Genetics and Color Vision • Seeing Red
Do men and women have the same ability to see red? The answer might shock you.
Madagascar Ruby & Sapphire • Sorcerers & Sapphires
In search of ruby and sapphire on the lost Isle of Madagascar.
Fingerprints & Crystal Symmetry • Inside Out
A discussion of how inclusion patterns mimic crystallographic symmetry in ruby and sapphire.
Identifying Yellow Sapphire • Blue Filter in Gemology
Introducing the blue filter as a gemological tool to separate natural and Verneuil synthetic yellow sapphires.
Verneuil Synthetic Corundum • Dangerous Curves
Virtually all gemologists are aware of the curved growth lines and gas bubbles in Verneuil (flame-fusion) synthetic corundum, but few understand exact...
UV Fluorescence as a Gemological Tool • Heat Seeker
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 Light in Gemology • Living in the Dark Ages
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...
Photoatlas of Inclusions in Gemstones, Vol. 2 • Book Review
Gübelin, Eduard J. & Koivula, John I. (2005) Photoatlas of Inclusions in Gemstones, Volume 2. Opinio Publishers, Basel, Switzerland, 830 pp. ISBN ...
Yellow Sapphire ID • Passport to Obscurity
The examination of a yellow sapphire provides a lesson in the power of gemological microscopy.
Rutile Silk in Ruby & Sapphire • Following the Silk Road
A discussion of rutile silk in corundum (ruby & sapphire) and its use in detecting artificial heat treatment. Careful examination of these "silk" ...
Fracture Healing of Ruby • Mong Hsu Ruby • Fluxed Up
A discussion of the flux-healing treatment of rubies. This article was awarded the Richard T. Liddicoat Journalism Award by the American Gem Society i...
Burma Gem Embargo & the Gem Trade
In 2003, the US government signed into law a ban on the importation of any article that was produced, mined, manufactured, grown or assembled in Burma...
Kimberley Process • Appeasement in the Diamond Trade
In the year 2002, the world diamond trade put into place a protocol known as the Kimberley Process Scheme, designed to address the so-called “blood” o...
Mark Twain • The War Prayer
Mark Twain's "The War Prayer" (1905) is one of the most eloquent exposés ever penned on the folly of those who argue for going to war.
Ruby, Pink Sapphire & Padparadscha • Walking the Line
An examination of the problem of separating pink sapphire and padparadscha from ruby.
Beryllium Diffusion in Orange Sapphire • The Skin Game
The early history of beryllium diffusion in sapphire, starting with the 2001 appearance of large numbers of padparadscha sapphires in the Thai gem mar...
Lao Sapphire • Max Green, Ted Doyle, Gary Shugg • Looted Millions • Love & Hate
When Max Green set about looting trust fund accounts in Australia, he had no idea it would lead to a sapphire mine in Laos… and a dead body in Cambodi...
Ruby Connoisseurship • Seeing Red
A loving look at ruby – the gem of passion – from the standpoint of the connoisseur.
Gems & Junkies in Burma • Gem Smuggling • Conspiracy Theory
A look at the nexus between gem smuggling and drug smuggling out of Burma (Myanmar), along with the two-faced policies of certain Western governments.
Sapphire Connoisseurship • Judging Sapphire • Passion Fruit
Sapphire is one of the classic gems. In this article, Lotus Gemology's resident connoisseur casts a discerning eye at the factors that contribute to q...