Ruby is the July birthstone – and it’s one of the most coveted of gems. The name is derived from the Latin word ruber, meaning “red” – the color of love and passion. Few things catch the eye like the ...

Pietersite has been described as a brecciated variety of tiger’s-eye. This study examined pietersite specimens from Namibia and China (the main sources) using powder X-ray diffraction, optical ...

This article examines the sophisticated techniques and equipment currently used to fashion a polished gem from a rough diamond. The basic manufacturing techniques— sawing, bruting, blocking, and ...

Since Robert Crowningshield's discovery in the late 1950s that diamonds that have been artificially colored by irradiation and subsequent annealing could be identified by their characteristic ...

Following up on Nassau's 1981 article on the technical aspects of heat treating ruby and sapphire, the author reports his personal observations of the actual heat treatment process in Bangkok. He ...

Visit us at the 70 th Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair to learn what’s new at GIA and take advantage of quick, convenient gem identification and origin identification services for colored stones at our ...

This 5.30-carat emerald from Brazil has a slightly bluish green color. Courtesy John Parrish, courtesy African, Brazilian, Colombian Gems Incorporated. Emerald has many special qualities, but colored ...

Those born in January are lucky to have the beautiful and diverse garnet as their birthstone. Garnets are commonly red but also come in an extraordinary range of beautiful colors, including orange, ...

Diamonds have a long history as beautiful objects of desire. In the first century AD, the Roman naturalist Pliny stated: “Diamond is the most valuable, not only of precious stones, but of all things ...

Cultured pearls come in different sizes, shapes, and colors. Perhaps the best-loved gems of all time, pearls—both natural and modern cultured pearls—occur in a wide variety of colors. The most ...

This 7.19-carat alexandrite was cut to feature its beautiful color change. When the light source changes from daylight to incandescent light, the gem’s color changes from bluish green to reddish ...

Diamond is available in a range of sizes and qualities to fit every consumer's tastes. One of the first things most people learn about diamonds is that not all diamonds are created equal. In fact, ...