Mining the Facts: Chrysocolla | Dakota Blog 12.20.2021 The Southwest United States has produced many minerals and gems since exploration began in its arid and rocky expanses. Prospectors searched for gold, silver and copper, and mining operations pull those elements...
Identifying Dyed Stones | Dakota Blog 12.6.2021 Color-enhanced stones can be a tricky topic Some people are vehement stone purists and willing to pay a premium for colorful stones that haven't been treated in any way to enhance color. Others...
Table Cut Cubes: Old Technique Adds New Sparkle Dakota Stones Table Cut Cube - A cutting technique that originated in the 16th Century for making diamonds sparkle. The table cut is so named for the simple fact that the top...
Notes on Composite Stone: Dakota Blog 11/08/2021 Composite stones go by several other names: reconstituted stones, assembled stones, reconstructed stones. These terms refer to any stone created using excess stone remnants from the cutting process. These remnants are then mixed...
VLOG: Ricky Talks Table Cut Cubes! Ricky talks all about our newest shape, Table Cut Cubes, and gives a sneak peek into what is coming soon! Shop Table Cut Cubes
Dakota Blog | Notes on the MATTE Process Matte beads are pretty common in the bead world right now, and with good reason. They look great with basically any material and add a special little something to any design style....
Energy Prisms: A Multi-Step Diamond Faceting Process This dynamic Energy Prism cut was first launched in September, 2020 in 20 different stone types. The response has been so positive we are now manufacturing over 40 stone types in 6-10mm sizes...
Hubei: Chinese Turquoise American Turquoise is usually defined by where it is mined, such as Kingman or Sleeping Beauty. Hubei Turquoise has historically been referred to as simply “Chinese Turquoise”, even though it comes from many different locations. For over...
THE CARDINAL GEMS Traditionally, there were five gemstones considered to be the rarest and most precious of them all, and these were known as the Cardinal Gemstones. The term “Cardinal” refers to the use of these gemstones by royalty for...
