Alisa Thorp

Jewelry Design & Ethical Gemstone Expert

Alisa Thorp is a Jewelry Design & Ethical Gemstone Expert and the Co-Founder of Mercurius Jewelry. With over 15 years of experience, she specializes in responsibly-sourced fine jewelry. She holds a BS in Environmental Science from Columbia University and is studying gemology at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA).

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Co-authored Articles (9)

Easy Ways to Identify Raw Gemstones

Learn which gemstone you have with this identification guide Identifying an unpolished, rough gemstone can seem difficult, but it really isn’t! You can use a streak test to determine the color of the gemstone’s powde...

How to Tell If a Stone Is Genuine Opal

Learn the differences between common and precious opalOpals are a well-known gemstone that can be divided into two categories: common and precious. Precious opals feature the beautiful iridescence that the gemstone is we...

The Best Way to Spot a Fake Opal: What You Should Know

Real vs. fake opals. What’s the difference?Opals are gorgeous stones. But how can you tell if the necklace you bought with your hard-earned cash contains a real opal? Fake opals are often very hard to detect, but here ...

How to

Tell Glass from Semi Precious Stone Beads

By learning how to avoid fakes when purchasing semi-precious stones (any gemstone that isn’t a diamond, sapphire, ruby, or emerald), how to test for fakes at home, and how to find a competent jeweler capable of identif...

How to

Tell if a Pink Sapphire Is Real

If you want to tell whether a pink sapphire is real, you first must decide what you mean by "real." If you want to determine whether the stone is a piece of glass masquerading as a sapphire, you may be able to tell this ...

Moonstone vs. Opal: Differences in Appearance & Meaning

Everything you need to know to choose your perfect gemstone There are thousands of beautiful gemstones worldwide, but few are as alluring as moonstones and opals. Both gems have an ethereal quality, and it’s common fo...

How to

Identify Crystals

There are countless different types of crystals; each with their own colours, shapes, and density. A number of gems are also crystals, however, not all crystals are gems. Crystals are identified by experts by their pure ...

How to

Clean Opal Rings

Even though opals are more delicate than some gemstones, cleaning your opal ring is a simple process. Your ring's stone is either a pure, uncut opal or a doublet or triplet opal that has been sliced and layered to fit th...

What Are the Benefits of Moonstone & How Can You Use It?

Exploring the properties, uses, and symbolism of moonstoneGlowing, gorgeous moonstone has been prized for its healing and clarifying properties for a long time—and many people still use it. Unlocking the many benefits...