Title: Exhibition Review: Jewels by JAR at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Abstract: This tulip brooch from 2008, displayed in the “Jewels by JAR” exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is composed of rubies, diamonds, pink sapphires, garnets, silver, gold, and enamel. Photo by Jozsef Tari, courtesy of JAR, Paris.

                      Since November 20, 2013, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has hosted the “Jewels by JAR” retrospective, marking the Met’s first-ever show dedicated to a living contemporary jeweler. Bronx-born Joel Arthur Rosenthal, known professionally as JAR, is known to be very particular in his dealings with the outside world.  He does not lend his designs for magazine shoots or make red carpet appearances. Nevertheless, his jewelry is among some of the most sought after at auction, frequently fetching multi-million-dollar bids. The JAR retrospective, curated by Jane Adlin and displaying 395 pieces, is located in the Helen and Milton A. Kimmelman Gallery on the museum’s first floor, in its Modern and Contemporary Art galleries, which also house Matisse, Klee, and Picasso paintings.

The assembly of this jewelry collection is a rare event in itself, because of the sheer exclusivity of JAR’s work. Visitors are able to enjoy an ensemble of realistic, life-sized, multicolor pieces. JAR favors a floral theme (figure 2), and over a hundred examples are on display. Animal motifs are much less represented, numbering just over fifty. The dominant gemstones are diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and pearls. Some rare gemstones, such as sphalerite and alexandrite, are also displayed. JAR also masterfully reuses micromosaics, antique cameos, 18th century miniatures, and materials such as beetle wings in his designs. Titanium mountings, which allow the display of unusual metal colors such as blue and violet, have made him an innovator in the industry.

	Figure 2. Left: From 2001, diamonds, lilac sapphires, garnets, aluminum, silver, and gold are assembled to form this lilac brooch. Right: JAR created this geranium brooch (2007) using diamonds, aluminum, silver, and gold. Both pieces are from private collections. Photos by Jozsef Tari, courtesy of JAR, Paris.
The exhibit and associated merchandising events have stirred some controversy, with accusations that the Met, a world-class cultural institution, is acting as a commercial space. The JAR retrospective has also been pinned as a glorification of an elite taste for expensive objects.

Regardless, given the rarity of these pieces, this in itself makes this a remarkable event for the jewelry enthusiast. Gemologists will appreciate the superb quality of gemstones used by JAR in artful pavé-set creations. The splendor of rubies, diamonds, sapphires, and natural pearls in selected pieces is particularly striking (figure 3). The arresting quality of these objects makes up for the lack of mise-en-scène of the exhibit itself, which provides no signage other than a short biography of JAR. No organizing theme is established for the layout. While the connoisseur may be able to discern different themes, the general public is likely to be overwhelmed by the multiplicity of floral and animal pieces, as I witnessed during my visit. A simple booklet, featuring a succinct object list, is a welcome keepsake, though lacking jewelry dimensions and carat weight information. The scarcity of information is not solved by the exhibition catalogue, which only features 70 of the 395 pieces from this retrospective.

	Figure 3. Left: This JAR bracelet featuring diamonds, silver, and platinum, was created in 2010. Right: The camellia brooch, also from 2010, uses rubies, pink sapphires, diamonds, silver, and gold in its design. Both pieces are from private collections. Photos by Jozsef Tari, courtesy of JAR, Paris.
The exhibition’s pathway is circular and runs clockwise in a long oval room. The first collection consists of fifty floral pieces, mostly brooches; the ruby and diamond parrot tulip brooch is particularly alluring. This group is followed by an ensemble of sixty pairs of earrings, designed in more abstract and decorative patterns (figure 4). The second wall presents an assembly of unusual objects such as abstract pieces, boxes, sculptures, watches, and clocks. The hyperrealism, originality, and precision of some of these works shows JAR’s wide-ranging inspirations.  Certain pieces of this window display bring an unexpected element of surprise and humor in this solemn setting. The lettuce leaf and 18th-century micromosaic rabbit brooch (linked by a chain), along with the asparagus brooches, are worthy of notice.

	Figure 4. Left: JAR’s multicolored handkerchief earrings (2011) is an assemblage of sapphire, garnet, zircon, tourmaline, emerald, ruby, fire opal, spinel, beryl, diamond, platinum, silver, and gold. Right: This cameo and rose petal brooch, also from 2011, incorporates ruby, diamond, silver, and gold in its design. Both pieces are from private collections. Photos by Jozsef Tari, courtesy of JAR, Paris.
Visitors can also enjoy the objects set in 14 square-column window displays, with one or two pieces on each side. One of the most iconic jewels of this group is a zebra brooch comprised of agate, diamond, sapphire, silver, and gold (figure 5); a sheep’s head brooch, made of natural pearls, sapphire, and blackened silver and gold, is also intriguing. The exhibition continues with a rectangular window filled with 40 floral and vegetal pieces. The show concludes gracefully on a panel adorned with twenty butterfly brooches.

	Figure 5. Left: This poppy brooch from JAR (1982) is comprised of diamonds, tourmalines and gold. Right: The iconic zebra brooch from 1987 is made from agate, diamonds, sapphire, silver, and gold. Both pieces are from private collections. Photos by Katharina Faerber, courtesy of JAR, Paris.
While the general public may note the lack of scenography and description and therefore miss his artistry and craftsmanship, “Jewels by JAR” is a must-see for the jewelry enthusiast who wishes to become more familiar with these rare and eclectic masterpieces. Source: GIA @topic:6


Title: Positive Design With Negative Space Abstract: View Gallery

	Sometimes what you don’t see is as important as what you do.

	“Negative space” is the explanation to this curious statement. It is the empty area between two objects that gives shape and depth to a design.

	Minimalist painters and sculptors in the 1960s and early 1970s generously used negative space in their work. Their style was part of the “less is more” school – a philosophy that said that an object didn’t need to be ornate to be beautiful.

	Negative space is also a popular motif in contemporary jewelry design. Its hallmark is a clean, modern look.

	Mark Schneider’s MJSA American Vision Award winning design, a convertible ring/pendant, is a study in negative space. The interlocking platinum bands make quarter moons, creating slivers of emptiness. When worn as a ring, the black Tahitian cultured pearl looks like it is suspended above the finger – another use of negative space.

	This ring by Mark Schneider features a 12.3 mm black South Sea pearl with .47 ct black and .32 ct white pavé diamonds. It may be worn as a ring in open position or worn upside down as a pendant. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA

	The rising price of precious metals has also driven jewelry designers to incorporate more negative space into their work. With the technique, designers can make stunning-but-affordable pieces by using less metal. So the inclusion of negative space in a design is ultimately a blend of necessity and style.

	The future of negative space? Many consumers yearn for simple shapes as a remedy for complex times and the price of precious metals is not likely to fall, so negative space will continue to have a positive influence on jewelry design.

	Holly K. Croft’s necklace, which won an AGTA Spectrum Award and Platinum Honors, cleverly uses negative space. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA Source: GIA @topic:6


Title: The Seven Types of Yellow Sapphire and Their Stability to Light Abstract: Colorless to yellow to intense orange sapphire will react quite differently to light or heat depending on the nature of the material and the origin of the color. The authors determined that there are actually seven types of "yellow" sapphire on the market today, which differ in the cause of color and the stability of the color to light: type 1—natural, light-stable color center; type 2—natural or irradiation-produced, fading color center; type 3—iron containing, not heated, light stable; type 4—iron containing, heated, light stable; type 5—surface-diffused additive, light stable; type 6—synthetic, light stable; and type 7—synthetic irradiated, fading. The authors examined more than 150 samples of yellow sapphire to confirm the seven types and document their different reactions to light, heat, and/or irradiation. One unexpected finding was that type 1 material can fade on heating even below 200°C, but that the color is restored by exposure to light. Source: GIA @topic:3


Title: Books: Jewels by JAR Abstract: Essay by Adrian Sassoon, 144 pp., illus., publ. by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, distributed by Yale University Press, New Haven and London 2013, US$40.00. The JAR butterfly brooch (1994) is from a private collection. Photograph by Katharina Faerber, courtesy of JAR, Paris.

              Joel Arthur Rosenthal is not a household name. Yet to many in the jewelry industry, the designs he creates for his jewelry house, JAR, are legendary for their innovation and artful use of color. Established in 1978, JAR is synonymous with quality and style. Alongside business partner Pierre Jeannet, Rosenthal has built a firm whose reputation is rooted in beauty, discretion, attention to detail, and deeply personalized service. Jewels by JAR was created to accompany the retrospective of the same name at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

The book opens with a dedication by Rosenthal himself, with a foreword by Thomas P. Campbell, director of the Metropolitan. The main text is an engrossing essay by art dealer Adrian Sassoon on Rosenthal’s career. The essay will be particularly interesting to followers of the notoriously publicity-shy Rosenthal.

The remainder of the book consists of page after page of fabulous color images depicting handcrafted JAR creations. While one finds copious amounts of luxurious gems, gold, and platinum in his jewelry, Rosenthal has never limited his creations to so-called precious materials. Materials such as beetle wings, wood, resin, enamel, bronze, and aluminum have been used to complete his artistic vision. The success he has achieved is obvious in each photograph, deepening this reader’s lament that she did not have the opportunity to view the exhibit in person.

Even the pieces’ presentation boxes do not escape the discriminating eye of the designer. The interior of a given box might be custom-lined with suede of a color meant to complement the jewel it will hold. Box lids are often embossed with the owner’s initials, serving as a reminder that each JAR creation is indeed one-of-a-kind.

Truly lovely to look at, with an interesting text, Jewels by JAR is a “must-read,” not only for serious collectors of Rosenthal’s work, but for anyone interested in jewelry and jewelry design. Source: GIA @topic:6


Title: Filigree Inlay Art: The Intangible Cultural Heritage of China Abstract: This filigree inlay brooch displays some very complicated filigree work on the insect’s head. Inlay work was used to mount the stone to the body. Photo by Eric Welch/GIA.

                      The art of filigree inlay, also called “fine gold art,” combines two craft skills. One is filigree, which includes such techniques as nipping, plaiting, jointing, piling, filling, and knitting, and uses gold or silver threads of different weights. The second component, inlay work, involves mounting the stones to the final product and carving or filing the precious metals. The craftsperson can use one or both skills when creating a piece.

	History of filigree inlay art
Filigree inlay art originated in the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). At the time, it was called “Jin Yin Cuo,” which involved painting gold and silver on the surface of bronze artworks. With the development of techniques for making thin gold and silver thread, which occurred around the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, filigree inlay art advanced in maturity.

The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) was the golden age of filigree inlay art. Many masterpieces were created and inherited. Following the Ming dynasty, filigree inlay art reached its peak in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Qing was the last dynasty in China’s history. However, it was ruled by the minority group “Man” for over 260 years.

The art form developed by inheriting essential elements from the previous dynasties and adding new elements over time. Many filigree inlay pieces seen in a private art museum run by the premium jade jewelry brand, Zhaoyi, are replicas of masterpieces from Ming and Qing dynasties.

For a long time, filigree inlay artwork was controlled and appreciated only by royal families and the imperial class. Ordinary people were able to afford some products, but were prohibited from owning pieces bearing certain themes like the dragon and phoenix. Only the royal class could own the highest-quality materials and designs.

Social catastrophe at the end of the Qing dynasty meant the imperial family could no longer hold its position and afford luxury items. Many master goldsmiths escaped the palace to open their own businesses. For a while, many small-scale filigree inlay art studios and workshops were concentrated in southern Beijing, which once had been an area full of all kinds of craftspeople.

	This pair of earrings is a replica of a Ming dynasty masterpiece. The earrings are 3-D replicas of lamps used in the Forbidden City. The lamps imitate pavilions with hexagonal profiles. Goldsmiths added seven spherical pendants to the pavilions. When the wearer moves, the pendants swing back and forth. Photo by Eric Welch/GIA.

	This is a replica of a Qing dynasty ring, once used as a gift from the mother-in-law to the new daughter-in-law, expressing wishes that she become a smart wife who benefits the family economically. By applying fine gold art, each small bead on the abacus can move freely. Photo by Eric Welch/GIA.
By the end of the 20th century, after the many social upheavals China had experienced over the previous 150 years, filigree inlay art was one of many cultural heritages that were fading away. Very few master goldsmiths were still able to work in this art form, and young people rarely devoted themselves to the diligence and hard work required. Another barrier came from the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), when wearing or owning jewelry or simply being pretty was considered offensive.

The drafting, internationally, of the concept of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the early 2000s made it possible for filigree inlay art to be picked up and passed along to future generations. (The concept of Intangible Cultural Heritage encompasses practices, knowledge, and skills that are recognized as part of a country’s or community’s cultural heritage.)

	Collaboration between modern jewelry company and
	master goldsmith
Due to the outrageously high costs required for creating art pieces with filigree inlay art, very few people wanted to invest the money to start from scratch. At this critical moment, the collaboration between Zhaoyi and master goldsmith Bai Jingyi caught people’s attention. Before this collaboration, Master Bai had refused invitations from many jewelry companies due to conflicting interests. President Wang from Zhaoyi reassured Master Bai that making fast and major profit on filigree inlay art was not the company’s goal.

Zhaoyi, which began as a brand that specialized in jadeite, decided to contribute to the continuation of this almost-lost art. This time, Master Bai agreed and they established her studio about four years ago. Zhaoyi also supported Bai’s idea of developing the skills first and then creating some originally designed products.

	Zhaoyi, a famous premium jadeite brand, collaborated with Master Bai to create a filigree inlay art studio. The company uses profits from the jadeite business to support the haute couture filigree inlay art business. Photo by Pedro Padua/GIA.
For the past four years, Master Bai has spent most of her time teaching new artists and young apprentices, making replicas of famous historic pieces, and creating new designs using traditional skills. In Zhaoyi’s Beijing Xin Tian Di guild store, with its three-story layout, two levels are used to display filigree inlay art replicas and new designs. Located on the third floor is the only private filigree inlay art museum in Beijing. Numerous masterpieces from Bai’s studio are displayed there. As Master Bai and her colleagues are making progress on passing this craftsmanship along to the next generation, they are also working on creating new products to fit the high-end jewelry market in China.

	In her studio, Master Bai works on a piece of fine filigree art. Courtesy of Zhao Yi Xin Tiandi Co., Ltd.

	Master Bai Jingyi
After working as a goldsmith and designer in the filigree inlay industry for over 50 years, Bai expressed her deep love for this art style to some contributors.

Her family is made up of the “Man” minority, who formed China’s Qing dynasty. Influenced by her family tradition, she had fallen in love with painting when she was a little girl. Once, she dreamed of becoming a famous painter, but this dream did not come true due to different circumstances and life-changing opportunities she experienced later in her life.

	Master goldsmith and chief designer Master Jingyi Bai creates filigree inlay art and trains others to carry on its traditions. Courtesy of Zhao Yi Xin Tiandi Co., Ltd.
Other than painting, Bai was also very interested in pattern design. This provided a good basis for her entire design life. As a precious-metal major in school, she gained some of the needed knowledge and skills to make artworks like filigree inlay, enamel, etc., but she felt those skills were not enough to make her a successful master goldsmith and designer. She made the most progress after she started working in a real filigree inlay art factory and was trained by some older-generation master goldsmiths.

For the past 50 years, Bai has devoted herself to the tradition and development of filigree inlay art, receiving numerous honors and achievements. In 2008, the state council officially named filigree inlay art as the Intangible Cultural Heritage of China. Master Bai was selected to be the official Representative Inheritor at the same time. This honor and its responsibilities, plus her collaboration with Zhaoyi, brought her career to new heights.

With support from the company and her colleagues, Bai made many famous replicas of historic filigree inlay art pieces. One example is the “Six Dragon and Three Phoenix Crown.” She and her colleagues applied not just fine gold art to this piece. She also applied another almost-lost skill called “kingfisher feather skill.” The kingfisher is a beautiful bird with feathers on its back displaying very attractive and lively blue color. Old craftsmen pulled the feathers off a living bird and then mounted them in different jewelry pieces. It was an art used mostly by the Imperial family. In 2012, the “Six Dragon and Three Phoenix Crown” masterpiece was named the Beijing Arts and Crafts Treasure.

	Details were created using the ancient kingfisher feather skill on this “Six Dragon and Three Phoenix Crown” masterpiece. Photo by Eric Welch/GIA.
Now, Master Bai still works full time in her studio as the chief designer for Zhaoyi’s filigree inlay art haute couture services. She is pleased to see more and more young people joining her as apprentices to inherit this old but exquisite art. She expresses pride in them and tries her best to pass those skills on to the next generation.

	Master Bai still works full time at the studio, and also teaches students and apprentices. Courtesy of Zhao Yi Xin Tiandi Co., Ltd.

	The market for filigree inlay artwork
Although Master Bai and her group focus mainly on the filigree inlay art high-end market, she admits that there are two parts of the market as a whole. Many small-scale workshops around the country have limited investment levels and different interests. Their goal is not to inherit or pass the skills along to the next generation, but rather to make some quick money with relatively low-quality filigree inlay works, or add some filigree elements to other rapidly made products. These products dominate the souvenir market.

Master Bai originally thought that her high-end products would only be consumed by successful businessmen or older-generation high-ranking government officials. To her surprise, some young people are highly motivated to buy her creations as well. One of the studio’s first individually designed jewelry sets was purchased by a very young couple.

In terms of domestic and overseas markets, Master Bai does not see much difference between them because “going back to traditions” seems like a non-stop trend in the fashion world. She has noticed that China’s young people are paying more and more attention to their traditions. She enjoys seeing young girls wearing fashion outfits with traditional jewelry pieces inherited from their mothers or grandmothers. As for overseas consumers, in addition to paying attention to the style, they also focus on the craftsmanship of a piece. Overall, the market outlook for filigree inlay art is very bright.

	These newly designed modern filigree inlay art pieces are displayed in Zhaoyi’s art museum. Photo by Eric Welch/GIA.

	The future of filigree inlay art
As an Intangible Cultural Heritage of China, filigree inlay art has caught people’s attention and is being protected and passed along. Although there is hope in China of keeping this ancient art style and skill alive, there are some difficulties that can’t be avoided. First of all, there are fewer and fewer master goldsmiths. As time goes by, some skills will gradually be lost. More teachers are needed to pass knowledge and skills along to young people.

Secondly, more young apprentices are needed to inherit this art style. Some college graduates want to sit down and learn the skills, but to make sure there are enough people to inherit these skills and pass them along to the next generation, a larger inheritors’ pool is needed.

Last but not least, any type of art can be kept alive only when it can breathe on its own, which means it has to be alive in the real market, not just residing in some museums or appreciated by only a small group of people. Bai insists that even though the creation of replicas is necessary for picking up the almost-lost skills, she and her group will have to make modern designs that can be easily accepted by the current market and its consumers. This will result in keeping the art alive.

What Master Bai wants to tell young jewelry designers is that they need to absorb inspiration from both modern art and Chinese cultural traditions. As a big fan of western oil painting, Bai recommends that art students who want to be jewelry designers go overseas to learn modern art concepts and western artistic aspects. She also reminds them to not forget their own traditions, since that can distinguish them from others. As she says, the friction between western art and oriental tradition usually creates the most beautiful fireworks. Source: GIA @topic:10


Title: Engagement Rings through the Ages Abstract: The engagement ring’s romantic traditions resonate throughout time. The Romans first introduced the betrothal ring as a plain, iron hoop. Among the gentry, the iron ring was worn while indoors and replaced with the more valuable gold band when outdoors. As early as the 4th century AD, inscriptions, elaborate or as simple as “honey,” embellished the inside of the band. According to Macrobius, a 5th century Roman writer, the betrothal ring was worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. It was believed that from that finger a special vein ran directly to the heart. To this day, the centuries-old custom of wearing an engagement ring in this way has endured.

During the Middle Ages, sapphires and rubies initially adorned the engagement ring, while diamonds were incorporated in the 15th century. The earliest written record of the use of a diamond in an engagement ring was in 1477 by a Dr. Moroltinger, who was advising the future Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian to have a ring set with a diamond for his betrothal to Mary of Burgundy. Resisting fire and steel, diamonds stood for the fortitude of a lifelong partnership. Early cutting techniques caused gems to look dull and even black, according to GIA (Gemological Institute of America), the world’s foremost authority in the grading and identification of diamonds and other gems. Compensating for these lackluster stones, goldsmiths designed elaborate settings, composed of such romantic notions as rosettes and fleur-de-lis, symbolizing the bride’s purity.

More ephemeral than the diamond ring, the rush ring was hastily made from leaves or grass and lasted in many cases as long as the short-lived engagement. A more enduring and popular 16th century ring, the fede (Italian for faith) betrothal ring signified a marriage’s immutability in its central image of two clasped hands.

With the discovery of diamonds in Brazil in the 18th century, diamond jewelry became more readily available, and diamond cluster engagements rings were in vogue. A common cluster design consisted of small rose-cut diamonds arranged around a larger center stone.

Widespread wealth, initiated by the 19th century’s Industrial Revolution and the rich supply of newly discovered African diamond mines, made diamonds available to a greater public. Diamond experts at GIA also note that this period was marked by revolutionary developments in cutting and polishing, resulting in diamonds revealing a brilliance greater than any other gem. The diamond now could stand alone, and thus, the solitaire engagement ring became fashionable.

The simple elegance of the classic Tiffany mounting, introduced in 1886 by Charles L. Tiffany, offered an ideal complement to the beauty of the diamond. With the diamond set high in an open, six-prong mounting, the design permitted greater amounts of light to enter the gem, allowing it to exhibit maximum brilliance. Given all the choices that are available to couples today, not only can they choose an engagement ring that represents a centuries-old symbol of love and tradition, but more importantly, a ring that is a personal expression of themselves. Source: GIA @topic:6


Title: The Enigmatic Gemstone: Opal’s Playful Dance with Light Abstract: This stunning Australian white opal and diamond brooch converts to a pendant. Courtesy of Rodriguez and Sons. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA

The romance of precious opal begins when you catch the first glimpse of its movement with dancing light. Opal’s play-of-color can be compared to a lyrical dance, sometimes expressing itself as a grand jeté of bold, broad flashes of color, other times as smaller, quicksteps of pinpoint flashes.
Often mysterious, opal’s shimmering color can present as a flowing, continuous movement.

Green and blue play-of-color flit playfully in this pair of black Australian opal earrings. Courtesy of Rodriguez and Sons. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Opal’s intriguing flashes of spectral colors
Scientists believe most opal deposits formed 15 to 30 million years ago in desert areas rich in silica. Strong seasonal rains drenched the earth and soaked deep into rock, carrying dissolved silica, a compound of silicon and oxygen, with it. When much of the water evaporated during dry periods, deposits of silica solidified and formed in cracks between the layers of underground sedimentary rock, producing opal.

Notice the small flecks of green, blue and orange play-of-color in a pinfire pattern in this opal from Andamooka, South Australia. Courtesy of the Dr. Edward Gübelin Collection. Photo by Orasa Weldon/GIA
The shifting spectral color of precious opal is a result of light that reflects off its closely packed silica spheres. The arrangement and size of the spheres result in the varying patterns and colors of the opal’s play-of-color, including:

Pinfire or pinpoint: small, closely set patches of color
Harlequin or mosaic: broad, angular, closely set patches of color resembling a checkerboard
Flame: sweeping reddish bands or streaks that shoot across the gemstone
Peacock: mainly blue and green flashes of color

This elegant black opal pendant necklace shimmers with intense blue and green play-of-color. Courtesy of Lightning Ridge Collection by John Ford. Photo by Emily Lane/GIA
In addition to the size, shape and arrangement of its silica spheres, opal’s underlying body color contributes to its overall appearance:

Black opal – a dark body color that generally exhibits bold colors of blue, green, red and orange.
White opal – a white to medium gray body color exhibits the blue, green, red and orange hues in a softer tone.
Fire, water and jelly or crystal opals – develop under different conditions and are transparent. They form in red, orange, yellow and brown hues. If they have play-of-color that increases their desirability.

The matrix in boulder opal often adds a beauty of its own. Courtesy of True Blue Opals & Gems. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Boulder opal has a thin layer of precious opal that is cut to include matrix, which serves to reinforce the gem. Often cut in one-of-a-kind shapes, it offers designers and consumers an affordable alternative to black opal.
Common opal, also called potch opal, is an opaque gem-quality variety showing no play-of-color and occurs in pink, blue and other colors with high to low saturation and varying patterns.

This 13.60 ct Australian opal from Lightning Ridge is a showstopper. Courtesy of Gerry Manning, Manning International. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
History of opal
The modern birthstone of October, along with tourmaline, opal was dubbed “queen of gems” in ancient times because of its flashes of reflected light. Humans have been intrigued by gemstones since antiquity and developed a passion for them as they acquired wealth. Mines in the region of Hungary supplied opal to ancient Romans and continued to produce for more than 2,000 years, until 1922.

View Gallery

Australia’s outback began opal production in the 1890s. Lightning Ridge, Andamooka, Queensland, White Cliff and Coober Pedy are noteworthy Australian localities for black opals. Some opal sources in Australia are thought to have formed about 400 million years ago. For example, the Great Artesian Basin of Australia, once an inland sea, is a well-known region for today’s opal. Opalized fossils from the age of dinosaurs have been uncovered in opal fields. Most of these come from Cretaceous marine and freshwater aquatic reptiles 100 to 120 million years old. Any material, such as shell, bone, and wood that can become fossilized, can also become opalized.

A 6.15 ct black opal and diamond starburst pendant/necklace radiates blue, green, yellow, red and orange play-of-color. Courtesy of Lightning Ridge Collection by John Ford. Photo by Emily Lane/GIA
Queen Victoria began to wear black opals from Lightning Ridge, Australia soon after they were discovered there. Design houses Tiffany, Lalique and Cartier also began the romancing of black opal, featuring them in Art Nouveau jewelry.

If you look closely at this carved Mexican fire opal, you’ll see two interesting egg-like inclusions. Courtesy of Cody Opal. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Mexico is also a major source of fire, crystal and water or jelly opals, and Ethiopia is producing precious opal.
Care of Opal
Treat your opal with gentle care. It is a delicate and soft stone (5.5-6.5 rating on the Mohs hardness scale) and because it contains 5-20 percent water, it should not be allowed to dry out too rapidly or it may crack.
If you heed this advice, you will enjoy many happy years with your lively, colorful, precious opal.
Learn more about opal’s history and lore in the Gem Encyclopedia and its significance as one of October’s birthstones. Source: GIA @topic:11


Title: December Blues: Birthstone Gifts that Will Delight Abstract: The blue and green color zoning in this 30.5 ct bicolor tanzanite is especially clear and easy to see. Courtesy Kobi Sevdermish, Advance Quality, Ltd. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA

If you are looking for a gift for someone special, December’s trio of blue birthstones offers a wide range for every taste, style and personality – even if it’s not their birth month. Let’s suppose, just for fun, that gemstones have personalities. Let’s look at the traits of turquoise, zircon and tanzanite to pair them with different individuals for the perfect gift.
Turquoise: Natural, earthy, traditional
Turquoise’s personality is natural, earthy and traditional. It has been used in jewelry dating back to the earliest recorded history of civilization in many cultures.

Egyptians preferred the greenish-blue turquoise found in the Sinai Peninsula, which is fortunately resistant to fading when exposed to sun or water. Well-preserved bracelets, pectoral ornaments and scarabs featuring turquoise have been discovered from excavations in Ancient Egypt dating prior to 3100 BCE. Archeologists have also found turquoise ceremonial artifacts in the tombs of Mayan elite in Central America.

A stunning 13.48 ct Sleeping Beauty turquoise cabochon is surrounded by diamonds and plique à jour enamel, set in 18K gold. Courtesy of Andrew Sarosi. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA.
Turquoise was introduced to Europe in the 16th century as it made its way on the Silk Road from mines in Persia to the bazaars in Turkey. Although many think turquoise material was named for its color, the robin egg blue material from the historic Khorasan province of Persia derived its name from the French turquois for “Turkish” because the mineral was first brought to Europe through Turkey. Although the original source has been mined out, fine blue turquoise is still described as Persian blue in the trade today.

Native American cultures believe the Earth is alive and that turquoise is a living, healing gemstone. The Sleeping Beauty mine in Arizona is known for turquoise with spider web matrix, which is prominent in Southwest Native American jewelry.

China is the world’s major source of top color sky blue turquoise. Turquoise is a copper phosphate mineral, which accounts for its opaque blue to green colors.  It is found in the Sinai Peninsula, Turkey, China and North America.

View Gallery

Zircon: Bright, colorful impersonator, sometimes moody
Zircon’s bright personality is a result of its high refractive index, which gives it excellent brilliance, luster and fire. Its characteristics resemble diamond, so it was used in the 19th century as a diamond alternative.

Zircon is colorless when pure. Trace minerals found in the gems produce yellow, orange, blue, red, brown and green colors. Most rough zircon is brown and can be transformed into colorless and blue by heat treatment.

Blue zircon and cultured pearls from Australia combine in this classic pair of convertible earrings. Not in the mood for dangle? The pearls are detachable in this custom design by Ilka Bahn. Courtesy of Orasa Weldon. Photo by Emily Lane/GIA
Zircons are classified as high or low zircons depending on their density, hardness and refractive index. Because of its uranium and thorium content, low (metamict) zircon is modified by internal radiation damage. Over time its density decreases; the crystal structure is compromised taking on a lackluster, moody appearance and the color changes.

Blue zircon was popular in English estate jewelry in the 1880s and it remains the most popular color with consumers. Zircon is believed to provide the wearer with wisdom, honor and riches.
Tanzanite: Popular, modern, intriguing
Tanzanite, a modern gem discovered in the 1960s in the foothills of Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro, its only source, has multiple personalities. Because of its pleochroism, cutting direction determines the gem’s overall face-up color. When you look at it from one angle it appears blue, but from a different angle it appears purple. Or, if you look very closely and are lucky you may see a third color – red green, orange or brown. Cutting plays an important role in tanzanite’s color display, so does a prevalent low-heat treatment that modifies brownish zoisite to more desirable violet to blue colors, known as tanzanite.

This tanzanite and diamond ring is courtesy of Michelle Loon, GIA GG. Photo by Kevin Schumacher/GIA.
Fine tanzanite has a richness and depth of color that is often described as “velvety.” It is one of the world’s most popular gemstones, at times rivaling ruby, emerald and sapphire. Mineral collectors vie for beautiful crystal specimens of natural zoisite in blue, purple, green, yellow, and pink hues.

Now that you’ve become acquainted with these December birthstones, you are ready to make an informed birthstone choice for a gift in December – or any time of the year. Source: GIA @topic:1


Title: Over the Top at BaselWorld 2015 Abstract: The spring BaselWorld fair is full of glitz and glamour that draws 125,000 visitors each year to see the latest in watch design, high jewelry and the finest gemstones. Photo by Russell Shor/GIA

                      The BaselWorld Fair in Switzerland is a trade show unlike any other; Fifth Avenue-sized structures line the aisles, two-story high LED screens tout world-famous luxury brands and, at closing each evening, champagne and hors d’oeuvres help seal the deal between company and client.

BaselWorld, originally conceived as the yearly coming out party for the top Swiss watch brands, has evolved into a showcase for the world’s high-end jewelry brands and the diamond and gem dealers who serve them. One of the reasons for such an all-out presence is that BaselWorld is unique among trade shows because the public can buy a day pass for 60 Swiss francs (US $62) to browse all four event halls and revel in the ultra-luxury atmosphere.

Who attends? More than 125,000 visitors: everyone from families on a costly outing to gaze at the new watch offerings to billionaires on a buying spree.

The tour begins on the second floor of the main hall, appropriately called the Hall of Dreams.

On the street of jewels in this hall Graff, Garrard, Bulgari, Harry Winston, Mikimoto, Faberge, Damiani and Chopard compete for buyers’ and browsers’ attention. Lesser-known brands such as Jacob & Co., De Grisogono, Bayco and Aaron Shum spare no expense to match their glitz.

Extraordinary designs are on display in the Hall of Dreams. Mikimoto, which originated the cultured pearl market more than 100 years ago, offers a pearl-encrusted bodice, left, that is in striking contrast to the kaleidoscopic atmosphere of its surroundings. This $2 million diamond-studded Gibson guitar from Aaron Shum Jewellery, right, won’t make you a rock star, but it will certainly sparkle under stage lights. Photos by Russell Shor/GIA
Jacob & Co., from Geneva, sits at the corner in a Roman Forum-style “building” fashioned in white faux marble. Evening gown-clad models pose in the open foyer to show off the company’s creations: lacey, diamond-accented necklaces and bracelets, along with more traditional large diamond and sapphire pieces. Nearby, Mikimoto counters the models’ glamour with a cultured pearl “bodice” which, in the special lighting, seems to float inside the window, the gems’ iridescence glowing against the black background.

Around the corner, Aaron Shum attracts a crowd with a $2 million diamond and platinum guitar by Gibson, the U.S. instrument manufacturer. Called the Coronet, the guitar features just over 400 carats of small colorless diamonds set in 18K white gold clusters shaped like flower blossoms set close-in so they don’t snag your sleeve when you’re trying to make bar chords.

Golden lights lead buyers past the watches in Graff’s space to the jewel room, which is illuminated by a “diamond bracelet.” Photo by Russell Shor/GIA
If a $2 million guitar isn’t impressive, then Graff’s space, catty-corner across the atrium, certainly is. The two-story structure is covered in gold Art Deco scales, with a window-sized LED panel displaying the company’s watch creations. Inside, a long row of gold-colored ceiling lights, which look like clusters of crystals suspended in a line, lead browsers past the watch cases to the inner sanctum. A swirling light feature that resembles a diamond bracelet marks where the diamond pieces reside. This year’s signature piece, “The Fascination,” a watch that incorporates 152.96 carats of D color diamonds, includes a 38.13 carat pear-shaped diamond that can be worn separately as a ring or clipped to cover the watch dial. For $40 million, time will wait for you.

Heading for the escalator that leads down to the main watch hall, an intense red glow from the Bayco “building” attracts a crowd. The glow comes from a back-lit ring that features a 16 carat Mozambique ruby, surrounded by diamonds.

The watch hall on the ground floor is actually a misnomer because some 1,500 watch brands are scattered throughout the five sections of the fair. This, however, is where the most famous brands congregate: Rolex, Swatch, Omega, Breitling, Corum, Hublot, Tissot and several dozen others. The exhibits are even more extravagant, and much larger, than those on the jewelry floor, though getting close enough view these timepieces is like is like trying to glimpse the Mona Lisa at the Louvre.

The watch hall attracts the majority of the 125,000 visitors to the fair, so it’s often difficult to catch a glimpse of the new styles they roll out each year. Photo by Russell Shor/GIA
The Swiss Watch Federation reports that the soaring Swiss franc has added 20% to the cost of its watches, further threatening export growth that had already slowed as China’s economy softens and middle-eastern buyers pull back.

The crowds here are thick enough to slow the passage to the Hall of Minerals, the area behind the watch pavilion where the diamonds and gemstones are displayed more like a traditional trade show. The exhibits are relatively no-frills – no elaborate exhibits or 20-foot-high LED screens – as opposed to the glitzy world capital main street. But the goods are certainly not no-frills and a million dollars (or francs) will only get you so far.

Near the entrance, Bijan & Co. offers a 200.36-carat cushion cut sapphire set in a necklace with 35 carats of D, E and F color diamonds. “We cut this several months ago,” says Eliot Elihu, president. “We’re debuting it at this show.”

The question: “A million?”
The reply: “Somewhat more.”

This 200.36 carat Sri Lankan sapphire by Bijan & Co., greeted visitors near the entrance to the gemstone hall. Photo by Russell Shor/GIA
Proceeding through the hall, past a vendor displaying another 200-carat Sri Lankan sapphire, there is Taché, the venerable Antwerp diamond company. On display is a simple black presentation box holding a collection of 9 Type IIa (extraordinarily transparent) diamonds of various shapes, ranging in weight from 16 to 41 carats. All of the diamonds are D Flawless., the exceptions being a pair of matched D-E color, Very Very Slightly Included cushion brilliant cuts.

Though the asking price probably matches or surpasses Graff’s “Fascination” watch, Isaac Taché, executive director, won’t provide a number, “except for serious buyers.” He does say the collection took years to put together.

“Matching diamonds like these don’t come along very often,” he says.

Taché collected a crowd at its display with this collection of 9 Type IIa (extraordinarily transparent) diamonds of various shapes, ranging in weight from 16 to 41 carats. All of the diamonds are D Flawless., except a pair of matched D-E color, Very Very Slightly Included cushion cuts. Photo by Russell Shor/GIA
The array of gems at Cody Opal don’t carry seven-figure price tags, but some of the opals on display in the front of the showcase are large enough to make you want to live inside their lush blue-green, play-of-color world.

“We usually do well here,” says Andrew Cody, holding a large black opal with its miniature environment dappled with spots of red. "The red is what they look for, what really sets the premium.”

Move past exhibitor after exhibitor displaying 10 carat-plus fancy yellow diamonds and arrays of large colorless diamonds, until you come to a necklace created from 30 fancy Vivid Pink diamonds and 23 fancy Vivid Blue diamonds, all ranging from 0.75 to 0.90 carats. You have to stop and ask about this one, but the vendor, set in a relatively small enclosure in a row behind the main aisle, wants no pictures taken or publicity using his name.

“Our clients know we have this here,” he says.
The price: “It took us years to collect these stones, so you can understand that it has a price to match,” he explains.

Negotiating all those major diamond and gemstones can work up a thirst. The snack bar in the middle of the hall has some enticing, but small, water bottles on display for 6 Swiss francs each. A sandwich? Think tourmaline price.

In the end, there was not great demand for the high-end treasures at Basel this year. But a tour at the end of the show revealed that many of these one-of-a-kind pieces did find buyers, judging by some of the empty spots in the displays.

Beauty has its price and some are always willing to pay it. Source: GIA @topic:9


Title: Sri Lanka: Treasure Island Abstract: A gemological tour of Sri Lanka’s gemstones.

                      A wealth of gemstones lies under the soil of Sri Lanka: sapphire, ruby, cat’s-eye chrysoberyl, spinel, garnet, beryl, tourmaline, topaz, quartz, and many others. The Highland Complex, a wide band that runs roughly down the middle of the island, is a rich source of this gem material.

	Sri Lanka: Treasure Island

Gems here are typically mined in two ways:

		Alluvial mining: Gem deposits are typically found in secondary deposits like rivers. When a river transports gems, it also carries a variety of other denser materials that collect as gravel in the riverbeds. A lighter overburden material lies on top of the gemstones, and miners dig below it to reach the gem-bearing gravels.

		Eco-Mining: Of the 6,500 licenses issued for mining in 2013, more than 6,000 were for pit-mining operations. In this type of mining, rocks and minerals are removed from an open pit that is typically 15 to 25 feet deep and six to 14 feet wide. The government favors this approach, as it is considered to be less harmful to the environment, and provides a more stable source of employment. Pits must be refilled and rehabilitated after the mining is completed.

Mined gems are often bought and sold in outdoor street markets that can have thousands of dealers. Gem material is often sent to Colombo, the country’s capital, for cutting and polishing.

Sri Lanka’s traditional cutters are considered some of the finest in the world in understanding sapphire rough. Their technique is well suited to high-end sapphires and other gemstones where placement of color is critical. A modern precision-cutting industry is also growing.

Sri Lanka is now a colored gemstone destination, blending centuries of mining, cutting, and trading experience with modern technology and global business strategy. Favorable import and export regulations have attracted foreign investment and brought rough material from around the world to the island, helping to make it a colored gemstone cutting, treatment, and trading hub. China’s growing appetite for gemstones has also helped the industry.

From mine to market – Sri Lanka is truly a modern success story. Source: GIA @topic:1


Title: Insights From Inclusions Abstract: View Gallery

	Natural gemstones are typically far more valuable than synthetics, so being able to identify them correctly is a powerful skill. One of the best ways to determine if a gemstone is natural or synthetic is to note the type and variety of its inclusions.

	Certain types of inclusions are found more often in natural gemstones than in their synthetic counterparts. Needles, clouds, fluids, and crystals are examples of inclusions typically found in natural gemstones.

	Intersecting rutile needles (called “silk”) are inclusions commonly found in corundum. Photo by John I. Koivula/GIA

	A common inclusion observed in amethyst is deep red needles of hematite (magnified 10×). Hematite needles are thin, elongated inclusions. They appear only in natural gemstones. Photo by John I. Koivula/GIA

	Synthetic gems generally have inclusions specific to their method of growth. These characteristics include translucent to opaque coloring, coarseness, and a web-like appearance, which are stark contrasts to natural, transparent, partially healed fracture “fingerprint” inclusions. For example, translucent to opaque-white to yellowish granular-looking flux are types of inclusions you would typically find in a flux-grown synthetic stone.

	Hallmark inclusions of a flux-grown Kashan synthetic ruby are translucent to opaque-white primary flux. Photo by Nathan Renfro/GIA

	“By understanding the types of inclusions and their characteristics, you can determine if a gem is natural or synthetic. That helps you understand the stone’s history and value,” says Brenda Harwick, GIA’s manager of on-campus and laboratory gemology instruction in Carlsbad.

	The three-volume Photoatlas of Inclusions in Gemstones, authored by Eduard Josef Gübelin and John Koivula, is widely considered a definitive read on the subject. To learn more about these valuable resources visit store.gia.edu and enter keyword “Koivula.”

	Some GIA students become so curious about the particular types of minerals that make up inclusions that they pay less attention to the general type of inclusion they are examining.

Here’s a helpful study tip: First become adept at identifying the overall types of inclusions, and then pursue your natural curiosity as to their specific make-up. Advanced chemical and structural testing is often required to determine what they are, but rutile and zircon are some common culprits (depending on the species of gemstones).

	Remember, though, it’s the type and number of inclusions that really matter – and not their precise chemical composition. Keep this in mind, and you will become a better gemologist.

	This Montana sapphire contains dark rutile crystals. When the stone is heat-treated, the titanium dissolves into the host sapphire combining with iron to enhance the blue color of the stone. This internal diffusion of blue color is proof of heat treatment in sapphire. Photo by John I. Koivula/GIA

	This is hydrothermal growth in a synthetic aquamarine. This chevron type of growth structure is indicative of the synthetic origin of this aquamarine. Photo by Nathan Renfro/GIA

	Tips for Viewing Inclusions

	By looking at gemstones under a microscope, you’ll see the number and general type of inclusions. Doing this can help you determine if a gem is natural or synthetic; and that information can affect a gemstone’s value.

	Studying gems under a microscope also helps you create your own “visual library” of inclusions, which over time, will become references as you examine new stones.

	Here are a few tips for using a microscope for this purpose.

		Use a variety of lighting environments to examine inclusions, including: brightfield, darkfield, polarized light, and fiber optic illumination. This lets you see how the gemstone reacts to a controlled pathway of light, revealing valuable information about the inclusions. Each type of light may yield new information and help you see something you would otherwise miss if you only used one lighting environment.

		First look through the broadest window into the gem, which is generally the table facet, and then into the gemstone’s pavilion (this often gives you an excellent view of the inclusions).

		Be certain to rock and tilt the gemstone so that you view it from a variety of angles. Source: GIA @topic:3


Title: Raman Investigations on Two Historical Objects from Basel Cathedral: The Reliquary Cross and Dorothy Monstrance Abstract: Two ecclesiastical objects of the late Gothic period (1350–1520) were investigated to identify the gemstones that adorn them. Both are from the treasury of Basel Cathedral (Basler Münster, Basel, Switzerland). To avoid potential damage, the identifications were conducted using only optical microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Most of the mounted materials were found to be varieties of quartz, either as polished single pieces or as doublets with evidence of what may once have been dyed cement. Glass of various colors was also identified, as were peridot, sapphire, garnet, spinel, and turquoise. Source: GIA @topic:1


Title: Gemstone Durability: Design to Display Abstract: Knowledge of the durability of a gemstone is critical to understanding the risks involved in the various setting, repair, and cleaning procedures commonly used by the jeweler. Some gemstones need attention in display because of their reaction to heat and/or light. This article reviews gemstone durability considerations for 31 species and their varieties as they affect design decisions as well as repair, cleaning, and display of the piece. In all cases, the reader is advised to consult an experienced bench jeweler before attempting any potentially damaging procedures. The recommendations in this article are offered from a gemological viewpoint and as guidelines only. Source: GIA @topic:7


Title: Uvarovite in Prehnite from Pangasinan Province, Philippines Abstract: This new ornamental gem material from the Philippines consists of vibrant green uvarovite garnets in a white prehnite matrix. The polished freeform weighs 4.23 ct. Photo by Robison McMurtry.

Uvarovite, Ca3Cr2(SiO4)3, is the rarest of the commonly encountered garnet species, and the only one that is consistently green. Although seldom faceted due to its tendency to be opaque, drusy coatings of tiny bright green uvarovite crystals on chromite matrix from Russia are used for jewelry. Recently, a new type of rock with lapidary potential was reportedly discovered in the Philippines, consisting of a white prehnite matrix with vibrant green crystals of uvarovite (see above).
This new material was brought to the authors’ attention by Xavier A. Cortez, who operates Crystal Age, a gem shop in Quezon City. While attempting to source jade for his shop in early 2019, Xavier was offered unidentified white stones speckled with bright green crystals from local miners on the island of Luzon. Mr. Cortez was able to track down the source of this material to a rural portion of Pangasinan Province, in the Ilocos region of Luzon. Weathered calc-silicate rocks at this deposit yield small euhedral crystals of opaque bright green garnets as well as compact green masses in white matrix. The measured spot refractive index of 1.63 was consistent with prehnite. The identities of the green uvarovite and the white prehnite matrix were confirmed with Raman spectrometry.
While there is currently very little of this material on the market, it could be used as a jadeite simulant due to its mottled white and green appearance. Aside from its potential as a jadeite simulant, it is an interesting ornamental material that can be appreciated for its own unique beauty and vibrant green color. Source: GIA @topic:2


Title: Buried Treasure: GIA Team Documents Cheapside Hoard Abstract: This enameled gold hat ornament in the form of a salamander is one of the Cheapside Hoard’s most iconic pieces. The enameling on the front shows an open mouth with tiny black flecks resembling teeth. The pin is decorated with cabochon emeralds from Colombia, and the tail contains table-cut diamonds. Courtesy of the Museum of London; photo by Robert Weldon/GIA.

GIA photographer Robert Weldon and videographer Kevin Schumacher traveled to the Museum of London to learn about the Cheapside Hoard, an extraordinary treasure that had been buried under a London tenement house for centuries.  The duo spent 10 hours interviewing, photographing and filming museum staff about the collection before it went on exhibit in October 2013.

The significance of this find is summed up best by Hazel Forsyth, the Museum of London’s senior curator of medieval and post-medieval collections, who has devoted her life to uncovering the mystery of the Cheapside Hoard:

“This collection is unique in the world. It is the largest hoard of its kind, dating from the very late
16th to the early 17th century. Part of the reason why it’s so important is that jewelry tends to be broken up, refashioned, reworked, and so therefore doesn’t survive. Because this was buried and lay undisturbed for the better part of 300 years, it survived in the condition that it has. And it covers a huge spectrum of jewelry designs and types, but also gem material from many parts of the world, which really underlines London’s role in the international gem and jewelry trade in this period.”

Weldon and Cathy Jonathan, a research librarian for GIA, share the history of the Cheapside Hoard in the Fall 2013 issue of Gems & Gemology. Source: GIA @topic:6


Title: GIA Museum Exhibits in New York Abstract: “Fantastic Cross,” an 18K gold brooch featuring turquoise, variscite, chrysocolla, cultured pearl, and enamel, is part of the museum display at GIA’s New York laboratory and campus. Photo by Orasa Weldon/GIA, courtesy of the Anthony and Elizabeth Duquette Foundation for the Living Arts.

              GIA’s recently opened laboratory and campus at the International Gem Tower in New York’s Diamond District features a permanent museum exhibit of gems, jewelry, and mineral sculptures. Fourteen display cases highlight nearly 100 items from the GIA collection, ranging from large aquamarine crystals to a diminutive objet d’art golden cactus and a necklace featuring akoya, Tahitian, and South Sea cultured pearls (figure 1). The exhibit showcases the wonder of gems to visitors and students. Source: GIA @topic:10


Title: Real or Rendered? Abstract: It’s a beautiful tanzanite pendant necklace.

Or is it?

Half of the images in the gallery below are photographs of actual jewelry pieces.

The others are computer renderings created by GIA students.

Jewelry Design & Technology (JDT) students create dozens of jewelry designs by using computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aid manufacturing (CAM) programs. The technology lets them create a 3-D rendering (image) of their design that is often remarkably realistic.

Each slide in the gallery contains two images – one is a photograph, the other a computer rendering.

These stunning designs all beg the question: Which is real and which is rendered?

View Gallery Source: GIA @topic:6


Title: GIA Alumni Collective Abstract: Akshay Poddar, Melizza and Jennifer Tanpoco, and Julia Hackman Chafé are some of GIA’s featured graduates on the Alumni Collective website.
Discover the GIA Alumni Collective, a networking and knowledge hub for GIA graduates. The online community at collective.gia.edu is a diverse group who all share a passion for the gem and jewelry industry. Users can access both live and self-paced Continuing Education seminars, join virtual chapters, connect with global alumni, and more. The site also highlights some of the GIA alums who uphold GIA’s highest standards (see above).
Akshay Poddar earned his Graduate Gemologist diploma at GIA’s Mumbai campus. A third-generation diamantaire, Poddar was driven to start his own business, dealing in both wholesale trade and retail. The diamond jewelry designer believes that while nature creates the diamond, his job is to add beauty to it.
Jennifer Tanpoco launched Jaune Pearls in 2002, later enlisting her daughter Melizza as CEO. The Tanpocos, both GIA Pearls Graduates, focus on sustainability and long-term environmental impact in their business, educating clients on how the pearls are sourced.
Julia Hackman Chafé used her marketing background and her Colored Stone Essentials Certificate from GIA to create a strong digital presence after taking over social media for her family’s wholesale colored stone business. Now a successful influencer under the name JewelsWithJules, Chafé shares photos and videos of gems, jewelry, and international travel, providing her followers with a unique look at the colored stone trade.
Visit https://collective.gia.edu/meet-the-collective.html to read stories from these alumni and more. Source: GIA @topic:9


Title: Lapis Lazuli from the Coquimbo Region, Chile Abstract: Lapis lazuli has been mined from the Coquimbo Region of Chile since 1905. Some of this material approaches the quality of fine lapis lazuli from Afghanistan. The Chilean material is composed of blue lazurite, together with wollastonite, calcite, haüyne, diopside, pyrite, and minor quantities of other minerals. The deposit is located in the Andes Mountains at an elevation of 3,500 m; it is hosted by a contact-metamorphosed limestone that was later metasomatized to introduce sulfur, a necessary component for the formation of lazurite. Two companies are currently mining the deposit, Las Flores de Los Andes S.A. and Compañía Minera LapisChile S.A., and today they produce about 150 tonnes of material annually. Much of the lapis lazuli is processed locally, for use in fine jewelry, ornamental objects, and building materials such as tabletops or tiles. Source: GIA @topic:1


Title: Blue Pectolite from the Dominican Republic Abstract: Blue pectolite from the Dominican Republic, also known by the trade name Larimar, has recently entered the U.S. market. Large quantities of this attractive ornamental stone have been found in cavities and veins of altered basalt. Most of the gemological properties are consistent with those previously reported for pectolite; the cause of color in this material is believed to be related to the presence of small amounts of Cu2+. The color appears to be stable to light, but does react to irradiation and to the heat of a jeweler's torch. It is easily separated from similar-appearing materials. Source: GIA @topic:2


Title: Cobalt Glass as a Lapis Lazuli Imitation Abstract: A necklace of round beads offered as "blue quartz from India" was analyzed by gemological and additional advanced techniques. The violet-blue ornamental material, which resembled fine-quality lapis lazuli, turned out to be a nontransparent cobalt glass, unlike any glass observed before as a gem substitute. The characteristic color irregularities of lapis (white in blue) had been imitated by white crystallites of low-cristobalite included in the deep blue glass. Source: GIA @topic:1


Title: Composite Coral Veneer Glued to Artificial Matrix Abstract: Figure 1. These 14 ornaments, represented as red coral products, consisted of a coral veneer glued to a matrix. The ten bangles (top) weigh 37.34–57.43 g, and the four snuff bottles (bottom) range from 121.95 to 145.07 g. Photo by Haibo Li.

Red coral, one of the most precious organic gems, has become increasingly popular in the Chinese jewelry market. With natural coral resources being depleted, ornaments of large size and high quality are becoming even more valuable. As a result, the market for treated red coral and imitation products is rapidly growing.
Composite red coral normally consists of coral fragments glued together with cement compounds. In 2010, the National Gemstone Testing Center Gem Laboratory in Beijing tested one bangle that was represented as red coral (Summer 2010 GNI, pp. 158–159). Because the client did not allow the lab to take a powder sample, further testing was restricted. There was some concern about whether the bangle had an artificial matrix, but this could not be determined without destructive tests.
Recently, the NGTC received 10 bangles and four snuff bottles (figure 1) presented as red coral. The bangles resembled the one tested in 2010. Each of the 14 pieces was covered with a very thin surface layer of red coral. The composition of the material below this coral veneer was analyzed.
Magnification revealed the boundaries between the coral fragments and the cement compounds, which tended to be recessed (figures 2 and 3). This clearly demonstrated that the veneer was composite red coral. The coral fragments had a vitreous luster and showed wavy growth patterns typical of natural coral. No growth patterns were seen in the cement compounds except for air bubbles.

Figure 2. Left: A close-up of a bangle with coral veneer. Right: The bangle’s inner surface is covered with rectangular coral slices, but gaps filled with cement compounds are still visible. Photos by Haibo Li; magnified 6.5×.

Figure 3 A: Reflected light showed the difference in luster between the cement compounds and the coral fragments; magnified 10×. B: Under transmitted light, air bubbles can be found in the cement compounds; magnified 20×. C: The boundary between the matrix and the composite coral veneer is very clear and sharp; magnified 10×. D: The fluorescence reaction of the same sample under short-wave UV. Photomicrographs by Haibo Li.
Whitish material seen inside the neck of the bottles was identified as an artificial matrix. The composite red coral veneer, which was only about 1–2 mm thick, had been glued to the surface of the whitish matrix. Under a short-wave UV lamp, strong blue-white fluorescence from the cement compounds and the matrix was visible (figure 3).
Micro-infrared spectrometry (with 4.0 cm–1 resolution and 64 scans in the 675–4000 cm–1 range) identified the cement compounds as epoxy resin (figure 4A). Two different kinds of artificial matrix material were detected: ethyl cyanoacrylate (figure 4B) and alkyd synthetic resin mixed with carbonates. The main component of the carbonates was established as calcite by subtracting the spectra (figure 4C). The calcite could have come from the manufacturing process of the composite red coral.

Figure 4. A: The IR spectrum of the cement compound in one of the bangles identified it as epoxy resin. B: The IR spectrum of the artificial matrix material in one of the snuff bottles indicated ethyl cyanoacrylate. C: The artificial matrix material in the other three snuff bottles was identified, by subtracting IR spectra, as alkyd resin mixed with carbonates.
The SG of the synthetic resin was about 1–2 g/cm3, much lower than that of red coral (2.65 g/cm3). Carbonates could have been added to the matrix to make it heavier and approximate the heft of coral. The snuff bottles all had similar size but different weights. The three that contained alkyd resin mixed with calcite, which has a relatively high SG, weighed 140–145 g. The matrix in the fourth snuff bottle was ethyl cyanoacrylate, which has a lower SG than calcite. As a result, it only weighed 121 g.
In today’s market, oversized red coral products are often constructed from an artificial matrix. After the matrix is shaped, a veneer of red coral fragments is glued to its surface. This makes it easier to manufacture larger ornaments while preserving natural coral reefs. Combining magnification and UV fluorescence observation with infrared spectrometry, we can identify composite coral assemblages quickly and effectively. Source: GIA @topic:12


Title: 75th Swiss Gemmological Society Conference and European Gemmological Symposium Abstract: The 75th Swiss Gemmological Society (SGS) Conference and 6th European Gemmological Conference (EGC) were held together in Zermatt, Switzerland, June 30–July 1, 2017. Set at the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof, the conference featured 24 renowned speakers delivering a diverse, high-quality program.

Following the welcome address from SGS president Hans Pfister, the first presentation was from Klemens Link (Gübelin Gem Lab, Lucerne, Switzerland) on a new system for age determination of emeralds using laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). This system provides useful geographic origin information for the gemstone’s owner and high-quality data for scientific research. Ulrich Henn (German Gemmological Association, Idar-Oberstein) surveyed gems from central Namibia, starting with the discovery by German tin miners of tourmaline in Usakos in the early twentieth century. Bernhard Berger (Cartier, Paris) gave a 170-year history of Cartier, with special reference to the 1,800 pieces in the Cartier Collection. Alan Hart (Gem-A, London) delivered an illuminating talk on the Koh-i-Noor diamond from the British Crown Jewels, including its original cutting style prior to recutting in 1852.

Martin Rapaport (Rapaport, New York) was in typical energetic form for his keynote lecture on the state of the diamond industry, in which he highlighted the role of the gemologist. He suggested that gemologists create great value for the trade and should charge twice as much for their services, drawing applause. Vincent Pardieu (VP Consulting SPC, Bahrain) presented on gemstones from East Africa. The challenge and opportunity for the future, he said, would be to balance gem discoveries and conservation, especially with new finds in and around Africa’s national parks. Thomas Hainschwang (GGTL Laboratories, Balzers, Liechtenstein) spoke on GGTL’s initiative to characterize treated diamonds. The aim is to create the most complete data set of natural-color versus treated-color diamonds. Alan Hodgkinson (Scottish Gemmological Association, Edinburgh) pondered the underappreciation of zircon, quoting Basil Anderson’s description of them as “the most mysterious of gemstones.” Henry Hänni (GemExpert GmbH, Basel, Switzerland) presented “sannan skarn,” an ornamental gemstone from Pakistan that resembles maw-sit-sit and was introduced at the September 2016 Hong Kong show. Guillaume Chautru (Piaget, Geneva) spoke on the importance of gemological testing from a jewelry and watch manufacturer’s point of view. Michael Krzemnicki (SSEF, Basel) detailed SSEF’s inclusion research and their new laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–time of flight–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-TOF-MS) capability. Michael Hügi, scientific committee chairman of SGS, presented the gems of Switzerland, especially the quartz that became works of art in the hands of European lapidaries from the 14th century onward. The guest of honor at the gala dinner, former Swiss president Adolf Ogi, gave an amusing talk on his career in politics.

The next morning, Hanco Zwaan (Netherlands Gemmological Laboratory, Leiden) discussed the characterization and formation of Sri Lankan metamorphic sapphires. Andrey Katrusha (New Diamond Technology, Russia) detailed the impressive results NDT has achieved in only three years of commercially producing large gem-quality synthetic diamonds. Raquel Alonso-Perez (Harvard Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts) offered insights into the new emerald deposit in eastern Madagascar, based on her fieldwork there in September 2016. Bruce Bridges (Bridges Tsavorite, Kenya) looked back on 50 years of tsavorite with a video from the famous Scorpion mine and a moving tribute to his father, Campbell Bridges. Wuyi Wang (GIA, New York) updated the conference on synthetic gem-quality diamond and its identification, detailing GIA’s research into this area. Daniel Nyfeler (Gübelin Gem Lab, Lucerne) addressed gemstone traceability and GGL’s work to increase transparency in the colored stone supply chain.

Helen Molesworth (Gübelin Academy, Lucerne, Switzerland and Hong Kong) offered a historical perspective on the gem market using record auction prices and comparing values at different periods using a soldier’s annual salary as a benchmark. Emeralds again came under the microscope in Laurent Cartier’s (SSEF, Basel) talk detailing their history from ancient Egypt to modern Ethiopia. We were treated to the photography of Jeff Scovil (Phoenix, Arizona), who showed how he captures minerals, gems, and jewelry. Joseph Taylor (PT Cendana Indopearls, Indonesia) demonstrated how the Balinese philosophy of Tri Hita Karana is applied to his company’s pearl farm in Indonesia. Willy Bieri (GRS, Meggen, Switzerland) spoke on the identification of the new sapphires being mined near Ambatondrazaka, Madagascar, and their differentiation from Kashmir sapphires. Thomas Hainschwang delivered a talk by Franck Notari (GGTL Laboratories, Geneva) on polycrystalline boehmite needles in corundum, and his proposal to rename these “Rose’s channels” in homage to Gustav Rose, a nineteenth-century German mineralogist.

The next morning, following a trip on the famed Gornergrat Railway, a geological master class was held at an elevation of 3,100 meters. Kurt Bucher (University of Freiburg, Germany) detailed the geology of the Zermatt region.

The SGS 2018 Annual Meeting will take place May 7–8 in Lugano, Switzerland. Source: GIA @topic:7


Title: Accredited Gemologists Association (AGA) Conference Abstract: The AGA conference, held February 6 in Tucson, was attended by 138 participants from 11 countries. The program was diverse and engaging, as evidenced by the audience questions after each presentation. During the break, participants were invited to a hands-on demonstration of traditional gemological and advanced spectroscopy equipment.
The first talk was by Jeffery Bergman of Primagem, who detailed the mine-to-market effort for emeralds from the Shakiso mine in southern Ethiopia. He described some of the material as similar to Muzo’s in color, and some as having a “Paraíba-like glow.” To ensure that the finest material can receive grades of “no clarity enhancement,” mineral oil is never used on the rough. For material that warrants clarity enhancement, only high-grade cedarwood oil is used. A variety of inclusions have been identified, most commonly biotite mica. Other inclusions are growth tubes, blocky two- and three-phase inclusions, horsetails, dendritic magnesium oxide, chromite, and tourmaline. Color zoning in this material can be very strong.
Gina Latendresse of the American Pearl Company gave a fascinating overview of natural pearls from the Western Hemisphere. She described the vast quantities collected by Native Americans from the coast of Venezuela that made their way to Spain in the 1500s, establishing the New World as a source. She then covered the pearl rush between 1850 and 1900 in New Jersey and the Tennessee Valley following the discovery of many impressive specimens. David Howell found the largest American freshwater pearl, 400 grains (100 ct) in size, in New Jersey in 1857. Shortly after, an attractive 93 grain (13 ct) pink pearl was found nearby and sold to Charles Tiffany. Unable to find a U.S. customer, he sold it to Empress Eugénie, resulting in the name “Queen Pearl.” By 1901, the lakes and rivers in the Tennessee Valley had developed pearl fisheries, with production peaking in 1904. Latendresse introduced U.S. natural pearls of many shapes and colors originating from a variety of mollusk species.
Claudio Milisenda presented an overview of tourmaline, including Idar-Oberstein’s efforts to promote the material, localities, and the roles of chemistry and heat treatment in tourmaline color. He walked the audience through the varieties verdalite, indicolite, chrome tourmaline, rubellite, red tourmaline, canary tourmaline, and Paraíba tourmaline. The talk also reviewed various tourmaline treatments and imitations encountered today.
To complement the Gübelin Gem Lab’s launch of “Provenance Proof Blockchain” by Gübelin Labs at Tucson this year, managing director Daniel Nyfeler gave a presentation on the traceability of gemstones. The talk addressed the lack of transparency in the gemstone supply chain and Gübelin’s solutions for this issue. Reasons cited for the lack of transparency included the mines’ remoteness and restricted access, the informal nature of mining, frequent changes of custody, trading based on relationships and trust, a complex and fragmented value chain, and the lack of an established method for traceability. The problems arising from this lack of transparency include unreliable information provided to consumers (gem labs try to fill this gap with provenance determination), the dilemma for ethically conscious consumers—particularly millennials—who are willing to pay for sustainably sourced products, and the lack of independent audits within the industry. Stakeholders who would benefit from greater transparency are governments (for legal and tax purposes), insurance agencies, financial institutions, and consumers.
Two solutions that would work in tandem were presented: a physical tracer embedded in the stone at the mine, and a digital tracker. The physical tracer would involve Gübelin embedding 100 nm silica spheres that hold synthetic DNA programmed to include information such as the mine location. These permanently implanted spheres, which require openings of at least 400 nm, are designed to survive all cutting and cleaning processes. Gübelin would have the ability to later extract the DNA, sequence it, and verify the stone’s origin. This tracer is designed for emerald, and the present design would not survive the more physically punishing corundum processing. The digital tracker, meanwhile, would allow a stone to be tagged all the way back to the mine using blockchain so that each time the stone changed hands, a logbook entry would be made, allowing for permanent storage of encrypted information at each step of the journey from mine to market. The Provenance Proof Blockchain system was released February 8 at the AGTA show. It is free and open to the industry for all gemstone types. The benefits touted for this tracking included new avenues of storytelling for retailers, reduced costs as gem reports would not be needed, and less inflated prices as non-value transactions would be eliminated. And with the ability to audit the supply chain, more aspects of the business could be properly insured. Following the presentation, a spirited question-and-answer session touched on privacy for dealers and consumers, the impact on artisanal miners, the logistics of implanting the encapsulated DNA, and resistance from gem dealers over security concerns.
The last scheduled talk, an overview of the new FTC rules, was canceled due to the recent U.S. government shutdown. A substitute talk graciously given by Jon Phillips (Corona Jewellery Company, Ltd.) covered Canadian diamonds. He noted Canada’s place as the world’s second-leading producer of diamonds and reported on the significant mines, the types of material coming from them, and notable stones found. The Ekati mine has both surface and underground components, and has produced numerous vivid and intense yellows as well as pinks and colorless. Within the mine, 53-million-year-old wood that had been perfectly preserved in the oxygen-free environment was found and brought to the surface. The Renard mine was plagued by the hardness of the kimberlite, making diamond separation extremely difficult. De Beers is showcasing its “Future Smart” mining process with the Chidliak project in Nunavut, Baffin Island, where there are no roads, environmental impact is minimal, and power is supplied by wind energy. Notable stones from the Diavik mine include the 177.71 ct Vega, the 24.82 ct Capella, the Fancy Vivid yellow 30.54 ct Arctic Sun, and a recently discovered 552.74 ct yellow diamond that is likely the largest diamond ever found in North America.
Following the conference, the AGA presented its 20th annual Bonanno Awards. For the first time, three categories were recognized in the same year: education, gemological instrumentation, and gemological research. The award for gemological education went to Donna Hawrelko, a gemology and jewelry educator at Vancouver Community College. Hawrelko’s 27 years of teaching has touched thousands of individuals, and she was key in developing the educational program offered by the Canadian Gemmological Association. The award for gemological instrumentation was given to the cofounders of Magilabs, Alberto Scarani and Mikko Aström. Scarani and Aström have made advanced spectroscopy accessible and affordable to a wide range of gemologists by developing portable tools such as the GemmoRaman system. These allow appraisers and gemologists access to technology that was recently available only through major laboratories. The award for gemological research went to Karl Schmetzer, a renowned researcher and author, for his more than 50 years of gemological and mineralogical work documented in over 400 publications, two books, and 12 new mineral discoveries. Dr. Schmetzer has shared his research with the community and strived to improve professional standards in the industry through work with CIBJO and other organizations. Source: GIA @topic:1


Title: At the Spring Auctions: A Spending Spree for the Ultra-Wealthy Abstract: The 100.09 ct Vivid yellow from Laurence Graff brought $16.3 million at Sotheby’s Geneva sale in May 2014, the most expensive yellow diamond ever sold at auction. Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s

	The world’s ultra-wealthy open their wallets even wider for the rare and fine in the first half of 2014. A Modigliani portrait sold for a record $18.4 million at Sotheby’s Paris auction in June, and a collection of wines went for $13 million at a Sotheby’s Hong Kong auction in April.

	It’s no surprise that unheard-of auction records for diamonds and colored gems followed suit. Indeed, it’s fitting that the spring 2014 season also broke the record for a jewelry auction’s shortest stay at the top: less than 24 hours.

	Economists note that the world’s wealthy have been putting more and more of their excess funds into such items and it’s buoyed the auctions’ bottom lines. Christie’s overall sales, with art leading the way, increased 27% for the first five months of the year, according to François Curiel, president of Christie’s Asia. Christie’s jewelry sales of $360 million were up 22% from the same period last year, doubling those of five years ago.

	“The jewelry and fine art markets are expanding, attracting more buyers than ever before,” said Curiel. He added that 30% of Christie’s buyers this season were new, coming from all parts of the world.

	Here is a roundup of this past season’s gem and jewelry sales.

Single-Auction Sales
	Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels sale on May 13 in Geneva realized $141.5 million, the highest ever at a single jewelry auction. That total surpassed the previous mark, Christie’s December 2011 Elizabeth Taylor auction, by more than $25 million. The following day, however, Christie’s regained the title with a Geneva jewelry auction that took in $154.2 million.

Individual Gems
	Not surprisingly, a number of other records fell during these sales. The records came in a variety of colors.

Yellow Diamond: At the Sotheby’s auction, a 100.09 carat (ct) GIA-graded Fancy Vivid yellow from London jeweler Laurence Graff sold for $16.3 million, the highest price ever paid for a yellow diamond. This gem was one of the final stones polished by master diamond cutter Antonio Bianco, who died in 2009.

Colorless Diamond: Moments before the Graff yellow diamond came up, an anonymous bidder paid a record per-carat price of $246,710 for a colorless diamond: a GIA-graded 25.32 ct type IIa D-color internally flawless diamond.

Blue Diamond: At Christie’s May 14 Geneva auction, the top lot was the Winston Blue, a 13.22 ct pear-shaped Fancy Vivid blue flawless diamond that brought the highest per-carat price ever paid for a stone of that color and clarity. The buyer, Harry Winston Corp., paid $23.8 million ($1.8 million per carat). GIA noted it was the largest flawless Fancy Vivid blue diamond it had ever graded.

Green Diamond: At the same Christie’s sale, a 5.5 ct. Fancy Vivid blue-green diamond, the Ocean Dream, achieved a record price of $8.63 million for a diamond of that color.

Natural Pearls: At William Doyle Galleries in New York on April 30, a bidder paid a record $3.3 million for a pair of natural pearl drop earrings thought to have once belonged to Empress Eugénie of France. They are believed to have been part of the French crown jewels sold off in 1887, seventeen years after the fall of Napoleon III. The previous high was for a pair of natural pearls owned by actress Gina Lollobrigida, which sold in May 2013 for $2.4 million.

	The 5.5 ct Ocean Dream, left, a Fancy Vivid blue-green diamond, sold for $1.4 million per carat, a record for a diamond of that color. The 13.22 ct Winston Blue, right, graded by GIA, sold for $1.8 million per carat, the highest price ever paid for a Fancy Vivid blue diamond of flawless clarity. (Photos not to scale.) Photos courtesy of Christie’s

Overall Auction Prices Remain Strong
	Beyond these records, prices were generally strong across the board for colored gems and signed jewelry pieces from the world’s top jewelry houses.

	Christie’s May 28 Hong Kong sale brought in $91 million. Some of the highlights were:

		Jadeite bangle—$5.2 million

		Burmese ruby bracelet—$4.8 million

		A 6.18 ct. Fancy Intense green diamond—$3.6 million ($594,510 per carat)

	The sale also featured a number of large D-color flawless and internally flawless diamonds ranging from $188,000 to $191,000 per carat. Christie’s ended its season with a $27.5 million sale in New York, which included a 5.5 ct. GIA-graded Fancy Vivid pink diamond that accounted for more than one-third of that total—$9.6 million.

	Not everything sold. The 31.34 ct Victory diamond, found in Africa in 1945 and formerly part of the Florence Gould estate, failed to reach its presale estimate of $5–$8 million at Sotheby’s Geneva May 13–14. Likewise, a necklace featuring the 40.05 ct type IIa D-flawless diamond called the “Eye of Golconda” did not reach its estimate of $8.5 million at Christie’s May 28 Hong Kong sale.

	With the uneven economic recovery, these well-publicized auctions have not had the coattail effect seen in the past. The 1987 Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor sale, for example, “got the world emotionally involved in jewelry,” said one jewelry dealer, with an appropriately sharp upturn in demand for gems across the board. This time, sales of more mundane-sized diamonds and jewelry have not seen a surge in prices or sales growth at retail stores around the world.

	Still, these impressive auction prices have increased popular awareness of fancy-color diamonds and added to the mystique and allure of gemstones. That could serve the entire industry well as the world economy achieves a more secure footing.

	This set of natural drop pearls, believed to have once-belonged to Empress Eugénie of France, achieved a record $3.3 million at William Doyle Galleries’ April auction in New York. Photo courtesy of William Doyle Galleries Source: GIA @topic:8


Title: Eighty Years and Still Going Strong Abstract: It is truly a privilege to be at the helm of Gems & Gemology in the journal’s 80th year, following in the illustrious footsteps of Robert M. Shipley, Richard Liddicoat, and Alice Keller. We start 2014 with renewed anticipation and the strongest intention to build on the many notable innovations that shaped G&G in previous years. This year, we will continue to foster collaboration with researchers working in related fields at other institutions, while actively producing dynamic media content for the GIA website that complements and adds value to our printed journal.

This issue’s lead article focuses on the Chinese gem and jewelry industry. This paper lays the foundation for a series of articles that will explore specific aspects of China’s powerhouse industry, including diamond and colored stone cutting, jewelry manufacture, design, and jewelry retail, as well as uniquely Chinese industry sectors like jade carving. The paper is a partnership between Chinese authors Zhili Qiu, Mu Li, and Qingyuan Yu, and G&G’s own Tao Hsu and Andrew Lucas. As demand for gem and jewelry products surges in China and impacts consumption patterns elsewhere, this is a very timely topic for our journal to investigate. To reach a wider audience, we have provided a Mandarin translation.

Download: Exploring the Chinese Gem and Jewelry Industry - Mandarin translation (PDF)

Our second article is a study of near-colorless synthetic diamonds grown using high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) by the AOTC Group of the Netherlands. AOTC is the dominant near-colorless HPHT synthetic diamond producer targeting the gem trade. Lead author Ulrika D’Haenens-Johansson, a research scientist at GIA’s New York laboratory, investigates the gemological and spectroscopic properties of a suite of 52 colorless to light-colored synthetic diamonds. This important paper illustrates the recent strides made in growth technology and quality.

We are also delighted to present G&G’s second field report. Titled “Hunting for ‘Jedi’ Spinels in Mogok,” it details GIA field gemologist Vincent Pardieu’s decade-long quest for bright “neon” red spinel in Myanmar’s fabled “Valley of Rubies.”

In our fourth and final article, we offer a fascinating look at a baroque South Sea cultured pearl from Indonesia that is far larger than the norm for specimens of this type. Ms. Laura Otter and her co-authors use high-resolution computerized microtomography to study the cultured pearl’s interior.

In addition to our regular Lab Notes and Gem News International sections, we bring you in-depth coverage of the February 2014 Tucson gem and mineral shows. And don’t forget to take the G&G Challenge, our annual multiple-choice quiz.

We hope you enjoy the Spring 2014 edition! Source: GIA @topic:4


Title: Leopard Opal: Play-Of-Color Opal in Vesicular Basalt from Zimapán, Hidalgo State, Mexico Abstract: “Leopard opal” consists of vesicular basalt impregnated with play-of-color opal, and is known only from Zimapán, Hidalgo State, Mexico. The formation of this ornamental stone was made possible by an abundance of silica derived from the chemical breakdown of overlying volcanic ash layers, the permeability of the underlying basalt, and the presence of pores in the basalt of an aesthetically pleasing size. The even distribution and small size of the opal-filled vesicles makes the rock attractive when cut or carved and polished. Veinlets and irregular masses of play-of-color opal showing various bodycolors (red, white, and colorless to pale blue) have also been deposited along joints and fractures within the basalt flow. This opal deposit, which may have been worked in pre-Columbian times, has been explored only by a number of small test pits in recent years, and significant potential remains for its future development. Source: GIA @topic:11


Title: Serpentine Cabochon with Unusual Olive Green Color Abstract: Figure 1. This 4.05 ct translucent serpentine is unusual for its olive green color and lack of impurities. Photo by Yanjun Song.

Serpentine is a common ornamental stone in the jewelry trade. With colors ranging from yellowish green to deep green, it is commonly used as an imitation of jadeite or nephrite.

Recently, the Gem Testing Laboratory at the Shijiazhuang University of Economics in Hebei, China, examined an olive green cabochon (figure 1) weighing 4.05 ct and measuring approximately 12 × 8 × 6 mm, reportedly purchased from China’s Shandong province. The sample was relatively clean, with a vitreous luster and without any eye-visible inclusions. Without magnification, it resembled high-quality jadeite jade. Standard gemological testing gave a spot refractive index of 1.56 and a hydrostatic specific gravity of approximately 2.56; the sample was inert to both long-wave and short-wave UV. These properties are consistent with serpentine. Four main peaks were observed in the 1100–400 cm–1 region of the infrared reflectance spectrum (figure 2). The two peaks at about 1046 and 482 cm–1 were related to the fundamental Si-O vibrations. The remaining two peaks at 672 and 558 cm–1 are attributed to the OH– and Mg-O vibrations, respectively, confirming the sample’s identity as antigorite, a species in the serpentine family.

Figure 2. The FTIR spectrum of the 4.05 ct olive-green cabochon sample exhibits
characteristic peaks at 1046, 672 and 482 cm–1, all consistent with serpentine.
Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) was used to differentiate the sample from the common “Xiuyu” variety of serpentine, from China’s Liaoning province. Testing revealed that both Cr and Ni were significantly higher in this material than in serpentine from Liaoning, indicating that the specimen may have formed from the serpentinization of mafic-ultramafic rocks. We suspect it may have originated in Taian City in Shandong province, which is famous for “Taishan jade,” a newfound variety of serpentine.

Although serpentine is common in the Chinese market, this was the first time our researchers have encountered a sample of such high quality. Source: GIA @topic:11


Title: GSA 2015 Annual Meeting Abstract: The Geological Society of America’s annual meeting, held in Baltimore November 1–4, attracted more than 6,000 geoscientists from around the world. Two technical sessions, one oral and one poster, were devoted to the gemological field. The poster session’s flexible presentation time and format, along with the wide range of topics covered (including diamond defect formation and low-pressure, high-temperature [LPHT] treatment of type Ia diamonds), allowed for dynamic discussion between exhibitors and viewers.

George Harlow (American Museum of Natural History, New York) opened the oral session by discussing how gemological studies provide insight into the geological developments of Earth. Wuyi Wang (GIA) presented the discovery and distribution of [Si-V]– defects in HPHT synthetic diamonds. This study challenged the widely accepted theory that [Si-V]– defects only occur in CVD synthetic diamonds, while also showcasing photoluminescence mapping as a powerful research technique.

Laurent E. Cartier (Swiss Gemmological Institute, Basel) applied DNA analysis to the origin determination of organic gems, and this presentation focused on pearls. For the first time, gemologists can conclusively identify the mollusk species of a pearl; Dr. Cartier’s team is exploring similar possibilities with coral and ivory.

Karen Smit (GIA) studied the Re-Os isotope of sulfide inclusions in type Ib diamond from West Africa. The isotopic study was used to explain the assembly of the Gondwana supercontinent. Steven Shirey (Carnegie Institution of Washington) presented his Re-Os geochronology study on a sulfide inclusion within a superdeep diamond from Brazil. The age of this inclusion indicated crystal recycling facilitated by mental convection beneath. Both studies demonstrated the vital role gem materials play in earth science research.

	Gemological studies of famous stones and historical jewelry pieces were also represented. Alan Hart (Natural History Museum, London) studied the creation of the Mogul cut. Using the Koh-i-Noor diamond as a case study, Mr. Hart found that differential hardness was the key factor that brought about the Mogul cut with the primitive cutting tools available in the mid-19th century. Raquel Alonso-Perez (Harvard University) used both spectroscopic and trace-element analysis to study the tourmalines mounted in the Hamlin Necklace, a piece of 19th-century North American jewelry.

	Inclusion study is one of the pillars of modern gemology. John Koivula (GIA) pointed out the possibility of misidentifying synthetic corundum as heat-treated natural material. Experimental studies have demonstrated that heat-fused cracks generated in both pulled and flame-fusion synthetic corundum appear virtually identical to the features associated with so-called flux-healed natural stones. Aaron Palke, also of GIA, hypothesized that unusual glassy melt inclusions found in sapphires from southwestern Montana are crystallized as peritectic minerals formed during high-grade metamorphism, generating silica-rich melt and an alumina-rich restite. Future research on this topic may shed light on the source and transportation of Montana sapphires.

	Phenomenal gems were also explored. Keal Byrne (Smithsonian Institution) investigated the luminescence of “chameleon” diamonds, which show an intriguing color-change response to temperature and/or light. Xiayang Lin (Pennsylvania State University) discovered the microscopic surface feature that causes iridescence in natural quartz crystals from India.

	Researchers also spoke about American gem deposits. Michael Wise (Smithsonian Institution) discussed his work on the hydrothermal emerald and hiddenite mined in the Hiddenite area of North Carolina, while Yury I. Klyukin (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) investigated the fluid evolution of the emerald deposit at the North American Emerald Mine, also in the Hiddenite region. William B. “Skip” Simmons (Maine Mineral and Gem Museum) shared the recent discovery of gem-quality pollucite in Mt. Mica pegmatite.

	The details of all oral presentations from the GSA meeting can be found at https://gsa.confex.
	com/gsa/2015AM/webprogram/Session37638.html. GSA’s 2016 annual meeting will be held September 25–26 in Denver. Source: GIA @topic:7