The People's Republic of China has recently placed a high priority on identifying and developing its gemstone resources. Initial exploration by teams of geologists throughout China has identified many ...

The September birthstone is sapphire – a gem that’s been cherished for thousands of years. Although the term sapphire usually refers to the blue variety of corundum (ruby is the red variety), this ...

Surface-treated topaz has become a viable alternative to topaz colored by irradiation. Unlike irradiation, which modifies the entire gemstone, coloration by chemical modification is limited to the ...

Synthetic diamond growth was first documented in 1952 by William Eversole of the Union Carbide Corporation, but it took another two decades before GIA issued the first grading report for a ...

This article traces the use of pearls from antiquity to the initial appearance of cultured pearls in the 1920s. The first section touches on the early fascination with pearls as revealed through ...

Demantoid, green andradite garnet, was discovered in the Central Ural Mountains of Russia in the mid-19th century. A favorite of the Czar's court, demantoid was another victim of the 1917 Bolshevik ...

The Chinese have labored to perfect the art of gemstone carving for several thousand years. Beginning with primitive tools and limited materials, they eventually developed the iron-tipped spindles and ...

Jewellery Arabia is the Middle East’s premier jewellery and watch event. Backed by a 30 year track record of success, this five-day show unites the world’s most desirable brands and extraordinary ...

Figure 1. A single tourmaline fiber contains three distinct chemical zones, each recording the fluid composition at the time of growth. Between zones, fluids dissolved preexisting tourmaline to ...

A synthetic gem material is one that is made in a laboratory, but which shares virtually all chemical, optical, and physical characteristics of its natural mineral counterpart, though in some cases, ...

Diamond is available in a range of sizes and qualities to fit every consumer's tastes. One of the first things most people learn about diamonds is that not all diamonds are created equal. In fact, ...

As a consumer, you will regularly encounter in the marketplace gems that have been treated to change their appearance. A topic that often comes up is whether a particular gemstone is or isn’t treated.