Dagny Solheim 
I remember sitting in the grading lab during my third year, staring through a loupe at a pair of heavy, teardrop-shaped labradorite studs. They were stunning—a deep, oily blue like the North Sea just before a storm—but as I leaned in, I noticed the client’s ears. The skin was pulled taut, a thin, angry red … Read more
I spent six years in a windowless grading lab, staring through a loupe until my eyes burned, and if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the market loves to wrap a simple piece of silicate in a layer of expensive, celestial nonsense. You’ll see shops charging triple the price for a bit of … Read more
I spent six years in a grading lab staring through a loupe until my eyes felt like they were full of sand, and if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that people will try to sell you anything if you wrap it in enough moonlight. I see it all the time on shop sites: … Read more
I remember sitting in a cramped grading lab in Bergen, staring through a loupe at a strand of labradorite that looked like frozen seawater under the lamp. Just as I was noting the feldspar’s play of light, the silk thread snapped, and a dozen stones scattered across the linoleum like heavy rain. It’s a heartbreaking … Read more
I spent six years in a grading lab staring through a loupe until my eyes felt like they were full of sand, and if there is one thing that still makes me roll my eyes, it is the way the market treats howlite. You’ll walk into a shop and see a beautiful, robin’s-egg blue stone … Read more
I spent six years hunched over a bench in a grading lab, peering through a loupe until my eyes burned, mostly looking for the tiny inclusions that prove a stone is real. I’ve seen enough “miracle” crystals to know that most online shops are just selling expensive glass and wishful thinking. People get so caught … Read more
I spent six years in a grading lab, staring through a loupe until my eyes burned, and if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the market loves to sell expensive nonsense to anyone looking for a spiritual connection. You’ll see shops claiming certain stones are “essential” for your zodiac sign, often charging a … Read more