Title: A Sunstone Odyssey, Part 2: The Dust Devil Abstract: The setting sun casts orange rays above basalt boulders at the edge of the Dust Devil mine in southeast Oregon’s high desert. The mine is one of the region’s more important commercial sunstone sources. Photo by Robert Weldon.

INTO THE VALLEY
For the last couple of days we’ve been surrounded by the Ponderosa mine’s towering pines. Today, we’re a hundred miles farther south—and a thousand feet lower—on the road to the Plush sunstone mining area. Our next stop is Don Buford and Terry Clarke’s Dust Devil Mine in the heart of the Rabbit Basin. This is expansive country: forbidding volcanic hills form steep ridges that loom above flat, open valleys dotted with sagebrush. The high desert has its own unique beauty.

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	Take a journey to Oregon’s Dust Devil mine. Set in the state’s remote southeast corner, the location produces some fabulous large sunstones, many of which have been carved into award winning gems.
We make the turn off Highway 395’s smooth pavement and head east on Hogback Road’s gravel surface. “Call from there to let us know you are on Hogback Road,” Don’s email said. Everyone has the same cell-phone carrier—there’s no signal, so we can’t oblige.

Don’s email also told us that any car with decent tires would do, and after thirty bumpy miles, we arrive at the mine. As Don assured us: “You can’t miss us, lots of trailers and shakers and conveyors.”

	Terry Clarke and Don Buford have been mining sunstone in the Oregon desert for 21 years. Photo by Robert Weldon.

	This view of the Dust Devil Mine shows Dudeck Ridge in the background. This is likely the local source of the sunstone-bearing lavas. Photo by Robert Weldon.
We ask Don about the history of sunstone in the area known by the miners as the “valley.” He tells us, “Native Americans traded sunstones as far as British Columbia, the Mississippi Delta…and they’ve been found in Viking burial grounds in the northeast.”

Don mentions that Tiffany & Co. of New York mined clear feldspar here as a diamond substitute as recently as the 1950s. Their endeavors led to the gems’ local name: “Plush diamonds.” He adds that they only mined close to the surface and “didn’t get deep enough to get the really nice colored stones.”

MASTERS OF MECHANICAL IMPROVISATION
We ask how Dust Devil got its start, and Don tells us it began as an Explorer Post for the Boy Scouts of America. “We were just looking for something for our scouts to do,” he continues. “We came down here to find some mining claims, and once I started digging, I was very fascinated with the beauty of the stones and how totally different they are from anything else.”

That was the catalyst. Terry and Don started digging for sunstones on weekends and vacations. “We started off with shovels, sixteen-pound sledgehammers, and hand screens, and eventually bought an ancient backhoe.”

	The pit is worked the old-fashioned way. In this image, fee-paying diggers are using screens and shovels to mine the basalt. They only pay for the material they want to keep. Photo by Duncan Pay.
From there on, they obtained any used parts and any scrap steel they could find, and built it into mining machines. “Our first machine was an old school bus that we made into a flatbed.” He adds, “We’ve been out here 21 years, and we’ve seen sunstone go from a stone that nobody had any idea what it was, to now being on the threshold of being an important international stone.”

	The Dust Devil's Origins

	Mine owner Don Buford outlines the mine’s history and explains its origin as a Boy Scout Explorer Post.

THE MINING PROCESS
Don explains that the mine’s location is very favorable. “We’re on the edge of what was a great inland sea, and a river flowed right past our camp, so we have a lot of decomposition of the basalt that holds the sunstone.” This makes the rocks that contain the gems softer and easier to mine.

	This view shows the Dust Devil pit with the mine’s processing plant in the background. Photo by Robert Weldon.
Dust Devil miners use backhoes to work the pit and big loaders to transport the ore to a processing plant. There’s a “grizzly”—mining parlance for a grille that keeps bigger boulders out of the processing plant—and conveyor belts that lead to a shaker and a trommel.

The shaker removes material that’s less than two inches and more than five-sixteenths of an inch in size, Don explains. The trommel washes the concentrate, which then goes to either a one-cubic-yard hopper, where people can pick it off a belt, or to a sophisticated optical sorting machine.

	In this view of the mine’s processing plant, the shaker at top left is feeding ore into the yellow cylindrical trommel. Concentrate can either be directed to the hopper and belt in the foreground or to the optical sorting machine via the conveyor running diagonally to the left. Photo by Duncan Pay.
During our visit, an electrical fault prevented us from documenting the optical sorter. We hope to return at a later date to see the machine in action.

	Mining the Dust Devil

	Don Buford explains the advantages of the mine’s location and how the miners separate the gems from the surrounding ore.

DESERT WISDOM: SHARP-EDGED STONES, TALL SAGEBRUSH, AND BIG ANTHILLS
After a lifetime of working the desert for sunstone, Don turns his miner’s eye to the landscape for clues. The first things he looks for on the surface are stones with sharp edges, which indicate they’ve been recently deposited and there’s probably more underground. He tells us that worn stones with sand-blasted edges might have come from some distance away, or might even have been on the surface for 100,000 years.

Next, he seeks out the tallest sagebrush because it can indicate easier mining conditions. Much of the rock covering the sunstone-bearing basalt is heavy, requiring drilling and blasting, but tall sagebrush—above five or six feet—is a good indication that the plant’s roots are able to reach water, and that means, as Don explains, “the rock is fractured…we can get through it.”

Finally, he advises not to forget the ants. The desert supports vast populations of them. Don indicates that they require a little respect: “These are red ants that have a really nasty bite.”

Around a big ants’ nest, he says, they’ll completely clear a circle ten feet in diameter, then use little pebbles and sunstones to build their mound. They even arrange them close together so when it rains, the water runs off. There’s another benefit: sunstones reflect the light, so in the summer they help regulate the anthill’s heat.

	People aren’t the only ones to mine the desert for gems. Ants collect tiny fragments of feldspar around their nests. Photo by Robert Weldon.
Just like tall sagebrush, a bigger anthill indicates possible penetration into the ground. It’s a strong signal that the rocks underneath are weathered and easier to mine. All these clues tell miners that it’s a good idea to dig adjacent to the anthills.

	Prospecting for Sunstone

	Miner Don Buford shares some of the desert-prospecting wisdom he’s acquired over the years.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS AND CHALLENGES
Unlike the Ponderosa, which has several natural springs on the property, there’s absolutely no water at the Dust Devil Mine. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM)—the federal agency that administers public lands—prohibits any kind of permanent development in the Rabbit Basin and insists the land be restored to its pre-mining state.

Don explains the location’s challenges: “We’re 21 miles from the nearest electrical power, so we make our own power…We haul our drinking water in from 30 miles away. Our mining water comes from a well that’s six miles away.”

All the water used in mining is extensively recycled. A series of six holding tanks recirculates the 10,000 gallons of water used for washing the concentrate. They allow progressively finer material to separate out before the water is used again. As Don says, “This is the desert, and water is hard to come by…so we don’t use more than we have to.”

When mining ceases, the miners will have to re-contour and replant the area with native species. On his own initiative, Don is planting the native bunch grasses that grew in the valley before extensive sheep farming eradicated them. “We’re putting it back to the way it was before the white man came here and had an effect on the land,” he says.

The desert is hard on men and machines. The gritty attrition of dust and the ringing impact of metal on rock take their toll. You have to be tough and mechanically minded to make it here. “We’re pretty self-sufficient,” he says. “We have a lot of equipment. It’s old equipment and it breaks down a lot, but we have the tools and technology to repair almost anything.”

	When we asked mine employee Mark Shore what it might take to fix this backhoe, he replied “about five sticks” (of dynamite!). Photo by Duncan Pay.
This led us to question the cost of mining in such a challenging environment. With a wry smile, Don admits: “We actually pay every month for the privilege of coming out here and digging these beautiful stones…and getting to hang out with some of the best people in the world.”

	The mine’s harsh, dusty desert environment and its distance from service centers require a fully-equipped machine shop to keep heavy equipment running at Dust Devil. Photo by Robert Weldon.
The act of mining—of recovering beautiful sunstone—outweighs the simple financial rewards for Don and Terry. We get the sense that their best possible legacy for half a lifetime of work would be widespread recognition of Oregon sunstone as a mainstream gem.

Don’s next answer reinforces the fact that he has already done more than anyone to raise this gem’s profile among jewelry designers: “When we got into the very, very large stones in this pit, which at that time were the largest that anyone had ever found, we took our best material to the Tucson International Gem Show.”

He explains how they met with artists that they enjoyed working with and gave them the stones so they could carve or cut them and enter them into prestigious competitions run by the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA). “Over the years,” he continues, “we’ve won sixteen Cutting Edge awards with our stones. We try to be real humble about it, but several of those artists have said that a lot of their fame has come from cutting our stones. Had we not given them those stones, they wouldn’t be where they are today.”

	Challenges of Desert Mining

	Don Buford outlines many of the challenges of operating in a harsh desert environment.

BEAUTIFUL SUNSTONE
For Don, red gems with the glitter of native copper are the most fascinating: “I like the red stones with the copper schiller bars running through them.” Although bicolor gems and stones displaying red to green dichroism might be more rare, he prizes these gems the most. “The reds with the schiller are just very, very dynamic, and there’s nothing else in the world that looks like it.”

	This is what it’s all about: Kilos of gem-quality rough remain after a Dust Devil production run. Photo by Duncan Pay.
Just like John Woodmark of the Ponderosa, Don emphasizes the individual nature of this product. “Every stone is unique, like opal.” He acknowledges that “matching stones up is very difficult.” However, there’s a benefit to this downside, as consumers seek gems that help convey their own individuality: “We’ve always believed that no two women want to look exactly alike.”

	This 101.63-ct. rough sunstone has a deep red core with schiller. It’s likely to be fashioned into a fabulous carving. Photo by Robert Weldon.
Don’s next statement encapsulates his view of Oregon sunstone’s place in the international jewelry marketplace: “Sunstone should be in high-end jewelry stores in all the major cities in this country, and in Europe and Asia—it’s a beautiful, beautiful, brilliant stone.”

We also asked mine employee Mark Shore what brings him to the desert, what drives him to come out here to spend his summers at the mine, what makes him pause to pick a feldspar crystal off the ground. I think my question stings him a little: “Why pick them up? Because they’re beautiful!”

To Mark, a sunstone in your hand is a very special thing: “It’s like holding air or water in your hand…” And his favorite type? “There’s no other stone like a schiller…it dances inside: it’s alive!”

	Why Oregon Sunstone is Unique

	Don Buford describes Oregon sunstone’s unique appeal. He also mentions some care considerations for the gem’s use in jewelry.

THE BEAUTY OF THE DESERT
After just a few days in the high desert, I think we are becoming attuned to its beauty: the clarity of the air, the lure of a red glint of hidden sun in the rock. There’s a lightning storm on our last evening that shocks the sky with blasts of sudden light. We all stay up to watch the hills light up like daytime.

The next morning we leave to visit the last mine on our trip, a distinctly different one where the miners dig into the flank of a small volcanic hill—Sunstone Butte. As we drive off, some of Don’s words ring in my ears: “These stones are mined by hardworking Americans…there’s nothing like it in the world…and Americans should want to buy our stones.”

So, if your car breaks down on Hogback or you get a puncture on Nasty Flat Road, pray you run into Don or Terry. They will fix your flat and set you right.

	The orange glory of the setting sun hovers above a rich high-desert landscape. Photo by Robert Weldon. Source: GIA @topic:1


Title: A Sunstone Odyssey, Part 3: Sunstone Butte Abstract: This  is what Sunstone Butte is famous for: beautiful gems with a winning blend of red and green bodycolor. The larger stone is a significant 23.40 ct, while the smaller example weighs 7.50 ct. Photo by Robert Weldon.

CRYSTALS FROM A CINDER CONE

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	Click to view a slideshow of photos from our visit to Oregon’s Sunstone Butte mine.
David Wheatley’s tan is almost a match for the cinder that’s the source of his sunstone. With his partner, Tammy Moreau, Dave is co-owner of the Sunstone Butte mine.

We’ve come out here on the last day of our quest for Oregon sunstone. It’s about a dozen miles or so away from Dust Devil. We’ve already met both owners, as they visited Don and Terry at their mine during our stay. We’ve heard about Sunstone Butte’s large, fabulous sunstones from the other miners and we’re very eager to see them for ourselves.

When we first arrive, Dave is away, helping recover a truck that a mining acquaintance rolled over on one of the nearby dirt roads.

The mine’s camp is a clutch of trailers halfway up the slope of a hill. Blue five-gallon buckets full of feldspar concentrate surround the end of one of the trailers. Another dog—a bigger one called Sheba—barks a welcome.

	David Wheatley is a co-owner of the Sunstone Butte Mine. Photo by Duncan Pay.
Tammy invites us under a shade cover, where she shows us some of the mine’s production. A member of our party picks up a spectacular large rough sunstone with a deep green core. “This changes everything,” he says. There are many similar examples in the tray below: big clean reds, greens, and bicolors. We saw nothing like these at the other mines we visited.

There’s a crunch of gravel as a truck pulls up. Dave is back after helping right the vehicle that rolled over: The driver is OK, but the truck is a wreck.

Pretty soon, we’re standing in a manmade crater under a pure blue sky—the main pit of the Sunstone Butte mine. “It’s a vent, a volcanic vent…much more cinder dome than lava flow,” Dave explains, telling us why his operation is unique compared to other mines in the Rabbit Basin. Rather than mining a relatively thin basalt flow, the operation is excavating the center of a miniature volcano—a cinder cone: “Our pit has four different, distinct layers in it…Geologists have been to all the sunstone mines…I’ve had three or four swing by and they’re in heaven…”

Dave points to the reddish brown rocks exposed in the pit wall and tells us, “The whole side of this hill is just full of sunstones.” He bends down and picks up a bright yellow feldspar from the ground. “The amount of crystal in this pit is just incredible…every rock, just about, has a crystal in it!”

	This large yellow feldspar phenocryst is embedded in a matrix of volcanic cinder. Photo by Robert Weldon.
“What was nice about this area,” he continues, “…I’ve got a little bit of cap rock in this area…A lot of the mines in the valley, you’ve got to go through 10 to 15 or 20 feet of hard rock to get to the ore-bearing flow; this, I could dig with my backhoe.”

Dave mines the core of the hill using a backhoe. He runs the ore through a grizzly—a metal grille—to remove rocks larger than eight inches, which he stores for a later crushing process. The ore smaller than eight inches runs through a small processing plant that removes the loose dirt. Next, they hand-screen the ore on four-by-eight-foot metal-topped tables. Dave and Tammy chose metal surfaces rather than conventional mesh because the rocks roll more easily across the top and the metal reflects the light back up through the feldspar crystals and makes them much easier to spot.

Dave estimates that changing to metal allowed them to recover sunstone at four times the previous rate. Dave does admit that it’s hard work. “Tammy sits here and she does most of the screening…She’ll do this for about eight hours a day.”

Two days of running ore through the grizzly and two days of running the processing plant provides enough material for both to screen for a month. “We’ve put a lot of work and effort into this mine…When we’re up here, we’re mining, pure and simple,” he tells us.

We ask him to tell us what’s so unusual about his mine. “The most unusual thing is the size of our Oregon sunstones,” he responds. “We produce a lot between 100 and 400 to 500 carats.”

It’s not just the size though, he explains, it’s the color too: “About seventy-five percent of our sunstone has green in it, which is one of our rarest colors, and we get a lot of the teal—which is bluish green—very, very rare for sunstone.”

	This large rough sunstone displays a deep green core. Photo by Duncan Pay.
Like the other Rabbit Basin mines, the mining season typically runs from mid-May until early October. “You can push it,” Dave adds. “Last year we stayed until the middle of December…We were digging in the snow for two months, which makes it quite interesting.”

In spite of this mine’s advantages over others in the area, Dave still comes up against the universal character of his profession: “We’ll hit an area, as always with any kind of mining, that’s kind of dead…We don’t get a lot of color, get a lot of clears…But then, just a couple of feet farther, wham! Right back in the color!”

	A Cinder Cone Full of Crystals

	David Wheatley, Sunstone Butte co-owner, introduces us to the heart of the Sunstone Butte mine: an ancient volcanic vent that’s rich in large feldspar crystals.

SUNSTONE BUTTE HISTORY
Dave and Tammy aren’t the only miners who have tried their luck on this hill. Others dug, but found mainly large, clear feldspars, and few colors. They gave up, Dave tells us, “…decided it wasn’t worth it and let go.”

Dave was walking the desert looking for prospects when he found this place. He saw plenty of stones on the surface and noticed that the anthills were full of feldspar. He staked out nine claims in the area. However, because Sunstone Butte is outside the established mining area, he had to wait for a year and a half while the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) undertook a full environmental impact study.

	This view looks down into the main pit. You can judge the scale by comparing it to the trailers in the distance. Photo by Robert Weldon.
Once they started digging, they quickly found some large greens and reds, up to 800 carats, but not in any great quantity. Their luck changed when they switched to the other side of the hill: “We went down five feet and we were starting to hit greens, just green, green, green, green, green, green…of course this is where we’ve been digging since!”

	Sunstone Butte had been open to fee diggers in the past. As Dave and Tammy’s business grew, they cut down on fee digging to concentrate their efforts on more serious mining. Photo by Duncan Pay.

	Why We Dig at Sunstone Butte

	David Wheatley explains why he chose to mine at the Sunstone Butte site.

WHAT DRIVES YOU TO MINE SUNSTONE?
We eventually get to the questions of why mine here, and why this particular gem? “A friend of mine,” Dave answers, “…his dad’s been coming down here for 50 years, and he was coming down to visit him…He was a co-owner in a co-op down in the sunstone valley and I came down with him on a weekend.” Dave was lucky and found a nice red, so his friend’s father faceted it for him.

	This fine 7.70-ct. red sunstone displays broad bars of aventurescent copper particles. Photo by Robert Weldon.
That was the beginning of his fascination with sunstone. He was intrigued by the gem’s varied appearances and visited many of the mines in the area, often paying to be a fee digger.

This experience gave him the intelligence he needed to look for his own claims as well as the confidence to leave his high-paying job at a major corporation and stake it all on sunstone.

	Why I Mine Sunstone

	Miner David Wheatley expresses his passion for sunstone and his love of mining.

PRESENT AND FUTURE SUCCESS
What’s the secret of the operation’s success, we ask? Dave pauses for a moment: “When I was doing fee digging, I analyzed the other miners.” He explains that, while he agrees the mine’s high-quality output is one factor, he wanted to differentiate his gems from everyone else’s: “Most of the miners were doing more basic cutting…As we started getting our volume out here, I decided I wanted to go more high end…We do a lot of concave…linear cuts…we have a designer that’s making new cuts for us…it’s really taken very well out in the marketplace.”

	Working with talented cut designers has paid dividends for Sunstone Butte’s owners by getting their gems noticed in the trade. This innovative cut blends red and green bodycolors. Photo by Robert Weldon.
To bring attention to the mine, Dave adds, he and Tammy participated in a lot of gem and mineral shows—up to 30 a year. Initially, they mounted their stones in simple sterling silver basket settings, but it wasn’t long before they started to work on higher-end products in gold. Eventually, they focused on selling fashioned stones and rough rather than finished jewelry.

Dave sums up the couple’s current approach: “Once you get into jewelry, it takes so much of your time, and we love mining…We’d rather just mine, come out in this beautiful desert and enjoy ourselves mining and take three or four months off!”

	Dave and Tammy work with a number of gemstone cutters and carvers, so they have a wide range of finished gems for sale. Photo by Duncan Pay.
While Dave notes that other sunstone mines—like the Ponderosa—might produce greater volumes of rough, he’s sure that the large sizes and unique green colors his operation produces have made an impact on the market: “We’ve brought the greens and the teals into the market…And all of a sudden it’s a new buzzword, because they’re seeing a different color of sunstone…Instead of one here and one there, they’re seeing a large volume.”

And the couple’s focus on contemporary cutting and carving? “When somebody sees an absolutely breathtaking piece of jewelry, or a carving, it’s a buzz again…word gets out there,” Dave explains. “We’re pretty proud of how we’ve impacted the sunstone industry in the last three years,” he finishes with a smile.

	This fabulous fluted carving displays swathes of the teal-green color that Sunstone Butte is justly known for. Photo by Robert Weldon.

	Marketing Oregon Sunstone

	Sunstone Butte co-owner David Wheatley explains how he and his partner Tammy Moreau went about marketing their mine’s production. Source: GIA @topic:1


Title: Jade Report: Increased Mining Creates Large Stockpiles Abstract: The Hutton-Mdivani Jade Necklace, containing 27 translucent green jadeite beads sold for $27.4 million – more than $1 million per bead – at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Sale on April 7, 2014 in Hong Kong. The beads graduate in size from 15.4 mm to 19.2 mm.   Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s

	The Chinese retail market has been cooling off, but jade mining in the Kachin province of Myanmar has been on the increase, causing a massive inventory buildup, according to a report by the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation of Harvard University.

	The report is based on information from government sources and traders in Hpakant, Kachin province, the 30-square-mile source for nearly all jadeite. The authors noted that production began to expand in 2015 and jade dealers in Hong Kong corroborated the report’s observation of large and growing stockpiles of the gem in warehouses near the Myanmar border and dealers’ safes. It does not estimate the size of jade stocks, but interviews with others involved in or monitoring the jade trade agree it is extremely large.

	“If China wanted to whittle down their stockpiles, they probably could do without (newly produced) jade for five to 10 years,” said one Myanmar-based official with close connections to dealers and the government.

	Jade stocks are accumulating because production has far exceeded the market’s ability to absorb it. Some goods are locked in customs over ongoing valuation disputes and, more recently, there is a reluctance to sell better quality materials because prices have been softening. Producers and dealers can sit on large stocks because capital costs of mining are low and they do not rely on bank financing and don’t accumulate additional costs by holding inventory.

	The report shows that jade production for the first nine months of 2015 (the latest available figures) totaled 24,000 metric tons, or 2.5 times the same period in 2014.

	Myanmar’s central government cannot control illegal mining, according to the report, because it is involved with the rebel Kachin Independence Army, which has ratcheted up campaigns against it. The government has tried to limit access to the Hpakant region, by restricting new mining licenses and attempting to suspend mining after a series of deadly rock falls.

	But mining for jade continues and as many as 200,000 unlicensed diggers continue to work the extensive waste piles, which has created enormous social problems and unsafe conditions. Nine diggers were killed on Feb. 10 when a slag pile collapsed onto them, according to a report in Radio Free Asia.

Dealers and buyers at a 2012 jade market at Amarapura, now a suburb of Mandalay, in Myanmar. Photo courtesy of Maxine Hesse

	Retail Demand for Jade is Decreasing

	The Ash Center estimated jade production at Hpakant to be worth $7.9 billion in 2011, possibly increasing to $15 billion in 2015 because of the rise in mining activity. A 2015 Global Witness report estimated the jade trade at $31 billion, a figure most analysts agree is excessive. To put that number in perspective, worldwide rough diamond production in 2015 was valued at just under $14 billion, with the worldwide polished wholesale market valued at $22 billion.

	Chinese jewelry retailers report that jade sales slowed by 20% or more in 2016. Jade dealers at the September 2016 Hong Kong Watch and Jewellery Show noted that prices for the gem, even top quality “A” material, had fallen substantially − 20% to 40% in the past two years − as the Chinese government began to crack down on large cash purchases as a way to curtail corruption. In addition, the Chinese government also enacted an excise tax on jade imports to discourage demand.

	China’s top retailers do not break down sales by gemstone categories, but the country’s largest chain, Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook’s 2,057 stores logged sales of $7.2 billion in 2016, down from a 2014 peak of $9.9 billion. Gem-set pieces (including jade) account for 27% of the company’s sales.

	Sales at Chow Sang Sang, another prominent Chinese jewelry retail chain, fell 16% in fiscal 2016, to just over $1 billion and Luk Fook Holding’s, also a large jewelry chain, saw its sales decline 21% in fiscal 2016 to $700 million.

	The majority of jade is worked on in China with an estimated 500,000 people employed in various stages of processing, according to dealers. It is mostly sold through specialized retailers or traditional marketplaces that don’t disclose their sales activity. An increasing amount of medium quality “B” and lower quality “C” jade, however, is being sold via Chinese internet sites such as Weibo and WeChat. These internet sales are hurting traditional jade retailers, according to reports in China.

Pieces of mined boulders show ribbons of jade running through them. This one was found in Mandalay, Myanmar. Photo by Robert C. Kammerling/GIA

	The Future of Myanmar Jade Mining

	Regaining sufficient control over Myanmar’s jade production to regulate production, enforce environmental and safety standards, and restore government revenues would be a very difficult task, according to the Ash Center report.

	The conflict in Kachin, a large province in the north central portion of the country, has been raging for years. Some officials of the Kachin Independence Army earn money trafficking in illicitly mined jade, in addition to “tolls” collected from individuals and companies traveling through the area, according to the report. Any settlement must take these factors into account.

	Complicating matters, mine concession owners, many of whom are Chinese, need to be willing to pay sufficient taxes to support government health and education programs, particularly because drug addiction remains rampant, especially among miners, who require these social services.

	The Ash Center has proposed a revenue sharing structure that will enable mine owners to keep their concessions, while paying royalties of 50% on the full wholesale value of jade exported, plus business taxes. An elected government in Kachin, supported by both the military and separatists groups, would enforce environmental policies and provide health and education services to the populace. Non-Governmental Organizations could serve as monitors to ensure those standards are upheld.

	The report also maintains that an equitable power-sharing arrangement would make it possible to develop hydroelectric power operations and the ability to responsibly mine other resources in the area, including amber and gold. Source: GIA @topic:13


Title: G. Robert Crowningshield: A Legendary Gemologist Abstract: During his more than 50 years of involvement with the GIA Gem Laboratory, G. Robert (Bob) Crowningshield has made many significant contributions to the study of gems and the science of gemology. These include fundamental advances in the understanding and identification of treated and synthetic diamonds; of colored stones such as tanzanite, amethyst, “padparadscha” sapphire, and heat-treated corundum; and of natural and cultured pearls. In the early 1950s, Crowningshield demonstrated the value of new equipment in gem testing, in particular the spectroscope. He also helped develop and teach the GIA diamond grading system, now the standard worldwide. Along the way, he shared his wealth of practical experience in hundreds of articles, lectures, and industry presentations. All of these achievements helped lay the foundation of modern gemological research.

	DATA DEPOSITORY

Presentations at AGS Conclaves by G. Robert Crowningshield
	Submitted by Thomas M. Moses and James E. Shigley
	October 30, 2003 Source: GIA @topic:7


Title: Emeralds and the Power of the Pink City Abstract: The theme of emerald unites three of our Winter issue’s papers. First, lead authors Andrew Lucas and Nirupa Bhatt profile Jaipur’s gem and jewelry industry. Renowned as a modern emerald cutting center, Jaipur has been a hub of jewelry craftsmanship since Jai Singh II founded the Rajasthani capital in 1727. Now the maharaja’s city is a global powerhouse of jewelry design, manufacture, and retail, fusing traditional Indian design with a Western aesthetic to reach the market through innovative online retail and television shopping networks.

		A global powerhouse of jewelry design, manufacture, and retail....

	Our second paper, by Karl Schmetzer, H. Albert Gilg, and Elisabeth Vaupel, explores an early frontier of gem synthesis. The authors detail Prof. Richard Nacken’s pioneering work and describe a previously unknown type of flux-grown synthetic emerald from the 1920s. Their paper is a valuable addition to the literature and a fascinating detective story, too.

	Until recently, danburite was an underappreciated gem, but new sources are bringing this attractive yellow stone a larger audience. In our third paper, Le Thi-Thu Huong and her coauthors characterize a promising find of gem-quality danburite from Yen Bai Province, Vietnam.

	Our fourth article returns to the emerald theme. We are proud to present a new wall chart illustrating some of the internal features of natural, treated, and synthetic emeralds. The chart, with contributions by inclusion specialists Nathan Renfro, John Koivula, Jonathan Muyal, and Shane McClure, provides a tantalizing look into the micro-world of emeralds.

	Next, GIA field gemologists Wim Vertriest and Vincent Pardieu report on the latest developments in northern Mozambique, including the Montepuez ruby deposit and new discoveries of high-quality tourmaline and pink spinel.

	I’d like to draw your attention to our three regular sections. Lab Notes includes entries on the largest near-colorless CVD-grown and HPHT-grown synthetic diamonds seen to date.

G&G Micro-World features a chalcedony containing more than a dozen clear hexagonal quartz windows, an iridescent ferropericlase inclusion in a diamond that might indicate a “superdeep” origin for its host, and a synthetic quartz crystal intentionally seeded with garnet inclusions.

	Gem News International has something for everyone, including unusual tourmaline from Afghanistan, a new sapphire rush in Madagascar, and trapiche-type sapphire from Tasmania.

	This issue also includes voting instructions for the Dr. Edward J. Gübelin Most Valuable Article Award. We had the best response ever to our 2015 reader ballot, so please do vote for your favorite 2016 articles. And don’t forget to check out our additional online media content for the Jaipur article and this issue’s Micro-World column.

	Finally, we’d like to congratulate GIA postdoctoral research associate Evan Smith and his coauthors on their recent publication in Science—one of the world’s top academic journals. Their paper on large type IIa diamonds suggests that these rare gems grew within liquid metal deep in the earth’s mantle. It’s a valuable contribution to understanding the origin of these big stones, which we hope to tell in a future issue.

	Thank you for all your support through 2016. We look forward to the upcoming year in gemology! Source: GIA @topic:1


Title: Fred Ward (1935–2016) Abstract: Gems & Gemology mourns the loss of acclaimed photographer and gemologist Fred Ward, who died July 19 at the age of 81. Mr. Ward was known for capturing iconic images of celebrities and for his work with National Geographic magazine, which sparked his gemological pursuits.

	Mr. Ward was born in Huntsville, Alabama, and grew up in Miami. His passion for photography blossomed in high school, when he decided to turn his extracurricular activity into a career. He earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Florida in 1959.

	Well known for his shots of President John F. Kennedy’s funeral in November 1963 and the Beatles’ first American performance (1964), he photographed Gerald Ford for Portrait of a President (1975). Mr. Ward’s work can be found in collections owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Library of Congress, among others. Mr. Ward became interested in gemology as a freelance photographer for National Geographic, where he worked on several assignments related to gems. He went on to publish the highly influential nine-volume Fred Ward Gem Book Series. He earned his Graduate Gemologist diploma from GIA in 1990 and was a member of the Washington, DC chapter of the GIA Alumni Association. He was a coauthor of G&G’s Spring 2000 article “Burmese Jade: The Inscrutable Gem.”

	Fred Ward is survived by his wife of 58 years and frequent collaborator Charlotte Mayes Ward, four children, and four grandchildren. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends. Source: GIA @topic:7


Title: Gemstone Enhancement and its Detection in the 2000s Abstract: Advances in technology and increased demand for lower-priced gem materials contributed to the proliferation of new treatments throughout the first decade of the 2000s. The developments that made the most difference were the diffusion treatment of corundum with beryllium, diffusion of copper into feldspar, clarity enhancement of ruby and diamond, and heat treatment of diamond, ruby, and sapphire. Gemological laboratories and researchers have done their best to keep up with these treatments, and the jewelry trade has struggled with how to disclose them. This article summarizes these developments and the methods used to identify the various enhancements. Source: GIA @topic:1


Title: Gemstones from Vietnam: An Update Abstract: This article describes the major gem materials of Vietnam, together with their new finds and recent production. The gemological properties and chemical composition of ruby, sapphire, spinel, tourmaline, garnet, and peridot from the most important Vietnamese sources are updated. Other gems such as aquamarine, green orthoclase, topaz, zircon, quartz, and pearls are briefly discussed. Commercially significant deposits of ruby, blue and fancy sapphire, and spinel are located in two northern provinces: Yen Bai (Luc Yen and Yen Binh Districts) and Nghe An (Quy Chau and Quy Hop Districts). Large volumes of blue, green, and yellow sapphire come from the Central Highlands provinces of Dak Lak and Lam Dong, as well as the southern provinces of Dong Nai and Binh Thuan. Of secondary commercial importance are the tourmaline and garnet from Yen Bai and the peridot and zircon from the Central Highlands. Source: GIA @topic:1


Title: Venture into Chanthaburi’s Sapphire Mines and Markets with GIA’s Field Gemologists Abstract: A Visit to Chanthaburi, Thailand

	Visit Thailand’s resurgent mines and gem markets with GIA field gemologists.

	This video takes you to a sapphire mine in eastern Thailand and to Chanthaburi’s bustling gem market, with a team led by GIA Field Gemologist Vincent Pardieu.

	Only a few hours from Bangkok, the area provides easy access for collecting reference samples and witnessing the evolution of the area’s mining and trading activity. It’s also an ideal expedition for training and evaluating young gemologists seeking to join GIA’s Field Gemology department.

	In this video, you’ll travel to the Khao Ploy Waen volcano, which is at the center of the sapphire-producing area. Its name literally means “hill of gems.” The volcano is about four miles (6.5 km) west of Chanthaburi, a gem-trading center a little over three-hours’ drive—some 155 miles (250 km)—southeast of Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok.

	Eastern Thailand was the world’s major ruby source between the early 1960s and the 1990s, when political issues in Myanmar (then Burma) shut down supply from that country. This spurred big, mechanized mining operations in eastern Thailand.

	Although the rubies are mostly gone, this area has lately seen a resurgence in sapphire mining, and Khao Ploy Waen still resounds to the rush of water and the clatter of concentrate through alluvial miners’ sluices, jigs, and trommels. The area produces some big dark blue silky stones—which require treatment to be marketable—along with green material and the locally prized yellow color sapphires locally called "Butsarakam". Top-quality yellow, green and blue gems sometimes have excellent transparency but strong dichroism, Pardieu explains.

	Decades at the center of corundum supply helped cement Chanthaburi’s status as a premier gem trading and treatment center. A cosmopolitan place, Chanthaburi blends Chinese, Vietnamese, and French influences. The town also hosts Thailand’s largest Christian church, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

	The town’s weekend gem market has an international flavor. Every Friday and Saturday, traders from all over the world come to buy and sell rough and cut gems. This is important because local merchants have come to depend on their merchandise. Traders from Guinea, Africa, are especially evident, with their selections of gems from African sources including Mozambique, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Madagascar.  This mix is demonstrated by a Buddha carving fashioned from African ruby that, Pardieu explains, required heating with borax to close fractures before it could be fashioned: Truly a blend of local treatment and fashioning knowhow with raw material sourced a continent away.

	Chanthaburi’s market would be much less active without this influx of traders and their stones. Indeed, in one ironic twist, a trader from Kabul, Afghanistan, was seen purchasing Nigerian rhodolite garnet, treated ruby, and synthetic gems for sale to US servicemen in military bases like Bagram and Kabul.

	This GIA Field Expedition (FE53) took place in June 2014. Besides Pardieu, the participants were cameramen Didier Gruel and Philippe Brunot, and expedition members Victoria Raynaud, Stanislas Detroyat, and Marie Daufresne. Source: GIA @topic:7


Title: Fall 2011 G&G Lab Notes Abstract: Unusually Large Clinohumite
	Black Diamond Colored by Strong Plastic Deformation
	Coated Black Diamond
	Coated Diamond with Spectroscopic Features of a Natural-Color Pink
	Colorless Untreated Diamonds with High Levels of Strain
	HPHT Treatment for Subtle Color Enhancement of Diamond
	An Interesting Luminescent Cleavage in Diamond
	A Large HPHT-Annealed Pink Diamond
	Gem-Quality CVD Synthetic Diamonds from Gemesis
	Treated Synthetic Diamonds with Pink Color Intensified by Fluorescence
	Cultured Pearls from Pteria Sterna with Plastic Bead Nuclei
	Large Conch Pearl
	Natural and Synthetic Green Sapphires with Similar Color but Remarkably Different Chromophores
	Unusual Be-Diffused Pink Sapphire . . . A Cautionary Note
	Unusually High Beryllium in Three Blue Sapphires

To view the full section, download the PDF above.

	DATA DEPOSITORY

Unusually Large Clinohumite - Additional Spectra
	October 24, 2011 Source: GIA @topic:4


Title: Winter 2011 G&G Lab Notes Abstract: A Rare Fancy Vivid Purple Diamond
	A Strongly Purple-Colored Black Diamond
	HPHT-Treated Diamond with Fluorescence Pattern of an HPHT-Grown Synthetic
	Type IIb Diamond with Long Phosphorescence
	Clarity-Enhanced Opal with Artificial Matrix
	Ethiopian Black Opal
	Coated Bead-Cultured Freshwater Pearls
	Tenebrescent Zircon

To view the full section, download the PDF above.

	DATA DEPOSITORY

	Type IIb Diamond with Long Phosphorescence - Videos (see below)
	January 18, 2012

	Type IIb DiamondPhosphorescence

	Type IIb DiamondPhosphorescence & Thermoluminescence Source: GIA @topic:4


Title: Characterization of Emeralds from a Historical Deposit: Byrud (Eidsvoll), Norway Abstract: An emerald deposit at Byrud, in southern Norway, yielded significant quantities of crystals and gem rough in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Complex multiphase inclusions in the emeralds consist of water, gaseous methane, halite, sylvite, calcite, and a sulfide assemblage (pyrrhotite, galena, and sphalerite). This sulfide assemblage makes it easy to distinguish Byrud emeralds from those from other localities with a binocular microscope. The chemical composition of Byrud emeralds is also characteristic: They are colored mostly by vanadium (up to 1 wt.% V2O3), and contain low sodium and magnesium (0.1 wt.% oxide or less). Moreover, the relative amounts of iron, magnesium, chromium, rubidium, and cesium appear to be diagnostic. Infrared absorption spectra show that they contain little water. Emeralds from the Byrud deposit are still occasionally recovered by hobbyist collectors from the mine dumps.

	DATA DEPOSITORY

Table 1: Minerals Associated with Byrud Emerald and Their Relative Abundance
Table 2: Details of the LA-ICP-MS Analyses of Three Byrud Emeralds
Table 3: Chemical Composition of Norwegian Emeralds by Electron Microprobe
	Submitted by Benjamin Rondeau
	Summer, 2008 Source: GIA @topic:3


Title: Summer 2009 G&G Lab Notes Abstract: Bicolored Diamond
	“Black” Diamond with Deep Violet Color
	Carved Diamond Crucifix
	Rare Type IIb Gray-Green Diamond
	Unconventional Diamond Cuts
	Pink CVD Synthetic Diamond
	Rare Star Peridot
	Tourmaline with Silver and Gold Chatoyancy
	Eljen Treated Turquoise

To view the full section, download the PDF above.

	DATA DEPOSITORY

'Black' Diamond with Deep Violet Color - Supplementary Figure
	Submitted by Christopher M. Breeding and Kimberly M. Rockwell
	Summer, 2009
UV-Visible–Near Infrared Spectrum
	Submitted by Paul Johnson and Jason Darley
	Summer, 2009 Source: GIA @topic:4


Title: Yellow Mn-rich Tourmaline from the Canary Mining Area, Zambia Abstract: The most important source of yellow gem elbaite is the Canary mining area in the Lundazi District of eastern Zambia. The tourmaline has been mined since 1983 from both pegmatite and eluvial/alluvial deposits, in colors typically ranging from yellow-green to yellow to orange and brown; much of the orange-to-brown material is heated to attain a “golden” or “canary” yellow color. The tourmaline is Mn-rich (up to 9.18 wt.% MnO documented in the literature) and contains traces of Ti and little or no Fe. The distinctive composition of this tourmaline is probably the result of the crystallization of abundant schorl from an unusual B-rich, Li-poor pegmatite magma, which depleted Fe while conserving Mn until the late-stage crystallization of gem pockets.

	DATA DEPOSITORY

Table: Electron-Microprobe Analyses of Tourmaline from the Canary Mining Area, Zambia
	Submitted by Brendan Laurs
	Winter, 2007 Source: GIA @topic:12


Title: African Rhodochrosite and Colombian Quartz with Trapiche Patterns Abstract: Left: A 6.0 cm tall rhodochrosite specimen from the N’Chwaning mining area in South Africa. Right: These domed hexagonal quartz slices from Colombia, measuring 3.5–4.5 cm across, exhibit inclusions reminiscent of trapiche emerald. The pattern becomes more distinct when viewed through cross-polarized filters. Photos by Donna Beaton.

	At Tucson's Pueblo show, Germán Salazar (Idar-Oberstein and Bogotá) and Gaetano Lacagnina (L.G. Gemme, Milan) shared a booth that featured an eclectic assortment of gems and minerals. Mr. Lacagnina, who also operates a lab and cutting factory, specializes in unusual and fine mineral specimens. Of particular note were high-quality rhodochrosites, as seen in the image on the left, from the N’Chwaning mining area in the Northern Cape province of South Africa. N’Chwaning, noted for having Africa’s largest manganese reserves, also produces manganite, ettringite, and other Mn-bearing minerals. Noteworthy on Mr. Salazar’s side of the booth were polished hexagonal quartz slices bearing a spoked trapiche-like pattern, shown in the right-hand image. Coincidentally, the quartz was from the Boyacá region of Colombia, which regularly produces trapiche emerald. The patterned areas are found at the core of larger quartz crystals. Viewed in a polariscope, the growth directions and fibrous inclusions are very distinct. Although Mr. Salazar has marketed the slices as “trapiche quartz,” he is considering branding this unique find as “Salazarite.” Source: GIA @topic:2


Title: Responsible Mining, a Trek to Chivor, and a Dash of Fabergé Abstract: The quest for gem-quality natural diamonds is a multi-billion-dollar enterprise—and a stern test of human ingenuity. Any investment in a large, modern mine is by necessity strategic, and made all the more complex when the location is remote and subarctic. Thus it is with the Diavik mine, which sits on a small island on pristine Lac de Gras in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Replete with engineering challenges, and the need to accommodate the concerns of the area’s indigenous people, Diavik’s transition to an active mine in 2003 is a landmark development in the fascinating story of Canadian diamonds.

	Our lead article, by Jim Shigley, Russ Shor, Pedro Padua, Mike Breeding, Steve Shirey, and Doug Ashbury, offers a review of this mine’s discovery, development, and operations and looks to its planned closure in 2024, when the site will be restored to nearly its original condition. Besides its value as a premier gem diamond source—100 million carats and counting—Diavik is a tantalizing window for geologists into the depths beneath the Canadian Shield. Knowledge acquired from the kimberlites at Diavik allows geoscientists to reconstruct the early history of the North American continent and underscore the supreme value natural diamonds hold for science, beyond their monetary worth as gems.

		A landmark development in the fascinating story of Canadian diamonds.

	In addition to Diavik, we offer articles on a pair of exquisite Fabergé figures, the current state of the colored gem industry’s supply chain in terms of corporate social responsibility, the fashioning of an exceptional Australian opal, and a trek to Colombia’s Chivor emerald mine in the footsteps of its remarkable manager, Peter W. Rainier.

	Our second paper, by Tim Adams and Christel Ludewig McCanless, presents two rare Fabergé hardstone figures depicting the Romanov empresses’ Cossack bodyguards. It discusses the design, construction, and subsequent history of the pieces since their creation using Russian-mined gems and metals in the firm’s St. Petersburg workshop.

	Next, Jennifer-Lynn Archuleta reviews ongoing efforts to establish ethical, sustainable mine-to-market supply chains within the multibillion-dollar colored gem industry. She outlines the challenges the industry faces on its journey to toward greater transparency and traceability in a climate of heightened scrutiny from NGOs, governments, and concerned consumers.

	In our fourth paper, Ted Grussing reveals the special considerations he applied to cutting a 3,019 ct gem-quality white opal from Coober Pedy, Australia. He describes how care and attention to detail maximized size and quality, yielding a 1,040 ct finished gem with play-of-color across its entire surface.

	Finally, join Robert Weldon and his co-authors on a journey through the early twentieth century history of the Chivor emerald mine and revisit the achievements from a productive and colorful era in Colombian emerald mining.

	As always, you’ll also find plenty of interesting content in our latest Lab Notes, Micro-World, and Gem News International sections. And don’t forget to visit www.gia.edu/gems-gemology for exclusive photos and videos from this issue.

	We hope you enjoy our Summer issue! Source: GIA @topic:7


Title: Baselworld 2016: Spotty Demand; Glitz Out, Rare In Abstract: Lighter traffic and less bling summed up Baselworld 2016. Photo by Russell Shor/GIA

	Distinctiveness reigned over bling at the Baselworld show in Switzerland. Traffic was down and business spotty at the March 16-23 show, though a number of exhibitors said demand had improved from last year.

	The smart sellers adapted to a changed market, offering the rare, unusual and distinctively designed in place of (or in addition to) high carat weights for their own sake.

	Exhibitors noted that buyers were looking for jewelry, not investments which require buyers to pay for gemstones with devalued currency, making a profitable resale very difficult. In previous years at the show, sellers of large diamonds estimated that at least one-third of all diamonds larger than 5 carats were bought for investment, not jewelry.

	Indeed, for years, sellers of large, high-quality diamonds and colored gemstones at the Baselworld fair could count on brisk demand from a diverse group of private clients, largely from Russia, China and the Middle East.

	Demand for such stones has slowed considerably for the past two years at the show, however, because of a confluence of events: a concerted crackdown of large cash transactions; a rising U.S. dollar that raises the costs of these goods by 10% to 40% in other currencies; economic slowdown in China and other previously fast-rising economies; and depressed prices for oil and other commodities.

	Colorless diamonds larger than 5 carats were a difficult sell at the show. As one dealer of major stones put it: “Very few buyers from Russia and the Middle East were here − they used to account for a lot of the high-ticket demand.”

	The dealer did say that prices for top stones have not softened as they had for more commercial diamonds because most dealers have the financial capacity to hold on to them until demand improves. Additionally, unlike the commercial diamond market, buyers of large diamonds rarely try to save money by down trading quality.

	“They either want the best, or will not buy,” he said.

	Demand for commercial-sized diamonds did pick up at the show and the market in general. One reason is that prices have fallen to levels where, as one exhibitor put it, “manufacturers and their clients now want to do business.”

	He added that the “green shoots of recovery” are buoying the diamond market, but it remains fragile. “We have to worry whether the mining companies will raise prices again, whether China’s economy has truly hit the floor, whether the problems in major European banks will bring another downturn and whether terrorism and refugees will disrupt the world economy. It’s a lot to worry about, but we must stay optimistic.” The March 22 terror attacks in Brussels, about 350 miles north of Basel, prompted city police and fair management to conduct random searches of attendees’ briefcases and bags and limit access to the show to the front entrances.

	This necklace of 28 “apple green” Namibian demantoid garnets totaled 128 carats. It was offered by Paul Wild of Idar Oberstein, Germany. Please note: this photo was taken using a mobile phone under harsh lighting conditions. Photo by Russell Shor/GIA

	Demand for colored stones was extremely selective. Buyers were looking for extremely fine Burmese rubies, no-oil Colombian emeralds and rarer stones like Kashmir sapphires.

	“The ultra-wealthy now want exceptional stones they can get nowhere else,” said one dealer. “But the demand for stones in the $20,000 to $50,000 range is vanishing. The trouble is, once you sell these unique stones, it’s almost impossible to replace them.”

	One dealer was showing a Namibian demantoid garnet necklace with 28 round cuts totaling 128 carats (cts.). The dealer said it took eight years to assemble, particularly because the color of each stone was apple green instead of the customary olive color and, because very few 2-ct. plus demantoids of that color are mined each year.

	Another dealer displayed a 50.09 ct. purple-to-violet color-change sapphire from an estate, which, he claimed, sparked a lot of interest and a pearl dealer offered a 20.48 mm x 23.21 mm drop shaped South Seas cultured pearl.

	This 50.09 ct. color-change, purple-to-violet sapphire offered by Pioneer Gems of New York, was one of the rare and unusual gemstones on offer at Baselworld. The sapphire, set in a ring accented with colorless diamond melee, came from an estate. Please note: this photo was taken using a mobile phone under harsh lighting conditions. Photo by Russell Shor/GIA

	The high-end jewelry houses and luxury watch companies that debut their products at the fair put their focus more on design and less on the gem-covered look of a few years ago.

	“Fewer diamonds, strategically placed for maximum show,” is how Chopard put it for their new “Happy Diamonds” watch line. This line had four 5 millimeter (a bit less than 0.5 cts.) diamonds floating inside the watch dial. The focal point was on craftsmanship and design said the company.

	This 5.03 ct. synthetic Fancy Deep blue diamond was on display at Baselworld by New Diamond Technologies of St. Petersburg, Russia. The company claims it is the largest synthetic blue diamond created by the HPHT process. Photo by Russell Shor/GIA

	Even Laurence Graff, known for some of the costliest diamond jewelry in the world, took a step back from ultra-bling to create a more modest line of sapphire and diamond watches in its “Butterfly” collection.

	Swiss watch makers reported that exports of luxury watches made there declined nearly 8% during the first two months of the year, largely because of a 33% decline to Hong Kong (continuing a year-long slide), where the Chinese slowdown has hit hard, and 13.7% fall in sales to the U.S., where ostentatious luxury is falling out of favor.

	Also at the show, a Russian synthetics manufacturer displayed a 5.03 ct. Fancy Deep blue it claimed to be the largest blue diamond ever grown by the HPHT process. The company said it took much more than a week to grow and is in the process of creating additional synthetic blues. Source: GIA @topic:8


Title: Brownish Red Zircon from Muling, China Abstract: Gem-quality brownish red zircon occurs in alluvium derived from Tertiary alkali basalt at Muling in the northeast Chinese province of Heilongjiang. Rough and cut samples were characterized using standard gemological methods, electron microprobe, LA-ICP-MS, and Raman and UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy. Internal features consisted of melt inclusions, apatite, magnetite, fluid inclusions, and color zones. The samples contained abundant rare-earth elements, but showed only slight radiation damage and properties consistent with “high” zircon. Although it has yet to be mined commercially, the Muling deposit is a promising source of gem zircon. Source: GIA @topic:3


Title: Dolomite with Unusual Inclusions Abstract: These brownish orange cubic to rhomb-shaped inclusions were identified by Raman analysis as svanbergite in dolomite. Photomicrograph by Jonathan Muyal; field of view 14.52 mm.

	Dolomite is not often encountered as a gem material, and it is generally known as an inclusion in gems such as emerald, garnet, quartz, and ruby. In view of this, any inclusions found within gem-quality dolomite may be justifiably considered as rare inclusion/host combinations.

	One particular area known to produce gemmy dolomite suitable for lapidary work is the Mount Brussilof mine in Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia, Canada. Also found at this mine in direct association with the dolomite are crystals of the relatively rare mineral svanbergite.

	Crystallizing in the trigonal crystal system in a rhombohedral to pseudocubic habit, svanbergite is not a widely known mineral associate of dolomite or any of the other common carbonates. It is a member of the beudantite mineral group and is composed of basic phosphate and sulfate of strontium and aluminum phosphates and sulfates. Svanbergite colors range from reddish brown to orange; there is also colorless material.

	Recently we had the opportunity to examine a cluster of inclusions surrounded by numerous tiny fluid inclusions within a colorless gem-quality dolomite. It came as a delightful surprise when laser Raman microspectrometry revealed these crystals to be svanbergite, an inclusion-to-host pairing we’ve never previously encountered. Source: GIA @topic:2


Title: Tucson 2016 Abstract: Figure 1. Tucson’s GJX show saw considerable traffic this year, including a higher number of American buyers. Photo by Andrew Lucas.

	For decades, buyers and sellers from every aspect of the gem and jewelry industry have flocked to the gem fair in Tucson, a town in the heart of Arizona’s Sonoran Desert that is rich in cultural and natural heritage. The annual shows are widely considered a forecast for the rest of the year. While the shows of the past few years have reflected a sluggish industry, the atmosphere in 2016 was dramatically different, with an increase in both attendance and business. The 34th AGTA GemFair saw record pre-registration numbers, and more than 300 exhibitors greeted a full house of buyers on the opening day. Gabrièl Mattice of Pala International (Fallbrook, California) said that sales were very strong this year, even on the first day of the show. The energized interaction between exhibitors and buyers was evident throughout the convention center. Though diamond sales have slowed, colored stones have gradually gained momentum among jewelry customers, and designers are responding in kind. Although the overall market share for colored stones is still small compared to the diamond sector, efforts to promote them have had very positive results.

More Serious Buyers. After the surge of foot traffic on the opening day, attendance remained stable at the shows for the rest of the week (figure 1). Vendors saw fewer Chinese buyers than in 2014, though Josh Saltzman of Nomad’s Co. (New York) indicated that those who came were serious buyers picking up high-quality goods. Gaurav Shah from Real Gems Inc. (New York) confirmed that his company has seen greater demand for emerald in mainland China since 2007, a market that slowed in 2015. He said that the Chinese are more cautious and specific in their purchases, and he predicted an upswing in Chinese buying activity in the near future. Joseph Nakamura of Shogun Pearl (White Plains, New York) said that 95% of his customers were from the United States, while Gabrièl Mattice also saw many Europeans on the floor, especially French buyers. Many new buyers attended, possibly due to the stabilized prices and heightened interest in colored stones (figure 2). Mr. Shah observed three categories of clients in Tucson: buyers from television and Internet companies, retailers, and designers.

Figure 2. A customer examines some calibrated emeralds at the Real Gems booth in the AGTA show. Photo by Tao Hsu.

	David Bindra of B&B Fine Gems (Los Angeles) noted that the number of transactions relative to the attendance was much higher than in previous years. He felt that this year’s AGTA show was much better than the September 2015 Hong Kong Jewellery and Gem Fair, where many sellers felt the slowdown of the mainland Chinese market.

Calibrated Goods. Though high-end colored gems continue to set auction records, the market for these stones remains slow. As a result, the colored stone trade still mainly consists of goods in standard calibrated sizes rather than custom-cut material (figure 3). Many cutting factories are able to provide a greater selection of sizes that fit their clients’ requirements. This especially benefits the jewelry manufacturers in China and India, as setting calibrated gems is the bulk of their workload. Thus, mid-priced colored goods were the overall best sellers in Tucson. Nirmal Bardiya of RMC Gems (Bangkok) informed us that calibrated goods of various millimeter sizes are best sellers in the American market, while Arthur Groom Jr. of Eternity Natural Emerald (Ridgewood, New Jersey) noted that Afghan emerald melee is one of his biggest sellers. Guarav Shah reported that the most popular calibrated cuts are oval, emerald, and pear shapes; these goods generally range from $200–$2,000 per carat.

Figure 3. Assorted goods in calibrated sizes sold very well at the shows. Photo by Tao Hsu.

Classics. No single stone stole the show this year. Some relatively new varieties were available, but their potential is still hard to evaluate. Some people asked about the color-change pink pyrope garnet that has recently been covered by multiple trade magazines, including the Winter 2015 G&G. Ms. Mattice said it will take time to educate people about this stone, and it is not easy to predict the market potential. Mr. Bardiya informed us that morganite (figure 4), aquamarine, and blue topaz were popular among RMC’s American clients. According to Joseph Nakamura, white pearls still dominate, while other colors come and go with different fashion trends. According to multiple dealers, Paraíba tourmaline is still in high demand (figure 5).

Figure 4. Morganite attracted many American buyers this year. Photo by Andrew Lucas.

Figure 5. According to many exhibitors, Paraíba tourmaline remained one of the shows’ best sellers. Photo by Andrew Lucas.

	Even so, the “big three” of ruby, sapphire, and emerald still dominate the market and fetch higher prices, which was reflected in this year’s shows. Corundum is still the most popular material in the high-end sector. David Bindra and Gabrièl Mattice both said that sapphires sold very well, and Mr. Bindra thinks that blue and green material will be especially strong this year, though yellow sapphires drew more interest than at previous shows. Pink and pastel-colored sapphires also attracted many buyers, perhaps because they evoke rose quartz and serenity blue, Pantone’s colors of the year for 2016.

Interest and Demand for Color. As one of the best platforms to trade and promote colored gemstones, the Tucson shows provide buyers with the finest goods sourced from all over the world. Some one-of-a-kind stones debut here, such as the 332.24 ct Imperial Flame topaz carving. Spectacular stones such as these usually attract immediate attention.

	Mr. Bindra tied the increase in sales to a growing awareness of colored stones. Once-daunted consumers are becoming more knowledgeable about different varieties and are better prepared before they purchase. This interest in learning was reflected at the AGTA GemFair seminars, which saw a 30% increase in attendance.

	Greater appreciation for colored stones motivates designers and retailers to source more of them (figure 6). Mr. Shah did business with more designers than in previous shows. The authors themselves saw materials in more unique cuts that seemed intended to capture the designers’ imagination (figure 7). Mr. Shah said that even though Real Gems is a wholesaler, the company does not have a minimum order requirement for any buyers. This is very helpful for many designers, especially the young ones. This exhibitor feels that it is worthwhile to do business with people who are willing to work with and promote colored stones in their own work.

Figure 6. Colored stone jewelry is becoming increasingly popular among consumers, as designers such as Paula Crevoshay use colors in more creative ways. Photo by Tao Hsu.

Figure 7. Some pieces offered excellent options for designers who wish to create a unique look. Photo by Tao Hsu.

Summary. Based on their own observations, the authors were not surprised to hear vendors say that this was one of the strongest Tucson shows in recent history. People were encouraged by the renewed momentum of the American market, even though high-end buyers were still cautious. Relatively stable prices also contributed to increased sales, although the price of sapphire, ruby, and emerald remained high. With the positive forecast from Tucson, the trade is expecting a prosperous 2016.

	We thank the many exhibitors who provided insight, photos, and materials. Source: GIA @topic:10


Title: Tucson: A Showcase of Colored Gemstone Innovation Abstract: Welcome to 2016’s first Gems & Gemology!

	The Tucson shows are renowned for showcasing nature’s finest gems and minerals. They’re also the venues to see imaginative use of gem materials in unfamiliar combinations. Our cover exemplifies this innovation with the “Wheel of Light”—a spectacular necklace featuring elements of sagenitic quartz, fire agate, Paraíba tourmaline, and braided leather, centered on a clear quartz disk wrapped with 24K gold. The rough gems and minerals placed inside the disk’s central axis reflect within the quartz to produce strikingly colored concentric bands. This piece amply demonstrates the ingenuity that makes the Tucson gem and mineral shows such refreshing and vital experiences. We hope you find this issue equally enjoyable.

	We offer five feature articles on diverse topics: photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, Australian chrysoberyl, Italian serpentine, Tajikistan’s variscite, and treated “pistachio” cultured pearls from Tahiti. You’ll also find our latest Lab Notes and Micro-World entries, along with in-depth coverage of the February 2016 Tucson shows in our Gem News International section.

	Drs. Sally Eaton-Magaña and Christopher M. Breeding of GIA’s Carlsbad lab are the authors of our lead article, which provides an overview of PL analysis and its increasing importance for detecting treatment, determining natural or synthetic origin, and verifying origin of color in type II diamonds. PL spectroscopy is now a vital tool for gemologists to authenticate the most valuable large or fancy-color gems.

		Photoluminescence spectroscopy is now a vital tool to authenticate the most valuable diamonds.

	In our second paper, a team of researchers led by Dr. Karl Schmetzer characterizes the gemological properties and growth structures of chrysoberyl recovered from the sapphire placer deposits in New South Wales, Australia.

	Two other articles cover ornamental gem materials: First, Dr. Ilaria Adamo and colleagues offer a detailed mineralogical and gemological investigation of serpentine with gem potential from Pizzo Tremogge in Val Malenco, Italy. Next, Dr. Andrey Litvinenko and his coauthors report on a largely untapped source of the ornamental mineral variscite in central Tajikistan.

	Finally, Dr. Chunhui Zhou and his team from GIA’s New York lab document the identification of treated pistachio-colored cultured pearls produced by the Ballerina Pearl Co.

	We also offer hearty congratulations to the winners of the 2015 Dr. Edward J. Gübelin Most Valuable Article Award. We’re delighted with the fantastic response to our reader ballot, which showed a significant increase in participation over last year—a big “thank you” to everyone who voted. Also, don’t forget to take this year’s G&G Challenge, our annual multiple-choice quiz.

	Please enjoy the Spring issue! Source: GIA @topic:1


Title: An Inside Look at the 2015 Tucson Shows Abstract: Many sellers at Tucson were displaying very large, fine, or unusual gems that had been held in inventory for years. Photo by Duncan Pay/GIA; courtesy of Noor Gems Japan Ltd.

                      Every year in February, colored stone miners, dealers, cutters, and retailers from around the world converge at the several major gem and mineral shows in Tucson, Arizona. In 2015, GIA once again interviewed industry professionals who presented spectacular gems and provided revealing insights on the global market. Links to these interviews are listed below.

New Production of Brazilian Emerald from Minas Gerais – Tucson 2015
Marcello Ribeiro of the Belmont mine showed emeralds from Belmont’s underground mine, including one especially fine 9.22 ct stone. As a GIA team visited Belmont in April 2014, it was interesting to see the gems from this relatively new part of the mining operation for sale at the show.
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Exceptional Red Spinels and Fine Aquamarine – Tucson 2015
Axel Henn of Idar-Oberstein, Germany, showed superbly colored 61.29 ct Tanzanian red spinel, including two pear-shaped gems cut from similar rough, and a spectacular 450.08 ct aquamarine with pure blue "Santa Maria" color.
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Fine Tsavorite and Spinel – Tucson 2015
Bruce Bridges of Tsavorite USA Inc. said that fine stones often return to his inventory after years in a collector’s possession. At the AGTA show, he showcased a vivid, top-quality 12.46 ct cushion-shaped tsavorite fashioned some 15 years earlier, which made its way back into the market in the last two years.
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Fine Corundum, Demantoid Garnet – Tucson 2015
Dave Bindra of B&B Fine Gems showcased fine pink and yellow sapphire, Mozambique ruby, and a superb suite of Russian demantoid garnet. He explained how increased consumption in markets outside the U.S. and Europe is affecting gem supply and forcing many colored gem dealers to turn to the “recirculated” market for their clients.
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High-End Colored Gems – Tucson 2015
Idar-Oberstein’s Constantin Wild displayed a unique 290 ct multicolored suite of specimen-quality gems from all over the world, rare “canary” tourmaline from Zambia, fine rubellite from Brazil and Nigeria, and an array of sets aimed at enterprising jewelry designers and manufacturers.
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Tsavorite Garnet and Mahenge Red Spinel – Tucson 2015
Daniel Assaf of the Tsavorite Factory provided a detailed market update for tsavorite garnet. In this interview, he explains how unprecedented Asian demand for this rare gem has drastically affected availability and pricing for his customers.
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Oregon Sunstone Update – Tucson 2015
Reviews the Oregon sunstone seen at the Tucson gem shows, provides an update of the current market and demand for the gem, and explains an initiative to set up an Oregon sunstone miners’ association.
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Large and Unusual Gems – Tucson 2015
The inventory of Noor Gems Japan Ltd. was characterized by large and unusual gems, including a fine selection of rare blue and pink gemstones: afghanite, hauynite, hemimorphite, and pezzottaite.
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Ginger Garnet, “Fancy” Tanzanite – Tucson 2015
Kobi Sevdermish of Advanced Quality introduced a new pinkish orange to orangy red “ginger” garnets that remains bright in larger sizes. He also outlined the trials and tribulations of sourcing and cutting the unique “fancy” tanzanite crystals his company specializes in.
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Gem Artistry in Smaller Sizes –Tucson 2015
Alexander Kreis displayed his most recent designs: tourmalines in organic fluid shapes resembling the leaves in a tropical forest, citrines evoking the essence of sunrays, and icy blue topaz that mimic the cool brilliance of arctic ice.
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Larger Optic Disks –Tucson 2015
Brian Cook of Nature's Geometry explained the latest step in the evolution of his innovative "wheel of light" optic disks: larger pieces that display more intriguing reflective effects, including a striking rainbow of concentric color bands.
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Unusual Carved Tourmaline Suite – Tucson 2015
Jan Goodman had an exquisite 303 carat suite of particolored tourmaline depicting Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, carved in Idar-Oberstein in the 1970s and kept in his personal collection for more than 30 years.
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Gemstones and Jewelry Inspired by Nature – Tucson 2015
Award-winning cutter and designer Jeff Bilgore exhibited two pieces that departed from the norm of colored stones: an exquisitely carved leaf brooch of moss agate highlighted with diamonds, and a platinum pendant panel and chain featuring natural-color fancy diamonds that appeared to float within the frame.
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Rare Stones in Demand – Tucson 2015
Coast-to-Coast’s Brad Wilson explained that rare gems also have a place in jewelry. Innovative designers seek out rare materials such as sphalerite, sphene, apatite, and even afghanite for clients who appreciate the unusual.
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Color-Change Garnets from Tanzania – Tucson 2015
Introduces striking color-change pyrope garnets from Tanzania. Originally thought to be rhodolite garnets when found in the 1980s, these gems turned out to be predominantly pyrope, and the best examples show a strong red-to-purple color change.
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Bold Color Combinations – Tucson 2015
For retailers and designers overwhelmed by the endless rows of gemstones lined up in trays, inspiration could be found at the booth of Stephen M. Avery, which featured brightly colored "statement"-sized gemstones.
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Chrysocolla in Quartz – Tucson 2015
The Rare Earth Mining Company booth displayed a specialized inventory of unique and rare materials, including clear and near-colorless quartz containing blue spots of chrysocolla.
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Cultured Pearl Market Update – Tucson 2015
Fran Mastoloni provided a market summary from his own business perspective. He emphasized surging demand in the Chinese domestic market for all cultured pearl types, plus the need to introduce innovative styles and pearl combinations in contemporary jewelry.
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Chinese Freshwater Pearl Culturing, Overall Market Summary – Tucson 2015
Jack Lynch offered his perspective on Chinese freshwater cultured pearl products and styles, as well as fine South Sea and Tahitian goods.
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Diamond Slices – Tucson 2015
The popularity of gem slices, particularly diamond, is on the rise, as reflected at the 2015 Tucson gem shows.
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Large Namibian Demantoid Garnet – Tucson 2015
The Green Dragon mine yields exceptional demantoid, including a round brilliant seen at Tucson’s GJX show.
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Green Nephrite Jade Attracts Buyers in Tucson – Tucson 2015
An update on the nephrite jade market from the 2015 GJX show.
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Baroque Pearls – Tucson 2015
Baroque pearls were ubiquitous at the Tucson 2015 gem shows.
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Crimson Prince Ruby from Namya – Tucson 2015
An exceptional ruby is discovered in Namya, Myanmar.
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Update on Rock Creek Sapphire Deposit – Tucson 2015
An overview of recently expanded sapphire production at the Gem Mountain mine near Philipsburg, Montana.
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Unique Tourmaline Necklace – Tucson 2015
An unusual parti-color tourmaline necklace and clasp are seen at the 2015 AGTA show in Tucson.
Learn More Source: GIA @topic:7


Title: Ruby and Sapphire Production and Distribution: A Quarter Century of Change Abstract: During the past 25 years, the corundum market has been transformed from one of medium to high-priced gems to one that encompasses nearly all price ranges. This transformation was caused by the discovery of a number of large deposits and the development of treatment processes that enhanced the color and clarity of huge quantities of previously noncommercial sapphire and ruby. More recently, however, controversial treatments have undermined confidence and prices in some material, while political events and press scrutiny have affected the supply chain for rubies and sapphires from localities such as Myanmar and Madagascar. Source: GIA @topic:7


Title: Garnets, Sapphires, Opals, and Tarnish on High-Purity Gold Abstract: Amethyst purple under fluorescent equivalent lighting, hot pink under incandescent…

	Welcome to the final Gems & Gemology of 2015. Colored gems—garnet, sapphire, and opal—are prominent in this issue. The Tanzanian garnet on our cover projects a rich, bold pink and demonstrates just how fine this material can be. It’s profiled in our lead article. The issue also offers insight into the origin of Montana’s alluvial sapphires, a gemological study of the historic Grand Sapphire, an investigation into tarnish spots on high-purity gold, and a field report on Australian opal.

	Our first paper—by three of GIA’s young research scientists, Ziyin “Nick” Sun, Aaron Palke, and Nathan Renfro—examines interesting “color-change” pyrope garnet from Tanzania. Under fluorescent-equivalent lighting, larger gems have the color of fine purple amethyst, while under incandescent they resemble hot pink tourmaline. The authors provide a comprehensive review of this material’s inclusions along with a quantitative analysis of its color under different lighting conditions.

	Alluvial sapphires from the U.S. state of Montana have long been celebrated for their kaleidoscope of colors, but so far no one has located these gems’ primary source rocks. In our second paper, a team of researchers led by Dr. J.C. “Hanco” Zwaan focuses on mineral inclusions and geochemistry to propose a metasomatic origin for Montana’s alluvial sapphires.

	Next, Dr. François Farges and his colleagues profile the fascinating history and gemology of Louis XIV’s 135.74 ct Grand Sapphire, which was added to the French crown jewels in 1669, around the same time as the fabled Tavernier Blue diamond. On the basis of microscopic examination and spectroscopy, the authors suggest that this magnificent blue sapphire originated in Sri Lanka’s gem fields.

	Our fourth paper investigates unsightly tarnish spots in high-purity (99.9% Au) gold jewelry. Dr. Taijin Lu and his team from the National Gems & Jewellery Technology Administrative Center (NGTC) in Beijing use a combination of advanced techniques to detect the presence of silver and sulfur in the tarnish spots. The authors recommend careful cleaning during the gold manufacturing process to eliminate the possibility of silver contamination.

	In June 2015, a GIA team consisting of Tao Hsu, Andrew Lucas, and Vincent Pardieu visited four important opal fields at the rugged fringes of Australia’s arid Great Artesian Basin: Lightning Ridge, Koroit, Yowah, and Quilpie. Their field report documents mining activity and the growing importance of the revenue and employment brought to these remote outback communities by “opal tourism.”

	As usual, you’ll find our regular Lab Notes and Gem News International sections along with the third installment of the Micro-World column. Our GNI section includes an update from field gemologist Vincent Pardieu on rubies from a new deposit in Zahamena National Park, Madagascar. There are also reports from the 2015 Geological Society of America (GSA) annual meeting in Baltimore, the first International Emerald Symposium in Bogotá, Colombia, and the 34th International Gemological Conference (IGC) in Vilnius, Lithuania.

	Finally, you’ll notice this issue includes a ballot card for the Dr. Edward J. Gübelin Most Valuable Article Award. We had a fantastic response to our 2014 reader ballot, so please do vote again for your favorite 2015 articles.

	Please enjoy the Winter issue! Source: GIA @topic:1


Title: Romancing the Source: Pakistan Abstract: Pakistan

	Pakistan’s portion of the Silk Road traverses some of the highest mountains in the world, where mining benefits locals and helps them rebuild their lives.

	This series of articles and videos follows a team of GIA Field Gemologists on their travels from the mountains of Afghanistan to the jungles of Sri Lanka in search of the sources of colored gemstones and the people who pursue them. This thrilling journey will take you to remote gemstone-mining areas, where you’ll witness the extreme effort required to wrestle nature’s treasures from the earth.

	The romance of a colored gemstone arises from its beauty, the exotic qualities of its source’s location, the adventure leading to its discovery, and the stories of the people who seek it. These factors have united to create the allure of gemstones through the ages, and continue to do so even in modern times.

The northern region of Pakistan is home to some of the world’s highest mountains. In a ruby-producing area near the beautiful Hunza Valley, this miner’s wife attends a program created to educate her children and teach her to cut gemstones. Photo by Andrew Lucas.

	Pakistan yields a wealth of gemstones for jewelry and for mineral collectors. Incredible crystal specimens from the areas around Skardu, ruby from the Hunza Valley, and emerald from the Swat Valley are a few of the area’s treasures.

	Reaching the Gilget/Hunza valley area can involve a 17-hour drive from Islamabad, as flights are often cancelled due to weather conditions in the mountains. The drive is on the Karakoram Highway that passes through the area where three of the world’s greatest mountain ranges meet: the Karakoram, Hindu Kush, and Himalaya ranges. The dramatic forces created by the collision of these mountain ranges led to geological events that formed gemstones and shaped the area’s rugged terrain. This highway is part of the old Silk Road, and traveling on it today is still an exhilarating experience.

	The Swat Valley has been called the Switzerland of Central Asia. It’s surrounded by beautiful mountains covered with snow in the winter. After a violent conflict between Pakistani military forces and Taliban militants that led to the overthrow of Taliban control, emerald mining resumed in the valley as a means to rebuild the area and people’s lives. Source: GIA @topic:1


Title: Summer 2015 G&G: Dual-Stars, Photomicrography Guide, Rubies from Tajikistan, New Micro-World Section Abstract: Nathan Renfro’s article in this issue explores the role of image-processing software and lighting techniques in modern digital photomicrography. The cover image shows modified trigons on the surface of a diamond crystal from the Kelsey Lake mine on the Colorado-Wyoming border. This Nomarski differential interference contrast image was taken using a Nikon Eclipse LV100 microscope equipped with a 20× objective and a Canon 6D camera. Helicon Focus stacking software was used for extended depth-of-field image processing of 70 photomicrographs into a single image. Vertical field of view: 0.49 mm. Image by Nathan Renfro.

	Stars are one of the most fascinating phenomena in the gem world, and the summer issue of Gems & Gemology (G&G) takes an extensive look at the cause of dual-color double stars in both corundum and quartz. The issue also offers gemologists a how-to on taking photomicrographs of gemstone inclusions and a view of the rarely visited ruby source at Snezhnoe, Tajikistan. In addition, G&G debuts a new section called Micro-World, which offers a deep look inside gemstones to examine inclusions and the gems’ “inner-space.”

Dual-Color Double Stars in Ruby, Sapphire, and Quartz: Cause and Historical Account

Dual-color double star ruby and sapphire are best known from a line of synthetics mainly produced by the Linde Air Products Co. for the fashion jewelry market for nearly 30 years. Such stones are also occasionally found in nature in different sources around the world. The dual color refers to the double stars, one of them white and the other matching the host stone’s body color.

This pink synthetic sapphire showing a white six-rayed star and a pink star was purchased by one of the authors in Bangkok in 2010. The cabochon measures 14.4 × 11.2 mm and weighs 12.37 ct. Photo courtesy of M.P. Steinbach.

	In addition to the synthetics by Linde, the authors (Karl Schmetzer, Martin Steinbach, H. Albert Gilg and Andrea Blake) examined natural purple-pink sapphires from Myanmar, recently manufactured synthetics from various sources, and natural quartz from India and Brazil that also displayed the phenomena.

	The researchers noted that the customary white star is caused by minute rutile needles that reflect and scatter light at the surface of the curved dome of the cabochon. The body color star is also caused by these rutile inclusions, which reflect and scatter the light emanating from deeper within the stone.

	In quartz, needle-like rutile inclusions also are responsible for both of these stars.

	The researchers repolished some of the synthetics and found that when the dome was repolished, the white star disappeared; when the base was repolished, the body colored star disappeared. This indicated that the material was diffusion treated because the needle inclusions were confined to the surface.

Digital Photomicrography for Gemologists

	Photomicrography – photographing tiny gemstone inclusions with the use of a microscope – serves both research and artistic purposes.

	Until recently, the practitioners of this art used film instead of digital methods because of the superior color rendition and resolution that film once offered. But digital photomicrography has advanced to the point where it is in many ways superior to film, with the added benefit that the photographer can instantly see the results and easily make adjustments to the image.

The black manganese oxide “plumes” in this Australian opal serve as a good example of art and science merging in gemology. Photomicrograph by Nathan Renfro, field of view 5.85 mm. Note: Field of view is horizontal throughout this paper unless otherwise specified.

This article by GIA researcher Nathan Renfro details basic aspects of photomicrography, including selecting the proper gemological microscope and digital camera. It is important to make sure the camera has remote control capabilities, vibration control and the ability to take very high-resolution images.

	The author leads the reader through the steps of mounting the camera to the microscope, cleaning the gemstone and setting up the proper lighting. Darkfield illumination, generally the norm for gemological examination, is not always best for photomicrography because of the strong contrast between inclusions and background. Dust particles and scratches become very conspicuous. As a result, photographers should be able to employ a variety of lighting techniques, such as brightfield, diffused, fiber-optic, polarized, ultraviolet and the lesser-known differential interference contrast system (sometimes in combination).

	As in any photographic pursuit, capturing the image is only the first step. Processing to render the image as close as the actual subject as possible, beyond standard Photoshop, is the second step. This requires processing software that can improve focus – extending depth-of-field is a must because of the high magnification and extremely tight focal lengths. High dynamic range (HDR) software is also critical to combat overly bright or dark areas and to enhance detail. Some cameras, including phones, have HDR capability built in. Finally, it helps to include a scale bar that indicates the magnification in use and the size of the view field to give context to the final image.

Rubies and Sapphires from Snezhnoe, Tajikistan

	Ruby is one of the world’s most-desired gemstones. In this article a team of mineralogists and educators from Russia, Germany and Tajikistan report on a little-known deposit in Snezhnoe, Tajikistan, located very close to that country’s border with western China.

Left: Brown prismatic rutile inclusions within ruby from Snezhnoe. Photomicrograph by Elena S. Sorokina, magnified 35×. Right: A backscattered electron image of zircon (Zr) and rutile (Rt) inclusions in pink sapphire from the deposit (Cal = calcite, Mrg = margarite). From Sorokina (2011).

	This deposit was discovered in 1980, when the country was still part the Soviet Union. Soviet authorities estimated reserves of “hundreds of thousands of carats of gem corundum,” but kept actual production figures secret while mining between then and 1990. Mining resumed in the past decade, though the state-run enterprise still does not disclose production amounts.

	The Snezhnoe ruby deposit lies about 20 to 25 feet below the surface between layers of marble. The authors analyzed several dozen ruby-bearing rocks mined earlier and found the gems’ color ranged from pink sapphire, purple-red to bright red, with chromium levels similar to the well-known Mogok rubies. The researchers (Elena Sorokina and coauthors) found that Snezhnoe material has distinctive inclusions not found in ruby from any other locale: allanite, fuchsite and muscovite. These features can be used to help gemologists identify the source of these stones.

Micro-World

	The debut of the Micro-World section includes a look at a 30-million-year-old polished Dominican amber containing a long-legged mite, as well as a dark green apatite that, when broken, yielded a fascinating orange calcite inclusion. Upon magnification, the spherical inclusion had the appearance of a round orange mask with purple fluorite “eyes.” The Micro-World team (Nathan Renfro, Elise Skalwold and John Koivula) also examined a bi-color double-eye cabochon tourmaline that showed a pink band on one side and a colorless band on the other, despite the fact that the chatoyancy-causing growth tubes − shown clearly in the photomicrograph − were only in the colorless portion.

Lab-Notes

Diamonds

	The GIA lab in Bangkok examined six melee-sized colorless HPHT synthetic diamonds, ranging in size from .005 ct. to .01 ct. These synthetics, which were disclosed samples sent for research, showed no tell-tale inclusions or distinct absorption lines. The DiamondView device revealed blue or green fluorescence and characteristic growth patterns of synthetics.

Three LPHT-annealed CVD synthetic diamonds: Fancy Deep brownish orangy pink 0.37 ct (top left), Fancy Deep brown-pink 0.31 ct (top middle), and Fancy brown-pink 0.25 ct (top right). Their DiamondView images (bottom row) show orange fluorescence with linear growth striations.

	In addition, the New York lab examined three pink-to-brown CVD-grown diamonds that were further treated by a process known as low-pressure, high-temperature (LPHT). The diamonds, which weighed 0.37, 0.31 and 0.25 ct., were heated and subjected to low pressure to enhance their color. DiamondView imaging showed these diamonds had the orange fluorescence and linear growth striations typical of CVD synthetics.

This 1.18 ct Fancy Intense blue diamond was recently seen in the New York lab.

	The New York lab examined a 1.18 ct. natural type IIb Fancy Intense blue diamond that showed an extremely high concentration of boron – 5.84 parts per million. Most blue diamonds, like the type IIb Hope Diamond, have boron concentrations between 0.24 ppm and 0.36 ppm. This was the highest boron concentration GIA researchers have ever seen in a natural diamond.

	Another extraordinary type IIb was a natural 1.42 ct. Fancy gray-purple diamond submitted to the Carlsbad lab. The diamond was unusual for its color, but also for its extremely strong photoluminescence.

Pearls

	GIA researchers examined several unusual cultured pearls, one a large cream and white colored baroque shaped piece with an unusual translucent ring on one side. Upon examination, the pearl was found to be assembled, with a new section of nacre applied to an area that had broken off. The second was a necklace of Chinese cultured pearls with a strong pinkish-purple color. Tests showed these to be cultivated in fresh water, demonstrating that Chinese producers are growing ever larger and higher-quality pearls.

Sapphire

	Beryllium diffusion and lead-glass filling treatments have been well-publicized in the past decade. The GIA lab in Carlsbad recently examined a 4.25 ct. orange sapphire that had undergone both treatments. Magnification revealed numerous fractures filled with glass. Further testing revealed that it was treated with beryllium (Be). Because the Be treatment requires much higher temperatures (1800 to 1850 degrees C) than the glass filling process (900 to 1400 C), it was certainly done first. It was the first time GIA had encountered a gemstone with both treatments. Source: GIA @topic:3


Title: The Beauty and Value of Inclusions, Plus Double Stars and Corundum from Tajikistan Abstract: We hope you enjoy this edition’s unusual and distinctive cover image. It’s especially fitting, as a number of contributions in this issue deal with aspects of gem inclusions: their documentation using modern digital photography and image-processing software, how some interact with light inside a fashioned gem to produce asterism, and the straightforward instructional value that might be gained through their study.

Our cover article, by Nathan Renfro, analytical manager of the gem identification department at GIA’s Carlsbad laboratory, focuses on digital photomicrography for gemologists. Renfro’s article builds on the landmark 2003 paper by his longtime mentor and master of gem-inclusion photography John Koivula, to offer a highly practical and relevant guide covering equipment and current techniques for the gemologist.

In the lead article, we present a paper by a team of researchers headed by Dr. Karl Schmetzer, a frequent contributor to Gems & Gemology during the 1980s and 1990s. We are delighted to welcome Dr. Schmetzer back to our journal. He and his coauthors offer a comprehensive description of a largely unappreciated form of asterism: the dual-color “double stars” observed in some natural sapphire, ruby, and quartz, as well as synthetic corundum, including diffusion-treated examples. The authors discuss the mechanism by which double stars are formed and present a historical summary of the manufacture and improvement of synthetic star corundum by diffusion treatment.

		We invite gemologists to take a closer look at the astounding beauty and variety of the micro-world of gems.

Our third article, by Russian researcher Dr. Elena Sorokina and her coauthors, provides an update on the geology, mining, and internal and external features of ruby and sapphire from Snezhnoe, Tajikistan. This is a welcome summary of a marble-hosted deposit with significant potential, one that has seen little study or previous coverage in the gemological literature.

After these three feature articles, you’ll find our regular Lab Notes and Gem News International sections, which include further entries from the 2015 Tucson shows and a report of the recent Maine pegmatite workshop.

In addition, we present a new quarterly column on inclusions entitled “Micro-World.” With this new regular feature, section editors Nathan Renfro, Elise Skalwold, and John Koivula aim to foster the wider appreciation of inclusions and to bolster practicing gemologists’ observational skills by providing concise reports accompanied by stunning photomicrographs of specially chosen specimens. The authors invite gemologists to take a closer look at the astounding beauty and variety of inclusions in gems.

Finally, I'd like to thank Stuart and the entire G&G editorial and production staff. Due to the unexpected death of a close family member, I have been out of the United States for a period of weeks. As a result, I have come to appreciate the hard work and dedication of the entire G&G team even more.

All of us at G&G hope you enjoy the Summer issue! Source: GIA @topic:1