Gemstones Information


Our Gemstones Information section covers a variety of gems, from amber to zoisite, and offers data on their properties, sources, and jewelry use.

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The Hard Facts of Sapphires and Rubies

The Hard Facts of Sapphires and Rubies

Ask any jeweler to list the gemstones with which they prefer to work, and sapphires and rubies would undoubtedly rank...
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Chrysoberyl – Alexandrite and Cat’s-Eye

Chrysoberyl – Alexandrite and Cat’s-Eye

Ironically, chrysoberyl varieties include two of the world's most exotic and expensive gems, alexandrite and cat's-eye chrysoberyl, while yellow or...
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Birthstones and Anniversary Stones

At the time of Moses twelve gemstones comprised the Jewish High-Priest's Breastplate of Aaron; each stone represented one of the...
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What is Red Labradorite?

Orange and red stones of every kind stood out at this years sensory-overloaded Tucson gem and mineral shows, but one...
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Pearl Treatments Explained

Since the beginning of time, man has sought to improve upon nature. Pearls are no exception. The majority of today's...
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The Four Cs of Gemstone Valuation

The Four Cs of Gemstone Valuation

The valuation of a gemstone is derived from the "Four Cs": carat, color, clarity, and cut. Understanding all four of...
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The Different Garnet Varieties

The Different Garnet Varieties

Garnets are a group of related minerals which have slight variations in chemistry but a common cubic crystal structure. Many...
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Feldspars: Moonstones and Labradorite

Feldspars: Moonstones and Labradorite

The feldspars are a group of related minerals which, as a group are the most abundant minerals in the earth's...
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The Truth About Gem Smuggling

Gem smuggling, The term evokes pictures of swashbuckling pirates and trench-coated international spies. The reality is far more gritty and...
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Gemstone Name Reference List

To simplify your pursuit of gemstone knowledge, the varieties discussed in this book will be described in the mineral species....
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Jade – Jadeite and Nephrite

Jade – Jadeite and Nephrite

Jade is a confusing term since it is used to refer to two different gem materials. The two jades, jadeite...
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Ways to Choose a Birthstone

"My birthstone is emerald," a potential customer recently told me. "But I don't like green," she continued, "so I never...
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Gemstone Coloration and Dyeing – Introduction

The prime requisite for coloration of gemstone is that it be porous . That is to say there must be...
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Optical and Physical Properties of Gemstones

Optical and Physical Properties of Gemstones

The beauty, color, and brilliance of each different gemstone variety is a result of its unique set of physical and...
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Gemstone Exploration Techniques

The most widely-used gemstone exploration techniques today are ground-penetrating radar, known as GPR; trace-element analysis, which involves seeking signature elements...
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Lapis Lazuli Gemstone Properties

Lapis Lazuli Gemstone Properties

Lapis lazuli differs from other gem materials because it is a "rock" composed of several minerals rather than being a...
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Mohs Scale of Common Gems

Although gemstones are hard substances, they aren't indestructible. Some can be ruined by contact with certain chemicals, while others break...
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Working with Topaz

Working with Topaz

The primary issue with topaz that must be remembered at the bench is its one perfect cleavage direction. Hammering or...
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Afghanistan’s Ruby and Spinel Mines

Afghanistan’s Ruby and Spinel Mines

Afghanistan's ruby/spinel mines are one of the great mysteries of gemology. Historically, rubies and red spinels have been produced from...
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Chalcedony – A Gem for the Ages

Chalcedony – A Gem for the Ages

The gemstone industry tends, for marketing reasons, to limit the definition of chalcedony somewhat more than mieralolgists. Among gemstone and...
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Gem Cutting Machinery

Until fairly recently, gem cutting was one of the few areas of the world economy to remain uncontaminated by the...
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The Different Beryl Varieties

The Different Beryl Varieties

Aquamarine was the talisman of the sailor for centuries, its colors resemble those of the sea and it has a...
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Gemstone Care Tips

Many gemstone owners enjoy wearing their treasures. Few things can ruin that enjoyment faster than the discovery of damage such...
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The Use of Pearls in Cosmetics

Ginseng, green tea, and herb and oil extracts are just a few of the main ingredients in millions of cosmetics...
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Beryllium-Diffused Blue Sapphire

Beryllium diffusion typically brightens the color of ruby or sapphire, making a stone more yellow, orange, or red, depending on...
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Birthstones: Which one are you and what does it mean?

Birthstones: Which one are you and what does it mean?

Birth stones are stones associated with each person's month of birth. Each month has a different stone associated with it,...
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Uncommon Sorosilicate Gemstones – Epidote group

With the exception of orthorhombic zoisite (tanzanite and thulite), discussed in the first article on the sorosilicate class of minerals,...
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Gemstone Fluorescence

Fluorescence is the emission of visible light from a substance under the stimulation of radiation of a shorter wavelength. It...
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Minerals and Gemstones Formation

Do you know what diamonds, rubies, and emeralds are? "Jewels" is the answer most people offer. It's an accurate answer,...
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Finding the Origin of Sapphires

If each sapphire deposit has its own unique chemical mix, in theory it should only be a matter of careful...
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The Opal Variety Cacholong

The Opal Variety Cacholong

Even in the wide and varied world of gemstones, cacholong is pretty obscure. The stone has certainly generated its share...
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Power and Magic of Gemstones

When the Babylonians observed the passage of the heavenly bodies across the firmament many thousands of years ago and believed...
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Introduction to Burmese Sapphires

Introduction to Burmese Sapphires

Although it is rubies for which Burma (Myanmar) is famous, some of the world's finest blue sapphires are also mined...
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The Kinds of Opals

The Kinds of Opals

Every opal is unique in appearance. Opals contain fireworks of every possible color dancing inside them. The flashes of color...
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Turquoise Gem Properties

Turquoise Gem Properties

Turquoise has a long history as a gemstone. It was one of the favorites of the ancient Egyptians. Its name...
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Vietnam’s Quy Chau Ruby Mine

Vietnam’s Quy Chau Ruby Mine

Vietnam produces rubies as good as anything from Burma. But the machinations and intrigue surrounding the gem business in that...
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Setting Gemstone on Precious Metal Clay

PMC is not a traditional material, and so a few pioneers went about tentatively setting cubic zirconia's, and lab grown...
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Andalusite Stones: Nature and Rarity

Andalusite Stones: Nature and Rarity

Andalusite is an unusual stone. It shows flashes of several different earth tones in the same stone. Because of its...
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Corundum: Rubies and Sapphires

Corundum: Rubies and Sapphires

Rubies and sapphires are the same mineral: corundum, with different trace minerals creating a wide variety of color. Rubies and...
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Topaz Gemstone Kinds and Colors

Topaz Gemstone Kinds and Colors

Topaz is a gem that is very often eye clean, so stones with good clarity are available. The red color...
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The Story of Red Spinel

The gem's first known owner was Abu Said, a Moorish prince of Granada in Spain in the mid-1300s. Abu Said...
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The Effects of Global Warming on Pearl Oysters

Warming waters, changes in weather patterns, and increases in storm activity may all affect the future success of pearl farms,...
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Death of the Thai Ruby

Death of the Thai Ruby

This article discusses the decline of Thailand’s ruby mining industry. The author warns that Thailand faces future problems is the...
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Gemstone Coloration and Dyeing – Pinks and Reds

There are only a few inorganic processes, in my experience at least, that will impart pinks or reds to gemstone....
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Gemstone Cut Value

Imagine, if you will, two colored stones. Both exhibit good color. Both are relatively inclusion free. Both tip the scale...
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Tanzanite Mines Interrupted

While a worldwide shortage in gem rough sends prices spiralling upward, gem deposits in Africa are lying unworked, or underworked,...
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Yellow-Green and Green Beryl

Yellow-green beryl has achieved 'desired gem' status with consumers just within the last few years. Museums were eager to acquire...
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Basic Optical Principles for Gemology

Basic Optical Principles for Gemology

The optical characteristics and properties of gemstones often provide the fastest and best methods of identification. A certain amount of...
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Tanzanian Burma Ruby

High quality ruby is being mined in the province of Rukwa , in the southern highlands of Tanzania , according...
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Gemstone Coloration and Dyeing – Table of Contents

This book is the culmination of some twenty-five years of personally supported research on the use of inorganic chemicals to...
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Understanding the Different Beryl Varieties

The varieties of beryl found worldwide include one of the most prized and one of the lesser valued of gemstones....
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Kyanite Gemstone Properties

Andalusite, kyanite, and sillimanite all contain identical amounts of aluminum, silicon, and oxygen, combined with other trace elements. I find...
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Let’s Talk Gemstones – Peridot

Peridot, often called olivine and chrysolite, is a gem variety occurring in the solid solution series between fosterite (Mg2SiO4) and...
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Bezel Setting Cabochon Stones

Bezel Setting Cabochon Stones

One of the most basic designs in stone setting is Bezel Setting. It is rudimentary in its concept, and it...
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Gemstone Chemical Coloration Techniques

The most important detail in the preparation of gemstone for chemical coloration is that it be clean. Oil and grease,...
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Tourmaline: Rubellite and Indicolite

Tourmaline: Rubellite and Indicolite

The most common tourmaline colors are greens and pinks. Yellow and violet tourmalines are relatively rare. Tourmaline that falls into...
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Zircon Gem Properties

Zircon Gem Properties

Zircons were called "jacinth" or "hyacinth" in older writings. Zircons are exceptionally brilliant gemstones; the high zircon has the highest...
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Quartz: Crystalline and Chalcedonies

Quartz: Crystalline and Chalcedonies

Quartz is generally divided into two groups: the transparent crystalline varieties and the translucent to opaque chalcedonies that are microcrystalline...
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The Treatment of Gemstones

The Treatment of Gemstones

The treatment and enhancement of gemstones has existed for centuries. Some enhancements improve on nature slightly, are undetectable, and they...
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How Gemstones Get Their Colors

My cats like to participate in most of my activities. Their "assistance" generally involves batting supplies off my desk. When...
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Let’s talk Gemstones – Staurolite

Staurolite! Why would one of the most ordinary, patently unattractive minerals, used as a religious talisman and a good luck...
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Handling Colored Stones at the Bench Part 2

Handling Colored Stones at the Bench Part 2

I’m hoping this series of articles will save some of you time, money, and embarrassment by discussing some of the...
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The Formation of Gem Materials

The Formation of Gem Materials

The most valuable gems come from crystallized minerals that have formed under heat and pressure deep inside the earth. The...
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Tanzanite Gemstones

Tanzanite Gemstones

Due to tanzanite fragile nature, the stone is very easy to abrade, scratch, or chip during the setting process. When...
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Introduction to Silicates

Silicates comprise about a quarter of the known minerals and almost 40% of the common ones. The basic unit of...
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From Beryllium to Beryl

Beryllium is a hard and shiny metallic element. Extremely rare, it's prized in industry for its high melting point and...
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Amber – Frozen Moments in Time

Amber begins as resin exuded from trees millions of years ago. All known deposits of amber come from various tree...
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Nesosilicate – Garnet Group

Garnet is a common mineral distributed worldwide. It occurs as crystals, in massive and granular forms, and as tumbled pebbles....
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Gem Dealer’s Secret – Table of Contents

Gem Dealer’s Secret – Table of Contents

This book is written as a guideline for the potential buyer of gemstones that are mined from the earth or...
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Nesosilicate – Topaz Gemstone

Previous articles discussed the polymorph gemstones andalusite, sillimanite, and kyanite of the Al2SiO5 group of the nesosilicates. Topaz and staurolite...
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Morganite – Pink Beryl

Richly colored morganite gems are among the more valuable of the secondary gemstones. The value of morganite has increased with...
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Jasper Gemstones

The minerals grouped as jasper belong to the quartz family. Quartz is one of the most abundant minerals on Earth....
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Jade: Imperial, Celestial Stone

Jade: Imperial, Celestial Stone

The mythical properties and symbolic potency attributed to jade (celestial stone) are stronger than those linked to almost any other...
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Gem Creation and Enhancement

Historically gem possession has been reserved for wealthy, royalty, or high religious leaders. It has always been human nature to...
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Cyclosilicate: Aquamarine

The region of pegmatite dikes in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil has been the primary source of gem...
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Definitions of Physical Properties of Gemstones

A perfect crystal is bounded by plane faces which meet at angles specific for each kind of material (angle analysis...
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Gemstone Coloration and Dyeing – The Blacks

There are only two ways that I know of to induce black into gemstone. One of these involves carbon while...
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Opal – Water Filled with Fire

The fragile opal first flashed its fiery colors at mortals millennia ago, igniting a love affair that has survived the...
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Gemstone Coloration and Dyeing – Cobalt Series

The use of cobalt compounds to impart blue hues to glass, glazes and enamels has been known for centuries. "Cobalt...
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The Olivine Peridot

The Olivine Peridot

Cleopatra was reported to have a fine collection of emerald jewelry, but rumor has it that it was really peridot....
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Gemstone Coloration and Dyeing – Copper Series

Various and attractive shades of blue can be induced in gemstone by the use of copper compounds. This is perfectly...
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Cyclosilicate: Axinite

On an excursion in the Alps in 1797, mineralogist, R. J. Hauy discovered some highly vitreous, piezio-electric wedged-shaped crystals that...
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Tourmaline Colors – A Gift from Nature

Tourmaline is one of the most unusual of all gemstones. Unlike other gems, which we often identify with a single...
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Moissanite Gemstone – Marketing Dynamite

It's called moissanite and it's described as a proprietary, nearcolorless, lab created gemstone. It's visually almost identical to diamond, and...
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Cabochon Stone Full Bezel Setting

Cabochon Stone Full Bezel Setting

One of the most basic designs in stone setting is "Bezel Setting". It is so rudimentary in its concept. It...
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A Journey to Burma’s Jade Mines

A Journey to Burma’s Jade Mines

It is morning in Hweka, deep in northern Burma’s Kachin State. Outside the window, the roar of the river below...
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Gemstone Guide

Gemstone Guide

This page contains a gemstone guide to common abrasives used near gemstones; their usage, hardness rate and effects compiled by...
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A Second Look at Tiger’s Eye

For the past 125 years, textbooks and museum displays have relied on the beauty of tiger's eye to add interest...
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Burma’s Jade Mines – An Annotated Occidental History

The history of Burma’s jade mines in the West is a brief one. While hundreds of different reports, articles and...
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Tanzanite – Zoisite

Tanzanite! Baron Sigismund Zois von Edelstein of Slovenia could never have imagined that a variety of the mineral he discovered...
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Handling Colored Stones at the Bench Part 4

Handling Colored Stones at the Bench Part 4

I'm hoping this series of articles will save some of you time, money, and embarrassment by discussing some of the...
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Goshenite – Transparent, Colorless Beryl

Goshenite is the transparent, colorless, alkali-bearing pure beryl that was discovered in Goshen, Hampshire County, Massachusetts. The Lily Pond mine...
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Diamond Grading System

One of the important reasons for the dominance of diamond in the gem market is the existence of a comprehensive...
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Benitoite Gems

One of the most beautiful blue gemstones is native to our own country. In 1906, a prospector found what he...
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Morro Redondo Tourmaline

Morro Redondo Tourmaline

This is a report on the largest occurrence of Tourmaline in the history of Brazil gem mining; the Morro Redound...
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The Lore of Emeralds

Long associated with Spring and birth, gloriously green emeralds have an extensive history of healing and supernatural powers. Green is...
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New Gem Identification Techniques

This is an exciting era for gemologists. High-tech analytical techniques now make it possible to identify trace elements, treatments, and...
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Spinel Gemstone Properties

Spinel Gemstone Properties

The most famous ruby in the world is actually a spinel! It is the "Prince Edward Ruby" which is the...
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Gemstone Coloration and Dyeing – Iron Process

There are several reactions well known to chemists, involving iron compounds and prussiate compounds (ferrocyanides and ferricyanides) that yield characteristic...
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The Ubiquitous Mineral Feldspar

Moonstone and sunstone, seemingly opposites because of their names, are in reality closely related members of the feldspar family. Formed...
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Gemstone Coloration and Dyeing – The Greens

It seems that everyone likes the greens in chemically colored gemstone. Probably this is because greens are almost universally pleasing...
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The Secret Life of Rocks

Think they just lie around? Oh, no! Rocks are constantly meeting, mingling, and occasionally making gemstones. Every so...
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The Furor Over Feldspar

All-natural Oregon sunstone and similar-looking treated andesine once sold as natural are locked in apples-and-oranges competition that is both unfair...
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Let’s Talk Gemstones – Opal Part 2

Australia's most famous opal mines lie on the periphery of this Great Artesian Basin. Mintabie, Coober Pedy, Andamooka, White Cliffs,...
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The Joy of Gems

The Joy of Gems

Gemstones have been treasured by humankind since the beginnings of civilization. Every ancient civilization found practical and decorative purposes for...
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Diamond Setting Applications

What is one of the causes of a "rippling or jagged" effect around an inside cutting edge in a Gypsy...
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Blue Spinel Turning Heads

Well worth a fresh inspection under the loupe is some fine blue spinel currently on the market. An ancient group...
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Diamond, The Brilliant Ice

Currently identified with love, diamonds are the gemstone of choice in engagement, wedding, and anniversary rings. Contrary to popular belief,...
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Handling Colored Stones at the Bench Part 1

Ever since childhood, I’ve been fascinated by rocks and gems. I started cutting cabs more than 40 years ago, and...
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Uncommon Sorosilicate Gemstones

The sorosilicate class of minerals is composed of more than seventy minerals. Most are rare, and only a few are...
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Gemstone Coloration and Dyeing – Browns and Yellows

At first consideration, it might seem poor organization to include browns and yellows in the same chapter. However, I do...
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Lead Glass-Filled Rubies

GIA recently released a video that provides an overview of lead glass-filled rubies and explains why it has begun to...
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GemBits – Turquoise for Jewelry

Prized for its sky-blue color, turquoise has been used in amulets and jewelry since antiquity. The oldest known piece of...
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Gemstone Setting Tip: Shape

“You should know what kind of shape you’re in,” joked Arthur Anton Skuratowicz during an MJSA At the Bench Live...
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Tanzanite Gem Properties

Tanzanite Gem Properties

If you are looking at a tanzanite it is critical to view it under different lighting conditions. In daylight tanzanite...
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Selling Natural, Unenhanced Gem Material

The marketing slogan 'All Natural' has been used for years to advertise products from cereal to shampoo. Now some gem...
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World Mining Report 2005 – The Middle East

Colored gemstone mining is a hard thing to pin down. The vast majority of mining is still done by independent,...
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Gems of Interest – Other Gem Materials

Gems of Interest – Other Gem Materials

here are many minerals accepted as gem materials. Some gem materials are organic in origin rather than mineral, such as...
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Ruby, King of Gems

Like many gems, rubies are known by several names. One of its earliest titles was ratnaraj, which is Sanskrit for...
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The Beauty that is Iolite

The Beauty that is Iolite

You may never have heard of iolite. It isn't a household word, but it is an attractive indigo colored gemstone....
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Titanium – Properties – Design – Processing

Titanium – Properties – Design – Processing

Titanium was not recognized as a metal and chemical element in its own right until the end of the 19th...
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Jadeite and Nephrite Gemstones

Two gemstones bear the name jade: nephrite and jadeite. Nephrite, first known as yu, was treasured by the Chinese for...
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GemBits – Quartz Diversity

Quartz, the most abundant mineral, is also one of the most diverse minerals known. It's found in a rainbow of...
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Chalcedony Gemstones

Silicon dioxide, better known as quartz, is one of the most abundant minerals on Earth. Mineralogists divide quartz into two...
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World Mining Report 2005 – Central and South America

Colored gemstone mining is a hard thing to pin down. The vast majority of mining is still done by independent,...
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Cutting Down Repair Costs

Much of my business comes from re-cutting colored gems that have been chipped, scratched and broken (not always by the...
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Chris Smith – Amazing Adventures with Tanzanite

A year ago, there wasnt much new to be said about tanzanite, the oven-blued zoisite found only in its namesake...
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Let’s Talk Gemstones – Opal Part 1

Opal is a fascinating gemstone with an ancient history. Pliny the Elder gives an eloquent description of opal, comparing its...
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Lapis Lazuli Gemstones

Lapis lazuli, as lovely as its exotic name, has decorated humans and enhanced their art for thousands of years. Normally...
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World Mining Report 2005 – Africa

Colored gemstone mining is a hard thing to pin down. The vast majority of mining is still done by independent,...
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World Mining Report 2005 – Asia

Colored gemstone mining is a hard thing to pin down. The vast majority of mining is still done by independent,...
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Sapphire Retail Sales Back with a Twist

If we needed more proof that our society is obsessed with celebrity style, we have only to look at the...
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Cyclosilicate: Dioptase

Dioptase incorporates the native metal, copper in the Si6O18 ring structure with water to form the only gem material that...
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Let’s Talk Gemstones – Zircon Group

Lets Talk Gemstones - Zircon is the single member of the zircon group of the nesosilicates that is suitable for...
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Gem Production Update

Morgan Beard, the editor-in-chief of Colored Stone magazine examines the current world mining production of Ruby ' Sapphire, Emerald, Tanzanite,...
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World Mining Report 2005 – Eastern Europe

Colored gemstone mining is a hard thing to pin down. The vast majority of mining is still done by independent,...
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Gemstone Glossary List

This page contains the list of Gemstone Glossary from the book Gem Dealers' Secrets - Handbook for the Gem Buyer,...
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Enchanted Mankind by Gemstones

Enchanted Mankind by Gemstones

Colored gemstones have enchanted mankind since the dawn of time. The variety of colors, their mysterious sparkle and their extreme...
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A Look at Pearl Quality

When buying cultured pearls, consumers must consider several quality characteristics that are very different from the four C's of diamonds...
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World Mining Report 2005

Colored gemstone mining is a hard thing to pin down. The vast majority of mining is still done by independent,...
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2014 Hottest Colored Stone Hues

2014 Hottest Colored Stone Hues

Editor's Note: For more than 20 years, Pantone, the global authority on color, has surveyed the designers of Mercedes-Benz Fashion...
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World Mining Report 2005 – Australia

Colored gemstone mining is a hard thing to pin down. The vast majority of mining is still done by independent,...
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