Figure 1. The vivid colors seen in fine gem-quality spinel are derived from the mixing between multiple different chromophores in a range of ratios and concentrations, as in this fine 13.52 ct ...

Tanzanite is one of the most popular colored gemstones in the world.- Courtesy Tanzanite Foundation ™ Tanzanite is a versatile gemstone that comes in a variety of sizes and cutting styles. Although it ...

Soon after it was first marketed in 1976, colorless cubic zirconia became the dominant diamond imitation, with current production of approximately 60 million carats per year. Although cubic zirconia ...

Gem-quality spessartine garnet and grossular garnet have been discovered in Altay, China. Gemological and mineralogical studies show that their properties are typical for these garnet species.

The northeastern portion of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, contains the world's greatest concentration of complex granitic pegmatites, which are especially noted for the production of gem beryl, ...

Vivid blue, green, and purple-to-violet cuprian elbaites, renowned in the gem trade as “Paraíba” tourmalines, continue to be recovered in small amounts from northeastern Brazil. Since the initial ...

Figure 1. This 2.54 ct yellowish green spinel is shown under daylight conditions (left) and short-wave UV light (right). Photos by Sood Oil (Judy) Chia (left) and Jian Xin (Jae) Liao (right).

Vietnam is a land of great diversity and beauty. From the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City to the beauty of Hạ Long Bay and Hoi An (both UNESCO World Heritage Sites), there are innumerable places ...

Diamonds have a long history as a premier gemstone—a natural consequence of their beauty, rarity, and superlative physical properties such as extreme hardness. Diamonds that are mined for use as ...

North America has a long history of natural pearling owing in part to its very diverse and rich freshwater mussel resources. After the Civil War pearl jewelry gained greater popularity in the United ...

Gem inclusions are mineral crystals or cavities filled with fluid and/or gas that occur in a host gemstone. Many gems contain microscopic inclusions (ranging in size from >1 mm down to submicroscopic ...

In November 2022, a parcel of 24 approximately 0.5–1.2 ct spinel crystals, described as cobalt-diffused, were obtained directly from a treater by the research team at GIA in Bangkok. Of these, seven ...