The Journal of Gemmology, Volume 36, No. 2. Is Here!

The Journal of Gemmology, Volume 36, No. 2. Is Here!

The Gem-A editorial team are excited to launch the latest issue of The Journal of Gemmology, Volume 36, No. 2, keeping the Gem-A community updated with the latest in gemmological research. 

Features in the Spotlight

Focusing on Blue Zircon from Ratanakiri, Cambodia, authors Manuela Zeug, Lutz Nasdala, Bhuwadol Wanthanachaisaeng, Walter A. Balmer, Fernando Corfu and Manfred Wilder share their recent research exploring the colouration of Ratanakiri zircon, which is well known for its vivid blue colour under heat treatment.

The Journal of Gemmology, Volume 36, No. 2. Is Here! - - Fig4
These zircon samples from Ratanakiri (0.3-5.1g) include two untreated brown crystals and three blue specimens that were heat treated at ~1000°C under reducing conditions for a few hours.
Photo by M. Zeug.

The actual cause of Ratanakiri zircon’s colouration is still under debate: while the untreated brown material turns blue under reducing conditions (~900-1000°C) the specimens analysed in this paper demonstrate that the heat treatment does not result in detectable changes in the zircon’s structural state. Here, Zeug et al, offer their data to help address this ongoing debate.

More Feature Articles

In our other feature articles, Shi Tang and his team discuss their analysis of a thick overgrowth of CVD synthetic diamond on a natural diamond that was identified at the Beijing laboratory of the National Gemstone Testing Centre (NGTC) in October 2017.

The Journal of Gemmology, Volume 36, No. 2. Is Here! - - CVD 1
 Distribution of CVD synthetic diamond overgrowth on a natural diamond, discussed by Tang et al.

Elsewhere, Emmanuel Fritsch FGA and Aurélien Delaunay explore the characteristics of Chameleon Diamonds, with an example of an ‘Atypical 25.85 ct Stone’, while SSEF’s Laurent Cartier FGA and Michael Krzemnicki FGA, together with Bertalan Lendvay and Joana Meyer, review the use of DNA fingerprinting on pearls, coral and ivory in gemmology.

The Journal of Gemmology, Volume 36, No. 2. Is Here! - - figure 1
Biogenic gem materials suitable for DNA testing include items such as these from the SSEF and H.A. Hänni collections:
cultured pearls and associated shell material (P. maxima and P. margaritifera ~15cm tall), corals (including Corallium rubrum branches up to ~ 10cm tall) and ivory (warthog and mammoth).
Photo by Vito Lanzafame, SSEF. 

Stay Updated with Gem Notes

This issue also returns with our regular installments on the latest technology and equipment in our ‘What’s New’ section, together with a round-up of the latest on gemstone analysis in ‘Gem Notes’.

Make sure you don’t this issue’s ‘Conferences’, which features reports on the 15th Annual Sinkankas Symposium on Tanzanite and Tsavorite, and the 76th Swiss Gemmological Society Annual Conference.

READ MORE: Gems and Jewellery Summer 2018 Has Arrived 

Gem-A members are kept up-to-date with the latest events and conferences in the gemmological calendar in our ‘Gem-A Notices’ and ‘Learning Opportunities’ section, while ‘New Media’ and ‘Literature of Interest’ keeps you fully informed on the latest  gemmological publications.

So, Gem-A members look out for your copies of the Journal of Gemmology Vol 36.2, which are on their way to you now! Alternatively you can log in to access your online copy. ■

Interested in finding out more about gemmology? Sign-up to one of Gem-A’s courses or workshop

If you would like to subscribe to Gems&Jewellery and The Journal of Gemmology please visit Membership.

{module Blog Articles Widget}

Read More

Gem Knowledge

12 Feb 2024

Understanding Rare Non-Nacreous Pearls

Gem-A

Gem Knowledge

12 Feb 2024

Beginner’s Guide: Understanding the Formation of Natural Glass

Gem-A