Hello IGS Forum members. I’m new to the world of gemstones and thrilled to be learning so much from this group.

It was an unexpected surprise to receive an inheritance of over a thousand cut gemstones—everything from Alexandrite to Zircon, but that is what happened over four years ago. It has taken these several years to get serious about understanding what we have, but recently retired, I’ve now got the time to dig in, and I’m hooked.

My first challenge was to properly inventory the stones. Fortunately, they were still in the original folded paper packets from when they had been purchased (mostly in the late 1960 and 70’s,) with the stones identified by name and carat weight. Then, I started putting each stone in its own clear gem jar. Until then, the names meant almost nothing to me. Of course I had a sense of the famous ones: Sapphire, Ruby, and Emeralds, but Iolite, Peridot, Spodumene, etc. meant nothing to me. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, there were no Diamonds in the bunch. I’ve also photographed and labeled (by name and carat weight) most of the gems. In the categories of Amethyst, Garnet, Sapphire, and Tourmaline, there were many stones that were so dark that they appeared almost black until light was shined through them, and those I did not photograph.

I’ve acquired a Business License and a Sellers Permit, and I’ve already sold about ten of the gemstones, including the one Alexandrite. But mostly, I’m taking it slow and enjoying the journey. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have landed in this amazing field of color, sparkle, and the majesty of Mother Earth.