The Journal of Gemmology

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

The Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A) publishes The Journal of Gemmology. The Journal of Gemmology (the Journal) adheres to the principles outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (http://publicationethics.org). Conformance to standards of ethical behaviour is therefore expected of authors, editors and reviewers.

Responsibilities of Authors

Reporting Standards

Authors should present an accurate account of the work performed as well as an objective discussion of its significance. Underlying data should be represented accurately in the paper. The results of research should be recorded and maintained in a form that allows analysis and review. Fraudulent or knowingly inaccurate statements constitute unethical behaviour and are unacceptable.

Originality and Plagiarism

Authors should ensure that their work is entirely original, and if the work and/or words of others have been used, this has been appropriately cited or quoted. Plagiarism in all its forms constitutes unethical scholarly behaviour and is unacceptable. Information obtained by private communication, correspondence or discussions with third parties should not be used without the consent of the correspondent source.

Applicable copyright laws and conventions should be followed. Copyright material (e.g. tables, figures or extensive quotations) should be reproduced only with appropriate permission and acknowledgement.

Multiple or Concurrent Publications

Authors should not in general publish articles describing essentially the same research to more than one journal. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal concurrently constitutes unethical publishing behaviour and is unacceptable. Publication in different languages in more than one journal is acceptable, provided that the primary reference is cited in the secondary publication.

Acknowledgement of Sources

Proper acknowledgement of the work of others used in a research project must always be given.

Authorship of the Paper

Authorship should be limited to those who have made a significant contribution to the conception, design, execution, or interpretation of the reported study. All those who have made significant contributions should be listed as co-authors. Where there are others who have participated in certain substantive aspects of the research project, they should be mentioned in the Acknowledgements section.

The corresponding author should ensure that all appropriate co-authors and no inappropriate co-authors are included on the paper and that all co-authors have seen and approved the final version of the paper and have agreed to its submission for publication.

Disclosure of Financial Support

All sources of financial support for the project should be disclosed.

Acknowledgements

All sources of support (financial and technical) and details thereof should be named in the Acknowledgements section. These include grants, honoraria, industrial and academic support.

Errors in Published Work

When an author discovers a significant error or inaccuracy in his/her own published work, it is the author’s obligation to promptly notify the editor or publisher and cooperate to retract or correct the contribution.

Responsibilities of Editors

Publication Decisions

The editor-in-chief of The Journal is responsible for deciding which of the articles submitted to The Journal should be published. The validation of the work in question and its importance to researchers and readers must always drive such decisions.

Fair Play

The editors should evaluate manuscripts exclusively on the basis of their academic merit without regard to race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, ethnic origin, citizenship, or political philosophy of the authors.

Confidentiality

The editors and the editorial staff should not disclose any information about a manuscript under consideration to anyone other than the corresponding author, reviewers, potential reviewers, and the publisher, as appropriate.

The Journal does not disclose reviewers’ identities. However, if reviewers wish to disclose their names, this is permitted.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

The editors must not use unpublished materials for their own research without the express written consent of the author. If they feel unable to handle a submission in an unbiased way, the editors should excuse themselves from considering manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.

Corrections

When genuine errors in published work are pointed out by readers, authors, or editors, which do not render the work invalid, a correction (or erratum) will be published as soon as possible. The online version of the paper may be corrected with a note indicating an appropriate resolution to the problem.

Responsibilities of Reviewers

Members of the editorial board of The Journal (Associate Editors) are committed to ensuring ethics in publication and the high quality of articles.

Contribution to Editorial Decisions

All articles published in The Journal are subjected to double-blind peer review. Peer reviewers should be experts in the scientific topic addressed in the articles they review, and should be selected for their objectivity and scientific knowledge. Peer review assists the editor-in-chief in making editorial decisions and through anonymous communications with the authors may also assist the author in improving the contribution.

Promptness

Any selected referee who feels unqualified to review the research reported in a manuscript or knows that its prompt review will be impossible should notify the editor-in-chief and excuse himself from the review process.

Confidentiality

Any manuscripts received for review must be treated as confidential documents. They must not be shown to or discussed with others except as authorized by the editor-in-chief.

Standards of Objectivity

Reviews should be conducted objectively. Personal criticism of the author is inappropriate. Referees should express their views clearly with supporting arguments.

Acknowledgement of Sources

Reviewers should point out relevant published work that has not been cited by the authors. A reviewer should also call to the editor-in-chief’s attention any substantial similarity between the manuscript under consideration and any other published paper of which he/she has personal knowledge.

Disclosure and Conflicts of Interest

Privileged information or ideas obtained through peer review must not be used for personal advantage. Reviewers should not consider manuscripts in which they have conflicts of interest resulting from competitive, collaborative, or other relationships or connections with any of the authors, companies, or institutions connected to the papers.

We welcome original articles shedding new light on subjects of gemmological interest. We also appreciate contributions to the various sections of the publication. If you would like to submit material for consideration, please refer to the notes on the preparation of manuscripts by contacting the Editor-in-Chief.

Submission Guidelines for Articles

Peer-reviewed technical articles describe previously unpublished research shedding new light on subjects of gemmological interest. Articles are not normally accepted which have already been published elsewhere in English (including on the Internet), and an article is accepted only on the understanding that:

• Full information as to any previous publication (including online, whether in English or another language) has been given.
• It is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
• It will not be published elsewhere for at least three months without the consent of the Editor-in-Chief, and a reference to the original publication in The Journal of Gemmology must be provided.

Article types include:

Submission Guidelines for Other Sections

For all submissions, information about author guidelines, referencing guides and publishing agreements, please contact the Editor-in-Chief.

If you are part of a Library or an Institution, you can subscribe directly to receive Gem-A’s Journal of Gemmology and Gems&Jewellery magazine.

Costs are as follows:

With a UK/Europe address: £186
Elsewhere: £210

To apply, please complete the form below and return it to membership@gem-a.com

Download the form

If you are not part of a Library or an Institution but you would like to receive both Gem-A publications along with a number of additional benefits, you can apply to become an Associate or Corporate Member of Gem-A.

If you are missing any issue hardcopies from your Journal of Gemmology collection, you may be able to order back issues from our head office at Ely Place. To check availability and pricing, click the link below.

Back-Issue Enquiries

Use the cumulative index to search for anything published in the archive of The Journal of Gemmology. We aim to update this index annually.

• Download the Index (1947-2022) here

The Journal of Gemmology bibliographic lists compile all articles, Gem Notes, etc. on particular gem materials published in The Journal of Gemmology since its inception in 1947. Additional gem material bibliographies will be added as they are completed, and we aim to update these lists annually.

• Asterism/Chatoyancy
• Biogenics
• Chrysoberyl
• Colour change
• Corundum
• Diamond
• Emerald
• Feldspars
• Garnet
• Historical Gems and Jewels
• Jades
• Opal
• Pearl
• Quartz
• Spinel
• Tourmaline