Gems

First it was organic fruits and vegetables. Then it was clothing manufactured outside of sweatshop conditions. Now, this Valentine's Day, the hottest item for the caring consumer is ethical jewelry -- diamonds, gold and silver that have been mined free of conflict and pollution. On the heels of the movie "Blood Diamond," several top jewelry retailers have pledged to support more socially responsible mining. A few companies have gone even further, selling recycled stones or diamonds from Canada.

THE pale green lamp on the shelves at West Elm in Santa Monica is made of common clay but looks as if it's carved, polished jade. At Kartell in West Hollywood, Dutch designer Marcel Wanders' plastic Stone stools sparkle like chunks of topaz and citrine. Across the street, Fendi Casa's Crystal chair looks like a cushion-cut diamond. These days, a residence described as a jewel box may actually look like one.

The rich red hue of Myanmar's prized rubies is a reminder to many gem dealers of the military government's bloody crackdown on democracy advocates, and talk of a boycott is increasing. "There is a growing awareness that it is a fascist regime," said Brian Leber, a third-generation American gem dealer in Western Springs, Ill. "Considering what this regime has done to its own people, we're troubled to see that a precious stone is offering such a great source of cash for them."

The Beverly Hills gallery I.M. Chait auctioned off fossils, minerals and gems last week to the tune of $1 million -- a jump of nearly 70% over Chait's first natural history sale in 2002, according to operations director Josh Chait. The rapid growth is fueled only partially by collectors hoping for a good investment. "It's also the aesthetic," Chait says, adding that bidders see unusual beauty in the ancient and the natural. Bonhams & Butterfields (www.bonhams.

In the ownership dispute brewing in the Los Angeles courts over an 840-pound emerald, the list of purported owners keeps on growing. There's the self-trained geologist who says it belonged to him from the start. There are the two Idaho investors who say it became theirs after a business partner failed to deliver on a transaction. Then there's the businessman who says that for the last seven years he believed it was stolen.

THANK YOU ever so much for "Neutra, in Miniature" [May 25], on how Mike Resnick has saved and restored Neutra's modest eight-unit garden apartment building in North Hollywood. While other "developers" in North Hollywood, Valley Village, Studio City continue bulldozing little gems like these to build luxury condominiums, I see Resnick has greater vision, bless him, than others. Your article may help change minds at City Hall and encourage preservation -- not demolition -- where possible.

THANK you for publishing Mary McNamara's article on Germany ["Europe's Sleeping Beauty," Oct. 22]. I've been traveling to Germany about once a year for 10 years now, and her article highlights many of the gems I've seen: Koblenz, Trier, Heidelberg and Rothenburg ob der Tauber. One town that was listed in the "Where to Eat" section but not given a full paragraph was Speyer, about 30 miles southwest of Heidelberg. It's worth the trip there to see the cathedral that dates back to 1100 and its beautiful pedestrian-only street with many shops and outdoor cafes.

One of the last intact pieces of the French crown jewels that were sold off by the republican government in the 19th century returned to France this week after being acquired by the Louvre Museum. The museum paid $10.7 million for the bow brooch, made up of 2,634 diamonds. It was created by Parisian jeweler Francois Kramer for Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, in 1855. In 1887, it was sold by order of the Third Republic. It was bought for New York socialite Caroline Astor and remained in the family for more than a century.

MY friend Carolyn and I wanted to become gold-diggers. But because we couldn't find a goldmine within driving distance, we decided to become gem-diggers instead. We headed for the Pala Indian Reservation in north San Diego County, home to one of the oldest tourmaline mines in the country -- and a casino, hotel and spa -- in hopes of scoring some gorgeous gems.