Figure 1. Left: The Blue Moon diamond as the 29.62 ct rough discovered in January 2014 at the Cullinan mine in South Africa. Right: The faceted Blue Moon diamond, a 12.03 ct cushion modified brilliant ...

Despite the commercial value of natural-color diamonds, distinguishing them from treated diamonds remains a significant identification challenge. While some diagnostic visual features exist ...

The laboratory of the National Gold & Diamond Testing Center (NGDTC) encountered some plagioclase (moonstone) beads with blue adularescence. Fifteen of the 22 moonstones fluoresced moderate to strong ...

Figure 1. The color zoning of amethyst from Boudi often displays a characteristic hourglass shape. Photo by Abdelghani El Harfi and Salahaddine Mouaddib. For 25 years, the Moroccan locality of Boudi ...

One of the greatest concerns with emerald filling is the degree of clarity enhancement such treatment represents. Stones that appear to have excellent clarity with the unaided eye are often revealed ...

Figure 1. Pinctada maculata pearls alongside a Pinctada maculata mollusk valve with an attached blister pearl. The pearls range from 2.20 mm to 6.49 × 4.83 × 4.49 mm, and the shell measures ...

Aquamarine, Maxixe-type (irradiated) beryl, and two types of hydrothermally grown synthetic blue beryl currently available in the marketplace were investigated by classical gemological methods, ...

Figure 1. Six of the 13 cuprian liddicoatite tourmalines from this study. The faceted stones weigh 1.59–9.63 ct (average 3.95 ct). They are transparent and have greenish blue, green-blue, and green ...

With the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, villagers in the Panjshir Valley are turning their attention to the emerald riches of the nearby Hindu Kush Mountains. Large, dark green crystals ...

The GIA Gem Trade Laboratory (GTL) collected gemological data on 1,490 natural-color pink gem diamonds—both types I and II. While there was some overlap in gemological properties between the two ...

From late June to mid-September 2003, seven important gem diamonds went on temporary public display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, in an exhibit titled “The Splendor of Diamonds.” ...