Figure 1. This gold ring with a phoenix motif features a Neyshabur turquoise (13 × 17 mm), with a 0.02 ct ruby on each side and diamond accents. Courtesy of Taktala Jewelry, Tehran. Turquoise is an ...

Descending into Peshawar for the first time, a foreign tourist might be surprised to learn that amid the clutter of buildings in this historical city lies an important gem trading center. This market ...

Two specimens of faceted crystalized carbon - both are crystal clear and give off a kaleidoscope of spectral colors in direct light. They appear to be identical. One, however, is a billion or more ...

Diamonds are the most amazing of gems. Just as amazing, however, is how natural diamonds reach Earth’s surface. Diamonds are formed 150 to 700 km deep in Earth, and are then carried upward in a rare ...

White pearls and those with very light hues are routinely processed or treated by various methods after harvest, especially akoya and freshwater cultured pearls. Bleaching is the most prevalent and is ...

Diamonds have a long history as a premier gemstone—a natural consequence of their beauty, rarity, and superlative physical properties such as extreme hardness. Diamonds that are mined for use as ...

Vietnam is a land of great diversity and beauty. From the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City to the beauty of Hạ Long Bay and Hoi An (both UNESCO World Heritage Sites), there are innumerable places ...

Carbon is one of the most important elements on our planet, which led the Geological Society of London to name 2019 the Year of Carbon. Diamonds are a main host for carbon in the deep earth and also ...

In the last few years, the influx of synthetic diamonds into the market has sparked tremendous interest in the laboratory growth of this beautiful and fascinating gemstone. The chart provided here ...

Figure 1. Corundum is an example of a negative uniaxial mineral. This ruby crystal in matrix from Mogok, Myanmar, is approximately 6.15 cm in length. The cut gem is a 3.22 ct unheated ruby, also from ...

In November 2022, a parcel of 24 approximately 0.5–1.2 ct spinel crystals, described as cobalt-diffused, were obtained directly from a treater by the research team at GIA in Bangkok. Of these, seven ...

Gem inclusions are mineral crystals or cavities filled with fluid and/or gas that occur in a host gemstone. Many gems contain microscopic inclusions (ranging in size from >1 mm down to submicroscopic ...