Publication Year: - Title: GIA Field Gemology Team Explores Sapphire Mines at Ilakaka, Madagascar Abstract: Exploring Madagascar’s Sapphire Mines

	Tour Ilakaka’s sapphire mining areas with GIA field gemologists.

	In this short video you will accompany GIA Field Gemologist Vincent Pardieu and his team as they introduce you to Madagascar’s Ilakaka sapphire mining area. Located in the south of the island of Madagascar, the Ilakaka area is one of the world’s largest sapphire deposits, and currently one of the most active. Potential sapphire deposits cover an area of about 75x62 miles (120x100 km).

	“Madagascar has huge potential as a sapphire producing country,” says Pardieu. “GIA will keep visiting the island to study and document all its deposits.” According to Pardieu, the institute has already compiled the most accurate map of the island’s sapphire workings yet published.

	Discovered at the end of 1998, the area around Ilakaka produces many other gems besides corundum, including chrysoberyl, spinel, garnet, tourmaline, and zircon.

	Miners seek sapphire-rich layers concentrated in former river beds that geologists call paleochannels. Using hand tools, they dig simple pits to reach the gems, which they wash in nearby rivers. The pits are often less than a meter in diameter to minimize the risks of collapse. Some pits go as deep as 197 feet (60 meters). “Finding gem-rich gravel is the only thing that matters for the miners,” says Pardieu.

	In this video, you’ll follow him down one such pit—about 118 feet (36 meters) deep—so he can see the conditions under which the miners work with his own eyes. “It is hard work to say the least,” reflects Pardieu.

	You’ll see unparalleled aerial footage of the mining area as GIA’s drone skims over the miners’ heads. You’ll also be treated to a unique aerial view of Ilakaka itself.

	A big goal of the trip is the gathering of samples for GIA’s reference collection, and that requires gaining the confidence of local miners. “Once people know what you’re here for, the stones start to appear,” explains Pardieu. It’s also good if you can stay in the area for a while, he says. “Time is our best ally in all these kinds of expeditions,” continues Pardieu. “The longer you stay, the more chance you have of seeing something interesting.”

	This video was compiled from two separate Madagascar expeditions—FE39 and FE55—that took place in 2012 and 2014 respectively. Besides Vincent Pardieu and cameraman Didier Gruel, expedition participants included Boris Chauviré, Jonathan Muyal, and Stanislas Detroyat. @chapter:37


Publication Year: - Title: Summer 2016 G&G: Diamonds from Diavik, Responsible Sourcing, and Fabergé Cossack Figures Abstract: The lead article in this issue examines the discovery and geology of the Diavik diamond mine, as well as the nature
of the operations at this remote site in Canada’s Northwest Territories, just 220 km south of the Arctic Circle.
The aerial photo on the cover, taken in the summer of 2014, captures Diavik’s isolation and the extent of its operations.
Photo by Dave Brosha, courtesy of Diavik Diamond Mine.

	Diamonds and colored stones, carving and mining, historical treasures and the future of the industry are all featured in the latest Gems & Gemology. The Summer 2016 issue leads with the Diavik diamond mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Other articles examine Fabergé figures depicting Russian imperial bodyguards, efforts to bring a sustainable and ethical supply chain to the colored stone industry, the carving of a large opal rough into a museum-quality piece, and the bygone adventures of mine engineer Peter Rainier at the Colombian emerald mecca of Chivor.

	MINING DIAMONDS IN THE CANADIAN ARCTIC: THE DIAVIK MINE

The 187.7 ct “Diavik Foxfire,” discovered in spring 2015, is the largest gem-quality rough diamond found to date at the mine. Photo courtesy of Rio Tinto Diamonds.

	Canada’s remote Diavik mine is one of the world’s preeminent sources of gem diamonds, producing over 100 million carats since 2003. In the lead article, Dr. James Shigley and his team review the discovery, development, and operation of the mine, which is expected to produce through 2024, when the land will be restored through reclamation and remediation efforts. The article is accompanied by exclusive videos captured at Diavik.

	FABERGÉ COSSACK FIGURES CREATED FROM RUSSIAN GEMSTONES

	The Fabergé hardstone figure of Chamber Cossacks A.A. Kudinov, who guarded
	Empress Maria Feodorovna from 1878 to 1915. Photo courtesy of Pavlovsk State Museum
	and Gafifullin (2014).

	Between 1908 and 1916, the Fabergé workshops created approximately 50 hardstone figures representing the Russian people, using Russian gems and precious metals. Timothy Adams and Christel Ludewig McCanless examine two hardstone figures, commissioned by Nicholas II, of Cossack bodyguards who served the Romanov empresses.

	THE COLOR OF RESPONSIBILITY: ETHICAL ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS IN COLORED GEMSTONES

	The mining and processing of colored stones, a multibillion-dollar industry, still lacks an ethical and sustainable mine-to-market supply chain. Jennifer-Lynn Archuleta reports on the inherent challenges and the ongoing efforts  to bring traceability, transparency, and sustainability to the world of colored stones.

	THE CHALLENGES OF CUTTING A LARGE GEM OPAL ROUGH

A side view of the Australian opal rough shows all the color bars and intervening layers of colorless potch. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA.

	Theodore Grussing explains how he planned and cut a 3,019 ct piece of Australian white opal rough into the Molly Stone, a 1,040 ct museum quality piece with play-of-color across the entire surface. This article describes the many considerations involved in creating this one-of-a-kind gem. Video showing the creation of the Molly Stone enhances the reader’s understanding of the cutting process.

	IN RAINIER’S FOOTSTEPS: JOURNEY TO THE CHIVOR EMERALD MINE

 Colombia’s Sinaí Valley, the sandstone monolith of El Pulpito hangs from a steep cliff in the top right. The Chivor mine is just out of view above the rock. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA.

	Robert Weldon and coauthors take readers on a trek through Colombian history as they journey to the world-famous Chivor mine, guided by the memoirs of Peter W. Rainier. The field report is accompanied by historical photos from the mine and video of the authors’ journey.

	LAB NOTES

	The Lab Notes section reports on a unique drilled emerald, a natural spinel with an unusual yellowish green color, and the largest blue HPHT synthetic diamonds to date.

	MICRO-WORLD

G&G’s photomicrography section features a metal sulfide inclusion in a pink pyrope garnet, a topaz hosting a triplite inclusion, and a stunning aurora effect in an iris agate (with accompanying video).

	GEM NEWS INTERNATIONAL

Submitted as synthetic diamonds, the 0.99 ct blue-green emerald step cut (left), 0.85 ct brown-yellow standard round brilliant (center), and 1.90 ct deep green standard round brilliant (right) were all identified as synthetic moissanite. Photo by Yanjun Song.

	Highlights from the GNI section include Chinese amber treated through steam dyeing, the spectral characteristics of P. mazatlanica and P. margaritifera oyster species, synthetic moissanite imitating synthetic colored diamond, and more entries from the Tucson gem shows.

	2016 G&G CHALLENGE

	For those interested in testing their knowledge of our 2015 content, the 2016 G&G Challenge will be open until Friday, August 12. Participants who score 75% or higher will receive a certificate of completion, while respondents who earn a perfect score will be listed in the Fall 2016 issue of Gems & Gemology. @chapter:29


Publication Year: 2020 Title: Manufactured Inclusions in Gem Materials Abstract: Figure 1. This 47 ct cabochon was creatively carved from the back, and the hollow cavity was then filled with a yellow and red composite material to highlight the floral inclusion. Photo by Robert Weldon; courtesy of Mike Bowers.
Inclusions in gems have gained popularity as social media has exposed collectors to a wide range of gem materials with interesting inclusions. As a result, there has been an increase in artificial inclusions in natural rock crystal quartz as predicted by E. Skalwold (Summer 2016 Micro-World, pp. 201–202). Recently, the authors had the opportunity to examine several unique gems with manufactured inclusions. Microscopic examination revealed that the main methods for manufacturing inclusions were carving, assembling, dyeing, three-dimensional internal laser engraving, or a combination of these methods.

Figure 2. Tool marks from a rotary abrasive burr are clearly visible in this manufactured floral-shaped inclusion (left; field of view 9.72 mm). The cavity was subsequently filled with a yellow and red composite material consisting of sand grains and a colored binder or resin material (right; field of view 4.26 mm). Photomicrographs by Nathan Renfro; courtesy of Mike Bowers.
A 47 ct rutilated quartz cabochon exhibits an eye-catching yellow and red floral-shaped inclusion produced by creative carving and filling with a colored composite material (figure 1). Microscopic examination revealed circular marks from a rotary abrasive tool used to create the intricate cavity (figure 2, left). The cavity was subsequently filled with a yellow and red composite material of fine sand grains and a colored binder or resin (figure 2, right).

Figure 3. This 226 ct round tablet of quartz contains an orange and yellow resin-filled fracture that convincingly imitates natural iron oxide mineral staining in quartz. Photo by Robert Weldon; courtesy of Mike Bowers.

Figure 4. A fracture in this rock crystal quartz has been filled with orange and yellow resin to give the appearance of natural iron oxide staining. Trapped gas bubbles make this manufactured inclusion readily identifiable. Photomicrograph by Nathan Renfro; field of view 8.94 mm. Courtesy of Mike Bowers.
Another creatively manufactured inclusion in a quartz gem can be seen in a 226 ct round tablet containing a large fracture (figure 3). The fracture was filled with colored orange and yellow resin, which resembles natural iron oxide epigenetic staining sometimes seen in rock crystal quartz. A quick examination in the microscope revealed incomplete filling and trapped gas bubbles in the colored resin (figure 4), making the separation between this manufactured inclusion and its natural counterpart quite easy.

Figure 5. This 109 ct polished block of quartz has been assembled from two halves that contain numerous fractures filled with green resin. They have been glued together so that the moss-like inclusion is completely enclosed in the colorless quartz. Photo by Robert Weldon; courtesy of Mike Bowers.

Figure 6. This moss-like inclusion results from a fracture network in two pieces of rock crystal quartz filled with green resin and glued together to encapsulate the inclusion. The assembly plane of the two quartz halves is clearly visible on the side of the stone (left; field of view 18.80 mm). The green resin contained trapped gas bubbles, and the fractures displayed an unnatural striated appearance suggesting they were artificially induced (right; field of view 2.59 mm). Photomicrographs by Nathan Renfro; courtesy of Mike Bowers.
Creative dyeing also produced the manufactured inclusion in a 109 ct quartz with a completely enclosed green moss-like inclusion (figure 5). This stone consists of two pieces of rock crystal quartz, each with a centralized network of fine fractures that may have been artificially induced by laser, judging from their unnatural irregular pattern and striated appearance. The fracture network in each piece was subsequently filled with a dark green resin to give the appearance of a moss-like inclusion. The two halves were then glued together with colorless cement, completely enclosing the green moss-like inclusions in water clear rock crystal quartz. This left a somewhat obvious assembly plane (figure 6, left) when examined with the microscope, as well as trapped gas bubbles in the green resin-filled areas (figure 6, right).

Figure 7. This 724 ct rock crystal quartz contains two manufactured inclusions induced by a 3D subsurface laser-engraving process. Photo by Robert Weldon; courtesy of Mike Bowers.

Figure 8. These stellate inclusions result from 3D subsurface laser engraving, which creates light scattering micro-fractures in a controlled pattern. These represent the latest advancement in manufactured inclusions within gem materials. Photomicrograph by Nathan Renfro; field of view 23.50 mm. Courtesy of Mike Bowers.
The fourth example of manufactured inclusions recently examined is a 724 ct quartz crystal with a polished face that contains two white stellate inclusions consisting of numerous radial arms surrounding a spherical core structure (figure 7). Closer examination revealed a carefully layered series of micro-fractures consistent with 3D subsurface laser engraving (figure 8). This is by far the most technologically advanced example of a manufactured inclusion in a gem material examined by author NR.
While these four examples of manufactured inclusions may not be quite as sought after as gems with natural inclusions, they certainly can be appreciated for the efforts and techniques employed by the manufacturers. Obviously, collectors of gems that feature inclusions should be aware that manufactured inclusions such as those described here exist in the trade. While some manufactured inclusions may be intended purely as an artistic enhancement, others may be produced with the intention to deceive the consumer, and caution should be used if a manufactured origin is suspected. @chapter:19


Publication Year: 2024 Title: Pearl fashion is hot Chinese girls flock to buy Bringing the price of pearls up Abstract: In the past 2-3 years, the Chinese jewelry market has seen an expansion of the customer base for pearl jewelry. Previously popular among middle-aged women, pearl jewelry has become increasingly popular among younger generations. The market has also seen a rise in diverse and contemporary designs for pearl jewelry, coupled with e-commerce trading, which has expanded the demand for pearl jewelry in China. This strong market demand has driven up the prices of pearls.

The market situation for pearls remains robust and continues to grow steadily. Previously seen as limited to middle-aged and older women, pearls accounted for only 1% of China's jewelry sales in 2019. However, in 2021 and 2023, this percentage increased to 7% and 10%, respectively.

From 2563 to 2565, the pearl market in China has experienced continuous growth, with an average annual expansion rate of 34%. In 2566, the Chinese pearl market reached a value of 350 billion yuan (approximately 1.75 trillion baht), marking a 46% increase. Additionally, the proportion of online trade has increased, indicating the significant role of e-commerce in accelerating the development of the pearl industry. This can be observed through statistics on pearl sales during online shopping festivals like TMALL's 11.11. In 2566, pearl sales during this festival increased by over 450% compared to the previous year. Similarly, during events like Mother's Day and the 520 Festival (a Chinese love festival), pearl sales reached record highs. Moreover, consumers aged 25-30 years old have shown a high demand for pearls, with orders via live streaming platforms like DOUYIN increasing by over 50%. Live streaming has become a crucial sales channel for pearls due to its accessibility and the stimulating format that encourages quick purchasing decisions.

In early 2567, discussions and posts related to pearls on platforms like Xiaohongshu (RED) reached up to 7.17 million times. Furthermore, since 2566, prices for hi-end pearls have increased by 0.5 to 1 times. For example, Japanese AKOYA pearl necklaces sized 8-8.5 millimeters, which were priced at around 18,000 yuan (90,000 baht) two years ago, now start at 30,000 yuan (150,000 baht), marking an increase of nearly 70%. Similarly, Australian white pearls sized 10-12 millimeters, which previously ranged from 100,000 to 150,000 yuan (500,000 - 750,000 baht), have risen to 300,000 yuan (1.5 million baht). Black pearls, a favorite, have nearly doubled in price.

The pearl production in China has decreased every year. China is one of the main producers of pearls, with Zhuji City in Zhejiang Province being the largest producer of large pearls in China. Additionally, Sanzhuihu Town is the largest market for freshwater pearl trading in the world, accounting for 73% of global production and 80% of China's freshwater pearl production. In 2566, China exported 71.3% of its pearls, mainly from Zhejiang Province.

However, despite increasing market demand, pearl production in China has declined from 1.2 million kilograms in 2562 to 700,000 kilograms in 2565. This decline is due to challenges in pearl farming, where saltwater pearls take a long time to produce and have low yields, while freshwater pearls require large amounts of nutrients that pollute the water. Consequently, the Chinese government has implemented policies to control and limit pearl farming to conserve the environment, leading to the closure of non-standard farms and a decrease in pearl production.

China's imports of pearls exceed exports, and the proportion of imports from Thailand is gradually increasing.

In 2566, China's pearl trade had a total value of $101 million (3,737 million baht), marking a decrease of -21.71% (YoY). This comprised exports worth $49 million (1,813 million baht), down by -12.5% (YoY), and imports of $52 million (1,927 million baht), down by -28.77% (YoY). Importantly, China's pearl import structure in 2566 was more diversified, not heavily tied to any specific country as before.

The pearl fashion trend is strong, attracting Chinese women to buy more, thereby driving up pearl prices.

Thailand is one of the top 5 trading partners with China for pearl imports every year. Import trends of pearls from Thailand (HS Code 7101) to China have been relatively positive in the past 2-3 years. In 2564, China imported pearls (HS Code 7101) from Thailand valued at $5.99 million (increased by +96.67%). In 2565, the value rose to $8.66 million (increased by +44.42%), and in 2566, it was $7.93 million (decreased by -8.50%). Import statistics of pearls from Thailand to China reflect a similar trend as China's overall pearl imports. However, analyzing market share (%Share) reveals that Thailand's market share is increasing. In 2564-2566, Thailand's market share was 10.4%, 11.9%, and 15.2%, respectively. In the first quarter of 2567, China imported pearls from Thailand worth $4.90 million, marking a 371.05% increase from the same period the previous year, with a market share of 48.65%.

The market continues to be a family business, which is quite interesting. Behind the popularity of pearls, it is found that the business model is family-oriented. The process of pearls, from semi-finished products to finished goods, requires manual labor and cannot be mass-produced with the same mold. Therefore, it is not suitable for large-scale business operations. Small businesses often play a close role with consumers in providing information, knowledge, and creating a professional understanding of the products. This includes standards for pearl sorting and assessing value, among others. The pearl industry in the Santikhun Hu Subdistrict remains a strong local industry and continues to operate in a family business model.

While China is currently a significant pearl production hub globally, Chinese brands are not yet popular on the international stage. This suggests that there needs to be a higher quality development in the future, particularly in areas like processing, coloring, and chemical use. In summary, China's pearl industry has advantages in terms of production sources, market size, and consumption trends. If there are advancements in aquaculture technology in the future, the quality of Chinese pearls is expected to improve, potentially leading to the establishment of global brands.

The comments from the Office of Trade Promotion in Chengtaw highlight the growing trend of pearl jewelry among Chinese women in recent years. Whether it's earrings, necklaces, or bracelets, they have been well-received by consumers. With the strong consumer response and the continuously growing market for pearls in China, pearl jewelry has become another attractive market for Thai jewelry industry players.

Considering tapping into the Chinese market, it may be beneficial to time marketing activities to coincide with important Chinese festivals such as Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, and others, aligning with the popular trend of gift-giving during these festivals in China. Additionally, focusing on enhancing quality and diversity in design to cater to various customer segments, along with increased investment in brand promotion through Chinese social media channels, could help reach Chinese consumers more effectively.

  @chapter:27


Publication Year: 2014 Title: Books: Gemstones of the World Abstract: By Walter Schumann, 272 pp., hardcover, illus., publ. by Sterling Publishing, New York, NY, 2013. US$24.95.

              First published in English in 1976, Walter Schumann’s Gemstones of the World has served as a handy reference guide to gemologists of any level. The most recent fifth edition is no exception.

The text begins with a brief mineralogical and gemological study, focusing on such topics as basic crystallography and crystal systems, hardness, refractive index, and other pertinent features of gem materials. Schumann largely focuses on minerals but does give proper descriptions of organic and synthetic materials as well. These first few sections serve as an excellent introduction to, or refresher on, many of the basic concepts that help make identification easier. The text is easily comprehensible to those at least somewhat familiar with the science of gemology, and it does a reasonably good job explaining the concepts for a novice. For someone completely new to the science, the jargon may be difficult, although Schumann attempts to bypass this issue by providing a brief list at the beginning of the book of terminology that may be unfamiliar.

Schumann devotes the most space, logically, to the most well-known and economically significant gemstones, such as diamond, sapphire, ruby, and emerald. Lesser-known and rare gems are not neglected, however, and he has compiled a fairly exhaustive list of gemstones, complete with color, hardness, density, refractive index, crystal system, and chemical composition.

At first glance, it would appear that little has changed since the fourth edition in 2009, and indeed most of the easy reference and good basic information is the same. Even the photographs, while very colorful and helpful, remain unchanged and could benefit from some modernization. New to this recent edition is a chapter discussing the symbolic and supposed medicinal significance of different gem materials. The author does approach this subject as a scientist, which is to say with great skepticism, and makes clear numerous times that there is no real proof of gemstones’ effectiveness in easing ailments beyond a well-intentioned placebo effect. It is a brief, interesting look at the historical and current importance of gemstones within a more mystical or homeopathic context, but probably not worth the price of repurchase.

This being the fifth edition, one would expect errors to be essentially nonexistent. Unfortunately, there were a few instances of misspelled gemstones (some of the charts refer to “peridote” rather than “peridot”) and grammatical errors. The brief description of diffusion treatment in corundum is not correct. He vaguely describes the treatment as creating a thin metal layer on the stone, similar to a foil backing. Although diffusion treatment commonly utilizes titanium, a metallic element, the connection between his description and actual diffusion treatment stops here. Additionally, unlike the other treatments he mentions, no detection method for diffusion treated corundum is given. Still, it should be noted that these errors are few and far between, and the book can still be used for referencing and basic information without trouble.

Gemstones of the World is a conveniently sized and organized reference book for both the casual and serious gemologist. Because it is fairly compact, it would be easy to take on field trips for use as a handy guide. The comprehensive listing of gem materials that includes many of the most important identifying features makes it useful for identifying both common and unusual gemstones. For those who already own the previous edition, there might not be much to gain from this latest version. For a first-time buyer, though, it would be a wise investment. @chapter:8


Publication Year: 2022 Title: Market Reaction to the Pandemic: Insights from Exhibitors Abstract: Figure 1. The majority of the 35 exhibitors surveyed have a small-scale business and more than 20 years in the industry.
When COVID-19 evolved from a regional crisis to a global pandemic, the gem and jewelry trade abruptly paused for a short period and then gradually recovered to the pre-pandemic level. To investigate the trade’s reaction, the impact on business, and market trends over the past two years, the authors took advantage of the Tucson show to survey the exhibitors.
This brief report presents outcomes from written surveys conducted with 35 randomly selected AGTA and GJX show exhibitors. The survey consists of two portions: general information about the business, and six pandemic- and market trend-related questions. All 35 exhibitors based their responses on their own experiences, with a very limited number of “not applicable” answers that were not included in the findings.
Nearly all respondents identified themselves as wholesalers, with a couple of exceptions as designers or miners. The authors noticed that some exhibitors played multiple roles: wholesaler, retailer, and sometimes even designer. While traditional roles in the gem and jewelry industry still carry on, the boundaries between them have become blurred. More than 70% of the exhibitors surveyed have fewer than 10 employees, and 85% of them are industry veterans with more than 20 years’ experience in the trade (figure 1). Although the pool is small, it aptly reflects the nature of the gem and jewelry business in general, with small-scale business as the majority, but often with generations of commitment to the industry.
When asked about the impact of the pandemic on their business, most responded that it was most impactful at the beginning of the crisis, but recovery has been quite smooth since then. Some did express concern about the post-pandemic supply issues. Two-thirds of the interviewees stated that more business shifted online over the past two years, resulting in marketing and selling strategy changes (figure 2). Notably, the relatively new businesses, many with less than five years in the trade, often started with more business online than offline. Though sellers mostly embraced online trading of gems and jewelry, some had difficulties capitalizing on it, particularly with colored stones since buyers still prefer to check the quality in person.

Figure 2. Due to mobility restrictions caused by the pandemic, most companies have shifted at least some business online to adapt to the new normal. This often required changes in sourcing, marketing, and selling strategies.
To investigate the types of stone and jewelry sales over the past two years, the authors asked the selected exhibitors to circle the corresponding items, with many circling multiple answers in each category. These questions covered gemstone species, jewelry, precious metal, and pearl types, with the understanding that while diamond sales continue to dominate the market, they are not the focus for the exhibitors surveyed. Not surprisingly, the “big three” still dominate sales, with sapphire leading the trend (figure 3, top), and tourmaline and spinel immediately following the big three. As for jewelry types, rings and earrings lead the way (figure 3, middle). Yellow gold still sells the best, with platinum as the second best seller (figure 3, bottom). Several pearl dealers circled their best sellers, but the authors found that overall sales were quite evenly distributed among the four major cultured pearl types.

Figure 3. The best sellers over the past two years during the pandemic, according to gemstone species, jewelry type, and precious metal type.
As traceability is a hot topic in the trade, the authors also asked two related questions about whether respondents noticed increased consumer concern on traceability. If they answered yes, they were asked whether it affected how they do business. The result shows that about two-thirds of them noticed the concern, and two-thirds of those who noticed the concern did not feel that it affected their business (figure 4).

Figure 4. Many of the exhibitors surveyed noticed an increase in consumer concern about traceability, but the majority of them said it does not impact their business.
As the world enters the post-pandemic era, it is worthwhile to continue monitoring how the market reacts to the changes and how tradespeople adapt to the new normal. @chapter:27


Publication Year: 2000 Title: Pre-Columbian Gems and Ornamental Materials from Antigua, West Indies Abstract: Two archeological sites that were discovered recently on the island of Antigua appear to have had flourishing lapidary industries. Excavation of these sites, which date to about 250–500 AD (Saladoid period), has revealed beads, pendants, and “zemis” made from a variety of materials, with shell being the most abundant. All of the unworked materials (e.g., shell, carnelian, and diorite) are of local origin. However, amethyst, nephrite, serpentine, and turquoise were found only as finished gems; these are not local and imply that trade or exchange existed between Antigua and other parts of the Caribbean and possibly the Americas during Saladoid time. @chapter:25


Publication Year: - Title: The Business of Bling A Career in Jewelry Sales Abstract: Imagine a job where you're surrounded by shimmering diamonds, rubies, lustrous cultured pearls, and velvety blue sapphires. If this sounds like a dream come true, then perhaps a career in the glamorous and alluring world of gems and jewelry is for you.

Positions can range from working with gemstones to designing or manufacturing the latest jewelry, and from selling jewelry to managing a retail jewelry store. While each of these positions requires specialized education, a position in retail jewelry sales is one of the easiest and fastest ways to start a career in the gem and jewelry industry. GIA’s senior industry analyst, Russell Shor, estimates there are approximately 250,000 employed in retail jewelry sales in the U.S.

A retail jewelry sales position can also lead to a substantial income for top sales professionals, and commissions can add even more to the income. But jewelry sales associates say one of the most rewarding aspects of their work is the prospect of bringing symbols of love and happiness into someone’s life.

“The ability to answer questions about gems, jewelry design and the manufacturing process is critical to succeeding in jewelry sales,” said Larry Larson, GIA instructor. “While an aptitude for customer service is necessary, product knowledge cements the opportunity to close the sale. People buy from whom they trust… and they trust those who are educated.”

To gain this essential product knowledge, specialized courses are required. These courses can be taken through the convenience of distance education, such as GIA’s Accredited Jewelry Professional (AJP) diploma program. This program provides a strong foundation in product knowledge and sales through three short courses: Jewelry Essentials, Colored Stone Essentials, and Diamond Essentials. GIA, an independent, nonprofit organization based in Carlsbad, Calif., is a top educational institution for the gem and jewelry industry and the world's foremost authority in gemology.

The AJP program was designed for people who want to start a career in the jewelry industry. The courses give the right amount of product knowledge and sales techniques to answer questions that can arise in a retail situation. @chapter:36


Publication Year: - Title: Characterization of Blue Sapphires from the Mogok Stone Tract, Mandalay Region, Burma (Myanmar) Abstract: Iridescent arrowhead needles and thin film, a characteristic inclusion found in Mogok Burmese blue sapphires.
Oblique illumination, field of view 1.80 mm. Photo: C. Khowpong © GIA.

The Mogok Stone Tract of central Myanmar (Burma) is one of the world’s most famed sources of colored stones, particularly ruby, sapphire, and spinel. Researchers from GIA’s Bangkok laboratory recently investigated 69 blue sapphires from the northern, western, eastern and northwestern areas of Mogok. They performed microscopic examination, FTIR and UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy, and chemical analysis by LA-ICP-MS to establish identifying characteristics and properties of blue sapphires from Mogok.

The results are available in a study titled “Characterization of blue sapphires from the Mogok Stone Tract, Mandalay region, Burma (Myanmar).” The authors concluded that blue sapphires from Mogok possess a variety of internal characteristics and chemistry features that may support their identification as Burmese. @chapter:3


Publication Year: 2015 Title: A Closer Look at the Micro-World of Gems Abstract: The micro-world of gems lies at the very core of gemology. Information gathered from observations through the microscope serves as the very foundation for many conclusions drawn on a specimen, including identification, treatment detection, separation of natural and synthetic materials, and geographic origin. Even a gem’s genesis and the secrets of Earth’s depths may ultimately be revealed. This inner world waits for gemologists, both new and experienced, to take the time for a closer look, to dive into its depths, and to thoroughly explore its landscape. continual practice, careful observation, and patience will hone both technique and interpretive prowess.

In this series, we invite you to join us for an extended tour through the astounding beauty and variety found in the micro-world of gems and related materials.

View Gallery

	Photomicrograph Gallery
Introduction to the Micro-World of Gems - G&G’s new column takes a closer look at the hidden wonders found in gemstones.
Read More

Amber with Mite Inclusion - An unusual mite is preserved in a 30-million-year old amber specimen.
Read More

Apatite “Piñata” - A cracked apatite specimen reveals hidden treasure.
Read More

Iridescent Musgravite - A musgravite specimen’s inclusions result in an optical phenomenon unusual for the material.
Read More

Cat’s-eye Phenakite - Inclusions create chatoyancy in a colorless phenakite cabochon.
Read More

Unusual Pink Sapphire Bead - A pink sapphire bead with drill holes revealing ruby fragments is examined.
Read More

Bicolor Double-Eye Tourmaline - A tourmaline displaying different colors of chatoyancy on opposite sides of a double cabochon is examined.
Read More @chapter:8


Publication Year: 2013 Title: Atypical Freshwater Cultured Pearls with Damaged Nacre Abstract: Figure 1. These four atypical freshwater cultured pearls with damaged nacre reveal one or more distinct nacreous layers underneath. Left to right: samples 1–4. Photo by Chunhui Zhou.

Recently the East Coast laboratory received four baroque-shaped pearls ranging in size from 9.07 × 13.50 × 14.03 mm to 9.32 × 11.34 × 15.77 mm  and weighing between 10.63 and 13.60 ct. On each of the four samples, the outermost surface nacre layers exhibited large holes and gaps, revealing one or more distinct nacreous layers underneath (figure 1). These underlying nacreous layers displayed good luster and overlapping platelet surface structures, and the large gaps between the inner and outermost nacre layers indicated that smaller pearls had been used as nuclei during the culturing process.
Further gemological testing by energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) and inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) confirmed that both the outer and inner nacre layers originated from a freshwater environment. Some of these pearls contained widely varying amounts of trace elements (i.e., Mn and Mg) between the outer and inner layers, but previous studies have found that uneven distribution of trace elements can also occur in a pearl’s cross section (R. Lu et al., “Operational considerations of EDXRF, LA-ICP-MS, and photoluminescence techniques in the analysis of pearls,” Summer 2011 G&G, pp. 149–150).
Two did not show any distinct internal demarcation when examined with X-radiography in various directions (figure 2). This lack of a clear internal boundary may be due to multiple culturing attempts using the same pearl as a nucleus, which can cause overlapped internal structures and multiple distinct nacreous layers under the surface, as shown in the third sample. In addition, structures typical of non-bead cultured pearls were observed in these micro X-radiographs, suggesting that freshwater cultured pearls were used as nuclei during the culturing process.

Figure 2. X-radiographs show partial demarcation between the outer and inner structures of cultured pearls 1 and 2, but fail to reveal any clear boundaries in samples 3 and 4. Photo by Chunhui Zhou.
Finally, photographs of the X-ray fluorescence reactions of all four pearls were taken in a dark environment (figure 3). Various intensities of green and yellowish green fluorescence could be observed within each nacreous layer, presumably due to varying concentrations of manganese between layers and among the pearls themselves (H.A. Hanni et al., “X-ray luminescence, a valuable test in pearl identification,” 2005 Journal of Gemmology, 29, 5/6, pp. 325–329). More interestingly, reddish fluorescence was also observed around the damaged areas of the nacre in samples 3 and 4. This was possibly caused by foreign material between the “nucleus-pearl” and the outer nacre layers, which may also contribute to the lack of distinct demarcation observed in the cultured structure.

Figure 3. X-ray fluorescence images of the four cultured pearls showing various degrees of green or yellowish green fluorescence between inner and outer layers. Atypical orangy red fluorescence is also visible between the layers in samples 3 and 4. Photo by Chunhui Zhou.
While similar types of pearls with intact outer nacre surfaces have been reported on previously (E. Strack, “Chinese freshwater cultured pearls beaded with baroque freshwater cultured pearls,” Fall 2011 G&G, pp. 244–245), the ambiguous internal structures, interesting X-ray fluorescence properties, and large gaps in the outer nacre layers of these four samples offer a rare view of their internal physical structure and appearance, obtained free of destructive testing. @chapter:14


Publication Year: - Title: Jewelry Industry Experts Inspire Job Seekers Abstract: From left: Moderator Susan Jacques, GIA president and CEO (January 2014); Douglas K. Hucker, CEO of the American Gem Trade Association; Lex Graham, GIA Graduate Gemologist for Betteridge Jewelers; and Dione Kenyon, president of the Jewelers Board of Trade, share advice during the opening panel "Job Success in Today's Market" at GIA's 2013 Jewelry Career Fair in Carlsbad, California.

	Students, job seekers and jewelry industry veterans gathered at GIA’s world headquarters in Carlsbad, California on Oct. 11, 2013 for GIA’s annual Jewelry Career Fair. The free event is an opportunity for attendees to network and connect with companies through recruiting sessions, one-on-one career coaching and panel discussions that feature down-to-earth advice.

	The panelists of “Job Success in Today’s Market,” “From Design to Finish” and “Creative Careers” have various professional backgrounds – from long-time industry veterans to a recent GIA graduate a few years into his career – with a common goal to give back by sharing what they’ve learned.

	Here is some of their best advice:

Susan Jacques, GIA president and CEO (January 2014), shared the unlikely path that led to her career in the jewelry industry: “Don’t lose opportunities that come your way in life because you believe you already know what your destiny is. Leap out of your comfort zone, take some chances – and you will be pleasantly surprised with what your life might bring for you.”

	She also spoke about the importance of honesty: “Be loyal. Lead your life and your career with passion, ethics, integrity and trustworthiness. In our industry it’s all about your word. It’s who you are and what you say.”

Dione D. Kenyon, president of Jewelers Board of Trade, challenged job seekers to become lifelong learners: “Invest in yourself. Don’t give-up. Be persistent. Show up. Have a strong work ethic. Look the part. Take risks. Have a global perspective.”

Lex Graham, a GIA Graduate Gemologist for Betteridge Jewelers: “If you face bumps in an interview, work through them. Remember, an interview is your chance to show off your greatest strength – yourself.” He also encouraged attendees to challenge themselves: “If you don’t keep moving forward in this industry, you stop.”

Douglas K. Hucker, CEO of the American Gem Trade Association, on the importance of networking and stepping out of your comfort zone: “Get in people’s faces. Sit in the front row and take your sunglasses off. If you’re going to get into this business you’ve got to meet people.”

Charlie Herner, CAD/CAM director of Green Lake Jewelry Works, on trying new things: “You learn from your failures. Fail as often as you can – you won’t make those mistakes again. Don’t turn down a project. You’ll be amazed at what you can learn from each one.”

Jewelry designer Alishan Halebian said it’s important for designers to determine their niche: “Figure out where you fit. What makes your business (different)?”

Jewelry designer Erik Stewart encouraged aspiring designers to enter as many contests as possible because it can help you gain exposure in the jewelry industry:  “Talk to anybody and everybody… especially editors and writers, because it’s free publicity.”

Designer Erica Courtney on how to start a jewelry line: “Be patient. Start little by little. Keep trying. Always push yourself to make it better.”

Yancy Weinrich, group vice president of JCK Portfolio, on joining industry associations: "Get involved in the industry. Build those relationships. Understand how you can help people and how they can help you."

Au-Co Mai, president and CEO of Emitations.com, said when starting a new business, instead of focusing on the obstacles, look at what is accessible to you and be creative.

Hutton Wilkinson, president and creative director of Tony Duquette, Inc., on designing jewelry: “Don’t second-guess yourself and don’t let others second-guess you. Just go for it. Do what makes you happy.”

Rebecca Boyajian, director of communications for Bill Boyajian & Associates Inc.: “When opportunities come your way, say yes and figure it out later. I’m always looking for new opportunities – because I don't know everything and I want to know more.” @chapter:36


Publication Year: - Title: Amber History and Lore Abstract: Gierlowska's lizard from the collection of the Gdansk Amber Museum, Gdansk, Poland.

                      Amber is probably best known for its insect and other types of inclusions. Millions of years ago, when amber oozed from countless plants, the substance acted as a sticky trap for ants, bees, termites, and other insects. Flower parts, leaves, and pine needles are also typical amber inclusions, along with gas bubbles.

Amber containing larger animals like scorpions, snails, frogs, and lizards can be very valuable—especially if the animal “inclusions” are preserved intact.

	The fossilized extinct lizard trapped in this piece of amber from the Dominican Republic is over a million years old. - Dr. Edward J. Gubelin
Insects embedded in amber formed the basis of the movie “Jurassic Park.” The story centered around the cloning of dinosaurs from DNA found in dinosaur blood sucked up by prehistoric mosquitoes that were subsequently preserved in amber. The movie generated great interest in the gem. @chapter:37


Publication Year: 2014 Title: Stone and Fossil Photography – Tucson 2014 Abstract: Figure 1. This enlarged image of a Peruvian opal showcases the dramatic forms captured by Mike Woodward. Courtesy of Mike Woodward Photography.

              At the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, Mike Woodward (San Clemente, California) showcased a collection of stone and fossil photos (figure 1). With their variety of arresting forms, the images resemble abstract paintings or landscapes. Among the featured materials were Australian and Peruvian opal, banded agate, and ammonite. Woodward, a graphic designer by trade, has collected stones since the age of five, and has photographed them for 12 years. The images are captured with a 4 × 5 camera, using a polarized macro lens and a high-resolution digital camera back. They are enlarged as single panels, or triptychs, and available in a variety of formats, including canvas, aluminum prints, and traditional photographic prints. @chapter:25


Publication Year: 1990 Title: Summer 1990 Gem News International Abstract: Diamonds
            Scientists Research Material as Hard as Diamond
            Malaysia Diamond Plant
            Botswana Beats Target
            Soviet-Singapore Joint Venture
            New Area in Angola to be Mined
            Argyle Cutting School Near Beijing
            Kimberlite Find in the U.S.
            Diamond-Cutting Industry in Sri Lanka
            Tanzania Intensifies Mineral Search
            Prospecting in Botswana
Colored Stones
            Assembled "Plume" Agate
            Apatite "From Paraiba" and Apatite Purchased as Emerald
            Brazilian Chrysoprase
            Major Jade Deposits in Japan
            Attractive Chatoyant Assembled Opal
            Peridot Mining Update
            California Quartz Update
            Unusual Pseudomorph
            Rubies from Vietnam?
            Rock-like Material with Play-of-Color
            Cat's-Eye Topaz
            The Discovery of the Paraiba Tourmaline Mine
            Tourmaline Doublets
            "Treasure" Postage Stamp
Synthetics and Simulants
            Plastic Cameo Imitations
            Imitation Emeralds from Southern Africa
            Imitation Rhodochrosite Beads
Announcements
            Tiffany & Co. Donation to Smithsonian
            Donation of Citrine to Natural History Museum
            GemFire Exhibit at Cleveland Museum

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


Publication Year: - Title: Amber Quality Factors Abstract: The word amber means brownish yellow, but the gem can be yellow, golden, white, orange to reddish brown, or even bluish or greenish.

                      Baltic amber is generally more expensive than Dominican amber. Pieces containing insect or plant inclusions fetch higher prices than clean pieces without such inclusions. For example, amber cabochons with no insect inclusions cost only a few dollars per piece, while pieces with easily seen or complete insect or plant specimens might sell for thousands of dollars.

Color
Although consumers are most familiar with yellow and golden amber, the gem can be white, yellow, and orange to reddish brown. Reddish amber is more valuable than golden amber, which is more valuable than yellow amber. Rarely, strong fluorescence can give amber a bluish or greenish appearance, which when attractive can be highly valuable. Oxidation might cause the material to change color over time.

Cutting and polishing amber for jewelry makes it more susceptible to oxidation by removing or thinning the harder exterior surface. Fine translucent yellow or orange amber can gradually darken to reddish brown and eventually black.

	Green amber’s color can be produced by treatment with heat and pressure. - Courtesy Treasure Green Amber, Ltd.
The color of amber can be modified by heat treatment and dyeing.

	Some rare amber specimens turn blue in fluorescent light. This striking example is from the Dominican Republic. - Courtesy Ambar Azul
Clarity
Transparent amber is more valuable than cloudy material. An interesting plant or animal inclusion adds to the value of an amber specimen.

	This large, elongated amber bead contains a fairly intact insect inclusion. The gem weighs 93.87 carats.
Treatment by careful heating in rapeseed (canola) oil can clarify cloudy amber somewhat. The resulting amber sometimes exhibits crack-like circular marks called sun spangles.

Cut
Amber is commonly polished into a free-form shape that follows the original shape of the rough. It might then be set into jewelry or drilled for stringing. Cutting styles for amber include beads, cabochons, and free-form polished pieces. Amber might be faceted, but this is rare.

	Amber can be fashioned into a variety of shapes. Many people think of amber as transparent, but it can also be opaque. - Courtesy Ginger Moro
Carat Weight
Amber has a lower relative density than salt water so it can feel very light, even in large sizes. This makes it possible to use fairly large sizes in amber jewelry.

	Amber beads come in a wide variety of shapes and can be quite large due to their light weight. - Irena Misevic/Shutterstock @chapter:37


Publication Year: - Title: Sapphires from Anakie, Australia: A Closer Look at Blue, Yellow, Green and Bicolor Sapphires Abstract: Some of the studied samples from Australia. Colors ranged from blue to dark blue, yellowish green, yellow, and greenish yellow to brownish yellow. Photo by Lhapsin Nillapat. Courtesy of Fura Gems.

Though long underappreciated, Australian sapphires could see a resurgence with the arrival of Fura Gems, a major mining and marketing company. A team of GIA researchers recently took a deeper look at the colors and causes of color of these sapphires, as well as the internal inclusion scenes observed.
The results are available in a study titled “Sapphires from Anakie, Australia: A Closer Look at Blue, Yellow, Green and Bicolor Sapphires.” The authors concluded that these sapphires are relatively high in Fe, resulting in their blue-green-yellow colors. Advanced statistical techniques can often help separate Australian sapphires from those in other deposits worldwide. @chapter:2


Publication Year: 2014 Title: Gem craftsmen of Chanthaburi _30 Abstract: Since then, there have been numerous trials and errors in the art of heat-treating gemstones in Chanthaburi, until successful methods were developed. This achievement has become a source of pride for the people of Chanthaburi to this day. @chapter:25


Publication Year: 2006 Title: Identification and Durability of Lead Glass–Filled Rubies Abstract: In early 2004, the GAAJ laboratory in Japan issued a lab alert about rubies they had seen that had large numbers of fractures filled with high-lead-content glass, which made them appear very transparent. Since then, large quantities of this material have reached international markets. This dramatic treatment is not difficult to identify with a standard gemological microscope, since it has characteristics similar to clarity-enhanced diamonds (flash effect, gas bubbles, etc.). However, locating filled cavities in reflected light is more challenging, as the surface luster of the filler is close to that of ruby. The filling material appears to be very effective in reducing the appearance of fractures. Durability testing of a few samples by highly skilled jewelers indicated that the filler was fairly resistant to heat exposure during jewelry repair procedures, but it reacted readily with solvents. @chapter:17


Publication Year: 1989 Title: Thermal Alteration of Inclusions in "Rutilated" Topaz Abstract: Faceted colorless topaz containing acicular inclusions has been offered for sale as "rutilated" topaz. Earlier investigations have shown the inclusions to be limonite-stained etched dislocation channels. This article reports on the use of heat treatment to alter the limonite staining to hematite, thus changing the color of the inclusions and making them more prominent. @chapter:8


Publication Year: 1989 Title: Winter 1989 Gem News International Abstract: Diamonds
            Filled Diamond Update
            Diamond Exploration in Pilbara, Australia
            Increased Diamond Output in Botswana
            Ghana May Privatize Mines
            Diamond Cutting Expands in Mauritius
            Diamond Exploration on the West Coast of South Africa
Colored Stones
            Burmese Contract for New Mining Technology
            "Adularescent" Chalcedony
            Star Chrysoberyl from Sri Lanka
            Update on Hackmanite
            Psilomelane and Basalt: Novel Black Carving Materials
            Quench-Crackled, Dyed-Green Quartz
            Huge, Doubly Terminated Sapphire Crystal
            Sapphires Found in Burundi
            Mining Ventures are Reactivated in Southeast Asia
            Large Faceted Pamir Spinel
            Sri Lanka Update
            Paraiba Tourmaline Update
            Unusual Multi-Colored Tourmaline
Synthetics and Simulants
            Synthetic Corundum "Crystals"
            Flux Synthetic Spinel
            New Man-Made Crystal
Announcements
            Van Cleef & Arpels Exhibit at L.A. Museum
            Sinkankas Book in 3rd Printing
            Aurora Gem Collection
            Hong Kong Jewelry & Watch Fair
            Jewelex ’90 Korea

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


Publication Year: 1992 Title: Fall 1992 G&G Book Reviews Abstract: “Corundum”
By Richard W. Hughes, 314 pp., illus., publ. by Butterworth-Heinemann, London, 1990. US$39.95

“Properties and Applications of Diamond”
By John Wilks and Eileen Wilks, 525 pp., illus., publ. by Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, England, 1991. US$175.00

To view the full section, download the PDF above. @chapter:29


Publication Year: - Title: Award-Winning Designer Aims for the ‘Edge of the Industry’ Abstract: Tucson-based jeweler Erik Stewart, GIA GG, honed his CAD and bench skills at GIA before going on to win multiple awards for his “often architectural” designs. Courtesy Erik Stewart

                      Designer Erik Stewart may have debuted in the wholesale world as a JCK Rising Star in Las Vegas two years ago, but his first real foray into the industry goes much further back.

As a child, Stewart tagged along with his mother to the jewelry design classes she taught in the parks and recreation department in the family’s hometown of Tucson, Arizona. As a young teen, tagging along with Mom meant working shows with her – and he did so “begrudgingly.”

“I’ll admit that I was much more interested in being an irresponsible teenager or perhaps entering the minor leagues for baseball at the time,” he laughs.

But at 16, Stewart, who had been practicing bench skills in spite of his all-star dreams, sold one of his own designs.

“I was in awe that someone would pay money for something I created with my mind and hands,” Stewart says. “I became addicted.”

His professional dreams suddenly made an about-face. Supported by his parents – his jeweler mother and architect father – the high school senior decided he needed to round out his industry skills beyond bench and retail, and study gemology.

Stewart began GIA’s distance education courses while working jewelry retail counters in Tucson, then moved to the Institute’s Carlsbad campus to “submerge” himself into the world of like-minded professionals and the jewelry industry culture.

He earned his Graduate Gemologist diploma in 2003, and by that time had also earned a position as a sales representative with Neissing, a German designer. After that came a bench position at Phoenix’s Molina Fine Jewelry, though Stewart plugged away at custom designs in his downtime.

He launched his own line – the Erik Stewart Jewelry Art for the Body Collection – at retail shows in 2005.

Stewart says his “often architectural” style, though it has evolved with time, remains “deeply rooted” in his early professional experiences. “I’m attracted to the minimalist, contemporary and conceptual approach of German designers such as Neissing ‒ and in awe of the attention to the detail and precision of Molina’s Fine Jewelry,” he says.

	The Elizabethan ruff, with “small and precise serpentines,” is featured in Stewart’s palladium “Elizabeth” ring; Arizona turquoise and 0.75 total carats of colored diamonds share the spotlight. The ring earned Stewart a Silver Award from Solidscape’s BaselWorld Design Competition in 2013 “for his flawless execution of a complex ring.” Photo courtesy of Erik Stewart
The Tucson-based designer, who entered the wholesale market in 2012, also uses the skills he honed at GIA every day.

“I work from a conceptual design basis, so finding the gemstones comes second, but the criteria is always color and wearability,” Stewart says. He can narrow down those diamond and gemstone choices remotely, based on their specs alone, and select the best stones for his designs because he understands a gem’s colors, hardness, wearability and ideal applications. He can also “enhance precision and create clean lines” because of his CAD training.

“GIA gave me the knowledge needed to trust myself – I don’t guess, I know,” he says.

Stewart, whose design awards include GIA’s George A. Schuetz Design Contest, the Johnson Matthey New York Sustainable Design Award and the Platinum Innovation Awards, encourages GIA students to “build a network of support” during their time on campus, and to utilize all of the resources available to them.

“I fully took advantage of the design contests, Career Fair and especially the library – I made many appointments to read rare books in the back room,” he says. “And the connections I built in my nine months at GIA, from peers to professionals, continue to carry me forward in ways I never imagined.”

Stewart, who lives in Arizona with his wife, Sara, and the couple’s newborn son, Hudson, says he continues to focus on knowing what makes him different as a designer ‒ and staying true to that.

“That perspective may be different from others because it doesn’t always pay off, at least not right away,” he says. “But it does keep me on the edge of the industry, where I strive to be.”

	This award-winning platinum ring, left – featuring 1.36 total carats of sapphires and 1.35 total carats of diamonds – showcases Stewart’s signature fluted design, which pays homage to the Elizabethan collar, or “ruff.” The ring won both the 2011 Niche Award for Fine Jewelry and earned the 2012 JCK Platinum Innovation Award for Platinum Red Carpet Jewelry (Buyer’s Choice). The palladium “Phoenix” cufflinks, left, are made of 950 palladium with 18K yellow gold accents set with padparadscha sapphires. The cufflinks, along with a matching ring, took first place at GIA’s 2008 George A. Schuetz Jewelry Design Contest. Photos courtesy of Erik Stewart @chapter:36


Publication Year: 2014 Title: Natural Pearls Reportedly from a Spondylus Species (“Thorny” Oyster) Abstract: Figure 1. Four non-nacreous pearls, weighing 12.40, 11.55, 8.22, and 5.72 ct (left to right), were submitted for identification. Photo by Sood Oil (Judy) Chia.

              Non-nacreous conch, clam, Melo melo, Cassis, and scallop pearls are often submitted to GIA for identification. Four non-nacreous pearls, weighing 5.72 to 12.40 ct and measuring from 9.55 × 8.60 mm to 16.35 × 9.36 mm, were recently submitted to GIA’s New York laboratory for identification. These examples caught our attention because of their unusual appearance (figure 1).

Their bodycolors and shapes varied. Each exhibited some degree of pink and orange hues, and either elongated or button shapes. The porcelaneous surfaces also exhibited areas with clear flame structures. Under fiber-optic light, fine flame structures resembling those seen in other porcelaneous pearls such as Tridacna gigas and Strombus gigas (conch) pearls were observed. While the typical whitish flame structure was readily apparent, the more notable observation was that some of the flames had a distinct blue coloration (figure 2). Other types of pearls usually do not show blue flames. Microradiography was of little diagnostic assistance, as only tight structures were observed; this is not unusual for porcelaneous pearls. Raman spectroscopy detected both aragonite and calcite separately on different parts of the samples. In the authors’ experience, this differs from conch or clam pearls, which are usually composed of aragonite only.

Figure 2. The porcelaneous surface appearances of two of the pearls, weighing 12.40 ct (left, magnified 20×) and 8.22 ct (right, magnified 10×) show their characteristic blue flames, indicated by the arrows. Photos by Joyce WingYan Ho.
Due to their unique shapes, colors, surface, and flame structures, we suspected these pearls were from one of the many Spondylus species (figure 3), commonly called “thorny” or “spiny” oysters. Although rarely encountered in GIA laboratories, Spondylus pearls have been documented in the past (Winter 1987 Lab Notes, p. 235; E. Strack, Pearls, Ruhle-Diebener-Verlag GmbH & Co., Stuttgart, 2006, p. 255), and some samples have been collected by the Qatar Museums Authority (H. Bari and D. Lam, Pearls, Skira Editore S.p.A, 2009, pp. 88–89). Our client later informed us that these specimens were found by a fisherman in shells of Spondylus princeps off the coast of Baja California, Mexico.

Figure 3. These shells are from various Spondylus species. Courtesy of GIA’s Bangkok laboratory. Photo by Nuttapol Kitdee.
This was a rare opportunity to see natural pearls from a known Spondylus species, and to document their unique gemological characteristics as references for mollusk identification in the future. @chapter:14


Publication Year: 2015 Title: CVD Synthetic Diamond with Unstable Color Centers Abstract: Figure 1. Left: These growth planes were observed in a CVD synthetic diamond; fine pinpoints were found along the growth planes. Photomicrograph by Meenakshi Chauhan; magnified 30×. Right: Pinpoints along the growth plane were also visible from the table. Photomicrograph by Meenakshi Chauhan; magnified 10×.

The Indian Gemological Institute – Gem Testing Laboratory, New Delhi recently examined a 1.42 ct (7.06–7.08 × 4.49 mm) round brilliant. Viewed perpendicular to the pavilion facets with its table down, the sample displayed a grayish yellow color, but a slight rotation changed the color to pinkish. On viewing the specimen parallel to the direction of the growth planes, the sample appeared grayish yellow; viewing perpendicular to these same planes, the sample appeared pinkish.

Infrared spectroscopy showed features typical for type IIa diamond. Magnification revealed no internal features except for a feather on the girdle and the two growth planes, which appeared textured. There are very fine pinpoint-like inclusions lying just along the planes (figure 1, left). These planes of pinpoints were also visible from the table (figure 1, right). Examined in the DiamondView (using less than 225 nm short-wave UV radiation) to reveal its growth patterns, the round brilliant showed parallel striations indicative of CVD growth (figure 2). It also exhibited moderate phosphorescence under the UV lamp for approximately 20–25 seconds. (figure 2, inset), confirming synthesis by a CVD process.

Figure 2. In the DiamondView, the 1.42 ct round showed striations typical of CVD growth. Notice the two parallel planes fluorescing stronger than the bulk of the crystal. The sample also showed moderate phosphorescence (inset), another indication of CVD growth. Images by Meenakshi Chauhan.
Upon removal from the DiamondView after approximately two minutes of exposure time, it showed a distinct grayish blue color. After exposure to a 100-watt halogen bulb for about three minutes, the synthetic diamond regained its initial color (figure 3).

Figure 3. The CVD synthetic diamond before (left) and after exposure (right) to the
short-wave UV radiation of the DiamondView. Photos by Meenakshi Chauhan.
This process was repeated, and the sample turned a grayish blue color after a single minute of exposure to the short-wave UV radiation of the DiamondView and regained its initial color in approximately one minute under the halogen light.

UV exposure produced unstable color centers in this CVD synthetic diamond, which gave it a grayish blue color. Heat removed the color centers, restoring the CVD synthetic diamond to its initial grayish yellow color. @chapter:15


Publication Year: 2016 Title: Turquoise with Simulated Matrix Abstract: Figure 1. A 78.60 ct greenish blue turquoise oval bead with
artificial metallic pyrite. The turquoise was filled with a mixture of crushed pyrite and polymer. Photo by C.D. Mengason.

	The Carlsbad laboratory recently examined a 78.60 ct greenish blue oval bead with patches that contained fragments of a metallic material in dark matrix (figure 1). Standard gemological testing of the greenish blue areas showed properties consistent with turquoise, including a refractive index of 1.60. Microscopic observations revealed the typical visual characteristics of turquoise: blue and white mottling, a granular texture, and a waxy luster with no evidence of dye. Raman analysis confirmed the metallic material was pyrite, and infrared spectroscopy indicated the greenish blue material was turquoise.

	Upon closer investigation using a standard gemological microscope, it became clear that the pyrite was composed of irregular and angular broken fragments suspended in a fine-grained black matrix. In addition, each dark patch displayed well-defined boundaries with hemispherical voids, presumably gas bubbles that had been cut through during polishing. Interestingly, one patch showed a discontinuity between two different shades of color and textures of the pyrite in black matrix (figure 2). Based on our observations, we believe these patches were formed by filling the cavities of the turquoise with a mixture of crushed pyrite crystals and a type of polymer resin. The treatment might have involved one or more filling episodes, which could explain the discontinuity seen in one of the patches. The filled turquoise was later polished into the finished product we observed.

	Figure 2. Closer magnification revealed crushed pyrite crystals, voids left behind from gas bubbles, and a discontinuity between two episodes of filling. Photo by Rebecca Tsang and Nathan Renfro; field of view 4.02 mm.

	In the past, we have seen a variety of treatments for turquoise, but this was the first example of an artificial pyrite-containing matrix examined at the Carlsbad laboratory. @chapter:19


Publication Year: - Title: Leaf Motifs: Timeless Beauty for All Seasons of Jewelry Abstract: Combine emeralds and gold with the sophisticated design of Cartier and voilà − earrings of timeless beauty. Courtesy of a private collector. Photo by Tino Hammid/Copyright GIA and Tino Hammid

	Infused with inspiration, the commonplace becomes extraordinary. The humble leaf, for example – from the simple shapes of some to the complex web of veins in others – has captivated artists, including jewelry designers, for centuries. The simple leaf has transformed into enduring beauty throughout the periods of jewelry history.

	Leaves hold symbolism in many cultures, but in general, they symbolize fertility and growth. The green leaves of spring and summer depict hope, renewal and revival. Blazing yellow, orange and red leaves of fall represent the change of season. Ultimately, fallen leaves complete the circle of life with the final stages: decline and death.

	In the Chinese tradition, leaves represent all of the beings in the universe; they collectively allude to people because of their vast number.

	In heraldic coat of arms, leaves represent different virtues or qualities. For example, oak leaves represent strength, heroism and victory. Grape leaves represent plenty, freedom and rebirth. Holly or mistletoe represents truth, foresight and defense.

	The olive branch, a symbol of peace and goodwill in Western culture, originated in Ancient Greece, where it was used to form a crown as the prize for the winner at the Olympic games. Laurel leaves were also woven into a wreath to honor heroes, scholars and poets. The symbolic importance of laurel has been passed down to modern times in a number of ways. It is the source of the words baccalaureate, poet laureate and Nobel laureate, derived directly from the practice of bestowing a laurel garland for a notable achievement.

	The creativity in the jewelry seen here shows no indication of the designer or jeweler "resting on their laurels.”

View Gallery

	Leaves are seen as both accent and focal points in Victorian, Art Nouveau and 20th century jewelry. The Renaissance inspired the early Victorian era with flowers, branches, leaves, grapes and berries dominating the design motifs. The Art Nouveau period saw a resurgence of enameling, a metal technique that lends itself to the free-flowing lines of flowers and leaves.

	The leaf motif flourishes in the 20th century designs of Tiffany & Co., Cartier, Schlumberger and René Boivin − and is sure to remain a favorite on its perennial journey through history. @chapter:16


Publication Year: 2015 Title: Visible Absorption Spectra of Colored Diamonds Abstract: ABSTRACT
Diamond color is usually the result of selective absorption of incident white light. The unabsorbed portion of this light is transmitted through the diamond and is interpreted by the human vision system as the perceived color. The spectroscope allows a gemologist to observe some of the more intense and narrower absorptions in the visible spectrum of diamond as dark bands at specific wavelengths. Yet the broader regions of absorption, which can be difficult to observe with the spectroscope, often have a greater influence on a diamond’s color. A chart has been prepared to illustrate the visible spectra of various colored diamonds as recorded at low (liquid-nitrogen) temperatures with a spectrophotometer. The chart shows how similar diamond colors can result from different light absorption patterns. In 2013, the authors published a simple chart listing the major optical defects that can occur at the atomic lattice level in diamond (Shigley and Breeding, 2013). The chart presented some basic information on those defects, including the ones responsible for the colors and ultraviolet fluorescence reactions of most diamonds. The brief article that accompanied the chart discussed the ongoing challenge presented by the identification of natural, treated, and synthetic diamonds. It also discussed how spectroscopy techniques, used to detect absorption and/or emission bands caused by those optical defects, play a leading role in making this important determination. GIA’s laboratory staff, which has the opportunity to examine a large number of colored diamonds, faces this identification challenge on a daily basis.
A theoretically pure and defect-free diamond would be completely colorless, and a unique attribute would be its transparency (or lack of light absorption) across a wide portion of the electromagnetic spectrum from the ultraviolet through the visible and into the infrared regions. There are, however, intrinsic absorption features in the spectra of all actual diamonds. As discussed in our 2013 article, most diamonds also contain lattice defects which, in sufficient concentrations, can produce selective absorption of incident light. (In these instances, the lattice defects are often referred to as optical defects.) When white light strikes a polished diamond, some of the light is reflected, while the rest enters the diamond where it is refracted and dispersed based on wavelength. Some of the light energies (i.e., wavelengths) are absorbed by the defects, while the unabsorbed wavelengths are transmitted. When they exit the diamond, these transmitted wavelengths in combination can create the sensation of color in the human vision system (figure 1). Visible absorption spectroscopy is the analytical tool for understanding most causes of diamond coloration.

Figure 1. In most cases, transparent gemstones owe their color to selective absorption of light. In the case of a yellow diamond, the blue portions of the incident white light are absorbed by the diamond, while the remaining portions in combination are transmitted to the eye and interpreted by our vision system as a yellow color. In the spectroscope, this selective absorption is seen as a darkening toward the blue end of the spectrum (below 425 nm). Recording the spectrum with a spectrophotometer produces a graph of wavelength (horizontal scale) versus absorption (vertical scale). Greater absorption is represented by the higher portions of the spectrum trace, and greater transmission by the lower portions. Below 425 nm, the height of the spectrum trace increases. In the case of this yellow diamond, superimposed on this increasing absorption are several sharp absorption bands or peaks on the spectrum trace between 415 and 478 nm due to the N3 optical center. Gemologists often refer to this set of dark bands as the “Cape” absorption lines characteristic of type Ia yellow diamonds.
At GIA’s laboratory, visible spectra of diamonds are recorded with a spectrophotometer. Since diamond is optically isotropic, the same spectrum can be recorded in any direction through the sample. The faceted stone can be positioned in any orientation as long as the light transmitted through it is sufficient to reach the instrument’s detector. The gem’s shape and facet arrangement can make this a challenge, though. The best positions are those where the light travels directly from the table facet to the culet, or across the diamond through the opposing girdle facets. The diamond is held in a cryogenic unit and cooled to low temperatures with liquid nitrogen. Removing heat from the sample produces a less noisy spectrum. Under these conditions, absorption features that result from certain optical defects are stronger and sharper. Data collection conditions are selected to produce a spectrum that extends from about 350 to 800 nanometers (nm).

Because of a polished diamond’s high refractive index, light can be internally refracted a number of times within it, so the total distance traveled cannot be directly measured or calculated. This uncertainty makes it difficult to relate the strength of the light absorption (as recorded by the spectrophotometer) to the path length of light traveled within the gemstone. Yet this relationship can be estimated by comparing absorption peak height to the heights of some intrinsic absorption features. This relationship also provides an indirect way of comparing the visible spectra of diamonds of different sizes and faceting styles. Because of internal reflection and longer path lengths within the polished diamond, the face-up saturation of the color may appear stronger than the intensity of the absorption features (i.e., height of the absorption bands) in the visible spectrum would suggest.

Natural diamonds occur in all colors of the spectrum. A few colors, such as yellow and brown, are very common, but most are very rare. Nitrogen is the most widespread and abundant impurity element in diamond. It can be present in several optical defects, all of which produce absorption toward the blue end of the spectrum. These factors help explain the prevalence of yellow diamonds in nature. While the face-up appearance of colored diamonds is also influenced by their size and the choice of faceting style, visible absorption spectra provide a tool to understand most causes of diamond coloration.

The accompanying chart representative visible spectra and photos of the major color categories of diamond. The spectra are shown over the 400–750 nm wavelength range. Relative absorption is shown on the vertical scale of each graph, with light absorption increasing higher on the scale (and, conversely, light transmission increasing lower on the scale). Thus, the lower portion of each graph represents the transmitted portion of the spectrum that creates the material’s color sensation. The chart summarizes the major categories of colored diamonds; it is not intended as a detailed discussion of diamond coloration. The graphs are grouped in columns and ranked in descending order of frequency. The colored diamonds included in the chart were selected because their spectra (and color) are principally the result of one main lattice defect. As discussed in our 2013 article, the cause of some defects is well understood, while others are not. We occasionally encounter unusual colors in diamonds whose visible spectra do not correspond to any of the categories shown on the chart.

Download a Larger Version of this Visible Absorption Spectra Chart
The information presented on the chart suggests several observations:

In most cases, diamond colors result from different absorption spectrum patterns, with each pattern originating from one or more optical defects. This can be seen for the different yellow diamonds shown in the first column.
Broad and intense spectral absorption features are more important in producing various colors than sharp or weak bands. Conversely, sharp absorption bands (such as the N3 observed at 415 nm, H4 at 496 nm, and H3 at 503 nm) that can be seen using the spectroscope are helpful in gem identification. We used a spectrophotometer to record the visible spectra, as it can better capture broad absorption bands that are difficult or impossible to see with the eye through a spectroscope.
Similar diamond colors can result from different absorption spectra patterns. In other words, since perceived color is a combination of the wavelengths transmitted to the eye, different absorption patterns can produce similar colors. For example, type Ia and type Ib diamonds, which have different visible spectra patterns, can both exhibit a yellow color (although the color is usually more intense for the latter).
Some diamond colors are the result of just one optical defect, while others result from more than one defect. For example, the chart indicates that the GR1 defect can create a blue or a green color. The defect alone produces a blue color, but when there is also absorption toward the blue end of the spectrum due to nitrogen impurities, the resulting color is green.
Some diamond colors are simply the result of selective light absorption, while others stem from a combination of light absorption and light emission (or luminescence). For example, certain greenish yellow diamonds are yellow due to absorption, while the green component is due to luminescence.
Variations in the types of optical defects, and in their relative concentrations, produce slight color variations among similar diamonds.
Where a diamond photo is shown without an accompanying visible spectrum, the color is due to physical causes other than light absorption—most often the presence of mineral inclusions (e.g., numerous graphite inclusions causing black color in natural diamonds).

This chart is intended as a simple reference for those interested in understanding diamond coloration. While the visible spectra of diamonds are often presented in the gemological literature, compilations of spectra are rarely encountered. @chapter:11


Publication Year: - Title: New Tool for Diamond Appearance Research Abstract: The L-Box™ can be used to compare the appearance of two or more diamonds, or fitted with a camera to capture a series of photos while the objects are moving. The images can be combined to build a high-resolution or 3D movie. Download PDF to view. @chapter:31


Publication Year: - Title: Winter 2010 G&G Book Reviews Abstract: “Blood on the Stone: Greed, Corruption, and War in the Global Diamond Trade”
By Ian Smillie, 252 pp., publ. by Anthem Press [www.anthempress.com], London, 2010. US$29.95

“Jewellery in the Age of Queen Victoria: A Mirror to the World”
By Charlotte Gere and Judy Rudoe, 552 pp., illus., publ. by The British Museum Press [www.britishmuseumshoponline.org], London, 2010. £50.00

“Amethyst Uruguay”
By Reinhard Balzer, 304 pp., illus., publ. by Christian Weise Verlag [www.lapis.de], Munich, 2009. US$65

“The Fancy Color Diamond Book: Facts & Secrets of Trading in Rarities”
By Eden Rachminov, 231 pp., illus., publ. by Diamond Odyssey [www.diamondodyssey.org], Tel Aviv, 2009. US$215.00

“Agates and Jaspers”
By Ron Gibbs, 239 pp., illus., publ. by theimage.com [www.theimagebooks.com], Wedington, NC, 2009, US$40.00

“Minerals & Precious Stones of Brazil”
By Carlos Cornejo and Andrea Bartorelli, 704 pp., illus., publ. by Solaris [www.solariseditora.com.br], São Paulo, Brazil, 2010, R$148.00

To view the full section, download the PDF above. @chapter:28


Publication Year: 2022 Title: Old Techniques Reimagined: Maki-e Pearls Abstract: Figure 1. An inrō dating back to eighteenth-century Japan with gold maki-e and mother-of-pearl inlay. Courtesy of Getty Images.
At the AGTA show, Eliko Pearl (New York) exhibited a series of unusual cultured pearls, many of which were worked after culturing to create unique pieces of art. Among these, maki-e pearls caught the authors’ attention.
Maki-e is an ancient Japanese lacquer technique that translates to “sprinkled picture” and is said to have originated more than 1,200 years ago. A fine brush is used to paint a design with lacquer, which is then sprinkled with gold powder before the lacquer dries. More lacquer may then be painted again over the design and polished. For centuries, the meticulous technique has been used to decorate screens, inrō (a type of small case worn in traditional Japanese culture; figure 1), Japanese letter boxes, and other vessels, and it has now been adapted for use on pearls.
A representative from Eliko Pearl explained that each pearl is decorated by hand using a combination of urushi lacquer and 24K gold powder overlay, with abalone shell inlay (figure 2). The natural lacquer is derived from the sap of the urushi tree, which is native to Japan, China, Vietnam, and Southeast Asia. Sap can be harvested from a single tree for 14 to 15 years, during which the tree only yields about 200 grams of material. The sap also goes through a lengthy treatment process before it can be used as a lacquer. After application, the urushi lacquer must cure in a high-humidity environment (70–90%) in a series of thin layers. The time-consuming and laborious process of harvesting, processing, and applying the lacquer on pearls makes urushi lacquer a costly material, but the finished maki-e pearl is a treasured piece of art.

Figure 2. A pair of Tahitian pearls decorated with 24K gold maki-e and abalone shell inlay (left). A single near-round Tahitian pearl, decorated by the same technique in a flower motif (right). Photos by Emily Lane; courtesy of Eliko Pearl.
The décor adorns Tahitian pearls predominantly and can be found on matching pairs as well as single pieces. Prices vary from piece to piece based on the detail of the design and the size and shape of the pearl, with the most expensive shape being round (figure 3).

Figure 3. Trays of Tahitian maki-e pearls offered by Eliko Pearl at the 2022 AGTA show in Tucson. Available in a range of sizes in matching pairs and single pieces. Photo by Lisa Kennedy; courtesy of Eliko Pearl. @chapter:21


Publication Year: 1989 Title: Summer 1989 Gem News International Abstract: Diamonds
            Companies Vie for Angola Diamond Rights
            Australian Diamonds
            Diamonds from China
            Deep Space Diamonds
Colored Stones
            Visual Representation of Amethyst to Citrine Alteration
            Aquamarine Found in Wyoming
            Colored Stone Update from China
            Tunnels Used to Mine Emeralds at Muzo
            Hackmanite: A Remarkable Variety of Sodalite
            Australia's Opal Industry Crippled
            A Significant Find of Mexican Quartz
            Rose Quartz from Connecticut
            Blue Sapphires from Kenya
            Sapphire in Ontario
            An Interesting Zoned Australian Sapphire
            "Padparadscha" Sapphire
            Large Tourmaline Pocket Discovered at the Himalaya mine
Pearls
            Two Remarkable Natural Freshwater Pink Pearls from Texas
Synthetics and Simulants
            "Bull's-Eye" Optic Figure in Synthetic Berlinite
            An Unusual Ceramic Cameo
            A Clever Imitation Emerald Crystal
            Chatham Expands
            Union Carbide Growing Large Synthetic Sapphires
Announcements
            New Museum Opens in Brazil
            Gemmological Association of Israel is Formed
            Zambian Trade Association
            Jewelry Manufacturing Symposium
            KOSIMA ’89 in Greece
            FIT Symposium Announced
            Mineralogical Society of Southern California

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


Publication Year: 2017 Title: Oiled Ruby: A Remarkable Visual Abstract: The red color of the oil within the cavity of a ruby displays a remarkable contrast with the bodycolor of the gem. Unlike the flattened bubbles regularly encountered, a rounded bubble attests to the size of the cavity containing the oil. Photo micrograph by E. Billie Hughes; field of view approximately 2.5 mm.

As laboratory gemologists working in Bangkok, we often encounter gems that have been treated with oil to minimize the appearance of fissures. Most of these  stones come from Myanmar, where many vendors consider oiling an accepted standard procedure to enhance their goods, particularly ruby and spinel (http://www.lotusgemology.com/index.
php/library/articles/315-lotus- gemology-lab-alertfor-oiled-gems). Furthermore, red oil is commonly used not only to improve clarity, but also to enhance the color of the stone (in Chanthaburi, Thailand, it is sold under the brand name “King Ruby Red Oil”). Often this treatment can be identified by flattened gas bubbles in the fissures or by droplets of oil seeping out of the fissures on the surface when the stone is gently warmed by microscope light or hot point.

The image above shows a small surface-reaching cavity filled with oil in an unheated 1.75 ct ruby from Myanmar. Unlike other examples we have seen, this remarkable gem contained enough of the filler to easily photograph the striking red color of the oil itself within the cavity. With oblique fiber-optic lighting, a stunning image of this enhancement in situ was made possible, turning even an otherwise commonplace forensic determination into an aesthetic exploration of the micro-world. @chapter:2


Publication Year: 2014 Title: Diamond Laser Abstract: R. P. Mildren, A. McKay, R. J. Williams, and O. Kitzler, “Diamond Raman Lasers,” Optics & Photonics News, Vol. 25, No. 9, 2014, pp. 42–49. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA.

              Diamond’s extreme properties will fill voids in the laser industry as well as many other optical, mechanical, and electronics technical areas, as advances in chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth processes erase the scarcity issue of high-purity, high-quality single-crystal diamond. Today, these synthetic diamonds are readily available in sizes greater than 1 cm.

Ideal laser materials can lase at multiple wavelengths, with excellent beam quality and extremely stable power—a combination of characteristics that require durability, transmission through many wavelength ranges, high heat conductivity, low thermal expansion, and efficient conversion of various input powers into desired wavelengths. Diamond, a material first demonstrated as a laser only five years ago, happens to have all of these characteristics to a far greater extent than other bulk crystals. It is also the only known material capable of producing continuous wave (CW), Q-switched, ultrafast lasing ranging from the deep ultraviolet (UV) to the mid-infrared. Diamond is the material that has the potential to bring Raman lasing into the commercial realm.

While diamond’s compact lattice keeps it from functioning as a traditional solid-state laser—large fluorescing dopant cations would disrupt the lattice—it is highly suited as a Raman laser material. Raman lasers rely on efficiently stimulated Raman scattering (an inelastic light-scattering process) rather than stimulated emission from excited dopant ions. This difference opens up access to many wavelengths not accessible from traditional solid-state lasers. In effect, the laser wavelengths achievable are limited by pump wavelength and medium transparency.

Low efficiencies, poor heat management, and limited transparency ranges have plagued the Raman laser materials explored to date, so here is where diamond can really shine. Silicon, a material with the same structure as diamond, was demonstrated as a Raman laser in 2005. There was much excitement over this for the possibility of Si acting as a gain element in on-chip optical processors. But it has less than a tenth of diamond’s thermal conductivity, much lower transparency, less than half of diamond’s Raman shift, and multiple absorption issues throughout much of the wavelength ranges it has been considered for.

Diamond, meanwhile, has unmatched thermal conductivity, transmission range, and hardness, and an intrinsically large cross-section for Raman scattering with a gain coefficient of 10 cm/GW—the top end for all Raman materials. Not only do you get enhanced power and wavelength range with diamond, you get it with lower pump thresholds, using shorter crystals. Diamond has already demonstrated the highest-output CW power for Raman crystals by an order of magnitude, and it approaches the highest power of any Raman laser (in the form of fiber lasers) at 300 W. To surpass this limit and approach the theoretical limit, conversion efficiency by reducing low absorption losses in the near infrared (NIR) will have to be enhanced by improving crystal quality. Therefore, the pressure is still on to produce larger crystals of even higher purity and structural perfection. @chapter:15


Publication Year: - Title: Making the Cut: The Art and Science of Fantasy Carving Abstract: Waterfall Suite, a group of three aquamarine sculptures on onyx bases by Sherris Cottier Shank, won an AGTA Cutting Edge Award in 1994, in part because of its fluid appearance. Courtesy of Gemscapes. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA

Some gem cutters are “gem whisperers” who claim their rough “tells” them what it wants to become. For them, carving becomes a process of communication with the material, closely observing and taking note as the rough’s inner structure and features guide the design. Others take a mathematical approach to cutting the rough and achieve stunning, precision faceting.
No matter the method, these incredibly gifted artists create breathtaking jewels.
About the Science
Flat facets are the traditional two-dimensional facets we see in diamonds and colored gemstones. They are shaped by the adjoining facets and the angles at which they intersect. Concave facets, on the other hand, literally add another dimension to faceting. They not only possess length and width, but also depth. Their potential to create sculptural works of art is endless.

This 140 ct Brazilian amethyst is faceted by Victor Tuzlukov. Courtesy of Victor Tuzlukov. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Many people feel that concave facets increase the stone’s brilliance and scintillation, giving it more life and beauty. A wide reflection of bright light from a flat facet washes out color. A concave facet acts as an internal convex mirror to produce reflected rays from more directions within a gemstone. The light from above reflects to the overhead observer as a narrow bright line of light at the top of the curved surface, and each side of the line will be darker, setting up strong contrast.

Master gem cutter Alexander Kreis created a fantasy cut sunstone carving that makes dramatic use of the gem’s color zoning. Courtesy of KREIS Jewellery. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
“Strong contrast makes a gemstone appear brighter and more appealing ... Scintillation is more dynamic when there is strong contrast between adjacent virtual facets,” according to Al Gilbertson, a research associate at GIA, in a 2013 Gems & Gemology article.
The internal reflections of light tend to hide inclusions and also eliminate windowing. Gems with light to medium tones show the greatest improvement in appearance. Dark stones may look darker. Multi-color ametrine, tourmaline and sunstone make especially attractive carvings and rutile inclusions in quartz add special interest.

This fantasy cut faceted colorless quartz is fashioned by Dalan Hargrave. Angular facets placed on the culet of the gem create a fascinating pattern when viewed through the gem’s table. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA, courtesy of Dalan Hargrave.
“This brilliance [from scintillation] can give the impression that the stone has a higher refractive index (RI), making quartz look like beryl, beryl like topaz, topaz like corundum, and corundum like zirconium,” according to Eddy Vleeschdrager in “Cutting Technique Flat, Concave, or Convex?” a 2002 article in Le Bijoutier International.
Craftsmen in the Idar-Oberstein area have produced stones with concave cut facets on the pavilion since the early 1900s. These stones became fashionable around 1920, and again in the 1950s and ‘60s.

This 18 ct ametrine is cut by Michael Dyber featuring Dyber optic dishes. Courtesy of Orasa Weldon. Photo by Emily Lane/GIA
About the Artists
Sherris Cottier-Shanks tells us the material talks to her. She senses its energy and gets a picture in her mind that she translates into the beauty of its new form. Using a simple carving arbor, she holds the gem by hand as it is being carved, resulting in curved form with a very soft, liquid appearance. She gained inspiration from Henry Hunt and indigenous Canadian Inuit art.

This 216 ct ametrine from Bolivia features the Dyber optic dish. Courtesy of Michael M. Dyber, gem designer. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Michael Dyber became the first American to ever win first prize in competitive gem design at the annual German Award for Jewelry and Precious Stones in Idar-Oberstein, 1994. He is known for his signature, trademarked “Dyber Optic Dishes” and “Luminaires.” Both techniques create optical illusions using a form of concave faceting. The “Luminaires” constitute a hollow channel form of faceting within the gem.

“Dreamscape” citrine is one of several trademark cuts by John Dyer. This is a unique matched pair of fantasy cuts. Courtesy of John Dyer & Co. Photo by Lydia Dyer
John Dyer began a meteoric gem cutting career in 1996 when his trial and error methods began to yield beautiful, sparkling gemstones. He won his first AGTA Cutting Edge Award in 2002 and in 2005 was the first person to sweep an entire category in the AGTA Cutting Edge Awards. He creates collections of trademarked cuts that live up to their names: “Dreamscape,” “Starbrite,” “Sunburst,” “Regal Radiant,” “Light Weaver” and “Sculptural.”

This 320 ct Bolivian ametrine was fashioned on specially designed faceting machinery built by the artist, Mark Gronlund. The sculpture makes excellent use of the unique color zoning seen in ametrine. Courtesy of Mark Gronlund. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Mark Gronlund, an award-winning cutter himself, met with Richard Homer early in his career, and became intrigued by the concave and convex facets created by the OMF (optically magnified facet) cutting machine. His fascination with curved lines led him to create a niche in non-traditional spiral and scallop cuts. He creates gemstone suites of bold colors and shapes for designer jewelry.

This fantasy cut ametrine, 67.50 ct is cut by Dalan Hargrave. Courtesy of Minerales y Metales del Oriente, Bolivia, SA. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Dalan Hargrave’s focus is in developing new gemstone cuts as works of art. He teaches classes in the lapidary arts as a way of passing on his knowledge to the next generation of artisans. He enjoys customizing specialized faceting equipment for his innovative styles.

This stunning pink tourmaline, 29.56 ct was cut by Richard Homer, a pioneer in concave faceting. Courtesy of Columbia Gem House, Inc. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Richard Homer is known for the exceptional brilliance of his cut gems. He masterfully curves the facets along the table, pavilion and girdle that return an explosion of light and color, and is often credited with designing the innovative “concave facet.” His dramatic designs sometimes employ new cutting techniques and curved outlines for which he custom tools specialized equipment.

This “Chanting of the Stars” rutilated quartz carving was created by Alexander Kreis of Idar-Oberstein. Courtesy of KREIS Jewellery. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Alexander Kreis, of KREIS Jewellery, hails from a long line of lapidaries based in Idar-Oberstein. He challenges himself to create gem sculptures that tell a story. He creates innovative techniques and tools when necessary for the design and concept.

Metamorphosis III is a sculpture in rock crystal quartz with rutile inclusions carved by Bernd Munsteiner, 1995. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Bernd Munsteiner is often credited with inventing the fantasy cut, which employs the art of sharp, angular cutting or faceting to reflect and refract light in transparent gems. He began his work in agate relief before moving on to transparent materials in the late 1960s and early ‘70s, removing large areas of the material for the sake of his art, defying the conventional practice of cutting to retain weight. The results are dynamic sculptural pieces that create movement of light comparable to animation. He is known for bold notches or slashes, producing a striking geometric form.

“Visions in Crystal” carved by Tom Munsteiner consists of 264 rock crystals, citrines, and smoky quartz, each weighing approximately 200 cts, free standing in a lattice structure consisting of similarly sized rectangles which are supported by two columns of aluminum with a height of 210 cm. The cut and polished crystals reflecting towards the front have almost the same color tone. The rock crystals are completely transparent, the citrines translucent yellow, only the smoky quartz progress from dark to light. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
Tom Munsteiner carries on his father's legacy as a master of gem sculpture. His work reflects the influence of architectural elements in his designs, such as his “Visions in Crystal” sculpture, which stands at more than 6 feet tall and is comprised of 264 tiles of rock crystal quartz, citrine and smoky quartz each cut with various angular facets. He created the piece as an example of how gemstones can be seen as fine art.
Further Reading
Morgan, A. D. (October 2002) Development of concave faceting of gemstones, The Journal of Gemmology, October 2002.

Munsteiner, Bernd, Reflections in Stone, Wilhelm Lindemann, editor. 2004, Arnoldsche.

Oriel, Andy, (November 1997) Learning Curve, Lapidary Journal.

Weldon, Robert, (April 2005) Mathematical Brilliance, Professional Jeweler. @chapter:22