Seeing a faceted Amber is a rare occurrence but to see a mosquito captured in a piece of faceted Amber in a perfect long emerald-cut frame? Well, that’s downright unheard of and unseen by most dealers in a lifetime! But not for Desmond Chan, one of the forces behind gem cutting firm Gem Arts International, who saw such a unicorn at a trade show in Asia last fall. Chan spied a 4.62 ct. faceted piece of Amber from a dealer. Recognizing its rarity and over-the-top cool factor, he purchased it, brought it home to the U.S., and gave it a name as fabulous as the piece, “Immortalized Foe.”
On his way home last fall, though, he made an important pitstop in Dallas to AGTA headquarters to enter items into the Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards. He pulled several beautiful items out of a backpack to show staff, but that Amber wasn’t among them. Knowing how interesting it was, though, he eventually pulled that out as well. Staffers marveled at it because it was so unique and urged AGTA CEO John W. Ford Sr. to view it. Ford louped it, looked at Chan, and asked if he planned to enter it. Chan said no, he was just sharing it because it was so unusual, but Ford encouraged him to enter it into the All Other Cut Gemstones category.
Baltic Amber washes up on the beaches surrounding the Baltic Sea Photo: Pixabay
Fast forward to the competition at the end of last October. The gem didn’t place in the Awards but did earn a spot in the hearts of both AGTA staffers and media on press day, prompting AGTA to have it photographed along with the winners.
Many have expressed interest in purchasing the gem from Chan, but he’s saving it in his personal collection.
“I don’t really want to sell it because how do I replace something like that?” he asks. “And I don’t know how to price it—to find something so perfectly framed without bubbles or other inclusions? It’s such a cool and natural occurrence, nature’s art mixed with human capabilities. Many have seen insects in Amber but nothing this cool.”
Bug in a different piece of Amber
The seller had a booth full of unusual goods and was confident the gem had Baltic origins, meaning the Baltic Sea off the northern coast of Poland. Still, Chan plans to send it to GIA for analysis and, he hopes, a more precise opinion on origin.
Being a dealer in unique and rare gems like these, Chan hopes to source more one-of-a-kinds like it. “These are the types of gems that are interesting to people.”
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