Publish Year: 2016 Title: Iridescent Inclusion in Tanzanite Abstract: Figure 1. The iridescence in this tanzanite hints at the complex and dynamic world just below the surface, in the form of crystallographically aligned iridescent cleavage. Photomicrograph by Danny Sanchez; field of view 3 mm.

	Gemmy blue zoisite, more commonly known as tanzanite, is valued for its pleasing violet to blue hue. One tanzanite specimen from Merelani, Tanzania, was purchased by the author for an entirely different aesthetic feature: its well-defined, minimally damaged crystal faces. Microscopic observation uncovered a hidden bounty of color just below the surface, particularly when subjected to metal halide oblique lighting. Crystallographically aligned, vividly iridescent colors resulting from fine separations along the stone’s cleavage planes (figure 1) were visible using fiber-optic light.

	Photographing inclusions can be challenging, to say the least. When light enters the host material, each delicately nuanced feature is affected in unpredictable ways. Documenting surface textures or crystal faces is equally difficult; the challenges are manifold when attempting to photograph both simultaneously. Knowledge of lighting techniques is useful in such situations (N. Renfro, “Digital photomicrography for gemologists,” Summer 2015 G&G, pp. 144–150). In this instance, a combination of diffused lighting and direct pinpoint lighting was used to illuminate both features. Low-intensity diffused light was reflected from the surface of the stone so as to illuminate the crystal faces without overpowering the iridescent colors brought from below. Once lit, a short “stack” of images captured the appropriate amount of depth into the stone. @topic:8


Publish Year: 2014 Title: Titanium-Coated Tanzanite Abstract: Figure 1. These five tanzanite samples (0.39–0.82 ct) proved to be color-coated with titanium. Photo by Don Mengason.

Five faceted violetish blue stones, ranging from 0.39 to 0.82 ct (figure 1), were recently submitted to the Carlsbad laboratory for identification service. Standard gemological testing revealed a refractive index of 1.689–1.700 for all five samples. When observed using polarized light, each displayed a medium pleochroism. Specific gravity, measured using the hydrostatic method, was 3.37. These properties were consistent with tanzanite.

Figure 2. This upper portion of a pavilion facet, examined in reflected light, shows a much higher luster than the lower, uncoated portion. Photo by Nathan Renfro; field of view 1.22 mm.

Figure 3. The coating on this tanzanite’s pavilion has been worn away along the facet junctions and in some small chipped areas, revealing the less-saturated violet color of the tanzanite underneath. Photo by Nathan Renfro; field of view 2.90 mm.
Microscopic examination showed that the material was relatively free of inclusions, but showed areas of abrasion along pavilion facet junctions. Observed using reflected light, the pavilion of each stone showed a significantly higher luster than the crown. Some individual facets even showed a variation in luster due to an unevenly distributed color coating (figure 2). When the samples were examined using diffuse transmitted light, the facet junctions and several chipped spots appeared much less saturated, which was also consistent with a color coating (figure 3).

Because tanzanite with a cobalt coating has previously been reported (S.F. McClure and A.H. Shen, “Coated tanzanite,” Summer 2008 G&G, pp. 142–147), all tanzanites submitted to the lab are routinely checked by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) and microscopic examination. These five stones were also checked by EDXRF, but no cobalt was detected; however, all five showed a significant signal for titanium on their pavilions. No titanium was detected on the crowns. LA-ICP-MS was also used to confirm that the coated area contained significant titanium.

While color-enhancing coatings on tanzanite are occasionally seen at GIA’s laboratory, this is the first time we have examined tanzanite that has been color coated with titanium. @topic:2


Publish Year: 2018 Title: Merelaniite Inclusions in Tanzanite Abstract: Figure 1. Merelaniite whisker inclusions in the tanzanite cabochon. Photomicrograph by Augusto Castillo; field of view 3.57 mm.

Tanzanite, the blue to violet transparent variety of the mineral zoisite, was discovered in Tanzania around 1967. Since tanzanite seldom contains significant inclusions, the authors were surprised to examine a tanzanite cabochon that contained myriad dense whisker-like inclusions. The whiskers were cylindrical in shape, typically gently curved along their length, and displayed a metallic luster. At first glance, the whiskers were interpreted to be composed of graphite, as it is one of the more common opaque black mineral inclusions found in tanzanite. However, the elongate, curvilinear morphology suggested they were likely something else.
Merelaniite, a new molybdenum-essential member of the cylindrite group, was recently identified by coauthor JAJ and colleagues and approved in 2016 by the Commission of New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (CNMNC) of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA). The new mineral is sporadically found in specimens from the tanzanite mines near Merelani, Tanzania. It can be associated with a wide variety of minerals from the Merelani mines and has also been noted as being enclosed in calcite, quartz, chabazite, fluorapatite, prehnite, and zoisite. All the specimens identified so far have been obtained from secondary mineral markets, and the exact geological location of any specimen known to contain merelaniite is so far undocumented and unknown. Merelaniite occurs individually and in clusters as dark gray metallic whiskers of circular cross-section. The whiskers are composed of crystal lamellae that are tightly rolled in a “scroll-like” manner similar in appearance to the related mineral cylindrite (J.A. Jaszczak et al., “Merelaniite, Mo4Pb4VSbS15, a new molybdenum-essential member of the cylindrite group, from the Merelani tanzanite deposit, Lelatema Mountains, Manyara region, Tanzania,” Minerals, 2016, Vol. 6, No. 4, 115).
This tanzanite cabochon sample revealed similar whisker-like inclusions accompanied by growth blockages, dark platy crystals, and fractures. The whiskers varied in diameter and length, and tended to branch out intermittently. The length was generally over a millimeter (figure 1). Growth blockages were fluid filled and also contained dark solids (figure 2). The presence of intact liquid inclusions was a strong indicator that this tanzanite had not undergone heat treatment. Small granular crystals were observed in between fractures associated with the whisker inclusions. Raman spectroscopy confirmed these opaque whisker-like inclusions to be merelaniite, and platelets that were associated with the whiskers might be unwound layers of merelaniite.

Figure 2. A growth blockage results from the suspension of zoisite growth when the crystal is interrupted by a foreign body. In this case, the foreign body is a merelaniite whisker. Photomicrograph by Tyler Smith; field of view 1.99 mm.
Coincidentally, two unusual specimens of tanzanite crystals containing merelaniite whiskers were found by one of the coauthors (JAJ) among a gem and mineral dealer’s stock at one of the mineral shows held in Tucson, Arizona, in February 2018. Also relatively unusual is that these crystals were still on matrix composed primarily of calcite and graphite (figure 3).

Figure 3. A merelaniite-included tanzanite crystal (2.2 cm tall, left) on a matrix of calcite and graphite. The calcite also contains merelaniite inclusions. The close-up field of view (right) is 6.55 mm wide. Photos by J.A. Jaszczak.
The occurrence of merelaniite in tanzanite is very rare. This is the first time GIA has identified this new mineral in gem-quality tanzanite. @topic:1


Publish Year: - Title: Live the Life of a Colored Stone Professional Abstract: Doug Hucker engaged students and attendees during his presentation at the opening panel of GIA's Carlsbad Career Fair. Photo by Kevin Schumacher/GIA

                      Doug Hucker, CEO of the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA), gave real-world, practical tips to attendees at the 2009 Career Fair in Carlsbad.

“Guys, it is tough out there,” said Hucker, an industry leader in the efforts to promote the ethical and professional sales of natural color gemstones, who struck at the heart of most job seekers fears with his opening remarks. “You are entering probably one of the most exciting and wonderful businesses that you could possibly get involved in – at probably the worst possible time you could.”

Promising he wouldn’t sugar-coat it, he told attendees he was going to concentrate on the wholesale colored gemstone business and anyone interested in it needed to focus on getting a job first. “Your passion and excitement is not going to carry you far,” he said. “You must have a practical approach to getting a job – and you’re competing with hundreds of people who are out of work.”

He offered the following advice:

Update your resume every week. Make sure it doesn’t sound like it was written by a professional resume preparer. Get it out to everyone. Go to AGTA.org, click on membership and download the source directory, which has 1,250 firms interested in colored gemstones. There’s also a Gem Industry Guide that lists thousands of jewelry businesses involved in colored gemstones. “You benefit from the fact that it’s an electronic age; people are very willing to look at electronic resumes.”

Your cover letter is critical. “Give me 2-3 paragraphs that tell me what you think you can do in my business to make my business better.” You need to think about your skills – do you like taking to people, do you understand customer service, do you know how you’re going to get out there and build that business for them. “You can talk colored gemstones, now you need to think about how you can push those colored gemstones. What the motivations that make our retail customers buy those stones and what makes the consumer buy them? That’s got to be the focus of your cover letter.”

Take advantage of electronic tools. Everyone in the industry is getting a Facebook page and going on Twitter. “You guys are hardwired [to use social networking]. You grew up learning that stuff. That is something that is valuable.” Start to think about how you would use that to promote your business.

Network. “Networking is critical. You cannot and will not be a success unless you network.” You have to put yourself in front of successful industry leaders and let them know what you can do to improve their business.

You need to become a colored gemstone professional. You take what you’ve learned and get paid for using it. You need to know what the issues are and how they can affect your employer’s business. You need to start thinking globally; subscribe to every newsletter you can. “You have to know what’s happening in the world. You have to start living the colored gemstone business.”

He also offered specific advice for those with dreams of becoming a colored gemstone buyer. “The only way you can become a buyer as an entry-level person, is to have a whole bunch of money and hope it holds out until you know how to buy properly,” he said.

“The way you become a buyer is by learning how to sell. What is romantic about the product, what drives the product, what excites people about colored gemstones, what are the particular needs of the retail jeweler that you’re working with who are your customers?

“If you can get that and learn that, then you can become a buyer,” he said. @topic:12


Publish Year: 1998 Title: Estimating Weights of Mounted Colored Stones Abstract: Updated formulas are presented for estimating the weights of mounted colored gemstones. These formulas are derived from measurements and weights of thousands of German-cut calibrated amethysts and citrines, representing most commercially available shapes and sizes. As with the formulas taught by GIA, the dimensions of a stone are multiplied by its specific gravity and by a “shape factor” that is determined by the stone’s face-up outline. This article also illustrates how the shape factor changes over a continuum of common face-up outlines. As in previous formulas, a separate weight correction factor is applied to stones that show proportion variations in profile view. @topic:8


Publish Year: 1986 Title: A Gemological Study of Turquoise in China Abstract: Gem-quality turquoise is currently being mined in Hubei Province, China. The material ranges in color from light blue to bluish green; it usually occurs as nodules 1 to 5 cm in diameter, although much larger pieces have been found. For the most part, the gemological properties of this Chinese turquoise are similar to those of material from other localities; one specimen was found to approach end-member turquoise in chemical composition. @topic:3


Publish Year: 2014 Title: Stone and Fossil Photography – Tucson 2014 Abstract: Figure 1. This enlarged image of a Peruvian opal showcases the dramatic forms captured by Mike Woodward. Courtesy of Mike Woodward Photography.

              At the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, Mike Woodward (San Clemente, California) showcased a collection of stone and fossil photos (figure 1). With their variety of arresting forms, the images resemble abstract paintings or landscapes. Among the featured materials were Australian and Peruvian opal, banded agate, and ammonite. Woodward, a graphic designer by trade, has collected stones since the age of five, and has photographed them for 12 years. The images are captured with a 4 × 5 camera, using a polarized macro lens and a high-resolution digital camera back. They are enlarged as single panels, or triptychs, and available in a variety of formats, including canvas, aluminum prints, and traditional photographic prints. @topic:2


Publish Year: - Title: Titanium-Coated Tanzanite Abstract: These five tanzanite samples (0.39–0.82 ct) proved to be color-coated with titanium. Photo by Don Mengason.

                      Five faceted violetish blue stones, ranging from 0.39 to 0.82 ct (figure 1), were recently submitted to the Carlsbad laboratory for identification service. Standard gemological testing revealed a refractive index of 1.689–1.70 for all five samples. When observed using polarized light, each displayed a medium pleochroism. Specific gravity, measured using the hydrostatic method, was 3.37. These properties were consistent with tanzanite.

	Figure 2. This upper portion of a pavilion facet, examined in reflected light, shows a much higher luster than the lower, uncoated portion. Photomicrograph by Nathan Renfro; field of view 1.22 mm.
Microscopic examination showed that the material was relatively free of inclusions, but showed areas of abrasion along pavilion facet junctions. Observed using reflected light, the pavilion of each stone showed a significantly higher luster than the crown. Some individual facets even showed a variation in luster due to an incomplete distribution of the color coating (figure 2). When the samples were examined using diffuse transmitted light, the facet junctions and several chipped spots appeared much less saturated, which was consistent with a color coating (figure 3).

	Figure 3. The coating on this tanzanite’s pavilion has been worn away along the facet junctions and in some small chipped areas, revealing the less-saturated violet color of the tanzanite underneath. Photomicrograph by Nathan Renfro; field of view 2.90 mm.
Because tanzanite with a cobalt coating has previously been reported, all tanzanites submitted to the lab are routinely checked by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) and microscopic examination. These five stones were also checked by EDXRF, but no cobalt was detected; however, all five showed a significant signal for titanium on their pavilions. No titanium was detected on the crowns. LA-ICP-MS was also used to confirm that the coated area contained significant titanium.

While color-enhancing coatings on tanzanite are occasionally seen at GIA’s laboratory, this is the first time we have examined tanzanite that has been color coated with titanium. @topic:1


Publish Year: - Title: Turquoise Care and Cleaning Guide Abstract: Turquoise ranks 5 to 6 on the Mohs hardness scale.

Hardness and toughness
Gem and mineral hardness is measured on the Mohs scale. The numbers are based on the relative ease or difficulty with which one mineral can be scratched by another. But the Mohs scale is deceptive. The steps between the minerals are not evenly spaced. For example, diamond is only one number away, but it’s many times harder than gems in the corundum family.

Turquoise ranks 5 to 6 on the Mohs scale and its toughness is generally Fair to Good.

Stability
Turquoise is generally stable to light, but high heat can cause discoloration and surface damage. It dissolves slowly in hydrochloric acid, and it can be discolored by chemicals, cosmetics, and even skin oils or perspiration.

Cleaning
It’s safe to clean turquoise jewelry with warm, soapy water, but it should never be cleaned with steam or ultrasonic cleaners. Some turquoise is treated to improve its surface appearance. Heat or solvents can damage the treated surfaces. @topic:8


Publish Year: - Title: Tanzanite Care and Cleaning Guide Abstract: With proper care to avoid hard blows, tanzanite can be worn in all styles of jewelry. - Courtesy Tanzanite Foundation ™

Hardness and toughness
Gem and mineral hardness is measured on the Mohs scale. The numbers are based on the relative ease or difficulty with which one mineral can be scratched by another. But the Mohs scale is deceptive. The steps between the minerals are not evenly spaced. For example, diamond is only one number away, but it’s many times harder than gems in the corundum family.

	Tanzanite ranks 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale.
Zoisite (tanzanite) is 6 to 7 on the Mohs scale. It has fair to poor toughness and a property called cleavage, which is a tendency to break when struck. While tanzanite is not as hard or as tough as a stone like sapphire, it still can be worn in all types of jewelry with proper precautions against rough wearing or hard blows.

Stability
Tanzanite is stable under normal wearing conditions, which means it’s resistant to the effects of heat, light, and common chemicals. Even so, tanzanite should not be subjected to very high temperatures or sudden temperature changes. It can be attacked by exposure to hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids.

Cleaning
Warm, soapy water is always safe. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are never recommended for tanzanite

Treatment and durability considerations
Tanzanite is routinely heat-treated to modify its color from a predominately brownish appearance to a predominately blue to purple appearance. The treatment is stable with no additional durability concerns.

There have been instances where tanzanite was coated to modify the color. Although rarely done, the coatings are not permanent and can be scratched or damaged through normal wear.

Like other transparent gemstones, tanzanite can be fracture filled to improve apparent clarity, although this is an uncommon tanzanite treatment method. The materials used to fill fractures in gemstones can alter in appearance over time. @topic:2


Publish Year: 2015 Title: Diamond in Diamond Abstract: Figure 1. This 1.69 ct Fancy black round brilliant diamond contained an octahedral diamond crystal. Photo by Jian Xin (Jae) Liao.

              The New York laboratory recently examined a 1.69 ct Fancy black round brilliant diamond (figure 1). The type Ia diamond contained an abundance of tiny cloud inclusions and strong hydrogen-related absorptions, both common features for this type of diamond. We observed numerous etch channels with brown radiation staining, also normal features for diamonds of this type and color. But we also observed a sizable octahedral crystal inclusion that broke the surface of a pavilion facet (figure 2, left). The surface-breaking area was approximately 150 × 250 microns according to the Raman microscopic image. The actual dimensions of the entire included crystal could not be determined.

Figure 2. Left: This photomicrograph reveals natural etch channels with brown radiation staining, as well as an octahedral crystal inclusion (the inset shows the surface-breaking outline). Center: The Raman map of the 1332 cm–1 FWHM clearly outlines the surface break of the octahedral diamond inclusion. The inset in the left-side image represents the Raman mapping area. The image was taken in a grid pattern measuring FWHM of the diamond Raman peak at 1332 cm–1. More than 300 Raman spectra collected at multiple points on the grid were translated into this map by the software. Each colored pixel represents the FWHM value, and similar FWHM values will be shown in similar colors. Noticeably different colors outlining the inclusion indicate that it is not part of the host diamond and that it formed in a different geological environment. Right: DiamondView imaging shows that the diamond inclusion was captured during the second phase of growth. Photomicrographs by Paul Johnson (left and right) and Kyaw Soe Moe (center).
The exposed crystal inclusion had the morphology of a natural diamond crystal, and Raman analysis easily identified it as diamond. Both the host diamond and inclusion show sharp 1332 cm–1 Raman bands, indicating high crystallinity. The graphite peak at approximately 1580 cm–1 was not observed in either. Raman mapping showed that the full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of the inclusion’s 1332 cm–1 peak was different from that of the host diamond (figure 2, center). In the map, each colored pixel represents the FWHM value of the 1332 cm–1 Raman peak. The colored pixels of the inclusion were decidedly different from those of the host diamond, confirming that it formed in a different geological environment. We also observed differences between the photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the inclusion and the host diamond, evidence that the diamond inclusion formed in a different environment and was later incorporated as a protogenetic inclusion. This also suggests that this diamond may have traveled from its original formation environment to another geological environment after crystallization.

A DiamondView image shows the diamond crystal to have been captured in a second growth phase of the host diamond crystal (figure 2, right). This is the first documented case of a diamond crystal inclusion with a different origin than that of the host diamond. @topic:4


Publish Year: 2016 Title: Book Review: Stoned: Jewelry, Obsession, and How Desire Shapes the World Abstract: By Aja Raden, hardback, 368 pp., illus., publ. by Ecco/HarperCollins, New York, NY, 2015, US$27.99.

Stoned is an approachable and entertaining web of stories that sheds light on epic jewellery lore while unravelling some of the most notorious and familiar legends. Author Aja Raden takes a classic yet playful American point of view, concentrating on value and worth over the artfulness of the jewellery itself.

	Raden’s language and the organisation of the book are designed to attract a wide variety of readers, starting with the suggestive title, bejewelled cover, and high-profile praise from the likes of Madonna and David Duchovny. This general appeal extends to the clever chapter titles, unexpected terms and plays-on-words. Almost every chapter begins with a pair of quotes, one from high and another from low culture, and closes with a revelation that is unnecessary to the story, but helps to develop the author’s distinct voice.

	Raden beckons the reader, as if she’s whispering in someone’s ear at a cocktail party. She asks, “Did Marie Antoinette lose her head over a diamond necklace?” And “How did two sisters’ argument over a valuable pearl in England over almost 500 years ago help draw the map of the Middle East?” She even promises to reveal how a strand of pearls transformed Japan into a “global economic superpower”. Her aim is to strip away myths, and replace them with more complete impressions of the times and the people behind the stories.

	Part I begins with topics the reader may have heard about before: the sale of Manhattan for glass beads, the ubiquity of diamonds and how emeralds financed the Spanish Empire. Raden reveals some obscure facts and stories about these well-known fables and ties them together with an intriguing theme: the perception of value. She weaves an abundance of puns and comedic buzz with historical and scientific material, employing a quick rhythm and uncommon agility while moving around an expansive timeline. As an example, she combines the toxicology studies of Paracelsus, a quote from Groucho Marx, an account of the Spanish conquest of the Americas, and the story of the Dutch tulip bubble crash of 1637—all in just three paragraphs (on page 105). This method is likely to capture the short attention span of the millennial generation and intrigue readers who are looking for something clever to add to cocktail party conversations and long car journeys.

	In Part II, Raden delves into the meaning and symbolism of jewellery, all at a somewhat slower, more focused pace. She draws out the details of the historical moments, paints pictures of the times and the people, and in many cases, rocks the foundations of these classic myths and tales. The shortest, final section, Part III, loses steam and is not as tightly bound by a concept. The section titled “The Boss’s String” could easily have been included in Part 2, and the final story, “Timing Is Everything”, could stand alone as a journal article. A more cohesive and even playful conclusion would have made for a stronger finish, as a reader who has made it to the end is sure to be ravenous for a more revealing final thought.

	Overall, Raden is a champion of approaching fine jewellery history with an entertaining and occasionally ludicrous edge. This compilation is not meant to be an all-encompassing account of jewellery history. Rather, it is the work of an experienced and passionate author pushing open some creaky old doors to shed warm rays of light onto a selection of topics customarily considered mysterious and off-limits. All in all it makes for a fun and quick read for a wide audience. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Fancy Color Diamond Description Abstract: Fancy color diamonds are among the rarest and most valuable gemstones.

                      Diamonds in the normal color range are colorless through light yellow and are described using the industry’s D-to-Z color-grading scale. Fancy color diamonds, on the other hand, are yellow and brown diamonds that exhibit color beyond the Z range, or diamonds that exhibit any other color face-up. These rare specimens come in every color of the spectrum, including, most importantly, blue, green, pink, and red.

	The colored diamonds in the Aurora Butterfly of Peace were assembled over a 12-year period by Alan Bronstein and Harry Rodman of Aurora Gems Inc., New York. The butterfly’s 240 stones show nearly the full spectrum of color and cut styles of naturally colored diamonds. - Courtesy Alan Bronstein
Gem diamonds in the D-to-Z range usually decrease in value as the color becomes more obvious. Just the opposite happens with fancy color diamonds: Their value generally increases with the strength and purity of the color. Large, vivid fancy color diamonds are extremely rare and very valuable. However, many fancy diamond colors are muted rather than pure and strong.

	The colors exhibited by natural fancy color diamonds are usually not very intense. - Courtesy T. Horovitz
Fancy color diamonds come in almost any color you can imagine. Red, green, purple, and orange are generally the most rare, followed by pink and blue. Yellows and browns are the most common fancy colors, but they’re generally less valuable than the rarer colors.

	While abundant compared to other colored diamonds, fancy color yellow diamonds represent a small portion of overall diamond production. Their beauty and the depths of color in which they occur offer a wide range of possibilities to the jeweler. - ©GIA and Harold & Erica Van Pelt, courtesy Harry Winston, Inc.; Jonathan Doppelt Inc.; N. Smid; Scarselli family

	The strength and purity of this 0.81-carat diamond’s color increases its value beyond that of a similar-size diamond in the normal color range.
Blacks, grays, and fancy whites are considered fancies, too. Some have been fashioned into gems. The 67.50-carat Black Orloff diamond, named after the Russian Princess Nadia Vyegin-Orloff, is the most well-known example.

	The cushion-cut Black Orloff diamond weighs 67.50 carats and was reportedly cut from 195-carat rough. It’s set in a diamond and platinum necklace.

	Fancy white diamonds can have an opalescent look. - Courtesy of collector, Dr. Pericles John Lentz
Spectacular prices in high-profile auctions are another factor in the increased awareness of fancy color diamonds. Not all fancy color diamonds command such high prices, however. Many people consider yellow and brown fancies less desirable than near-colorless stones of equal weight and clarity. And deeper yellows and browns are generally less valuable than other fancy colors. @topic:10


Publish Year: 2021 Title: The Chinese Gem and Jewelry Industry Reacts to COVID-19 Abstract: Figure 1. Local business owner Jianying Ma in China’s Hebei Province is shown livestreaming to connect with clients while stores were shut down. Courtesy of Han Dan Zhao Du Gold and Jewelry Co. Ltd.

              When COVID-19 struck at the end of January 2020, the Chinese jewelry industry was caught off guard. The whole country was locked down—travel halted and businesses closed.

As the country gradually reopened at the end of March 2020, business remained very slow. But China has one of the most advanced digital ecosystems in the world. Mobile technology leapfrogged laptops and credit cards, while cheap, reliable, and efficient delivery companies made it easier for consumers to spend. Local businesses turned to the internet to reach old and new clients during the pandemic (figure 1). With fewer clients visiting stores, sales often started by livestreaming products, followed by sending photos and videos through WeChat, and then utilizing WeChat Pay or Alipay to complete the transaction. Chinese digital infrastructure made a big difference in helping the jewelry business bounce back so quickly.

During these difficult times, relationships with suppliers and clients are the key to keeping business moving. Trust built over years is extremely important when buying or selling valuable gemstones and jewelry online without actually seeing the items in person. Major jewelry chain stores, which rely more on foot traffic, experienced a dramatic double-digit decline in business in the first half of 2020, while small jewelry stores that rely more on personal contact and relationships felt little to no impact.

Due to travel restrictions, we did see certain product shortages on the market, as it was initially difficult for some goods to enter China. Some Chinese dealers took a risk and broke quarantine to visit Sri Lanka or India to source products. On the other hand, some international businesses even came to China for products and services when jewelry and diamond cutting factories closed in the U.S. and India.

In general, jewelry sales had negative growth for the first half of the year. Sales started to pick up in July. Sales from October, November, and December were up 16.70%, 24.80%, and 11.60%, respectively, compared to the same months in 2019. International jewelry brands such as Cartier, Tiffany, and Van Cleef & Arpels (figure 2) did exceptionally well in 2020 since Chinese consumers could not travel for overseas shopping trips.

Figure 2. To maintain social distance, Van Cleef & Arpels limited the number of clients in stores. Here, clients wait outside the store in the Shanghai IFC Mall. Photo by Chen Shen.
With social distancing and a mandatory mask policy in stores, these luxury brands saw an immediate business jump in China by April 2020. Plaza 66 Shanghai, owned by Hang Lung Properties, is the country’s top luxury shopping mall. Its reported retail sales were up 60% in a year with COVID-19, demonstrating an amazing year for luxury brands in China. @topic:7


Publish Year: 2020 Title: Nigerian Gems and Jewelry Abstract: Figure 1. Strands of Nigerian beryl in assorted colors. Photo by Kevin Schumacher.

During the JCK show in Tucson, GIA had the opportunity to meet up with Amina Egwuatu, founder of Mina Stones. Mrs. Egwuatu, a GIA Graduate Gemologist from Abuja, Nigeria, started the company with the aim of promoting African culture through gems and jewelry. Mina Stones sources, cuts, designs, and manufactures everything in their workshops to keep as much value as possible in Africa. Mrs. Egwuatu works directly with the miners and has visited many of the sites where her stones are produced. This allows traceability throughout the entire supply chain. Mina Stones helped to establish the AGJES Sparkle Foundation, which supports miners through education about their stones, helps them with administration, and provides tools. By working this way, Mina Stones improves the conditions of its miners and suppliers.

	Amina Egwuatu, founder of Mina Stones in Nigeria

Nigeria is known for tourmalines that possess a wide range of colors, rubellite being the most famous. A more recent rubellite discovery near Calabar, Cross River State, has produced higher volumes (though slightly lower quality) than the original find in Oyo State, which has not produced for a long time.
Apart from the red variety, this gem is also found in green, pink, and various combinations of these colors. About 20 years ago, there was even a discovery of cuprian tourmaline in western Nigeria that produced some fine material for a short period. According to various sources, a new pocket was discovered in early 2020 that made this material available in the market.
Another common stone from Nigeria is beryl. Various regions in the country produce fine aquamarine, morganite, heliodor, and green beryl (figure 1). While there are many emerald deposits known throughout the country, facet-grade material is limited to an area in Nasarawa State.
Sapphires are found throughout the eastern and central parts of Nigeria. In several areas such as Antang, Bauchi, Kaduna, and Gombe, the production is exclusively from artisanal miners. The better-known Mambilla Plateau has a few larger operations, but small-scale mining is prevalent.
Nigerian sapphires are typically dark blue, although goods found in the southeastern part of the country tend to be lighter in color. Parti-colored, yellow, purplish, and green sapphires are also common.

Figure 2. This necklace makes use of the Arewa knot, a symbol of unity. Photo by Kevin Schumacher.
Mina Stones’ jewelry is inspired by Nigerian traditions. The country has long been known for its blacksmiths and goldsmiths, resulting in a strong jewelry culture. Mina Stones is trying to revive the skills, patterns, and heritage by making use of traditional alphabets and symbols. One example is a necklace featuring the Arewa knot (figure 2), a symbol that represents the unity of the different people in northern Nigeria.
Another collection draws inspiration from the city of Ife, in southwestern Nigeria. According to local beliefs, the city was found by a supreme deity and served as the seat for a long line of dynasties.
Mina Stones aims to represent Nigerian gems and jewelry. The country is an important supplier of many colored gemstones that have remained largely unknown to the general public. @topic:9


Publish Year: 2020 Title: Nordic Gems and Jewelry Abstract: Figure 1. A cordierite Viking “sunstone” set in silver with the “vegvísir” compass symbol. Note that Mr. Berger’s ring also features a cordierite cabochon set in silver. Photo by Jennifer Stone-Sundberg.
At the JOGS show, Arctic Jewelry (Axvalla, Sweden) featured a variety of Nordic gemmy materials set mainly in silver using ancient, traditional, and contemporary Scandinavian designs. The pieces spoke to the mineral diversity, history, and artistry of the region.
The Vikings made navigation stones from locally sourced transparent crystals of minerals such as cordierite, a biaxial magnesium iron aluminum silicate, to help cross the seas under cloudy weather. These Viking “sunstones” are backed up by science, as cordierite and other materials such as calcite and tourmaline can be used to identify the position of the sun through even thick clouds. These stones visibly split sunlight into two images that when rotated to make equally bright, show rings of polarized light around the sun’s position. Cordierite was found to be the most accurate navigation stone in simulated journeys from Bergen, Norway, to the Viking settlement of Hyarf in Greenland (D. Száz and G. Horváth, “Success of sky-polarimetric Viking navigation: revealing the chance Viking sailors could reach Greenland from Norway,” Royal Society Open Science, Vol. 5, 2018, No. 172187). An example of a silver pendant engraved with a vegvísir (a Nordic compass “wayfinder” symbol) and a cordierite center stone was shown to us by Atle Berger (figure 1).

Figure 2. Examples of contemporary Scandinavian designs in silver containing thulite. Photo by Jennifer Stone-Sundberg; courtesy of Atle Berger.
Thulite, a manganese-containing pink variety of zoisite with some white calcite mottling, is the national gemstone of Norway, the country in which it was discovered by Anders Gustaf Ekeberg in 1820. The name comes from “Thule,” the ancient name for the mythical island (believed to be modern-day Norway) that was considered the northernmost part of the world. At the Arctic Jewelry booth, contemporary Scandinavian designs in silver incorporating this stone were featured in jewelry ranging from rings to bracelets and necklaces (figure 2).

Figure 3. Rough “Swedish Blue” slag byproduct. Photo by Kevin Schumacher; courtesy of Atle Berger.
A bright and attractive blue material found at the booth is the slag byproduct of iron smelting in the Bergslagen region of central Sweden during the Middle Ages. This material was reported on previously in G&G  (Winter 2006 GNI, p. 279) and characterized in the GIA lab. At that time, EDXRF was the method used for chemical analysis, but today with LA-ICP-MS we were able to more exactly determine the composition of this material from some rough pieces given to us by Mr. Berger (figure 3). We identified it as a silica-rich glass with a composition of 56.35 wt.% SiO2, 24.70 wt.% CaO, 7.68 wt.% MgO, 5.05 wt.% Al2O3, 2.23 wt.% FeO, 2.21 wt.% K2O, 0.85 wt.% MnO, 0.27 wt.% Na2O, and 0.65 wt.% other elements (average of 10 ICP spot analyses). This gave a calculated chemical formula of (Na0.019, Mg0.418, Al0.217, K0.103, Mn0.026, Fe2+0.068, others0.012)0.864 Si2.058 Ca0.967O6, which is generally consistent with what was reported in 2006. The oxide components are fairly normal for iron foundry slag, but the silica-rich nature is what gives this material its fine glassy aspect compared to those slags that are more CaO-rich. The slightly greenish blue color comes from Fe2+ (FeO). @topic:2


Publish Year: 2019 Title: Jeffrey Bilgore Gems and Jewelry Designs Abstract: Figure 1. This exceptional 10.02 ct 15.4 × 12.0 mm cushion-cut dark blue cobalt spinel is unheated. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA, courtesy of Jeffrey Bilgore and John Bachman.

Jeffrey Bilgore is both a prominent gem dealer and an award-winning jewelry designer, and at his AGTA booth we found examples of exotic gems and exquisite jewelry. Among these was one of the most notable cobalt spinel gems we have encountered (figure 1). Displayed between two similarly sized blue sapphires, the unheated spinel was almost indistinguishable from them. A stunning fire opal and Russian demantoid garnet pin with tsavorite garnets and yellow diamonds (figure 2) also caught our attention, a testament to the artistry of Bilgore’s work.

Figure 2. A fire opal and Russian demantoid garnet pin designed and produced by Jeffrey Bilgore. The piece contains five carved fire opal leaves (18.74 carats total), four demantoid garnets (0.40 carats total), seven tsavorite garnets (0.17 carats total), a 0.20 ct pear-shaped Fancy Intense yellow diamond, and five additional yellow round diamonds (0.03 carats total), set in platinum. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA. @topic:8


Publish Year: 2017 Title: Book Review: Hidden Gems: Jewellery Stories from the Saleroom Abstract: By Sarah Hue-Williams and Raymond Sancroft-Baker, 312 pp., hardcover, illus., publ. by Unicorn Press, London, 2016, US$50.00.

True stories sell. In Hidden Gems: Jewellery Stories from the Saleroom by Sarah Hue-Williams and Raymond Sancroft-Baker, 40 highly captivating and significant stories are recounted in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Christie’s auction house. Various chapters focus on Hollywood icons and their jewelry, the historical pieces of English lords and ladies, and designers important to the industry. The book includes details on important objects interspersed with homey tales of quiet personages simply wanting someone else to have their turn with beautiful jewelry.

The authors tell entertaining stories of Christie’s opening in Los Angeles in the mid-1990s. The multiple tales regarding the sale of the late Eva Gabor’s jewelry quickly grabs the reader’s attention, especially when documenting the auction house’s experiences with the world’s most glamourous executrix: Eva’s sister Zsa Zsa Gabor. Not only do you get to feel the dance of negotiations—“But dahlink, you know I always use Christie’s” while pursuing negotiations with other auction houses—we learn that the potential star of the auction, Eva’s diamond engagement ring, was nothing more than a glorious, eye-catching fake. The authors assure the reader that the faux piece was quickly pulled from the sale.

Balancing Hollywood glitz, stories abound in the elegantly composed book about English nobility quietly deaccessioning passé Victorian pieces, too-fussy Edwardian tiaras and stomachers, even artful Art Deco jeweled cases for a lady’s evening bag. No compilation of tales about an English auction house would be complete without a story or two about classically eccentric English ladies of means. The detailed conversation between a house-bound collector and Christie’s representative strike a resonant chord with anyone that has ever cultivated a sales relationship with a highly valued client, but the gemological history of her ever-increasing collection of Victorian jewelry also serves as a great teaching aid to interested readers. The Hull-Grundy collection, which an entire chapter is devoted to, explores the art of the cameo as executed by two famous artists, Fortunato Pio Castellani and Tommaso Saulino.

The authors go to great lengths to be accurate and fair when relating information about the gems and jewelry sold at Christie’s. The final section in the book carefully delineates gemological standards and information; these are indeed much like the sections within the auction house’s sales catalogues. The section then takes it a step further and gives the reader a tour of the world’s jewelry centers, including London’s Hatton Garden.

To hold your interest, all 40 stories in this cherished work are accompanied by high-quality photographs of the sold lots. There is an art to telling a story and an art to photographing jewelry; this book succeeds on both counts. The captivating snippets of the backstories of items in an auction catalog truly intrigue the reader. Until now, it was unclear that some of the pieces offered were the result of careful cultivation of the client after viewing their private menagerie. In particular, stories about customers coming to Christie’s with large diamonds wrapped in tissue pulled from pocketbooks strike a chord with this reader.

When you read this book—and you should—relish the way the stories flow in an intimate conversational manner, note the careful vetting of gemological lore and knowledge and, most importantly, admire the fact that if you work at Christie’s you want to pick up the phone. You never know what will be offered. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: How to Photograph Gems & Jewelry Abstract: With the right techniques and accessories you can take high-quality photos of gems and jewelry using your mobile device’s high-resolution camera

	Being able to take great photos of gems and jewelry is a valuable skill – whether you’re in retail sales, gem identification, wholesale, design, or do it for a hobby. And it will only become more important as social media and e-commerce play an increasingly central role in our lives.

	A state-of-the-art digital SLR or mirrorless camera is usually best for the task. But a smartphone or other similar handheld device with a high resolution camera (8+ megapixels) can take professional-looking pictures using the right techniques and accessories. We offer some tips, no matter the camera you are using, plus some smartphone-specific advice.

	Before You Begin

		Use a tripod to stabilize your camera. If one is not available, make sure your smartphone is on a stable surface when taking photos. Make sure your object is in focus. A tap on the screen should do this for many smartphones.

		Use a wireless shutter release to take the photo without touching the screen. Physically touching your mobile device screen could shake it and result in a blurry picture. These devices connect through a Bluetooth connection.

		Clean your jewelry: Your smartphone’s high-resolution camera will capture dust, marks and scratches. Fingerprints, which are often unseen by the naked eye, can also mar beautiful jewelry. A soft, clean jewelry cloth is ideal for getting your pieces camera-ready. Handle the object with clean cotton gloves.

		Depending on your subject, you may benefit from a macro lens that enables extreme close-up photography of small items or minute features. Clip-on macro lenses are available for smartphones from a variety of manufacturers for Apple and Android devices. ōlloclip macro is a good one and is portable.

	Amazon.com and Photojojo.com are great resources for smartphone camera gadgets and lenses.

Choose appropriate backgrounds, as it can affect the appearance of metals, diamonds and light-colored gemstones.

When to use a black background: Light-toned pieces often look better on darker backgrounds because contrast adds drama. It also calls attention to jewelry.

When to use a white background: Poorly cut gems can appear more attractive on light backgrounds. White backgrounds also bounce light back at the subject matter, which can minimize distracting shadows.

		A clean white piece of paper, plastic or tile used as a background can keep the picture uncluttered and help achieve a correct color balance.

	Correct lighting and positioning of a gem or piece of jewelry are two techniques that will help you take great digital photos. The first ensures a successful photograph. The second makes a picture interesting – or even compelling.

This andalusite from Minas Gerais, Brazil weighs 2.87 ct. This image (left) shows direct lighting, which is not ideal for bringing out the transparent gemstone's rich pleochroic colors. Instead, the direct lighting seems to darken the stone and creates "hot spots" along some of the facets. Diffused lighting for the gem, helps bring out the andalusite's pleochroic colors (right). Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA

	Lighting

		Use a single color temperature of light: Try to avoid environments that have mixed lighting – like fluorescent, incandescent and daylight. Find a location that has one kind of lighting, and use it as your only source.

		Direct lighting works best for ornamental materials, and occasionally to provoke dispersion in a transparent gem. It is also sometimes used to bring out gemstone phenomena such as asterism (a star effect) or chatoyancy (a cat’s eye effect).

		To exhibit a gemstone’s best color, lighting should be diffused rather than direct. Diffused lighting scatters light, softens shadows and provides uniform lighting. This can be achieved by placing a translucent white glass, plastic, or cloth between the light source and the gem. Tracing paper, onionskin paper or translucent vellum are also good choices to scatter light, cast soft shadows, and bring out a gemstone’s best color.

		A mix of direct and diffused lighting can add drama to a photograph by adding some sparkle or dispersion to a transparent gem, while also bringing out its finest colors.

		When photographing highly polished metal, the shiny surfaces can be challenging, especially with direct lighting. Diffused lighting often works well to exhibit soft tonal gradients in the metals, and to highlight the designed metalwork.

Add cards or reflectors to your stage to help bounce light towards your subject. You can use an envelope or card stock. Brooch designed by Paula Crevoshay. Courtesy: GIA collection

	Positioning

		Gemstones are cut and fashioned to show their best colors when looking straight down at them, perpendicular to the table of the gem. If the gems are cut as cabochons (a gem with a rounded, unfaceted, polished surface) and have asterism (a six-rayed star created when light hits inclusions in the gemstone), it is best to light them in a way that centers the star in the middle of the stone. With carved materials, there is much more latitude in the direction in which a piece can be photographed, but even then it is important to determine the artist’s principal objective. Talking to the cutter or designer is important to have an idea of their perspective.

		When positioning jewelry, it is important to consider the jewel’s salient characteristics: is a diamond or a colored gemstone the centerpiece? Can you observe the designer’s intentions through the way you position the jewel, and the camera relative to it?

		The camera angle may also be used as a tool: photographing “straight on” is important for documentary style photographs. To captivate a viewer’s imagination, the subject may be turned, or the camera angle skewed, to obtain dramatic results.

This blue topaz, briolette sapphire, and diamond ring looks good in all directions. The human eye likes symmetry, so the "straight-on" look works (left). But a more elevated and angled view of the ring (right) shows more of the center stone, accentuates the unusual double-shank design, and gives the viewer a more holistic view of it. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA

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	Process Your Image

	Do this before you finish your photo shoot. Apps on your phone can crop, help adjust color balance, and get a gemstone or piece of jewelry to photograph the way it really looks. This will avoid colorcasts (unwanted tints in the image), and will help capture an accurate image of the object.

Recommended Apps with advanced photo processing features:

Camera+: Great for sharpening photos over the regular edit tool

Instafit: To retro-fit photos with white borders for a more artsy look

PicTapGo: For easy editing and color correction

645 Pro Mk III: Provides a little more control over ISO, WB, filters, etc.

Retouch: To delete any distracting elements

iWatermark: To watermark all your images

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	Taking great pictures is like learning any skill: the more you do it, the better you’ll get. So the next time you set up for a photo shoot, use our tips. The results will be worth it. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Heart Jewelry and Gems for a Valentine Abstract: This heart-shaped 8.01ct Burmese ruby ring, set in platinum and surrounded with diamonds evokes love and passion just in time for Valentine’s Day. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA, courtesy of Jan Goodman Co.

	The heart has been celebrated as the dwelling place of romantic love for centuries. Some scholars speculate that the earlier winged Cupids with heart-shaped arrows depicted in Renaissance art symbolized love, while others say the heart as the seat of affection dates back the first century BCE.

	Hearts and Valentine’s Day were forever wedded when Hallmark began mass production of Valentine’s Day cards in 1913. Today, it’s a holiday celebrated around the world.

	Valentine’s Day has a long tradition. In 496 CE Pope Galasius designated February 14th as a feast day to mark the martyrdom of Saint Valentine. While little is known about him, he is considered the Patron Saint of love, blissful engaged couples and happily married people. His image is often associated with birds and roses.

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		To-morrow is Saint Valentine’s day,
		All in the morning betime,
		And I a maid at your window,
		To be your Valentine.
Hamlet, Shakespeare

	You don’t need to be in love to appreciate the romance and devotion of Valentine’s Day, or the beauty of the heart-shaped gems and heart-inspired jewelry. If you “heart” jewelry and gems, every day is Valentine’s Day. @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Inside the World of Gem and Jewelry Appraising Abstract: From left: Teri Brossmer, Gina D'Onofrio and Carole C. Richbourg share  a behind-the-scenes look at the appraisal profession with students at GIA's campus in Carlsbad. Photo by Kevin Schumacher/GIA

                      Students filled the lecture hall at GIA’s campus in Carlsbad recently, eager to hear about the world of gem and jewelry appraising. Classes had already ended for the day, but students were ready to learn more ‒ a trait, it turns out, that is necessary to be a successful appraiser.

“We are perpetual students. We are always learning, and we love it,” said Teri Brossmer, an independent appraiser and GIA Graduate Gemologist (GG), who kicked off a panel discussion along with two other appraisers from the American Society of Appraisers (ASA). A drive to continue your education is vital for appraisers because you regularly spend time studying new discoveries, learning about gem treatments and understanding the laws that affect your business, she said.

Brossmer got her start in gems and jewelry in 1979 when she approached a local jeweler and asked how she could make a career in the industry. He suggested she contact GIA. When Brossmer returned to the store with a course catalog the jeweler was so impressed by her initiative that he hired her on the spot. She earned her GG and ultimately received her appraising accreditation through ASA.

Brossmer said appraisers use their gemological and jewelry knowledge, combined with valuation theory – a process to determine the monetary market value – to give a credible, defendable opinion of value. She pointed out that unlike other jewelry professionals, appraisers don’t have a particular product to sell.

“We’re selling our experience, knowledge and opinion,” she said. “I get paid for my opinion – but it is a well-researched opinion.”

Appraisers don’t just get to be opinionated and curious, she told students; they need to have a variety of skills.

“Appraisers need to be multi-talented,” she said. They need to be part scientist, part computer tech, part business person, and part historian. History skills come into play when they recognize gem treatment and jewelry techniques, and spot when something is out of place.

“You’ve got to know that when you turn over the incredible ‘art nouveau’ piece and see the CAD/CAM skin on the back, you’ve got a problem,” Brossmer said. “You need to know when certain techniques were possible throughout history.”

She added that aspiring appraisers also need to be part diplomat, or as she put it, a “jewelry therapist,” since jewelry is often purchased to commemorate a significant occasion and frequently has special meaning attached to it.

She shared the story of one of her first clients, a recently engaged woman who brought in her ring to be appraised. Brossmer, unfortunately, immediately recognized the stone was not a diamond and told her client, who was shocked. “After that, I learned diplomacy very quickly,” she said.

Brossmer has expanded her expertise to include appraisals for law enforcement organizations. She branched out early in her career when an FBI agent told her about a new law that required seized property to be evaluated by independent appraisers. Brossmer evaluated hundreds of pieces of jewelry for her first case, and the FBI was happy with her work.

“Before long I was getting calls from the FBI, DEA, U.S. Customs and even the Food and Drug Administration,” she said. “As it turns out, appraising seized property is very big business.”

Brossmer said every day can be a new experience for appraisers, especially working with law enforcement. She often works in remote warehouses without heat or air-conditioning, sometimes in temperatures near freezing or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. On several occasions she’s had to testify in criminal cases, and a few times she’s been involved with evaluating gems and jewelry immediately after a police raid.

Students listened in awe to Brossmer’s unusual experiences and thrilling cases with law enforcement, before two other appraisers joined her for a panel discussion led by student questions.

	Students listen attentively and take notes during a panel discussion on gem and jewelry appraising. Photo by Kevin Schumacher/GIA

Carole C. Richbourg, an independent appraiser from Los Altos, California, started her career in a retail jewelry store. She earned her GG diploma through distance education and started her own appraisal business in 2004, working almost exclusively with private consumers in northern California.

Gina D’Onofrio, originally from Sydney, Australia, said she “fell into the appraisal business” after a breadth of jewelry experiences – from selling opals to antique jewelry, and from retail management to jewelry design. She said once she studied gemology she was hooked. “Little did I know my experience was becoming very well-rounded and was setting me up for a good knowledge base for appraising jewelry,” she said.

Students asked the appraisers specific questions about how to increase their knowledge in antique jewelry, how to start an appraisal business, what computer software to use and their favorite gemological instruments.

Richbourg encouraged students to get retail experience, which she said is invaluable because it provides the opportunity to handle jewelry and become more familiar with the “feel” of it. This helps appraisers make an instinctual first determination on authenticity.

D’Onofrio stressed the importance of networking, and the friendships that can often lead to new professional opportunities.

All three of the appraisers said that one of the most rewarding experiences of appraising comes from the stories gems and jewelry reveal. One of Brossmer’s favorite experiences was the opportunity to document American actress Ginger Rogers’ personal jewelry collection.

“Not only did I get to see this personal glimpse into her life, but because she had been a star for such a long span of time, you could see the progression of jewelry design over the years. There were incredible pieces from the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s,” she said.

D’Onofrio admitted she is a hopeless romantic. “I love the discovery, the history, the stories behind the jewelry and the people you meet. I think it’s the best part of the industry.” @topic:6


Publish Year: - Title: Jewelry's Timeless Appeal Makes It a 'Gem' Of a Career Choice Abstract: Think about it. Is there anyone you know--male or female--who doesn't own a single piece of jewelry? Most people have at least one or two favorite pieces, from the simple to the elaborate, and often start wearing it at a very young age. Jewelry has been worn for close to 100,000 years to make a statement about who we are and whom we love.

Today's worldwide jewelry industry is conservatively estimated to be a $165-plus billion business annually. The United States Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook reports that "the increasing numbers of affluent individuals, working women, double-income households and fashion-conscious men are expected to keep jewelry sales strong. The population aged 45 and older, which accounts for a major portion of jewelry sales, also is on the rise."

These are compelling indicators that jewelry--and careers in jewelry--won't be going away anytime soon. That's why getting professional training can be a great option for high school graduates not pursuing a four-year degree, or for workers looking for a career change.
Trained jewelry professionals can pursue a multitude of careers, including a retail store owner or associate, diamond and colored stone buyer, lab and research professional, auction house specialist, diamond manufacturer, colored stone dealer, bench jeweler, jewelry designer and jewelry buyer. According to the Department of Labor's report, there is a growing need for highly skilled bench jewelers particularly.

"Demand for repair workers should remain strong even during economic slowdowns because maintaining and repairing jewelry is an ongoing process," the report states. "In fact, demand for jewelry repair may increase during recessions, as people repair or restore existing pieces rather than purchase new ones."

More reasons a career in the jewelry industry is a smart choice:
Jewelry is often acquired by someone, for someone, for a special reason. People will always celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and engagements, regardless of the economy or retail environment. A piece of jewelry is often the go-to gift to mark these occasions.

Jewelry is made by people. Jewelry, like art and music, begins as someone's creative idea and will likely always require the talent and hands-on skills of designers and craftsmen to bring it to life.

Jewelry is accessible. Nearly everyone can own a piece of personal jewelry at an affordable price. Just about everyone is a potential jewelry customer and many are repeat customers.
Jobs in the jewelry industry are accessible, too. If you're interested in knowing more about the industry, talk to a jeweler you respect and find out how he or she got into the field. Most will have a Graduate Gemologist (GG) or an Accredited Jewelry Professional (AJP) diploma from the GIA (Gemological Institute of America), the nonprofit research and accredited education organization long regarded as the world's foremost authority in gems and jewelry. @topic:12


Publish Year: 2006 Title: Identification of “Chocolate Pearls” Treated by Ballerina Pearl Co. Abstract: Treated cultured pearls with a “chocolate” coloration have entered the market from several sources. Gemological, spectroscopic, and chemical analyses were performed on both untreated and treated cultured pearls to provide a better understanding of the “chocolate” treatment process that is used by one company (Ballerina Pearl Co.) and to determine how these products can be identified. It is likely that the organic components in black cultured pearls were bleached to create the brown coloration; no foreign coloring agent was detected. Cultured pearls treated by this method can be identified based on their unusual coloration, characteristic fluorescence, UV-Vis-NIR reflectance and Raman spectra, and trace-element composition. @topic:5


Publish Year: 2008 Title: The Color Durability of “Chocolate Pearls” by Ballerina Pearl Co. Abstract: Treated-color brown Tahitian cultured pearls, known in the trade as “Chocolate Pearls,” have become increasingly prevalent in the market. As a result, it is important that the durability of the color treatment is well understood. Seven Chocolate Pearls supplied by Ballerina Pearl Co. and 12 untreated Tahitian cultured pearls (for comparison) were exposed to conditions of consumer care and wear—heat, household chemicals, daylight, and some typical cosmetics—to determine their effects on the color. The results were similar for both groups: They did not change color when exposed to daylight, cosmetics, and some chemicals; subtle changes were noticed after exposure to heat; and more significant changes were observed when the samples were exposed to chemically reactive household cleaning solutions. @topic:5


Publish Year: - Title: ‘Dreams of Diamonds’ Book, Exhibit Celebrate Spectacular Gems Abstract: The GIA museum’s “Dreams of Diamonds” exhibit featured more than 4,000 carats of diamonds, and marked the U.S. debut of Alastair Laidlaw and Christine Marsden’s like-named book – a 160-page, 33-lb. tome. Photo by Kevin Schumacher/GIA

The GIA museum’s glittering “Dreams of Diamonds” exhibit drew a record-breaking number of guests to the Institute’s Carlsbad campus for two weeks in May 2015, with more than 1,000 members of the public, trade and press attending the once-in-a-lifetime display.

The exhibit, which featured more than 4,000 carats of diamonds, celebrated the mystique of a gemstone that continues to fascinate gemologists and inspire designers and artists around the world. It also marked the U.S. debut of “Dreams of Diamonds,” a 160-page tome that, at 33 pounds and approximately three feet wide when open, is the largest book ever published on the subject.

“The creators of ‘Dreams of Diamonds’ were able to capture extraordinary diamond pieces in enchanting, ethereal settings,” says GIA Museum Curator Terri Ottaway, adding that the book and exhibit were “an ode to the wondrous world of diamonds.”

GIA Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Kathryn Kimmel, left, with “Dreams of Diamonds” photographers Christine Marsden and Alastair Laidlaw, and GIA President and CEO Susan Jacques at the exhibit’s opening event .
The team behind the book, British photographers Alastair Laidlaw and Christine Marsden, showcase images of loose diamonds and diamond jewelry in fantastic, dreamy settings. The diamonds – many of which were graded by the GIA laboratory – and jewelry in the book represent the work of a dozen of the most venerated designers and diamond houses in the world.

Ottaway, along with McKenzie Santimer, manager of museum exhibits, showcased the oversized book in the Carlsbad campus rotunda, filling the surrounding display cases with 25 spectacular pieces of diamond jewelry. Seven of the book’s international contributors, including Adler, Chatila, Chow Tai Fook, Diacore, Diarough, Mouawad and MUNNU The Gem Palace, loaned their jewelry pieces for the exhibit.

The displays ranged from simple to intricate, including an exceptional 50-carat D flawless diamond on a rotating base and a stunning sautoir made from 1,400 carats of diamond crystals and polished gems.

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“It was the highest-value exhibition we’ve ever had, and it was overwhelming in popularity,” says Santimer, who said that visitors from the public and gem and jewelry trade came from all over Southern California. The exhibit, which opened with an invitation-only gala on April 29, even generated buzz on campus, where staff and students are accustomed to walking past beautiful displays of gems and jewelry every day.

“The students were floored,” Santimer said. “It’s pretty surreal to experience such a unique exhibit dedicated to diamonds while you’re studying at GIA, the creators of the 4Cs. It was a wonderful mix of diamonds, from 300-year-old diamond jewelry from the Mughal period to innovative, present-day cuts and tiaras. There were gold boots encrusted with more than 38,000 diamonds and fabulous colored diamonds, including a 54-carat Fancy Intense yellow diamond.”

GIA’s Visual Resources Digitization Assistant Emily Lane displaying “Dreams of Diamonds,” which is approximately three feet wide when open. Dona Dirlam, director of the library, said the book has already become a tour and student favorite because the oversized photos are making it possible “to see a level of detail and craftsmanship that is rare.”
Though the exhibition had a short run, GIA visitors will still be able to enjoy the heart of the exhibit in the Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library and Information Center. Laidlaw and Marsden donated two copies of the book, valued at $10,000 each, to the library’s collection. One copy is housed in the library’s Cartier Rare Book Repository and Archive; the other is available by appointment for public reference and viewing.

“We are so grateful to Alastair and Christine, who took six years to create this remarkable work of art,” says Library Director Dona Dirlam. “The book has already become a favorite highlight of the tour for our visitors, and the oversized photos are making it possible for GIA students to see a level of detail and craftsmanship that is rare. ‘Dreams of Diamonds’ is truly a special, valued addition to our collection.” @topic:6


Publish Year: 2016 Title: Large Colorless HPHT Synthetic Gem Diamonds from China Abstract: Figure 1. A factory in Shandong, China, is producing a large number of colorless HPHT synthetic diamonds for the jewelry industry. These crystals have typical cuboctahedral morphology and weigh up to 3.5 ct. Photo by Jianxin (Jae) Liao.

	High-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) technology for gem diamond synthesis has made rapid progress in the last few years. It is now being used to produce many melee-size diamonds around 2–3 mm in diameter and large colorless single crystals, all with significantly improved quality and growth rate. One Russian company is reportedly growing multiple large, gem-quality colorless diamond crystals in a single run (U.F.S. D’Haenens-Johansson et al., “Large colorless HPHT-grown synthetic gem diamonds from New Diamond Technology,” Fall 2015 G&G, pp. 260–279). Here we report on large diamond crystals manufactured using a similar technology by Jinan Zhongwu New Materials Co. Ltd in Shandong, China.

	We visited the Chinese factory in early March 2016 and obtained 50 crystals (figure 1). The crystals were examined using the instrumentation and techniques applied to all diamonds submitted to GIA for grading; all exhibited the typical characteristics of HPHT growth and were identified as synthetic. These were basically colorless, with only a few metallic inclusions observed. These crystals showed typical cuboctahedral morphology, with well-developed {100}, {110}, and {111} growth sectors and a weakly developed {113} sector. The crystals we obtained ranged from about 0.5 to 1.2 ct each. Absorption spectra in the infrared region showed they were type IIa diamond, but trace absorption from boron was detected (2800 cm–1). Detailed gemological and spectroscopic analyses are ongoing and will be reported separately.

	According to the manufacturer, large quantities of gem-quality colorless and blue diamonds are produced in this factory, in sizes up to 3.5 ct each. While the total production volume remains unclear, it is undoubtedly significant, and capacity is likely to expand in the near future. This strongly suggests that even more large HPHT synthetic diamonds will be introduced into the jewelry industry. @topic:4


Publish Year: 2019 Title: Book Review: Diamonds: An Early History of the King of Gems Abstract: By Jack Ogden, hardcover, 408 pp., illus., publ. by Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2018, US$40.00.

Diamonds: An Early History of the King of Gems is a well-researched and well-documented fact-packed history, from diamonds in ancient India to the discovery of diamonds in Brazil in the 1700s. Ogden explores diamond legends, diamond mining in India, the introduction of diamonds to Europe, the worldwide diamond trade in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, world events that altered availability and pricing, and early cutting techniques and the technologies that made diamonds as we know them today possible. The book consists of 15 chapters, an epilogue, an excellent bibliography and index, and an appendix: a 1675 description of Indian diamond mines believed to be written by diamond dealer Nathaniel Cholmley. The illustrations—old paintings and drawings, letters and bills, photos of pieces still extant—give the book a strong sense of place and history.
In India as early as 500 BCE, diamonds were broken into chips for drilling and engraving other gemstones. Europeans also valued them for this use. Occasionally, diamond crystals showed up in Roman jewelry and in jewelry made in Syria, the end of the overland route to India. But trade was challenging in the beginning. The stones were not only of relatively poor quality, but they were also difficult to get, and Indian authorities prohibited their export until the 13th century.
Once trade with the East began, diamonds began to show up in written records—and in jewelry that survives to this day. Small, poor-quality stones were even available to merchants and tradesmen. Ogden mentions a London tavern owner who owned two diamonds in 1317; their value was “just six shillings and eight pence.”
European diamond trading blossomed in the 1500s with the opening of a sea route to India, but diamonds had been traded worldwide for centuries before that. Arabic, Armenian, and Jewish traders traveled overland to India and sold them in China and Russia, and they reportedly sold diamonds to Chinese buyers living as far away as the Philippines. And, of course, there was a diamond trade within India.
With the growing European diamond market came an interest in improving the stones through cutting. Although Indians drilled and engraved large diamonds, they seemed to use the resulting diamond powder solely to polish other gemstones. Any cutting or polishing was probably done by rubbing a diamond on a flat surface loaded with diamond powder. The equipment, too, was less than ideal. The bow-driven wheels used to cut colored stones rotated back and forth, producing a jerky movement that could not give diamonds the flat surface necessary to bring out their brilliance. It is likely that more sophisticated cutting methods reached India only when Europeans introduced diamond cutting mills there in the 1500s.
Europeans had been able to develop cutting mills by combining a rotary iron skeif with the crank and flywheel technology, reportedly adapted in Italy in the 13th century from the silk-spinning industry of China. Cutting mills became widespread as the European diamond trade grew in the 1500s. The technology worked so well for diamond cutting that the equipment remained virtually unchanged into modernity, except that the wheels are now driven by electricity rather than human, horse, or water power. The skeif, the angle gauge, the dop, and the diamond saw allowed the development of first the table cut—essentially an octahedron with the point removed—followed by the rose cut and finally the brilliant. Cutting added value to the stones, and many thick, old cut stones from India—called lasques—were bought at relatively reasonable prices and then recut into rose cuts in Europe for a profit. As cutting became more sophisticated, European cutters moved closer to the diamond source in India. Ogden writes that the “Mughal cuts,” which resembled large multifaceted rose cuts, were probably produced by these European cutters.
Until the development of the brilliant cut, most diamond cuts—point cuts, table cuts, rose cuts—were not only set in closed-back settings, but also backed with a black material such as soot mixed with resin. The backing was said to improve the color and create stones that were “most gracious to the eye.” But sparkle was in demand with the arrival of the brilliant cut. “The word sparkle sums up the change that had revolutionized the diamond trade,” writes Ogden. Brilliants were in such demand that rose cuts were refashioned as brilliant cuts regardless of the loss of weight.
Throughout the book, Ogden mentions the variety of terms devised to describe the cutting process and the parts of the resulting stones. Facets were “lozenges,” and a faceted stone was said to be “lozenged.” There were also fanciful cut descriptions. A cut akin to a step cut, but with a twin-sided peak in place of a table, was a “kirk riggin” (Scottish for “church roof”), hogback, or dos d’ane—“donkey back.” A three-cornered diamond was described as “thre nuikit,” or nooked, nook meaning “corner.” The French term carré (“square”) was used variously to describe an octahedron that had been “squared” to improve its beauty, a facet, the act of faceting, or a square diamond shape. A “harte” was a pear shape. A spark, a tiny accent diamond, was used much in the way “chips” have been in the more recent past.
Diamond cutting is most often associated with Amsterdam or Antwerp, but a cutting industry began in London in the 1500s with Queen Elizabeth’s encouragement. It was made possible by the unsanctioned diamond trade perpetuated by England’s renowned pirates, or privateers. Ogden writes that Sir Walter Raleigh intercepted the Portuguese ship Madre de Deus as it returned from the Indies, “carrying perhaps the largest single treasure of gems ever taken.”
The establishment of the East India Company in 1600 meant that diamonds began to flow into London more reliably, and cutting became a major industry. By the 1660s, more than £200,000 worth of diamonds arrived in London every year. However, a duty levied on diamond imports, falling support for the East India Company, and growing cutting operations in Amsterdam and Antwerp—where cutting costs were much cheaper—led to a declining industry. By 1852, when the Koh-i-Noor diamond was recut by Garrard’s, the British Crown Jewelers, the firm had to obtain advice on the cutting from cutters in Amsterdam, “perhaps to national shame.”
Quality has never been separate from the pricing of diamonds, and Ogden touches on this issue related to clarity, color, size, and cut. He describes the “square rule” used for pricing. A base price would be multiplied by the weight of the stone squared, so at £25 (~US$33 in 2019) per carat, a 4 ct stone would be priced by multiplying £25 by (4 x 4). Invoices often broke down the ancillary costs paid by the customer, including taxes and commissions to various people, and also items like “coach hyre” for necessary trips during the cutting process. The cutting cost was borne by the seller.
White diamonds, of course, were considered highest quality; yellows, browns, and greens were valued lower. In Europe, writes Ogden, “colored diamonds do not seem to have attracted much serious attention…until Jean-Baptiste Tavernier brought back from his sixth voyage to the east the large blue diamond that he sold to king Louis XIV of France in 1668….” This would eventually become the Hope Diamond.
As is also the case today, exceptionally large stones were priced individually. In one report, the Florentine diamond was valued at “a hundred thousand crownes between marchant and marchant, and a hundred and fifty thousand crownes between Prince and Prince.” This is a reminder, writes Ogden, that “value depends on whether one is buying or selling and to whom….”
Although Diamonds is packed with information, it’s not all dry facts. Ogden includes a delightful story: in the early 1200s, the Emperor of Nicaea presented a crown of pearls and diamonds to his empress, which he had paid for with “eggs of his innumerable poultry.” Ogden also reminds us of the incredible dangers of transporting these stones across thousands of miles. Marco Polo is said to have carried diamonds sewn into his clothing back to Venice after his travels along the Silk Road; gold of comparable value would have been impossible to carry on such a journey.
Ogden also reminds us that diamonds have always been involved in scandals and very public romances. He includes a photo of a hair ornament given by King Charles II to his mistress (and mother of two of his children), actress Nell Gwynn, in 1680. He also mentions Elihu Yale, founder of Yale University and governor of Madras, who had as mistresses not only the wife of Jacques de Paiva, a diamond dealer from Amsterdam and London, but also the wife of John Nicks, a member of the East India Company.
The above barely touches on the book’s topics. Ogden has examined numerous museum collections and delved deep into correspondence and invoices from the periods he covers. Diamonds: An Early History of the King of Gems is a fascinating book for anyone interested in the deep background of jewelry and will prove useful to future writers about gemstones as well as to anyone dealing with old jewelry. The minute detail that Ogden goes into is not for casual readers; however, as a reference, it is superb. @topic:11


Publish Year: 1992 Title: An Update on Sumitomo Gem-Quality Synthetic Diamonds Abstract: Examination of two large (5.06 and 5.09 ct) tabular pieces of Sumitomo synthetic diamond revealed that they were cut from single crystals of predominantly cubic {100} and octahedral {111} morphologies, respectively. These two crystal forms exhibit different patterns of color zoning, internal graining, anomalous birefringence ("strain”), and luminescence. Such differences suggest that both crystal morphology and size can greatly affect the properties observed in a synthetic diamond. @topic:4


Publish Year: 1984 Title: Magnetic Properties of Gem-Quality Synthetic Diamonds Abstract: Measurements of the magnetic properties of four gem-quality synthetic diamonds indicate that higher levels of permanent magnetism can be induced in the synthetics than could be induced in a number of gem-quality natural stones. As received, the colored and included synthetics showed much higher levels of magnetism than the natural stones, but one near-colorless synthetic had less magnetism than many of the natural stones. Most of the magnetism of the natural stones is due to surface contamination, which can only be removed by rigorous acid cleaning. After cleaning, the natural diamonds were not only less magnetic than all of the synthetic stones, but they were also more resistant to demagnetization. Significant levels of metallic impurities were detected in most of the synthetics. These results on a limited number of samples suggest that natural diamonds can be distinguished from synthetics on the basis of their magnetic properties, but that in the case of near-colorless, inclusion-free stones, such tests may require sophisticated instrumentation. @topic:4


Publish Year: 1984 Title: Identifying Gem-Quality Synthetic Diamonds:  An Update Abstract: The existence of gem-quality synthetic diamonds and their potential impact on the marketplace has long been a source of concern to gemologists and gem dealers the world over. While we do not know whether cuttable gem-quality diamonds have been synthesized in other nations, we do know that the General Electric Company has successfully synthesized cuttable gem-quality diamonds in the United States. Eight of these diamonds were studied in an attempt to determine means of identifying them using standard gemological tests. Sophisticated chemical and X-ray diffraction analyses and spectrophotometric and ferromagnetic studies were also performed. Distinctive inclusions, absence of strain in polarized light, electrical conductivity, and absence of both an absorption spectrum and a reaction to long-wave ultraviolet radiation were found to be useful indicators. Magnetism was also found to be a positive basis for separation but is not practical for the jeweler/gemologist. @topic:4


Publish Year: 2004 Title: Lab-Grown Colored Diamonds from Chatham Created Gems Abstract: Synthetic colored diamonds (yellow, blue, green, and pink) from a new source in Asia are now being sold by Chatham Created Gems of San Francisco, California. Some of this new material displays hues and weaker saturations that more closely resemble natural diamonds than most of the synthetic diamonds we have encountered previously, which typically had very intense colors. These as-grown and treated type I and type II synthetic diamonds, produced by a high pressure/high temperature process, have many distinctive visual and spectroscopic features that serve to separate them from natural diamonds. These include geometric patterns of color zoning and luminescence, metallic inclusions, and bands seen in the visible and photoluminescence spectra. @topic:4


Publish Year: 2003 Title: An Important Exhibition of Seven Rare Gem Diamonds Abstract: From late June to mid-September 2003, seven important gem diamonds went on temporary public display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, in an exhibit titled “The Splendor of Diamonds.” These diamonds, one colorless and six colored, are some of the rarest in the world: the 203.04 ct D-color De Beers Millennium Star, the 101.29 ct Fancy Vivid yellow Allnatt, the 59.60 ct Fancy Vivid pink Steinmetz Pink, the 27.64 ct Fancy Vivid blue Heart of Eternity, the 5.54 ct Fancy Vivid orange Pumpkin, the 5.51 ct Fancy Deep blue-green Ocean Dream, and the 5.11 ct Fancy red Moussaieff Red. This article provides background information on these spectacular diamonds and a record of some of the gemological observations obtained during their quality grading by GIA. @topic:10


Publish Year: - Title: Synthetic Diamonds: From Dark Industrials to Bright Gems Abstract: This is a representative selection of colored and colorless synthetic diamonds grown by the General Electric Company in the 1970s. The largest faceted stone in the center weighs 0.78 carats. Photo by Robert Weldon

                      Man has been trying to mimic nature by creating synthetic diamonds for centuries.

After Antoine Lavoisier discovered that diamond is a crystalline form of carbon in 1772, several 1800s-era scientists attempted to grow diamond material and made unconfirmed claims that they were successful. British writer H.G. Wells described the basic process for using high pressure and temperature (HPHT) in a 1911 story called, appropriately, “The Diamond Maker.”

It was not until the 1950s, however, that the HPHT process was used to create the first commercially viable synthetic diamonds. Today, nearly 60 years after that achievement, synthetic diamonds are making an impact in both the jewelry market and for technological applications.

In 1952, William Eversole at Union Carbide created tiny synthetic diamonds using the low pressure, comparatively low temperature, method of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). A Swedish company, ASEA, successfully grew HPHT synthetic diamond in 1953, but kept their accomplishment secret. In contrast, Tracy Hall and other General Electric (GE) scientists announced in 1954 that they had discovered the correct mix of heat, pressure and carbon flux to reliably grow diamond in a laboratory.

Interestingly, these two very different methods of producing synthetic diamond were first successful within a few years of each other.

GE’s first HPHT synthetics were tiny brown diamonds that were applied to a broad range of industrial uses. Indeed, industrial diamonds were deemed so critical to the U.S. and other governments for use in manufacturing, that they amassed strategic stockpiles of them, eventually storing significant quantities of this important material.

The HPHT process essentially recreated the forces in nature that create natural diamonds – intense heat and pressure – in a growth chamber. A few years after the GE breakthrough, De Beers began to offer industrial synthetics and Russian scientists developed a diamond synthesis process all based on the same basic HPHT growth process.

While these producers manufactured millions of carats of industrial synthetic diamonds each year, none were large enough or of good enough quality for the gem industry until 1971.That’s when GE announced it had created several gem-quality synthetics and sent them to Robert Crowningshield at the GIA Laboratory for examination. The diamonds, polished by a New York diamond firm, weighed between 0.26 and 0.30 carats and ranged from J to F color. GE also created several fancy colored yellows and blues that GIA also analyzed. In all cases, the diamonds carried distinctive metallic flux inclusions that could be seen with an optical microscope, making them easily identifiable as synthetics.

The announcement sent shock waves around the diamond world, but the concern was premature. These gem-quality synthetic diamond crystals required a giant press and vast amounts of heat and pressure to produce, so they weren’t economically feasible for jewelry use.

It would be another 14 years before synthetics would become a potential issue in the diamond market. In 1985, Sumitomo Electric Industries in Japan announced that it had begun to produce gem-quality synthetic diamonds on a large scale for industrial use with updated technology from the GE process. The Sumitomo synthetics had a distinctively orange-brown or orange-yellow color resulting from the large amounts of nitrogen used to facilitate the process to grow high-quality crystals.

Sumitomo expressly denied that these synthetic diamonds were produced for the gem market, explaining that they were sold as heat conductors for electrical components. Accordingly, the company made them available only in very thin slices, unsuitable for polishing into gem-quality synthetic diamonds.

The introduction of the Sumitomo synthetics prompted GIA and De Beers into action. GIA researchers examined three Sumitomo “rough” crystals and four finished stones. They discovered that these synthetics had distinctive metal inclusions and internal growth patterns, and ultraviolet fluorescence reactions, which helped create a base of knowledge to draw on when examining future generations of HPHT synthetics.

The De Beers Research Centre outside of London began to develop a device that would enable gemological labs – and even jewelry retailers – to quickly distinguish between synthetic and natural diamond. In the mid-1990s, it reported that it had created not one, but two synthetic detection units. The smaller DiamondSure™can quickly filter the synthetics from naturals, although a small percentage require further testing. The DiamondView™, a more sophisticated unit, can detect synthetics though detailed imaging of ultraviolet fluorescence patterns using ultra-shortwave illumination.

As the technology of producing gem-quality synthetics became known, a small number of manufacturers in the U.S., China and Russia, and the Ukraine began to market them to the jewelry industry.

In the last decade, with the adaptation of the much less costly CVD growth process, synthetic diamonds much closer in appearance and quality to natural stones appeared in the gem market. This method not only functions at much lower temperatures and pressures, but also creates colorless diamonds more easily than HPHT. Most producers of large synthetic diamond crystals have been shifting to the CVD process in the past two to three years because of its lower cost. The DiamondSure flags potential synthetics while the larger DiamondView can distinguish CVD and HPHT synthetics from natural.

Despite the difference in production methods, GIA researchers using specialized equipment and methods, are able to distinguish all synthetics from natural diamonds.

Updated March 20, 2013 @topic:4


Publish Year: - Title: Winter 2018 G&G: The Color Origins of Pink-to-Red Diamonds and Gem-Grade Diaspore, and Gemological Characteristics of Pearls from P. Maculata Abstract: Gemstones are often shrouded in mystery, waiting for the right team to tease out their origins and identifying characteristics. The Winter 2018 issue of Gems & Gemology reveals the color origins of breathtaking pink diamonds, the fascinating story behind Russia’s Amber Room, and insight into the rare natural “pipi” pearls from Pinctada maculata mollusks. Also included are the color origins of the color-change diaspore known as Zultanite; the unusual combination of corundum core and spinel rim that emerges from a deposit in northern Vietnam; and a new wall chart of internal features in natural, synthetic, and treated diamond.
Natural-Color Pink, Purple, Red, and Brown Diamonds: Band of Many Colors
Fancy-color diamonds in the pink to red range have been in the public eye thanks to the recent auction of the Winston Pink Legacy for $50 million. Gem-quality diamonds in this color range are exceedingly rare and highly valued. In this third article in& G&G’s series on colored diamonds, Sally Eaton-Magaña and her coauthors survey the characteristics of the more than 90,000 diamonds in the pink to red color range—which includes browns and purples—examined by GIA between 2008 and 2016.
The History and Reconstruction of the Amber Room
The original Amber Room, constructed for the king of Prussia, contained panels of magnificently carved and decorated Baltic amber. This sumptuous room was gifted to Russia in the early eighteenth century and eventually installed in the Catherine Palace near St. Petersburg. It remained in place until World War II, when German troops seized the panels and the palace was destroyed. The panels were last seen in 1945, and their disappearance remains a mystery. Russell Shor’s article recounts the history of the original Amber Room as well as the decades-long effort to faithfully restore it.
The Color Origin of Gem Diaspore: Correlation to Corundum
Color-change diaspore, also known as Zultanite, is an increasingly important material in the gem market. Che Shen and Ren Lu examine the material’s color origin using spectroscopy and laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Because gem diaspore and corundum are structurally similar and share the same chromophores, the study also compares the effectiveness of chromophores between the two.
Corundum with Spinel Corona from the Tan Huong–Truc Lau Area in Northern Vietnam
In primary and secondary placer deposits of Vietnam’s Tan Huong–Truc Lau area, it is not unusual to find rubies and sapphire with a spinel “rim” or corona. A team of researchers led by Nguyen Ngoc Khoi studied dozens of these specimens in an effort to explain the genesis of the corona. They theorize that during a certain stage of high-grade metamorphism, corundum reacts with biotite, garnet, or dolomite to form the spinel corona.
The Gemological Characteristics of Pipi Pearls Reportedly from Pinctada Maculata
Nanthaporn Nilpetploy and her coauthors review the rare natural pearls from the Pinctada maculata mollusk known as “pipi” pearls. Spectroscopic results showed some characteristic patterns in these small pearls, such as a distinct absorption feature around 495 nm in the UV-Vis spectra and peaks at 1380 and 1540 cm–1 in the Raman spectra. Findings from the study may aid in the separation of pipi pearls from material produced by other related mollusk species.
Inclusions in Natural, Synthetic, and Treated Diamond
Our chart series on the internal world of gemstones continues with diamond, displaying the most common inclusions in 30 stunning photomicrographs captured by Nathan Renfro, John Koivula, Jonathan Muyal, and Shane McClure. The foldout wall chart is accompanied by a short article about diamond inclusions and a suggested reading list.
Lab Notes
GIA’s labs around the world receive specimens that are striking or noteworthy. The Winter issue includes entries on a rare ruby from the state of Montana; a cat’s-eye Paraíba tourmaline from Brazil; and analysis of De Beers’ Lightbox CVD-grown diamonds.
Diamonds from the Deep
Our newest column focuses on the geology of natural diamonds. In this installment, Karen Smit and Steven Shirey explore the formation and importance of so-called “superdeep” diamonds, those that form outside of the conventional depths (150–200 km) within the mantle at depths of at least 410 to 660 km.
Micro-World
G&G’s quarterly gallery of gemstone inclusions offers a rose-shaped inclusion in a demantoid host, a zircon and monazite cluster in an Ethiopian sapphire, and a large, well-formed rutile inclusion in a rock crystal quartz.
Gem News International
Our correspondents from around the world contribute their most recent news and findings to the Gem News International section. This edition features preliminary observations of sapphires treated with heat and pressure, a coated pink synthetic moissanite, and a synthetic moissanite imitating a rough diamond.
2018 Dr. Edward J. Gübelin Most Valuable Article Award
Gems & Gemology once again invites our readers to vote on the three most important articles from the past year. Each completed ballot is entered into a drawing for a one-year subscription to G&G. Ballots for the 2018 Most Valuable Article Award must be submitted by March 11, 2019. @topic:8