The Lifecycle Of A Sapphire Rush
In the last 12 months, an exceptional sapphire rush in eastern Madagascar saw thousands of people searching for precious treasure in one of the poorest places on earth. Rosey Perkins GG, an independent gemmologist based in London, shares this report from two visits to the island nation. A sapphire rush that started in September 2016 […]
Sapphires of Ethiopia: The Forbidden Road to Chila
Simon Bruce-Lockhart FGA DGA EG, travels to Ethiopia to uncover the truth behind the Aksum sapphire fields and find out why this restricted-access area is such a fascinating place for gemstone discovery. You may be forgiven for thinking Africa’s only ‘Sperrgebiet’, a restricted access wilderness of gemstone-bearing lands, is solely Namibia’s claim to frame. It […]
An Update on Identification Features of Treated Baltic Amber
Guy Lalous ACAM EG explores a detailed characterization of Baltic amber samples treated in experiments by Wang et al.(2014) in The Journal of Gemmology, whilst discussing the criteria for identifying heat-treated amber using standard gemmological instruments, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. Amber is an organic gem. Organic gems are the products of living or once-living organisms […]
Birthstone Guide: Tourmaline for Those Born in October
Julia Griffith FGA DGA EG, looks at tourmaline, the enchanting rainbow-coloured birthstone for October. Tourmaline is the rainbow jewel of the gem world. No other gem is available in such an impressive array of colours. Paired with good durability and high lustre, this gemstone has become a favourite of many. Tourmaline Colours The hues, tones […]
How to Separate Natural from Synthetic Ametrine using Conventional Equipment
Guy Lalous ACAM EG summarises the discovery of features that could be used to distinguish between natural and synthetic ametrine from The Journal of Gemmology; from the orientation of growth striations to the interference patterns caused by twinning. What about natural ametrine? Ametrine is a bicolored quartz variety that contains both amethyst and citrine zones […]
Diamond Dynamics With Bruce Cleaver
A year since his appointment as CEO of De Beers Group, Bruce Cleaver, who first joined De Beers in 2005, speaks to Belinda Morris about the industry today and the challenges ahead. How will you promote and advertise diamonds after the industry has lost so much ground to other luxury products? Our approach to marketing […]
Complete Traceability and Ethical Sourcing
Columbia Gem House president, Eric Braunwart, explores the growing popularity of American gemstones and discusses the importance of traceability, ethical sourcing and the millennial consumer with Sarah Jordan. American company Columbia Gem House has been steadily building a mine-to-market supply chain for ethically sourced gemstones since 1976. Its business spans mines and cutting facilities on […]
Investigating Ammolite with Canadian Mining Specialist Korite
Korite is at the forefront of ammolite mining and production, with plans now in place to expand its operation in Canada. Sarah Jordan speaks to the company’s president, Jay Maull, to discover how a booming Chinese market, Feng Shui and adventurous jewellery designers are supporting this fascinating gemstone. The buzzing, cosmopolitan city of Calgary, in […]
Calculating with Carbon
Louise Tippey, president of the British Pearl Association, explains why the Swiss Gemmological Institute’s radiocarbon dating service for pearls is a huge step forward. Pearls are one of nature’s most precious possessions. Iconic, unique and beautiful, these organic gems have captivated jewellery connoisseurs for centuries all over the world. Pearls and pearl jewellery have played […]
Proof of Provenance
In March this year, Gübelin Gem Lab in partnership with Gemfields announced the release of an innovative Emerald Paternity Test. Using customisable DNA-based nanoparticles, this futuristic technology enables emeralds to carry information pertaining to where and when they were mined, and by whom. Founded in 1923, the Gübelin Gem Lab was established to ascertain the […]
