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.