Publication Year: 2007 Title: Fluorescence Spectra of Colored Diamonds Using a Rapid, Mobile Spectrometer Abstract: Numerous natural-color colored diamonds from the Aurora Butterfly of Peace and other collections were studied using a new type of fluorescence spectrometer that has many advantages for gemological research, including high portability, low cost, and rapid collection times. For comparison, 10 irradiated diamonds were also studied. With only two exceptions, the natural-color diamonds could be separated into three categories—based on the peak wavelength and shape of the fluorescence spectra—that generally corresponded to their bodycolors: (1) ~450 and ~490 nm, recorded mainly for pink, yellow, and fancy white diamonds; (2) ~525 nm, mainly for green-yellow or yellow-green and brown diamonds; and (3) ~550 nm, mainly for orange, gray-green (including chameleon), and type Ia blue-gray or gray-blue diamonds. A spectrum that is anomalous for the diamond’s bodycolor may indicate that it has been treated, and in some cases, fluorescence spectroscopy can help determine diamond type.

	DATA DEPOSITORY

Map of Tested Diamonds in the Aurora Butterfly Collection
Table: Summary of Phosphorescence Results
	Submitted by Sally Eaton-Magaña
	Winter, 2007 @chapter:11


Publication Year: 2023 Title: Aquamarine with Zigzag Growth Line Inclusions Abstract: Figure 1. A 55 ct cushion-cut aquamarine exhibiting a distinct light bluish green and deep blue pleochroism using a dichroscope. Photos by Kaiyin Deng; courtesy of Farrugia Gem.

Figure 2. Infrared transmission spectra (left) and UV-Vis-NIR spectrum (right) of the aquamarine sample. The spectra on the left are offset vertically for clarity.
A 55 ct cushion-cut aquamarine (figure 1, left) was recently submitted to Guild Gem Laboratories in Shenzhen for testing. This stone exhibited a very intense blue color accompanied by a subtle greenish secondary hue. A refractive index of 1.580–1.586 was obtained, together with a specific gravity of approximately of 2.71. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy confirmed its identity as beryl. The transmission FTIR spectrum exhibited distinct peaks at 2731, 2686, and 2641 cm–1 and a carbon dioxide–related signal at 2359 cm–1. Peaks at 3235, 3162, 3111, and 3021 cm–1 were assigned to the presence of water (figure 2, left). This collection of FTIR peaks has been reported in natural aquamarine, but no synthetic counterpart has been reported to show this pattern (I. Adamo et al., “Aquamarine, Maxixe-type beryl, and hydrothermal synthetic blue beryl: Analysis and identification,” Fall 2008 G&G, pp. 214–226). No organic-related peaks were found around the 2800–3200 cm–1 range, suggesting no clarity enhancement had been applied (L. Jianjun et al., “Polymer-filled aquamarine,” Fall 2009 G&G, pp. 197–199). Strong deep blue and light bluish green pleochroism (figure 1) was observed using a dichroscope. Similar beryl materials with a deep blue color have been reported in previous studies (Fall 2014 GNI, pp. 244–245; Fall 2019 GNI, pp. 437–439). The ultraviolet/visible/near-infrared spectrum (figure 2, right) showed a broad Fe2+-related band centered at around 835 nm and narrow absorption bands at 370 and 426 nm related to Fe3+ (D.S. Goldman et al., “Channel constituents in beryl,” Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, Vol. 3, No. 3, 1978, pp. 225–235; K. Schmetzer, “Hydrothermally grown synthetic aquamarine manufactured in Novosibirsk, USSR,” Fall 1990 G&G, pp. 206–211; Adamo et al., 2008). Using a polariscope equipped with a conoscope, the optic axis was observed parallel to the table along the long axis of the cushion shape. Further chemical analysis by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence showed a high iron content (around 13000 ppmw), which likely contributed to the saturated blue color (Y. Shang et al., “Spectroscopy and chromaticity characterization of yellow to light-blue iron-containing beryl,” Scientific Reports, Vol. 12, No. 1, 2022, article no. 10765).

Figure 3. The thin film along the basal plane of the aquamarine under fiber-optic illumination. Photomicrographs by Yizhi Zhao; fields of view 3.45 mm (left) and 1.72 mm (right).
Microscopic observation under darkfield illumination revealed fluid inclusions and minute voids. Under the table, a circular thin film with a strong light reflection was visible (figure 3). The image in figure 3 (left) was captured at an angle to the table of the aquamarine, since the thin film was easier to see under an oblique light source. Because beryl has imperfect cleavage along its basal plane {0001}, the space between the basal planes caused by initial cleavage was sufficient to form the thin film.

Figure 4. Zigzag lines were observed in the aquamarine using oblique light. Photomicrograph by Yizhi Zhao; field of view 4.52 mm.
An interesting inclusion was observed only with oblique light: a distinct series of fluids resembling dots and broken lines. Higher magnification (figure 4) revealed that these zigzag lines consisted of discrete and minute fluid inclusions. Further observation along the optic axis confirmed that the planes were parallel to the c-axis of the aquamarine.
A previous study described similar inclusions in emeralds from Colombia as resembling a DNA double helix (Summer 2019 G&G Micro-World, p. 262). The authors have also encountered this type of inclusion before. Based on our observations, these helical inclusions spiral along the optic axis of the emerald. To our knowledge, this is the first time such helical inclusions have been reported in an aquamarine. This finding will help advance our understanding of the beryl family. @chapter:19


Publication Year: 2015 Title: Coated Rock Crystal Imitation of Ruby Abstract: Figure 1. This coated rock crystal imitation of ruby has a brown skin. Photo by Nazar Ahmed Ambalathveettil, Dubai Central Laboratory.

	Recently the Dubai Central Laboratory received for identification a rough stone weighing 616.93 g and measuring approximately 114.3 × 65.8 × 53.0 mm (figure 1). Most of it was covered by a brown skin, while other parts were transparent. Viewed through one of the transparent areas, the stone showed a red color. Under oblique light, the stone appeared dark red, with some areas that were colorless (figure 2).

Figure 2. The rock crystal shows dark red under transmitted light to imitate ruby. Photo by Nazar Ahmed Ambalathveettil, Dubai Central Laboratory.

	Microscopic examination with transmitted light revealed negative crystals, fingerprints, and two-phase inclusions. Observation of the transparent and opaque areas on the surface showed red, green, and blue areas of coating that could be removed using sharp needles. These coated areas gave the stone a purplish red color overall, but some transparent areas appeared colorless under transmitted light and no coating was observed there. The stone’s specific gravity (SG) was 2.60. The coated area gave a patchy chalky blue and purple reaction under long-wave UV and was inert to short-wave UV. SG and inclusions indicated a rock crystal; this was confirmed by Raman spectroscopy.

	This was the first time the Dubai Central Laboratory had identified such a large coated rough stone imitating ruby. @chapter:10


Publication Year: - Title: Why Didn't That 1,109 Carat Diamond Sell? Abstract: The 1,109 ct Lesedi La Rona diamond is the second largest gem quality diamond ever discovered, but it did not meet its reserve price at the June 29 auction at Sotheby’s London. Courtesy Lucara Diamond Corp.

	The failure of the second largest gem quality diamond ever discovered to find a buyer at a well-publicized public auction touched off a great deal of speculation this month. Lucara Diamond Corp. mined the 1,109 carat (ct) diamond in Botswana last year and named it Lesedi La Rona (“Our Light” in the Tswana language). It went up for sale at Sotheby’s London on June 29 and the price was expected to be “in excess of $70 million” − but the high bid of $61 million did not meet the reserve.

	It was one of the only rough diamonds ever offered at a public sale. The CEO of Lucara, William Lamb, in a pre-sale interview with the Antwerp newsletter “Diamond Loupe,” explained why the company took this unusual step:

	“The Lesedi is estimated at 2.5 to 3 billion years old, which means that the crystal must have started growing very early on during the creation of the Earth. You cannot replicate it by any means, not by synthetic manufacturing or anything else. It will never be exactly the same. It won’t have the same inclusions, it won’t have a little gap somewhere, it won’t have this growth plane and it won’t be that large. People simply do not understand how long it takes to grow a stone, especially one of this size, or anything that is going to be polished into 100 carats for that matter.”

	Lucara sold an 813 ct rough diamond, found late last year, for $63 million at its private auction reserved for company clients several weeks before, but the timing for the Sotheby’s sale could not have been worse.

	The Sotheby’s auction occurred just six days after Britain’s Brexit vote roiled the world currency and equity markets. The sale, conducted in U.S. dollars that increased sharply in value after the vote, meant buyers paying in other currencies would pay a premium. (Even the Chinese Yuan declined a few percentage points against the dollar).

	In addition, based on Sotheby’s video of the diamond and from comments by a dealer who had inspected it, possible internal fissures could have limited its yield; the 813 ct stone was much cleaner.

	Finally, it’s certain that a number of key rough dealers had no intention of bidding for the stone: Sotheby’s 12% buyer’s premium would have added $8.4 million to a winning bid at the probable reserve of $70 million.

	That reluctance was evident in the room. Auctioneer David Bennett opened the bidding at $50 million − and there was no rush to top it. The price advanced very slowly before stalling at $61 million.

	Other than this diamond, prices have remained quite strong for very large colorless diamonds and top fancy colors, as the results of this auction season attest.

	Since the unsuccessful auction,  The Economist , Forbes and several newspapers have used the Lesedi La Rona as an example of how the diamond business is facing difficulties from reluctant millennials and competition from synthetics.

The Economist cited a Frost & Sullivan study claiming that softening diamond prices and rising costs will cut world diamond production to less than 15 million carats within 30 years (compared to 130-plus million this year), while production of synthetic diamonds will rise to 60 million carats in that time.

	Forbes, working from a Morgan Stanley commodities report, said synthetics would be increasingly disruptive for the diamond market, especially for smaller diamonds under 0.2 carats, which are easier for manufacturers of these stones to produce.

	The report also noted that mine production of natural diamonds is on the rise again (predicting a 9% increase to 143 million carats in 2016), but that sales remain nearly stagnant, causing inventories of both rough and polished to swell again.

	ABN AMRO bank, one of the industry’s leading lenders, warned that rising inventories may lead to softening diamond prices once again. The bank said some of the improvement in the rough market has been driven by dealers who believe prices will increase as consumer demand rises. Their actions, according to the bank, however, have bloated inventories to levels that are not sustainable because retail sales have not increased as expected, thus jeopardizing the fragile recovery.

	As expected, De Beers backed away from its aggressive selling posture of the first half of the year and sold $540 million at its June 20-24 sight, now called cycle. The fact that there were few goods left on the table was taken as a sign that the company and other major producers (Alrosa, Rio Tinto) have struck a realistic balance between price, demand and supply. The July 25-29 cycle likely will stay on the conservative side. @chapter:38


Publication Year: 2001 Title: Pink to Pinkish Orange Malaya Garnets from Bekily, Madagascar Abstract: Malaya garnets from Bekily, Madagascar, are predominantly pink to pinkish orange, with some stones orange to red. Discovered only in the late 1990s, the majority are intermediate members of the pyrope-spessartine series with variable contents of almandine and subordinate grossular. The refractive index, specific gravity, and color of these garnets are related to their iron and manganese contents. Inclusions identified by Raman analysis are rutile needles and platelets, graphite, quartz, apatite, zircon, and sillimanite. Negative crystals were also seen. Important differences in predominant color and chemistry were noted when the Bekily garnets, only the second commercial source of malaya garnet, were compared to malaya garnets from East Africa, which have been available since the late 1970s. @chapter:5


Publication Year: 1981 Title: The Andradites of San Benito County, California Abstract: Discoveries in 1949 of andradite garnet in San Benito County, California, led to the formation in 1978 of a partnership to mine, cut, and market gem-quality andradite. These andradites are found in situ in serpentine outcrops and also in dry alluvial deposits. SEM microprobe analysis and X-ray powder diffraction show the chemistry and unit cell, respectively, to be nearly pure andradite. Cut stones and mineral specimens are produced in green, yellow, brown, and in combinations of these colors. Cut stones are generally under three carats and some are chatoyant. This is believed to be the only reported source of chatoyant garnet. @chapter:0


Publication Year: - Title: Summer 2018 G&G: Diamonds Across the Spectrum, Byzantine Garnet, and Sapphires from Yogo Gulch Abstract: For more than 120 years, Yogo Gulch in central Montana has been one of the world’s most illustrious sapphire sources. In this issue, Nathan Renfro, Aaron Palke, and Richard Berg offer a mining history and gemological characterization of Yogo sapphires. The cover photo shows a suite of rough Yogo sapphires atop samples of the ouachatite dike rock in which they are found. The largest rough sapphire weighs 8.49 ct. Photo by Kevin Schumacher; courtesy of Don Baide (The Gem Gallery, Bozeman, Montana).

Thanks to notable diamonds such as the Hope and the Blue Moon of Josephine, there is greater public awareness of blue diamonds than any other fancy color. The lead article of the Summer 2018 Gems & Gemology reviews the characteristics of the more than 15,000 blue, gray, and violet diamonds examined at GIA’s labs over the past decade, while another article investigates the color origin of Fancy Dark brown-black diamonds from Marange, Zimbabwe. Other diamond-related content includes a synthetic diamonds chart and a new column about the value of natural diamonds to our understanding of the Earth. The issue also features a study of Japanese bead-cultured pearls from Lake Kasumigaura, traces the origins of an engraved Early Byzantine almandine garnet, and examines the characteristics of sapphires from Yogo Gulch, Montana.
NATURAL-COLOR BLUE, GRAY, AND VIOLET DIAMONDS: ALLURE OF THE DEEP

A few recently discovered blue diamonds are displayed alongside some legendary gems within the blue/gray/violet color range. Clockwise from upper left: the 30.62 ct Blue Heart diamond, photo by Chip Clark, © Smithsonian Institution; a 0.77 ct Fancy Dark gray-violet shield cut, photo by Robert Weldon/GIA; a 1.23 ct Fancy Dark gray diamond, GIA photo; the 45.52 ct Fancy Deep grayish blue Hope diamond and Fancy Deep blue 31.06 ct Wittelsbach-Graff diamond, photo by Robert Weldon/GIA, courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution.
Almost all fancy-color diamonds in the blue/gray/violet range attribute their hue to four main causes, which include structural defects and the presence of inclusions. The Summer issue’s lead article, by Sally Eaton-Magaña, Christopher M. Breeding, and James E. Shigley, reports on these color-causing mechanisms. The authors delve into the gemological characteristics and spectral properties of the 15,000+ natural, untreated blue/gray/violet diamonds examined at GIA’s labs over the past decade.
BLACK DIAMONDS FROM MARANGE (ZIMBABWE): A RESULT OF NATURAL IRRADIATION AND GRAPHITE INCLUSIONS

DiamondView and visible light images of two diamonds that show radiation stains within fractures in the diamond. Non-luminescent regions in the DiamondView images are associated with extensive radiation damage along fractures in the diamonds. Photos and images by Karen Smit.
Graphite-containing diamonds from the alluvial deposits in Marange, Zimbabwe, may be heat treated to yield gem-quality material, but this may create difficulty in distinguishing these specimens from naturally occurring black diamonds. Karen Smit and her coauthors examine the characteristics of a suite of 40 Fancy Dark brown-black diamonds from Marange in order to document the characteristics that would separate them from treated material. The authors uncover various causes of color in these diamonds.
AN EARLY BYZANTINE ENGRAVED ALMANDINE FROM THE GARIBPET DEPOSIT, TELANGANA STATE, INDIA: EVIDENCE FOR GARNET TRADE ALONG THE ANCIENT MARITIME SILK ROAD

Comparison of inclusions in the Early Byzantine engraved gem (left) with garnets from the Garibpet deposit (right). A and B: Inclusion-rich core and inclusion-poor rim with sillimanite fibers at the boundary. C and D: Irregularly shaped ilmenite. E and F: Subrounded quartz crystals. G and H: Large long-prismatic apatite crystal (a) with characteristic graphite inclusions, along with short-prismatic zircon (z) and monazite (m) crystals. Photomicrographs by H.A. Gilg.
An almandine garnet engraved with a Christian stepped-cross motif popular on Byzantine coinage is the focus of this study by H. Albert Gilg, Karl Schmetzer, and Ulrich Schüssler. Nondestructive analytical methods indicate that the almandine is most likely from India’s Garibpet deposit, giving credence to garnet trade between the eastern coast of India to the Byzantine Empire during the early Middle Ages.
CULTURED PEARLS FROM LAKE KASUMIGAURA: PRODUCTION AND GEMOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS

The Chinese freshwater nucleated cultured pearls in this strand from Lake Taihu, also cultured by the Hyriopsis schlegelii × Hyriopsis cumingii hybrid, are 10 mm in diameter and show a color range and luster similar to Kasumiga pearls. Photo by Ahmadjan Abduriyim.
Freshwater pearl culturing began in pre-World War II Japan and reached its peak between 1970 and 1980, only to be overtaken by Chinese production. Current Japanese production at Lake Kasumigaura—Japan’s second-largest lake—is comparatively low, but these cultured pearls have become quite popular in the United States and Europe. Ahmadjan Abduriyim relates the history of Japanese freshwater bead-nucleated pearls, as well as the current state of production and the characteristics of the many-colored specimens.
GEMOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SAPPHIRES FROM YOGO GULCH, MONTANA

This suite contains more than 36 carats of Yogo sapphires. Courtesy of RareSource. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA.
Yogo sapphires are renowned for their clarity and vibrant blue color, and their unique characteristics make them easily recognizable to experienced gemologists. However, mining interests have long found it difficult to maintain long-term activity at this source. In this article, Nathan Renfro, Aaron Palke, and Richard Berg offer a comprehensive look at the history, gemological properties, and trace-element chemistry of the corundum yielded from this important gem deposit in the United States.
SYNTHETIC DIAMONDS CHART

The Summer 2018 G&G contains a foldout wall chart showing the characteristics of synthetic diamonds.
Our newest wall chart, coordinated by Sally Eaton-Magaña and Christopher M. Breeding, presents a visual guide to the growth processes and major gemological spectroscopic features of synthetic diamonds grown by the high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods. Additional resources for further study are also provided.
LAB NOTES

Diagram showing the proposed model of the beryl and glass assemblage. Final faceting is shown for simplicity. A: The first glass segment (green) is attached to the beryl core (gray). B: Both the core and the first segment are cut to make a flat surface for the second segment. C: The second segment (teal) is attached. D: The segments are again cut. E: The third segment (blue) is attached. F: The assemblage is shown rotated 180° for clarity. All current pieces are cut to create the surface for the final piece. G: The fourth and final segment (purple) is attached. H: Omitted for simplicity, the assembled pavilion would likely be polished flat to make room for the crown. Lastly, the crown (pink) is attached. The diagram was generated using Onshape CAD software.
GIA’s labs report on an emerald imitation created from a beryl and glass assemblage, one natural melee diamond found among a batch of 1,092 HPHT synthetic melee, and a large pinkish orange CVD synthetic diamond.
DIAMONDS FROM THE DEEP

Ringwoodite is the high-pressure form of the mineral olivine (Mg2SiO4) that occurs between 520 and 660 km below the surface of the earth in the transition zone. The first terrestrial observation of this mineral was in a diamond from Juína, Brazil (top left). Water content in this 30 µm inclusion (bottom left) is around 1.4 wt.%, indicating that the global transition zone could contain at least 2.5 times the amount of water as Earth’s oceans. The majority of diamonds come from the cratonic lithosphere (indicated here as yellow diamonds). Superdeep diamonds (indicated here as white and blue diamonds) are rarer and originate from greater depths, often from the transition zone, which extends between 410 and 660 km.
G&G’s newest section highlights the importance of diamond in understanding our planet’s geological formation. This issue’s column focuses on the role diamonds play in understanding the depths at which water is found in the deep earth.
MICRO-WORLD

This copal from Mexico contained a remarkably well-preserved eye-visible mushroom inclusion. Photomicrograph by Nathan Renfro; field of view 9.59 mm.
A mushroom encased in copal, tanzanite with whisker-like merelaniite inclusions, and a star spinel with four and six rays are among the specimens featured in our photomicrography and inclusions section.
GEM NEWS INTERNATIONAL

Left: Three rough garnets (left to right, stones 2, 3, and 4) and one faceted garnet photographed in an LED light source with 6000K color temperature (a daylight-equivalent light simulator). Right: The same stones photographed in an LED light source with 3100K color temperature (an incandescent light simulator). The 2.705 ct faceted stone measures 8.08 × 7.18 × 5.49 mm. Photos by Kevin Schumacher.
Notes from the around the world highlight color-change grossular garnets from Ethiopia, a Mozambican green-blue Maxixe-type beryl, the Gemstones and Sustainable Development Knowledge Hub, and the separation of glass-filled rubies using the DiamondView instrument. @chapter:20


Publication Year: 2016 Title: Exhibition Review: Bent, Cast & Forged: The Jewelry of Harry Bertoia Abstract: Figure 1. Bertoia created this articulated brass necklace with forged elements and rivets circa 1942-1943. From the collection of Cranbrook Art Museum, gift of Dorothy Dunitz in memory of Saul Dunitz. Photo by R. H. Hensleigh.

	Harry Bertoia (1915–1978) was not like most jewelry designers. He did not find inspiration through cherished memories of a mother’s or grandmother’s jewelry. He credited his passion for metalwork to gypsies who came to his hometown of San Lorenzo, Italy to repair and fabricate kitchen equipment. The shining metal and pounding left a “deep and delightful” impression that influenced his work, some of which is currently on display at New York City’s Museum of Arts and Design in Bent, Cast & Forged: The Jewelry of Harry Bertoia (figure 1).

	Bertoia’s jewelry is only a small representation of his work. He immigrated to Detroit from Italy in 1930 and attended the Cass Technical School, where he studied art and design and learned how to make jewelry. In 1936 he began his studies at the Art School of the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts, entering the Cranbrook Academy of Art the following year on a teaching scholarship to study painting and drawing. At the time, the relatively young academy was a melting pot of creativity, attracting many famous artists, designers, and architects such as Walter Gropius, Ray and Charles Eames, and Florence Knoll. After finishing his program, Bertoia was asked to stay on in 1939 to re-open Cranbrook’s metalworking shop. Beginning in 1941, metals were being funneled into manufacturing for WWII, and Bertoia’s work was confined to small ornaments and jewelry. He scavenged scraps from metal shops and scoured flea markets for tableware to find brass and silver. When even these sources became scarce, he taught graphic design. The exhibition includes jewelry pieces from Cranbrook, from both his student days and from his most prolific period in the 1940s.

	Starting at Cranbrook, Bertoia also created drawings and monotypes as a way to harness his creative visions, allowing him to investigate structure and line with freedom and spontaneity. Bertoia produced more than 4000 monotypes throughout his career. The media served as a launching point for his exploration into the abstract, helping him to develop relationships between shapes and lines with organic volumetric forms that resulted in expressions of kinetics and latent vitality. Most of the monotypes in the exhibit were created in the same time period as the jewelry.

	Bertoia moved to California in 1943 to work for designers (and former classmates) Charles and Ray Eames. Throughout the 1940s, Bertoia continued to make and sell jewelry and monotypes, his style becoming more gestural and biomorphic. His work was in several exhibitions of contemporary jewelry, including one at New York’s Museum of Modern Art in, 1946, and was on the crest of the studio jewelry movement that emphasized design over materials.

	The earliest piece in MAD’s exhibition, a pendant from 1935 made from sterling silver and unidentified gemstones, echoes Art Deco geometry and shows skill for handmaking chain and setting gemstones, but it is evident that it is a student piece as it does not yet show the distinct design voice that Bertoia would soon develop. A spherical hatpin is distinctive for its airiness. It is composed of three textured ceramic beads orbiting on silver wire. It was reportedly made as a response to Cranbrook’s visiting Bauhaus architect Walter Gropius’s challenge to design objects in space. There are several monotypes displayed that are very reminiscent of the piece, exhibiting concentric and overlapping orbits.

	The 1940s-era fish spine brooch (figure 2, left) was made during the metal shortage; it and retains the sterling silver hallmark that belies its source as recycled silverware. This piece has articulations, which would come to be a trademark of Bertoia’s brooches and necklaces. The brooch is accompanied by a monotype that is evocative of its repeated forms (figure 2, right).

Figure 2. Left: “Fishbone” Pendant, circa 1940s, of forged and riveted sterling silver. Photo by Richard Goodbody, courtesy of Leah Gordon Antiques. Right: Untitled Monotype (Non-Objective Polychrome Block Print), c. 1943, ink on Japanese-style paper.  From the collection of Cranbrook Art Museum, gift of Dr. and Mrs. Irving F. Burton. Photo by R. H. Hensleigh.

	One of the few pieces in gold, a necklace for his wife, exemplifies his fascination with biomorphic shapes and movement in the early 1940s (figure 3). It is comprised of hammered and forged leaf-like components; this articulation through riveted and linked construction also appears in a brass leaf necklace and a 19.5” ornamental centipede.

Figure 3. Bertoia made this forged and fabricated gold necklace for his wife, Brigitta Valentiner. From the collection of Kim and Al Eiber. Photo by Tim Thayer and R. H. Hensleigh.

	As the decade progressed, Bertoia’s work became more abstract. It exhibited less literal interpretations of gestural form and movement, typified by a deceptively simple zigzag motif brooch (figure 4). A bracelet from the late 1940s used a more rectilinear design, foreshadowing some of the large-scale brass and copper screens that would grace public and corporate spaces in the future.

Figure 4. This brooch, forged and fabricated in sterling silver (c. 1945), is an example of the abstract jewelry Bertoia produced in the 1940s. From the collection of Kim and Al Eiber, photo courtesy of Wright Auction House.

	Bertoia moved to Pennsylvania in 1950 to work with Hans and Florence Knoll. He designed a five piece furniture collection, including the famous “Diamond” chair that is still in production. The income from the successful furniture collection enabled Bertoia to flourish as an independent sculptor in the next decade, with over 50 commissioned pieces that showed an artistic journey in the variety of method and form.  He did not make any jewelry in that decade.

	In the 1960s, Bertoia experimented with what he called “tonal” sculptures, made with tall vertical rods on flat bases ranging from a few inches to 20 ft, and large gong sculptures. He renovated an old barn and put in about 100 of his favorite "Sonambient" sculptures. Bertoia returned briefly to jewelry, producing a small collection of pendants and brooches based on his large gong sculptures (figure 5). The jewelry pieces are monumental at 4 to 5 inches across.

Figure 5. The forged sterling silver “Gong” pendant is reminiscent of the larger sculptures of Bertoia’s later years. Photo by Richard Goodbody, courtesy of Leah Gordon Antiques.

	While viewing the jewelry exhibit, one can hear the evocative lingering sounds emanating from the co-exhibition Atmosphere for Enjoyment: Harry Bertoia’s Environment for Sound, featuring recordings made in the barn.  Appreciation of Bertoia’s breadth of work and inspiration is completed as the exhibition ends with examples of his furniture designs and a video featuring Bertoia “playing” his Sonambient sculptures while narrating reflections on his design philosophy.

	One cannot walk away from these exhibits without being affected, feeling that one has encountered greatness. Bertoia was an artist who truly experienced and witnessed his surroundings through his senses. He used many mediums to translate life, movement, space, air, and sound, creating atmosphere through objects. The two exhibits will inspire designers, jewelry professionals, art aficionados, and philosophers to find their muses and their voices.

Bent, Cast & Forged: The Jewelry of Harry Bertoia runs until Sunday, September 25, 2016. The recommended admission is $16 for adults, $14 for seniors, and $12 for students. MAD is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, and Thursdays and Fridays from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm. The museum is closed Mondays and major holidays. Shown in tandem with Atmosphere for Enjoyment: Harry Bertoia’s Environment for Sound. @chapter:16


Publication Year: - Title: Mourning Jewelry: A Somber Remembrance Abstract: A selection on mourning jewelry from a display at the Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library at GIA in Carlsbad. Curated by librarians Chris Rogers and Cathy Jonathan. Photo by Emily Lane/GIA

                      Mourning jewelry is worn to memorialize a lost loved one and is usually black or dark-colored and reflects a somber tone. Although the practice began in the Middle Ages, it is most frequently associated with the Victorian Era, when it was common to wear mourning jewelry after a death.

A display case created by GIA librarians includes three strands of mourning jewelry made out of faceted onyx beads, magnesite and bone carved into skulls, in addition to library books and an article on the subject:

		“Fashionable Mourning Jewelry, Clothing & Customs” by Mary Brett

		“Mourning Art & Jewelry” by Maureen Delorme

		“Mourning and Memory: Queen Victoria's Jewellery in the ‘Albert Room’” by Helen Ritchie, Jewellery History Today Winter (2014)

The Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library in Carlsbad is home to thousands of books, journals, videos and images on gems and jewelry. GIA librarians often use those resources to create displays on a specific theme to encourage students, staff and visitors to learn more about the topic. @chapter:21


Publication Year: - Title: A Synthetic Diamond Overgrowth on a Natural Diamond Abstract: Figure 1. This 0.33 ct Fancy blue diamond was confirmed to be a composite of CVD synthetic type IIb diamond overgrowth on a natural type Ia substrate. Photo by Sood Oil (Judy) Chia.

	Nitrogen is the most abundant defect in natural diamonds. It can be observed as single substitutional atoms or in aggregated forms. Boron, on the other hand, is a rare impurity in natural diamonds. It is very unusual to see both nitrogen and boron defects in a single diamond. GIA’s New York laboratory recently encountered this in a 0.33 ct diamond graded Fancy blue (figure 1).

	The infrared spectrum revealed something very unusual: a mixed type Ia and IIb diamond (figure 2). It also showed a platelet peak at 1367 cm–1 and a hydrogen peak at 3107 cm–1. Mixed type Ia and IIb diamond occurs very rarely in nature; one was previously reported in Gems & Gemology (Spring 2009 Lab Notes, pp. 55–57). Nitrogen aggregation in this diamond was much higher, however. DiamondView images showed yellowish green fluorescence in the face-up view and blue fluorescence in the face-down view (figure 2). Detailed analysis using the DiamondView revealed a yellowish green fluorescence zone at the top of the crown with a sharp boundary in the crown facets (figure 3). Photoluminescence spectra collected from the table and at the boundary in the crown facets showed emissions from SiV– defects at 736.3 and 736.9 nm.

	Figure 2. The mid-IR spectrum on the left revealed peaks for nitrogen aggregates and boron defects, along with a platelet peak at 1367 cm–1 and hydrogen peak at 3107 cm–1. DiamondView imaging showed yellowish green fluorescence for the face-up view (top right) and blue fluorescence for the face-down view (bottom right). DiamondView images by Kyaw Soe Moe.

	Although SiV– defects can be observed in a natural diamond, the combination of SiV– defects, a sharp boundary, yellowish green fluorescence, and phosphorescence suggested that the top layer was CVD synthetic diamond. The bottom diamond showed blue fluorescence but no phosphorescence in the DiamondView, consistent with natural type Ia diamond. A distinct boundary line could be observed along the interface layer on the crown facets (figure 3). A distinct interface was visible through the pavilion in reflected light using a fiber-optic light source. A cloud-like inclusion, trapped at the interface layer, was also observed, as well as a dark needle located at or near the interface (figure 3). A small stress halo and a natural surface could be observed in the bottom diamond. The strain pattern throughout the pavilion was consistent with natural type Ia diamond.

	Figure 3. Left: The yellowish green fluorescent top layer was observed in the DiamondView image. Center: A distinct boundary line indicating an interface (marked with arrows) was seen under the microscope. A dark needle inclusion is located at or near the interface (near the center of the image). Right: The thickness of the CVD synthetic layer is approximately 80 microns. DiamondView image and photomicrograph by Kyaw Soe Moe.

	The quality of a CVD synthetic depends on the crystallographic orientation and temperature of the seed crystal or substrate during growth. CVD synthetic diamond films have been grown on natural diamond substrates since the early 1960s (W.G. Eversole, U.S. patents 3030187 and 3030188, 1962). Methane and other carbon-containing gases were used, but graphite was deposited along with the CVD synthetic layers. In 1993, CVD synthetic layers were successfully grown on natural type IIa and Ia diamond substrates (see B.G. Yacobi et al., “Preferential incorporation of defects in monocrystalline diamond films,” Diamond and Related Materials, Vol. 2, No. 2-4, 1993, pp. 92–99). They applied a mixture of CH4 and H2 at 80 torr in a microwave plasma-assisted CVD system. Reaction between CH4 and H2 produced H atoms, which maintained an sp3-bonded surface and prevented graphitization. The temperature applied to the natural diamond substrate during the CVD growth process of the sample we studied was relatively low, as suggested by the absence of single substitutional nitrogen atoms (Ns0). It is also in agreement with Yacobi (1993), who applied temperatures of 880°C for CVD growth on type Ia {100} diamond substrates and 1200°C for type Ia {111} diamond substrates.

	Based on the growth pattern of the natural diamond, it is clear that the type IIb CVD diamond was produced in or very close to {100} orientation. The natural diamond substrate showed no observable inclusions except for a very small stress halo. The thickness of the CVD overgrowth layer was approximately 80 microns (figure 3). FTIR spectroscopy is a bulk analysis, making it very hard to measure and separate IR spectra between a thin CVD layer on top and a thick diamond substrate. However, the fluorescence and phosphorescence reactions suggest that the top synthetic layer contained boron (e.g., boron-doped CVD synthetic) and the bottom diamond contained nitrogen aggregates. The thin layer of type IIb CVD synthetic diamond on the top of this stone effectively introduced Fancy blue color when viewed from its table.

	This synthetic overgrowth on a natural diamond with a Fancy color grade is the first GIA has seen. Identification of colored diamonds should be performed very carefully by looking for unusual characteristics, such as a straight boundary line associated with an interface plane, and fluorescence zones with sharp edges in DiamondView images. Examination of this fancy-colored composite diamond indicated that similar challenges could exist for colorless and near-colorless diamonds.

	Read this article in Simplified Chinese or Japanese. @chapter:15


Publication Year: - Title: National Retail Federation Predicts a Cheery Holiday Abstract: This regal diamond brooch/hair ornament ripples like a lacy diamond ribbon and centers on a ruby and diamond cluster (6.89 carats). It was made by Bachruch, of Budapest, circa 1900 and was given by Archduke Frédéric of Austria to his daughter, Archduchess Marie Anne of Austria, Princess Elie de Bourbon Parme, for the birth of her son, Charles, in 1905. It will be offered at a Nov. 12 Sotheby's auction. Courtesy of Sotheby's

The National Retail Federation (NRF) says that all of the building blocks are in place for a strong 2018 holiday season in the U.S. – it is predicting an increase of 4.3% to 4.8% over last year.

The NRF said the strong economy, wage growth and rising consumer confidence should offset concerns of rising prices from escalating trade tensions to bring consumers to stores and online marketplaces. One caveat – the survey was completed before the mid-October stock market volatility.

Online sales continue to take a bigger slice of the retail market, but many traditional retailers are adapting to the cyber market to claim their share. Retail sales will be done increasingly across multiple “channels” (online, mobile and in-store), according to top retail executives who spoke at GIA’s October International Gemological Symposium.

Jason Goldberger, CEO of Blue Nile, noted that in the future “nobody will be talking about retail channels” because they will blend into an overall shopping experience. Gina Drosos, CEO of Signet, the parent company of Kay Jewelers, Zale Corp and Jared the Galleria of Jewelry, said this is already the case because many sales begin online and end in the store.

The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index hit its highest point in 18 years last month with a solid majority seeing the U.S. economy continuing to improve for the remainder of the year. Consumers surveyed also noted a strong job market as the main reason for their optimism.
DIAMONDS
De Beers’ October cycle (sight) sales totaled $475 million – a sharp rise from the same period last year. De Beers’ Group CEO Bruce Cleaver said the Indian rupee/U.S. dollar exchange rate (the rupee has fallen 15% against the dollar this year) “impacted demand for lower value categories” but that the rough market remains strong from U.S. demand.

In China, the on-going trade war with the U.S. has created a lot of uncertainty among retailers there, so they are taking a very cautious approach. (See September 2018 Industry Analysis).

The declining rupee affects smaller Indian diamond manufacturers who deal on the local market more than larger, international firms. The large India-based diamond firms have U.S. dollar accounts so their costs actually have declined a bit in recent months as prices have softened. Smaller companies, who have to pay in rupees, have seen rough prices rise as their currency declines.

Increased recovery and sales of larger diamonds helped Alrosa report a 9% year-on-year increase in rough sales to $331.6 million. Russia’s diamond producer noted the decline in demand for smaller goods as well, but said increased sales of 2 carat-plus rough and “specials” over 10.8 carats have increased.

This 18.96-carat Fancy Vivid Pink diamond will be offered in the Magnificent Jewels auction Nov. 13 at Christie’s in Geneva. Courtesy of Christie’s

AUCTIONS
Sotheby’s Geneva is set to auction an array of royal jewels that belonged to Marie Antoinette and others in mid-November. The Royal Jewels from the Bourbon Parma Family sale on Nov. 12 will feature important pieces that belonged to the French queen, as well as other rulers from the Habsburg and Bourbon families. The jewels had been kept under wraps for nearly 200 years before resurfacing this year.

Christie’s is trying to capture some of the auction attention by offering the 18.96 ct Pink Legacy, a GIA-graded Fancy Vivid pink diamond that is property of the Oppenheimer family on Nov. 13. De Beers’ is hoping the diamond will shatter the world record price for a pink diamond, which stands at $46 million. @chapter:27


Publication Year: 2023 Title: Pseudo-Icosahedral Pyrite in Colombian Emerald Abstract: A pseudo-icosahedral crystal of pyrite in a 2.88 ct Colombian emerald. Photomicrograph by Taku Okada; field of view 1.01 mm.
The author recently examined a 2.88 ct emerald containing a beautiful metallic yellow pseudo-icosahedral pyrite crystal with truncated edges (see above). The emerald was identified as Colombian based on its jagged three-phase inclusions and trace element analysis using X-ray fluorescence. The included crystal’s color, luster, and shape were characteristic of pyrite, which is sometimes found in emeralds from various countries (S. Saeseaw et al., “Geographic origin determination of emerald,” Winter 2019 G&G, pp. 614–646). Pyrite, also known as “fool’s gold,” belongs to the isometric crystal system and has an ideal chemical composition of FeS2.
Like other isometric or cubic minerals, including diamonds and garnets, pyrites exhibit various morphologies depending on growth parameters such as temperature and/or degree of supersaturation (J.B. Murowchick and H.L. Barnes, “Effects of temperature and supersaturation on pyrite morphology,” American Mineralogist, Vol. 72, 1987, pp. 1241–1250). A regular icosahedron is one of the five classic Platonic solids, but it cannot exist in a crystal because it contradicts Haüy’s law of rational indices, which states that the intercepts of any crystal face along the crystallographic axes are either equal to the lattice constant lengths or some simple whole number multiples of them. Goniometric studies by Romé de L’Isle from 1783 showed that a pseudo-icosahedral form, often found in pyrite, is a combination of a regular octahedron and an irregular pentagonal dodecahedron known as a pyritohedron.
This pyrite crystal in Colombian emerald would be a welcome sight for any gemologist. @chapter:4


Publication Year: 1985 Title: Gem Pegmatites of Minas Gerais, Brazil: The Tourmalines of the Araçuaí Districts Abstract: The first article in this series discussed the history of gem mining in Minas Gerais from the colonial period to the present, the nature of granitic pegmatites and derived deposits yielding gemstones, and the important deposits of aquamarine and other gem beryls. The present article describes the major tourmaline deposits in the Araçuaí-Itinga and Araçuaí-Salinas districts of Minas Gerais, focusing on the Virgem da Lapa mines, the Salinas mine, and the Ouro Fino mine. Some of the finest green, blue, red and multicolored tourmalines ever produced originated from these mines. @chapter:3


Publication Year: 2021 Title: Parisite Crystals in a Colombian Emerald Abstract: Parisite crystals in an emerald from Colombia, shown under oblique fiber-optic illumination. Photomicrograph by Kyaw Thu; field of view 0.125 mm.

The author recently examined a 1.21 ct transparent faceted emerald. Gemological observation and chemical and spectroscopic analysis indicated that this natural emerald originated from Colombia. Moreover, microscopic examination with a combination of oblique fiber-optic and darkfield illumination presented the classic jigsaw pattern with a three-phase inclusion; this type of primary fluid inclusion is relatively common in Colombian emeralds. Interestingly, oblique fiber-optic illumination detected some colorless transparent crystal inclusions surrounded by fluid, as seen in the above figure.
Raman microspectrometry analysis of the well-formed prismatic crystals indicated that the unusual fluorocarbonate minerals were parisite. These very rare parisite mineral inclusions have been found only in emeralds from the Muzo mine (Winter 1982 Lab Notes, p. 230; E.J. Gübelin and J.I. Koivula, Photoatlas of Inclusions in Gemstones, Vols. 1–3). @chapter:10


Publication Year: 2013 Title: Splendour and Science of Pearls Abstract: The book delivers a broad overview of the world of natural and cultured pearls. The well-researched and lavishly illustrated presentation covers the history of pearls, world localities, classification, treatments, identification, fashion, and the future of the industry. One chapter focuses on the story of pearls in India, while another includes results from a GIA research study on natural pearls from the Arabian Gulf
But as a general reference, the book serves its purpose well. The appendices alone are useful, covering a wide range of subjects and providing charts on birthstones, ring sizes, hallmarks, and more. Overall, this volume would make a nice addition to any gemological library if cost is not an issue.
Reviewed by GIA Library Staff
Carlsbad, California @chapter:14


Publication Year: 2023 Title: Small Freshwater Bead Cultured Pearls Abstract: Figure 1. Strands of freshwater bead cultured pearls acquired at the Hong Kong show (top) and freshwater BC pearls submitted for identification (middle) are shown with a strand of 6.60 mm akoya bead cultured pearls (bottom) for comparison. Photo by Adriana Robinson.

Figure 2. Left: Multiple blue color concentrations under the surface of one pearl; field of view 19.27 mm. Right: Blue dye concentration inside a fracture; field of view 2.34 mm. Photomicrographs by Artitaya Homkrajae.
Recently, the Carlsbad laboratory received a strand of 78 light bluish gray near-round pearls for identification. The strand (figure 1, middle) weighed 16.75 g (gross), and the pearls measured approximately 5.45 mm in diameter. Upon first impression, they looked like akoya bead cultured (BC) pearls due to their small size and shell bead nuclei observed down the drill holes with a 10× loupe. Their light bluish gray bodycolor also resembled the unprocessed and untreated akoya BC pearls that have become more popular in the market. However, microscopic observation revealed light blue color concentrations under the surface of many pearls (figure 2, left) and blue dye around a surface-reaching feature on one sample (figure 2, right), suggesting that the colors had been artificially modified.
Energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence chemical analysis showed high levels of manganese, indicating a freshwater origin, as opposed to the saltwater origin of akoya. In 2023, at the AGTA GemFair in Tucson and the Hong Kong International Jewellery show, we saw small near-round to round Chinese freshwater BC pearls around 2–4 mm gaining popularity in the market (Spring 2023 Gem News International, pp. 109–110). These Chinese cultured pearls were available in various colors that were either natural or modified. A strand consisting of 126 small light gray freshwater BC pearls approximately 3.50 mm in diameter (figure 1, top) was acquired at the Hong Kong show to study the internal structures. The light gray bodycolor, likely caused by irradiation considering the dark gray bead nuclei seen in the drill holes, was atypical for natural colored freshwater pearls.

Figure 3. RTX image of freshwater BC pearls. The top strand, submitted for identification, has an average nacre thickness of 1 mm and an average bead diameter of 3.5 mm. The bottom strand, from the Hong Kong show, has an average nacre thickness of 0.8 mm and an average bead diameter of 2.7 mm. Image by Joyce Wing Yan Ho.
Real-time microradiography (RTX) revealed a distinct bead nucleus in each pearl in both the strands submitted for identification (figure 3, top) and the strand obtained from the Hong Kong show (figure 3, bottom), confirming they were bead cultured. All the pearls displayed relatively thick nacre, averaging about 1 mm for the larger strand and 0.8 mm for the smaller strand. The bead nuclei measured approximately 3.5 mm and 2.7 mm in diameter, respectively.
Although this type of small freshwater BC pearl is generally smaller than typical akoya BC pearls, there are also very small akoya BC pearls below 3 mm in the market (Spring 2018 Gem News International, pp. 103–105). Due to the popularity of very small round BC pearls, the size range of these types of freshwater and akoya pearls can be very similar. It could be difficult to separate them through visual inspection, and more advanced methods are likely needed to verify the environmental origin. The slightly flat surface feature previously encountered on white freshwater BC pearls was not present on the samples studied here (Spring 2023 Gem News International, pp. 109–110). Moreover, our freshwater BC pearl samples showed thicker nacre compared with the very small akoya pearls previously reported, with a nacre that was above the usual commercially accepted range (0.15–0.50 mm) for akoya.
Chinese freshwater cultured pearls are widely available in various sizes, shapes, colors, and qualities and have become a major part of the global market. This was GIA’s first examination of such small freshwater BC pearls, demonstrating the versatility of Chinese freshwater culturing methods in adapting to consumer demands. @chapter:14


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

	“I hope to build a lasting brand that prides itself on unique, clean design and ethical practice,” she says. “More businesses in jewelry and fashion are moving away from ‘fast fashion’ and adopting more ethical, sustainable models and I’m proud to be a part of that. I hope to influence more designers and consumer to consider where our materials and pieces come from, and to consider how we can create positive change moving forward.” @chapter:36


Publication Year: - Title: Fancy Colors, History Ruled 2018 Auctions Abstract: Demand for top fancy colored diamonds was strong in 2018. This 8.08 ct cushion cut Fancy Vivid blue diamond ring by Bulgari sold for $18.3 million ($2.27 million per carat) at Christie’s December Hong Kong auction. Photo courtesy of Christie’s.

World-class fancy colored diamonds and truly historic jewels highlighted the 2018 auctions, but behind the headlines, total jewelry sales at auction were down an estimated 15% from 2017.

The total of fine jewelry sales from all Christie’s and Sotheby’s auctions in 2018 was an estimated $900 million, down from about $1.1 billion the year before.

Christie’s announced 2018 jewelry sales of $492.3 million; $484.5 million from in-room sales and $7.8 million from online auctions. In 2017, its jewelry sales were $565.6 million, including $9 million from online sales.

Sotheby’s does not announce its fine jewelry sales, but estimates were about $420 million as several large buy-ins reduced the total.

The GIA-graded 18.96 ct Pink Legacy, renamed the Winston Pink, achieved a record per-carat price for a pink diamond when it sold for $50.4 million ($2.65 million per carat) at Christie’s November Geneva auction. Photo courtesy of Christie’s.
The year’s highlights came in mid-November.

Sotheby’s Geneva auction of Royal Jewels from the Bourbon-Parma Family included 10 pieces that belonged to ill-fated French queen Marie Antoinette. The collection brought $53 million against a pre-sale estimate of $7 million.

This monogrammed diamond ring contains a woven lock of Marie Antoinette’s hair and brought more than $447,000. Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s
The day before, Christie’s Geneva auction achieved a record per-carat price for a pink diamond, selling the GIA-graded 18.96 ct Pink Legacy for $50.4 million ($2.65 million per carat). The buyer, Harry Winston, Inc., renamed the diamond the Winston Pink. That same sale saw an anonymous buyer pay a record price of $15 million for the Peacock Necklace, which contains 23 Kashmir sapphires totaling 109.08 carats and 21 cushion cut diamonds.

Historic gems and jewelry like the Moon of Baroda, a 24.04 ct Fancy yellow diamond, achieved top prices at auction in 2018. The diamond, found in India centuries ago and part of the collection of Marie Therese of Vienna, sold for $1.3 million at Christie’s November Hong Kong auction. Photo courtesy of Christie’s.
Other auction highlights from 2018 include:

A 24.7 ct Burmese ruby for $11 million, Sotheby’s April Hong Kong
A 3.47 ct Fancy Vivid blue diamond for $6.7 million; nearly $2 million per carat at Sotheby’s April New York
A 3.09 ct Fancy Intense blue diamond for $5.38 million at Christie’s April New York
An 8.01 ct Fancy Vivid blue diamond by Moussaieff for $20.5 million ($2.55 million per carat) at Christie’s May Hong Kong
A 5 ct Fancy Vivid blue diamond for $13.8 million ($2.8 million per carat) at Sotheby’s October Hong Kong
The 24.04 ct Fancy Yellow Moon of Baroda, owned by empress Marie Therese of Austria and worn by Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s to promote her film, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, which sold for $1.3 million at Christie’s November Hong Kong
A 10.04 ct Burmese ruby for $7.23 million ($720,481 per carat) at Christie’s November Hong Kong
A 21.19 ct Fancy Light pink diamond for $7.4 million at Sotheby’s November Geneva
An 8.08 ct Fancy Vivid blue diamond by Bulgari for $18.3 million at Christie’s December Hong Kong
A 15.56 ct Fancy Intense pink diamond pendant for $9.37 million at Christie’s December New York

Christie’s November Hong Kong auction included a 10.04 ct Burmese ruby and diamond ring that sold for $7.23 million ($720,481 per carat). Photo courtesy of Christie’s
While demand for historic jewels and most top fancy colored diamonds was strong, buyers were more cautious in their bidding for other high value pieces, especially in Hong Kong, where only 65% to 70% of the lots offered found buyers.

Sotheby’s Hong Kong auction totals were set back by the failure of several major pieces to find buyers. These include a 10.62 Fancy Vivid blue diamond that failed to achieve the $20 million to $30 million pre-sale estimate in November; a jadeite bangle that fell short of its $12.8 million estimate in April; and a 14.18 ct Fancy blue diamond that did not reach its $7 million estimate. Several other million-dollar-plus jadeite pieces also did not find buyers at that Hong Kong auction.

Exceptional diamonds and colored gems, however, still lag behind fine art. The year’s highlight was a Modigliani work that sold for more than $157 million – a price considered lackluster by some art experts.

Updated on Jan. 4, 2019 to reflect auction sales estimates. @chapter:30


Publication Year: 2023 Title: A Newly Discovered Iridescent Andradite from Inner Mongolia, China Abstract: Figure 1. Iridescent andradite samples (25 ct and 125 ct) from the Lindong area of Inner Mongolia, China. As shown in the left photo, sample G-1 displays iridescence on the (211) plane but not on the (110) plane. Photos by Jiuchang Yang.
Iridescent garnet found in Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, was recently encountered in the Chinese market. Iridescent garnet was first discovered in 1943 in the U.S. state of Nevada (E. Ingeron and J.D. Barksdale, “Iridescent garnet from the Adelaide Mining District, Nevada,” American Mineralogist, Vol. 28, 1943, pp. 303–312), and it is also found in Mexico and Japan (M.A. Badar and M. Akizuki, “Iridescent andradite garnet from the Sierra Madre Mountains, Sonora, Mexico,” Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie - Monatshefte, Vol. 1997, No. 12, pp. 529–539; T. Hainschwang and F. Notari, “The cause of iridescence in rainbow andradite from Nara, Japan,” Winter 2006 G&G, pp. 248–258). To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of iridescent garnet in China. Two rough samples were collected by the authors in the Lindong lead mining area (figure 1). The refractive index was over the limits of a conventional refractometer, and the hydrostatic specific gravity values were 3.85 and 3.84. Both showed an inert reaction to long- and short-wave ultraviolet fluorescence. These standard gemological testing results were consistent with garnet.

Figure 2. Left: Growth layers viewed normal to the (110) crystal face in a backscattered electron (BSE) image from a polished thin section. Right: The iron and aluminum contents corresponding to each spot in the BSE image.

Figure 3. Sample G-1 was identified as andradite based on a comparison with a sample from the RRUFF database. Spectra are offset vertically for clarity.
On the basis of energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence, calcium, silicon, iron, aluminum, manganese, magnesium, titanium, and sodium were detected. The chemical composition of the larger sample was analyzed using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The composition was consistent with that of andradite, containing major elements of calcium, iron, aluminum, and silicon, with the derived chemical formula of (Ca3.015Mn0.031Na0.006Mg0.003Ti0.002) (Fe1.846Al0.138)[Si2.978O12]. The backscattered electron image showed clear growth layers (figure 2, left). Aluminum in the darker zones was about 2 wt.% higher on average than in the lighter zones, and the iron content decreased with increasing aluminum. Raman spectroscopic analysis involved comparison with the RRUFF database (B. Lafuente et al., https://rruff.info/about/downloads/HMC1-30.pdf). The peak positions (figure 3) indicated that the samples were consistent with those of andradite, supporting the composition inferred from EPMA. Raman shifts within 300 to 400 cm–1 were assigned to SiO4 rotational vibrations. Raman shifts within 400 to 700 cm–1 were caused by Si-Obend (bridge oxygen) bending and asymmetric stretching vibrations. Raman shifts at 800 to 1200 cm–1 were attributed to the characteristic absorption peak of Si-Ostr stretching vibration (B.A. Kolesov and C.A. Geiger, “Raman spectra of silicate garnets,” Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, Vol. 25, No. 2, 1998, pp. 142–151).

Figure 4. Sample G-1 displays strong iridescence with a full spectrum of colors. For certain bands, the color does not change as the viewing angle changes. This image is of a face parallel to (211). Photomicrograph by Jiuchang Yang; field of view 24.45 mm.

Figure 5. Top: The polished thin section in A and B was cut normal to the (110) crystal face. Observation under crossed polarizers (A) showed strong grid-like pattern, abnormal birefringence (possibly caused by lattice-like twinning), and angled growth bands. Bottom: The section in C and D was cut parallel to the (110) crystal face. Observation under crossed polarizers (C) showed partitioned abnormal birefringence caused by contact twinning and faint growth bands. Photomicrographs by Jiuchang Yang; field of view 25.05 mm.
Microscopic observation revealed an attractive play-of-color with a complete visible spectrum of colors on the (211) crystal plane of sample G-1 (figure 4). We cut three polished thin sections from sample G-2 along the (110) and (211) crystallographic axes to observe the twinning structure and extinction phenomena under a polarizing microscope. The sample displayed angled layered growth structures and a strong grid-like pattern and abnormal birefringence (figure 5). A grid-like extinction phenomenon parallel to the growth layer (figure 5A) may have been caused by lattice-like twins, and figure 5C shows two areas with different extinction orientations. One study on Japanese andradite showed that the iridescence effect is caused by the alternate growth of iron-rich layers and aluminum-rich layers. These layers cause a thin-film interference phenomenon in the crystal structure (Hainschwang and Notari, 2006). Therefore, we speculate that the iridescence of andradite from the Lindong lead mining area is not closely related to twinning but may be closely related to thin-film interference caused by its layered growth structure. @chapter:4


Publication Year: 1986 Title: Fall 1986 G&G Book Reviews Abstract: “Photoatlas of Inclusions in Gemstones”
By Edward J. Gübelin and John I. Koivula, 532 pp., illus., publ. by ABC Edition, Zurich, Switzerland, 1986. US$175.00

“Pearls: Natural, Cultured and Imitation”
By Alexander E. Farn, 150 pp., illus., publ. by Butterworth &. Co., London, 1986. US$29.95

To view the full section, download the PDF above. @chapter:37


Publication Year: 1987 Title: Fall 1987 G&G Lab Notes Abstract: Brazilian Alexandrite
Highly Radioactive Green Diamond
Treated Yellow Diamond with Cape Lines
Jade Earrings
Black Cultured Pearls
An Unusual Use for a Natural Pearl
Scenic Quartz
Heat-Treated Yellow Sapphire
Cat's-Eye Sillimanite (Fibrolite)
A Brownish Gray Taaffeite
A Rare Green Cat's-Eye Chrome Tourmaline

To view the full section, download the PDF above. @chapter:2


Publication Year: 2023 Title: Suspended Crystal in Red Spinel Abstract: A crystal inclusion in red spinel shown in darkfield illumination (left) and fiber-optic lighting (right). Photomicrographs by Isabelle Corvin; field of view 1.78 mm.
The sharp outline of a tabular included crystal in a 0.44 ct red spinel (see above) appeared suspended when viewed with darkfield illumination. Under fiber-optic lighting, the body of the crystal darkened and displayed a flash of rainbow colors caused by thin-film interference between the host spinel and the inclusion.
Not all included crystals display such drastically different appearances with different light sources. This particular well-formed crystal was the only notable inclusion in the red spinel. The surprising “rainbow” effect made it stand out from other crystal inclusions observed in similar material. @chapter:19


Publication Year: 2015 Title: Phosphorescence of Synthetic Sapphire Abstract: Figure 1. Left: The 1.14 ct synthetic sapphire under daylight-equivalent lighting. Photo by Sood Oil (Judy) Chia. Right: The sample exhibited phosphorescence in this DiamondView image. DiamondView image by Akhil Sehgal.

Phosphorescent features in synthetic colorless sapphires have previously been reported in G&G (Fall 2013 GNI, pp. 182–183). A 1.14 ct colorless sample was recently submitted to the New York lab for identification (figure 1, left). The gemological properties determined the stone was corundum. The specimen was free of inclusions, with no detectable gas bubbles or curved striae. Quantitative chemical analysis, showing a lack of gallium as well as iron levels below the detection limit, indicated that the sample was synthetic. The material was also transparent to short-wave ultraviolet radiation, whereas natural colorless sapphires do not transmit short-wave UV light due to the quenching effect from trace impurities (S. Elen and E. Fritsch, “The separation of natural from synthetic colorless sapphire,” Spring 1999 G&G, pp. 30–41). This is the same test used to effectively separate type I and II diamonds; nitrogen impurities in diamonds are strong absorbers of light in the short-wave UV range between 225–320 nm (C. M. Breeding, “The ‘type’ classification system of diamonds and its importance in gemology,” Summer 2009 G&G, pp. 96–111). The UV-visible spectrum shown in figure 2 also illustrates the transparency with the absorption edge at approximately 216 nm, whereas natural near-colorless sapphires typically have an absorption edge around 300 nm.

Figure 2. Transparency was observed in the UV-Vis-NIR spectrum.
Figure 3 illustrates the phosphorescence band centered at approximately 424 nm, along with other minor decay bands observed in the visible spectrum that mix together to produce the blue phosphorescence observed in figure 1 (right). The phosphorescence lasted about 25 seconds, until the excited electrons dissipated. The only trace elements detected with LA-ICP-MS were Ti (21 ppma average), and Cr, Mg, and Ca (below 5 ppma). Chalky blue fluorescence in sapphires is believed to be due to Ti4+ charge-transfer transition of isolated Ti4+ ions or Ti-Al vacancy pairs. The fluorescence peak is usually between 410 and 420 nm, but shifts to higher wavelengths as Ti concentrations increase (B. D. Evans, “Ubiquitous blue luminescence from undoped synthetic sapphire,” Journal of Luminescence, Vol. 60–61, 1994, pp. 620–626; W.C. Wong et al., “Charge-exchange processes in titanium-doped sapphire crystals. I. Charge-exchange energies and titanium-bound exitons,” Physical Review B, Vol. 61, No. 9, 1995, pp. 5682–5698). The phosphorescence in synthetic colorless sapphires could be related to this property, with the addition of the decay route including forbidden energy transition states. Phosphorescence in synthetic colorless sapphires is still not well understood, and additional research is needed to verify the origin of this phenomenon.

Figure 3. The phosphorescence spectrum of the synthetic sapphire shows the main band
centered at approximately 426 nm, along with smaller bands in the visible-light region. @chapter:32


Publication Year: - Title: The Red Hot Gems of Summer Abstract: "The Crimson Prince Ruby" is a 3.22 ct unheated ruby from Mogok, Burma (Myanmar). Stone courtesy of Jeffery Bergman, Primagem, Bangkok. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA

No color evokes more energy, action, emotion and excitement than red. It is associated with the power of fast cars, the passion of crimson roses and the seduction of summer sunsets.
Regal Red Gems
In early cultures, ruby was revered for its similarity in color to blood, the source of life. Deep red, sometimes with a hint of purple, called “pigeon’s blood” in the trade, is the most sought after shade for rubies. No colored gemstone has been more treasured by kings, queens, rulers, moguls and the upper classes than ruby. Even today, fine rubies remain an indulgence of the few.
What draws us to ruby? Does it have a mysterious quality or power – as thought by early civilizations? The scientific explanation for ruby’s subtle attraction lies in its high chromium and low iron content, which creates its red color. The chromium also causes the gem to fluoresce when viewed in ultraviolet light; in natural light, the fluorescence of high quality rubies creates an almost mesmerizing, subconscious glow, reminiscent of heat haze on a desert highway.
Red spinel, cherished by kings and emperors, also has a long and glorious history. Many famous “rubies” were actually red spinels, illustrating how very similar these gems can be in appearance. Spinels mined from 1000 C.E to 1900 C.E., in what is now known as Afghanistan, accounted for many of the red gemstones in jewelry of that era. They were called “Balas rubies,” derived from the Arabic balakhsh, for the Badhakhshan region in Afghanistan where the gem was found. The quality of natural spinel has gained notice and appreciation in recent years, so its presence and value in the market has also increased.

These rubellite (pink) and green tourmaline bottles were carved in China during the turn of the 20th century from the era of the Chinese Empress Dowager Tz’u Hsi. She was a devoted fan of tourmaline, especially the pink tourmaline from San Diego’s Pala District. They bring a refreshing spritz of cool and warm tones. Courtesy of the Bill Larson Collection. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Red garnet necklaces adorned Egypt’s pharaohs thousands of years ago and were entombed with them as prized possessions to be used in the afterlife. Ancient Roman signet rings with carved garnets were used to stamp the wax that secured important documents. Clergy and nobility in the Middle Ages (475–1450 C.E.) also favored red garnet. The availability of this red gem increased with the discovery of deposits in central Europe around 1500. Known as “Bohemian garnets,” this source became the nucleus of a regional jewelry industry that reached its peak in the late 1800s.
Rubellite and pink tourmaline were favorite gems of the Chinese Dowager Empress Tz’u Hsi in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The majority of pink to red tourmaline mined in San Diego County’s famed tourmaline mines (Tourmaline Queen, Tourmaline King, Stewart, Pala Chief and Himalaya) during that period was shipped to China. Much of the material was carved into snuff bottles and other objets d’art, but the finest quality was set in jewelry.

This Oregon sunstone is ablaze in color and shows the fiery sparks of aventurescence or schiller. Courtesy of GIA Dr. Edward J. Gübelin Collection. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Hot Red Gems
The hot, dry, high desert of eastern Oregon is home to Ponderosa, Dust Devil and Sunstone Butte mines – the primary sources of sunstone. According to Native American legend, the blood of a great warrior – wounded by an arrow – dropped onto pieces of Oregon sunstone. The blood carried his warrior spirit into the stones, coloring them with shades of red and giving them sacred power. The Oregon mines produce enough material to supply mass marketers as well as carvers and high-end jewelry designers.
Sunstone often exhibits aventurescence, a sparkly, metallic-looking luster caused by flat, reflective inclusions, sometimes called “schiller” by sunstone fanciers. Sunstone can be a variety of either microcline or oligoclase feldspar with an orange/brown background color. The color in Oregon sunstones comes from copper platelets that give it flash and sparkle.

View Gallery

Fire opal is a transparent to translucent opal with a background color that has smoldering hues of yellow to orange to red (some colorless fire opal is also found). Mexico is the primary source of fire opal, and material found there generally exhibits a strong play of color, though on rare occasions, no play of color. Smaller amounts of fire opal are produced in Australia, Brazil, Ethiopia, Honduras, Guatemala, Nevada and Oregon.
Rare Red Gems
Sweet Home Mine in Alma, Colorado, discovered in 1873 for its silver, produced the world’s finest rhodochrosite. The mine closed in 1967 after moderate success, but reopened from 1991 to 2005, during which it produced an estimated $100 million in rhodochrosite specimens. These gems are housed in several prominent mineral museums and private collections around the world. The largest known rhodochrosite crystal, the Alma King, is on display in the Denver Museum of Nature and Science and the Alma Queen is displayed in the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

Sweet Home Mine in Alma, Colorado produced the Alma Rose, a mineral specimen consisting of five large crystals of rhodochrosite described by the owners as “cherry red." Courtesy of Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals, Hillsboro, Oregon. Photo by Kevin Schumacher/GIA
Red beryl, also known as bixbite, is a North American gemstone found only in the Wah Wah Mountains of central western Utah. Most cut specimens are less than one carat. Since it is no longer mined, it has become rare, historical material.
Rhodonite is found in the sultry region of Minas Gerais, Brazil and Australia, Peru, Russia and the United States. Transparent rhodonite crystals are rare and seldom larger than one gram, but their hardness makes them excellent cut gemstones. The name rhodonite is derived from the Greek rhodon meaning rose.

The Moussaiff Red is a famous 5.11 ct Fancy red diamond. A red diamond without any modifier is rare. The pure red color and size of the Moussaiff Red diamond make it peerless. Courtesy of William Goldberg Diamond Corp. Photo by Elizabeth Schrader/GIA
Taaffeite (pronounced tar-fite) is named after Richard Taaffe, who found the gem in 1945 in a jewelry shop in Dublin, Ireland. It is the only gemstone to have been identified from a cut and polished specimen. Prior to Taaffe’s discovery, most pieces were misidentified as spinel due to their similar crystal form. It is one of the rarest gemstone minerals in the world.
The Moussaieff Red, originally named the Red Shield, is the ultimate in collectible red gemstones. It is an internally flawless, breathtaking 5.11 ct Fancy red natural color diamond. Discovered in the 1990s by a farmer in Brazil and cut from a 13.90-carat rough by the William Goldberg Diamond Corp., the rare red diamond was displayed in 2003 as part of the Smithsonian Institution’s “The Splendor of Diamonds” exhibit.
Although these red gemstones are often associated with the heat of summer, our passion and desire for them knows no season. @chapter:25


Publication Year: 2017 Title: Jewelry Industry Summit Abstract: The second Jewelry Industry Summit was held in Tucson, Arizona, January 29–30. The meeting was a continuation of the first summit, held in New York in March 2016, though new initiatives emerged from the Tucson gathering.

	Opening remarks by Doug Hucker and Jeff Bilgore (AGTA) were followed by three speakers from outside the gem and jewelry industry. Lisa Manley (Sustainability Strategy and Cone Communications, Boston) discussed exploring a company’s strengths, opportunities, and aspirations, calling sustainability “a team sport.” Thea Polancic (Conscious Capitalism, Chicago) spoke on imagining the industry’s future, citing specific companies that have used their leverage in their industries to make a difference in the world. Bob Mitchell (Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition, Washington DC) presented on pinpointing possibilities for successful and sustainable business practices.

	The majority of the summit was focused on committee updates from the first meeting and creating new initiatives to be worked on. Carried over from 2016:

		Brian Cook (Nature’s Geometry, Tucson) is developing a model community for golden rutile miners in Bahia State, Brazil. A construction site has been chosen, and negotiations with the municipal government for lapidary equipment have begun. See this entry for more information.

		The education committee, headed by Christina Miller (College Corner, Ohio) is creating a glossary that can help members of the industry and consumers understand the language of sustainability, ethical sourcing, and responsible practices.

		The chain of custody and due diligence committee drafted guidelines for suppliers seeking responsible sources.

		The harmonization team is charged with establishing best practices among the existing standards across industries. Under the lead of Mark Hanna (Richline, Providence, Rhode Island) and Richard Nehls (LA Rocks, Los Angeles), the team has collaborated with other organizations to learn from their challenges and successes.

		#ResponsibleJewelryStories, the marketing arm of the summit, is led by Cleo Zancope Gnatek (Jane Taylor Jewelry, New York), Dana Bronfman (Dana Bronfman Fine Jewelry, New York), and Cecilia Gardner (New York). This team has created a website to share stories of responsible sourcing, ethical practices, and sustainability. Industry members interested in sharing their stories on this topic should contact responsiblejewelrystories@gmail.com.

		Members of the sales associate and consumer education team, led by Kevin Reilly (Platinum Guild International, New York), have developed an outline for training purposes and a proposal for content providers and potential sponsors.

		The sustainability in jewelry committee, headed by Mike Pace (New York), has distributed a survey about perceptions of sustainability to 800 fine jewelry buyers who identify as “millennials.”

		The team working to fight silicosis and industrial diseases among gemstone cutters, led by Eric Braunwart (Columbia Gem House, Portland, Oregon), is creating pilot programs with three NGOs as well as the AGTA.

	Among the new initiatives proposed at the summit were an effort to find a safe, affordable alternative for mercury in gold mining; a development index to measure the positive and negative effects of the gem and jewelry industry on a nation’s economy; and a plan to build an agro-geo-ecotourism movement in Thailand. The location and dates of the next Jewelry Industry Summit will be announced later in 2017. @chapter:33


Publication Year: - Title: Family Heirlooms Recovered After 9/11 Attacks Abstract: These pieces, recovered after the September 11 attacks from a safety deposit box at the World Trade Center, were on display at GIA.

	Robin Silvers, a gem specialist in Los Angeles, was moved and overwhelmed by the items a client showed her – two petite silver mesh clutches, a diamond brooch and two pocket watches – all recovered from the family’s safety deposit box buried in the rubble of the World Trade Center after the September 11 attacks.

	The safety deposit box was one of 2,500 found in a JP Morgan Chase bank vault at 5 World Trade Center, which partially collapsed. The vault sustained severe damage from fires that burned for weeks after, and most of the boxes’ contents were nothing more than ash when they were finally discovered.

	Silvers’ anonymous client didn’t remember the family had a safety deposit box until weeks later. She was extremely worried about her father on 9/11 because he lived in Lower Manhattan and was likely on his way to work in a family-owned commercial building situated on the perimeter of the World Trade Center complex.

	Her father was late to work that day, so he was unharmed, but people who leased space in their building were injured or killed. “We knew people who were lost in those attacks, and our building was partially destroyed,” she said.

	When she did remember the safety deposit box, “it was like an electric shock went through me. The ripple effect of losses continued.” The family assumed the contents were destroyed.

	A couple of years passed before bank officials began to evaluate the boxes and contact owners. Silvers’ client went through a roller coaster of emotions as news went back and forth about whether or not the pieces in the safety deposit box had survived.

	“It was really surprising when they were found – and kind of bittersweet,” she said.

	A 1950s-era 14k white gold ribbon bow brooch, a gift from the client’s father to her mother, is particularly special because her mother, who passed away from breast cancer when the daughter was 19, had very little jewelry.

	“It’s one of the last pieces I have of my mother’s,” she said. The brooch was blackened from the heat of the fires, but the diamonds were in good condition, so she thought she might have it repaired.

	The silver clutches and pocket watches belonged to her great-grandparents. Her great-grandfather emigrated from Nazi Germany and her grandmother grew up during the Great Depression, so she imagines they were prized possessions, as well as being links to her heritage.

	Silvers said she got the chills the first time her client showed her the pieces. She immediately realized the brooch should not be repaired.

	“When I saw the brooch and was able to touch it, along with the other items, it brought home to me everything they had gone through. To repair the brooch would erase everything that had happened to it on 9/11,” she said. “It’s beautiful the way it is.”

	Silvers showed it to her friend, David Humphrey, a jeweler from Pacific Palisades, California, who contacted GIA to write a report for Gems & Gemology. Terri Ottaway, curator of the GIA Museum, saw the brooch as it was being photographed for the journal and asked to display it on campus.

	“This exquisite diamond brooch endured a horrendous event that forever changed America,” Ottaway said. “Its condition is a reminder of how the human spirit can shine through tragedy – just as these diamonds still sparkle in their blackened setting.”

	One conversation led to another between Silvers, her client and Ottaway, and now all five pieces are on display in Carlsbad through Nov. 18. Silvers’ client appreciates the symbolism they represent and is at peace with her decision to display them at GIA.

	“I miss having my mother’s brooch with me,” she said. “But I realize it is a connection for people to 9/11. It’s a symbol of resilience, renewal and rebirth – there’s life in it.”

	A 14K gold Columbus pocket watch, left; a 14K gold Lord Elgin pocket watch, center; and a 1950s-era 14K white gold ribbon brooch, with 75 diamonds (2.78 total carat weight) intact, right.

	Two petite silver mesh clutches fused together from the heat of the fires that burned for weeks. The larger one, left, measures 5.5 inches wide by 4 inches high and the smaller one 2.7 inches by 2.5 inches. You can see the remains of some of the contents in them. The reverse side of the clutches is on the right. @chapter:21


Publication Year: 2021 Title: Chrysoberyl Inclusions in Flux-Grown Ruby Abstract: Figure 1. This ruby proved to be a flux-grown synthetic ruby with chrysoberyl inclusions. Photo by Shunsuke Nagai.

The Tokyo laboratory recently received a 3.02 ct red pear-shaped mixed cut measuring 10.93 × 7.04 × 5.03 mm (figure 1). Standard gemological testing yielded a refractive index of 1.765–1.773; a hydrostatic specific gravity of 4.00; absorption lines at 693, 476, and 468 nm; and a broad absorption band between 500 nm and 610 nm seen using a handheld spectroscope. All of these properties were consistent with ruby. The stone displayed strong red fluorescence under both long-wave and short-wave UV.

Figure 2. These natural-looking hexagonal colorless crystals and the small nest of inclusions in the flux-grown ruby (top of image and around the hexagonal crystals) could be mistaken for natural corundum inclusions. Photomicrograph by Yuxiao Li; field of view 1.41 mm.
Microscopic examination revealed numerous hexagonal colorless inclusions as well as small colorless inclusions that resembled zircon nests often found in natural corundum (figure 2). Also observed were features suggesting the possibility of flux-grown corundum: hexagonal dark reflective long prisms and platelets (figure 3) and healed fissures filled with flux residues (figure 4).

Figure 3. The hexagonal dark reflective long prisms (left) and platelets (right) observed in the sample are common inclusions in flux-grown synthetic corundum. Photomicrographs by Yuxiao Li; field of view 1.28 mm.
Laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) detected high amounts of Be (35.3–37.1 ppma), Cr (1733.5–2047.2 ppma), Rh (0.6–1.0 ppma), and Pt (0.5–1.1 ppma). Elements normally present in natural corundum such as Mg, Ga, and V were not detected. The chemistry indicated a flux growth process.

Figure 4. Fingerprints in the flux-grown ruby could also be mistaken for natural residue-filled fingerprints. Photomicrograph by Yuxiao Li; field of view 1.23 mm.
Earlier work has shown numerous transparent, colorless hexagonal tabular “ghost-like” inclusions in Chatham flux-grown sapphire (R.E. Kane, “The gemological properties of Chatham flux-grown synthetic orange sapphire and synthetic blue sapphire,” Fall 1982 G&G, pp. 140–153). In that study, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) revealed that the pattern of the ghost-like inclusions was identical to that of chrysoberyl. That study also stated that Chatham, who was successful in synthesizing sapphire by the flux method, added heavy concentrations of beryllium, which explained the presence of chrysoberyl and the high beryllium trace element content. More recently, natural-looking transparent hexagonal crystals in a flux-grown pink sapphire have also been reported (Fall 2017 Lab Notes, pp. 367–368).

Figure 5. The Raman spectrum of the chrysoberyl inclusion compared to that of the known reference.
There was no surface-reaching transparent crystal in that pink synthetic sapphire, but the small amounts of beryllium suggested the possibility of chrysoberyl. In the present laboratory-grown ruby, fortunately, one of the transparent crystals reached the surface. With Raman spectroscopy, we were able to identify it as chrysoberyl (figure 5).
The beryllium concentration of this laboratory-grown ruby (up to 37 ppma) indicated possible beryllium diffusion treatment. High chromium (up to 2047 ppma) resulted in a vivid red color. With such a highly saturated bodycolor, we cannot deny the possibility of beryllium diffusion, though the signature orange rim was not found using immersion techniques. The numerous chrysoberyl crystals offer important evidence that the beryllium was already excised during the flux growth process. Beryllium diffusion of corundum requires exposure to extreme heat (above 1780°C; J.L. Emmett et al., “Beryllium diffusion of ruby and sapphire,” Summer 2003 G&G, pp. 84–135). These chrysoberyl inclusions do not show the typical indications following heat treatment, meaning this stone was not beryllium diffused after its growth.
With LA-ICP-MS and Raman spectroscopy, we were able to confirm that flux-grown laboratory-grown ruby with high beryllium content could indicate the presence of natural-looking chrysoberyl crystals. @chapter:12


Publication Year: 2018 Title: Color Origin of Phenakites from the Ural Emerald Mines Abstract: Figure 1. Phenakite with beryl in mica (left) and yellow phenakite (right). Photos by Mikhail Popov; fields of view 5 cm.
Phenakite (Be2SiO4) was first discovered at Russia’s Ural emerald mines, and was chemically identified in 1833. The mineral is widely distributed in beryllium deposits, but crystals of gem quality or large size are rare. At the Ural mines, however, there are large transparent crystals that can be used in jewelry. Jewelry-grade phenakite is generally colorless or yellowish brown (figure 1; see M.P. Popov et al., “Features of phenakite mineralization from the Ural emerald mines,” Bulletin of the Ural Branch of the RMS, No. 13, 2016, pp. 105–111). The main mineral inclusions are chlorite, talc, phlogopite, actinolite, and ilmenite; fluid inclusions with a gas-liquid composition also occur.

The color origin of phenakite using optical absorption spectroscopy has not been studied in detail. Many authors agree that the coloration is associated with electron-hole centers (see A.S. Marfunin, Spectroscopy, Luminescence and Radiation Centers in Minerals, 1975, Nedra, Moscow). This is indicated by the disappearance of color when phenakite is exposed to either ultraviolet radiation or high temperatures. According to one theory of absorption, this is related to the oxygen vacancies that have captured electrons (again, see Marfunin, 1975). Other researchers believe that the absorption features are associated with bridging electronic centers such as Al-O-Al, which are formed by isomorphous replacement of silicon by aluminum ions in the crystal lattice, in amounts up to 0.5% (see A.N. Platonov, Nature of Coloring of Minerals, 1976, Naukova Dumka, Kiev).

Figure 2. Absorption spectra of colorless phenakites (blue trace) and yellow-brown phenakites (black trace).
To determine the color origin of yellow-brown phenakites, we obtained optical absorption spectra of colorless and yellow-brown phenakite from the Mariinsky deposit. These spectra were collected in the 185–700 nm wavelength range, at room temperature, on a specialized Shimadzu UV-3600 spectrophotometer. A broad absorption band was noted in the 225–325 nm range of the yellow-brown phenakite spectrum, with a maximum at 268 nm. Absorption in the ultraviolet range of the optical spectrum was not detected in transparent colorless phenakites (figure 2).

Figure 3. Phosphorus ions replace silicon ions in a tetrahedral structure to form a [PO4]4– complex in yellow-brown phenakites. This complex is paramagnetic and gives several signals in the range of 320–340 mT. Splitting of the hyperfine structure of the signal occurs; lines 1, 2, and 3 appear and indicate the existence of the [PO4]4– radical. When the crystal rotates along its c-axis, it changes the intensity of these lines.
To study electron-hole centers and to reveal color centers in phenakite, crystals were examined using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). EPR is an informative method for studying dissymmetry of crystals, the role of the symmetry elements of the spatial group, and the distribution of impurity ions and point defects in the bulk of the crystal. Dissymmetry of crystals, as a result of the uneven distribution of point defects in the process of crystal growth, is a widespread phenomenon (see G.R. Bulka et al., “Dissymmetrization of crystals: Theory and experiment,” Physics and Chemistry of Minerals, Vol. 6, 1980, pp. 283–293; R.A. Khasanov et al., “Derivation of the conditions for equivalent positions in crystals: The dissymmetrization of barite by electron spin resonance,” Crystallography Reports, Vol. 57, No. 5, 2012, pp. 751–757; J.M. Hughes et al., “Dissymmetrization in tourmaline: the atomic arrangement of sectorally zoned triclinic Ni-bearing dravite,” The Canadian Mineralogist, Vol. 49, 2011, pp. 29–40). We used an Adani CMS8400 spectrometer (frequency ν=9, 4 GHz) at room temperature to perform EPR on our samples. During an experiment on the EPR spectra of the impurity radical [PO4]4– phenakite of deposits in Volynskii (see A.I. Novozhilov et al., “Electron paramagnetic resonance in irradiated phenakite Be2SiO4,” Journal of Structural Chemistry, Vol. 11, 1970, pp. 393–396), we found a difference in intensity of the lines of three magnetically nonequivalent centers for the impurity radical. The paramagnetic center [PO4]4– was only detected in the yellow-brown crystals (figure 3), and active centers were absent in colorless specimens. From this we concluded that the origin of the yellow-brown color of phenakite is associated with a paramagnetic complex [PO4]4– that produces absorption bands in the ultraviolet region, which in turn leads to the formation of this color in the mineral.

These results can be used in gemological identification of phenakites from the Ural emerald mines.

This study was performed in the context of the Russian Government Program of Competitive Growth of Kazan Federal University, “Paleogeodynamics and evolution of structural-material complexes in the formation of the continental-type crust ...,” theme no. 0393-2016-0019. @chapter:8


Publication Year: 1989 Title: The Capoeirana Emerald Deposit near Nova Era, Minas Gerais, Brazil Abstract: In 1988, a significant find of emeralds was made at Capoeirana, near Nova Era, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Hundreds of kilograms of potentially gem-quality material have been removed since the first pieces were discovered in July 1988. The nature of the biotite schist with which the emerald is associated and the gemological properties of the Capoeirana emeralds indicate that this occurrence is related to the Itabira (Belmont mine) emerald site, only 10 km away. @chapter:0