Publication Year: - Title: Fancy Color Diamonds Highlight Alrosa Hong Kong Tender Abstract: This 54.2 ct. Fancy Deep yellow diamond was expected to sell for $1.5 million at the Alrosa diamond tender in Hong Kong. It was mined at Lomonosov pipe in the extreme northwestern area of Russia. Photo by Russell Shor/GIA

                      Alrosa, the world’s largest diamond producer by volume, lowered prices an average of 10% at its regular September rough diamond sale, but demand for its large colorless diamonds and fancy colors remained strong at the company’s tender auction in Hong Kong.

The company, which mines and markets some 90% of Russia’s diamond production, offered polished stones larger than 5 carats and fancy colored diamonds at the Hong Kong auction. The highlights were a 54.2 carat (ct.) Fancy Deep yellow cut-corner rectangle and a 0.42 ct. Fancy Vivid purple pink. The large yellow had a minimum offer price of $1.5 million, according to Alrosa, and the purple-pink diamond had a per carat reserve of “more than $1.6 million,” one trader said.

Officials from Alrosa said both diamonds were mined in the Archangel region near the country’s border with Finland, some 2,600 miles west of Russia’s traditional diamond producing area of Mirny in Siberia. The Archangel operation, mined by a subsidiary named Severalmaz, is relatively new. It began production at the Lomonosov pipe in a small way in 2005, but a 2014 upgrade quadrupled its capacity to 1.4 million carats yearly. Another nearby pipe, Karpinskogo, also came on line last year, producing 266,000 carats, including fancy colored diamonds.

	This 0.42 ct. Fancy Vivid purple pink diamond offered at the September Alrosa diamond tender was mined at Lomonosov pipe in the extreme northwestern portion of Russia. It was expected to sell for more than $1.6 million per carat. Photo by Russell Shor/GIA
Alrosa officials said most of the diamonds at the sale had solid offers − in contrast to the slow business of the trade show happening in the convention hall several floors below. Alrosa has been running invitation-only tender auctions in tandem with the September Hong Kong Gem and Jewellery Fair, the largest single gathering of diamond traders in the world, since 2007. Last year, the company’s Hong Kong sales totaled $43.2 million, which also included on-going sales of rough and commercial sized polished diamonds.

Alrosa surpassed De Beers as the world’s largest diamond source five years ago and sells the vast majority of its production – 38 million carats last year – in regular sales similar to De Beers’ sights. In addition to its Hong Kong tenders, the company also offers large rough diamonds – 10.8 carats and above − via periodic online auctions.

De Beers remains the leader in value, however, logging rough diamond sales of $7.1 billion in 2014 (on 32.7 million carats) compared to Alrosa’s $3.7 billion.

Alrosa’s third quarter sales fell dramatically from $1 billion in last year’s June-September period to $563 million this year. Prices fell 8% to 10% on average during that same period. Its sales volume plunged from 7.6 million carats in the third quarter of 2014, to 4.9 million carats, according to an Alrosa statement.  By comparison, De Beers said it sold 14 million carats during the first half of the year, a 26% decline from the same period of 2014.

In the first half of the year, Alrosa sold just over $232 million to Gokhran, the Russian government stockpiling agency, instead of selling into the difficult diamond market.  Gokhran holds periodic auctions of its diamond stocks and 2015 sales have been running 45% below last year’s levels. The country’s Ministry of Finance estimates a year-end total of $66 million, compared to $102 million last year. @chapter:38


Publication Year: 2010 Title: Strongly Colored Pink CVD Lab-Grown Diamonds Abstract: This study characterizes CVD laboratory-grown diamonds from Apollo Diamond Inc. that have strong pink colors produced by high concentrations of NV centers. The samples examined weighed ~0.3–0.7 ct, and their color and clarity grades were comparable to top natural pink diamonds. A combination of optical centers were detected using photoluminescence and absorption spectroscopy. These centers are similar to those seen in previously studied pink-to-red diamonds that have been exposed to HPHT annealing, followed by irradiation and annealing at relatively low temperatures. These pink CVD products can be separated from natural and treated-color natural pink diamonds by a combination of gemological and spectroscopic properties, such as fluorescence color, growth zoning, and absorption features in the infrared and UV-Vis regions.

	Data Depository

Additional Figures
	Submitted by Wuyi WangMay 5, 2010 @chapter:15


Publication Year: 1992 Title: Peridot as an Interplanetary Gemstone Abstract: The stony-iron meteorites known as pallasites are famed for the areas of yellowish green olivines they contain. Since the earliest description by Peter Simon Pallas in the 18th century, reference has been made to the gem-like nature of these meteorite "inclusions." Not until the early 20th century, however, was there any record of a faceted pallasitic olivine, and only recently have a handful of stones been available for gemological examination. Study of nine peridots faceted from pallasites revealed properties within the range known for peridots plus a common inclusion feature never before observed in their terrestrial counterparts. @chapter:0


Publication Year: - Title: Exhibition Review: Unique by Design at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Abstract: American artist Myra Mimlitsch-Gray’s Brass Knuckles, a ring composed of 24K gold over brass with brass charms, is one of the pieces exhibited in Unique by Design: Contemporary Jewelry in the Donna Schneier Collection.  Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Donna Schneier, 2007 (2007.384.38).

                      The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibit of contemporary jewelry from the Donna Schneier Collection features an eclectic assembly of works from 88 designers in 19 countries that bridges the gap between art and jewelry. The exhibit, curated by Jane Adlin, includes over 130 pieces of contemporary jewelry. Located in the Lila Acheson Wallace Wing for Modern and Contemporary Art Design and Architecture, the show runs through Aug. 31, 2014.

Schneier’s collection documents the evolution of the studio art movement at a time of intense and diverse experimentation. The exhibition comprises many seminal art jewelry pieces, dating from the 1960s through the present, some of which are prominent in contemporary jewelry art books and well deserving of such display at the Met. The following are particularly worthy of mention: a silver, yellow gold, enamel, mother-of-pearl, ebony, and semi-precious gemstone necklace by Earl Pardon; a paper cord and canvas bib necklace and bracelet suite by Eugene and Hiroko Pijanowski; a diamond and PVC-laminated photograph brooch by Gijs Bakker; and a yellow gold, bezel-set emerald, chrysoprase, sapphire, lapis, and enamel square brooch by Hermann Junger.

View Gallery

	Images from Unique by Design: Contemporary Jewelry in the Donna Schneier Collection
The exhibit’s museography is simple. The show is hosted in a square room, with the work of three artists highlighted on the back wall: David Watkins's minimalistic silver, steel, and acrylic geometric pieces; William Harper's gold, gemstone, and cloisonné enamel virtuosic numbers; and Thomas Gentille’s oversized eggshell, wood, and lacquer creations. The rest of the exhibit is split between seven themed vitrines, each allowing the visitor to observe objects from the front and the back.

The first window is dedicated to the Eugene and Hiroko Pijanowski suite. The second window presents a few selected “Gold” pieces. One of the most notable is the Mary Lee Hu Choker # 70, a magnificent woven necklace which assembles 20 kite-shaped motifs. With these magnificent gold pieces, the exhibition starts with strong, prominent jewelry. The third window's theme, revolving around “Minimalism,” includes the aforementioned diamond brooch by Gijs Bakker and a delicate translucent acrylic cuff bracelet by Emily Van Lersum. Of utmost interest for the gemologist is a silver and mica chain by Joan Parcher. This chain, made of pierced circular mica links, remains a lapidary enigma: How to carve mica, one of the most fragile gem materials? This fascinating display revisits the perception of value by using non-precious material, demonstrating that craftsmanship and design may be more important than the value of the material used.

The fourth group challenges the usual notion of scale displays “Maximal” pieces. One of the most impressive examples featured is an oversized silver, yellow gold, and garnet heart brooch by Lola Brooks. The fifth vitrine assembles jewels with a “Narrative” quality. The most striking, a breastplate by Kiff Slemmons made of silver, No. 2 pencils, stone, horsehair, coins, and leather, is reminiscent of a Native American trophy neckpiece. The sixth column is filled with “Found and Parodied Objects.” One of the most illustrative items in this ensemble is a gold-plated silver, plastic polymer, and found-objects necklace by Helen Britton. The last vitrine presents “Sculptural” jewelry. This extremely diverse group, comprised mainly of brooches, clearly highlights a parallel between sculpture, architecture, and jewelry. Georg Dobler's steel wire and black chrome geometric lattice brooch provides an emblematic example.

For jewelry enthusiasts, students, and modern art amateurs, the Schneier collection is a must-see exhibition that displays the endless variety of art studio jewelry. The impressive collection would certainly have benefited from a more detailed and didactic museography to help the visitor appreciate the originality and quality of the items displayed. Who better than the Met could draw enlightening parallels between the antique, Viennese School, and Art Deco inspirations? One could only lament that jewelry exhibitions in general provide little explanation on how these works of art are inspired and produced. The magnificence and significance of this ensemble may not be fully appreciated, as the visitor leaves the Met with no documentation related to the show. Jewelry collections, even contemporary ones, require more historical and cultural background materials to convert art amateurs into avid jewelry collectors. @chapter:16


Publication Year: 2014 Title: Tenebrescent Zircon Abstract: Figure 1. This 13.16 ct zircon is shown before (left) and just after 30 minutes of short-wave UV exposure (center). The SWUV lighting darkened the stone, while darkness restored the orange color. The image on the right shows the color of the stone after it was left in the dark for three weeks. Photos by Sasithorn Engniwat.

              The Bangkok laboratory recently received for identification a 13.16 ct reddish orange stone, submitted as tenebrescent zircon (figure 1, left). Standard gemological testing indicated typical properties for the stable form of zircon: RI was over the detection limit of the standard refractometer, SG was approximately 4.50, and the sample was inert to both long- and short-wave UV. After exposure to short-wave UV for approximately 30 minutes, however, its tone became darker. Chemical analysis using EDXRF showed significant amounts of zirconium and silicon, as well as a trace amount of hafnium.

Tenebrescence, the phenomenon of reversible photochromism, is common in gemstones such as hackmanite (a variety of sodalite) but unusual in zircon. In September 2011, GIA examined two zircons from central Australia that turned orange in darkness and faded to near colorless when exposed to light (S.F. McClure, “Tenebrescent zircon,” Winter 2011 G&G, pp. 314–315). This zircon displayed a different phenomenon: Its reddish orange color did not fade under fluorescent lighting or fiber-optic light. Exposure to short-wave UV (SWUV) caused it to darken. The reddish orange component gradually diminished, and the stone appeared brown (figure 1, center). There was no further change after 30 minutes.

The UV-visible spectrum after SWUV exposure showed a significant increase in absorption in the 590–750 nm range, reducing transmission of the orange to red color and making the stone darker (figure 2).

	Figure 2. After 30 minutes of SWUV exposure, the zircon’s absorption spectrum revealed more absorption in the 590–750 nm range, which relates to an orange to red color.
As noted above, the reaction is reversible. The reddish orange color returned when the stone was stored in the dark at room temperature (see figure 1, right). The color change was obvious in the first 10 to 20 hours. After that, no further color change was observed.

To determine whether the process was repeatable, the stone was again subjected to SWUV. Once again the reddish orange color darkened in tone.

In summary, the reddish orange zircon was darkened by short-wave UV exposure, and the color returned when the stone was stored in the dark. The darkening reaction was much faster than the recovery. Further studies incorporating other conditions that might affect the rate of color modification in tenebrescent zircon are being conducted. @chapter:17


Publication Year: 2013 Title: Ancient Tourmaline and Beryl from Afghanistan Abstract: This 9.52 ct pink tourmaline is part of an extensive private collection of ornaments claimed to be from ancient Afghanistan. Photo by Jaroslav Hyršl.

              A large private collection of beads and carvings from antique excavations, assembled in the 1970s by a collector in Afghanistan, was recently examined. The pieces were claimed to be found near the ancient city of Bactra (modern-day Balkh), 300 km northwest of Kabul near the border with Uzbekistan. Bactra was a center of the Bactrian civilization, which flourished from 2500 to 1500 BC. The collection contains several thousand drilled beads, mostly agate, carnelian, and rare blue chalcedony. The next most abundant materials are turquoise—some as small as 1 mm in diameter—and lapis lazuli. Less common are garnet (two types of almandine), rock crystal, amethyst, serpentinite, and steatite, as well as organic materials identified as amber, pearl, and mother-of-pearl. Other very interesting finds are treated rock crystal and milky quartz, both containing blue glass spots on their surfaces, similar to medieval sapphire imitations (Fall 2001 GNI, pp. 243–245).

The two most interesting pieces, a pink bird (above) and a very pale blue bead (below), were studied in detail. The bird had a light green bottom section, measured 13.9 × 13.6 × 7.6 mm, and weighed 9.52 ct, with a refractive index close to 1.63. It was strongly pleochroic (pink and colorless), and it was uniaxial negative in a conoscope. In both short- and long-wave UV light the center was inert, but a thin triangular zone of light blue fluorescence was visible near the surface. These tests confirmed the stone’s identification as tourmaline. It was originally a “watermelon” tourmaline, pink with a green rim, but only a small part of the green rim had been preserved.

	This aquamarine bead, reported to be from Afghanistan, weighs 20.28 ct and is likely one of the oldest of its kind. Photo by Jaroslav Hyršl.
The pale blue bead was set in a heavily corroded metal, probably bronze. The entire piece measured 20.7 × 12.3 × 6.7 mm and weighed 20.28 ct, with an RI close to 1.59. The stone was weakly pleochroic (very light blue and colorless), inert in UV light, and uniaxial negative in a conoscope. These results indicated a very pale aquamarine. The identification of both beads was confirmed by their Raman patterns, collected by A. Gilg (Technical University of Munich).

Both beads are possibly among the oldest of their kind. Large and historically significant rubellites have been reported from the 14th and 16th centuries, and a single beryl bead from Nubia has been dated back to Predynastic time (before 3200 BC), but few details are known. The first beryl locality of significance was reportedly the Egyptian emerald deposit exploited as early as the Ptolemaic era (after 332 BC).

Both tourmaline and aquamarine are typical pegmatite minerals. Gem-bearing pegmatites have been mined since the 1970s in the Nuristan province of eastern Afghanistan and northern Pakistan—the possible origin of both beads. @chapter:25


Publication Year: 2019 Title: Grandidierite Inclusions in Sapphires Abstract: Figure 1. Lath-like mineral inclusions of grandidierite were seen in this sapphire at GIA’s Carlsbad laboratory. Photomicrograph by Nathan Renfro; field of view 2.61 mm.

Recently the authors independently encountered an inclusion that has not been previously reported in sapphire. Both stones contained colorless crystals that were identified by Raman analysis as the mineral grandidierite. The sapphire examined by author MH in Carlsbad, California, contained colorless lath-like inclusions (figure 1). The sapphire examined by author EBH in Bangkok contained a colorless crystal that reached the surface of the sapphire host and displayed a duller luster in reflected light, and birefringent interference colors when examined using cross-polarized light (figure 2). Both observations are consistent with what one would expect for grandidierite.

Figure 2. A colorless grandidierite crystal was seen in a sapphire examined by author EBH at Lotus Gemology in Bangkok (left). In reflected light, the grandidierite inclusion showed a duller luster than the sapphire host (center) and cross-polarized light revealed birefringent interference colors (right). Photomicrographs by E. Billie Hughes; field of view 1.7 mm.
Grandidierite, named after French naturalist Alfred Grandidier (1836–1921), is an extremely rare orthorhombic Mg-Fe aluminous borosilicate with the formula (Mg,Fe)Al3(BO3)(SiO4)O2. The mineral is described as bluish green to greenish blue; the blue color increases with Fe content. It is transparent to translucent with a pale yellow to colorless, greenish blue, and blue trichroism. Since its discovery, grandidierite has been found as a rare accessory mineral in aluminous boron-rich pegmatite; in aplite, gneiss, and crystalline rock associated with charnockite; and in rock subjected to local high-temperature, low-pressure metamorphism (contact aureoles and xenoliths). To the authors’ knowledge, these are the first observations of grandidierite as an inclusion in sapphire. @chapter:19


Publication Year: 2007 Title: Latest-Generation CVD-Grown Synthetic Diamonds from Apollo Diamond Inc. Abstract: Gemological and spectroscopic properties of 43 CVD synthetic diamonds from Apollo Diamond Inc. were examined to characterize the latest generation of their CVD products. These samples, which included both faceted gems and partially polished crystals, were provided as representative examples of Apollo’s 2006–2007 production. Relative to the Apollo CVD products examined in 2003, the new samples showed significant improvements in size, color, and clarity. In addition to colorless and near-colorless material, fancy orange-to-pink colors are now produced. These high-quality CVD-grown diamonds, comparable in color and clarity to natural diamonds, can be identified using a combination of gemological and spectroscopic properties. @chapter:15


Publication Year: - Title: Bench Tip #2: Make a Plan to Improve Productivity at Your Workbench Abstract: Success as a bench jeweler depends on many factors, but having a plan to continually improve your business is one of the most important ingredients for long-term success.

Try these steps for continual improvement:

1. Start the day with an affirmation: “Today I will make an improvement that will benefit me every day for the rest of my career.”

2. Use a timer, alarm or scheduling software to signal a “continual improvement” break.

3. Each time you get the signal, stop for a moment and jot down observations about things that have hindered productivity.

		Ask yourself: “What irritated me?” “What wasted time?”

		Examples of your answers might be: I couldn’t find my barrette needle file. I had to walk into the other room to ask a question. I had trouble holding on to the item I was working on. My 5.2 mm setting burr is dull.

4. Find the time of the day when you usually feel creative and motivated to evaluate your notes and search for solutions. Try to organize the information into patterns. You may find, for example, that there were several times throughout the day when you couldn’t find a particular tool.

5. Organize your list of “issues” by priority. Which causes the most trouble? Which would yield the most benefit if improved?

6. Pick the highest-priority issue and brainstorm solutions. Ask for suggestions from others. Do some research. Find something you can do TODAY to improve the situation, then take a few minutes to act on your idea. Make tomorrow work better!

If you can embrace the concept of continual improvement, you will see dramatic changes over time. At 250 work days a year, you could potentially come up with 2,500 improvements in the next 10 years! @chapter:34


Publication Year: 2016 Title: Honduran and Turkish Opal Abstract: Left: This Honduran banded opal, 10 cm in height, shows a 1–3 mm thick stratified opal layer attached to matrix. Right: Turkish dendritic opal was available as cabochons. Photos by Donna Beaton.

	Harald Mühlinghaus (Opal Imperium, Enkirch, Germany) has been exhibiting at the Pueblo Gem & Mineral Show for more than 20 years. The company sources, fabricates, and sells a number of colored gemstones, but their main focus is opal from Australia, Mexico, Honduras, and other locales. At the booth were some unusual examples that have rarely been documented, such as the banded opal in the left-hand image, obtained about 30 years ago from an unrecorded Honduran location. This material occurs as solid vertical veins in matrix with approximately 1 cm stratifications of play-of-color, which indicate the cyclical concentration and the formation of the silica spheres that form opal. The phenomenon is most distinct in fairly sizable pieces of rough, with 1–3 mm opal layers on matrix measuring 5–15 cm across, which makes these specimens more suitable for display than for jewelry. Some of the smaller examples displayed only nonphenomenal layers, while others had play-of-color fading to potch at each cycle.

	Also on display were dendritic opal cabochons (right) from rough obtained from Simav, Turkey, about four years ago. This material, which Mühlinghaus called “Turkish dendritic opal,” has been cut so that each piece shows clearly delineated opaque white and semitransparent areas, embedded with fine branched black inclusions reminiscent of traditional Japanese tategaki characters. @chapter:39


Publication Year: 2020 Title: Fine-Quality Jadeite Jewelry Abstract: Figure 1. A selection of jewelry offered at Frank Lau’s booth. Jadeite of fine quality is not commonly seen in Tucson. Photo by Tao Hsu.

At this year’s Pueblo Gem and Mineral Show, the authors met Frank Lau from Frank Lau Jewelry. What caught the authors’ attention was the collection of fine-quality jadeite jewelry, which is predominantly found in the mainland China market but not in Tucson.
Mr. Lau’s booth offered a wide variety of jadeite including green, colorless, lavender, and red ranging in quality from medium to fine (figure 1). The jadeites are polished and carved in Guangzhou, China, while the jewelry is manufactured either in China or Seattle, where the store is located. Clients of the jadeite jewelry include both Chinese and Americans, with many repeat customers.

Figure 2. A rough jadeite boulder shows a very thin layer of reddish brown skin. Red jadeite is even rarer than the green variety. This boulder was offered at the Myanmar Gem Emporium. Photo by Tao Hsu.
While all of the jadeites are natural, Mr. Lau informed the authors that the reddish brown pendant is heated (figure 1). Reddish brown jadeite is extremely rare. This color is produced from a very thin layer of jadeite boulder (figure 2) leaving little material to make pieces of reasonable sizes. A good amount of reddish jadeite on the market is heated in air to oxidize the Fe-containing minerals to make the stone look red. This treatment is extremely hard to identify.
The colorless jadeite pieces, also called “ice jade,” are of very fine quality. This variety is popular with younger consumers. The exceptionally fine texture and relatively high transparency make it an alternative to the top-quality imperial green stones. When inclusions are present in the colorless jadeite, sellers describe them as “snowflakes” to attract buyers of different tastes (figure 3).

Figure 3. This colorless jadeite pendant is of very high transparency. Many sellers describe the whitish inclusions as “snowflakes.” Photo by Tao Hsu.
Mr. Lau sources his rough materials from Myanmar, though the skyrocketing price of rough makes this business increasingly difficult. He looks forward to the availability of more consumer-oriented jadeite education so Western consumers can better appreciate this gem. @chapter:37


Publication Year: 2020 Title: Update on Inclusions in Emeralds from Davdar, China Abstract: Figure 1. Left: A Davdar emerald hosted numerous black mineral inclusions identified by laser Raman microspectrometry as magnetite. Right: The Raman spectrum of the inclusions is shown along with the Raman reference spectrum for magnetite in the RRUFF database. Spectra are offset for clarity. Inset photomicrograph by Di Cui.
We recently had the opportunity to examine emeralds containing unknown solid inclusions and numerous multiphase inclusions reportedly from Davdar, China. Three green transparent rough samples were acquired from the former mine owner Guimin Wong. They weighed 0.55, 0.45, and 0.50 ct, respectively, with a diameter from 4.0 to 5.0 mm, a refractive index of 1.578 ± 0.002–1.584 ± 0.001, and SG ranging from 2.64 to 2.76. They were inert to both long- and short-wave UV radiation. Inclusion features of Davdar emeralds have been reported previously in the literature.
Very few mineral species have been identified as inclusions in this emerald—these include feldspar (plagioclase) (S. Saeseaw et al., “Three-phase inclusions in emerald and their impact on origin determination,” Summer 2014 G&G, pp. 114–132; S. Saeseaw et al., “Geographic origin determination of emerald,” Winter 2019 G&G, pp. 614–646) and to a lesser extent tourmaline, mica, scheelite, and fluorite (D. Marshall, “Geological work,” InColor, Spring 2009, p. 29). Black rounded crystals were observed in some of the Davdar emeralds we studied. Previous studies noted the presence of black minerals as well but did not identify them (S. Saeseaw et al., 2014, 2019). We revealed the black mineral to be magnetite via Raman microspectrometry (figure 1). This is potentially the first time magnetite has been identified in Davdar emeralds, though it has been identified in emeralds from other regions (referenced above). Magnetite as a black iron oxide inclusion is commonly seen in emeralds from Zambian and Brazilian localities and other schist-hosted origins (again, see Saeseaw et al., 2019).
Multiphase inclusions occur commonly in Davdar emeralds with solid phases (mainly halides such as halite assumed by D. Marshall et al., “Conditions for emerald formation at Davdar, China: Fluid inclusion, trace element and stable isotope studies,” Mineralogical Magazine, Vol. 76, No. 1, 2012, pp. 213–226). Since previous studies reported that some birefringent phases did not dissolve during heating (again, see Marshall et al., 2012), we hoped to learn the solid phase identity in fluid inclusions. Comprehensive microscopic and Raman spectroscopic analyses indicated the presence of dolomite and likely calcite daughter inclusions (figures 2 and 3). As the solubility of a carbonate such as calcite seems to show an inverse solubility with respect to temperature (see B. Coto et al., “Effects in the solubility of CaCO3: Experimental study and model description,” Fluid Phase Equilibria, Vol. 324, 2012, pp. 1–7), the first identified dolomite daughter crystals could be attributable to the phases that were insoluble with increasing temperature and added more constraints to fluid inclusions in Davdar emeralds.

Figure 2. Left: Solid-rich fluid inclusions in Davdar emerald. One of the solid phases was determined to be dolomite. Right: The corresponding spectrum (red) showed peaks from both the host beryl (black) and the reference spectrum for dolomite in the RRUFF database (blue). Photomicrograph by Di Cui.

Figure 3. Two daughter crystals in separate inclusions were identified as likely calcite based on comparison with Raman reference spectra from the RRUFF database. The top and bottom left images show the spectra of the two daughter inclusions (red), the host beryl (black), and the RRUFF calcite reference spectrum (green). The dominant calcite peak at 1087 cm–1 matches with weak peaks in both daughter crystals. The top and bottom right images show the weak 1087 cm–1 peak corresponding to calcite under magnification. Photomicrographs by Di Cui.
As far as we are aware, the carbonate phase could simply refer to the local geologic background and the host rock lithology, which mainly consisted of sandstone and dolomitic limestone. Study of the inclusions showed interesting results due to the genetic environment of the Davdar emerald mine. In addition to the daughter chloride such as halite, the identified dolomite mineral defined the complex multiphase assemblage for the Davdar fluid inclusion population. @chapter:6


Publication Year: 1982 Title: Shadowing: A New Method of Image Enhancement for Gemological Microscopy Abstract: The shadowing technique employs an opaque, black, nonreflecting light shield that is inserted gradually into the transmitted light path of a gemological microscope between the subject and the light source. Shadowing takes advantage of even very slight differences in refractive index between a gemstone host and its inclusions, casting shadows in certain areas of an inclusion scene and passing light to the microscope objectives in other areas of the image. Thus, shadowing produces a three-dimensionality that seems to lift the inclusion from its surroundings, revealing it in vivid contrast against the now-subdued background of the host. This increase in contrast adds much greater detail to growth zones, included crystals, color zones, and the like, thus greatly aiding the gemologist in his work with the microscope. @chapter:17


Publication Year: 2019 Title: Paraíba-Like Synthetic Sapphire Abstract: Figure 1. This 7.78 ct round brilliant and 4.90 ct cushion brilliant displayed a blue-green and green-blue color, respectively, that are reminiscent of Paraíba tourmaline. Photograph by Nathan Renfro.

Recently GIA’s Carlsbad laboratory received for identification two gemstones weighing 7.78 and 4.90 ct (figure 1) that showed a neon green-blue to blue-green color similar to that of Paraíba tourmaline. Standard gemological testing yielded a refractive index of 1.76–1.77 and a specific gravity of 4.00, consistent with corundum. Microscopic examination revealed curved color banding (figure 2) when viewed with diffused light and immersed in methylene iodide. Plato lines were observed when examining the stones parallel to the optic axis using cross-polarized light. Curved color banding and Plato lines are the two most important pieces of evidence to separate natural from flame-fusion synthetic sapphire using standard gemological testing. Also observed were wavy, finely textured clouds associated with the blue color zones (figure 3). Pink emission caused by the presence of trace-element magnesium was seen only with fiber-optic light. This stone does not react to fluorescent light.

Figure 2. Subtly curved color zoning was seen in this vibrant blue-green synthetic sapphire, confirming its flame-fusion origin. Photomicrograph by Forozan Zandi; field of view 5.33 mm.

Figure 3. Blue color zones in the Paraíba-like synthetic sapphires showed wispy clouds when observed with fiber-optic illumination. Photomicrographs by Forozan Zandi; fields of view 4.95 mm.
Trace-element chemistry measured by laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) showed the presence of cobalt (105–158 ppmw, with detection limit at 0.652 ppmw), which is presumably responsible for the vibrant color, and magnesium (0.52–1.05 ppmw, with detection limit at 0.044 ppmw). Other trace elements such as Ni, Fe, Cr, and Ti were under the detection limits.
This is the first time GIA’s Carlsbad lab has examined flame-fusion synthetic sapphire with a color similar to Paraíba tourmaline. @chapter:12


Publication Year: 2001 Title: Spring 2001 G&G Book Reviews Abstract: “Jeweled Bugs and Butterflies”
By Marilyn Nissenson and Susan Jonas, 120 pp., illus., publ. by Harry N. Abrams, New York, 2000. US$29.95

“Paulding Farnham: Tiffany’s Lost Genius”
By John Loring, 151 pp., illus., publ. by Harry N. Abrams, New York, 2000. US$49.50

“The Crown Jewels: The History of the Coronation Regalia in the Jewel House of the Tower of London”
By C. Blair, A. Grimwade, R. R. Harding, E. A. Jobbins, D. King, R. W. Lightbown, and K. Scarratt. Volume I: The History, 812 pp.; Volume II: The Catalogue, 630 pp. Illus., publ. by The Stationery Office, London, 1998. US$1,650

“Colored Stones of Yakutia and Places of Their Origin”
By V. G. Gadiatov and V. K. Marshinsev, 328 pp., illus., publ. by Yekaterinburg Bank of Cultural Information, Yekaterinburg, Russia, 2000, 150 rubles (about US$5.25) [in Russian]

“Gemmologia Europa VII—European Gemmologists on the Emerald”
Edited by Margherita Superchi, 221 pp., illus., publ. by CISGEM, Milan, Italy, 2000, 35,000 lira (about US$16.00) [in Italian and English]

“Mughals, Maharajas and the Mahatma”
By  K. R. N. Swamy, 265 pp., illus., publ. by Harper Collins Publishers India, New Delhi, 1997, US$18.95

To view the full section, download the PDF above. @chapter:21


Publication Year: 2014 Title: CVD Synthetic Diamond with Fancy Vivid Orange Color Abstract: Figure 1. This 1.04 ct round was identified as a CVD synthetic diamond. Its Fancy Vivid pinkish orange color was introduced through post-growth irradiation and annealing. Photo by Sood Oil (Judy) Chia.

              With the rapid improvement of CVD synthetic diamond quality in recent years, various colorations can be introduced after growth. The New York laboratory recently tested a CVD synthetic with a very attractive orange color.

This round-cut specimen weighed 1.04 ct and was color graded as Fancy Vivid pinkish orange (figure 1), a very rare color among natural and treated diamonds. Except for a few dark pinpoint inclusions, it showed no notable internal features. Under crossed polarizers, it displayed natural-looking “tatami” strain patterns. Absorption spectroscopy in the infrared region showed typical type IIa features, with no detectable defect-related absorption. At liquid-nitrogen temperature, a few absorption features were detected in the UV-Vis-NIR region (figure 2). The major ones include absorptions from N-V centers with ZPL at 575.0 and 636.9 nm, and their related side bands. We also recorded absorptions from some irradiation-related defects, including 594.4 nm, GR1 at 741.2 nm, ND1 at 393.4 nm, and the general radiation absorption features at 420–450 nm. Also observed were weak absorptions from the H3 defect at 503.2 nm, possible nickel-related defects at 516.1 nm, and [Si-V]– at 736.6/736.9 nm. Under the strong short-wave UV radiation of the DiamondView, the sample showed very strong red fluorescence with sharp linear growth striations, a unique feature of CVD synthetic diamond. Weak red phosphorescence was also detected. These observations confirmed that this was a CVD synthetic diamond with post-growth treatments. Nitrogen concentration, based on absorptions in infrared absorption spectroscopy, was below 1 ppm. After initial growth, the sample was artificially irradiated and then annealed at moderate temperatures to introduce the N-V centers. Strong absorptions from N-V centers are the main causes of the observed pinkish orange bodycolor.

Figure 2. Several defects were detected in the CVD synthetic diamond’s absorption spectrum in the UV-Vis-NIR region at liquid-nitrogen temperature. Strong absorptions from the N-V centers are the main cause of the observed pinkish orange color.
The very attractive orange color was achieved by introducing the proper concentrations of N-V centers while limiting the formation of other defects. It should be pointed out that the relatively high concentration of [Si-V]– could be attributed to the treatment by combining preexisting Si impurity with artificially introduced vacancies. With further developments in after-growth treatment, it is highly likely that more colors in CVD synthetic diamonds will be introduced. @chapter:15


Publication Year: - Title: The Latest on Synthetic Diamonds Abstract: The largest blue HPHT synthetic diamonds to date: a 5.26 ct heart shape and a 5.27 ct emerald cut. Both were graded as Fancy Deep blue. Photo by Terry Poon.

Dr. James Shigley, GIA distinguished research fellow, is one of the foremost experts in diamonds and their identification. In this presentation recorded at the 2017 JCK Las Vegas show, he shares the latest developments about HPHT and CVD synthetic diamonds, and information on GIA’s ability to identify them.
Gem quality synthetic diamonds became commercially available in 1986. Since then, the production and quality have steadily increased. “Synthetic diamonds have a place in the market as long as they are properly disclosed at the time of sale,” Shigley said. The increased use of synthetic diamonds, also referred to as laboratory grown or manmade diamonds, in jewelry and their marketing to consumers make accurate identification and disclosure even more important, so buyers can make informed decisions.

Synthetic diamonds have a place in the market as long as they are properly disclosed at the time of sale.
Dr. James Shigley, GIA distinguished research fellow

GIA’s research teams have years of experience examining natural and synthetic diamonds. That research, coupled with advanced technology, enables GIA to positively identify manmade diamonds, separating them from natural gems. In addition to screening every diamond submitted for grading to confirm its origin as natural or lab-grown, the Institute offers a specialized service to screen parcels of melee (small diamonds that are approximately 0.005 to 0.25 ct used in jewelry), offering clients an extensive analysis that differentiates natural diamonds from synthetic diamonds. Shigley also discusses the GIA iD100™, a new instrument that definitively separates natural diamonds from synthetic diamonds.

	The Latest on Synthetic Diamonds

Shigley received his undergraduate in geology from the University of California, Berkeley and his doctorate in geology from Stanford University. He joined GIA in 1982 and helps direct GIA’s research activities in the identification of diamonds and colored gemstones. He has represented the Institute’s work around the world, giving lectures and publishing his research. @chapter:31


Publication Year: 2013 Title: The “Glet Filling”: The Filling of the Cracks in Precious Stones Under Scrutiny Abstract: This short article discusses several important aspects of fracture filling in colored stones and diamonds: the difference in market value between included and filled stones, especially in high-quality goods; the impact of nondisclosure within the supply chain; different methods of filling and their limitations; and methods of detection.

Several similar methods of filling diamond cracks (“glets”) have been developed under such names as Yehuda and Koss (Israel) and Diascence, Genesis Enhanced, and Goldman Oved (New York). One of the filling methods discussed in more detail, the Koss system created more than ten years ago, limits the rainbow or “flash” effect, the yellow-orange color flashing into electric blue under darkfield microscopy) characteristic of many other filling methods.

Regardless of the method, the visual improvement achieved from filling cracks with oils or the modern vitreous, high-RI materials is temporary: After a few months or a few years, the tears and cracks become visible. Fillers degrade with time and by environmental conditions. Some dry out to reveal noticeable residue; others deteriorate with exposures to ultrasound, ultraviolet, heat, acids, and chemical cleaners.

Several methods of detecting fillers are briefly mentioned. Gemologists commonly use magnification to observe bubbles, filler textures, the flash effect, and filler deterioration. Advanced methods such as scanning electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence analysis, and Raman spectroscopy easily reveal the presence of filled glets.

Abstracted by Edward R. Blomgren @chapter:35


Publication Year: 1985 Title: Spring 1985 Gem News International Abstract: Diamonds
            Australia: Potentially Major New Diamond Discovery in Northern Territory
            Canada: Geological Survey of Ontario Encourages Diamond Exploration
            Israel: Production, Exportation and Sales Increasing on a Wave of Recovery
            Sierra Leone: Government Purchases BP’s Share, Controls Mining Industry
Colored Stones
            Australia Produces 500+ Carat Opal from a New Locality
            Sri Lanka Looks at Mechanized Gem Mining
            Possibly World’s Largest Diaspore from Deposit in Turkey
Precious Metals
            Colombia Announces an Important Gold Deposit near Brazilian Border
            Scotian Mineral Exploration to Spend $3 Million Searching for Gold in Nova Scotia
            Gold Has Been Discovered in Finland
            Gold Production Will Begin in Southern Mali This Year
            CSIRO Division in Australia Has Developed an Improved Gold-Sampling Technique
            China Offers Loans to Individual Gold Miners to Encourage Exploration and Mining
Synthetics
            Further News on the Growth of Synthetic Gem Diamonds
            More on Russian Hydrothermal Synthetic Emeralds
Tucson 1985
            Beryl: Abundance of Aquamarines from New Source in Nigeria
            Diamond: Many Dealers Had Booths, Did Very Well
            Garnet: Various Types Being Mined in Mexico, New Mexico, Colombia, Africa
            Opal: Three Unusual Types Presented
            Parisite: A Dozen Large Crystals from Colombia Offered for Sale
            Tourmaline: Relatively New Yellow Tourmaline from Zambia Prominent
            Synthetics: Many Synthetic Materials, Particularly Amethyst, Available for Sale
Announcements
            ISA to Host First North American Meeting of F.G.A.s and G.G.s in Atlanta
            New Gemological Journal from Sri Lanka
            World Congress of Jewelry Appraisers to Convene in NYC in 1986
            Hong Kong Jewelry and Watch Fair Scheduled for September
            Permanent Exhibit “Gemesis: Gemstones and Their Origins" opens in L.A.
            ICA to Sponsor Colored Gemstone Congress in Idar-Oberstein May 20-22

To view the full section, download the PDF above. @chapter:24


Publication Year: 2022 Title: 18th Annual Sinkankas Symposium Abstract: A 32.35 mm alexandrite twinned crystal and a 2.61 ct faceted alexandrite, both from Russia, shown in daylight (left) and incandescent light (right). Photos by Robert Weldon; courtesy of William Larson.
The 2022 Sinkankas Symposium, an annual event featuring presentations by specialists in gem-related disciplines, will follow a virtual format once again this year with pre-recorded sessions available on-demand. Sponsored by the Gemological Society of San Diego, the Geo-Literary Society, and GIA, the symposium will include 10 pre-recorded 30-minute presentations available to view from April 25 through June 6, highlighting alexandrite and other color-change gemstones (see above).
Speakers will include Evan Caplan, William Larson, Cigdem Lüle, Sally Eaton-Magaña, Niveet Nagpal, Nathan Renfro, Stuart Robertson, Aaron Palke, George Rossman, Wim Vertriest, and Robert Weldon. The presentations will cover a variety of topics regarding alexandrite and other color-change gemstones, from characteristics and sources to market trends and photography.
Registration closes June 1. The registration cost of $25 includes a PDF of the symposium volume, available June 23. Visit https://sinkankassymposium.net for more details. @chapter:10


Publication Year: 1995 Title: Fall 1995 G&G Lab Notes Abstract: Fracture Filled Alexandrite with High R.I. Values
Flux Grown Synthetic Alexandrite without Diagnostic Inclusions
Diffusion Treated Corundum
Diamond Inclusions Affect Body Color
Diamond with Iridescence in an Incompletely Filled Fracture
Imitation Emerald Plastic-Coated Beryl
Jadeite Jade Assemblages
Finely Detailed Glass Imitation
Imitation Lapis Lazuli
Glass Imitation "Mexican" Opal
Black Pearl Imitations
Large Synthetic Ruby

To view the full section, download the PDF above. @chapter:17


Publication Year: 2023 Title: “Nebula” Inclusion in Ruby Beryllium-Diffused to Heal Fractures Abstract: Figure 1. An unusual ruby with coloring reminiscent of a nebula found in the depths of outer space. Photo by Adriana Robinson.
Recently the Carlsbad laboratory received a 4.12 ct purple-red stone measuring approximately 11.50 × 7.70 × 4.72 mm (figure 1) for identification services. It featured unusual veil-like reddish color zoning wafting throughout a purple bodycolor. The refractive index measured 1.760–1.770, identifying the stone as a ruby.

Figure 2. Fingerprints resulting from flux-assisted heating of a beryllium-rich flux. Photomicrograph by Nathan Renfro; field of view 7.19 mm.
Microscopic examination indicated that the reddish color zoning was associated with altered fingerprints that resembled a cosmic nebula due to a flux-rich residue (figure 2). These fingerprints appeared to be consistent with fractures that had been healed using a flux-assisted heating process in a high-heat environment.
Due to the indications of high heat, laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) chemical analysis was performed to check for the presence of beryllium diffusion. Initially, LA-ICP-MS conducted on two spots revealed beryllium concentrations of <0.019 ppma and 60.87 ppma. This significant discrepancy prompted additional LA-ICP-MS testing in three spots, revealing beryllium concentrations of <0.19 ppma, 1780 ppma, and <0.19 ppma. Microscopic observation of the testing spots showed areas of high beryllium on or near the reddish color zones, while areas of very low beryllium were associated with testing areas on the purple areas of the stone.
Therefore, it was concluded that a beryllium-rich flux was used to heal the fractures naturally present in the stone. The ruby was likely heated in this flux at temperatures high enough to allow the beryllium to seep from the flux into the stone, but not long enough for the beryllium to infiltrate its entirety. @chapter:12


Publication Year: - Title: Starry Night Sapphire Monograph Abstract: The Starry Night Sapphire, a 111.96 carat oval sapphire, shares charming similarities with its namesake, the famous painting by van Gogh. The gemstone is a velvety blue, similar in color to van Gogh’s canvas. It demonstrates phenomenal asterism – a vision that echoes the swirling stars in the artist’s masterpiece.  Through thorough analysis by GIA, this monograph documents the exceptional Starry Night Sapphire’s gemological characteristics, which will help us understand the optical impact of the gem, where it came from, and how it formed. @chapter:9


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

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

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

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

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

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

Jewelry is accessible. Nearly everyone can own a piece of personal jewelry at an affordable price. Just about everyone is a potential jewelry customer and many are repeat customers.
Jobs in the jewelry industry are accessible, too. If you're interested in knowing more about the industry, talk to a jeweler you respect and find out how he or she got into the field. Most will have a Graduate Gemologist (GG) or an Accredited Jewelry Professional (AJP) diploma from the GIA (Gemological Institute of America), the nonprofit research and accredited education organization long regarded as the world's foremost authority in gems and jewelry. @chapter:36


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

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

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

	Arthur Groom – Eternity Emerald

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

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

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

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

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

Figure 3. Buying rough emerald in the field under less than ideal conditions, like a miner’s office in Kabul, requires discipline and a systematic approach. Photo by Andrew Lucas. @chapter:28


Publication Year: 2024 Title: Update on Inclusion Scenes in Mozambican Rubies Abstract: Figure 1. Colorless crystals with high relief (left) in a ruby mined near Caraia in the Montepuez region. Placing the ruby between crossed polarizers (right) revealed a stress halo caused by low-dose radiation emitted by the zircon inclusion. Photomicrographs by Wim Vertriest; field of view 3.6 mm.
In August 2022, a team of GIA gemologists visited the ruby mines near Montepuez in the Cabo Delgado province of northern Mozambique (Fall 2022 GNI, pp. 383–386). This included a visit to the deposits farther west in the region, near the village of Caraia. This mining area is north of the N14 road, while most of the previously known productive ruby deposits are southeast of this highway.
Ruby mining near Caraia has been ongoing for more than a decade but was mostly limited to artisanal mining activity until 2017. In the last few years, the ruby deposits have been developed on a larger scale by Fura Gems. The first official sale of this material took place in late 2021, and regular auctions have been organized since then (Fall 2021 GNI, pp. 276–277).
During GIA’s visit in August 2022, gemologists collected a large suite of rough rubies directly from the wash plant and sort house at the mine site. The samples ranged from 0.1 to 1.2 g and were transparent and fracture-free. The vast majority contained some crystal inclusions, and an extensive inclusion study of this material matched well with the known data from Mozambican ruby, with one exception. The most common inclusions are bands of fine silk, short needles, and particles, including reflective platelets. Mozambican rubies typically show three distinctive types of solid crystals: transparent greenish amphibole crystals with a stubby to elongated shape; pseudohexagonal frosty mica crystals with small expansion fractures; and black opaque sulfide crystals with a metallic luster. All of these features were prevalent in the rubies mined near Caraia.
However, one observation stood out: In 8 of the 85 studied samples, zircon crystal inclusions were found. While zircon crystals are also transparent, their relief is higher than that of the more common amphibole crystals. They also tend to be smaller and are rarely elongated in rubies. The most efficient way to identify them is by viewing the stones between crossed polarizers, which highlights the obvious stress halos around the slightly radioactive zircon crystals (figure 1). In all of GIA’s samples, the identification was also confirmed by confocal Raman spectroscopy.
To our knowledge, zircon crystals have not been previously documented in rubies from Mozambique. They are, however, a hallmark for rubies from Madagascar (A.C. Palke et al., “Geographic origin determination of ruby,” Winter 2019 G&G, pp. 580–613). The presence of zircon crystal inclusions is often a decisive discriminator in the origin determination of rubies. The inclusion scenes of high-quality Mozambican and Malagasy rubies can look very similar, but only the latter were known to have abundant zircon inclusions. This is no longer true now that zircon inclusions have also been identified in rubies from Mozambique.
Trace element analysis can often assist in separating rubies from East African sources. But even there, some overlap occurs between Mozambique and Madagascar, especially for stones with higher iron concentrations. All the Mozambican rubies with zircon inclusions showed a trace element signature that matched completely with other Mozambican rubies when analyzed with both energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence and laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. Fortunately, the rubies from Caraia tend to have a low iron concentration, reducing the likelihood that their trace chemistry composition will match with Malagasy rubies, which tend to have higher iron concentrations.

Figure 2. This chart shows the FWHM vs. the peak position of the most important peak (1015 cm–1) in the Raman spectrum of zircon inclusions in Mozambican and Malagasy rubies.
Raman spectra of the zircons in rubies from Mozambique (15 inclusions in 6 different stones) and Madagascar (27 inclusions in 13 different stones) showed that the main peak (1015 cm–1) in Mozambican zircon inclusions tends to have lower full width at half maximum (FWHM), but there is no clear separation between the two populations based on the Raman spectra of the zircon inclusions (figure 2).
The discovery of zircon inclusions in Mozambican rubies has a potentially major impact on the origin determination criteria used for the two most common sources of East African ruby. These new discoveries also highlight two important aspects of origin determination research: the critical need to keep collecting samples from known deposits to identify new features in current production, and the power of the microscope as an identification tool in a gemological laboratory. @chapter:3


Publication Year: 2021 Title: Phenakite as a Diamond Imitation Abstract: Figure 1. A set of phenakite gems ranging from 0.20 to 0.98 ct, with a total weight of 5.85 carats, sold as diamonds. Photo by J. Hyršl

              In my gemological laboratory, I see some interesting imitations from time to time. The latest was quite unusual: a set of 12 loose stones submitted as diamond (figure 1) for certification. Testing their thermal conductivity with a Presidium Gem Tester and their electrical conductivity with a Ceres Secure II device indicated diamond and ruled out synthetic moissanite. The next property examined was fluorescence, and all the stones were completely inert to both short-wave and long-wave UV. It would be unusual for a group of 12 natural diamonds to all be inert, so the next step was determining whether they might be laboratory-grown diamonds. Working under the assumption that they were indeed diamonds as submitted, the stones were tested for short-wave UV transparency and all were very transparent, suggesting they could be type IIa (which would be consistent with laboratory-grown near-colorless diamonds). Finally, I performed Raman analysis; instead of a sharp diamond peak at 1332 cm–1, it showed only a small peak at 878 cm–1, indicating that these stones were not diamonds.

Only then did I remember a natural crystal of phenakite, sold as diamond, that I tested a few years ago. It was very similar to natural rough diamond, but instead of typical trigons, it had a surface covered by many rhombs. But its thermal conductivity was the same as diamond’s, and therefore it was a plausible diamond imitation for a mineral or gem dealer without knowledge of crystallography. When I remembered this, the identification was easy—the refractive index of the loose cut stones was 1.655–1.670, and the Raman line matched very well with phenakite. And upon further examination, the stones appeared doubly refractive in the microscope and polariscope.

Phenakite is trigonal Be2SiO4, colorless, and similar to beryl. Normally it forms hexagonal prismatic crystals that look very different from diamond. Nevertheless, some crystals from Nigeria are irregularly developed (figure 2) and could be mistaken for a rough diamond without careful examination, especially if mixed with real diamonds.

Figure 2. Natural phenakite crystal from Nigeria, width 38 mm. Photo by J. Hyršl.
Cut stones are quite rare and well known only to collectors of rare gemstones. Distinguishing a cut phenakite from diamond is quite easy when one can measure refractive index, see a double refraction in the polariscope or microscope, or calculate weight from measurements. Much more difficult would be phenakite set in jewelry, where it can be very difficult to measure RI. Cut phenakite has much lower brilliance than diamond, of course, but can resemble low-quality cut diamonds. @chapter:11


Publication Year: 2002 Title: Legal Protection for Proprietary Diamond Cuts Abstract: Despite the rapid profusion of new branded and proprietary diamond cuts in recent years, considerable confusion exists in the trade about the important differences between trademarks and patents. Proprietary brand names can be protected by trademark registration (typically noted by a registration [®] symbol next to the brand name), while proprietary designs or products can be protected by patents. Both methods have important limitations, and the recent history of cut designs reflects the importance of protecting a valuable diamond cut. A study of the proprietary designs currently in the marketplace revealed a preference for trademark protection over patents, though many designs appeared to have no patent or trademark registration. A list of recent proprietary designs is given in the Appendix. @chapter:38


Publication Year: - Title: GIA's Gübelin Gem Project: Various Gems, Danburite – Humite Abstract: Danburite
Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA, courtesy Dr. E. J. Gübelin Collection
GIA Collection 35375

Among the collection assembled by Dr. Edward Gübelin are a number of uncommon gemstones from many worldwide localities. Documents, like the ones below, present information on gemstones that range from occasional use in jewelry to those that are quite rare and seldom faceted because of the lack of suitable starting material.

34391

			15.81 ct Danburite
			Madagascar

34390

			30.37 ct Danburite
			Madagascar

34451

			6.78 ct Danburite
			Mexico

34557

			25.30 ct Danburite
			Myanmar

35375

			6.51 ct Danburite
			Russia

34810

			6.37 ct Danburite
			Sri Lanka

34808

			11.12 ct Danburite
			Sri Lanka

35177

			5.66 ct Danburite
			The United States

35178

			12.12 ct Datolite
			The United States

33818

			0.47 ct Diamond
			Locality not stated

35378

			13.18 ct Diaspore
			Turkey

34699

			4.30 ct Dioptase
			Namibia

35391

			7.88 ct Dolomite
			Locality not stated

35183

			14.36 ct Dolomite
			The United States

34362

			2.85 ct Epidote
			Kenya

34704

			4.21 ct Epidote
			Namibia

34004

			9.72 ct Epidote
			Locality not stated

34830

			9.02 ct Epidote
			Sri Lanka

35187

			2.97 ct Epidote
			The United States

34010

			7.17 ct Euclase
			Brazil

34279

			7.79 ct Euclase
			Brazil

34834

			8.06 ct Euclase
			Sri Lanka

35398

			1.81 ct Euclase
			Zimbabwe

35285

			2.87 ct Euclase
			Zimbabwe

35575

			1.52 ct Eudialyte
			Canada

33116

			6.30 ct Feldspar (Albite)
			Kenya

34347

			10.48 ct Feldspar (Albite)
			Kenya

35625

			6.00 ct Feldspar (Andesine)
			China

34469

			7.81 ct Feldspar (Bytownite)
			Mexico

33096

			30.82 ct Feldspar (Labradorite)
			Finland

33138

			2.60 ct Feldspar (Labradorite)
			The United States

35197

			7.71 ct Feldspar (Labradorite)
			The United States

33097

			22.01 ct Feldspar (Labradorite)
			The United States

33121

			7.81 ct Feldspar (Oligoclase)
			Canada

33124

			11.35 ct Feldspar (Oligoclase)
			India

33122

			12.72 ct Feldspar(Oligoclase) - Sunstone
			Tanzania

33098

			25.33 ct Feldspar (Orthoclase)
			Madagascar

34392

			58.57 ct Feldspar (Orthoclase)
			Madagascar

34569

			15.21 ct Feldspar (Orthoclase)
			Myanmar

35482

			14.79 ct Feldspar (Orthoclase)
			Locality not stated

34839

			4.37 ct Feldspar (Orthoclase)
			Sri Lanka

34837

			14.64 ct Feldspar (Orthoclase)
			Sri Lanka

35200

			27.58 ct Feldspar (Orthoclase)
			Tthe United States

34314

			8.57 ct Feldspar (Orthoclase) - Moonstone
			India

34856

			21.22 ct Feldspar (Orthoclase) - Moonstone
			Sri Lanka

33094

			28.96 ct Feldspar (Sanidine)
			Germany

33150

			42.95 ct Fluorite
			Afghanistan

34410

			12.84 ct Fluorite
			Madagascar

34388

			51.10 ct Fluorite
			Madagascar

34020

			2.87 ct Fluorite
			Namibia

33143

			48.80 ct Fluorite
			Namibia

34871

			29.94 ct Fluorite
			Sri Lanka

34971

			6.43 ct Fluorite
			Switzerland

34989

			57.77 ct Fluorite
			Switzerland

35153

			23.74 ct Fluorite
			The United States

33149

			47.62 ct Fluorite
			The United States

34280

			17.54 ct Gahnite
			Brazil

34029

			3.27 ct Hambergite
			Madagascar

35629

			0.29 ct Grandidierite
			Sri Lanka

34028

			3.43 ct Hambergite
			Madagascar

34032

			3.58 ct Hambergite
			Madagascar

34412

			5.36 ct Hambergite
			Madagascar

34736

			5.17 ct Hambergite
			Nepal

35406

			1.00 ct Haüyne
			Germany

35421

			2.40 ct Herderite
			Brazil

34283

			4.93 ct Herderite
			Brazil

34282

			6.13 ct Herderite
			 Brazil

35408

			7.12 ct Herderite
			Brazil

35365

			17.16 ct Herderite
			Brazil

35435

			2.14 ct Humite (Clinohumite)
			Tajikistan @chapter:3


Publication Year: 2017 Title: Rubellite with Incredibly Strong “Pink Sleeves” Abstract: Left: Surface-reaching growth tubes and fractures associated with strong pink sleeves, whose color became weaker as they penetrated the stone’s interior; field of view 2.83 mm. Right: Looking down the length of the growth tubes, bleeding of pink color was observed; field of view 1.13 mm. Photomicrographs by Xiaodan Jia.

	GIA’s Hong Kong laboratory recently examined a purplish red cabochon-cut rubellite tourmaline. Standard gemological tests yielded a spot refractive index of 1.64 and specific gravity of 3.06, which are consistent with tourmaline. Magnification revealed strong doubling, fluid inclusions, and parallel growth tubes, all typical of tourmaline. What made this specimen unusual were its localized zones of strong pink coloration surrounding surface-reaching growth tubes and fractures (above left). Bleeding of pink color from the growth tubes into the body of the stone was best observed looking down the length of the growth tubes (above right); the pink color gradually faded away into the surrounding tourmaline host. This type of zoning has come to be known as “pink sleeves.” It is different from dye concentrations, which would only be located inside the surface-reaching growth tubes and fractures.

	Radiation-induced pink sleeves surrounding surface-reaching growth tubes and fractures have been reported in Paraíba tourmalines from Mozambique. The formation is believed to be due to a radioactive solution entering the growth tubes and fractures by capillary action, and the presence of pink sleeves proves that the stone has not undergone heat treatment. (J.I. Koivula et al., “Solution-generated pink color surrounding growth tubes and cracks in blue to blue-green copper-bearing tourmalines from Mozambique,” Spring 2009 G&G, pp. 44–47). To the best of our knowledge, the incredibly strong pink sleeves seen in this rubellite have not been previously reported in either Paraíba or rubellite tourmaline. @chapter:5


Publication Year: 2023 Title: "The image of men wearing pearl necklaces" is beginning to change as a product for women. Abstract: Currently, there is a trend among young men to wear makeup and pearl necklaces more frequently. These products, traditionally associated with women, are becoming more gender-neutral due to societal acceptance of diversity. This shift allows individuals to express themselves freely without adhering strictly to gender norms. For instance, a 27-year-old man who purchased a pearl necklace six months ago was initially uninterested in jewelry but became intrigued after seeing male celebrities wearing them on social media. This change in perception has altered the market image of pearl necklaces, once perceived as exclusively for women, now accessible for men as a fashion choice.
The pearl necklace was purchased from 'enwsp,' a jewelry retailer under WSP Co., Ltd. In 2023, online sales of pearl jewelry to male consumers tripled compared to the previous year, prompting companies to expand their offerings to men, such as larger-sized necklaces and black pearls. Notably, K.MIKIMOTO & CO., LTD., a major Japanese jewelry company, began selling pearl products for men in collaboration with fashion brand COMME des GARCONS in February 2023. They featured male models in suits adorned with pearls, further popularizing the trend.
Moreover, market research by Hakuhodo Inc. indicates that the preferences of women and men are converging, leading to increased sales of products traditionally targeted at women to men. Loft, a lifestyle and daily goods retailer, reported a 50% increase in sales of men's skincare products in 2023 compared to the previous year, and tripled sales compared to pre-COVID-19 levels in 2022. Products like eye makeup removers and lip products, typically favored by female customers, have also seen increased interest from male consumers.
This evolving consumer behavior is reshaping economic opportunities in Thailand and beyond, as Japanese society increasingly embraces gender diversity. This cultural shift allows people to express their preferences more openly, creating commercial opportunities for new products catering to evolving consumer demands, such as men's cosmetics and jewelry. Thailand, known for its openness to gender diversity, can leverage this cultural strength to export various products globally, driven in part by the popularity of Thai dramas, which have a significant following in Japan, enhancing Thailand's soft power and marketability of Thai products in the Japanese market. @chapter:36


Publication Year: 2023 Title: Three-Phase Inclusion in Alexandrite Abstract: Figure 1. Left: Negative crystal in an alexandrite containing a fluid and crystals at room temperature. Right: Below 31.2°C, multiple gas bubbles appear. Photomicrographs by Jamie Price; field of view 1.99 mm.
Natural gemstones form under very intense conditions that allow for a wide range of interesting phenomena and inclusions to occur within them. Environmental conditions within the earth’s crust influence the types and amounts of inclusions that occur. Various categories of inclusions, such as crystals or structural defects, for example, are widespread among almost all gem species. On the other hand, there are less frequent types of inclusions that form only under specific geological conditions and are found only in certain gem species. Although less common, it is possible to observe up to three phases of matter within a single inclusion suite.

Figure 2. Close-up view distinctively pointing out the locations of the crystals (blue arrows) and gas bubbles (white arrows). Photomicrograph by Jamie Price.
At conditions slightly above room temperature (i.e., in the well light of a gemological microscope), the largest jagged cavity pictured here contains multiple separate crystals and a transparent colorless fluid (figure 1). At a temperature below 31.2°C, the fluid separates into liquid and multiple bubbles of carbon dioxide gas are released (figure 2). Differences in environmental conditions during formation influence the amount of static pressure within the stone, which explains why some three-phase inclusions are visible at room temperature while others are only visible at lower temperatures (see J.I. Koivula, “Carbon dioxide fluid inclusions as proof of natural-colored corundum,” Fall 1986 G&G, pp. 152–155). Despite the shape and the relief of the crystals present, the overall appearance of this alexandrite’s multiphase inclusion is comparable to the typical jagged three-phase inclusions that are distinctive for Colombian emerald. @chapter:10


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

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

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

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

He offered the following advice:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“If you can get that and learn that, then you can become a buyer,” he said. @chapter:33


Publication Year: 2019 Title: Merelaniite in Gem Diopside from Merelani, Tanzania Abstract: Figure 1. Left: Prismatic diopside crystal (1.5 cm tall) included with abundant merelaniite whiskers, associated with graphite at the termination, and aggregates of radiating white acicular mesolite crystals on some prism faces. Photo by Tom Stephan. Top right: Close-up of the merelaniite inclusion (field of view ~8 mm), viewed through one polarizer to reduce the effects of diopside’s birefringence. Bottom right: Detail of some of the merelaniite inclusions showing spindle structures due to non-uniform layer growth around the whisker axes (field of view 1.5 mm). Photomicrographs by J.A. Jaszczak.
A recent Micro-World entry (Summer 2018 G&G, pp. 226–227) described merelaniite occurring as dense inclusions in a tanzanite cabochon and as inclusions in two gem tanzanite crystals. While the Merelani tanzanite mines have also become well known for green diopside in recent years, in July 2019 the authors observed, for the first time, dense inclusions of fine merelaniite whiskers in gem-quality yellow-green, prismatic diopside crystals (figure 1, left).
Seven merelaniite-included diopside crystals, reportedly mined in 2018 and obtained by one of the authors (WR), ranged in size from approximately 1 to 5 cm long. Apart from the merelaniite inclusions, all but the largest had excellent clarity, although one 1.7 cm crystal was so densely filled with merelaniite that half of the sample appeared very dark. Similar to the inclusions observed in tanzanite, the merelaniite inclusions in diopside were predominantly cylindrical whiskers with metallic luster and variable diameters and lengths. The longest whiskers in the largest diopside spanned up to 2 cm (figure 1, top right), and many extended to the surface, where they terminated. Some of the merelaniite whiskers showed a spindle- or wheel-type structure with diameter that varied along the axis of even a single whisker (figure 1, bottom right). Some ribbon-like inclusions also occurred that were likely merelaniite. All of the diopsides were also associated with white spheroidal clusters of radiating acicular mesolite crystals, while several crystals were associated with graphite and one was associated with a transparent blue fluorapatite crystal.

Figure 2. Left: A 1.35 ct faceted gem diopside containing merelaniite inclusions. Photo by Diego Sanchez. Right: Close-up of wheel and whisker morphology of the included merelaniite. Photomicrograph by Nathan Renfro; field of view 1.03 mm. Stone courtesy of Bill Vance.
While reviewing an earlier version of this report, GIA’s Nathan Renfro made the connection between these included diopside crystals and a faceted Merelani diopside gemstone (figure 2, left) containing dark whisker inclusions. Author JIK obtained that diopside from Bill Vance, the stone’s cutter, in approximately 2012. The whiskers in this 1.35 ct stone, some of which were surrounded by remarkable dark circular growths (figure 2, right), have also been confirmed by Raman spectroscopy as merelaniite. @chapter:5


Publication Year: 2023 Title: A Unique Omphacite Jade Pendant Abstract: Figure 1. An omphacite jade pendant measuring 68.4 mm tall, shown in reflected light (left) and transmitted light (right). Photo by Tsung-Ying Yang.
In the past decade, omphacite jade with strong to vivid green color has increased in popularity. Especially noteworthy is the high-quality omphacite jade now coming from Guatemala. There are generally two types of omphacite jade. The first, commonly known as “black omphacite jade” (mo cui  in Chinese), is typically opaque to semitranslucent and black to dark green. The second type contains higher chromium content and is usually made into cabochons, tablets, and pendants of 2–3 mm thickness to produce a strong green color and semitransparent appearance.

Figure 2. Comparisons between the Raman spectra of the jade pendant and the spectra of RRUFF database. The results confirmed that the green part of the jade pendant is omphacite and the yellow part is vesuvianite. The stacked spectra are baseline-corrected and normalized.
Recently, a carved pendant measuring 68.4 × 39.9 × 6.4 mm was submitted to the Taiwan Union Lab of Gem Research (TULAB) for identification (figure 1). The pendant was semitranslucent; its color appeared black when viewed under reflected light but dark green and yellow when viewed with transmitted light. Due to the pendant’s uneven surface, its refractive indexes were challenging to measure. The dark green part showed a refractive index of approximately 1.67, and that of the yellow part was around 1.71 (both by spot reading). To further confirm the mineral composition, Raman spectroscopy with 785 nm excitation was performed on the yellow and dark green areas. The spectra were compared with the RRUFF database (Lafuente et al., 2015, https://rruff.info/about/downloads/HMC1-30.pdf) in figure 2, and the results indicated that the main component of the dark green portion of this pendant was omphacite. However, the yellow regions were identified as vesuvianite, constituting approximately 30% of the entire piece. Omphacite jade displaying both dark green omphacite and paragenetic yellow vesuvianite are not common.
From a gemological perspective, this green and yellow pendant is undoubtedly an exceptional case, given the rarity of omphacite jade coexisting with vesuvianite. However, precisely calculating the amounts of omphacite and vesuvianite with destructive X-ray diffraction analysis was not possible. @chapter:37


Publication Year: - Title: De Beers’ Synthetic Shock Draws Mixed Reactions at 2018 JCK Abstract: De Beers is pricing its Lightbox synthetic colorless and fancy colors to what it claims are its costs of production, not in relation to natural diamonds. The products are due to reach the market this fall. Photo courtesy De Beers

The De Beers announcement that the company would offer a low-priced line of synthetic diamond jewelry, called Lightbox, set off a torrent of commentary at the JCK show in Las Vegas – some positive, some negative.

The announcement, made two days before the show, said the De Beers company would sell lab-grown diamonds for $800 per carat or the total weight set in earrings and pendants – $200 for a quarter carat, $400 for half carat and $800 for a one-carat, plus the cost of the settings. Each lab grown diamond will have a laser identification mark inside that can’t be polished off. De Beers also said it is producing pink and blue fancy colors offered at the same prices.

The company, which is keeping the De Beers name off the Lightbox line, kept this project under tight secrecy during its 18-month development. It is building its own production facility near Portland, Oregon, which will begin full operation in 2020 and will manufacture up to 500,000 carats yearly. Lightbox will have a separate management team, much like De Beers’ retail division.

Retailers had mixed reactions. Some thought it would ruin their diamond business, while others saw a new opportunity for lower price-point jewelry. No one was pleased that the initial offerings would be online only. De Beers said it would make the line available to retailers within two years.

Diamond dealers, particularly those specializing in lower-priced goods, were unhappy with the De Beers’ announcement, saying the Lightbox line would kill the market for cheaper, lower quality natural stones because the prices were 20% to 30% of comparable weight goods in that category. Dealers of higher-end diamonds complained that De Beers was “throwing its weight around” and “no longer cared” about the diamond industry.

Surprisingly, most of the 30 synthetic diamond companies exhibiting at the show were in favor of De Beers’ new line. They offered three reasons:

De Beers’ entry into this market “legitimizes” their product
the resulting publicity will also drive demand for their products
the pricing is not a threat because they are marketing their products differently

They said the De Beers’ announcement drove many potential customers to the lab-grown diamond section of the show.

At a standing room-only presentation, David Prager, De Beers vice president for corporate affairs, said the pricing and the market positioning all came out of extensive consumer research in the U.S.

“Consumers want fun and fashion from lab-grown diamonds,” he said. “They also want transparent, accessible pricing. And we found that women would buy a lab-grown diamond for themselves,” even if they did not want it as a gift from a spouse or partner.

Prager stressed that De Beers is pegging prices of its products to the cost of production, not as a percentage discount from natural diamonds, as many other synthetic diamond producers do.

The marketing will be geared toward “lighter emotional moments” said Sally Morrison, who is heading that department, “and priced for women to be able to treat themselves.”

All of the executives stressed the “light emotional occasion” to draw a distinct line from De Beers’ traditional marketing of giving natural diamonds for engagements, anniversaries and other very significant life occasions. @chapter:30


Publication Year: - Title: Photographing the Cheapside Hoard Abstract: Hazel Forsyth, the Museum of London’s senior curator of medieval and post-medieval collections. Image by Kevin Schumacher/GIA.

Robert Weldon, manager of photography and visual communications for GIA, had read about the Cheapside Hoard in a journal some years ago, but that did not prepare him for his first glimpse of the treasure.
“It was one of those moments where you don’t anticipate what you’re going to see,” he said. “We went down to the dungeon of the museum, past a bevy of guards – and you know why the guards are there – and all of the sudden we’re in an area that looks like some kind of laundry room. Everyone’s quiet. Suddenly you realize that there on a table are 20 of the most exquisite items you could imagine.”
He and videographer Kevin Schumacher had just spent hours interviewing and filming the staff and were distracted by lugging their equipment into the room. The collection was laid out on a big billiard-like table, with various pieces set on little pedestals.
“It almost didn’t register what the significance of the moment was,” Weldon said. “Finally seeing this treasure just sitting before us. That’s when the interviews of the day – where we had discussed the significance of certain pieces due to their age, the times they might have been carved, or the type of gem trade that had probably existed in the 1500 and 1600s– really came into focus.”
The Logistics
Weldon was instrumental in setting up the opportunity for GIA to document the Cheapside Hoard in a Gems & Gemology article. He contacted the museum after an introduction to Museum Director Sharon Ament by U.S.-based diamond dealer Alan Bronstein. A week later, he and Schumacher were on their way to London.
“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to really observe this treasure and to be able to relate its incredible and significant history,” Weldon said.
That meant the pressure was on for Weldon to figure out the most efficient way to travel with a limited studio, and yet be able to capture the best possible photos.
“I had to come up with a method to photograph these items, not knowing what my studio space was going to be like at the museum. And also understanding that when you send out a studio, you’ve got to deal with the customs issues and carnets,” he said. “So I went home and invented a small studio that collapses into a three- to four-inch thick tablet that can be packed into a bag and easily placed in a conventional suitcase. My camera and lighting came with me separately in the carry-on luggage. I didn’t even have a chance to test the mini-studio properly.
“It looks like nothing, but it’s how it’s used, along with the skill and understanding of what a piece needs before you photograph it,” he said. “Hazel Forsyth, senior curator of the collection, did not allow the pieces to be handled, put items down on the stage, and moved them around for us according to our wishes.”
Weldon and Schumacher spent the majority of the day, beginning at 8:30 a.m., documenting the museum and its various exhibits and interviewing staff about the Cheapside Hoard.
“I was getting more and more nervous as the interviews went on, even though I was the person asking the questions,” Weldon said. “Knowing that it was getting later and later, I was thinking, ‘when am I going to photograph the 20 Cheapside pieces?’.”
The still photography finally started at 4 o’clock. The museum staff made special arrangements for additional photography time, Weldon said and he was able to finish by 6:30.
“It’s practically unheard of to photograph that many significant pieces in just over two hours,” Weldon said, but he is proud of what they accomplished. “I felt it was important to document as many views of each item as we could ‒ and though this added to the time spent, I was happy because each piece had an incredible story to tell.”
A Life’s Work
Weldon interviewed Hazel Forsyth, who has written two books about the Cheapside Hoard, for nearly two hours.
“I am touched when thinking about her, because this is a woman who has dedicated a great portion of her professional life to really understanding this collection. This treasure is at the very core of what she does every day and she knows it absolutely better than anyone on earth,” he said. “She knows how something was put together and what the significance of it was at a certain place in time. She is the one who has also done more to uncover who the person, or persons, might be that put this treasure under the ground.”
He compares her talking about the collection to uncorking a bottle of wine.
“All of the sudden, all of this information is pouring out; this wonderful, incredible knowledge,” he said. “And then she’ll remind herself, ‘and oh by the way, there’s this other aspect of this jewel and here’s what we can say about that.’ She is able to look at certain aspects of the jewelry and tell you what may have happened. She has such incredible reverence for it.”
Lasting Impressions
“You are reminded about why you’ve become a gemologist and what an incredible trade we’re in,” Weldon said. “All of the things we studied, you’re seeing them right there in front of you.”
He was particularly fascinated with the carved emerald watch, knowing that emeralds from Colombia were only discovered by Europeans in the late 1530s, and that by the late 1500s were reaching the European lands.
“Here’s this magnificent emerald from Colombia, so you know it had to do with early trade with the Colombian emerald deposit that was to make such an incredible impression on the world,” he said. “Then European watch technology, only a hundred years old at that time, helped create this truly international, fusion jewel.”
“You’re transported back in time, because you’re looking at details that someone’s tool actually performed on the gem and you’re sort of channeling them by seeing it. You’re imagining who this person, or group of people, might have been that for whatever reason decided to bury this treasure under a floor. And inevitably you ask yourself: ‘what happened to those people?’ It’s a mystery.”
Those questions are fascinating to him, he said.
“We still don’t know how to solve all of the secrets of the Cheapside Hoard, although there were hints from Forsyth as to what might have been, and the exhibit at the London Museum till April 2014 also provides a strong clue.” @chapter:21