Copper-bearing tourmaline from Mozambique was first recovered in 2001, but its Cu content was not recognized until 2003, and it was not widely sold with its Mozambique origin disclosed until 2005. It ...

Blue sapphires are currently being mined on an exploratory basis from alluvial deposits at the Lindi mine, near the town of Mingxi in Fujian Province. The geology and occurrence of the sapphires ...

Although lost for literally hundreds of years after the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs, many deposits of jadeite have been found in Guatemala during the last two decades. Following the discovery of ...

Jewelry-quality synthetic malachite is now being manufactured in the USSR. The texture, structure, and physical and physico-chemical properties of this synthetic malachite are reported. Three textural ...

Figure 1. The largest known natural moissanite crystal, found along the Kishon River in northeastern Israel, measures 4.1 mm in its longest dimension. Photo by Vered Toledo. Synthetic silicon carbide ...

GIA studied more than 400 important gemstones from the Gübelin Collection and is committed to sharing this repository of gemological information. This work is a valuable resource for all students, ...

Zircon comes in a wide variety of colors. Colorless zircon is well known for its brilliance and flashes of multicolored light, called fire. These two zircon properties are close enough to the ...

Citrine is one of the most popular yellow gems on the market. This designer cut shows off the warm glow of citrine’s sunny color. – Lydia Dyer, gem courtesy John Dyer & Co. Citrine—the transparent, ...

Attain your dreams of a GIA education with scholarships. We encourage on-campus students to apply for assistance and we are happy to help you coordinate your efforts. GIA-administered scholarships are ...

Asterism in peridot is a rare treat that has been reported on occasionally (S. Borg, “An unusual star peridot,” Journal of Gemmology, Vol. 17, No. 1, 1980, pp. 1–4; Summer 2009 Lab Notes, pp. 138–139) ...

Established in 1931, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is the world’s foremost authority on diamonds, colored stones, and pearls. A public benefit, nonprofit institute, GIA is the leading ...

A synthetic gem material is one that is made in a laboratory, but which shares virtually all chemical, optical, and physical characteristics of its natural mineral counterpart, though in some cases, ...