Title: Vaterite in Freshwater Natural Shell Blister Abstract: Figure 1. A freshwater shell blister weighing 40.91 ct and measuring 22.79 × 20.59 × 13.21 mm. Photo by Gaurav Bera.

Figure 2. A: RTX image showing banded structures. B: μ-CT image revealing arcs. C: X-ray fluorescence shows yellowish green fluorescence along with the reddish orange spot, indicating the presence of vaterite. Image by Pfokreni Nipuni (C).
A cream-colored baroque-shaped shell blister with a light orange base, weighing 40.91 ct and measuring 22.79 × 20.59 × 13.21 mm, was recently submitted to GIA’s Mumbai laboratory for identification (figure 1). Externally, the large shell blister had a botryoidal arrangement with deep grooves. Viewed under 40× magnification, its high-luster surface displayed a typical nacreous structure of overlapping aragonite platelets. The base of the shell blister was sawn and polished, revealing concentric arcs and numerous polishing lines. Real-time X-ray microradiography (RTX) and X-ray computed microtomography (μ-CT) showed a distinct pattern of concentric growth arcs that terminated at the base. This was accompanied by an array of fine lines opposite the direction of the growth arcs forming grooves within the pearl (figure 2, A and B).

Figure 3. Raman analysis of shell blister spots fluorescing yellowish green and reddish orange under XRF revealed the presence of aragonite and vaterite peaks, respectively.
X-ray fluorescence (XRF) revealed a strong yellowish green reaction, indicative of its freshwater origin, with a small patch of reddish orange fluorescence observed at one end (figure 2C). Reddish orange fluorescence has been associated with vaterite in freshwater pearls (U. Wehrmeister et al., “Vaterite in freshwater cultured pearls from China and Japan,” Journal of Gemmology, Vol. 30, No. 7/8, 2007, pp. 399–412). Further chemical analysis using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry was conducted on multiple spots. The yellowish green area yielded manganese levels ranging from 261 to 504 ppm and a strontium level of 413 to 452 ppm, while the reddish orange spot had a manganese level of 323 ppm and a strontium level of 415 ppm. Raman spectroscopy using 514 nm laser excitation on multiple surface spots revealed a combination of two calcium carbonate (CaCO3) polymorphs: aragonite and vaterite. The spot with reddish orange fluorescence had vaterite peaks at 752, 1075, and 1090 cm–1; the areas with a yellowish green fluorescence showed peaks at 701, 704, and 1085 cm–1, indicative of aragonite, along with polyenic pigment peaks at 1130 and 1530 cm–1 (figure 3). The photoluminescence spectra were consistent with the Raman and displayed strong fluorescence.
The presence of vaterite in association with aragonite in freshwater pearls has been extensively researched and recorded both in natural and cultured pearls. These minerals have also been occasionally documented in mollusk shells. It is therefore interesting to see such dual mineral phases in shell blisters as well. While it has often been speculated that vaterite serves as a precursor to aragonite during biomineralization, the presence of this mineral on the periphery suggests simultaneous formation within the shell blister (A.L. Soldati et al., “Structural characterization and chemical composition of aragonite and vaterite in freshwater cultured pearls,” Mineralogical Magazine, Vol. 72, No. 2, 2008, pp. 579–592). In certain cases, the presence of vaterite can be very difficult to detect through XRF analysis, especially when located within or around the core of the pearl. However, vaterite is more visible when the pearl is cut (Summer 2021 Gem News International, pp. 171–174).
Distinguishing between a natural blister pearl and a natural shell blister can be very challenging for laboratories due to the subtle variations in the definitions of these terms. Although such identifications are always debatable, the examined item was identified as a natural freshwater shell blister based mainly on its structural composition, external appearance, and distinct worked base, in addition to its notably large size. Source: GIA @topic:5


Title: Moroccan Amethyst:Mining and Marketing Abstract: Figure 1. These amethyst crystals from Morocco show the strong zoning characteristic of stones from this location. Photo by Eric Welch/GIA, courtesy of Geostone Group.

	Characteristic “hourglass” color zoning (figure 1) and striking red hematite “finger” inclusions help distinguish Moroccan amethyst. Although amethyst is readily available on the market, the material from Boudi in southern Morocco stands out. While Moroccan amethyst has been featured in G&G previously (F. Troilo et al., “Amethyst from Boudi, Morocco,” Spring 2015, pp. 32–40), we gathered some fresh insights on the mine and the marketing strategy for this material from Alaeddine Rafei, who directs grading and sales for Geostone Group in Morocco.

	About 40 years ago, a group of nomads were stuck in a storm in the Anti-Atlas mountain range of southern Morocco. The next morning, they found purple crystals on the washed ground. The nomads kept bringing the crystals to tourist shops in the villages nearby. Seven years ago, a geologist and a cofounder of Geostone Group finally had the stones analyzed by GIA and confirmed that they are amethyst. Mining started in 2011–2012 and has continued on a small scale since then. From 2011 to 2015, the miners mainly used hand tools to remove the earth and extract the crystals. As the wall has gotten pushed further back, excavators have been used since 2015 to move earth. The miners are still hand picking crystals out of the removed earth.

	Rough amethyst crystals are transported to the company’s warehouse in Casablanca for washing and grading. Washing is done with water and acid. Rafei explained the four grades of Moroccan amethyst. The topmost grade consists of double-terminated single crystals, which are extremely rare. Rafei explained that only 1% of the production is gem quality (figure 2), of which only 2% are the double-terminated crystals. Next come the AAA grade, which refers to the deep purple stones, and the slightly less purple AA grade. The AA grade is the most common on the market. The fourth grade is a category called Rose du Maroc. Amethysts falling to this grade have an even lighter purple color than AA stones.

Figure 2. Morocco produces deep purple amethyst with red hematite “finger” inclusions that can cause red flashes of color. Photo by Eric Welch/GIA, courtesy of Geostone Group.

	Marketing these amethysts is an even greater challenge. As people can imagine, the rough amethyst market is very competitive, since there are many sources in different countries. In 2013, when Geostone’s founders brought their Moroccan amethysts to Tucson to test the market, they went home deflated by the feedback. Large colored stone cutting companies see little value in these amethysts. Luckily, the founders got connected with world-renowned gem carver Glenn Lehrer, who became their marketing advisor and took Moroccan amethyst in a completely different direction. Lehrer saw the unique features in these stones and applied his cutting styles and award-wining patented cuts to show off their beauty. The special cuts also better use the rough. The yield of Moroccan amethysts at a normal cutting factory is only about 8%. When Lehrer’s special cuts are applied, the yield was increase to an average of 20% for top-quality stones. He also introduced these amethysts to Gems TV. Instead of selling the rough to gem cutters, the company now offers faceted stones and finished amethyst jewelry directly to consumers through multiple TV programs in different countries.

	As a result, Moroccan amethyst is not just another amethyst. It is now a brand and trademark of Geostone Group. The mine-to-market story is sold with the gems. The story even landed Moroccan amethyst in the Rio Grande catalog. In return, the company is actively involved in community building in the mining area. It only hires local Berbers to work in the mine, offering them a good salary and health care. During the past several years, Geostone Group has kept production quite stable and limited mining crew sizes to around 20 people. Wells, roads, electricity, and designated vehicles for schoolchildren and villagers are all provided using profits from the amethyst mine. In 2016, Geostone Group received an award from the Moroccan government to highlight its contributions to social responsibility and gem mining in Morocco. Source: GIA @topic:1


Title: Gemfields Seeing (More) Red in 2015: Ruby Production Set to Double Abstract: The main ruby mining area of Maninge is very rich, producing more than 160 carats per ton of ore. It was developed in 2012 by Gemfields and a local partner, Mwiriti Ltd. Photo by Russell Shor/GIA

	Gemfields, the publicly listed gemstone mining company, is undertaking a major expansion of the Montepuez ruby mine that it commissioned two years ago in Mozambique.

	Gemfields reports that since coming online in mid-2012, the mine has produced eight million carats of corundum: 60% light or pink colored corundum; 20 to 25% lower quality ruby; 10-12% medium quality ruby; and approximately 8% fine material. It has been mining much faster than its gravel washing and sorting operations could handle, so it plans to double its washing plant throughput from 120 to 250 metric tons per year.

	The company has become a major supplier of corundum to a market starved for fine qualities of the red gemstone since the 2008 passage of the JADE Act, a U.S. ban on the importation of ruby and jadeite jade from Myanmar (Burma), which remains in force.

	A group of top grade Montepuez rubies at the company sorting house are very homogenous in color and size, weighing between 2 and 2.5 carats. Photo by Russell Shor/GIA

	Gemfields also plans to increase mining operations at a deposit called Mugloto, which is a secondary source several kilometers from the main mining site. Mugloto, while not nearly as rich as the main area, called Maninge Nice, is the source of much of the higher quality material.

	The production of medium and better quality ruby at Mugloto is remarkably homogenous, with many crystals having very similar color, shape and size. The grade is about two to three carats per metric ton of ore against the Maninge deposit, which produces 162 carats of all grades of corundum per metric ton, according to the company.

	Gemfields held the first auction of its production in June and is planning a second sale later this year.

	Montepuez chief geologist Ashim Roy points out the ruby-bearing sedimentary rock belt at the Mugloto deposit in northern Mozambique. Photo by Russell Shor/GIA

DIAMONDS: The diamond industry is closely watching the Hong Kong Watch and Jewellery Show for signs that demand will pick up during the final quarter of the year.

	De Beers held the line on rough prices at the Aug 18-22 sight, which totaled $735 million. Liquidity issues remained at the forefront, however, as polished prices remained soft in the wake of lackluster demand worldwide. In addition, polished inventories have been climbing, forcing manufacturers to pay carrying charges on goods for which there is no ready market.

	In general, prices remained stable in the August sight, though there were apparently some minor declines for commercial quality and high clarity stones polishing out to a carat or larger. Still, some sightholders rejected allotments they considered too expensive for the market, despite the fact that De Beers’ executives will be taking such rejections into account when selecting clients for the new sight term that begins in January. Rough dealers found little profit in sight boxes, selling most goods at cost.

	Alrosa, which had been very restrained in its sales, announced it had raised prices 7% during the course of the year and would be selling larger quantities of rough in September. De Beers does not schedule a sight in September. The company also announced it would be reviewing its client list starting next year, using similar criteria as De Beers, including clients’ purchase record during the 2008-9 crisis and 2012 correction. The company will continue to sell the vast majority of its production at set prices through its sight system, instead of moving toward tender/auction sales.

	Russia’s newest producer LUKoil, the majority owner of the Grib deposit in the western part of the country (near the border with Finland) has hired several executives from BHP’s former diamond operations and will market its production exclusively by auction sales.

	The outlook for diamond manufacturing remains unclear as the summer ends. Retail sales have remained relatively static, albeit at a decent level. But price caution at the wholesale and retail levels keeps profits extremely low, and banks have continued their tight credit policies. In addition, there is evidence that polished inventories are much higher than the market can absorb for most sizes and qualities.

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE: One bright spot is that the Conference Board survey of consumer confidence in the U.S. has reached its highest point since October 2007, well before the economic crisis hit in earnest. Source: GIA @topic:7


Title: De Beers Raises Prices at April Sight, Basel Business Report Abstract: Mozambique ruby, which rivals Burmese ruby in color, was readily available at Baselworld and helped temper the lofty prices Burmese dealers have been asking in recent years. These small, high-quality clean rubies are from Montepuez, Mozambique. Photo by Vincent Pardieu/GIA

                      De Beers, as expected, boosted prices at its April 1-4 sight, which totaled about $740 million. The increase, averaging 2.5% to 3%, was concentrated in a relatively narrow range of goods ‒ mainly those that would polish out to half- or one- carat gems‒ that were in high demand.

The price increase was expected given concerns in the past two months that the rough market was “overheating” and once again falling into speculative buying. Polished prices also have edged up a few percentage points from January, but are still lagging behind rough increases, which have again squeezed profits.

The activity in the rough market has prompted the industry’s leading lenders to restate the new credit policies they announced last fall: they will provide funding for 70% of the value of rough purchases, not 100%, to dampen speculative buying. As the results of recent tender sales indicate, however, a number of companies remain willing to bid up rough prices even with reduced credit.

Unlike last year, sightholders did not defer any purchases at this sight. One reason is that the most of the rough could still bring a small profit after polishing. Another is that De Beers begins its selection process for the next sight period in June and clients may want to make a favorable impression.

Most diamond traders believe the rough market will be quiet for the next several months to see how the year shapes up.

BASEL REPORT: Business was subdued overall at the recently concluded Baselworld (March 26-April 3). Sales in the gemstone hall were slightly up from last year, but buyers generally passed on many of the extreme high end pieces: colorless diamonds over 10 carats in high colors and clarities and larger pink and blue fancies.

Large colorless diamonds were priced 15% to 20% higher than last year and fancy colors were up 20% - 30%, but these prices apparently went beyond the limit for many well-heeled buyers. Large fancy yellow diamonds were in abundance at the show, but dealers reported that demand was much weaker than in the past.

What did sell were colorless diamonds in the 3 carat to 5 carat range, which were up about 10% in price from last year. Buyers felt these goods were moving well in consumer markets in the U.S. and Asia. China demand has slowed considerably, but is still reasonably healthy, while the U.S. is showing signs of a much better year.

In colored stones, Mozambique ruby, which rivals Burmese ruby in color, was quite abundant in high colors. This has helped temper the lofty prices dealers of Burmese material were asking in recent years.

Demand for no-heat sapphire remained strong. That “anti-treatment” sentiment has spread to emeralds, with a number of dealers offering “no-oil” goods. Prices for untreated top goods, with the exception of ruby, were 20% to 30% higher than last year, but, as with diamonds, buyers were very selective.

Indeed, dealers and buyers alike said that prices of colored stones, especially the higher qualities, have risen beyond what can be justified by demand, so they are limiting buying to only what they can immediately sell. “No one wants to be caught with lots of goods in a price correction,” one exhibitor said.

This year, two additional shows opened to capitalize on the overflow from Baselworld.

The Rapaport Diamond Show, held near the main rail station in Basel, featured nearly 70 exhibitors, including a delegation from the New York Diamond Dealers Club. Business at the three-day show appeared to be slow, though some reported a pickup in traffic on the final day.

The Jewellery & Gem Fair-Europe, in Freiburg, Germany (about 50 miles from Basel), was also new, with approximately 200 exhibitors from around the world. The organizer, UBM Asia, which runs the Hong Kong shows, branded it as a sourcing show (in contrast to Baselworld as a branded merchandise show). Accordingly, most of the exhibitors and products were aimed at the middle- and lower-priced markets. The show was well-attended for the first day, though some buyers complained about the transportation to and from Baselworld.

A number of exhibitors at Baselworld said they hope the Freiburg show succeeds so they can jump the costly ship in Basel and move into this show, for one-tenth to one-eighth of the cost.

AUCTIONS: Cartier helped set a price record for one of its signature pieces at its April 9 Hong Kong sale. The jewelry house paid $27.4 million for the Hutton-Mdivani jadeite bead necklace; the highest price ever paid for a piece of jadeite jewelry at auction.

The necklace, formerly owned by Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton who died in 1979, features 27 “highly translucent green jadeite beads” ranging from 15.4 mm to 19.2 mm in diameter.

In addition, a 29.62 carat Burmese ruby set by Cartier, sold for $7.3 million, the highest price ever paid for a ruby at auction. Source: GIA @topic:8


Title: Bob Earnest: Relationships Key to Success of GIA Alumni Association Abstract: Bob Earnest, center, helped many students with their studies at GIA. Photos by GIA

                      Robert A. “Bob” Earnest began his relationship with GIA – as many do – as a student. He eventually was an instructor and leader in education, which gave him many opportunities to bond with students. His passion to continue to help them after they graduated drove him to create a web of alumni chapters that today boasts more than 100,000 members around the globe.

Born and raised in Springfield, Missouri, Earnest grew up in the family jewelry business. He learned about GIA through a supplier who urged him to take the correspondence course and in 1956 went to Los Angeles to earn his Graduate Gemologist (GG) diploma.

After he graduated, he went to work for San Francisco jeweler Robert Lindemann. Several years later, a 1962 classified ad for an instructor position at GIA in Jewelers’ Circular-Keystone caught his eye. The possibility of going to back to the Institute as an instructor intrigued him, so he interviewed. He passed the hiring exams and soon received a letter from then-GIA President Richard T. Liddicoat offering him a job.

“I told my boss I was going to GIA,” recalled Earnest later, “and what did he do, but make me vice president!”

Earnest turned Liddicoat down, but called him back in early 1963 when he realized his new post wasn’t a good fit. “Come on down,” Liddicoat told him.

Earnest was put in charge of GIA’s colored stones and gem identification correspondence courses and helped teach the one-week diamond appraisal, gem identification and diamond setting classes. In 1966, Liddicoat asked him to supervise the Institute’s on-site resident studies, which had been steadily growing since the early 1960s.

As program supervisor, Earnest was a jack-of-all-trades for students and in the classroom. He welcomed students, providing their books and study materials and finding housing, especially for the growing number of international students. He also set up classrooms, arranged for instructors and guest lecturers and oversaw exams.

Earnest supervised the program for the next two decades, guiding it as class sizes increased and the curriculum became more in-depth with “more materials to study, more stones to test, more work projects, more lectures and more reading assignments were added,” he said.

Betsy Winans, a GG and video producer for GIA, fondly recalls Earnest. She was a 21-year-old student at UCLA when she started working for him in 1975.

“My first impression of him was a kindly, fatherly figure, but he was smart and a very good gemologist,” Winans said. “He was always kind, respectful, understanding, polite and fair. He was honest, honorable and worked hard, so as a boss, he expected that from us. He had a strong sense of right and wrong.”

By the start of the 1980s, GIA had produced tens of thousands of gemologists in America and abroad. Yet it had never established an alumni association, something that would offer graduates a lifelong connection with other alumni and the Institute. Earnest, with Liddicoat’s support, was the original advocate of a formal alumni network.

“The concept of an alumni association had been blossoming for years,” Earnest recalled. “In fact, for about 10 or 15 years, students had been asking for some kind of organization where they could keep in touch with each other after they graduated.”

The Gemological Institute of America Alumni Association (GIA AA) was established in the fall of 1982, with Earnest as the executive director. Its goals were to create an extensive communications network among Association members involved in gemology, keep alumni informed of new gemological developments and promote goodwill among members.

	Earnest, left, with Liddicoat’s support, was the original advocate of a formal alumni network. He was named the executive director when it was established in 1982.
“We look forward to bringing together graduates of GIA and other gemological institutions in an organization that will serve the worldwide professional gemological community,” Liddicoat said at the time.

Fifteen hundred alumni joined in the first six months; there were more than 3,000 members, with a growing number of alumni chapters in the United States, by the end of 1983. At the end of the decade, there were 50 chapters worldwide, and some 4,000 members.

The Alumni Association also became an important foundation for ongoing gemological education. Local chapters provided opportunities to exchange ideas and information through lectures, videotapes and workshops. They created forums for local and statewide communication among jewelers and gem enthusiasts, and meetings on topics ranging from photomicrography to store security.

Earnest continued to expand the association’s membership and lead alumni tour groups (to gem localities, including South America, Caracas and Brazil – five continents in all) until his retirement in 1988. Source: GIA @topic:9


Title: Zircon Quality Factors Abstract: Zircon’s typical greenish blue color has been referred to as zircon blue. - Lydia Dyer, gem courtesy of John Dyer & Co.

                      Zircon is a gemstone that’s not commonly known among jewelry buyers, which is a shame considering the number of beautiful colors it comes in. These include earth tones such as cinnamon, sherry, yellow, orange, and red. Among those who are familiar with this gem, zircon is especially admired for its attractive blue colors.

	Zircon comes in many attractive colors. - GIA & Tino Hammid, courtesy Gordon Bleck
Color
Some zircons display warm autumnal earth tones such as yellowish and reddish brown, inspiring fashion trends. Red and green zircons have market value as collectors’ stones, and cat’s-eye zircons occasionally appear on the market. There are also colorless zircons.

	Zircon can display earthy colors such as yellow, orange, and brown. - Courtesy Richard Krementz Gemstones

	This 12.84-carat triangular-cut zircon displays an attractive orange hue. - John Dyer, Zircon Super Trillion courtesy of John Dyer & Co.

	One of the most brilliant non-diamond gems, colorless zircon was widely used as a lower-cost diamond alternative in the nineteenth century.
Although collectors clearly love zircon’s color variety, consumers seem most enamored of just one hue: blue. Gem dealer reports indicate that at least 80 percent of zircons sold are blue.

Because they’re in greater demand, blue zircons usually command higher prices than any of the other varieties. Even though gem buyers can satisfy their demand for blue gems with top-grade topaz at significantly lower cost, blue zircon continues to sell well. Industry analysts believe that blue zircon has yet to reach its full market potential.

	Intense blue color in zircon is usually the result of heat treatment.
Zircon’s blue, almost always the result of heat treatment, comes in a range that includes very slightly greenish blue, greenish blue, and very strongly greenish blue.

Clarity
Zircons are relatively free of inclusions, but many untreated zircons have a cloudy or smoky appearance. If it’s extreme, it can be a negative factor with buyers. In Victorian times, this smokiness made zircon a popular gem for mourning jewelry.

	Most faceted zircon on the market is free of eye-visible inclusions. - Courtesy Pala International
Today, most zircon that is faceted for use in jewelry is free of inclusions that are visible to the eye. Eye-visible inclusions cause a drop in zircon value.

Rarely, zircon might contain long parallel inclusions that create the cat’s-eye effect when the stone is cut as a cabochon.

	Occasionally, long parallel inclusions in zircon will create the cat’s-eye effect when it is cut as a cabochon. - GIA & Tino Hammid, courtesy Gordon Bleck
Cut
It’s a challenge to cut zircon because the gem is brittle. Cutters usually fashion zircon in the brilliant style to take advantage of its luster and fire. A modification of the brilliant cut, known as the “zircon cut,” uses eight extra facets around the gem’s lower portion, called the pavilion. This isn’t seen very often today because of the extra labor costs involved. Zircon can also be found in step cuts, which have rows of parallel facets, and mixed cuts, which are a combination of brilliant and step-cut facets.

	Round-brilliant cut zircons often have an extra set of eight facets at the base of the stone.
Carat Weight
The supply of zircon is generally limited, and typical sizes depend on color. Blue or green stones normally range from 1 carat to 10 carats and yellows and oranges up to around 5 carats. Reds and purples are usually smaller.

	Zircon is available in a wide range of sizes, but blue stones as large as this 28.15-carat example are rare. Source: GIA @topic:3


Title: Bert Krashes (1923–2014) Abstract: At GIA’s cramped laboratory in New York City, Robert Crowningshield had just spotted the spectroscopic line for differentiating between natural-color and irradiated diamonds. It was January 1956. Elated, he shouted for colleague Bert Krashes to come look over his shoulder. But Krashes was out to lunch, literally. It was probably the last time Krashes ever missed such a breakthrough during his decades-long tenure with GIA.

The post–World War II market for jewelry was just beginning to pick up, and consumer interest in diamonds had surged. Trained as a draftsman, Krashes was a store manager at Finlay’s Fine Jewelry in New York City when he enrolled at GIA on the GI Bill in 1948.

Studying under Crowningshield and Richard Liddicoat, the Bronx native earned his GG diploma in 1949. Thanks to his inquiring mind and gentle, engaging manner, Krashes was tapped to join GIA as an instructor later that same year. When Eunice Miles came aboard in 1953, the entire New York staff numbered three.

A fixture on 47th Street, Krashes nevertheless willingly hit the road in the 1950s to promote GIA’s new diamond grading system. Traveling with Crowningshield, he brought the grading gospel to mom-and-pop jewelry stores from coast to coast, setting up traveling classrooms across the United States.

“We created a whole new world for jewelers who up to that time had relied only on a loupe,” Krashes said. “Can you imagine their delight when we showed them what they could do with a microscope and other diamond-grading equipment?”

Krashes’s days on the road were over by 1970, about the time his frontline service to GIA began to garner formal recognition. That same year, he was voted honorary vice president of the Gemmological Association of Canada; in 1983, he and Crowningshield were co-recipients of the American Gem Society’s Robert M. Shipley Award.

Krashes served as vice president and director of the New York lab from 1977 through 1988. At his retirement party, GIA president Bill Boyajian praised the administrator as a “stalwart in New York” and “an outstanding educator, gemologist, and association executive.” Krashes remained on the GIA Board of Governors until 1998, then acted as an advisor until passing away in January 2014.

In recognizing Bert Krashes with its Shipley Award, the American Gem Society praised his artistry and discipline. To those attributes, his friends at GIA added a third—chivalry. He was a gentleman of the old school, and he applauded that quality in others. When William Goldberg, part owner of the superb Premier Rose diamond, picked up a GIA diamond report for the gem, Krashes asked if his secretary could see the diamond. He was impressed when Goldberg unhesitatingly placed the 137.02 ct D-color stone in the palm of her hand.

“That’s the type of jeweler I remember from my early days. They were gentlemen who had a sincere appreciation of gems in addition to sophistication and integrity,” Krashes said in a 1988 interview. He might just as well have been describing himself. Source: GIA @topic:7


Title: Filled Calcite with Pronounced Phosphorescence Abstract: Figure 1. The calcite object (left, in daylight-equivalent light) showing a moderate green overall phosphorescence after short-wave UV exposure (right). The object emits a very strong whitish phosphorescence from one area, as seen in the center of the right image. Photos by Lai Tai-An Gem Lab.
Asterism, chatoyancy, color change, and play-of-color are phenomena that are caused by the interaction of light with the host’s structure or from its inclusions. Fluorescence, on the other hand, is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light or other electromagnetic radiation. Fluorescent materials immediately cease to glow when the radiation source is turned off; phosphorescent specimens continue to emit light for variable periods after the radiation ceases. Previous studies (Spring 2005 Lab Notes, pp. 46–47; Summer 2012 Lab Notes, pp. 139–140) have reported on the misnomer “night glowing pearls,” which are in fact not pearls at all but round rocks of mineral species that exhibit phosphorescence. Most of this material in the Chinese market has been treated in a variety of ways and in fact does not phosphoresce naturally.

A partially carved white ovoid with a greasy luster and golden paint within the low-relief carved features (figure 1, left) was submitted for identification to the Lai Tai-An Gem Lab. The submitting client claimed it was a “night glowing pearl.” The object weighed 796.71 ct and measured 48 mm in diameter. A spot refractive index reading of 1.59 and a specific gravity of approximately 2.66 indicated that the object was most likely calcite. This was later confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman (figure 2) analysis. Initial exposure to short-wave (254 nm) and long-wave (365 nm) UV light (cabinet and lamp respectively) failed to elicit any initial visible reaction; however, both short-wave and long-wave UV did initiate some fluorescence after about 15 minutes. When observed in a dark environment, moderate green phosphorescence lasting more than 10 minutes was noted, with strong whitish phosphorescence concentrated in one area (see figure 1, right).

Figure 2. Raman analysis identified the material as calcite (peaks at 279 and 1086 cm–1, blue trace). Cavities were filled with epoxy resin (peaks at 638, 1112, and 1608 cm–1, pink trace).
Microscopic inspection of the area showing the white phosphorescence revealed that the reaction originated from within the object, and did not emanate from the entire outer surface. The microscope revealed a few tiny bubbles comprised of solid epoxy resin (figure 3, left). This translucent epoxy acted as a plug to an opening into the (assumed hollowed out) interior, where a highly phosphorescent material was placed to create the calcite’s glowing effect. It was therefore understandable why this small capped area showed the strongest reaction (figure 3, right).

Figure 3. Left: Tiny bubbles were observed in the cavity under magnification. Field of view 6.2 mm. Right: The filled cavity showed stronger phosphorescence because the epoxy resin is more transparent than its calcite host. Field of view 11.6 mm. Photos by Lai Tai-An Gem Lab.
The trade name “night glowing pearl” used in Asian markets mostly refers to natural fluorite, but some fluorite is treated with a coating containing rare earth elements (REE) such as europium (Eu), dysprosium (Dy), or neodymium (Nd) to add or enhance phosphorescence. The sample submitted was calcite, consisting mainly of calcium, as confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF). However, no Eu, Dy, Nd, or any other REE were detected, proving the material was not luminiferous. It therefore seems more logical that the phosphorescence originated from material below the ovoid’s surface.

It is interesting to note that the same client also submitted a jadeite jade sphere that was fashioned and treated in a similar manner. The cap on the jadeite piece used to plug the void was itself a piece of jadeite. Since destructive testing was not permitted on either item, analysis of their interiors was not possible. This technique of placing a phosphorescent material inside a hollowed-out stone object appears to be applicable to any material, so those in the trade should be aware when examining similar objects. Source: GIA @topic:12


Title: A Study of Nail-head Spicule Inclusions in Natural Gemstones Abstract: Nail-head spicules are inclusions that have traditionally been associated with hydrothermal synthetic quartz and emerald. They are caused primarily by rapid growth conditions and disturbances during crystallization of their host. However, these or similar-looking inclusions have also been found in natural gems. The authors examined a natural emerald and blue sapphire showing true nail-head spicules, and a yellow sapphire, spinel, diamond, and rock crystal quartz with inclusions that strongly resembled them. Nail-head spicules remain a notable feature of rapid and disturbed growth, but they do not confirm a stone’s natural or synthetic origin without further examination. Source: GIA @topic:3


Title: Fracture Filling of Emeralds Opticon and Traditional "Oils" Abstract: The filling of surface-reaching breaks in emeralds is a relatively common practice, for which various kinds of oils and a natural resin have historically been used. Now, however, epoxy resins are replacing the more traditional fillers such as cedarwood oil and Canada balsam. The most widely known of these epoxy resins is sold under the brand name Opticon. The results of a broad study of various fracture-filling materials found that Opticon treatment (1) was, like the traditional materials, best detected using magnification with a variety of lighting techniques; and (2) although somewhat more durable than the traditional enhancements, was still altered in the course of routine jewelry cleaning and manufacturing processes. This article also examines the filling of surface pits with epoxies, the potential effectiveness of "dyed" Opticon, and the use of Opticon to fill the fractures in gem materials other than emerald. Source: GIA @topic:3


Title: International Group Sets Sights on Sustainable Gemstone Mining Abstract: Artisanal miners at the Birim River near Akwatia, Ghana sift the gravels for diamonds. Photo by Russell Shor/GIA

The colored gemstone industry plays a tiny role on the world economic stage, but it has long been an important livelihood for hundreds of thousands of miners and traders in developing countries.
Improving those miners’ returns on their labor and their working conditions has been a difficult challenge, given the fragmented nature of the industry and the myriad conflicting interests at each trading level.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) held an important first-of-its-kind forum involving gemstone mining at its Paris headquarters in May to bring together as many actors in this scattered industry as possible. The goal of the three-day conference, that included a session on gemstone mining, was to begin the process of creating policies for sustainable mining practices and increasing returns for miners who often dig by hand with little to show for their efforts.
The OECD consists of 34 developed democracies with market economies that work with each other and some 70 non-member countries to promote economic growth and sustainable development. The organization estimates that 100 million people in more than 70 countries are engaged in artisanal and small-scale mining of a variety of minerals. About 15 million are mining for gold, including 4.5 million women and 600,000 children.
The forum, which included representatives of gold and other mineral interests in addition to colored stones, provided a platform for source country governments, gemstone traders, miners, civil society groups, large retailers and responsible source-certifying organizations to begin hammering out policies that will benefit producing nations and miners, while balancing the interests of other players.
Interviews with participants at the meeting illustrated the challenges of balancing everyone’s interests. For example:

Governments want revenue from and control of their resources, while miners resist regulations and export duties.
Artisanal miners – those digging with hand tools – often get very little from their finds partly because many of them operate illegally on private property or government-owned land and because they are often the poorest, most marginalized elements of society without education or power.
Large mining companies and fair trade certification agencies can adopt policies to promote sustainable mining and labor practices, and can afford the certification process. Small miners and dealers complain that such certification measures are too costly and are often used as an excuse to muscle them out.
Civil society groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working with resources such as gemstones often insist on near airtight accountability for every gemstone mined, while miners and dealers claim this is an unrealistic, if not impossible, goal.
Retailers increasingly want supply chain accountability to counter customer concerns – real or potential – over sustainability and conflict issues. Miners and dealers in source countries, however, are often unaware of such consumer concerns or have different or conflicting priorities.

The OECD is working to balance all of these conflicting interests into its guidelines. The majority of attention to the artisanal mining sector focuses on bringing miners into the formal sector, which means legalizing their activities to help reduce their dependence on money launderers and corrupt officials who often extort money or other benefits from them in exchange for allowing them to continue mining illegally, said Estelle Levin-Nally, a consultant on mineral artisanal mining sustainability and previously director of the GIFF project.
Levin-Nally said governments are starting to come around on this issue. She added, however, that the “colored gemstone industry has, by and large, accepted the relevance of OECD guidance for responsible sourcing of minerals to their sector.” She said that this is a new development, adding that there are still large gaps to work through.
“Upstream (at the local dealer and mining level) there’s concern that the downstream people are pushing sustainability priorities like environmental protection or conflict financing, while also pushing for low prices,” she said. “On the other hand, in the producing countries, the miners, exporters and government officials are desperately seeking support to for their primary concern – maximizing revenues. This is the foundation for stimulating investment in handling the social and environmental issues.”
She acknowledged that realities at the mine sources “can be quite messy with crime, smuggling and control by corrupt elements. These are problems that still must be dealt with in many situations.” She emphasized the importance of commercial pragmatism and taking a “human rights based approach” to unleashing the economic potential of the sector.

Sustainability audits have created a divide between larger mining firms, such as Gemfield’s Kagem emerald mine in Zambia, and artisanal miners who claim they are disadvantaged because they cannot afford the lengthy certification process. Photo by Russell Shor/GIA

Governmental representatives at the meeting stressed the need to gain control over the mining of their resources before sustainable mining and fair labor practices could begin to operate. This means controlling mining and access to gem deposits; developing workable export procedures that bring in revenue, but do not invite smuggling; and excluding smugglers and criminal elements from mining areas.
While Levin-Nally notes that governments have been taking more initiatives in this direction, Jean Claude Michelou, a gemstone trader who has worked on these issues with the International Colored Stone Association, said the situation of many “informal” miners – those mining without permission from the government – remains very difficult.
“Many of these miners have no other means of support, so we need to find a way to legalize them,” he explained, adding that a number of countries continue to regard them as illegal squatters and operators.
Michelou, said some governments are now working to bring these miners into their legal framework.
“Colombia is one of the more involved governments in both its emerald and gold mining industries,” he said, because the government came to understand how much revenue it was losing by keeping these miners outside the system.
Myanmar, long an outlier because of sanctions against its military government, is also moving to wrest control of its ruby and jade production, Michelou said, adding that estimates of lost revenue shocked the country’s representatives at the meeting. Myanmar’s jade production is beset by huge challenges, noted in an earlier report.
While the OECD has developed an operational framework to account for all parties’ interests, the World Bank is starting to fund specific efforts to put these policies into practice through its Sustainable Management of Mineral Resources project.
Jeff Bilgore, who attended the meeting on behalf of the American Gem Trade Association, said his organization has developed a code of ethics and due diligence procedures over the past three years and its aim is to get these standards adopted by the OECD.
“Our prime concerns are to balance the miners’ interests with the concerns of small family businesses in producer nations and consumers in the U.S,” he said. “There’s been a lot of progress, but it’s step-by-step. Things are still far from perfect, but we are moving forward.” Source: GIA @topic:7


Title: GIA Alumni Collective Abstract: Laura Mae, Amanda Jean, and Ilan Portugali are some of GIA’s featured graduates on the Alumni Collective website.
The GIA Alumni Collective offers an exciting networking platform for GIA graduates. The online community at collective.gia.edu allows a diverse group of users to access both live and self-paced Continuing Education seminars, join virtual chapters, connect with global alumni, and more. The site also puts GIA alums in the spotlight (see above), celebrating those who uphold the highest standards of GIA’s consumer protection mission.
Winning a 40-pound tub of historical jewelry at auction led sisters Laura Mae and Amanda Jean (last names withheld) to launch their online jewelry resale business, Maejean Vintage, in 2010. New to the industry, they both pursued Graduate Gemologist diplomas at GIA. Today they use their expertise to salvage rare and valuable historical pieces and sell them all over the world.
Ilan Portugali’s journey took him from Israel to Madagascar to Mozambique and finally to the U.S., where he worked for a diamond dealer and completed his Graduate Diamonds diploma at GIA. After positions with Van Cleef & Arpels and Harry Winston, Portugali started his own business, Beverly Hills Diamonds, which sources conflict-free and fair-trade diamonds.
Visit https://collective.gia.edu/meet-the-collective.html to read stories from these alumni and more. Source: GIA @topic:9


Title: Crimson Prince Ruby from Namya Abstract: The 3.32 ct Crimson Prince ruby was cut from a 1.2 gram rough. Both the color and the clarity make this stone extremely rare. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA, courtesy of Jeffery Bergman.

Mogok, Myanmar is considered the source of the finest rubies on Earth. In 2000, an exciting new ruby discovery was made in Namya, located in the Kachin state approximately 300 km north of Mogok and east of the jade mine at Hpakant (figure 1). While known mostly for its vibrant pink and red spinels, Namya also produces fine rubies, typically of medium saturation. Due to the remarkably similar geology of the two deposits, it is often impossible to separate Mogok rubies from Namya material.

Figure 1. The Namya mining area is about 300 km north of Mogok. Namya, Mogok, and
Mong Hsu together form a “ruby triangle” in northern Myanmar, as these three locations
have produced high-quality ruby. Adapted from R. Hughes, Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector’s
Guide, 2014, Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand, Bangkok, p. 132.
In the spring of 2014, a rough stone with strong red color and unusually fine clarity weighing approximately 1.2 grams was discovered in Namya. The stone was entrusted to a skilled and experienced ruby cutter, who finished it as a 3.32 ct roundish cushion measuring 7.99 mm in diameter. The color, clarity, and cutting are so unusual for a ruby that on initial casual observation, most experts have mistaken it for a spinel.

In December 2014, Richard Hughes of Lotus Gemology examined the stone, commenting on its “pigeon’s blood” color. Additionally, he remarked that its clarity was “extraordinary,” mentioning that only “a light dusting of silk is evenly distributed across the stone” and noting that it was “obvious that the lapidary took great care in its fashioning, befitting a gem of such high value….”

This exceptional ruby deserved a befitting name. Several ideas were put forward; calling it a “King” seemed grandiose, and it was too vividly saturated to be a “Princess.” In March 2015, the Crimson Prince ruby found a fitting new home at a prestigious haute joaillerie on Place Vendôme in Paris. Source: GIA @topic:1


Title: Emerging Designer Wins Grant to Create Ethical Brand Abstract: “I’m really inspired by and drawn to the contrasts in our world,” says Niki Grandics, GIA Graduate Jeweler. Grandics, here working with a point shape found in several of her designs, grew up noticing the many visual and cultural contrasts between her native Hungary and her family’s adopted home of Southern California. Courtesy of Niki Grandics. Photo by Hajnalka Stiblane

	The daughter of Hungarian immigrants, designer Niki Grandics’ early life was a study in cultural and visual contrasts.

	Her family’s frequent world travels laid a foundation of creative experimentation, design inspiration and social responsibility for Grandics, whose forward-thinking designs and ethical business plan were recently recognized with a Halstead Grant. The award, given by the company to new silver jewelry designers, recognizes excellence in design and business strategy and encourages winners to “establish clear goals and measureable steps toward” running self-sufficient businesses.

	“I come from a family of immigrants and scientists and it impacts the way I design and view the world around me,” says Grandics, a GIA Graduate Jeweler based in San Diego. “I see the contrasts and the differences in the places I’ve lived and traveled – how it’s all part of a larger whole – and I design like a scientist in that everything is an experiment.”

	Her “experiments,” including necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings handmade with recycled and sustainable silver when possible, and bridal jewelry created using recycled or Fairmined gold and diamonds, are available exclusively online and at artisanal markets. She plans to move into what she calls more “traditional” retail routes this year with her business, ENJI Studio Jewelry.

	“My design philosophy can best be described as minimal with a raw edge,” she says. “I work with a lot of raw stones or slices rather than faceted gems, and combine them with more geometric and angular details in metal.”

	Grandics’ young life, particularly the travel between Southern California and Hungary, informs every piece. As a child, she noticed the way that contrasts played out in her two home countries. “It was like they were different worlds, visually and culturally,” she says.

	As a designer, Grandics often explores the idea of contrast in the different types of materials she uses.

	“In my sculptural work and jewelry designs, I explore these contrasts through the materiality of the components, such as raw stones and precious material,” she says. “Working with glass and stone is almost the polar opposite of working with metals – glass and stone are not particularly forgiving materials and are often quite fragile, while gold and silver can be more easily persuaded to take on different forms. The play between these materials is where this inspiration comes to life in my designs.”

Niki Grandics, pictured here in a glassblowing workshop at North Carolina’s Penland School of Crafts, won the Windgate Fellowship to study glassblowing and jewelry in the Netherlands after her graduation from San Diego State University. Courtesy of Niki Grandics. Photo by Hajnalka Stiblane

	Grandics attended San Diego State University (SDSU), and in 2014 earned degrees in Applied Design (with an emphasis in jewelry) and Marketing.

	“My parents wanted me to follow in their footsteps and go to medical school or pursue a scientific career, but I was always drawn to design,” she says. “I’ve been drawing since I was old enough to pick up a pencil, but stumbled into jewelry.”

	Although she was convinced that a graphic design degree was the only way to make a living as an artist, Grandics quickly found that it wasn’t a good fit and began to take sculpture and glassblowing classes.

	“I started working on a series of wearable sculptures in glass and took a jewelry and metalsmithing course so I could learn techniques to make these pieces,” she says. “Once I sat down at the bench, I knew I was in the right place.”

	Grandics changed her major and when she graduated, won the Windgate Fellowship, which sent her to study glassblowing and jewelry in the Netherlands. An internship at the Galerie Marzee there cemented Grandics’ determination to be a jeweler.

	Grandics secured a job as a biotech marketing analyst when she got back to the States, but she was considering how to make her next career move into jewelry. She remembered attending a GIA Career Fair as an SDSU undergraduate, so she decided to apply for a GIA education scholarship.

	“At Career Fair, I was blown away by the facilities and the GIA museum pieces on display, but what stood out to me the most was how passionate everyone I talked to was,” she says. “It was really inspiring to be in that kind of setting, and I knew I wanted to continue my studies there.”

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	Grandics was awarded a scholarship for the Graduate Jeweler (GJ) program and quit her marketing job to attend GIA in Carlsbad. Though she had bench experience, she found there was still a lot to learn.

	“I learned so much about stone setting and new techniques like laser welding,” says Grandics, who graduated in 2016. “And I would tell incoming students – the GJ program is going to be challenging, especially if you go into the program with some previous bench experience, like I did. You can’t underestimate it. You have to learn and embrace new ways of doing things. I now have more knowledge, technical skills and a great network of people I was able to meet through GIA.”

“Once I sat down at the bench, I knew I was in the right place,” says GIA Graduate Jeweler Niki Grandics of discovering her vocation. Grandics was awarded the 11th Annual Halstead Grant after her graduation from GIA in 2016. Grandics, here holding a newly made, rough diamond ring, frequently uses raw materials and Fairmined diamonds in her ENJI Studio Jewelry Designs. Courtesy of Niki Grandics. Photo by Hajnalka Stiblane

	Grandics wanted to learn from someone more experienced once she graduated from GIA, so she worked briefly for another San Diego-area designer. After being awarded the Halstead Grant, which included $8,500 in cash and supplies, Grandics is focusing on building ENJI Studio Jewelry full-time.

	“Niki took the dream route to prepare for life as a studio artist,” says Hilary Halstead Scott, president of Halstead. “She has a marketing education, a metals degree and a GIA Graduate Jeweler certification. She has all the right tools − plus a distinct gift for design.”

	Grandics, who feels “incredibly blessed” to have won the award, says she feels a great responsibility to “give back to the community, and pay it forward” with her business and career.

	In addition to her personal volunteer work with a nonprofit that supports young victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking by exposing them to opportunities in higher education and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) fields, Grandics aims to build a business that betters the world.

	“I hope to build a lasting brand that prides itself on unique, clean design and ethical practice,” she says. “More businesses in jewelry and fashion are moving away from ‘fast fashion’ and adopting more ethical, sustainable models and I’m proud to be a part of that. I hope to influence more designers and consumer to consider where our materials and pieces come from, and to consider how we can create positive change moving forward.” Source: GIA @topic:6


Title: Washington Jade Update Abstract: A chatoyant bluish green nephrite ring: 3.14 ct marquise cabochon (10.92 × 7.65 mm), 0.1 carats of round diamonds, and 14K yellow gold. Photo courtesy of Washington Jade.
At the AGTA show, Rod and Nathaniel Cook of Washington Jade (Edmonds, Washington) told us about shifting their focus to cat’s-eye blue and bluish green nephrite jade (see above). (We first spoke with them in 2019—see Spring 2019 GNI, pp. 124–125.) They initially intended to concentrate on the mid-tier jewelry market, but the non-chatoyant nephrite was not valuable enough to be cost-effective. About two years ago, they saw that two small pieces of chatoyant nephrite were drawing the most attention. This year, they cut 100 chatoyant stones from rough.
“It was a matter of finding something unique to our deposit that was a high enough grade of material that it would have broad market appeal,” Nathaniel said. “People seem to really like not necessarily the really sharp eyes, but the really strong eyes, even if it’s sort of a broad eye that moves across the stone. They’re very charismatic and sort of bold.”
Rod said they find better material each year. “The blue sort of validated the whole operation,” he said. “We have pretty good demand emerging for the rough. Partially because around the world, supplies are down. We hear rumors that Siberia is not producing like it used to, that the surface material is pretty much gone—and going underground is to be avoided.” The host material is also selling very well for high-end lapidary work.
Nathaniel has been cutting the rough since 2019. Orienting it for cutting can be tricky, he said, but understanding how it forms has shown him how to orient and process it. He first locates the line between the two dark sides of the nephrite (the directions where the eye moves back and forth), which he calls the “axis of chatoyance.” Then he starts slabbing the stone parallel to this axis. Some adjustment is required within the slabs to ensure correct orientation of the finished stone. To cut cabochons, he pays attention to the direction of the cat’s-eye and cuts calibrated sizes and shapes either parallel or perpendicular to that alignment.
Nathaniel explained that the material requires slightly different tools than most lapidaries use because of its variable hardness: The ends of the axis of chatoyance are very hard, but around it is much softer. After some trial and error, he began using inflatable sanding drums for much of the shaping process because they are gentler.
Processing the material also informs how they harvest it with their low-impact mining methods. “Nathaniel is integrating all the way from harvesting to finished stones,” Rod said. “With that information, we can go up there and selectively harvest. It’s like noninvasive surgery. We can essentially find the critical stuff.”
According to Rod, many carvers are accustomed to materials like quartz, which is very hard and uniform in all directions. He said educating the market on chatoyant nephrite will take a few years. “We’ve realized in this industry it’s not something you can throw money at and make it happen. It’s pretty much listening to customer wants.”
Rod showed us a piece of rough with a striking banded chatoyant pattern that resembles New Zealand’s rarest, most prized jade. The New Zealand material has cultural significance and is often called pīpīwharauroa jade because its pattern is reminiscent of the breast feathers of the pīpīwharauroa (shining bronze cuckoo) bird. The claim contains a lot of the material, but they have not yet processed much of it. So far most of what they have found is unstable due to fractures, but they are looking into stabilization and may still find larger quantities of stable material. Rod expects to have more at next year’s show.
“Our strategy is organic growth over the next few years using AGTA as the high end, and it appears that’s enough to get people showing up and buying rough,” he said. “So stay tuned.”
[Editor’s note: The term “cat’s-eye jade” is a trade term and a misnomer. Although this material falls within the mineral series that constitutes nephrite jade, nephrite is characterized by its fibrous, interlocking felted structure, which gives it the toughness that is so important to jade. The cat’s-eye material is made up of parallel fibers, which is why it has an eye. However, this structure does not possess the toughness required for a jade. The GIA laboratory would refer to this material as “cat’s-eye actinolite.”] Source: GIA @topic:12


Title: Spinel Quality Factors Abstract: The vivid red color in these spinel specimens from Myanmar equals the finest red color in any gem. - © GIA & Tino Hammid

                      Spinel is generally highly sought after by gem connoisseurs, and well-formed spinel crystals are in high demand among collectors.

Spinel comes in a variety of colors, but the most commercially important are red and pink. Mauve- or lilac-colored spinels are also attractive, and some blue spinel colors can be intense.

	Red, pink, lilac, and blue are commercially important spinel colors.
Color
Some spinel colors are more rare and valuable than others. In general, red spinel is the most desirable, followed by fine cobalt-blue spinel, then by vibrant hot pink and vivid orange stones. Violet and bluish purple to purple, or lavender, stones tend to be less attractive, and less in demand than other, rarer colors.

	Spinel can be found in intense pink to red to purple colors.
Red spinel ranges from orangy red to purplish red, with pure red to slightly purplish red hues of medium to medium-dark tone considered the finest of all. A top-quality 5-ct. red spinel might sell for around a tenth the price of an equivalent-quality ruby, and pink spinel often sells for less than pink sapphire.

	Myanmar also produces fine pink spinel. - Courtesy Pala International
Spinel has been making a name for itself over the last couple of decades, and demand for fine stones well exceeds supply. In fact, spinel is in great demand among gemologists and gem connoisseurs. This has, to some degree, closed the spinel vs. ruby-and-sapphire price gap.

Blue spinel hues range from violet blue through very slightly greenish blue.

Most stones have low saturation, and the blue hues take on a distinctly grayish look. The best and most highly valued blue spinel colors parallel blue sapphire, with intense violet-blue to pure blue colors that are neither too dark nor too light.

Clarity
Spinel that has no inclusions visible to the eye is more valuable than spinel with inclusions that can be seen. The more visible any inclusions are, the more the value drops.

	Spinel without any eye-visible inclusions is highly valued.

	Well-placed inclusions can cause the star effect in spinel.
Spinel can have some very beautiful inclusions that reflect the gem’s usual octahedral crystal growth. Some appear in groups that resemble human fingerprints.

	This inclusion in a spinel has the appearance of a human fingerprint.
Cut
Spinel is cut in a variety of shapes and cutting styles. As with many colored stones, ovals and cushion shapes are very popular.

	The cutter often decides on the gem’s final shape based on the potential weight recovery from the rough. - © GIA & Tino Hammid, courtesy Gordon Bleck
Because of the scarcity of spinel on the market, most fine-quality rough is cut in non-standard sizes to save weight, instead of in standard industry sizes. The standard-cut, or calibrated, stones that are available tend to be mixed-cut ovals, usually in 6×4-mm and 7×5-mm sizes, suitable for center stones in rings. Commercial qualities are more commonly cut to standard sizes for jewelry.

	This intense pink spinel from Tanzania is a well-cut, very bright stone. - Courtesy Edward Boehm, JOEB Enterprises

	Matched sets of large, high-quality, well-cut spinels are very rare. These stones from Tajikistan will be used for a very high-end jewelry suite. - Courtesy Pamir Gems Co. Ltd
Carat Weight
Larger spinel sizes rise considerably in per-carat price. Availability drops and prices rise sharply for fine red, pink, and blue stones above five carats.

	This 123.14-ct. spinel was cut from a 532-ct. piece of rough that came from Tajikistan’s Pamir Mountains. - Courtesy Evan Caplan, Los Angeles Source: GIA @topic:3


Title: The Andradites of San Benito County, California Abstract: Discoveries in 1949 of andradite garnet in San Benito County, California, led to the formation in 1978 of a partnership to mine, cut, and market gem-quality andradite. These andradites are found in situ in serpentine outcrops and also in dry alluvial deposits. SEM microprobe analysis and X-ray powder diffraction show the chemistry and unit cell, respectively, to be nearly pure andradite. Cut stones and mineral specimens are produced in green, yellow, brown, and in combinations of these colors. Cut stones are generally under three carats and some are chatoyant. This is believed to be the only reported source of chatoyant garnet. Source: GIA @topic:2


Title: Reflectance Infrared Spectroscopy in Gemology Abstract: External reflectance infrared spectroscopy permits a very rapid and nondestructive determination of the species of a mineral. It is particularly useful with polished gems in that it requires no more than placing the stone, loose or mounted, on a reflection device in the infrared spectrometer and observing the recorded spectrum. Therefore, compared to the classical methods of physical measurement such as refractive index, specific gravity, and the like, reflectance spectroscopy provides a much faster means of establishing the species of the gem and, in some cases, whether it is natural or synthetic. Source: GIA @topic:1


Title: Sapphire Series Part 1: Introduction to Sapphire and Synthetic Sapphire Abstract: Figure 1: The deep blue 98.57 ct Bismarck sapphire is from Myanmar (formerly Burma). Photo by Chip Clark, Smithsonian Institution.

                      Most people hear the word “sapphire” and envision a beautiful velvety blue gemstone such as the center stone in the Bismarck sapphire necklace (figure 1). But there is more to sapphire than many people realize, and it might surprise you to find out about its industrial applications, its long history within the synthetic crystal growth industry, where it’s showing up today, and where you might see it tomorrow.

	Figure 2. Left: In this model of corundum’s crystal structure, the purple and gold balls represent aluminum and oxygen, respectively. The pink shadowing shows the octahedral coordination of aluminum. Right: A hexagonal representation showing the c and a planes.
Sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum, also known as aluminum oxide (Al2O3). Corundum crystallizes in the trigonal crystal system and is normally described using hexagonal axes (figure 2). It can assume a rainbow array of colors given the correct trace impurities and growth conditions (figure 3). In addition to blue sapphire and red ruby, corundum also includes “fancy” sapphires of every other color (including colorless). Sapphire and ruby are found all over the world, with notable sources in Africa, Asia, Australia, North America, and Europe.

	Figure 3. These sapphires in a rainbow array of colors are from GIA’s Dr. Eduard J. Gübelin Collection. Photo by Robert Weldon.
Sapphire has a melting point of 2040°C, a high hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, and a substantial refractive index of 1.76 to 1.78. When no impurities giving it color are present, sapphire can make a wonderful optical window material since it’s transparent throughout the entire visible range, and far into the UV and IR ranges as well. With such properties it’s no wonder sapphire has been such a treasured gemstone throughout recorded history. These same properties have also made it very attractive for non-gem applications as well, and some of the most sophisticated synthetic crystal growth and processing techniques to date have resulted from demand for these products.

Sapphire saw its first industrial application more than 300 years ago, as jewel bearings in mechanical timepieces, where longevity and high accuracy were worth the cost of these durable and low-friction components. The first synthetic corundum, a flux-grown ruby, was produced in 1873. This development was followed by the commercial introduction of the flux-grown Geneva synthetic ruby in 1885 and Verneuil flame-fusion synthetic ruby in 1902. Early synthetic sapphires and rubies were used for gems and watch jewels. Since then, however, synthetic sapphire has been produced by more growth techniques than probably any other crystal. Sapphire is a binary compound with a congruent melting point (at this temperature, the solid turns into a liquid of the same composition), aiding in its applicability to so many growth techniques.

	Figure 4. Chatham synthetic sapphire, as-grown and faceted. Courtesy of Tom Chatham.
Today the flux (solution) and Verneuil (flame-fusion) techniques are still used for synthetic gems and for other applications. During the 20th century, Carroll Chatham developed high-quality flux techniques to slowly grow crystals with carefully controlled properties. Using his specialized processes, Chatham introduced gem-quality ruby in 1959 and blue sapphire in 1975 (figure 4). Flame-fusion techniques have been used to quickly produce small sapphire boules used for jewelry as well as feed-stock for other sapphire growth techniques. Hrand Djevahirdjian began growing crystals using the Verneuil method in 1905, and the Swiss factory he opened in 1914 is still producing synthetic sapphire today (figure 5).

	Figure 5. Djeva flame-fusion synthetic sapphire and ruby, as-grown and faceted.
	Courtesy of Hrand Djevahirdjian SA.
Over time, the matching of sapphire’s desirable optical, mechanical, chemical, structural, and thermal properties to technological applications led to larger, more perfect, and custom-shaped synthetic sapphire in a greater variety of colors. The crystal growth techniques applied to meet these demands will be described in the next installment. Source: GIA @topic:3


Title: Fraudulently Inscribed Synthetic Moissanite Abstract: Figure 1. This 1.71 ct square modified brilliant bears a fraudulent GIA inscription. Photo by Sushant Shinde.
Stones with fraudulent GIA inscriptions are frequently reported. To verify diamond identity, GIA recently announced a diamond matching service using GIA Match iD, based on laser inscription imaging. In most cases of fraud, the inscribed material is diamond (Fall 2017 Lab Notes, p. 366), but there has also been a report involving non-diamond materials (Fall 2020 Lab Notes, pp. 424–425). A similar case was recently identified.

Figure 2. The fraudulent inscription on the synthetic moissanite. Photo by Sandesh Mali.
The Mumbai laboratory received a 1.71 ct square modified brilliant (figure 1) for update service. The girdle was inscribed with “GIA” and a number matching an existent report, although the font was different from that of an actual GIA inscription (figure 2). The inscribed report number matched one for a natural diamond, a 1.71 ct square modified brilliant cut. Compared with a typical laser inscription from the GIA laboratory, this one was significantly different. Gemological and spectroscopic examination confirmed that the brilliant was synthetic moissanite. In addition to diamonds and synthetic moissanite, GIA has previously identified laser inscriptions on cubic zirconia, diaspore, emerald, garnet, ruby, sapphire, spinel, tanzanite, and other materials. Source: GIA @topic:4


Title: Sorting Through the Complex Realities – and Opportunities – of Responsible Sourcing Abstract: GIA invited panelists representing a variety of sectors, geographic locations and company sizes for an April panel on responsible sourcing at the Carlsbad campus. From left, Stewart Grice, director of mill and refining at Hoover and Strong; David Bouffard, vice president of corporate affairs at Signet Jewelers Ltd.; Eric Braunwart, founder, president and CEO of Columbia Gem House; and Beth Gerstein, co-founder and co-CEO of Brilliant Earth. Photo by Kevin Schumacher/GIA

                      “Sometimes the truth don’t rhyme.”

Brad Brooks-Rubin, GIA’s global director of development and beneficiation, invoked lyrics from hip-hop artist Chance the Rapper as he welcomed GIA students, staff and invited guests to a panel discussion on responsible sourcing at the Institute’s Carlsbad campus in April.

“In this context, the idea of the truth not rhyming − or not being easy or fitting into an easy mold − works on two levels,” Brooks-Rubin said. “First, quite simply, there are problems in the supply chain that need to be addressed, just as there are in the supply chain of about any product in the marketplace … These issues are real, and they often very much do not rhyme.

“Second, there are solutions to these problems, but sometimes the solutions don’t rhyme, either … they are not simple or easy, and they require difficult choices and painful conversations.”

Moderator Brad Brooks-Rubin, GIA’s global director of development and beneficiation, admitted to the laughing audience and panelists that “as a former regulator and a former person working on the Kimberley Process, it’s taking all I’ve got not to comment myself.”
Brooks-Rubin, a former special advisor on conflict diamonds for the U.S. State Department, moderated the panel, which was part of a series of presentations for on-campus students that gives them an opportunity to hear first-hand from members of the gem and jewelry industry. Topics often address business tips for success and issues that are important in the trade.

The Responsible Sourcing panel included David Bouffard, GIA GG, vice president of corporate affairs for Signet Jewelers Ltd.; Eric Braunwart, founder, president and CEO of Columbia Gem House; Beth Gerstein, co-founder and co-CEO of Brilliant Earth; and Stewart Grice, director of mill and refining at Hoover & Strong.

The panelists, who represent a range of the gem and jewelry industry’s supply chain sectors, geographical sourcing areas, and market and company sizes, fielded a variety of questions and discussed how regulations play out in the marketplace – and how, as Brooks-Rubin said – they navigate what can be “extraordinarily complex and downright overwhelming” issues.

The reasons and ways these companies came to focus on responsible sourcing varied as much as the ways they interact with the issues today.

Beth Gerstein, co-founder and co-CEO of Brilliant Earth, said her company’s mission is to practice social and environmental responsibility. “There’s a growing number of people who want their purchase to be more than the ring on their finger,” she said. “They want an authentic experience they can feel good about.”
Gerstein, who founded California-based Brilliant Earth 10 years ago, said the retailer’s mission is to practice social and environmental responsibility, and “give back a portion of our profits to communities that have been traditionally been harmed by the jewelry industry.” For Gerstein and her customers, who care deeply about an ethical supply chain, issues like fair wages for miners in West Africa are a big and ongoing concern.

“We spend a lot of time looking at issues surrounding diamonds, and a lot of them are surrounding human rights abuses,” such as land seizures, violence and rape, she said. “That’s one of the blatant, horrific, eye-opening issues we want to protect our industry against, and protect consumers from having to buy a diamond that’s associated [with such abuses].”

Bouffard said the multinational Signet, whose U.S. stores include Kay, Zales and Jared the Galleria of Jewelry, isn’t driven to practice responsible sourcing because of consumer demand (“they don’t ask”), but because of the company’s place in the supply chain.

“In the mall, you [the customer] don’t think about supply chain issues, you’re thinking ‘that store brand must have taken care of this already,’” he said. “We think we are the largest purchaser of polished diamonds in the world; we think we are the largest retailer of diamond jewelry in the world. So we believe it’s incumbent upon us to take a leadership role when it comes to responsible sourcing.”

“We believe that voluntary initiatives of like-minded companies and organizations coming together – and governments coming together – to address issues are the way forward,” said David Bouffard, vice president of corporate affairs for Signet Jewelers Ltd., whose U.S. brands include Kay, Zales and Jared the Gallery of Jewelry.
Braunwart’s 37-year-old Columbia Gem House is a wholesale, retail, and primarily gem-cutting operation, that mines in six locations – three in sub-Saharan Africa, two in the United States, and one “off and on” in Australia. He said that several years ago they “started very diligently defining what we wanted to see in our supply chain and what we believed in … and started trying to find partners who believed in what we did.”

Examining the supply chain meant Columbia needed to “look to the miners” − the vast majority are artisanal miners and farmers − and get directly involved in issues that mattered to them, like educational opportunities for their children. It also meant that the company would stop cutting certain stones, and start educating themselves on issues such as deadly silicosis in gem-cutting factories.

Grice, who directs mill and refining operations for Richmond, Virginia-based Hoover and Strong, said the century-old wholesale precious metal manufacturer made a dramatic move toward responsible sourcing several years ago.

“We saw a need in the market in about 2007 to have a transparent supply chain, and that’s when we took the decision to go for 100 percent recycled metals,” he said. The change put the company in a somewhat unusual position.

“We’re lucky that we have our own refinery, we have our own mill products division, and we have our own components and assembly division, so we can have total control of our supply chain.”

Brooks-Rubin also questioned panelists about the effectiveness of regulatory initiatives versus voluntary transparency, and what it takes to go past the “do no harm approach” into more proactive, engaged economic development.

Government-mandated regulations – at least in the way they often play out – did not generate much enthusiasm from the panel, though they admitted the jewelry industry is lagging in voluntary transparency.

		Times are changing, people now want to know where their goods are coming from .... We need to get our ducks in a row before consumers take their money and go buy electronics … instead of a piece of jewelry.

		Stewart Grice, director of mill and refining at Hoover & Strong

Gerstein suggested that regulations like the Kimberley Process may be less effective in practice than initially intended.

“The Kimberley Process is something that originally was founded to keep conflict diamonds from funding rebel groups,” she said. “At this point, I think it’s is a fairly watered-down version of what it’s supposed to be.”

Bouffard acknowledged that the Kimberley Process was “historic,” but its definition of conflict “is very myopic.”

“While we want to celebrate what the Kimberley Process has done,” he said, “we don’t think it’s gone far enough.” He said Signet, founding members of the Responsible Jewelry Council with GIA and other organizations 10 years ago, continues to advocate “for a change in the definition and other reform efforts” to the Kimberley Process, and is working on a “protocol for diamonds that is essentially voluntary.”

Braunwart said he hopes the industry would “get off the dime” and work toward voluntary transparency and responsibility. Columbia Gem House arranges community development groups of local people in each of the areas they work, but that even with locals helping to identify issues and suggest policies and procedures, things get complicated.

“You really have to look at it as the continual improvement model,” he said. “Don’t get discouraged.”

GIA audience members engaged in a lively question and answer session with panelists after the presentation concluded.
As the group discussed the cost and value of responsible sourcing on healthy business and for the consumer, a seeming consensus was reached: at the end of the day, it’s good for everyone.

Gerstein, Bouffard and Grice all said their businesses have grown in spite of economic downturns and an increased focus on responsible sourcing.

“The value for us as a company was huge,” Grice said. “It worked extremely well. We actually went up in sales.”

Braunwart said consumers respond favorably when they’re given a compelling narrative. When retailers with Columbia’s colored stones present customers with three exactly matched stones – two of them with no background story and one in which the salesperson can relay the gem’s entire journey – the stone with the story has always been the one that sells, even when it’s priced five to 15 percent higher.

He admitted his company’s move toward ethically sourced stones has “financially been extremely difficult in some of the years,” but stressed its importance.

“This really is a personal commitment you’re making,” he said. “I believe it will add value to the product in the long run and make our industry better.” Source: GIA @topic:9


Title: Second World Emerald Symposium Abstract: Figure 1. GIA’s Shane McClure led the discussion panel on country of origin. Joining him, from left to right, were Kenneth Scarratt, Taijin Lu, and Claudio Milisenda. Photo by Tao Hsu.

Hosted by Fedesmeraldas (the Colombian Emerald Federation), Acodes (the Emerald Exporter Association), Aprecol (the Emerald Producers Association), Asocoemeral (the Emerald Dealers Association), and Minminas (the Ministry of Mines), the second World Emerald Symposium was held in Bogotá October 12–14, 2018.
The inaugural event in 2015 was themed “Be part of the change.” Three years later, the emphasis was on sustainability, blockchain, nanotechnology, and traceability. Does the community share the benefit from the companies? The future of the emerald industry should develop with the local communities through education, improving health care and working conditions. These questions/keywords were among the important topics expressed during this second edition of the symposium.
More than 60 Colombian and international speakers and panelists presented a wide variety of topics such as gemology, ethics, government, stakeholders, and marketing before a large audience from around the world and representing all levels in the emerald industry.
Day one began with opening talks by Colombian officials, symposium organizers, and presidents of gem and jewelry associations (ICA, CIBJO, and AGTA). This was followed by geology and mining sessions. Gaston Giuliani (IRD, CRPG, Nancy, France) again offered an exciting talk on world emerald deposits in the 21st century, assessing current knowledge, types of deposit, and exploration. Lee Groat (University of British Columbia, Vancouver) spoke on emerald occurrences in Canada’s Yukon Territory and the challenges for exploration and exploitation. Gian Carlo Parodi (National Museum of Natural History, Paris) reviewed the species and varieties of the beryl group and shared photos of various rare collector specimens such as stoppaniite and bazzite.
In the afternoon session on gemology, Gabriel Angarita (CDTEC Gemlab, Bogotá) introduced a new treatment for emeralds coming onto the market called “Naturalys.” He compared it to traditional oil treatment or resin and described its identification. Taijin Lu (NGTC, Beijing) discussed the recently formed Chinese national standard on emerald grading. Vincent Pardieu (DANAT, Bahrain) spoke on emerald from Madagascar and presented a well-made video from his most recent field expedition to Madagascar. Olivier Segura (L'École des Arts Joailliers, Paris) presented the school, which is supported by Van Cleef & Arpels, and its rich variety of classes such as jewelry history, gouache techniques, setting, gemology, and more.
Andy Lucas (Guild Gemlab, Shenzhen) talked about educating Chinese consumers on colored gemstones and China’s potential as a luxury jewelry market. He concluded by introducing the new education programs offered by the Guild Institute of Gemology. Alan Hart (Gem-A, London) reviewed the association’s heritage and long history. He also presented Gem-A resources such as its library, the Journal of Gemmology, and traditional education and alumni activities across the world.
This first day ended with two panel discussions, with Ronald Ringsrud and Shane McClure moderating the first. Laurent Cartier (SSEF, Basel), Gagan Choudhary (GTL, Jaipur), Rodrigo Giraldo (RGLAB, Bogotá), and Aurélien Delaunay (LFG, Paris) discussed laboratory reports on emerald treatments and the difficulties in determining the degree of enhancement. Is it a subjective call? Is a finding of minor, moderate, or significant enhancement sufficient, or would the addition of more degrees of enhancement on the reports be more accurate and benefit the industry? These were among the questions exchanged.
A second panel on gemology and origin (figure 1) was led by Shane McClure with panelists Kenneth Scarratt (DANAT), Taijin Lu (NGTC), and Claudio Milisenda (DSEF German Gem Lab). The group offered a frank discussion of many critical issues on country of origin determination. They also shared the difficulties gem labs encounter in building a reliable dataset to support country of origin determination. Potential solutions were also proposed.
The second day emphasized stakeholders’ social responsibility, ethics, and marketing. The day began with speakers from mining companies. Assheton Carter (The Dragonfly Initiative), Rosie Perkins (FURA Gems), German Forero (Santa Rosa), and Elena Basaglia (Gemfields) talked about their respective projects on sustainability and development of social programs to support local communities. Projects included modernizing the mines, developing schools, and implementing health care systems. Independent consultant Gerardo Vargas concluded the session by discussing the importance of appellation of origin for Colombian emeralds and how it would benefit and protect the market, increase value, develop the industry, and give recognition to Colombian emeralds.
After the lunch break, the session continued with Prida Tiasuwan (Pranda Group) who offered insight on Thailand’s gem and jewelry industry and its potential as a global gem and jewelry hub. Pointing at the duty-free, tax-free, and non-VAT trading system for gemstones, he talked about Thailand as a major center for colored stone education, cutting, manufacturing, and treatment.
Zhao Xin Hua presented information on the Gemstone Association of China and shared data and statistics on the Chinese colored gem market. Liu Yi (GAGCC) talked about the gem and jewelry investment hub opportunities with China. Next, Laurent Cartier (Gemstones and Sustainable Development Knowledge Hub) explained the organization’s work and discussed the challenges regarding artisanal mining, short-life deposits, stock management, and consideration of quality over origin.
The last session was devoted to ethics and corporate social responsibility. Cathlijne Klomp (LVMH) spoke about responsible sourcing of colored gemstones as well as the challenges and opportunities for creating sustainable value. Next, Charles Chaussepied (Responsible Jewellery Council) explained the RJC’s history, role, and mission. This last session was by a panel discussion regarding certifications with Edwin Molina (APRECOL) and Charles Burgess (Muzo MTC).
Day three was a half-day exploration of history. Independent jewelry specialist Joanna Hardy spoke on the Colombian emerald pocket watch from the Cheapside Hoard, the emerald and diamond parure of Empress Marie-Louise of France, and many other important antique emerald jewels. Ronald Ringsrud followed with more storytelling about people, miners, and emerald adventures. Ioannis Alexandris (Gemolithos) covered the magnificent Old Mine emeralds, historical jewelry featuring Colombian emeralds, and record-breaking auction sales. Gerard Martayan (Schlumberger) reviewed the rediscovery of the fascinating Chivor emerald mine.
Closing keynote addresses by Shri Pramon Agrawal (GJEPC), Carlos Amaya (governor of Boyacá), and Oscar Baquero (Fedesmeraldas) concluded the 2nd World Emerald Symposium Source: GIA @topic:7


Title: Books: Damiani: Alchemy of Desire Abstract: By Cristina Morozzi, 240 pp., hardcover, illus., publ. by Rizzoli, New York, 2014. US$100.00.

                      This special edition celebrates 90 years of history at Damiani, the Valenza-based jewel house established in 1924. Visually rich, the book presents the multigenerational evolution of this design house known internationally for its elegantly bedecked celebrity ambassadors and expressive, handmade designs.

To honor the landmark, the book introduces the Damiani 90th Collection early on, comprising 10 exceptional pieces that mark each decade from the 1920s to the 2010s. Period photographs and sketches enlivened by the artists’ comments—some with more exclamation points than a Facebook post—frame these magnificent pieces as reflections of their time, yet pulsing with a steady beat of contemporary energy and flair.

Woven throughout the book is the thread of an enduring family tradition that is now steered by three siblings who bring complementary skills and experience to the table. Edited by Cristina Morozzi, a writer and art director, the book presents the triumvirate in words and photographs as unified in strength, dedication, and dignity.

The family story begins with master goldsmith Enrico Grassi Damiani, who was said to create jewels for the leading families and wealthy patrons of his day, but about whom we learn little. With succession passing to Enrico’s son Damiano in 1953, the company entered a new period of growth marked by the younger Damiani’s innovations in design, research, and marketing, bringing expansion and heightened recognition to the brand. Although the book’s testimonials paint an incomplete picture of the man, the reader gains a sense of Damiano Grassi Damiani’s eye for perfection and his pursuit of it, embodied by a strong-willed, passionate leader who was able to successfully meld innovation with the new order of style.

Since Damiano’s sudden death in the mid-1990s, his three children, Giorgio, Guido, and Silvia Grassi Damiani, have continued the Damiani tradition. In 2007, the company went public.

The book offers a bird’s-eye view of Damiani’s other notable success: associating its brand with iconic ambassadors of style and glitz. Beginning with Isabella Rossellini as the face of Damiani in the 1980s, the house has also had brand ambassador and other connections with Sophia Loren, Sharon Stone, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Jennifer Aniston, all of whom are pictured in glorious Damiani jewelry. At awards shows and A-lister parties, the Damiani-adorned include other celebrities from Paris Hilton to Dita Von Teese.

Brad Pitt’s D.Side collection with Damiani is also featured, which, in a bizarre (and unmentioned) alchemy of its own, was the upside of a legal dispute between the company and the actor along with Aniston, Pitt’s former wife.

While this is an upbeat book in which jewelry reigns as the stuff of dreams and glamour, it also highlights the company’s social responsibility efforts. This is shown by Damiani’s work with Sharon Stone and a nongovernmental organization that has helped bring drinking water to Africans in remote villages in diamond-mining regions.

Notwithstanding the numerous celebrity photos, nearly all in color, the real stars of this show are the pieces themselves. Following a chapter devoted to the unprecedented 18 Diamonds International Awards bestowed on Damiani jewelry, beginning in 1976 with the Shark bracelet designed by Damiano’s wife, Gabriella, the book concludes with a chapter titled “Masterpieces.” Among the pieces that pulse with emotion, boundary-pushing craftsmanship, and staggering beauty are the dreamy “Mediterranea” cuff bracelet, the “Cincillà” collier of diamonds set in burnished gold that evokes a fur neck wrap, the lava-inspired “Vulcania” that practically erupts on the décolletage of the glitterati, and the “Peacock” necklace aglow in sapphires, emeralds, and brilliant diamonds.

Jewelry enthusiasts, stylists, and historians interested in high-fashion jewelry design will be rewarded by this celebration of a remarkable entrepreneurial family and its eye-popping creations. Source: GIA @topic:6


Title: EOSFancy: Automatic Bruting of Fancy Shapes Abstract: More than eight years ago, Belgium’s Scientific Research Centre for Diamonds (WTCOD) developed an automatic bruter for round diamonds. The bruting machine was based on a new principle: the application of a grinding wheel, rotating in a cooling liquid, to a rotating diamond. WTCOD has now expanded the scope of the EOS bruting machine to fancy shapes by linking the feed movement of the disc to the rotating position of the diamond. With EOSFancy, one can brute any convex shape with high accuracy and symmetry. The new software requires a recent PC with a specific graphics card. EOSFancy can be used manually or via a transfer from a rough scanner. The system can be used for both prebruting and finishing, and it is the ideal complement to laser prebruting. With EOSFancy, a lasered girdle can be finished perpendicular to the table with a result closer to the end dimensions, with a shorter processing time. The development is now in testing phase at a limited number of Antwerp-based diamond companies. A commercial version is expected to be released by HRD during 2013.

Abstracted by Guy Lalous Source: GIA @topic:4


Title: Alexandrite Quality Factors Abstract: While Russia is the most famous alexandrite source, this stone from Brazil shows beautiful color change from daylight (left) to incandescent light (right). - © GIA & Tino Hammid, courtesy Mayer & Watt

Color
Fine alexandrite is green to bluish green in daylight and red to purplish red in incandescent light. Its color saturation is moderately strong to strong. Stones that are too light do not reach the quality of color intensity seen in fine-quality gems. Stones that are too dark lack brightness and appear almost black.

Production from Russian mines is very limited today, which means the intense, fine-colored gems they produced in quantity less than 200 years ago are much harder to come by.

Sri Lankan alexandrites are generally larger than their Russian counterparts, but their colors tend to be less desirable. The greens tend to be yellowish compared to the blue-green of the Russian stones, and the reds of Sri Lankan alexandrite are typically brownish red rather than purplish red.

	This color-change alexandrite has low saturation in both its green and red colors, making it slightly brownish and less desirable. - Alan Jobbins

	The color change displayed by this alexandrite from Sri Lanka lacks strength, and its colors are brownish.
Alexandrites from Brazil have been found in colors that rival the Russian material, but production from Brazil has decreased.
Currently, alexandrite supply is low, and fine-color material is extremely rare.

Clarity
Alexandrite tends to contain few inclusions. There’s a dramatic rise in value for clean material with good color change and strong colors.

	A high clarity rating raises the value of alexandrite, especially one with nice color change like this green to red-purple example.
When certain types of long, thin inclusions are oriented parallel to each other, they can create an additional phenomenon called chatoyancy, or the cat’s-eye effect, increasing the alexandrite’s value.

	Cat’s-eye alexandrite, with beautiful chatoyancy along with color change, is extremely rare.
Cut
Alexandrites are most commonly fashioned into what are called mixed cuts, which have brilliant-cut crowns and step-cut pavilions. Brilliant cuts have kite-shaped and triangular facets, while step cuts have concentric rows of parallel facets.

	This alexandrite has stunning color change with intense colors, and very clean clarity. It’s an oval mixed cut, which is common for alexandrite. - Courtesy Evan Caplan Fine Gemstones
Alexandrite’s pleochroism makes it a challenge for cutters. When fashioning alexandrite, cutters orient the gem to show the strongest color change through the crown. It’s crucial to position the rough so the fashioned stone shows both purplish red and green pleochroic colors face-up.
Carat Weight
Most fashioned alexandrites are small, weighing less than one carat. Larger sizes and better qualities rise in price dramatically.

	This 8.82-carat cushion-shaped alexandrite shows nice color change. Its large size is rare for this stone.

	Attractive alexandrites used in jewelry are usually under a carat. This stone is a 0.65-carat triangular-shaped. Source: GIA @topic:3


Title: Ammolite: The Fashionable Fossil Abstract: Pieces of Ammolite resemble stained glass. Courtesy of Korite International.

If you like gemstones with provenance, then you’re going to love ammolite - iridescent fossilized ammonite shells found in Southern Alberta, Canada.

When the earth had only one continent with no forests or mammals, schools of ammonites hunted in the Tethys Ocean. Squid-like creatures with sharp, beak-like jaws buried in a ring of tentacles, ammonites ate what they could catch.

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Ammonites suffered the same fate as the dinosaurs – they became extinct about 66 million years ago. An asteroid striking the earth and the cooling climate likely caused their demise.
As countless millennia passed, two species of ammonites – Placenticeras meeki and P. intercalare – slowly turned into stunningly colored fossils called Ammolite. Their brilliant colors enchanted Native Americans who wore them to bring good luck while hunting buffalo.

Ammolite embedded in rock.
Gift of Korite International

Most Ammolite is green and red. Blue and violet Ammolite is more unusual, and typically more valuable. It is described as either fractured or sheet. Fractured Ammolite resembles stained glass; sheet Ammolite is an unbroken piece where the colors are continuous. Evocative names are used to describe its diversity of appearance: dragon skin (patterns resembling scales), cobblestone (patterns resembling a cobblestone road), moonglow (luminescent with few lines or fractures), and paint brush (looks like strokes of paint).

An Ammolite brooch by Carolyn Tyler

Sheet Ammolite is typically impregnated with a polymer to stabilize its thin surface layer. Because the layers are thin, Ammolite is almost always assembled into a doublet or triplet. Ammolite is often backed with a material like shale, black onyx, or glass to form a doublet. Sometimes a top layer of synthetic spinel or quartz is added to form a triplet.

Ammolite is often fashioned into pendants, brooches, and earrings, and sometimes sold as objet d’art. It is not a hard stone, 3.5 on the Mohs scale, which means it can scratch easily. Heat and chemicals, like acid, perfume, and hairspray, can also damage it. It’s highly recommended that you use only a damp, soft, non-abrasive cloth to clean it. Source: GIA @topic:2


Title: Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy to Measure Radioactivity in Gemstones Abstract: Over the last several years, the trade has seen a number of radioactive gemstones.  While a Geiger counter may show the existence of radioactivity, determination of the actual type of radionuclide and the quantity present requires a more sophisticated technique, gamma-ray spectroscopy. This article reports on the use of this technique to measure the radionuclides in two radioactive gemstones, a yellowish green diamond and a large dark blue topaz. Source: GIA @topic:1