGEND
Because opal has the colors of other gems, the Romans thought it was the most precious and powerful of all. The Bedouins believed that opals contained lightning and fell from the sky during thunderstorms.
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ETHIOPIAN OPALS
Ethiopia is the new "El Dorado" in the opal world; we are sourcing larger yet less expensive gems than in Australia. The main difference between Ethiopian opal and Australian opal is it's hydrophane properties which, though beautiful in appearance, provide only 1% of stones that have the quality required for use in Jewellery.
COLOR
They occur in a variety of translucent to transparent base colors varying from white to orangy yellow, with vivid play-of-color in a variety of patterns. Refered to in the trade as “welo opal,” but the names “wollo” and “wello” are also familliar.
HISTORY
Only at the turn of the 21st century did we discover the Wollo district with Ethiopian opals that displayed play of color with vividness and intensity of gem quality.
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Those documenting opal’s history feel that this was the source for opal that the Roman emperor Mark Antony and the Egyptian Pharaoh Cleopatra sought after as the most highly valued gem in the world.
CHEMISTRY
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Mineral: Hydrated Silica
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Color: All colors
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Refractive index: 1.37 to 1.47
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Mohs Hardness: 5 to 6.5
LEGEND
​it said to give the wearer a sense of calmness which in turn serve to encourage faith, loyalty, truth as well purity.
