Journal

Field notes from the bench — on gemstones, their origins, and the craft of cutting. Written for collectors who want to understand what they hold.

Oval Russian demantoid garnet showing deep bottle-green color and a radiating horsetail inclusion

Gemstone Guides·6 min read

Demantoid: The Real Diamond

Demantoid garnet has more fire than diamond, no synthetic equivalent, and shrinking Russian supply — which is why it now rivals diamond at $5,000–$10,000 per carat.

Sergey Marianovich, founder of Marianovich Gems and GIA-trained gemologist, examining a loose gemstone with jewelers' tweezers

Our Story·4 min read

From Lake Baikal to New York: The Story Behind Marianovich Gems

How a young man who found tourmalines at Lake Baikal and traded them for a Russian emerald built a gemstone business on direct relationships with deposit owners.