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Sapphire
The name “sapphire” can also apply to any corundum that’s not ruby red, another corundum variety.
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Sri Lanka: From Mine to Market, Part 2
The series continues with a revealing look at Sri Lanka’s jewelry manufacturing and retail sectors, as well as visits to five major gem mining and trading centers.
Sri Lanka: From Mine to Market, Part 1
Join GIA field gemologists and witness firsthand the entire value chain of the Sri Lankan colored gemstone and jewelry industry, from digging for sapphire in the mud to the glamour of finished jewelry on a fashion model.
Unusual Optical Effect in Blue Sapphire | Gems & Gemology
A bluish violet sapphire shows surprising effects under lab examination.
Near-Colorless HPHT Synthetic Diamonds from AOTC Group
Presents the gemological and spectroscopic properties of a suite of synthetic diamonds grown by AOTC using high pressure and high temperature.
A Look Inside a Remarkably Large Beaded South Sea Cultured Pearl
A study of the nacre and the cavity of a large Pinctada maxima cultured pearl yields a theory on the specimen’s formation.
Hunting for “Jedi” Spinels in Mogok
Documents a series of visits to Myanmar in search of exceptionally bright pinkish red spinels possessing no dark tones.
Update on Gemstone Mining in Luc Yen, Vietnam
Explores the emergence of the Luc Yen area as a producer of corundum, spinel, tourmaline, and other colored stones.
Blue Sapphires from the Baw Mar Mine in Mogok
Reports on the microscopic, chemical, and spectroscopic features that differentiate the high-quality Baw Mar sapphire from “classic” gem-quality Burmese sapphire.
Sapphire Series Part 4: Gem Synthetic Sapphire and Diffusion-Treated Synthetics
From the series,
Green Sapphire Filled with Glass
Analysis reveals blue lead glass filling in a sapphire that has an overall green bodycolor as a result of the filling’s combination with natural yellow color.
Decades-Old Synthetic Alexandrite Sheds Light on Modern Research Needs
An overview and commentary on the 2012 Journal of Gemmology article, “Flux-grown synthetic alexandrites from Creative Crystals Inc.”
