Publication Year: 2019 Title: Large Faceted Gahnospinel Abstract: This 11.34 ct gahnospinel was the largest identified by GIA. Photo by Diego Sanchez.

Gahnospinel is a rare dark greenish blue gemstone that belongs to the spinel group. Its properties result from being part of a solid solution series with the end members gahnite (ZnAl2O4) and spinel (MgAl2O4). Because of the high amount of zinc in the mineral, the refractive index (RI) and specific gravity (SG) shift from lower values for the spinel end member to higher values as the amount of Zn substituting for Mg increases, which may lead to confusion when trying to identify it. Spinel has an SG of 3.06 and an RI of 1.718, while gahnite has an SG of 4.55 and an RI of 1.800. As a combination of the two, gahnospinel’s SG can fall anywhere in between.
An 11.34 ct transparent faceted oval mixed cut (see above) was recently submitted to the Carlsbad lab for an identification report. Despite the stone’s large size, the only inclusions were tiny crystals. To date, this is the largest gahnospinel seen at any GIA laboratory worldwide. The previous stones submitted were 1.95 ct and below. Standard gemological testing revealed an RI of 1.754 and an SG of 4.10. These results are not typical for spinel. Inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) data revealed a very high zinc content and the stoichiometry of the sample was calculated to be the following: (Mg0.485Zn0.385Fe2+0.043)0.913(Al2.049Si0.004)2.053O4. The atomic mass of zinc is 65.38, far greater than the 24.31 atomic mass of Mg. As the amount of zinc substitution for Mg in gahnospinel increases, it tends to have a higher RI and specific gravity than spinel. This variety of spinel may bring identification challenges without advanced testing techniques to identify the presence of Zn. @chapter:10


Publication Year: 2020 Title: Yellow and Orange Diamonds, New Identification Techniques, and the Chronicles of Chivor Abstract: Welcome to the Summer Gems & Gemology! This issue is packed with informative contents, including the characteristics of yellow and orange diamonds, new gem identification techniques, and the colorful history of the Chivor emerald mine.
“In the world fancy-color diamonds, yellow diamonds are by far the most common while those with an unmodified orange hue are among the rarest.”
In the world of fancy-color diamonds, yellow diamonds are by far the most common while those with an unmodified orange hue are among the very rarest (kudos to Robert Weldon for capturing them on the cover). Both yellow and orange diamonds owe their color to nitrogen-related defects. In the lead article, a GIA team led by Christopher M. Breeding and Sally Eaton-Magaña presents the last in their series documenting the gemological and spectroscopic properties of fancy-color diamonds.
Next, Colin McGuinness and colleagues present a luminescence imaging technique developed by De Beers Group Technology that can quickly and easily distinguish colorless and near-colorless natural diamond from laboratory-grown diamond. One marker can identify more than 99% of natural type Ia and type IIa diamond. A pair of newly developed instruments expand on the technology of the DiamondView instrument introduced by De Beers a quarter of a century ago.
In the third article, Karl Schmetzer and coauthors conclude a sweeping two-part series chronicling the Chivor emerald mine in Colombia. This article examines events from 1924 to 1970, when the mine was principally owned by an American firm. While the early era was marked by stock market speculation and scandal, there were also highly productive periods at the fabled mine.
Optical brightening agents for pearls, which are separate from bleaching and maeshori treatments, are the topic of the fourth article. A team of GIA researchers led by Chunhui Zhou provides a fluorescence spectroscopy technique for confidently separating optically brightened pearls from non-brightened pearls.
In the final article, a team of researchers led by Kong Gao of NGTC in China provide a means of discriminating the geographic origin of dolomite-related nephrite from the four most important sources worldwide. This determination relies on hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios. Isotope analysis is an emerging method in gemological research.
As always, our regular columns offer an illuminating array of insights. Highlights of the Lab Notes section include an exceptional purple sapphire from Montana, a vivid blue hemimorphite cabochon resembling Paraíba tourmaline, and interesting observations on an irradiated blue diamond and a rough diamond crystal with irradiation staining. Micro-World reveals rare and breathtaking observations from the inner landscapes of gemstones, including what is believed to be the first reported inclusion of fluorophlogopite in spinel (or any other gem material). In Gem News International, you’ll find a characterization of purplish pink diaspore reportedly from a new deposit in Afghanistan, a look at the cutting and identification of the world’s largest faceted kunzite, a study of petrified woods from the Russian Far East, and much more.
On a final note, the G&G Facebook group (www.facebook.com/groups/giagemsgemology) is now more than 10,000 members strong. We thank you for your participation and your continued interest in the journal. @chapter:35


Publication Year: 2004 Title: Identification of Synthetic Diamond Grown Using Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) Abstract: Studies carried out at the DTC Research Centre have shown that single-crystal CVD synthetic diamond is clearly distinguishable from natural diamond. This article presents information about the CVD process, the history of its development, the different kinds of CVD synthetic diamond material that can be produced, and properties that differentiate them from natural diamond. The authors studied more than a thousand CVD synthetic diamond samples that were grown for research purposes using a range of different process conditions. Absorption, photoluminescence, and cathodoluminescence spectra of these CVD synthetic diamond samples showed a range of different impurity-related features not seen in natural diamond. Photoluminescence imaging is also useful in identifying CVD synthetic diamond, and X-ray topography may give supportive evidence. The effectiveness of the Diamond Trading Company Diamond Verification Instruments for identifying CVD synthetic diamond is also described. @chapter:15


Publication Year: 2017 Title: Book Review: Jeweler: Masters, Mavericks, and Visionaries of Modern Design Abstract: By Stellene Volandes with a foreword by Carolina Herrera, hardcover, 255 pp., illus., publ. by Rizzoli International Publications, New York, 2016, $85.00.

Jeweler: Masters, Mavericks, and Visionaries of Modern Design by Stellene Volandes is a large-format visual feast of jewelry design. Jeweler showcases the work of 17 jewelry designers from around the world: Hemmerle (Munich), Elena Votsi (Athens), Mark Davis (Brooklyn), Nicholas Varney (New York), Wallace Chan (New York), James de Givenchy (New York), Giampiero Bodino (Milan), Judy Geib (Williamsburg, Virginia), Suzanne Syz (Geneva), Bhagat (Mumbai), Sevan Biçakçi (Istanbul), Lydia Courteille (Paris), Muriel Grateau (Paris), Luz Camino (Madrid), Antonia Miletto (Venice), Marie-Helene de Taillac (New York), and Lauren Adriana (London). There is also a foreword by Carolina Herrera, an introduction, and an index of photos by designer.

Jeweler is a very personal selection by Volandes, editor-in-chief at Town & Country magazine, who appears to prefer large, bold work. Yet the drama of the pieces and their impeccable craftsmanship are their only commonalities, as techniques and materials range across the board. There is Miletto’s quiet use of exotic woods, Davis’s repurposing of Bakelite, Biçakçi’s astonishing “inverse intaglio” gemstone carving, Syz’s playful use of enamel and titanium, Bodino’s use of traditional techniques in non-traditional presentations, and the breathtaking setting work of Varney and Chan. All the works feature vividly colored gemstones and enamels, except those by Grateau, who favors black and white. Every piece in Jeweler is a work of art best worn alone with the classic black dress (or black shirt, in the case of Syz’s cufflinks).

	The text touches lightly on each designer’s history and the manufacturing techniques used. There are some lovely passages, such as Volandes’s description of Chan’s “Wallace Cut”: “Equal doses workmanship and wizardry, it was created through endless hours of imagination that turned into years of experimentation.” However, the author’s personal journey is front and center as she discovers the work of each designer, visits their ateliers, and discusses the work at a jazz club or fine restaurant. She recreates for readers her experience of the lush environments in which these pieces are exhibited, often by appointment only.

	It’s impossible to write about Jeweler without mentioning its striking use of typography. Each section opens with one piece, the designer’s name, and a descriptive tagline—such as “The Modern Dynasty” (Hemmerle), “Olympian Talent” (Votsi), or “The Myth Maker” (Courteille)—in a font size so large it bleeds off the page. A quote from the text is spread over the next two pages with another featured piece of jewelry. Finally, opposite the first page text, the initial capital of the designer’s last name is enlarged so much that it is virtually abstract; a third piece of jewelry is wound around, set on, or stacked against the columns and shapes of the letter form. Each of these uses of type reinforces the idea that these designers are giants in their field, larger than life, their work almost too large for the pages. This is further emphasized by the enormous image sizes, often one per 9 × 13-inch page, or one piece spread over two pages.

	Although the name of the book design firm (NR2154) and its principals are credited, the photographer, without whom this book could not have been created, is not. There is also a disappointing lack of acknowledgment of the makers of many of these pieces. Though readers may infer that all the designers were hands-on, it appears that many of them—who may have come from other design or jewelry-related fields—do not have bench training; Volandes mentions when a designer (such as Judy Geib) was trained in jewelry manufacturing. Many of the designers produce drawings that are works of art in themselves (the Varney drawing of a hooded falcon is almost indistinguishable from the final piece next to it), and there is no question about the brilliance of the design concepts. However, the production of these often incredibly complex pieces is the work of talented cutters, setters, wax carvers, fabricators, and polishers. It’s a shame that there is so little recognition of these skilled hands from either the designers or Volandes.

Jeweler is not a book to keep on a shelf. It is meant to be displayed, opened, paged through, admired, and shared, which makes the lack of a dust jacket seem a questionable design decision. The rich, deep blue cloth cover of Jeweler is embellished with gold lettering, which seems almost monochromatic in contrast to the blaze of colors inside. However, over time and through handling, the lettering may wear away, and the magnet-like texture of the binding will collect dust, stains, and pet hair, eventually creating a shopworn appearance at sharp odds with the work inside.

	Overall, Jeweler: Masters, Mavericks, and Visionaries of Modern Design is a joy to behold. As a beautiful object of design in itself, it is a book for collectors of art, design, and jewelry or, really, anyone who appreciates beautiful things. In Jeweler, jewelry makers and designers will find insight into the often rarified world of ultra-high-end international jewelry design and plenty of inspiration for years to come. @chapter:16


Publication Year: 2018 Title: Universal Microscope Upgrade Kit Abstract: GemoAid’s new Universal Microscope Upgrade Kit converts a gemological microscope into a polariscope, while the colored filters and diffuser plate are useful in observing subtle color zoning features. Photo by Kevin Schumacher.

Israel-based GemoAid recently released the Universal Microscope Upgrade Kit (see above). Designed by gemologist Guy Borenstein, it offers a variety of accessories that maximize the use of a standard gemological microscope when observing unknown gems. The kit includes four mounting rings and two extension rods, which should be compatible with almost any microscope that has transmitted light capabilities. Also included are two polarizing filters, a blue filter, a yellow filter, a diffuser plate, and an immersion cell. The product, which retails for US$130, also includes a one-year warranty from the date of purchase.

The combination of components allows the microscope to act as a polariscope for making critical optical observations of gemstones and their inclusions. The colored filters and diffuser plate can also facilitate observation of subtle color zoning features such as curved color bands in yellow flame-fusion sapphires, which would be diagnostic of their manmade origin and difficult to resolve without a blue filter.

The unit examined by the author was found to be a little loose where the metal rod attaches to the mounting ring. The author also found the immersion cell to be too tall, making it difficult to manipulate small stones with tweezers—which is quite critical in immersion microscopy—but certainly the larger cell will accommodate larger stones and perhaps rough crystals.

Overall, the quality and price of the upgrade kit are well matched. It is of great value to the serious gemologist. @chapter:23


Publication Year: 1987 Title: Three Notable Fancy-Color Diamonds: Purplish Red, Purple-Pink, and Reddish Purple Abstract: Three fancy-color diamonds were recently sold at auction by Christie's, the largest—a 0.95-ct purplish red—for $880,000. These diamonds are notable for their unusual colors, of which the purplish red is the rarest. This article provides a comprehensive description of the visual appearance and gemological properties of these three diamonds. @chapter:35


Publication Year: - Title: John Koivula Abstract: In 2009, GIA bestowed its highest honor, the Richard T. Liddicoat Award for Distinguished Achievement, on longtime chief research gemologist John I. Koivula. The award was based on his contributions to gemology as a photomicrographer, researcher, author, and speaker. Koivula’s impact on the field, particularly in the microworld of gemstones, cannot be overstated.

Koivula spent his childhood in eastern Washington State collecting minerals, amassing a large collection of specimens with inclusions. As a teenager, he wrote to Dr. Edward Gübelin, sending along his first photomicrographs and beginning a collaboration that would culminate in the three-volume Photoatlas of Inclusions in Gemstones. After earning degrees in mineralogy-geology and inorganic chemistry, he worked for Cominco American as an exploration geologist before joining GIA in 1976.

Through his work in photomicrography, Koivula revolutionized the world of gemology. He introduced cutting-edge techniques into his research, including the use of fiber-optic illumination, a technique that has become commonplace in gem labs around the world. During the late 1980s and early ’90s, he and colleague Robert C. Kammerling conducted groundbreaking research into glass-filled diamonds, helping the diamond industry understand this unstable clarity enhancement.

During his time at the Institute, Koivula has lectured extensively at trade and scientific conferences around the world. A prolific writer, Koivula is the author or co-author of over 800 articles on inclusions, microscopy, and gem identification. Sixty-four of his articles have been published in Gems & Gemology; of those, 16 received the journal’s Most Valuable Article award. He also served on the G&G editorial team for over 25 years. Koivula’s photomicrographs have placed in the Nikon Small World photography competition several times, including first place in 1984. A special exhibit of his photomicrography was held at the Rome Civic Zoological Museum in October 2004. In addition to his work on the Photoatlas series, he has contributed to numerous other books. His own MicroWorld of Diamonds, discussing natural and synthetic diamonds, simulants, and enhancements, was published in 2000.

The gemological industry has recognized Koivula’s contributions to the field by awarding him the AGS’s Robert M. Shipley Award (1996) and the AGA’s Antonio Bonnano Award for Excellence in Gemology (2001). He was also the first recipient of AGS’s Richard T. Liddicoat Journalism Award in 2003. He is an Honorary Lifetime Member of both the Gemmological Association of Great Britain and the Finnish Gemological Society. In 1999, JCK named Koivula to its list of the “64 Most Influential People in the Jewelry Industry in the 20th Century.”

In accepting the Institute’s Liddicoat Award, Koivula said, “Gemology is a great profession. I would be doing this anyway even if I was not paid, because this is what I love to do.” John Koivula’s passion opened the doors for researchers and enthusiasts alike to appreciate the relevance of inclusions and the importance of photomicrography to modern gemology.

View Gallery

	Photomicrography Gallery @chapter:23


Publication Year: 2019 Title: Phenakite with Tourmaline Inclusion Containing Spiral Growth Abstract: A phenakite specimen from Ambohimanambola, Madagascar, contained a tourmaline with a spiral growth feature and a colorless crystal. Photomicrograph by Kimberly Abruzzo; field of view 0.88 mm.

A helix stands in high relief against the orangy pink of a well-defined tourmaline crystal—impressive screw dislocation growth is one of the main identifying characteristics detailing the inner world of a phenakite specimen from Ambohimanambola, Madagascar (see above).
Previously in the collection of longtime California mineral collector Kay Robertson, the unique inclusions in this gem were discovered during digitization for the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History’s Gem and Mineral Lab. After spotting a series of parti-color tourmaline needles with vivid interference patterns under crossed polarizers, magnification was subsequently increased to investigate further. Soon it became clear that the needles scattered throughout the phenakite crystal exhibited strongly pleochroic colors as well as distinctive growth features.
In the absence of polarized light, the needles appeared in desaturated orange to red and green to blue hues. When magnification was increased once again, the eclectic world of this phenakite unveiled another surprise: The tourmaline inclusions were not alone. Alongside and extending from the base of the striated needles were colorless euhedral crystals exhibiting hexagonal form and inclusions of their own. One pair of primary inclusions, a needle anchored to another stubby crystal, were of particular interest. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the identity of the needle-like inclusions as tourmaline, though it was not possible to confirm the identity of the colorless crystal.
The pictured set of inclusions features an orangy pink tourmaline emerging from the body of a colorless crystal. The host specimen’s high clarity highlights the growth features both inside and on the surface of its inclusions, not only showing striations parallel to the c-axis typical of tourmaline, but also more unusual “spiral” or screw dislocation growth. The entwined pair are crossed in the background by two larger dark greenish blue tourmaline needles that provide a striking geometric backdrop. Dislocation spirals like those seen here are formed when planes of atoms within a gemstone’s crystal lattice are displaced during growth and rearrange themselves in a helical pattern corresponding to the direction of stress.
Perhaps best known for their intricate liddicoatite crystals, the Anjanabonoina pegmatites in Madagascar also produce a wide array of other gem minerals such as phenakite, beryl, spodumene, and danburite, among others. This particular stone presents an excellent example of the diverse mineralization that occurs at Anjanabonoina, showing off the habit, optical properties, and growth features of two important gem silicates from this gemologically important locality. @chapter:5


Publication Year: 2024 Title: Vaterite in Freshwater Natural Shell Blister Abstract: Figure 1. A freshwater shell blister weighing 40.91 ct and measuring 22.79 × 20.59 × 13.21 mm. Photo by Gaurav Bera.

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

Figure 3. Raman analysis of shell blister spots fluorescing yellowish green and reddish orange under XRF revealed the presence of aragonite and vaterite peaks, respectively.
X-ray fluorescence (XRF) revealed a strong yellowish green reaction, indicative of its freshwater origin, with a small patch of reddish orange fluorescence observed at one end (figure 2C). Reddish orange fluorescence has been associated with vaterite in freshwater pearls (U. Wehrmeister et al., “Vaterite in freshwater cultured pearls from China and Japan,” Journal of Gemmology, Vol. 30, No. 7/8, 2007, pp. 399–412). Further chemical analysis using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry was conducted on multiple spots. The yellowish green area yielded manganese levels ranging from 261 to 504 ppm and a strontium level of 413 to 452 ppm, while the reddish orange spot had a manganese level of 323 ppm and a strontium level of 415 ppm. Raman spectroscopy using 514 nm laser excitation on multiple surface spots revealed a combination of two calcium carbonate (CaCO3) polymorphs: aragonite and vaterite. The spot with reddish orange fluorescence had vaterite peaks at 752, 1075, and 1090 cm–1; the areas with a yellowish green fluorescence showed peaks at 701, 704, and 1085 cm–1, indicative of aragonite, along with polyenic pigment peaks at 1130 and 1530 cm–1 (figure 3). The photoluminescence spectra were consistent with the Raman and displayed strong fluorescence.
The presence of vaterite in association with aragonite in freshwater pearls has been extensively researched and recorded both in natural and cultured pearls. These minerals have also been occasionally documented in mollusk shells. It is therefore interesting to see such dual mineral phases in shell blisters as well. While it has often been speculated that vaterite serves as a precursor to aragonite during biomineralization, the presence of this mineral on the periphery suggests simultaneous formation within the shell blister (A.L. Soldati et al., “Structural characterization and chemical composition of aragonite and vaterite in freshwater cultured pearls,” Mineralogical Magazine, Vol. 72, No. 2, 2008, pp. 579–592). In certain cases, the presence of vaterite can be very difficult to detect through XRF analysis, especially when located within or around the core of the pearl. However, vaterite is more visible when the pearl is cut (Summer 2021 Gem News International, pp. 171–174).
Distinguishing between a natural blister pearl and a natural shell blister can be very challenging for laboratories due to the subtle variations in the definitions of these terms. Although such identifications are always debatable, the examined item was identified as a natural freshwater shell blister based mainly on its structural composition, external appearance, and distinct worked base, in addition to its notably large size. @chapter:14


Publication Year: 2022 Title: Amber Filled with Epoxy Resin Abstract: Figure 1. Epoxy resin is easily detected in the amber of this rosary. Photo by Nazar Ahmed Ambalathveettil.
Amber prayer beads are very popular in the Gulf countries. Due to this high demand, the Dubai Central Laboratory receives many of them for identification. Recently we noticed that a majority of the amber rosary samples received for identification contain an epoxy resin filling. These fillings are seen in cavities of different sizes but sometimes show up in tiny veins.
The fillings are not always easy to detect without magnification because of the nearly identical luster of both amber and epoxy, but sometimes they are obvious, as shown in figure 1. Occasionally gas bubbles can be observed in epoxy fillings by microscope. Fillings may show a mixed reaction under both long-wave and short-wave UV radiation, and the fluorescence is more intense in long-wave UV. Filled beads can be inert under UV or show weak to strong white or blue fluorescence (figure 2).

Figure 2. When exposed to long-wave UV radiation, the epoxy resin displayed weak to moderate white fluorescence. Photo by Nazar Ahmed Ambalathveettil.

Figure 3. The Raman spectra of the bead and the cavity filling shown here matched with spectra previously reported in G&G for amber and epoxy resin.
To identify the fillings, we observed the rosary under the microscope, marked the suspected areas or spots, and analyzed them by Raman spectroscopy to confirm the presence of fillings. The spectra were compared with those of amber and epoxy reported previously in G&G (figure 3; see Fall 2013 GNI, pp. 181; Summer 2021 GNI, pp. 179–180). Nowadays, having an amber rosary tested by a gemstone laboratory before buying can avoid a costly mistake. @chapter:37


Publication Year: - Title: Exhibition Review: Green Diamonds: Natural Radiance Abstract: Figure 1. Loose and mounted stones are part of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles’s Natural Radiance green diamond exhibition. Left: A 4.17 ct Fancy Vivid yellowish green unmounted diamond. Center: A 1.53 ct Fancy Intense green diamond ring set in platinum. Right: An unmounted 1.92 ct Fancy Vivid green yellow diamond. Photos © Optimum Diamonds.

                      Green is among the rarest colors found in natural diamond; this hue is caused by gamma radiation while the stones are still deep within the earth. Since there are comparatively few of these specimens available, it is remarkable to find an entire exhibition dedicated to them. Green Diamonds: Natural Radiance, at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles (NHMLA), showcases eight displays of more than 60 loose and mounted diamonds in various shades of green (figure 1). The exhibition was curated in partnership with New York–based Optimum Diamonds, which specializes in rare and exotic natural-color diamonds. The stones on display were collected over the course of 20 years as part of Optimum’s Gamma Green collection.

	Figure 2. Unmounted green diamonds on display include a 0.47 ct Fancy Deep bluish green (left), a 0.58 ct Fancy Vivid green (center), and a 1.92 ct Fancy Intense yellow green. Photos © Optimum Diamonds.

The exhibit itself is in a private room in the back of the museum’s esteemed Gem and Mineral Vault. While other gem materials are displayed in the room, the green diamonds rightfully take center stage. More than 30 loose faceted stones are on display, in hues ranging from greenish blue to green-yellow (figure 2), a valid representation given how rarely these colors are found in natural diamond. One display was set aside for chameleon diamonds, which change from their natural greenish yellow color to brown or orange when exposed to heat or light. Of particular interest among these rarest of gemstones was a 3.08 ct Fancy Dark gray greenish yellow chameleon diamond (figure 3).

	Figure 3. These two pear-shaped stones, a 3.08 ct Fancy Dark gray greenish yellow on the left and a 2.15 ct Fancy Deep brownish green yellow on the right, were included in the chameleon diamond display. Photos © Optimum Diamonds.

	Figure 4. Left: The Wild Orchid ring incorporates two green diamonds (weighing 0.86 and 0.76 ct) into a titanium setting. Right: The Caribbean earrings, inspired by the tropical locale, each have at their center a Fancy Vivid blue-green diamond weighing more than 4 ct. Photos © Optimum Diamonds.

The jewelry pieces chosen to showcase these diamonds—mostly rings—are nothing less than exquisite. While some, like the Wild Orchid ring and the Caribbean earrings (figure 4) use stones of multiple colors, shapes, and sizes to achieve a striking effect, many others use simple, classic-cut colorless stones as accents, allowing the green diamond to be the true centerpiece. Figure 5 shows two such examples: a 2.01 ct Fancy Vivid green-yellow square cut surrounded by a square border of colorless stones, and 4.94 ct Fancy Deep yellowish green oval in a timeless, elegant setting. The Nautilus ring and matching earrings merge these concepts, with a freeform design that features a Fancy Vivid blue-green stone at its center, to great effect (figure 6).

	Figure 5. Many of the jewelry pieces in the exhibit, such as the rings shown here, allow the green diamond to occupy center stage with designs that are simple yet elegant. Left: The color of the 2.01 ct Fancy Vivid green-yellow diamond is emphasized by the surrounding square border of colorless stones. Right: In this timeless ring, colorless diamonds frame the 4.94 ct Fancy Deep yellowish green center stone. Photos © Optimum Diamonds.

	Figure 6. The Nautilus ring and earrings, set in white gold, each have a Fancy Vivid green-blue diamond at its center. The diamond in the ring weighs 1.55 ct; the diamonds in the earrings are 1.04 ct and 1.20 ct. Photos © Optimum Diamonds.
The displays provide details about the general nature of diamonds and the causes of their color, along with each specimen’s carat weight. The museum notes briefly that radiation was identified as the source of the green color in 1904, when “an unnamed scientist” (Sir William Crookes) buried white diamonds in radioactive salts; there are also brief explanations of diamond geology and the nature of chameleon diamonds. It was a pleasant surprise to find this information available in both English and Spanish. However, it would have been nice to have more information on the formation and radiation of these rare stones, perhaps in the form of wall signage. The room is also rather darkly paneled and dimly lit; a brighter environment might have shown these stones to their best advantage. And while there are only a few well-known green diamonds, some basic information to educate the visitor on famous gemstones such as the Dresden Green, the Ocean Dream, and the Aurora Green would have been a welcome addition.

Green Diamonds: Natural Radiance adds a bit of panache to an already delightful trip to NHMLA. The exhibition is a must for any diamond aficionado with an eye toward color.

Green Diamonds: Natural Radiance is on view at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles until April 1, 2018. Admission is $15 for adults; $12 for seniors 62 and over, students with school IDs, and youths ages 13–17; and $7 for children ages 3–12. Los Angeles County residents receive free museum admission Monday–Friday from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. The museum is open from 9:30 to 5:00 p.m. seven days a week; it is closed New Year’s Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. @chapter:29


Publication Year: - Title: Mine to Market: The ‘Adventure Story’ of Colored Stones Abstract: Andy Lucas, GIA’s education manager of field gemology, and Dr. Tao Hsu, GIA’s technical editor and research specialist for Gems & Gemology, presented pieces of their field research on the colored gemstone supply chain at the Institute’s Carlsbad campus on Jan. 13. “Colored stones are the last real adventure luxury product,” Lucas said. “What other luxury product really has an adventure story to it?” Video image capture by Albert Salvato and Larry Lavitt

	When it comes to selling colored stones, a retailer’s supply-chain knowledge has tangible benefits at the counter – or wherever the point of sale happens to be.

	That’s what Andy Lucas, GIA’s education manager of field gemology, and Dr. Tao Hsu, technical editor and research specialist for Gems & Gemology, told local GIA alumni and Women’s Jewelry Association members at GIA's Carlsbad campus on Jan. 13. Lucas and Hsu have traveled the world together to discover and document what happens as a gemstone travels from the mine to the market.

	The allure of colored stones has not changed much over the centuries, Lucas said, so retailers need to share the romance and adventure.

	“The people who are more knowledgeable about the story are better at making customers feel comfortable, at gaining their trust and at piquing their interest,” he said.

	Lucas acknowledged that the details of that story have evolved over the years.

	“People today have more access to information … they’re more interested in mining, about the art of cutting,” he said. “There are also a lot of ethical issues that come into play, and people are interested in hearing about them.”

	One of the first things that they noticed on their expeditions is that the technology at a colored gem’s source ranges from the large-scale mines operated by capital-rich companies, to the smaller artisanal mines. Both types of operations can both “complement and conflict with each other.”

	Hsu cited the Kagem Mine, a primary emerald mine in Zambia, as one of the best examples of modern mechanized, large-scale mining she's seen.

	“I was amazed at the size of the pit,” she said. “Their primary production is from this pit that’s over a kilometer long. The explosion that’s involved, because this is hard-rock mining, is quite amazing to see − and to feel the shake of the ground.” Hsu said that Gemfields, which owns the mine, adheres to a strict, consistent grading system for its emeralds.

		“People today have more access to information … they’re more interested in mining, about the art of cutting. There are also a lot of ethical issues that come into play, and people are interested in hearing about them.”

		Andy Lucas, education manager of field gemology, GIA

	Lucas shared examples of artisanal and small-scale mining, which some experts believe are responsible for 70 percent of colored stone production. Even within this category, situations are diverse.

	He said operations in Africa “vary tremendously.” Some of the artisanal mines have “illegal mining, environmental destruction, and conflict with larger organized mining.”

	“In Sri Lanka, it’s structured and legalized – there are partnerships with the mine owners, the people who put up the capital, the land owners, and the miners.” In Mozambique’s ruby mines, however, unlicensed miners called garimpeiros often mine on Gemfields’ property, which can be a problem since they don’t “have an investment in restoring the environment” as Gemfields does.

	In Pailin, Cambodia, there is “more of a problematic situation,” with concerns such as bribery, disease and an overall lack of legal, formalized structure to the mining system.

	“Artisanal mining is not one type of a situation around the world – it’s not always positive, it’s not always negative,” Lucas said. “One way forward is for the industry to provide opportunities for all artisanal miners to come into the formal system and be protected. This could help protect the environment and the rights of larger mining companies and their investors, as well as create a transparent supply chain.”

	Lucas noted that one technological development is changing artisanal mining: the smart phone. “You have someone in the middle of nowhere, they take a picture and they email it to Bangkok for a quote,” he said. “The smart phone is revolutionizing the independent miner with connections all over the world.”

	Another factor in the supply chain is that countries like Sri Lanka to Colombia cut gemstones at their source. In Colombia, for example, almost all emeralds are cut in-country. “They have become the experts in cutting Colombian emeralds,” he said.

	Lucas said this is part of an overall trend. “The divisions that used to exist in jewelry mining, cutting and manufacturing are blurry. A lot more vertical integration and consolidation is going on,” he said.

	The CEO of RMC Gems, for example, told Lucas that five or 10 years ago, he had a large number of small companies – other wholesalers, jewelry manufacturers and retailers − as clients. Most of those companies are gone or have consolidated, so now the companies he works most with are jewelry television programs, large jewelry manufacturers and retail chains.

	“The small people are less and less able to compete and add value,” Lucas said. “The larger, vertically integrated, better-funded companies are taking over in the business.”

Dr. Tao Hsu explained that upon beginning her field research with GIA, she was struck by the stories of the diverse individuals and families around the world who make up the colored stone industry. Video image capture by Albert Salvato and Larry Lavitt

	Hsu said you have to talk about China when you are talking about manufacturing, because “they manufacture everything for the rest of the world – including colored stones.”

	She said one of the most striking aspects of a trip they took to China’s Guangdong province was that, regardless of the size of the facility, “everywhere you visited, you saw the focus and efficiency of the cutters.” In that particular area, where huge manufacturing facilities are clustered, companies are even promoting “China Cut” as a brand.

	Lucas visited Jaipur, where he found “all types of sophistication levels,” calling it “an amazing place to see modernization and tradition side-by-side, hand-in-hand.”

	He also learned more about a retail player that’s changing the landscape for colored stone manufacturers: jewelry television.

	“The biggest growing market is jewelry television,” Lucas said, noting a colored stone manufacturer they interviewed there who loves that jewelry television goes from the high- to low-end and that they buy in “huge” volume.

	One vertically integrated jewelry television entrepreneur told the GIA team his company’s team of 3,000 produces one million pieces of jewelry a month − by creating engaging programs that show the customer where the stones come from and how they are made into jewelry: the romance and adventure story.

	“Their customer wants to be entertained. They come home and turn on the television – they’ll go to the mines, they’ll see the cutting,” Lucas said. They become engaged with the story of the stone and call in and make a purchase.

	“I think you’re going to see an expansion of this,” Lucas said.

	Hsu said the Chinese market, which the duo visited and wrote about in 2014, “is now the second largest market for jewelry and luxury goods.” The Chinese, she said, bought about half of the luxury goods in the world, particularly when shopping overseas as tourists.

	The customers, companies and channels may evolve, but Lucas stressed that the story was still key.

	He told of mine operator Marcelo Ribeiro, who had a unique emerald graded at GIA's New York lab and unsuccessfully tried to sell it to a New York wholesaler. Disappointed, Ribeiro took the stone to a show in Hong Kong. A high-end retail jeweler from Bangkok liked the color of the stone, but wanted to know more about it.

	“Marcelo told him about the Belmont mine, the environmental protection, the sophistication in the operation, the family history, about the workers at the mine, their cutting at the mine,” Lucas said. “This guy was sold, he had a customer for it … and the mine-to-market story is what sold that stone.” @chapter:33


Publication Year: 1983 Title: Induced Fingerprints Abstract: Over the past few years, numerous Verneuil-type (flame fusion) synthetic sapphires and rubies with somewhat natural-appearing induced fingerprint inclusions have surfaced in the trade. This article reports the results of a series of experiments conducted to explain the phenomenon of induced fingerprints and how they are produced in gemstones generally and in flame-fusion synthetic corundum specifically. @chapter:17


Publication Year: 1981 Title: Photographing Inclusions Abstract: Although the general principles of photomicrography are easily learned and applied, high-quality photomicrography is an art that is mastered only with time and great patience. The microscope must be kept scrupulously clean, and the effects of light on the subject inclusion must be fully understood in order to determine what method(s) of illumination will yield the most useful photographic image. Specialized techniques that can save film and time, while producing top-quality photomicrographs, are usually learned only through long hours of experience. This article discusses some of these techniques, such as the importance of a properly prepared microscope and photographic subject, as well as the control of vibrations and exposure time. In addition, the various methods of illumination that are adaptable to a standard binocular gemological microscope are introduced. @chapter:23


Publication Year: - Title: A 118.28 ct Diamond Achieves Record Price Abstract: Patti Wong, chairman of Sotheby’s Asia and Sotheby’s Diamonds, holds a 118.28 ct D-Flawless stone that became the most expensive colorless diamond ever sold at auction.

                      On Oct. 7, a 118.28 ct D-Flawless diamond broke a world record when it sold for $30.06 million at Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels & Jadeite auction in Hong Kong.

The oval-cut had garnered a price estimate of $28 to $35 million. Another anticipated record-breaker, a 7.59 ct Fancy Vivid blue Internally Flawless diamond, fell $3 million short of its estimated $19 million sale price. An Internally Flawless round brilliant, the gem's cut is rare for a fancy-color diamond, as it's designed to maximize brilliance and minimize color.

The colorless—which ranks as the largest oval-cut D-flawless GIA has ever graded—was mined in southern Africa about two years ago and cut from a 299 ct rough. Because it is newly cut, said Patti Wong, chairman of Sotheby’s Asia and Sotheby’s Diamonds, the buyer has the opportunity to name it.

It’s not just the size of this diamond that makes it exceptional. The pre-sale price estimate was made public, said Wong, a contrast from the usual auction practice of noting “estimate upon request” for major stones.

	On Oct. 7, the 118.28 ct diamond sold for $30.06 million at Sotheby's Magnificent Jewels & Jadeite auction in Hong Kong. Photo courtesy of Sotheby's.
“I believe that if you have something good, flaunt it,” she said before the auction, adding that the estimate was “very defensible in light of prices realized [for very large colorless diamonds] during the previous four auctions.” In May, the 101.75 ct D-Flawless Winston Legacy sold for $26.7 million at Christie’s Geneva.

Wong said that auctioning the diamond in Hong Kong instead of Geneva or New York reflected a natural evolution of the market.

“All of the previous hundred-carat D-Flawless [and Internally Flawless] sold at auctions have been in Geneva,” she said. “But in the past five years, many of the record prices have been set at Hong Kong sales.” She cited the 6.01 ct Fancy Vivid blue that achieved the highest-ever per-carat price for a blue diamond ($1.686 million) in 2011 and the 5 ct Vivid Pink that shattered the per-carat price record for any diamond ($2.16 million) in 2009.

	The oval-cut diamond was fashioned from this 299 ct rough found in southern Africa
	in 2011. Photo courtesy of Sotheby's.

The fast growth of Asian economies is a key reason Hong Kong has become one of the world’s top auction venues, with dealers from around the world flocking there to buy and sell.

“Ten years ago, Asian private buyers bought almost everything at the sales here,” Wong said. “These buyers, and the previews of major pieces offered at other locations, helped the auction houses establish a solid base here. Now all the world’s top dealers are coming here, which is why records are being set.” @chapter:38


Publication Year: 2018 Title: New Technologies and Techniques Abstract: Figure 1. Single-crystal CVD diamond. Courtesy of Element Six.

Synthetic CVD Diamond—30 Years On
Daniel J. Twitchen
Element Six, Global Innovation Centre, Harwell, Oxford, United Kingdom
Element Six first started its chemical vapor deposition (CVD) synthetic diamond program in 1988. Thirty years on, this talk will review notable high and low points, flagging some lessons learned.
Volume synthesis of diamond by CVD (figure 1) has not only contributed to reducing the cost of the material but also enabled the superlative properties of diamond to be more fully utilized. It has long been recognized that, aside from its extreme hardness, diamond is a remarkable material with many properties—optical, thermal, electrochemical, chemical, and electronic—that outclass competing materials. When combined, these properties offer the designer an engineering material with tremendous potential to create solutions that can shift performance to new levels or enable completely new approaches to challenging problems.
Components routinely fabricated using CVD synthetic diamond now span tweeters for loudspeakers, radiation detectors and sensors, optical components for lasers, windows for radio frequency and microwave transmission, blades and cutting tools, and electrodes for electrochemical sensing, ozone generation, and direct oxidation of organic matter.
Lightbox, a new De Beers company, has recently announced jewelry using white, blue, and pink lab-grown CVD diamonds. As crystal growers and materials scientists know, intrinsic undoped diamond is colorless in the visible range, but its absorption properties can be modified by defects, often referred to as “color centers,” formed either during the CVD growth process or through post-growth treatments such as irradiation and annealing. This presentation briefly summarizes some of the tools used to engineer CVD diamond. For example, controlling the nitrogen level (yellow CVD) to obtain particular thermal and optical properties, doping with boron (blue) to make electrically conducting diamond used to produce ozone for sanitization and for thermal management in telecommunications, and growing in nitrogen-vacancy centers (pink) to make magnetic sensors.
The diverse applications of diamond that harness its exceptional properties and the impact of color centers touch our lives in unexpected ways: Diamond is used to create the high-quality mirror finish on your smartphone and to produce the 170 miles of copper wiring in the aircraft that takes you on vacation, and it is also enables new higher-power lasers used in welding our cars together. It is even used in the quality control of food and in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
In summary, there has been considerable progress in the fabrication and commercialization of CVD-grown diamond over the last 10 years by a number of producers. This progress, coupled with the broad range of applications, shows that perhaps a new age of industrial diamond has truly begun—the age of CVD synthetic diamond.
Beyond Gemstones: The Medical, Industrial, Scientific, and Computational Applications of Lab Diamonds
Jason Payne
Ada Diamonds, San Francisco
Many gemologists know that there are important technological applications for laboratory-grown diamonds; however, it is less understood how broad the nongemological uses really are or why diamond is the ideal material for each use. This presentation will review modern industrial applications of laboratory-grown diamonds, including surgical tools, tumor detection, orthopedic implants, water purification, industrial tooling, compound refractive energy focusing, Fresnel lenses, high-pressure anvils (figure 1), sound reproduction, deep space communication, high-power electronics, quantum computing, long-term data storage, AC/DC conversion, and electrical vehicle efficiency.

Figure 1. Laboratory-grown diamond anvils, capable of generating 1 terapascal of pressure, enable high-pressure experiments for physics, chemistry, materials science, and industry. Photo courtesy of New Diamond Technology.
These applications are rooted in the less frequently discussed gemological properties of diamonds that make it a “supermaterial.” The biological, thermal, mechanical, optical, acoustic, and electrochemical properties of diamond will be introduced. Specific properties discussed will include thermal conductivity, Young’s modulus, breakdown field, band gap, and saturated electron drift velocity. Furthermore, the utility of diamond defects such as nitrogen vacancies and boron will be explored.
In addition to discussions about functional monocrystal diamonds, two unnatural forms of functional diamond will be discussed: polycrystalline diamond (PCD) and diamond-like carbon (DLC). Many of the functional diamonds discussed, including PCD and DLC, will be available for hands-on examination as part of the presentation.
Big-Data Analysis and Insights in the Online Gem and Jewelry Trade
Menahem Sevdermish and Guy Borenstein
Gemewizard, Ramat Gan, Israel
Big-data analytics is the process of collecting, organizing, and analyzing large volumes of data to reveal hidden patterns and unfamiliar correlations, identify market trends, and extract other useful information that might otherwise be invisible—even for the data manager.
Big-data analytics is seldom used within the gem and jewelry trade. The gem and jewelry sector is kept with general fixed inquiries that block the category from characterizing its inventory and users, and by that, identifying new opportunities.
Another challenge is that in most online marketplaces, the “What You See Is What You Get” experience is hindered by two main factors: improper disclosure and misrepresentation of images (e.g., digitally enhanced photos).
The research and development team of Gemewizard has devised and digitized a fully automatic big-data analysis system for large-scale gem and jewelry marketplaces, based on color and contextual search engine and image analysis (figure 1). This system generates unique market analytics and a fraud detection and prevention service.

Figure 1. The system algorithm crawls the HTML pages of gem websites for big data. For each gem, it condenses the item page to its attribute components and records useful data. The collected data is then compared against the entire database to identify insights and peculiarities.
Since 2016, the Gemewizard team has had the opportunity to examine the validity of the system using vast amounts of data from a world-leading online retail marketplace. The information gathered from this survey, together with additional volumes of information collected from the Internet, provided some important insights regarding the online gem and jewelry trade. Some of these insights, which we consider fruitful and eye-opening for any marketplace or e-tailer, will be revealed.
The gem-related information contains insights regarding common fraudulent activities and practices for 128 varieties, species, and series of merchandisable gems. The gathered data includes anomalies in attributes such as:

Gem type: Mineralogical, gemological, and trade names, as well as misnomers. Analysis includes accepted word combinations (e.g., “ruby” and “zoisite”) versus problematic ones (e.g., “diamond” and “moissanite”).
Color (e.g., “yellow emerald”)
Synthetic wording and nicknames (e.g., “heating with light elements”)
Treatment wording, ranked and analyzed according to severity (e.g., “heating” versus “diffusion” in ruby)

The trade-related information provides powerful forecasting tools for the marketplace administrator. These include sales and trends history, defined by attributes such as type, color, geography, seasonality, and price, and the ability to identify tendencies (e.g., “Prices of untreated ruby gems between 2 and 3 carats are on the rise in Europe…”) and pricing opportunities (e.g., “Currently, there is a high demand for pale-colored Paraíba tourmaline gems in Far East markets”).
Diamond Impression: The Key to Sustainable Competitiveness
Sergey Sivovolenko1, Roman Serov2, and Janak Mistry3 (presenter)
1OctoNus Finland Oy, Tampere, Finland
2OctoNus Software, Moscow
3Lexus SoftMac, Surat, India
People are impressed with the uniqueness of diamond, which incorporates factors such as brilliance and fire. When the trade commoditized the category through the Four Cs, it was partly due to the technical inability to promote diamond’s impressive optical effects, including optical illusions. This common trade practice inhibited diamond’s competitiveness against other goods in the luxury sector. But from now on, emerging technology will allow demonstration of diamond’s magic on a large scale with fine details.
Modern algorithmic craftsmanship creates the category of high-vibrancy diamonds, referred to here as Hi-Vi: exceptional diamonds with superior consumer benefits such as brilliance, fire, table color, symmetry, and spread, compared to others of the same shape, size, and pavilion color. The triple excellent round, which took centuries for the industry to craft, was the first Hi-Vi diamond.
Diamond vibrancy is a combination of optical effects and illusions. For example, brilliance, fire, scintillation, and spread depend on both objective parameters such as cut design and stone size, as well as subjective aspects of human vision, such as space-temporal sensitivity and stereo perception. Figure 1A demonstrates the scintillating grid illusion: The intersections seem to flicker white and black, generating additional brightness and contrast when the observer’s glance wanders. Distortion of pattern ruins this effect (figure 1B). Certain patterns produce higher perceived brightness. This example is a 2D effect; more astonishing optical illusions result from human stereo vision.

Figure 1. A scintillation grid (A), a scintillation grid with a wavy pattern (B), and squares covered by round brilliant-cut diamonds in different sizes (C).
The phenomenon of diamond brilliance has a similar origin—human vision peculiarity—as the scintillating grid illusion described above. The impact of optical illusions on both Hi-Vi diamond patterns and jewelry designs (e.g., melee) are to be considered, so Hi-Vi optimization is made for not just single diamond cuts, but also for each diamond jewelry piece as a whole.
Figure 1C shows squares with round brilliant-cut (RBC) patterns that differ only in size. The integral colored and colorless areas are exactly the same, while the perceptions of fire and brilliance in each image are quite different. It is impossible to maximize two performance parameters (both fire and brilliance, for example) simultaneously. The consumer’s final choice should be based on subjective preferences and rely on performance benchmarks.
Hi-Vi diamonds should be demonstrated with an optical performance digital “loupe,” which allows even inexperienced buyers to easily appreciate the performance difference at the highest levels of brilliance, fire, and scintillation. The “loupe” is critically important for mass marketing of relatively small diamonds. For sustainable market development, diamond impressiveness and vibrancy born of masterly designed optical illusions and visual effects is the selling proposition to craft, demonstrate, and explain. @chapter:15


Publication Year: 2018 Title: Fourth International Diamond School Abstract: Figure 1. During the Fourth International Diamond School, Pierre Cartigny delivers a presentation on stable isotopes with support from organizer Fabrizio Nestola. Photo by Marco Cuman.

At the end of January 2018, some 92 attendees and 18 teachers gathered once again in the picturesque northern Italian town of Brixen-Bressanone for the fourth International Diamond School (IDS), themed “Diamonds: Geology, Gemology, and Exploration.”

As in previous years, the school was underwritten by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in addition to the Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO), the Society of Italian Mineralogical (SIMP), and the University of Padua. Professor Fabrizio Nestola (University of Padua) served as local organizer extraordinaire and was assisted on the organizing committee by four of the presenters: Matteo Alvaro, Graham Pearson, Steven Shirey, and Wuyi Wang.

The academic activities took place in a well-appointed auditorium owned by the University of Padua, while meals and social activities were held in the sixteenth-century Hotel Elephant—so named because the original building saw the arrival of an elephant from Ceylon—a gift to the Austrian royal family that caused a sensation and inspired artists and poets.

For the first three days, the school provided a general overview of the recent advances in diamond research, focusing specifically on the geology, exploration, and gemology of diamond from leading scientists in their fields. A brief summary of their talks follows.

Jeffrey Harris (University of Glasgow, UK) gave a very interesting overview of the history of gem diamonds from the sixth century (AD) onward. The modern era, leading directly to today’s active mines, began in the 1870s in South Africa with the discovery of rich placer deposits. This period was followed by recognition of kimberlite as the diamond host rock and the battle between Barnato and Rhodes for supremacy over the kimberlite pipes in the Kimberly area.

John Armstrong (Karowe Mine, Lucara Diamond, Botswana) is the world’s expert on how to extract (and not break!) very large diamonds. He outlined automated methods such as X-ray transmission to detect low-nitrogen stones and crushing methods that use the host kimberlite itself to minimize breakage.

Herman Grütter and Jennifer Pell (Peregrine Diamonds, Vancouver) spoke via Skype about microdiamond size frequency distributions (SFDs) and their practical use in macrograde forecasting to predict whether it will be economically worthwhile to mine a kimberlite. Each large sample of diamondiferous kimberlite dissolved by caustic fusion has its own microdiamond distribution in a plot of diamond grade (diamonds per ton) versus diamond size (carat weight). This negative correlation can be shown to merge with the same macrodiamond distribution for mines, which becomes the basis for the forecast. The challenge is that not all localities follow this relationship.

In a second Skype talk, Grütter spoke about pyroxene thermobarometry and a xenocryst-based approach. Using single clinopyroxenes from concentrates and indicator minerals, exploration major tectonothermal events in the mantle lithosphere are revealed. Because it takes some 800 million years for the lithosphere to equilibrate thermally, large clinopyroxene data sets can reveal heretofore unknown C-O-H flux fronts and mantle plumes.

Bruce Kjarsgaard (Geological Survey of Canada) discussed experimental constraints on kimberlite origin, ascent, and eruption. His talk focused on kimberlite mineralogy and isotopic compositions for kimberlite origin and experimental petrology for ascent and eruption. One of the basic questions still unanswered is whether kimberlite magmas are initially carbonatitic melts or some form of transitional melt.

Nikolay Sobolev (V.S. Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, Novosibirsk, Russia) spoke about inclusions in Siberian diamonds and their polycrystalline aggregates and specific features of orogenic diamonds from Kazakhstan. His talk offered a useful review of inclusion types.

Making and stabilizing the deep diamond-bearing roots of the continents was the subject of a cutting-edge review by D. Graham Pearson (University of Alberta, Canada). Rheology turns out to be more important than buoyancy in preserving continental roots, and this stiffness makes them essentially plume-erosion proof. Lateral compression serves as a means to accumulate residues of any origin and form thick depleted lithosphere of more depleted composition. The process also accounts for late Archean intra-crustal differentiation. A good modern analog to Archean craton formation may be seen in the new continent of Zealandia.

Thomas Stachel (University of Alberta) covered the entire subject of diamond formation in the earth’s mantle. The newest thinking on diamond formation places less emphasis on solid-solid reactions or host-rock buffering and more emphasis on the diamond-forming fluids themselves. Critical factors include temperature change, reduction of CO2, and presence of organic species including methane.

Oded Navon (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) addressed diamond-forming fluids. He made the important points that there is a huge diversity of diamond-forming fluids by major and trace element composition and that the gem fluids are little different from those for fibrous diamonds.

Steven Shirey provided a framework with which to categorize diamond ages that can be used to establish meaningful age uncertainties with his talk. Since diamond ages rely on mineral inclusions for dating, debate over the years has been focused on whether these inclusions are protogenetic (existing before encapsulation) or syngenetic (simultaneous growth of the diamond and the inclusion). It is clear that many inclusions are mineralogically protogenetic while being geologically syngenetic.

Matteo Alvaro (University of Pavia, Italy) detailed new approaches to in-situ crystallographic study of mineral inclusions in diamond. Interestingly, mechanical re-orientation is a feature of the encapsulation of many silicate inclusions.

Pierre Cartigny (Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris; figure 1) discussed stable isotopes and diamonds in a talk that argued for massive carbon recycling into the mantle and considered the fractionation effects that occur between C, N, and the various kinds of fluids and sources from which well-studied diamond suites have come.

Diamond gemology and advanced technologies to replace visual observations were discussed by Wuyi Wang (GIA, New York). The talk covered GIA’s research role in the $80 billion diamond trade and its assessment of color, cut, clarity, and carat weight. Dr. Wang also discussed GIA’s internships and fellowships for research scientists.

Christopher M. Breeding (GIA, Carlsbad, California) covered the ever growing field of diamond defects and the identification of color treatment. While sophisticated analytical techniques allow GIA to associate color and treatment with lattice-scale mechanisms in diamond, each color requires considerable research analysis to pin down its defect mechanism.

Ulrika D’Haenens-Johansson (GIA, New York) addressed the synthesis of manmade gem diamonds and their detection. Diamonds grown by the two main methods—high-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) growth and chemical vapor deposition (CVD)—currently can be detected chiefly from their isotopic composition and the N content of their starting compounds.

In her review of advances in in-situ isotope measurement in diamond and their inclusions, Emilie Thomassot (CNRS, Nancy, France) went over many of the theoretical and practical considerations affecting the accuracy and precision of ion microprobe measurements for stable isotopes, especially sulfur.

Steven Reddy (Western Australian School of Mines at Curtin University) described an exciting new direction in his talk on atom probe microscopy and its potential applications to diamond research. With this instrument, the analytical specimen is prepared in the shape of a needle and atoms from it are directed into a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer. One can retrieve the exact position of the atoms in the structure and even measure their isotopic composition. The potential is there to look at very tiny inclusions in diamond in this manner.

Dan Howell (University of Padua, Italy) covered the major uncertainties of Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) studies of diamonds and how to overcome them. This basic technique, applicable nondestructively to any diamond, remains one of the most important ways to characterize specific diamonds and their integrated thermal history.

Figure 2. International Diamond School attendees discuss recent research. Photo by Marco Cuman.
Following the tradition of previous years, the International Diamond School went beyond these formal lectures (figure 2) to include practical sessions focused on microscopic observations of a complete inclusion-bearing diamond collection on the fourth day. The collection was made available to the IDS by Professor Jeffrey Harris, with microscopes provided by Zeiss and a micro-Raman spectrometer provided by Horiba Scientific.

The fifth day was devoted to 15-minute talks by students and early-career researchers providing the latest snapshot of their most recent work.

The Fourth International Diamond School was a fantastic opportunity to learn, exchange ideas, and inspire career choices. GIA’s financial support reduced costs for students, and its sharing of expertise in diamond spectroscopy, diamond treatment, substitution and defect mechanisms, and grading gave the IDS an invaluable industry connection. GIA researchers were active participants throughout the week and inspired the students with their practical experience in the real world of gem diamonds.

The organizers and supporters were especially pleased with the diversity this year. The school had 110 participants from 13 different countries (Canada, Italy, Germany, France, the UK, Austria, the Netherlands, the United States, Russia, Israel, South Africa, Ireland, and Australia). There was a nearly even mix of undergraduate students, Ph.D. students, academic seniors, and industry figures. There was also a nearly equal gender balance, with 45 women and 47 men. @chapter:29


Publication Year: - Title: GIA Field Gemologists Visit Pearl Farms Near Mergui, Myanmar Abstract: Culturing Pearls in Mergui, Myanmar

	Discover Myanmar’s South Sea cultured pearl farms with GIA field gemologists.

	Travel Myanmar’s azure waters with GIA field gemologists in search of that country’s South Sea cultured pearls. As you journey to pearl farming areas off the Mergui archipelago, you’ll witness the cultivation of gold-lipped oysters—Pinctada maxima—including the process of nucleating the mollusks.

	The Mergui archipelago consists of more than 800 islands, off the far southern coast of Myanmar (Burma), in the warm waters of the Andaman Sea. The expedition visited the “Myanmar Ocean” pearl farming operation to witness South Sea cultured pearl production and to collect research samples from that remote region.

	You’ll venture underwater with the GIA team, to see the farm’s oysters in their mesh baskets. “Some people say that the best golden South Sea pearls are farmed here,” says Pardieu. The environment is largely unspoiled and conditions are ideal for pearl cultivation.

	You’ll also catch a glimpse of the lives of one of Myanmar’s ethnic minorities, the Moken—sometimes called “Sea Gypsies.”  They still lead a traditional life centered on fishing and boat building.

	This GIA Field Expedition (FE63) took place in March 2014. Besides Pardieu, the participants were cameraman Didier Gruel, pearl department senior manager Nick Sturman, and Staff Gemologist Areeya Manustrong. @chapter:40


Publication Year: 2021 Title: Blue Zircon Reportedly from Malawi Abstract: This suite of zircons, reportedly from Malawi, shows unheated brown starting material, examples of rough material after heat treatment, and six examples of faceted stones (the largest stone weighs 7.70 ct). Photo by Diego Sanchez; courtesy of Phoenix Gems.
Blue zircon is perhaps best known from Cambodia, with most if not all of the material recovered as brown stones that turn blue upon heating. Recently, Brent Smith of Phoenix Gems supplied us with a parcel of rough and cut zircons (see above) reportedly from a new deposit in Malawi. According to Smith, the mine is located in southern Malawi, near Maripa in the district of Chikwawa. The Michigan-based Phoenix Gems is in partnership with Malawi locals Jepther Ngwira and Matthias Chimbuto, who oversee mining. Heat treating and cutting operations are handled by Smith in the United States. Smith also reported that fewer than 10 kg of material has been produced to date, much of which he has heat treated using a proprietary process to produce a range of blue and some bicolor blue and colorless stones. So far, only about 20 stones have been faceted.
Gemological testing revealed properties consistent with blue zircon, including a refractive index that was over the limit of the RI liquid (with a value of 1.81), a hydrostatic SG of 4.52, and a handheld visible spectrum typical for zircon, with the most prominent feature being a sharp absorption line visible at about 654 nm. Exposing the rough blue stones to long-wave ultraviolet light for more than 90 seconds did not induce any UV reaction or obvious change in color, as has been previously reported in blue zircon (N. Renfro, “Reversible color modification of blue zircon by long-wave ultraviolet irradiation,” Fall 2016 G&G, pp. 246–251). Microscopic examination revealed minute needle-like inclusions, partially healed fractures, and prominent blue and colorless zoning, although the stones were relatively free of inclusions. The unpolarized ultraviolet/visible/near-infrared (UV-Vis-NIR) spectrum consisted of a broad absorption band centered at approximately 640 nm, which is the cause of the observed blue color and is seen in the absorption spectrum of blue zircons from other localities. Laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) chemical analysis confirmed the bulk composition was consistent with zircon, and major trace elements included the rare earth elements yttrium and hafnium as well as transition metals titanium and scandium.
In all, this new source of blue zircon reportedly from Malawi has the potential to yield some beautiful finished stones and is a welcome addition to the gem trade. @chapter:0


Publication Year: - Title: The Beauty of Birthstones Connects Us All Abstract: The birthstone for August is peridot.

                      We all have one. What’s yours?

We’re talking birthstones here and GIA is showcasing them in a big way through spring 2013 at the Carlsbad campus. The GIA Museum team decided to focus on birthstones because people connect with them as they search for the gem that represents their birth date.

“Birthstones are a fun, popular and colorful area of gemology and resonate with all audiences regardless of gender, age, nationality or religion,” said Terri Ottaway, curator of the GIA Museum. “The lore, origins, attributes and characteristics associated with various gems are educational and hold universal appeal for all of us.”

“GIA Celebrates Birthstones” contains more than 250 objects from around the world, including gemstones, minerals and jewelry pieces. Each month of the year and its birthstone is represented, along with fun facts about the gems. For example, did you know that garnets can be green, topaz can be blue and sapphires can be pink? Or that ancient people believed wearing amethyst would keep them sober, while emeralds were thought to have healing properties for the eyes?

Here are some more traits associated with modern-day birthstones:

January: garnet/calm
February: amethyst/power
March: aquamarine/unity
April: diamond/endurance
May: emerald/joy
June: pearls/clarity
July: ruby/harmony
August: peridot/purity
September: sapphire/loyalty
October: opal/hope and tourmaline/strength
November: topaz/prosperity and citrine/awareness
December: turquoise/peace and tanzanite/balance

Why do some months have more than one birthstone? Different traditions are often cited, but the most significant reason is that some gemstones are too rare and expensive to be attainable for a majority of people, and others just aren’t that popular. @chapter:25


Publication Year: 2018 Title: Drill Hole in Heated Pink Sapphire Abstract: Figure 1. A drill hole in a heated pink sapphire from Myanmar, seen with diffuse brightfield and fiber-optic illumination. Photomicrograph by E. Billie Hughes; approximate field of view 5 mm.

While testing a faceted pink sapphire in our laboratory, we looked at its internal features and determined that it was a heat-treated stone from Myanmar. As we examined the surface of the 14.75 × 13.02 × 8.82 mm sapphire, we noticed an unusual feature: a large round drill hole extending from the surface into a crystal or negative crystal within the stone (see above). Note that this drill hole did not extend through the sapphire, as one might see in a bead. This stone was faceted, so it is unlikely that the person who drilled into the stone intended to create a bead.
What seems more likely, given the placement of the drill hole, is that it was drilled to minimize the appearance of the crystal that it reached. We suspect that the crystal was originally more opaque and of darker color or filled with a dark substance. It is possible that the drill hole was created so that the crystal could be cleaned out with acid, minimizing its appearance. We can only guess at the intentions of the treater, who might have gotten the idea from the laser drilling of diamonds.
Although the exact process may remain a mystery, this inclusion indicates an unusual treatment in ruby and sapphire. @chapter:12


Publication Year: 2023 Title: Pandora jewelry brand expands its Personalized Jewelry service, using France as a model market. Abstract: Pandora, a renowned jewelry brand from Denmark, has the highest sales volume of jewelry in the world, up to 103 million pieces annually. This growth is a result of expanding into the Personalized Jewelry market, where customers can customize jewelry pieces such as bracelets and necklaces with engravings or various designs, following successful trials in France. The starting price for these services is as low as 10 euros per piece. Currently, Pandora operates 40 stores in France out of a total of 132 worldwide.
In 2022, Pandora's global jewelry sales amounted to 3.6 billion euros. The United States leads with 30% of total sales from 417 stores. Europe follows with 25%, dominated by the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, and France. The Chinese market is still developing. Pandora designs its jewelry in Denmark and manufactures primarily in Thailand.
Alexander Lacik, Pandora's CEO, noted continuous sales growth over the past two years, with Q1 2023 sales surpassing expectations at 787 million euros. Despite previous sales challenges since 2017, the COVID-19 situation boosted online sales channels, now accounting for 21% of total sales.
Olivier Kessler-Gay, Managing Director of Pandora Western Europe, highlighted three strengths: appropriate pricing strategies, product diversity with frequent new collections, and high brand loyalty. Pandora's iconic product, the silver Charms bracelet, which accounts for 70% of sales, is priced between 50 and 100 euros.
Pandora operates 2,542 stores globally, owning 1,653 directly and franchising the rest. In France, there are 125 stores (with four new ones added in late 2022), expected to increase by eight more by late 2023, including locations in Noisy-le-Grand, Belle Epine near Paris, and Toulouse in southern France. After COVID-19, Pandora plans to manage more than half of its existing 43 franchise stores in France directly.
Despite challenges in France and Thailand's jewelry industry due to COVID-19, Pandora's online sales growth has been consistent and beneficial, particularly in expanding to new customer segments with reasonably priced jewelry. This market approach serves as a good example for Thai entrepreneurs aiming to export jewelry brands to France, potentially through fashion and jewelry exhibitions like Who’s Next, Bijorcha, or Maison et Objets, considering strict French regulations on precious metal jewelry imports. @chapter:27


Publication Year: - Title: Metalwork Takes a Bow: Techniques that Enhance Gemstone Jewelry Abstract: Modern designer Andrea Cagnetti, known as Akelo, employs Etruscan-inspired designs using both filigree and granulation in this “Addebaran” box, 1999. Working in gold, he draws from his ancient ancestors for inspiration. Courtesy of Akelo, Andrea Cagnetti. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA

Like a supporting actor stealing the spotlight from the star, fine metalwork can outshine the gems it displays. This collection of jewelry images, with items dating from pre-Columbian times forward, illustrates filigree and granulation, openwork, hammering techniques, engraving, Florentine finish, and mokume gane – all used to create the detail worthy of an award-winning performance.

Carolyn Tyler uses granulation, filigree and repoussé in this tourmaline and moonstone ring and earrings. She creates pieces inspired by artifacts from ancient civilizations with themes in nature, mythology and tribal art. Her jewelry is fashioned in 22K gold by Balinese crafters. Courtesy of Elise Misiorowski. Photo by Tino Hammid/GIA and Tino Hammid
Filigree and Granulation
Filigree and granulation have been used since ancient times. Filigree is created by soldering fine metal wires into intricate patterns. The wires may be plain or decoratively twisted. Historically, filigree was created by applying wires to an underlying base. As the craft evolved, the base was abandoned in favor of a lighter, openwork jewelry item with a lacy appearance. The openwork style was especially popular during the 19th century.

Granulation is an ancient jewelry art in which small gold particles adhere to the surface in bead-like fashion without apparent evidence of solder. It can be applied to create textures or designs. The Sumerians first used granulation, followed by the Etruscans in Western Europe.

The eye is immediately drawn to the delicate saw-piercing openwork platinum in this diamond brooch/pendant in trefoil motif with laurel wreaths in each lobe, surrounded by honeycomb and a lace border. All edges are milligrained. Courtesy of Neil Lane, Inc., Beverly Hills. Photo by Tino Hammid/GIA and Tino Hammid
Openwork
Openwork is a piercing technique that creates a pattern in the metal that lets light come through it. Saw-piercing is an openwork technique using a drill and jeweler’s saw to create a decorative motif. Upon close examination, you can see that the edges may be pressed with a milligraining tool – imagine a wood-handled pizza cutter-like tool that rolls out a small, beadlike pattern – that leaves the desired relief on the openwork metal and allows it to sparkle.

À jour, French for “to the day,” is another form of openwork created by sawing or piercing that makes it possible for light to enter from the back. The additional light enhances the gem’s scintillation and color, which improves its liveliness.

This moon and stars South Sea pearl pin in 18K gold features a hammered finish. Notice how the pattern of divots creates a warm glow. Although this is a modern pin, hammered finishes were particularly popular during the Arts and Crafts period. Courtesy of Leslie Weinberg Designs. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA.
Hammered
A hammered finish is a decorative treatment created by the repeated blows of a small hammer with a specialized head to create an all-over pattern of divots. Although hammering dates back thousands of years, hammered finishes were particularly popular during the Arts and Crafts period (1860s to 1920s). Repoussé or repoussage uses a hammer and punch tool to raise the reverse side and chasing is when the artisan indents the metal surface by striking the tool with a hammer.

View Gallery

Hand Engraving
Hand engraving is achieved by using gravers, chisels made of hardened steel in various shapes and sizes, to create different effects. A finish graver with delicate parallel lines is used to create a textured pattern of intersecting sets of lines known as a Florentine finish.

The Buccellati design house is known for its Florentine finish, which is recognized by its rich textural quality reminiscent of fine linen or lace. Their artisans also employ piercing techniques, which are used to create the look of honeycomb, lace or webbing. Atelier Buccellati dates to 1750 when goldsmith Contardo Buccellati made jewelry. The business rose to international fame when Mario Buccellatti took the lead from the1920s–1960s. Bucellati’s techniques and tools haven’t changed since the Renaissance.

George Sawyer is one of the few masters of mokume gane and has been perfecting his art since the 1970s. Gift of George Sawyer. Photo by Orasa Weldon/GIA
Mokume gane
Mokume gane was first made in 17th century Japan by master metalworker Denbei Shoami. The scarcity of precious metals in Japan led to the invention of new alloys and chemical treatments for coloring the alloys. Mokume gane uses layers of sheet metal of various alloys fused together to create a block. Mokume gane translates closely to “wood grain metal” or “wood eye metal,” describing the way the metal takes on the appearance of natural wood grain. The process was first used to make samurai swords.

The next time you admire a piece of beautiful jewelry, inspect the detail and craftsmanship of the metalwork to appreciate how a good supporting actor will make the star – the gem – shine. @chapter:21


Publication Year: 1999 Title: Summer 1999 Gem News International Abstract: Diamonds
            Diamond Presentations at the PDAC Conference
            Diamond Octahedra in Jewelry
            First Diamonds from the Merlin Project, Australia
            A Review of “GE-Processed” Diamonds
Colored Stones and Organic Materials
            International Colored Gemstone Association Congress
            Andradite (Including Demantoid) from Canada
            Trapiche Cat’s-Eye Emeralds
            Natural Pearls from the Northern Cook Islands
            Twelve-Rayed Star Sapphire from Madagascar
            Blue, Pink, and Purple Sapphires from Ilakaka, Madagascar
            Other Gems from Near Ilakaka
            Tanzanite Fluorescence: A Seldom-Noted Property
            Tanzanite Mining Update
            A New Source for Tsavorite
Synthetics and Simulants
            Synthetic Beryl Showing Zoned Pleochroism
            Polymer-Impregnated Synthetic Fire Opal from Kyocera
Miscellaneous
            A New Cut for Colored Stones
            Pearl Branding: “Utopia” Cultured Pearls
Announcements
            Hong Kong Jewellery & Watch Fair ‘99
Cartier at the Field Museum
            Gem Conference 99
            Jewellery Arabia 99

To view the full section, download the PDF above. @chapter:7


Publication Year: 2018 Title: Natural Diamond Mistaken as HPHT Synthetic Abstract: Figure 1. This D-color 2.23 ct natural diamond was originally submitted as a synthetic. Photo by Robison McMurtry.

When a declared synthetic diamond is submitted to a GIA laboratory, it is not often that the diamond turns out to be natural. But this was the case recently when a D-color 2.23 ct round brilliant was submitted to the Carlsbad laboratory for a synthetic diamond grading report (figure 1). Its infrared absorption spectrum established it as type IaA>B, with nitrogen aggregates around 80 ppm, confirming a natural color origin. Since it was stated as synthetic, further analysis was performed.
There are very few gemological indicators of lab-grown diamonds (S. Eaton-Magaña and C.M. Breeding, “Features of synthetic diamonds,” Summer 2018 G&G, pp. 202–204). Yet one of the most reliable and easily seen observations is the lack of birefringence (or strain) patterns in HPHT synthetics when viewed between crossed polarizers. To our knowledge, visible strain in HPHT-grown synthetic diamonds has only been documented in one rare case (Winter 2016 Lab Notes, pp. 417–418).

Figure 2. An apparent lack of strain was observed throughout most of the stone, with strain visible only around inclusions (left). Such observations are common in HPHT synthetics and not generally seen in natural or CVD synthetic diamonds. With extensive searching and careful positioning, linear strain was visible within small areas of the stone (right). Photomicrographs by Garrett McElhenny; fields of view 7.19 mm.
Although strain observations are rarely used by many in the trade, this natural diamond was perhaps presumed to be synthetic due to its apparent lack of observable strain. When viewed under crossed polarizers, the strain was very difficult to discern (figure 2, left), and this apparent absence was consistent with our observations of HPHT synthetics. With extensive searching and careful positioning, the strain was visible in a few scattered areas of the diamond. The observed strain was linear in appearance, consistent with type Ia natural diamonds (figure 2, right).

Figure 3. Microscopic examination shows discernible dark mineral inclusions that occur naturally in diamonds and could have been mistaken for metallic flux inclusions. Photomicrograph by Garrett McElhenny; field of view 3.57 mm.
With further investigation using a variety of techniques such as photoluminescence spectroscopy and DiamondView imaging, all tests confirmed a natural origin. Additionally, microscopic observation revealed unidentified dark natural crystal inclusions (figure 3), which might have been mistaken for metallic flux.
Subsequently the client indicated that this stone was believed to be synthetic after examination by another party in the trade. However, several gemological and spectroscopic tests confirmed its natural origin.
This diamond demonstrates why stones of uncertain origin should be submitted to a gemological laboratory for further testing. It also provides confirmation that occasional exceptions exist for the general guidelines that help distinguish natural from lab-grown diamonds. In this case, the correction worked to the client’s advantage. @chapter:15


Publication Year: 1991 Title: Winter 1991 Gem News International Abstract: Diamonds
            Botswana Expands into Diamond Manufacturing
            Large Chinese Diamond
            Diamond Center Planned for China
            Data Suggest Strong, Changing U.S. Diamond Market
            Diamond Factory to Open in Dubai
            G.E. Synthesizes Large Carbon-13 Diamonds
            Guinea's Aredor Produces another Large Diamond
            Indonesian Production on Line
            "Nickel Thermometer" for Diamond Exploration
            New "Royal" Diamond Cuts
Colored Stones
            Hairy Insect in Amber
            Czechoslovakian Conference Yields Valuable Information
            Novel Chrysoberyl "Cross" Cat's-Eye
            Attractive Tanzanian Diopside
            Fine Emerald/Green Beryl from Nigeria
            New Production of Demantoid Garnets from Russia
            Tanzanian Yellow Grossular Garnets
            Large Tsavorite Garnet from Tanzania
            "Recycled" Ivory
            More on Peruvian Opal
            Antique Portrait Ring
            More Synthetics Sold as Natural Ruby in Vietnam
            Update from Sri Lanka
            Sunstone/Iolite Mixture
            Update on Tanzanite Mining
            Bicolored Tourmaline with Unusual Color Effect
Synthetics and Simulants
            New Laser Crystals with Gem Potential
            Novel Synthetic Star Sapphire
Enhancements
            More on Opticon as a Fracture Filler
            Filled Cavernous Emerald Crystal
            Filled Synthetic Emerald in Parcel from Swat
            Deceptive Color Coating of Sapphires in Sri Lanka
            More on Paraiba Tourmaline Simulants
Instrumentation and New Techniques
            Distinguishing Diffusion Treatment from Surface Coating
            New Setting Method Challenges Diamond Testers
            Jewelry Imaging/Teleconferencing System Introduced
            Tweezer Improvement
Announcements
            Southeast Asia Gemmological Conference

To view the full section, download the PDF above. @chapter:20


Publication Year: - Title: Designer Kara Ross Featured in First “Aluminati” Exhibit Abstract: View Gallery

The GIA Museum is launching “Aluminati: Students to Stars,” a new exhibit series that will highlight the talents of GIA alumni who have made waves in the gem and jewelry industry. The first exhibit in the series, featuring designer Kara Ross, will debut in April at GIA’s world headquarters in Carlsbad, California.
“We’re thrilled to be able to shine a spotlight on the incredible work of our alumni,” said Terri Ottaway, GIA Museum curator. “So many talented students have emerged from GIA, and we are so pleased to share their success with the public. We are fortunate to have Kara Ross and her uniquely creative pieces as our premier Aluminati exhibit.”

Ross, a GIA Graduate Gemologist (GG), is a world-renowned jewelry and handbag designer who works with all types of gemstones (often in their natural state), crystals, wood and other organic material. Her designs are favored by celebrities and public figures, including U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, who wore pieces from Ross’s “Pyramid” collection, including earrings and cuffs made with sterling silver, mother of pearl and colorless sapphires, to the 2011 State of the Union address. Dr. Jill Biden, wife of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, wore a pair of hand-carved mother of pearl and white sapphire earrings by Kara Ross during this year’s inauguration ceremony.

“I’m honored to kick off this exciting new exhibition series. Through GIA, I developed my passion and knowledge for gemstones, and these inform and enhance all the designs I create today,” said Ross.

The Kara Ross Aluminati exhibit will run from the beginning of April through mid-October 2013. Ross’s trendsetting and inspired designs will fill the atrium cases at GIA’s Carlsbad campus. Highlighted in this exhibit are custom pieces Ross created for Michelle Obama out of wood from a fallen tree near the White House.

Ross and her work have appeared in numerous national and international magazines, and she was honored in 2012 as the Design Award Winner by the Women’s Jewelry Association.

The Aluminati series will feature GIA graduates from various parts of the gem and jewelry industry, from miners and gem carvers to gem dealers, designers, jewelers and more.

The GIA Museum is free and open to the public by appointment.  For more information or to arrange a campus tour, go to www.gia.edu/gia-museum @chapter:36


Publication Year: - Title: Mila Adds Mileage to Gemfields' Emerald Push Abstract: A worker at Gemfields’ Kagem mine in northern Zambia shows off a high-quality emerald embedded in matrix. The mine is the largest in Zambia and produces an estimated 20% of the world's emeralds. Photos provided by Gemfields.

The colored gemstone industry has traditionally been dominated by small miners and individual traders or very small firms. This brings an entrepreneurial spirit to the industry, but these smaller businesses lack the resources needed to effectively promote gemstones in a highly competitive retail environment.

GIA senior industry analyst Russell Shor spoke with Ian Harebottle, the CEO of Gemfields, a large, publicly held gemstone mine, about the company’s efforts to use advertising and promotions to lift the entire industry.

		“Gemstones are incredibly beautiful,” says Gemfields CEO Ian Harebottle. “But their real value is revealed by designers’ artistry and strong marketing.”

		“Otherwise, they are just placed on a scale and sold by the carat and the cheapest dealer wins,” he says. “[That’s when] these magnificent and rare gemstones lose out.”

		Harebottle says Gemfields is trying to move beautiful colored gems off the scales with an initial $5 million marketing campaign to instill more glamour and excitement ‒ such as asking actress Mila Kunis to be the new face of Gemfields. He refers to what De Beers’ “Diamonds are Forever” advertising campaign has done for diamonds – and points out that colored gemstones, after all, are also forever.

		Kunis, who starred in Disney’s “Oz the Great and Powerful,” has succeeded in getting the jewelry-shy fashion press writing about emeralds. The company is working with designers and jewelers in key markets around the world to showcase emerald jewelry. It also recently acquired Fabergé and is in the process of reviving the name as a luxury jewelry brand.

		Colored gems have never had a serious, sustained marketing campaign. De Beers was spending $220 million a year back in the 1990s, so Gemfields has a long way to go. But, Harebottle adds, “One requires a lot less cash, time, and effort to sell and market a color TV than you would to sell a top-of-the-line black and white unit.”

		Gemfields is trying to address other challenges that have worked against the gemstone industry over the years: The fragmentation of the colored stone industry has created a number of barriers to its growth: inconsistent supplies (many gem sources are short-lived and mined by hand, creating a great deal of waste); lack of capital (very small firms generally do not qualify for bank financing); and lack of a unified product (dealers have traditionally promoted only the types of gemstones in their own inventories).

		Gemfields controls the largest emerald deposit in Zambia and is an anomaly in the colored gemstone industry, which is largely comprised of thousands of very small enterprises. The company is publicly traded, with revenues of nearly $84 million last year, and believes it has the tools to put emeralds in the public eye: a relatively large marketing budget of $5 million, a brand presence through the Fabergé acquisition, and a diverse portfolio of gemstones.

		This portfolio includes:

			A 75% share of Zambia’s Kagem emerald mine, which produces an estimated 20% of the world’s supply

			A 50-50 partnership in the Kariba amethyst deposit, also in Zambia, which supplies an estimated 40% of the goods currently in the market

			A 75% interest in the Montepuez ruby project in Mozambique

	The Montpuez deposit is still in its early stages, so emeralds represented the vast majority of Gemfields’ revenue for fiscal 2012 and remained the focus of its marketing activities.

		Harebottle says Gemfields is addressing the supply challenge by maintaining a one-year stockpile of Kagem emeralds of various sizes and qualities, with plans to do the same for its other operating mines.

		“Jewelry designers and manufacturers need continuity of supply if they are going to produce and market lines effectively,” he says, noting that about 60% of them are in the Far East and Middle East and the remainder in the U.S. and Europe.

		The company has encountered challenges from its partner. In the spring of 2013, the government required Gemfields to hold all rough stone auctions within Zambia’s borders instead of its customary location in Singapore. Government officials claimed that the auctions abroad were a revenue drain.

		The company held its first Zambia-based auction in Lusaka in April, shortly after the government measure. Sales were lackluster, prompting worries that the big international buyers would not travel to Lusaka for the larger sale in July, featuring the best material.

		Harebottle’s fears were put to rest, however, after the auction realized $31.5 million. The 583,448-carat sale brought $54 per carat, about $11 more per carat than the previous year’s event in Singapore. (If $54 per carat seems low, it’s because the average yield of gem material from the rough is about 5%, with the very best pieces yielding about 10%.)

		The centerpiece of the sale was a crystal weighing more than 2,000 carats purchased by Eshed Diam, an Israeli emerald cutter. The price was not disclosed.

		Avraham Eshed said in a statement that the bidding for the stone was “extremely competitive,” with more than 40 companies participating.

		These results, Harebottle says, “were spectacular, but the key now is to make sure that whatever we do serves only to continue the momentum and growth in demand that we have achieved over the past few years.”

		Harebottle is also heartened by the improved communication between his company and the Zambian government since then, noting that many senior government officials attended the July sale. More recently, he says, Zambia has opened up to the possibility of alternating sales venues, with the stipulation that Lusaka remains one of the sites. This idea has Harebottle’s full support.

		Gemfields does have its critics. Some claim the company is edging local artisanal miners out from the best concessions around Kagem and the Montpuez deposit. Harebottle counters that Gemfields has never displaced any local miners and maintains an assistance program for them, including access to its medical facilities. He says that those who level such criticisms have an agenda of their own – namely dealers who pay these miners very little for their finds, pay no taxes or export duties, and reap huge profits by selling the gems in the world market.

		“Ultimately, we are trying to raise world demand ‒ and prices ‒ for colored gems,” Harebottle says. “Local miners can only benefit from that.”

		Workers at a Gemfields washing plant.

GIA does not endorse any specific commercial product or company. @chapter:33