Diamonds are the most amazing of gems. Just as amazing, however, is how natural diamonds reach Earth’s surface. Diamonds are formed 150 to 700 km deep in Earth, and are then carried upward in a rare ...

Figure 1. This demantoid was faceted to better reveal the “horsetail” inclusions. The sample is 8 mm in diameter. Photo by U. Hennebois. The exact origin and composition of the “horsetail” inclusions ...

An 11.23 ct purplish pink cabochon exhibiting multiple cat’s-eye phenomena was recently submitted to the Tokyo laboratory for identification (see above, left). Standard gemological testing results ...

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 red variety of the mineral tugtupite, a rare silicate closely related to sodalite, has been used as a gemstone since 1965. This article presents the history of the mineral and details of its ...

Descending into Peshawar for the first time, a foreign tourist might be surprised to learn that amid the clutter of buildings in this historical city lies an important gem trading center. This market ...

This three-strand bracelet by Sally Agarwal, London, shows how old-style polki diamonds work well in new jewelry designs. The bracelet contains 87 polki cut diamonds, total weight approximately 11.85 ...

Vietnam is a land of great diversity and beauty. From the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City to the beauty of Hạ Long Bay and Hoi An (both UNESCO World Heritage Sites), there are innumerable places ...

Gem-quality synthetic or laboratory-grown diamonds are more available in today’s jewelry marketplace than ever before, causing both interest and concern about lab-grown diamonds and whether ...

Diamonds have a long history as a premier gemstone—a natural consequence of their beauty, rarity, and superlative physical properties such as extreme hardness. Diamonds that are mined for use as ...

Diamonds are known for their hardness – their ability to resist scratches and abrasions. But diamonds are not impervious to damage, since their hardness is uneven along different crystal directions.

In November 2022, a parcel of 24 approximately 0.5–1.2 ct spinel crystals, described as cobalt-diffused, were obtained directly from a treater by the research team at GIA in Bangkok. Of these, seven ...