Since the turn of the millennium, the price of fine spinel has risen at an incredible pace. No longer simply the poor man's ruby, spinel is finally ge...

Since the late 1960's, East Africa has been home to some of planet earth's greatest gem discoveries. And yet, little has been written about certain of...

In July 2008, US President George W. Bush signed a law that modified existing sanctions against Burma (Myanmar). Hidden in the fine text of that bill ...

Gübelin, Eduard J. & Koivula, John I. (2005) Photoatlas of Inclusions in Gemstones, Volume 3. Opinio Publishers, Basel, Switzerland, 672 pp. ISBN ...

The use of Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) in gem identification, with examples of sapphire & jadeite.

A discussion of the ethics of gem treatment disclosure, a comparison of gem treatments, and the crisis these could bring to the industry if mishandled...

When it comes to gemology, whether it is practiced in the lab or jewelry store, the importance of traveling to the source cannot be emphasized enough....

A 2006 mission to remote ruby and spinel localities in Tajikistan.

A brief look at the famous emerald and alexandrite from Russia's Ural Mountain mines.

The use of high-temperature lattice-diffusion heat treatment with beryllium to lighten the color of blue sapphires.

Do men and women have the same ability to see red? The answer might shock you.

In search of ruby and sapphire on the lost Isle of Madagascar.

A discussion of how inclusion patterns mimic crystallographic symmetry in ruby and sapphire.

Introducing the blue filter as a gemological tool to separate natural and Verneuil synthetic yellow sapphires.

Virtually all gemologists are aware of the curved growth lines and gas bubbles in Verneuil (flame-fusion) synthetic corundum, but few understand exact...

One of the greatest gemological challenges is determining if a ruby or sapphire has been heat treated. UV fluorescence can assist in that identificati...

Fiber-optic lighting is one of the most useful form of lighting in the gemological laboratory. With it, we are able to see inclusions that would other...

Gübelin, Eduard J. & Koivula, John I. (2005) Photoatlas of Inclusions in Gemstones, Volume 2. Opinio Publishers, Basel, Switzerland, 830 pp. ISBN ...

The examination of a yellow sapphire provides a lesson in the power of gemological microscopy.

A discussion of rutile silk in corundum (ruby & sapphire) and its use in detecting artificial heat treatment. Careful examination of these "silk" ...