The People's Republic of China has recently placed a high priority on identifying and developing its gemstone resources. Initial exploration by teams of geologists throughout China has identified many ...
Surface-treated topaz has become a viable alternative to topaz colored by irradiation. Unlike irradiation, which modifies the entire gemstone, coloration by chemical modification is limited to the ...
Synthetic diamond growth was first documented in 1952 by William Eversole of the Union Carbide Corporation, but it took another two decades before GIA issued the first grading report for a ...
The September birthstone is sapphire – a gem that’s been cherished for thousands of years. Although the term sapphire usually refers to the blue variety of corundum (ruby is the red variety), this ...
The Chinese have labored to perfect the art of gemstone carving for several thousand years. Beginning with primitive tools and limited materials, they eventually developed the iron-tipped spindles and ...
Demantoid, green andradite garnet, was discovered in the Central Ural Mountains of Russia in the mid-19th century. A favorite of the Czar's court, demantoid was another victim of the 1917 Bolshevik ...