Publish Year: - Title: Soul of Brazil Shines in Colorful Collection Abstract: View Gallery

The Institute’s first formal international jewelry collection highlights the spirit and soul of Brazilian jewelry.

	Long-known for its abundance of fine gemstones, Brazil is enjoying an emergence as a source of innovative jewelry design worldwide. GIA’s collection, which features pieces donated by Brazil’s top designers and manufacturers, was built with the support of the industry and the Brazilian Gems and Jewellery Trade Association, and showcases traditional and contemporary designs.

	Renowned Brazilian designer Ruth Grieco helped inspire the idea for the collection when she archived her contemporary, handmade tourmaline cross pendant and 18K gold necklace with GIA after it was mentioned in a book review in the Summer 2003 issue of Gems & Gemology.

	Other high-profile donors include:

		Cathrine Clarke, a well-known Brazilian jeweler: a multicolor gold and eroded watermelon tourmaline brooch/ring.

		Daniel André Sauer, director of Amsterdam Sauer and a longtime GIA supporter: his historical “Constellation” ring, the first South American-designed piece to win the De Beers Diamond International Award in 1966.

		Hans Stern, president of internationally recognized H. Stern Jewellers, Inc.: an Art Nouveau-Classical fusion style brooch, set with a 55-carat aquamarine and 38 diamonds in 18K white gold. The piece represents a classic Brazilian design characteristic of the 1960s.

	“GIA is among the few institutions focused on improving the high standards of the entire jewelry trade,” Sauer said. “The [Constellation] ring is an icon and a landmark for the Brazilian jewelry industry.”

	The 18K yellow gold "Constellation" ring won the De Beers Diamond International Awards in 1966. It features 28 round brilliant cut diamonds with total carat weight of 2.66 carats.  Photo by Don Mengason/GIA, gift of Amsterdam Sauer @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Making the Cut: The Art and Science of Fantasy Carving Abstract: Waterfall Suite, a group of three aquamarine sculptures on onyx bases by Sherris Cottier Shank, won an AGTA Cutting Edge Award in 1994, in part because of its fluid appearance. Courtesy of Gemscapes. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA

Some gem cutters are “gem whisperers” who claim their rough “tells” them what it wants to become. For them, carving becomes a process of communication with the material, closely observing and taking note as the rough’s inner structure and features guide the design. Others take a mathematical approach to cutting the rough and achieve stunning, precision faceting.
No matter the method, these incredibly gifted artists create breathtaking jewels.
About the Science
Flat facets are the traditional two-dimensional facets we see in diamonds and colored gemstones. They are shaped by the adjoining facets and the angles at which they intersect. Concave facets, on the other hand, literally add another dimension to faceting. They not only possess length and width, but also depth. Their potential to create sculptural works of art is endless.

This 140 ct Brazilian amethyst is faceted by Victor Tuzlukov. Courtesy of Victor Tuzlukov. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Many people feel that concave facets increase the stone’s brilliance and scintillation, giving it more life and beauty. A wide reflection of bright light from a flat facet washes out color. A concave facet acts as an internal convex mirror to produce reflected rays from more directions within a gemstone. The light from above reflects to the overhead observer as a narrow bright line of light at the top of the curved surface, and each side of the line will be darker, setting up strong contrast.

Master gem cutter Alexander Kreis created a fantasy cut sunstone carving that makes dramatic use of the gem’s color zoning. Courtesy of KREIS Jewellery. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
“Strong contrast makes a gemstone appear brighter and more appealing ... Scintillation is more dynamic when there is strong contrast between adjacent virtual facets,” according to Al Gilbertson, a research associate at GIA, in a 2013 Gems & Gemology article.
The internal reflections of light tend to hide inclusions and also eliminate windowing. Gems with light to medium tones show the greatest improvement in appearance. Dark stones may look darker. Multi-color ametrine, tourmaline and sunstone make especially attractive carvings and rutile inclusions in quartz add special interest.

This fantasy cut faceted colorless quartz is fashioned by Dalan Hargrave. Angular facets placed on the culet of the gem create a fascinating pattern when viewed through the gem’s table. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA, courtesy of Dalan Hargrave.
“This brilliance [from scintillation] can give the impression that the stone has a higher refractive index (RI), making quartz look like beryl, beryl like topaz, topaz like corundum, and corundum like zirconium,” according to Eddy Vleeschdrager in “Cutting Technique Flat, Concave, or Convex?” a 2002 article in Le Bijoutier International.
Craftsmen in the Idar-Oberstein area have produced stones with concave cut facets on the pavilion since the early 1900s. These stones became fashionable around 1920, and again in the 1950s and ‘60s.

This 18 ct ametrine is cut by Michael Dyber featuring Dyber optic dishes. Courtesy of Orasa Weldon. Photo by Emily Lane/GIA
About the Artists
Sherris Cottier-Shanks tells us the material talks to her. She senses its energy and gets a picture in her mind that she translates into the beauty of its new form. Using a simple carving arbor, she holds the gem by hand as it is being carved, resulting in curved form with a very soft, liquid appearance. She gained inspiration from Henry Hunt and indigenous Canadian Inuit art.

This 216 ct ametrine from Bolivia features the Dyber optic dish. Courtesy of Michael M. Dyber, gem designer. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Michael Dyber became the first American to ever win first prize in competitive gem design at the annual German Award for Jewelry and Precious Stones in Idar-Oberstein, 1994. He is known for his signature, trademarked “Dyber Optic Dishes” and “Luminaires.” Both techniques create optical illusions using a form of concave faceting. The “Luminaires” constitute a hollow channel form of faceting within the gem.

“Dreamscape” citrine is one of several trademark cuts by John Dyer. This is a unique matched pair of fantasy cuts. Courtesy of John Dyer & Co. Photo by Lydia Dyer
John Dyer began a meteoric gem cutting career in 1996 when his trial and error methods began to yield beautiful, sparkling gemstones. He won his first AGTA Cutting Edge Award in 2002 and in 2005 was the first person to sweep an entire category in the AGTA Cutting Edge Awards. He creates collections of trademarked cuts that live up to their names: “Dreamscape,” “Starbrite,” “Sunburst,” “Regal Radiant,” “Light Weaver” and “Sculptural.”

This 320 ct Bolivian ametrine was fashioned on specially designed faceting machinery built by the artist, Mark Gronlund. The sculpture makes excellent use of the unique color zoning seen in ametrine. Courtesy of Mark Gronlund. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Mark Gronlund, an award-winning cutter himself, met with Richard Homer early in his career, and became intrigued by the concave and convex facets created by the OMF (optically magnified facet) cutting machine. His fascination with curved lines led him to create a niche in non-traditional spiral and scallop cuts. He creates gemstone suites of bold colors and shapes for designer jewelry.

This fantasy cut ametrine, 67.50 ct is cut by Dalan Hargrave. Courtesy of Minerales y Metales del Oriente, Bolivia, SA. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Dalan Hargrave’s focus is in developing new gemstone cuts as works of art. He teaches classes in the lapidary arts as a way of passing on his knowledge to the next generation of artisans. He enjoys customizing specialized faceting equipment for his innovative styles.

This stunning pink tourmaline, 29.56 ct was cut by Richard Homer, a pioneer in concave faceting. Courtesy of Columbia Gem House, Inc. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Richard Homer is known for the exceptional brilliance of his cut gems. He masterfully curves the facets along the table, pavilion and girdle that return an explosion of light and color, and is often credited with designing the innovative “concave facet.” His dramatic designs sometimes employ new cutting techniques and curved outlines for which he custom tools specialized equipment.

This “Chanting of the Stars” rutilated quartz carving was created by Alexander Kreis of Idar-Oberstein. Courtesy of KREIS Jewellery. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Alexander Kreis, of KREIS Jewellery, hails from a long line of lapidaries based in Idar-Oberstein. He challenges himself to create gem sculptures that tell a story. He creates innovative techniques and tools when necessary for the design and concept.

Metamorphosis III is a sculpture in rock crystal quartz with rutile inclusions carved by Bernd Munsteiner, 1995. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Bernd Munsteiner is often credited with inventing the fantasy cut, which employs the art of sharp, angular cutting or faceting to reflect and refract light in transparent gems. He began his work in agate relief before moving on to transparent materials in the late 1960s and early ‘70s, removing large areas of the material for the sake of his art, defying the conventional practice of cutting to retain weight. The results are dynamic sculptural pieces that create movement of light comparable to animation. He is known for bold notches or slashes, producing a striking geometric form.

“Visions in Crystal” carved by Tom Munsteiner consists of 264 rock crystals, citrines, and smoky quartz, each weighing approximately 200 cts, free standing in a lattice structure consisting of similarly sized rectangles which are supported by two columns of aluminum with a height of 210 cm. The cut and polished crystals reflecting towards the front have almost the same color tone. The rock crystals are completely transparent, the citrines translucent yellow, only the smoky quartz progress from dark to light. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Tom Munsteiner carries on his father's legacy as a master of gem sculpture. His work reflects the influence of architectural elements in his designs, such as his “Visions in Crystal” sculpture, which stands at more than 6 feet tall and is comprised of 264 tiles of rock crystal quartz, citrine and smoky quartz each cut with various angular facets. He created the piece as an example of how gemstones can be seen as fine art.
Further Reading
Morgan, A. D. (October 2002) Development of concave faceting of gemstones, The Journal of Gemmology, October 2002.

Munsteiner, Bernd, Reflections in Stone, Wilhelm Lindemann, editor. 2004, Arnoldsche.

Oriel, Andy, (November 1997) Learning Curve, Lapidary Journal.

Weldon, Robert, (April 2005) Mathematical Brilliance, Professional Jeweler. @topic:6


Publish Year: 2021 Title: Hole Drilled by Hand in Briolette Abstract: Figure 1. The diamond paper that held the 6.19 ct briolette diamond. Photo by Nathan Renfro.

Recently, a 6.19 ct briolette diamond was submitted to GIA’s Antwerp laboratory for examination. It had been in the family of Belgian diamond cleaver and Auschwitz survivor Philip Isidoor Frank, who died in 1982. Mr. Frank is known for his work on many important diamonds, such as the 69.42 ct D-color Internally Flawless pear-shaped Taylor-Burton diamond. The diamond paper containing the briolette had a note, presumably written by Mr. Frank: “drilled by hand about 400 years ago” (figure 1). Sadly, this cannot be substantiated, and Mr. Frank left no other record. It raises the question as to whether this age is theoretically possible.

Figure 2. The facet arrangement of the 6.19 ct briolette. The horizontal drill hole is at the top. Photo by Jian Xin (Jae) Liao.
The diamond (figure 2) loosely fits the briolette definition since the hole is at the very tip rather than through the central portion. In reference to Mr. Frank’s note on the diamond paper, this description seems appropriate, even though the stone lacks the appealing teardrop shape we think of with modern briolettes. The style of faceting for this diamond is reminiscent of early cutting from India (1550–1900), but it could have been cut at any time (figure 3). By the 1700s, Europeans were already moving toward variations of brilliant styles with good symmetry, thin girdles, and specific ratios of crown and pavilion. They did not typically care for the quality of Indian diamond cutting, and many stones were recut.

Figure 3. Early Indian cutting styles (ca. 1550–1900) feature a very thick girdle area with multiple facets, similar to the briolette’s plane that wraps around the stone. From Ogden (2018), p. 320.
The briolette cutting style has a remarkably long history. Seventeenth-century French gem merchant Jean Baptiste Tavernier (1676, p. 336) sold four briolettes to the French king Louis XIV. The invoice described two stones as “round pendant with little facets” and “cut with facets on all sides” (Bapst, 1889, p. 404), respectively, and included illustrations. Two others, not illustrated, were “cut as round pendants with facets on all sides.” Tavernier’s drawings depict a briolette style, although that term was not used much before the nineteenth century.

However, Tavernier’s gems are not the earliest recorded briolettes. One had arrived in the royal court in England almost 20 years before his first voyage to India. On February 17, 1612, payment was arranged to the Flemish goldsmith Stephen le Gouche for a piece of jewelry with “one fair large pendant diamond, cut with fancies [facets] on all sides, and pierced at the top” that had been delivered to Queen Anne of Denmark (Green, 1858, p. 121), who was married to James VI and I (r. 1603–1625). The court accounts further describe the piercing at the top as lateral.

Noël-Antoine Pluche’s extensive multivolume work on natural history, Le Spectacle de la Nature, features an illustrated briolette described as a pear-shaped diamond cut in the “taille à l’Indienne” or Indian style (1748, pp. 349–352). The comments by Pluche, along with the Indian examples traded by Tavernier, point to the briolette form as being associated with India. Several later books specifically state this association and even mention lateral piercing. A French encyclopedia from 1859 (Guillaumin, pp. 980–981) explains that “In India, where the briolettes formerly came from, it was customary to pierce them with a very small hole in the upper part. Today a few lapidaries in Amsterdam cut briolettes very well, but they haven’t yet managed to pierce them.”

By 1600, Italian, German, Flemish, and Belgian cutters worked in India (Everaert, 2000, 2005), bringing along their techniques and cutting styles to higher-quality rough. These faceted stones would then be sent to Europe (Ogden, 2018, pp. 297–305). For example, the briolette shown in Tavernier’s book may have been cut by a European living in India rather than by a local Indian diamond cutter (there is no mention of a hole in the briolettes sold by Tavernier). Indian diamond cutters continued to follow their own styles, often cutting the lesser-quality rough destined for the Indian market. Short of documentation showing early briolettes with this specific facet arrangement by Indian cutters, dating the 6.19 ct briolette from Mr. Frank is impossible.

Figure 4. The drill hole at the tip of the stone. Note the unique surface, a remnant of the process of drawing a wire coated with diamond dust and oil back and forth. Photomicrograph by Nathan Renfro; field of view 4.02 mm.

The drill hole at the tip of this briolette (figure 4) is consistent with sawing techniques used to make holes in diamonds from the seventeenth century through the 1970s. By the mid-1500s, iron wires coated with diamond dust and oil were used to saw through a diamond. By the early 1600s, lapidaries rotated a diamond-tipped iron point or iron drill with diamond powder to create a hole from each side. Once these two holes met and the opening was large enough, the wire was inserted and drawn back and forth, the apparent method used for this diamond.

In 1811, Napoleon Bonaparte presented a 263 ct diamond briolette necklace to his empress consort, Marie Louise. It featured 19 oval- and pear-shaped briolette-cut diamonds (probably of Indian origin but faceted by European cutters in India) with drill holes. The facet arrangements of the stones in the necklace are more symmetrical and quite different from the 6.19 ct briolette.

It is unclear when laser drilling for larger holes began, but General Electric researchers used a laser to drill 0.02-inch-diameter holes into an industrial diamond in the early 1960s (Overton, 2008, p. 46). As early as 1970, GIA’s Robert Crowningshield reported that lasers were being used as part of a process to bleach or dissolve dark inclusions, and soon this treatment was widely available to members of the trade (Overton, 2008, p. 46). This means that sometime after the 1970s, lasers would have been employed for the process of drilling holes for beads and such. Older briolettes that came into GIA’s laboratory would still have holes drilled by hand, but by the 1980s, this hand drilling process was mostly abandoned. Has GIA seen a handmade drill hole in diamonds in the past, and if so, how many? Uncovering records of hand-drilled diamonds submitted to the laboratory is quite difficult since records prior to the 1990s are not computerized for searching and briolettes are rarely seen. Notations about the surface of the drill hole are also uncommon in reports. Our research into past submissions did not yield any useful results.

From the above, it is impossible to date this diamond, although it was probably cut before 1920 in India, possibly much earlier, but not by highly skilled cutters.

The briolette is heavily abraded. One possible reason is that it was kept in a diamond parcel rubbing against other diamonds for a long time, though this seems unlikely. Why would any diamond merchant allow a diamond in their stock to become so excessively abraded? It was more likely worn in an item of jewelry, repeatedly wearing against other diamonds and being casually stored by the owner, suggesting an extended period of use.

Of final note, there are several naturals on the surface of the briolette, including a trigon (figure 5).

Figure 5. The trigon is a remnant of the original crystal’s surface. Photomicrograph by Christopher Vendrell; field of view ~1.99 mm. @topic:10


Publish Year: - Title: Season’s Sales: US Up 4% to 5%, But China Continues to Lag Abstract: U.S. diamond and jewelry sales increased for the 2018 holiday season, but sales in Hong Kong and China hit a decline because of fears of a trade war with the U.S. and the very volatile stock market. Photo Eric Welch/GIA

The U.S. holiday season saw strong sales all the way through to the New Year, despite stock market turmoil and the government shutdown. Increases were seen in both brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce sites.

By all accounts, 2018 was a strong year. De Beers’ surveys showed an increase of 4.4% for the season in diamond jewelry sales over last year, and the National Retail Federation forecast overall retail sales growth of 4% to 5% over 2017.

In early November, Tiffany’s announced that same store sales were up 5% for the year in North America and 7% worldwide for the first three-quarters of the year. The company expected holiday sales to continue in line with this number. Signet Group, which operates Kay Jewelers, Zale Corp and Jared Stores, was predicting a flat holiday season as the company recovers from management turnover, difficulties with its credit operations and retooling from its shopping mall orientation.

Independents seemed to outperform large chains. The Centurion survey of luxury retail jewelers found that 34% of independent retailers experienced sales gains of 10% or more during the week before Christmas compared to 2017, while an additional 24% saw increases of between 6% and 10%. These increases were consistent with the full month between Black Friday and Christmas. Two-thirds of the jewelers surveyed reported that sales were up for the entire year compared to 2017, and slightly more than half of those had rung up increases over 10%.

While one-third of jewelers in the Centurion survey reported sales declines for the final week of the season, only 18% were down for the entire year.

One potentially worrisome trend: While the majority of sales were below $2,500, millennials accounted for only a fourth of their sales on average. Most jewelers surveyed, however, did only a small percentage of their sales online.

This dichotomy in retail sales – some retailers growing while others slow – will only widen, according to a report from McKinsey & Co. It cites the numerous store closings and the possible dissolution of the once too big to fail Sears. The obvious disruptor, of course, is online sales, but it is going deeper than that.

Beyond the obvious, that most retail sales growth will be online and that retailers must embrace “omnichannel” selling, there are a number of other, equally important trends going on. For example, millennials and Generation Z consumers are skeptical of large corporations and established brand names and are opting for newer, “fun” brands that appear to be transparent, approachable and socially responsible.

In addition, some e-commerce sites link consumers directly with manufacturers of luxury goods, while other apps can automate the online search and purchase process. In short, purchasing decisions will more and more be accomplished with help from artificial intelligence and automation.

Retail business in China has been hit by the trade war with the U.S. and the world stock market gyrations. Chow Tai Fook, which accounts for nearly 10% of jewelry sales in Hong Kong and China, reported its same store sales fell 7% on the mainland and 6% in Hong Kong and Macau during the final quarter of the calendar year. “Gem set” jewelry sales fell 5% and 8%, respectively.

November retail jewelry, watch and clock sales in all sales outlets fell 3.9% in Hong Kong, said the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.
DIAMONDS
De Beers will probably return to the market with a large Jan. 21-24 rough diamond allocation after a successful season.

Russia’s Alrosa announced it sold $4.41 billion worth of rough diamond in 2018, a 6% increase over 2017. Sales slowed, however, in final quarter of the year because of a glut of smaller diamonds in inventories and a continuing tightening of bank credit to diamond manufacturers. Alrosa has scheduled its January sales for Jan. 14-15.

The trade will be watching these sales because, while retail demand was good, there are still significant challenges within the middle of the diamond pipeline – continued oversupplies of small diamonds and an ongoing credit shortfall that has pushed a number of firms to the brink of bankruptcy.

Ronnie Vanderlinden, president of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association, said these problems will carry well into the new year.

“We just saw another bank close its Antwerp branch and other banks are continuing to raise collateral requirements,” he explained. “The problem is that banks raising collateral requirements or alternative financers who hold portions of inventory as collateral make it difficult for a company to do business. The goods are no longer theirs.”

One reason credit will not be getting any easier despite improved market conditions is that international banking regulations have not eased up. “There are a lot of regulations and the penalties for violating them are very high, so a lot of banking officials say ‘why bother?’” Vanderlinden said.
LAB-GROWN DIAMONDS
Production costs for a one carat lab-grown diamond have plunged from about $4,000 in 2008 to $300 to $500 today, according to a recent Financial Times report. This makes it possible for De Beers’ Lightbox one carat diamonds, priced at $800, to be made and sold at a significant profit.

The report also said that lab-grown diamonds comprise about 2% of the market (by volume), but this is expanding 15% to 20% yearly. It also noted that the average lab-grown/natural discount is about 43%, compared to 29% at the beginning of 2018.

De Beers’ CEO Bruce Cleaver noted in the report that margins for lab-grown diamonds have been unsustainably high. De Beers said it will spend about $100 million making and marketing Lightbox lab-grown diamonds over the next four years, compared to $10 billion of capital spending and marketing for natural diamonds.

Citing shortages in supply, the Diamond Foundry announced it was raising wholesale prices on its lab-grown diamonds by 15% in January. The company sells stones of less than one carat for $1,000 or less per carat, but larger lab-grown diamonds, which is calls certified-unique, are priced about half the cost of comparable natural stones.

Both De Beers and Diamond Foundry expect to have new production facilities open by year’s end to meet the growing demand. @topic:7


Publish Year: - Title: Spring 2018 Auctions Off to Cautious Start Abstract: The mysterious 6.16 Fancy Dark gray-blue Farnese Blue diamond, graded by GIA, will be auctioned by Sotheby’s May 15 in Geneva. Mined at Golconda, the legendary source of the Hope Diamond, this jewel was given to Elisabeth Farnese upon her marriage to Phillippe V of Spain in 1714. Unlike other royal jewels, this diamond was kept in a small wooden box away from the public eye for more than two centuries until this sale. The French script on the silver plaque on the box reads: “Remarkable blue brilliant. This historical stone was offered by the Philippine Islands to Elisabeth Farnese, Queen of Spain, wife of Philippe V, great-grandfather of the Comte of Villafranca, current owner of that stone.” Photo courtesy of Sotheby's.

The record-breaking array of major fancy colored diamonds and large colorless diamonds are less evident this spring auction season, as buyers around the world turn more cautious.

While some impressive diamonds and colored gemstones are still being offered in the top venues – Hong Kong, New York and Geneva – the emphasis is on classic pieces from jewelry houses, such as Cartier, Boucheron, JAR and Van Cleef & Arpels, and smaller fancy colored diamonds.

The first major sale of the season, Sotheby’s April 3 Hong Kong auction, saw most of the top lots fail to sell. The highlight of the auction was the Circle of Heaven, a jade bangle estimated to sell for between $10.2 million and $12.8 million, failed to find a buyer. Prices for top jade have softened, but the wide publicity Sotheby’s provided for this piece indicated that the house jewelry department was confident it would achieve that price.

Also not sold: a 17.63 ct D Flawless diamond, estimated at $2.8 million, and a 14.18 ct Fancy blue diamond.

The 5.01 ct Fancy Vivid purplish pink diamond offered at the auction sold for $2.5 million, which was well below what similar diamonds have sold for in previous sales.

Christie’s April 17 New York auction featured a GIA-graded 8.42 ct Fancy Intense pink estimated at $4 to $6 million, which sold for $ 5 million, but the majority of top lots were signed period and modern pieces from the major jewelry houses. Another top lot was a ring by Paris designer JAR featuring a GIA-graded 22.79 ct D Flawless l “elongated oval” cut diamond estimated at $2.5 to $3.5 million, which went for $2.8 million. In addition, there were about 20% fewer lots in this sale than in previous spring New York auctions..

This 51.71 ct D Flawless Type IIa round diamond is expected to bring between $7 to $9 million at Sotheby’s May 15 auction in Geneva. The diamond is one of two 50-carat-plus diamonds of that grade offered at the sale. Both were graded by GIA. Photo courtesy of Sotheby's
Sotheby’s is betting that buyers will pay $7 to $9 million each for a pair of 50 ct-plus D Flawless Type IIa diamonds highlighting its May 15 Geneva sale. One diamond is a 51.71 ct round brilliant while the other is a 50.39 ct oval shape, according to GIA grading reports.

The house is also offering the historic GIA-graded 6.16 ct Fancy dark gray-blue diamond, known as the Farnese Blue. The royal diamond, originally from India’s famed Golconda region that produced the Hope Diamond, has a history almost as fascinating. The diamond was a gift to Queen Elisabeth Farnese of Spain by her husband King Philippe V in 1714. It was passed to the queen’s son, Philippe, Duke of Parma, and then through various Italian noble families and ultimately to the Habsburg family in Austria – all the while keeping its existence secret from anyone outside the immediate families. The diamond is expected to sell for $3.7 to $5.3 million.
DIAMONDS
De Beers announced that its April rough diamond cycle totaled $520 million in sales, which is about 12% lower from the same period last year and 8% down from the previous cycle.

The company did not announce a price increase, though some press reports indicated that prices were slightly higher in some categories. De Beers often adjusts prices slightly in the mix of goods offered to clients.

De Beers’ CEO Bruce Cleaver noted that the rough market is healthy and “focusing on restocking, following healthy consumer demand for diamond jewelry in the U.S. and China.”

Russia’s Alrosa, the world’s largest diamond producer by volume, reported that its March sales total was $559.5 million, which also includes polished diamonds from special tender auctions. The total was $18.4 million higher than February because of increased sales of large diamonds, according to Alrosa deputy CEO Yury Okoemov.

Russia’s first quarter diamond sales totaled $1.61 billion, $1.58 of which were rough diamonds, Okoemov noted. @topic:7


Publish Year: - Title: Blue Nile Sale Surprises Analysts, Argyle Auctions ‘Best’ Colors Abstract: The Argyle Violet is a 2.83 carat polished oval shaped diamond, the largest violet diamond from Rio Tinto’s Argyle Diamond Mine. It is part of the Chroma Collection. Photo courtesy of Rio Tinto

	The deal that will see Blue Nile go to an investment group headed by Bain Capital Private Equity will likely mean big changes for the online diamond retailer. The company, whose double-digit growth had dazzled the U.S. retail jewelry industry in the previous decade, plateaued in recent years with sales hovering between $450 million and $480 million. Its net profits were about 2% of sales, running about $10 million yearly.

	The purchase price of $500 million paid by Bain and Bow Street LLC surprised some analysts. It was 30% over the share price and the small profit ratio, even with the company’s $109 million in assets, means it could take many years to recoup the investment without significant changes in the company’s business model.

	Engagement rings have been Blue Nile’s staple since its founding in 1999, representing between 60-75% of sales. In recent years, however, as the number of marriages in the U.S. stagnated, the company attempted to shift its focus to designer pieces and international sales. Its success in both areas has been limited. Neither Bain nor Bow Street indicated what changes may be in the offing, except to state they are “looking forward to working alongside Blue Nile management to execute the company’s strategy.”

	Blue Nile reported sales of $105.1 million for the third quarter of 2016, down nearly 5% from the comparable quarter last year. Net income was $1.3 million, or slightly over 1%. Diamond engagement ring sales declined 8.5% during the period to $59.5 million. International sales rose slightly in the quarter.

	The deal likely will close early next year. Bain Capital Private Equity is the venture capital arm of Bain Capital.

The Argyle Aria, a 1.09 ct oval shape Fancy red diamond, is part of the Chroma Collection. Photo courtesy of Rio Tinto

	ARGYLE FANCY COLOR SALE

	Rio Tinto is finding that deeper may be better as far as fancy colored diamonds from its Argyle Mine are concerned.

	This year’s offering of fancy colors comprised the highest size, color and clarity combination in the 32 years of auctioning such stones. All of the diamonds came from the new underground operation that began three years ago.

	The group, named the Chroma Collection, consists of 63 stones, weighing 58.24 carats total. It included 57 pinks, two violet and four red diamonds, all graded by GIA.

	The largest was the 2.83 carat (ct) Argyle Violet, the biggest violet diamond ever found at the mine. GIA graded the color Fancy Deep grayish bluish violet. The other violet diamond, the Argyle Ultra, was a 1.11 ct Fancy Dark gray-violet pear shape.

	Other highlights of the Chroma Collection include the Argyle Thea, a 2.24 ct Fancy Vivid purplish pink; the Argyle Viva, a 1.21 ct Fancy Vivid purple-pink; and the Argyle Aria, a 1.09 ct Fancy red.

	Rio Tinto said in a statement that this tender achieved record results, but it did not announce sale prices or the total realized for the collection. @topic:7


Publish Year: - Title: Petra Unveils Super Blue; De Beers Holds Prices on Rough Abstract: Petra Diamonds CEO Johan Dippenaar holds the 122.52 carat blue diamond recovered in June 2014 from the historic Cullinan Mine in South Africa. Photo courtesy Petra Diamonds

	One of the largest blue diamonds ever found ‒ weighing in at 122.53 carats (cts.) ‒ was unveiled this week by Petra Diamonds, owner of the historic Cullinan Mine in South Africa, a 111-year-old mine that has produced some of the most famous diamonds in history.

	Petra said the stone would be sold after it has “analyzed the diamond to assess its potential value…and… its optimal route to market.”

	The Cullinan, opened in 1903, produced the largest diamond ever found, the 3,106 ct. Cullinan diamond, which was cut into the 550 ct. Cullinan I that remains the centerpiece of the British Crown jewels. The mine has produced more than 750 diamonds larger than 100 cts. and a number of renowned fancy colored diamonds, including the Heart of Eternity, a 27 ct. Fancy Vivid blue that was part of De Beers’ Millennial collection. Petra acquired the Cullinan Mine from De Beers in 2008.

ROUGH PRICES: De Beers held the line on prices at the June 10-13 sight, which totaled about $650 million. The sight was slightly larger than expected because rough demand has been rising, including for more goods that will polish out to lower quality stones. (See Las Vegas show report below).

	Dealers report that premiums for De Beers goods in the rough after-market was a healthy 5-8%, which is enough to make a profit, but did not reach the inflated, speculative levels of last year. Dealers believe this was a good sign that the banks’ tighter credit policies are finally curbing speculative rough buying.

	Alrosa, the marketing agency for Russia’s diamond production, raised prices of its rough diamonds 2-3% during its sale the same week. Reports from tender sales also indicate that buyers were purchasing rough for their manufacturing needs and not speculation, which has resulted in prices much closer to the market.

JCK, LAS VEGAS: Demand generally met expectations, but retailers were extremely cautious, buying only for immediate inventory needs and resisting price increases.

	Dealers say polished prices had been edging up this year, particularly during the run-up to the show, but retailers were in no mood to accept the increases – particularly after the statement from Blue Nile’s CEO that consumers have been declining to pay higher prices for diamonds.

	Diamond buyers for a number of mall jewelers were trying to maintain price points for middle class consumers and were down-trading into I1 and I2 clarities and “light” sizes (just under 0.50 ct. or 1 ct.) as diamond manufacturers try to pass rough price increases on to them. In China, which once had insisted on high clarity goods, demand is centered on SI goods in middle colors.

	“Demand is there,” said one dealer. “But the battles over prices are worse than they’ve ever been and a lot of deals are not being made – at least now.”

	Another reason why a number of deals did not get done at the show is that tightening bank credit policies are forcing some diamond and jewelry firms to drastically reduce the memo programs they run with large retailers. These deals usually involve consigning a certain percentage of the order with payments due as long as 90 days after Christmas, with an additional return allowance. Most jewelry manufacturers also operate similar memo programs for their large retail customers.

	Banks financing the diamond industry introduced a number of stringent rules this spring, including a substantial reduction in credit that supports such memo programs.

	Diamond people were reluctant to discuss this issue in detail, but the few who did, say they were forced to cancel or severely curtail some orders because the banks would not supply the funds. Dealers admitted it was a problem, but said they could adjust to it as long as retailers get the message as well.

	Colored gemstone demand at the American Gem Trade Association hall was spotty, with some of the larger firms reporting respectable business (mostly from repeat customers), while many other exhibitors found demand slow.

	One of the problems dealers face is the ever-increasing price of gemstones, especially higher quality material, which seems to climb regardless of demand.

	Sellers of Mozambique ruby were waiting for the first Gemfields auction of that material in June to gauge prices, which until now had varied widely from vendor to vendor. Gemfields acquired the rights to several large mining concessions within that ruby- producing area.

	“We suspect they will be much higher than (most dealers) are selling these goods for,” said one dealer with a large stock of them. “Everybody is waiting to see how things go.”

	Several dealers were displaying Yogo (Montana) sapphires for the first time in several years. The stones are generally small (under 1 ct.), but a significant percentage do not require heat or other treatments.

	Demand at the Couture and Luxury shows, which attracts retailers serving the higher end of the market, reported much stronger results, reflecting the uneven economic recovery. Demand for 3-carat-plus colorless diamonds and fancy colored diamonds was much stronger than last year.

	Designers featured multi-color pieces and Art Nouveau elements in their offerings. @topic:7


Publish Year: - Title: Ekati + Diavik = A Revived CanadaMark Abstract: An aerial view of the Ekati diamond mine. Photo courtesy of Dominion Diamond Corp.

                      Sometime soon a celebrity may be posing for the paparazzi wearing suites of diamond jewelry hallmarked “Mined in Canada.” The merging of the two largest Canadian diamond mines has given the new owner, Dominion Diamond Corporation, the opportunity to relaunch and expand globally the CanadaMark, which was originally a brand commissioned by Rio Tinto for locally polished diamonds from its Diavik mine.

Dominion is no stranger to brands. The company owned a majority interest in Harry Winston, the jeweler synonymous with mega-diamonds, and carried its name for more than six years; it also owned a 40% stake in the Diavik mine. The company sold the Winston luxury stores and watch brand to Swatch Group of Switzerland for $750 million in 2013, changed its name to Dominion Diamond Corporation and acquired the Ekati mine from BHP Billiton later that year. The price was $553 million, leaving the company with nearly $200 million in surplus cash.

“We were always very keen to take over Ekati,” said James Pounds, president of Dominion Diamond. “The acquisition of Ekati provided the opportunity to revive a Canadian hallmark,” he added, noting that the combination of the two mines will produce sufficient quantities of “eligible” goods to sustain such a program.

James Pounds, president of Dominion Diamond Corp said the merger of the two largest Canadian mines offers an excellent opportunity to revive the CanadaMark brand. Photo by Russell Shor.
The CanadaMark will be used on polished diamonds with a cut grade of Very Good or above, L color or higher and I2 clarity or higher. The clarity range is lower because demand for I2 goods is growing, said Pounds. About 20% of both mines’ total production would polish out to such goods.
Dominion is just beginning a test marketing campaign for CanadaMark, but Pounds is confident the demand will be there.

“We’ve done our research. Consumers today have a growing awareness of the origins of their diamonds, so our brand can offer them the assurance of responsibly sourced, fully audited chain of custody,” he said.

The amount of cooperative advertising funds that will be available and which celebrity will carry the CanadaMark is still under consideration, Pounds said.

Previous attempts to establish a Canadian diamond brand were difficult because all of the larger mines were in the hands of different producers. Although there was no specific requirement that the diamonds be polished in the Northwest Territories, BHP did develop CanadaMark in tandem with efforts to start manufacturing there. Most cutting operations closed after a few years, however, because the high costs were not competitive with other diamond centers.

Approved manufacturers of CanadaMark diamonds are based in India, Canada and Belgium and have agreed to maintain the audited chain of custody. These operations, appointed by Dominion, are able to produce CanadaMark diamonds, assuring their provenance and origin at a competitive price, Pounds noted.

Ekati, commissioned in 1998, was Canada’s first diamond mine. Its discovery seven years earlier touched off a diamond rush not seen since the gaudy days of South Africa’s boom of the 1870s. This time, the prospectors flew aircraft with specially equipped sensors to detect potential kimberlites. BHP Billiton, which acquired a majority interest in Ekati, also staked claims to a number of kimberlites in the surrounding area.

At least one of the pipes will secure the future of Ekati for some years to come; mining at the original pipes, Misery and Koala, will likely end in 2019. Mining at the Fox pipe ended earlier this year because the costs of redeveloping it as an underground operation were too high. The large Jay pipe, however, has yet to be developed. Its production consists of mainly smaller stones, but is fairly rich at approximately two carats per ton. Jay, which lies under a shallow lake, could extend the life of the mine for another 10 to 20 years, Pounds said.

Diavik, discovered by Aber Resources during the mid-1990s diamond rush, started production in 2003 with a 40-60 partnership between Aber and Rio Tinto. Aber later acquired Harry Winston and took on the name of the New York–based retailer.

Pounds thinks there are eight to 10 years of production remaining from Diavik’s three main pipes. The mine transitioned to all-underground operation in 2012. One pipe, A-21, has yet to be developed.

BHP shook up the rough diamond market six years ago by becoming the first major producer to sell its production (from Ekati) by auction instead of selling at set prices by the “sight” system of set-price contracts. But as Pounds noted, Dominion has gone back to the sight system to ensure consistency of supply.

“Supply consistency is very important,” he said. “Manufacturers have to know what they are getting.” Accurate pricing is also important, he added, so Dominion will continue to auction a portion of its production every six months to accurately gauge market price levels.

Analysts expect Dominion sales to top $800 million this year, up about 6% from 2013’s total of $751.9 million, due mainly to increased volume, not price increases. @topic:11


Publish Year: 1996 Title: Spring 1996 G&G Book Reviews Abstract: “Synthetic Diamond: Emerging CVD Science and Technology”
By K. E. Spear and J. P. Dismukes (Eds.), 663 pp., illus., publ. by John Wiley & Sons, New York City, 1994. US$89.95

“The Peking Diamonds”
By Peter Read, 208 pp., publ. by Gembooks, Dorset, United Kingdom, 1995. US$17.00

“Colorado Rockhounding, A Guide to Minerals, Gemstones, and Fossils”
by Stephen M. Voynick, 372 pp., illus., publ. by Mountain Press Publishing Co., Missoula, MT, 1994, US$14.00 (paper)

“Mineral Books”
a special issue of Mineralogical Record, Vol. 26, No. 4, July-August 1995, 256 pp., illus., publ. by Mineralogical Record, Tucson, AZ, 1995, US$24.00* (hardcover with supplementary text, US$49.00

To view the full section, download the PDF above. @topic:8


Publish Year: 2012 Title: Characterization of Colorless Coated Cubic Zirconia (Diamantine) Abstract: Over the past several years, diamond simulants have entered the market that consisted of colorless cubic zirconia reportedly coated with a thin layer (e.g., represented to be 30–50 nm) of nanocrystalline diamond particles embedded in a matrix. One manufacturer, Serenity Technologies (Temecula, California), has marketed this material as Diamantine. SIMS chemical analysis of samples obtained from Serenity in October 2009 indicated a very thin (~5 nm) film of carbon (along with Al and Ti) on the CZ surface. Durability tests performed in conjunction with SEM imaging demonstrated that the thin coating does not completely withstand typical gemstone cleaning and handling procedures. The only standard gemological technique that could establish the presence of a coating was EDXRF spectroscopy, which detected Ti from the adhesion layer deposited on the CZ during the initial part of the coating process. @topic:4


Publish Year: 2009 Title: Characterization of “Green Amber” With Infrared and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Abstract: A peridot-like bright greenish yellow to green gem material called “green amber” has recently appeared in the gem market. It is produced by treating natural resin (amber or copal) with heat and pressure in two stages in an autoclave. Differences in molecular structure between untreated amber and copal as compared to treated “green amber” were studied by FTIR and 13C NMR spectroscopy, using powdered samples. Regardless of the starting material, the FTIR spectrum of “green amber” showed an amber pattern but with a characteristic small absorption feature at 820 cm-1. Solid-state 13C NMR spectroscopy of the treated material indicated a significantly lower volatile component than in the untreated natural resin, evidence that the treatment can actually “artificially age” copal. A new absorption observed near 179 ppm in the NMR spectra of all the treated samples also separated them from their natural-color counterparts.

	DATA DEPOSITORY

Photomicrographs
FTIR and NMR Spectra
Table DD-1: FTIR Spectral Features of Amber and Copal Before and After Heat Treatment
Table DD-2: Chemical Shift (ppm) of 13C NMR Spectral Features of Amber and Copal Before and After Heat Treatment
Parameters Used for NMR Spectroscopy
	Fall, 2009 @topic:8


Publish Year: 2019 Title: “Rainbow Lattice” from Australia Abstract: These “rainbow lattice” specimens, a 4.14 g rough stone and a 2.18 ct kite-shaped cabochon, are from Harts Range in central Australia. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA, courtesy of Rainbow Lattice.
One of the most striking materials encountered in the Riverpark Inn (Pueblo) Gem Show was “rainbow lattice.” This rare phenomenal gem is a variety of feldspar exhibiting aventurescence from exsolution hematite crystals and a rainbow lattice effect from oriented exsolution magnetite crystals. Supply is extremely limited, and the only source is the tiny Utnerrengatye mine in Harts Range, Northern Territory, Australia. Rainbow lattice was discovered in 1985 and acknowledged as a new gem material in 1989. One of the original discoverers, Darren Arthur, showed us all-new material he mined in 2018 and subsequently sorted and cut (see above). With its scarcity and unique appearance, rainbow lattice is a must for any serious rare gem collection. @topic:2


Publish Year: - Title: A Case of Mistaken Identity? Abstract: Before modern gemological testing, red spinel was often thought to be ruby. Left: Red spinel ring, courtesy of Jeffrey Bilgore. Right: Burma ruby, courtesy of Jan Goodman Co. Photos by Robert Weldon/GIA

Identifying a gemstone by color alone can lead to a case of mistaken identity, as numerous examples have shown over the course of history.
Take the most famous pretender, the Black Prince’s Ruby, for example. The large crimson, semi-polished crystal the size of an egg first appeared in 14th century Spain when King Pedro of Castille seized it from the Moorish Prince Mohammed of Granada as spoils of battle. It changed hands many times throughout the Medieval era, finally remaining in the possession of several British kings and resides in the Imperial State Crown of England.
But is the famous royal jewel identified as a ruby today?
For fun, let’s engage Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie’s fictional Belgian detective, to investigate the identity of the Black Prince’s ruby and get his opinion.
“Observe the gem under the polarizing filter while I shine a light through the stone. At the same time, I will rotate the filter and turn the stone in several directions to avoid looking down the optic axis. Does the gem blink or change color? No, it does not. Let me explain. If this were a ruby it would blink orangey-red to purplish-red. So you see, this red stone is an imposter! It could be a spinel or red garnet.”
Being a well-read detective, Poirot knew some basic differences between rubies, spinels and garnets. He knew that when light enters a ruby, the light beam will split (double refraction) and leave the ruby as two different colors (pleochroism): orangey-red and violetish-red (dichroic; two colors). But he also knew that there is one direction in a ruby that will appear as one color. In order to see these two colors, he has to look at the stone in at least three different directions. Red spinels and garnets, however, will remain the same color in all directions, which usually means they are singly refractive.
Single refraction in red spinel and garnet is a key factor in separating them from ruby. Double refraction is a key factor for identifying ruby, and sapphire. Emerald, citrine, tourmaline, and topaz can show weak double refraction and require careful testing.
Emerald and tsavorite garnet can appear similar in color. Using the penlight and loupe to look for doubling or pleochroism would separate emerald, which is doubly refractive, from tsavorite, which is singly refractive. Also, emerald’s luster is vitreous (glass-like) to waxy while tsavorite’s is greasy to vitreous.
Determining a gem’s optic character or refraction – along with visual observations of luster, transparency, cut, heft, fracture and phenomenon, if present – are the basics of gem identification.
What Gem is it?
Test your gem knowledge. Can you guess the identity of these gemstones?

View Gallery

Color Can Be Deceiving
There are many characteristics other than color that can give clues to identification.
Inclusions
Visible inclusions using a 10x loupe could also separate emerald from garnet. Garnet usually has fewer inclusions than emerald, but if liquid or two-phase inclusions are present in emerald, they can be an identifying factor.
Separating peridot from demantoid garnet is easier if “lilypad” (unique disc-like liquid and gas inclusions found in peridot), are seen under 10x loupe magnification.
Luster and Opacity
Aventurine quartz and jade appear similar in color, but a close inspection of luster would reveal differences. Jade is dull in comparison to quartz’s vitreous nature.
Similar-looking transparent hard stones such as yellow sapphire, topaz, garnet and citrine quartz have a higher luster when polished.
A trained eye can easily see the difference of light reflecting off the surface of the sapphire, which is bright and shiny. Soft stones like yellow opal and amber will be waxy to dull in appearance. Both yellow sapphire and topaz have vitreous luster and are doubly refractive, so, advanced testing would be required to identify these gemstones.

These four blue gemstones all appear to be sapphire, but only one is! The top gem is color-change sapphire, courtesy of K & K International. From left: Kyanite, courtesy of GIA Dr. Edward Gubelin Collection; Benitoite, courtesy of B&B Fine Gems; and blue spinel, courtesy of Palagems.com. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Hardness
Sapphire is very hard, registering 9 on the Mohs hardness scale; topaz is 8; citrine is 7; opal is softer at 5-6½; and amber is softest yet at 2. The amber’s heft is also noticeably lighter than other gems.
Although the instruments are simple, it takes a lot of practical observation and experience to become proficient at making separations. These principles are the foundation of modern gemology and remain at its core today. @topic:2


Publish Year: 2017 Title: Emerald Dealing in Afghanistan Abstract: Figure 1. This 260 g rough emerald parcel was used to demonstrate the methodology in grading and negotiating the purchase of rough gemstones in the field. Photo by Eric Welch/GIA.

Dealing rough gemstones is never easy. This is true even for gemstones dealers with decades of experience such as Arthur Groom of Eternity Emerald (Ridgewood, New Jersey). Groom has traveled all over the world to purchase emerald rough, and his current focus is Afghanistan. In Tucson, he demonstrated to us the art of rough purchasing and the critical decisions that must be made during this process.

Groom started by opening a parcel of about 260 g of rough emerald (figure 1), which he valued at a minimum of $600,000. He recounted the decisions he had to make in the field in Afghanistan when buying this parcel from miners. Just as with individual colored gemstones, the first thing buyers need to look at is the color of the whole parcel. Tip number one: Always spread out the stones after you get the first impression of the parcel. This is important, because colors always look better when stones are clustered together; spreading out the stones helps the buyer see the appearance of individual stones and better sort them into several groups. Next, do a quick estimation of the percentage of each group relative to the whole parcel. For example, a parcel may contain about 20% lighter-colored emeralds.

	Arthur Groom – Eternity Emerald

In this interview Mr. Groom shares from his lifetime of experience purchasing rough emerald from miners in Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley. He advises buyers to pay attention to color, clarity, and crystal shape, and to negotiate in good faith with the miners, as respect is the key to building a long-term relationship that benefits both buyer and seller.
Since evaluation is the most critical step in rough purchasing, there are several aspects buyers must pay extra attention to when estimating the value of a certain piece or group. The color, the model (shape) of the crystal, and the clarity features are the three key observations that determine your decision. When looking at color, it is especially important to consider the crystal’s core. This is essential for Afghan emeralds, because many of them have a lighter core (figure 2). Stones like these will lose color after faceting, which demands extra planning and often results in a higher weight loss. For emeralds, darker rough is more likely to maintain its color after cutting. The lighter rough tends to lose color, especially when cut into melee.

Figure 2. Upon close examination of this emerald crystal, sorted out of a large parcel
during a buying trip to Afghanistan, Arthur Groom found the crystal core to be much
lighter in color. Photo by Andrew Lucas.
The rough dealer must visualize how the finished stone can be placed inside the rough based on the model, as it dictates the final yield of the rough. Groom demonstrated the types of emerald that achieve high weight retention and others that do not. There is a large quantity of pencil-shaped rough coming from the mountains of Afghanistan, material once regarded as waste by some miners and buyers. Groom said that with today’s technology, these stones can be cut into melee that command on average $500–$1500 per carat. Old Soviet ammunition from the war three decades ago is still used to blast the emerald-bearing rocks due to the shortage of mining dynamite in Afghanistan. This is a problem for emerald mining, since many larger stones are broken during the blasting. The broken crystals also limit the weight retention. For instance, a perfectly preserved rough crystal can reach a yield of 60%, compared to only 10–15% for a broken one.

The “Four Cs” of colored gemstones are generally the same as for diamonds; however, a fifth “C” is crucial for emeralds. This is clarity enhancement, a common practice in the emerald trade. Imperfections are removed by cutting them out or treating fissures to lower their visibility. In the case of emerald, the latter is more common if higher weight retention and better proportions are desired. The buyer must find the emerald’s fractures and make a decision on the possibility of enhancing them and leaving them in the stone. The essence of rough evaluation is to comprehensively consider all the factors and find the balance between them. Mastering the process requires years of practice and familiarity with both the rough and the finished stone markets.

After evaluation comes the art of negotiation. If the buyer is enthusiastic about purchasing the parcel, the negotiation takes off from there. Based on Groom’s experience, buyers need to stay cool and offer reasonable prices to get what they want. The key takeaway here is that as a buyer, you need to know the value of the parcel and show the miners that you know what you are doing. Ridiculously low offers should be avoided, since that would immediately cast doubts on your capability and reputation. Once both sides realize that a fair deal is going to happen, the “sweet spot” for the price can be reached quickly.

Dealing with gemstones is ultimately about dealing with people. Afghan emerald miners (figure 3) are a very strong-willed group. They always come together to sell their stones. These miners do not owe banks money, so there is no pressure for them to sell the goods. In this situation, winning their trust is the key to motivating them to bring in more stones that fit the buyers’ needs. Groom reminded us that respecting the locals and bringing value and benefit to them will guarantee good business and long-lasting friendship.

Figure 3. Buying rough emerald in the field under less than ideal conditions, like a miner’s office in Kabul, requires discipline and a systematic approach. Photo by Andrew Lucas. @topic:11


Publish Year: - Title: Guardians of Trust: GIA’s Innovative Research, Instruments and Services Abstract: GIA researchers respond to rapidly changing gem treatment and synthesis technologies with cutting edge technology and analyze gems from known sources. Their work deepens the world’s understanding of how gems are formed, extracted, manufactured and sold. A group photo from a 2018 GIA research team meeting. Photo by Eric Welch/GIA

GIA has stood at the vanguard of diamond, colored stone and pearl identification, treatment detection and identification throughout its history. From the iconic jeweler’s loupe to breakthrough 21st-century technologies, the tools and products the Institute develops serve a single purpose: to protect all who buy or sell gemstones.
Consumers deserve – and want – information about their gems so they can make informed purchase decisions and have trust in their gems and jewelry. They want to know where their gemstones come from, and what factors affect their quality and value. They want to know if they are natural or man-made (also called laboratory-grown) or if they’ve been treated to enhance their appearance. They want to be protected.
Throughout its nearly 90-year history, GIA has created services and instruments to uphold its mission of protecting the public’s trust in gems and jewelry. This research-based effort grew in importance and impact as new gem treatments and laboratory-grown gems entered the market.
All of this built on GIA’s legacy of innovation.
Gemological Innovation: Central to GIA’s Mission
Gemology was a relatively new science when Robert Shipley, Sr. founded GIA in 1931. It was new enough that there were few suitable instruments that provided the ability to conduct detailed examinations of gemstones.

Robert Shipley Jr. developed several important gemological instruments that are still in use today, including the iconic 10x loupe. Photo by GIA
That did not deter Shipley’s son, Robert Jr., from adapting and developing instruments to accomplish that task. Within a few years, he developed several important instruments that are still in use today. In 1934, GIA introduced the iconic 10x loupe that hangs around every gem dealer’s and jeweler’s neck today. Shipley Jr. also developed a gem-testing polariscope to determine whether a stone is singly or doubly refractive, a very important factor in identifying gemstones. His binocular microscope with darkfield illumination remains standard equipment in every gem lab today.
These instruments were, and remain, invaluable for gemological work in differentiating minerals with similar appearances. For example, a “ruby” in the British crown jewels was later found to be a red spinel. Even with these innovations, the need for further gem testing equipment continued.

GIA has a long history of pursing scientific investigations to gather and analyze data on gemstones, identifying practical solutions to gemological challenges and communicating their findings. In this undated photo, from left, Robert Crowningshield, the longtime director of GIA’s New York laboratory; Thomas Moses, now executive vice president and chief lab and research officer; and Ilene Reinitz, a senior project manager.
In the early 1940s, Shipley, Sr. and Richard T. Liddicoat, who became GIA’s second president, devised a scientific process to standardize diamond grading that removed much of subjectivity and variations that prevailed in the market at that time. A decade later, Liddicoat and others built on the 4Cs of diamond quality (color, clarity, cut, carat weight) developed by Shipley and codified these standards into the International Diamond Grading System for D-to-Z diamonds, which established a common standard and language to describe diamond color and clarity. This system is the recognized and accepted standard worldwide; it has facilitated diamond trading and helped consumers to better know what they are buying for decades.
The influx of cultured pearls in the mid-1900s created the necessity to accurately differentiate them from natural ones. GIA scientists developed a specialized X-ray unit to provide a definitive answer at a low cost. In the 1950s, diamonds treated with radiation began showing up in the market. Robert Crowningshield, who was vice president of GIA’s New York laboratory and pioneered many gem identification techniques, determined how to recognize most of them using a spectroscope he adapted for gemological use.
A Research Team to Focus on Gem Treatments, Identification
By the mid-1970s, a growing number of gemstone treatments and laboratory-grown gems were entering the market – heat-treated sapphires, laser drilling of diamonds, more varieties of cultured pearls and an influx of laboratory-grown rubies. As consumer demand soared, so did the urgency to identify these stones. This prompted GIA to create a dedicated, full-time research department. This initially small research team was instrumental in developing colored stone, pearl and diamond identification methods and techniques to identify these treatments and sharing them with the industry-at-large through its quarterly professional journal, Gems & Gemology.

The Summer 2019 issue of Gems & Gemology features a wall chart of inclusions in natural, treated, synthetic and imitation opal. The platinum pendant shown on the cover features a 9.39 ct black opal accented by 0.25 ct pear-shaped diamond and 0.90 carats of round Paraíba tourmalines. Designed by Niveet Nagpal, courtesy of Omi Privé. The background is a photomicrograph of a black opal from Lightning Ridge, Australia, showing broad, angular flashes of play-of-color known as a harlequin or mosaic pattern. Diffuse reflected light, vertical field of view approximately 12 mm. Photomicrograph by Nathan Renfro.
A new treatment emerged in the late 1990s in which diamonds were subjected to high temperature and pressure to improve their color. Within a few months, the GIA research team employed a full array of available and adapted technology, and was able to determine how to identify the treatments and prevent a potential crisis of consumer confidence.
Moving into the digital age, GIA, as part of its diamond-cut research project, developed an accurate system to evaluate diamond cut quality. Based on this extensive diamond research, Facetware estimates the cut grade of round brilliant cut diamonds. The system is underpinned by the fundamental ray tracing work GIA did over decades, modeling the proportions of several million diamonds examined by GIA and using the results to polish additional diamonds to verify the modeled results. The Facetware software was then made available to instrument manufacturers to incorporate into their non-contact measurement devices.

GIA’s iD100® device screens for laboratory-grown diamonds and simulants. Photo by GIA
Screening for Laboratory-Grown Diamonds
One of the latest GIA advances is a result of the concern about knowing whether a diamond is natural or laboratory-grown.
Because the majority of melee-size diamonds do not go through gemological laboratories for grading and identification, GIA developed the iD100® device to screen for laboratory-grown diamonds and simulants. The desktop unit is particularly suited for retailers and jewelry manufacturers who need to be sure about the material they are selling or setting in jewelry. Using spectroscopic technology, the device can definitively separate all laboratory-grown diamonds (both HPHT and CVD) and all simulants (cubic zirconia and moissanite) from natural diamonds. The screening takes less than two seconds per stone and can the instrument can screen loose or mounted diamonds as small as 0.9 mm.
Ensuring Transparency, Traceability and Authenticity
More and more consumers want to know where their gems come from, including the country, and be assured of their quality and authenticity.
GIA has offered country of origin reports for some colored gemstones for many years. Scientists are able to make these determinations based on scientific data from samples collected by GIA field gemologists at mining locations throughout the world. These reports are available for ruby, sapphire, emerald, Paraíba tourmaline, red spinel and alexandrite.

GIA’s Diamond Origin Report service can confirm the country of origin of polished diamonds.
In March 2019, GIA introduced its Diamond Origin Report service, which can confirm the country of origin of polished diamonds. Rough diamonds submitted to GIA before they are faceted and polished are examined to record identifying information. Each rough diamond is assigned a unique identification number. Then, when the resulting polished diamonds are sent to GIA for grading, that same information is used to match the polished gem to its original rough. Through this scientific matching process, GIA can confirm the country of origin information provided by the participating mining company.
The GIA Diamond Origin Report includes the country of origin, a full 4Cs quality analysis of each diamond and a report number inscription. Consumers can access the diamond’s full grading details online through the GIA Origin app and the online GIA Report Check service, and also find video and photos of the rough and polished diamond, its corresponding original rough and detailed background information on the country from which it originated. Click here to see a sample report for a diamond from Canada.
GIA launched digital diamond grading reports secured by emerging blockchain technology with retailer Chow Tai Fook in 2018 to even further enhance the customer's knowledge of where their gem came from.
The GIA diamond grading information is added to Chow Tai Fook’s T-MARK app, enabling customers to confirm that their diamond matches the GIA report. The blockchain-secured reports provide confidence for the consumer and protects the integrity of GIA reports by ensuring transparency, authenticity and verifiability for diamonds throughout their journey from manufacturer to consumer.

The blockchain diamond grading report includes the key GIA grading data – Color, Clarity, Cut, Carat Weight, Shape and Cutting Style – and GIA’s Statement of Authenticity. Left, GIA blockchain diamond grading report; right, icon on GIA Report Check indicating blockchain-enabled report number.
Looking to Future Services
Institute leaders believe blockchain technology could have broader application to how GIA and its clients manage diamond grading and other reports and services in the future.
“We are working with IBM on research on how we might be able to use technology, including artificial intelligence, to scan a diamond and link – via blockchain – to the GIA grading report for that diamond,” says Tom Moses, executive vice president and chief laboratory and research officer for GIA. “Blockchain technology might also be used as part of our diamond origin service, which can match polished diamonds to their original rough to confirm the diamond’s country of origin.
“Both applications demonstrate GIA’s commitment to making sure the diamond’s history is documented and transparent.” @topic:11


Publish Year: - Title: Cutting the ‘Imperial Flame’ Topaz Abstract: The Imperial Flame, a superb natural color Brazilian topaz, was fashioned from a 615 ct crystal recovered over 20 years ago. The finished piece measures 89.53 × 20.56 × 19.15 mm and weighs 332.24 ct. Photo courtesy Sonja Kreis Unique Jewelry.

	One of the most spectacular gems at the 2016 Tucson show was a magnificent freeform 332.24 ct Brazilian topaz on display at the GJX booth of gem artist Alexander Kreis (Sonja Kreis Unique Jewelry, NiederwoErresbach, Germany), which the Kreis family has named the “Imperial Flame.” Described by International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) executive director Gary Roskin as a “showstopper,” this spectacular gem was cut from an exceptionally rare 615 ct crystal.

	Alexander Kreis specializes in unique cutting styles. He comes from a 500-year family tradition of gemstone cutting and jewelry making. The business is still a Kreis family affair: Alexander’s mother, Sonja, and sister, Vanessa, design the jewelry pieces that best complement his gems’ style, and his father, Stefan, procures the rough. Gems have been part of his life from an early age, as his father traveled the world dealing with rough stones. The young Alexander was fascinated by stories of faraway mines and the little bags of rough crystals his father brought back. This spurred him to pursue a traditional apprenticeship, where he learned the fundamentals of gem cutting. However, Alexander broke from tradition to follow his own unique appreciation for beauty. He strives to use the rough in a nontraditional way.

	Kreis always seeks the beauty in rough material. “Nowadays to find the right rough material is really challenging,” he notes. “Demand is growing for better material, especially in Asia.”

	Which brings us to the spectacular topaz: According to the family, the crystal came from Brazil’s well-documented Ouro Preto topaz mines. Topaz has been recovered from this area of Minas Gerais for over 200 years, with the first discoveries recorded in 1768, when the Portuguese court of King Joseph I marked the discovery of the gem in their Brazilian colony with a “splendid celebration” (P.C. Keller, “The Capão topaz Deposit, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil,” Spring 1983 Gems & Gemology, pp. 12–20).

Today a bustling city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ouro Preto owes its prosperity, institutions, and beautiful baroque architecture to the mineral wealth—namely gold, tourmaline, and topaz—in the surrounding hills. Photo courtesy Sonja Kreis Unique Jewelry.

	Today, as in the 1700s, topaz with this red, pink, or orangy yellow color component is rare and very valuable. One of the most sought-after colors is known as “Imperial” topaz, which most in the trade consider a medium reddish orange to orange-red. As noted in previous reports, only one to two percent of all the material recovered from Ouro Preto’s mines is of faceting quality, which makes the caliber of this crystal all the more remarkable. (see D.A. Sauer et al., “An update on Imperial topaz from the Capão mine, Minas Gerais, Brazil,” Winter 1996 Gems & Gemology, pp. 232–241).

	Although these topaz mines were once very active, there is no longer mining of any scale. To the best of the family’s knowledge, the crystal is “old production” mined at least 20 years ago. They first learned of it in September 2015 from an old acquaintance, an avid collector who believed Alexander could create something exceptional from the crystal.

Current production from Ouro Preto’s topaz mines is not as prolific as it was during the 1990s. Photo courtesy Sonja Kreis Unique Jewelry.

	In September 2015, Stefan and Alexander Kreis traveled to Brazil to view the stone. When they saw the crystal, they immediately recognized it as something “truly exceptional” that might be fashioned into a “piece of the century.” As family member Carsten Kreis remarked, “It has the rare red color as the main part. But what makes it even more beautiful for us, is that it depicts the whole range of warm colors an Imperial topaz can have, and does so with an amazing intensity.”

	Alexander Kreis contemplates the original 615 ct Imperial topaz crystal. Photo courtesy
	Sonja Kreis Unique Jewelry.

	The Kreis family acquired the topaz in December 2015. Before making a commitment to buy, they spent most of the previous four months analyzing the crystal to determine a fashioning plan. Although they briefly considered cutting the piece as three or more separate gems, their objective quickly became to cut the largest known top-quality Imperial topaz.

The original 615 ct topaz crystal from which Kreis fashioned the Imperial Flame. Photo courtesy Sonja Kreis Unique Jewelry.

	From the outset, Alexander realized that the sheer size and clarity of the rough was astounding and that this combination, along with the range and intensity of colors, was “just unbelievable.” After much contemplation, Alexander finally decided to fashion the crystal into a single piece. This decision, he recalled, came “out of love for the mineral…as a sculpture it would be something that hasn’t been done before.”

	As a gem, topaz has an Achilles heel—its basal cleavage. As a result, cutters must exercise extreme care to avoid grinding the stone perpendicular to the cleavage plane. Inclusions might also cause the stone to break on the wheel. According to Sauer et al. (1996), weight recovery depends on the amount of inclusions in each crystal. Well-formed, fairly clean crystals yield up to 2 ct per gram (5 ct), or a recovery rate of 40 percent.

	Because of this inherent physical property, topaz—especially in larger sizes—is challenging to cut, giving every savvy cutter pause for thought. “Imperial topaz is very difficult to cut because the gem has a tension residing in it,” says Alexander. “Thus, we had a thorough look at it—especially for inclusions that could release that inner tension and lead to the crystal breaking.”

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	Alexander started the cutting process with the intent of retaining as much weight from the crystal as possible while striving for the highest level of artistry. “You want to waste as little material as possible and at the same time bring out the most of its potential beauty,” he explained.

	Fashioning the crystal took a total of eight days, spread across a period of three to four weeks. Alexander stopped the cutting process from time to time to make test carvings with smaller pieces of Imperial topaz in order to gauge the reaction of his cutting concepts on the Imperial Flame. There were three stages: sawing or trimming away any fractured or included material, grinding to preform and shape the solid crystal, and faceting along with carving the reflective, grooved surfaces. The exact cutting procedure, equipment, and polishing compounds Alexander uses are proprietary. Previous sources (e.g., Sauer et al., 1996) indicate that Brazilian topaz cutters use a 360 grit grinding wheel and a 600 grit faceting disk, polishing the stones on a lead/tin lap with Linde A (Al2O3) powder. From an original weight of 615 ct, the cutting process yielded a finished gem measuring 89.53 × 20.56 × 19.15 mm and weighing 332.24 ct, a finished yield of 54 percent.

	Regardless of the exact methods used, the finished piece is a spectacular crystal sculpture: a winning blend of geometric flat facets and curves bearing carved grooves that reflect and reinforce the red to rosy peach hues of the topaz many times over. The carving produces glittering reflections that enliven the lower portion of the sculpture and lead the eye to the blaze of red at the tip of the crystal. It is truly a special piece fit for a connoisseur or high-end collector.

	 “Is it for sale?” we asked.

	“Yes,” came the answer. “Price upon request!” @topic:2


Publish Year: 2006 Title: Abstracts; Fall 2006 Abstract: This article, from the Fall 2006 issue of Gems & Gemology, is a compilation of abstracts of important gemology-related articles published outside of Gems & Gemology.

	DATA DEPOSITORY

Table: Magnetic Characteristics of Various Gem Materials Observed by the Direct Method
	Submitted by Sylvia M. Gumpesberger
	Fall, 2005
Table: Degree of Defect Formation in Natural, Synthetic, and Treated Diamond Samples
	Submitted by Joe C.C. Yuan
	Fall, 2005 @topic:10


Publish Year: - Title: An Inside Look at the 2013 Tucson Shows Abstract: View Gallery

Every February, in Tucson, Arizona, the global colored gemstone industry comes together for one of the biggest gem shows in the world. Dealers, cutters, and miners descend on this town from all parts of the globe, bringing with them an amazing array of gems.

All kinds of gemstones, from emerald to agate and ruby to meteorites, are found in Tucson at this time, along with the industry leaders who bring these stones to market.

GIA interviewed a number of industry professionals to gain insight into the overall global market, as well as individual areas of expertise. Links to these informative interviews are listed below.

Rajneesh Bhandari, RMC Gems Thai Co. Ltd.
Mr. Bhandari is an expert in gem treatments, gemstone synthesis processes, and the creation of imitation gemstones. All of these are topics of the utmost importance to the trade and consumers alike. In these interviews, Mr. Bhandari discusses imitations of morganite beryl and bi-color tourmaline as well as the use of thin film coatings on gemstones and the future of treatments.
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Dudley Blauwet, Dudley Blauwet Gems
Mr. Blauwet is a colored gemstone dealer with decades of experience. His journeys to buy colored gemstones take him to deposits all over the world, including South East Asia, Central Asia, Africa and other localities. Join Mr. Blauwet as he describes his latest travels and the world’s supply of colored gemstones.
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Edward Boehm, Rare Source
Mr. Boehm is a geologist, gemologist, and accomplished gem dealer who works with rare and higher-end gems. He has traveled to a wide variety of gem sources across the globe and often speaks on both the supply and demand side of the market. Mr. Boehm discusses the overall colored gemstone market as well as markets for specific gemstones in his interviews.
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Bruce Bridges, Bridges Tsavorite
Mr. Bridges grew up in the colored gemstone market, working with his famous father Campbell Bridges at the prolific tsavorite-producing Scorpion Mine near Tsavo Park in Kenya. Mr. Bridges discusses the history of tsavorite mining, current production, and tsavorite qualities, as well as the assassination of his father and the current legal situation.
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Evan Caplan, Evan Caplan Fine Gemstones
Mr. Caplan is well known in the colored gemstone industry as a knowledgeable dealer in the upper end of the market. In his interviews, Mr. Caplan gives his insight into why supplies are tight and demand is high, as well as what he feels lies ahead.
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Paula Crevoshay, Crevoshay
Paula Crevoshay is a world renowned designer who is driven by uncompromising passion for her work. She has been dubbed the “Queen of Color” by the trade press. In these interviews, she conveys her philosophy of jewelry design and her sources of inspiration. She also describes some of her own magnificent pieces in detail.
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Michael M. Dyber, Ledge Art Studio
Mr. Dyber is a leading designer-gemstone cutter and carver. He has faceted and carved a variety of gemstones. He looks at the rough material and its potential as a true artist would. In these extensive interviews, Mr. Dyber discusses all aspects of artistic gem cutting and carving.
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Arthur Groom, Arthur Groom and Company
Mr. Groom is an expert on the emerald market as well as on emerald enhancement. His business encompasses buying rough emerald at sources around the world, including Afghanistan, as well as emerald cutting and enhancements, wholesale trading, and retail sales. In his interviews, Mr. Groom discusses the Afghan emerald market, evaluation of emerald rough, and describing emerald quality. During the interview, he describes a variety of emeralds he has on hand.
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Bob Halem, Manager, Royal West Warehouse
Mr. Halem was at the Tucson show with a large variety of quartz geodes as part of his inventory. He spoke to us on a wealth of topics, from geode sources, quartz treatments, geode cutting, evaluating geode qualities, packing geodes, and the geode business.
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Susie Kennedy, ICA Director, Susie Kennedy Jewelry, Ltd. and The Kennedy’s International
Mrs. Kennedy has been involved in all aspects of the colored stone industry. With her husband, she has truly been involved in the entire mine-to-market value chain. In her interviews, Mrs. Kennedy discusses gemstone production and the industry in East Africa and the future of mining in Africa. She also describes her start in the gem industry and gives perhaps the best advice around on building a career and creating a networking system in the gem business. Mrs. Kennedy also describes how she met a tight deadline to provide then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton with a magnificent pair of tanzanite earrings for a dinner with the President of Tanzania.
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Moussa Konate, BC Gemas do Brazil
Mr. Konate is intimately involved in the mining of copper-bearing tourmaline, as well as some aquamarine, in Mozambique. He has been a driving force in copper-bearing tourmaline production. During his interviews, Mr. Konate discusses current production of copper-bearing tourmaline in Mozambique, changes at the mine site, the market for African copper-bearing tourmaline, and the Mozambique aquamarine mine he is involved in.
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Jeff Mason, President, Mason-Kay, Inc.
Mr. Mason is highly experienced in the jadeite market and is a prominent dealer of a variety of jadeite colors and cutting styles. In these interviews, he discusses the highly specialized market for jadeite, as well as jadeite treatments and carvings.
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Sam Naseri, Global Gems
Mr. Naseri was at Tucson with a large quantity of rough lapis lazuli, along with other materials like sugilite, and a variety of beads. He has been in the gem business since childhood and travels to Afghanistan to buy lapis lazuli. In his interviews, Mr. Naseri discusses all aspects of trading in lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, including government regulations, transportation of material, evaluating quality, old and new production, mine locations, and the market.
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Bryan Pavlik, ICA Director
Mr. Pavlik has been involved in many areas of the colored gemstone industry, including mining, buying of rough, gem cutting, dealing in loose colored stones and mineral specimens, jewelry, gemological laboratory work, appraisals for the Austrian Government, and liquidations.  During his interviews, Mr. Pavlik discusses the liquidation business, the global gem market, current market fever, and global gem shows.
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Stephan Reif, Sales Executive, the Green Dragon Mine
Mr. Reif has intimate knowledge of the Green Dragon demantoid garnet mine in Namibia. In these extensive interviews, Mr. Reif provides a wealth of information regarding the mine’s geology and production, along with government mining regulations and water requirements. Mr. Reif also discusses, in detail, the cutting of demantoid garnet, quality evaluation, and the market.
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Joshua Saltzman, Nomad’s Lapidary Company
Mr. Saltzman is involved with buying rough colored gemstones from around the world, and cutting and selling finished colored gemstones globally. His company focuses on precision cutting of a wide variety of colored stones at the higher end of the market. In his interviews, Mr. Saltzman discusses the company’s cutting philosophy, market update, spinel sources and production, Afghan tourmaline, the rubellite tourmaline market, and working with untreated stones.
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Menahem Sevdermish, CEO and President GemeWizard
Mr. Sevdermish is one of the leading Israeli colored gemstone dealers, cutters, and experts. He has been buying, cutting, and selling colored gemstones for decades and has focused on unique stones with exciting colors. He is also the inventor of GemeWizard, a computer software program for grading colored gemstones, as well as a provider of pricing information and an internet trading platform. In his interviews Mr. Sevdermish discusses natural-color gemstones, Tanzanian gemstones, Tanzanian production, and unique tanzanite colors.
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Bill Vance, Vance Gems
Mr. Vance has been involved with buying, cutting, and selling colored gemstones for decades. He received his Graduate Gemology Diploma in 1983. In his interviews, Mr. Vance discusses the reason for the current price increases in gemstones, availability of gemstones in the market, gem cutting, building credibility in the trade, and advice to young gemologists.
Learn More @topic:11


Publish Year: - Title: Insider View of the Colored Gem Market Abstract: Evan CaplanEvan Caplan Fine Gemstone

Interview with Evan Caplan, Evan Caplan Fine Gemstone

It’s an emotional roller coaster following veteran gem dealer Evan Caplan in this exclusive GIA interview conducted at the 2013 Tucson Gem Show. At one moment, Caplan is despairing over how Brazilian environmental protection laws have made mining there prohibitively expensive for small companies. In another moment he’s nearly giddy at what a great success the gem show has been. At still another instant, he’s painting a bleak picture of the global availability of quality stones at reasonable prices. The next instant, he’s looking forward to a rosy future.

The laws in Brazil require the miners to restore the environment to its previous state after mining, making it only affordable for the biggest firms. In Sri Lanka, where no such laws exist, the digging is prolific as is the yield, but because of the overall tight market the prices are exorbitant. The prices are exorbitant in part, Caplan says, because the Internet has come to the Third World, and the suppliers are seeing the prices retailers are getting and want in on it.

Still, Caplan says, he had never seen a better and busier Tucson gem show—so busy in fact that he didn’t even have time to eat. But that busyness feeds his optimism about the gem trade in the long term. He remains philosophical throughout. “Sources come and go,” says Caplan. “Life is a roller coaster.” And so is this interview. Catch it here. @topic:11


Publish Year: - Title: Market Update and Exceptional Colored Gems Abstract: Edward BoehmRare Source

	Interview with Edward Boehm, Rare Source
In an exclusive interview with Edward Boehm at the 2013 Tucson Gem Show, GIA uncovers a rich vein of current information on supply and demand in the rare and high-end gem market. Boehm, a geologist, gemologist and gem dealer with his own company, Rare Source, ranges over a spate of hot topics, including the rebirth of the emerald market, the fallout from the US ban on Myanmar, and the importance of estate sales.

Boehm reports the emerald market is coming back strong after a decade of suffering under the weight of buyer suspicions regarding treatment. He says that emerald dealers from both South America and Africa seem to have learned the hard lesson of those days and have embraced the policy of full disclosure on treatments.

Although the US ban on rubies from Myanmar has created a severe shortage in supply and kept ruby prices high, it has also opened the door for rubies from other locations. Thus buyers in the US and Europe are now more receptive to rubies from such places as Mozambique and Madagascar, whereas before it was the legend of the Burmese product that prevailed.

Boehm further relates how secondhand jewelry from estate sales becomes a primary source of material in times of tight supply. Sadly, he tells us, these often-vintage pieces usually become more plentiful during tight economic times.

To complement his knowledgeable narrative, Boehm also shows off some impressive gems in the video that follows. Among them is a 32 ct. Liddicoatite that Boehm says he would never sell. But you can view it up close here in the video. @topic:11


Publish Year: 1997 Title: Benitoite from the New Idria District, San Benito County, California Abstract: Commercial quantities of gem-quality benitoite are known from a single location in the world, the Benitoite Gem mine in the New Idria district of San Benito County, California. A barium titanium silicate, benitoite is typically colorless to blue, and is noteworthy for its high refractive indices, moderate birefringence, and strong dispersion. Benitoite occurs in altered blue schist within serpentinite. The gem crystals formed within fractures as a result of the alteration of blue schist by hydrothermal fluids derived from the regional metamorphism of the serpentinite. An extension of the historic deposit at the Benitoite Gem mine was discovered in the spring of 1997, which should contribute to continued stability in price and supply. The gemological properties of benitoite readily identify it from similar-appearing gems. @topic:1


Publish Year: 1996 Title: Sapphires from the Andranondambo Region, Madagascar Abstract: Since 1993, large amounts of gem-quality sapphires from the Andranondambo region of southern Madagascar have entered the international gem market. These sapphires, which are found in metamorphic skarn-type deposits, show a broad range of gemological and chemical properties, many of which are similar to those of sapphires from Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), and even Kashmir. Most of the Andranondambo sapphires are heat treated in Bangkok; these can be separated from their non-heat-treated counterparts on the basis of inclusion features and absorption spectra. Key factors in the separation of Andranondambo sapphires from synthetic sapphires of different manufacturers are chemistry (especially the Ga content of the natural material) and internal features. @topic:9


Publish Year: 1994 Title: The Indaia Sapphire Deposits of Minas Gerais, Brazil Abstract: The discovery of significant quantities of gem-quality sapphire in Minas Gerais could add corundum to the formidable list of gem species already commercially produced in Brazil. The presence of sapphire has been confirmed over a wide area within a 42-km2 mining claim, and exploration has yielded over 500 ct of corundum per square meter from alluvium in a small section of the claim. Faceting-quality stones typically range from 0.5 to 2ct; some are purple or violet, and many show a color change. Future production will depend primarily on the results of ongoing exploration and the feasibility of mechanizing an area of difficult access. @topic:9


Publish Year: 1990 Title: Winter 1990 G&G Book Reviews Abstract: “Gem Testing, 10th Edition”
By Basil W Anderson, revised by E. Alan Jobbins, 390 pp., illus., publ. by Butterworths , London, 1990. US$49.95

“Engagement and Wedding Rings: The Definitive Buying Guide for People in Love”
By Antoinette Matlins, Antonio Bonanno, and Jane Crystal, 269 pp., illus., publ. by Gemstone Press, South Woodstock, VT, 1990. US$14.95

“Islamic Rings and Gems: The Zucker Collection”
Edited by Derek J. Content, 551 pp., illus., publ. by Philip Wilson Publishers, London, 1987. US$115.00

“The Diamond Ring Buying Guide: How to Spot Value and Avoid Ripoffs”
By Renee Newman, 140 pp., illus., publ. by International Jewelry Publications, Los Angeles, 1989. US$12.95

“Le Lapis Lazuli, Son Histoire, Ses Gisements, Ses Imitations (Lapis Lazuli, Its History, Deposits, and Imitations)”
By Claire do Cunha, 139 pp., illus., publ. by Le Rocher, Monaco, 1989.

To view the full section, download the PDF above. @topic:6


Publish Year: 1992 Title: Kilbourne Hole Peridot Abstract: This little-known source of gem-quality peridot, located in southwestern New Mexico, produces small but brilliant gems. Kilbourne Hole peridot is found in the explosion debris of a 180,000-year-old volcano, usually in elliptical "xenolith bombs." Kilbourne Hole peridot has a greater color range than the San Carlos, Arizona, material and an additional characteristic inclusion. Although the deposit is not being mined commercially, thousands of carats of gem-quality peridot have been found there. @topic:2


Publish Year: 2024 Title: Seventh Annual Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award Winner Abstract: Suhan Wang’s winning necklace design sketch for the 2023 Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design, featuring platinum, emerald, ruby, diamond, and tsavorite.
Suhan Wang, a graduate of GIA’s Jewelry Design program in Taiwan, received the seventh annual Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design. The 18 finalists and winner were announced at the GIA Alumni Collective’s “Night at the Museum” event held during the AGTA GemFair in Tucson. Wang’s winning design, a necklace featuring platinum coils adorned with emerald, ruby, diamond, and tsavorite, stood out to the judges for its sense of movement and skill of execution (see above).
Created in partnership with the Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation in 2018, the award recognizes outstanding talent in design among GIA students worldwide. Larry French, chief officer for North American strategies at the foundation, said, “On behalf of the Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation and Rosa Maria Buccellati, we want to congratulate Ms. Suhan Wang, plus all the other designers whose work has honored this competition. We also want to send our appreciation to the talented GIA design instructors whose skill and efforts helped the students on their journey to celebrate the art of jewelry design in the highest way, an art that meant so much to Gianmaria Buccellati.”
As part of the award, Wang will travel to Italy and meet with a representative from the foundation.
The 2024 Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design competition is underway and open to students in GIA’s Jewelry Design courses who meet the eligibility requirements. Visit www.gia.edu/buccellati-foundation-award-jewelry-design for more information. @topic:6