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This is our news archive, arranged by topic, in case you need to refer to stories
posted in our recent past, or part of ongoing history. View the
archives by month.
Awards
2009 Gemmy Award Winners
See the 2009 winners of our annual gem
cutting and design competition!
2008 Gemmy Award Winners
See the winners of our annual gem cutting
and design competition!
2007 Gemmy Awards Winners:
The Front Row
The winners of our 2007 Gemmys competition take a bow.
The 2006 Gemmys
Presenting the winners of the 2006 Gemmys competition.
And 2005 the Gemmy Goes To . .
.
Our gem competition honors creativity in the lapidary arts.
(January 2005)
2005 AGTA Spectrum Awards
(January 2005)
2004 AGTA Spectrum and Cutting
Edge Awards
(January 2004)
Brazil
Brazilian Beauty
In which we visit the muddy pits of paradise.
BONUS: This online version of the story contains extra text and photos
which did not appear in the print magazine!
(November/December 2003)
Down and Out in Teofilo
Otoni
With mining costs rising and competition from other countries heating up, Brazilian
gem dealers struggle to hold their own.
(January 2002)
Chalcedony
Gem Sources -- Chalcedony: A Gem
for the Ages
Chalcedony was one of the world's first gems, and it's still got it, baby.
(March 2003)
Chrysoprase Chalcedony: Marlborough
District, Queensland, Australia
Chrysoprase is a form of green cryptocrystalline quartz referred to as chalcedony
or chalcedonic quartz. Chrysoprase chalcedony is highly prized in the Asian market
and among gemologists worldwide.
(January 2009)
Coral
Coral: In the Red
Coral's reds and pinks are in demand, but threatened habitats are putting
a crimp on supply.
(July/August 2001)
Design
Michael Alexander: On the Money
2004 Reader's Choice winner Michael Alexander wields his Wall Street brain
to create one-of-a-kind jewelry.
(July 2004)
Benched
Before you design, find out how well your stone plays with metal.
BONUS: Expert
gem setters share their dos and don'ts.
(March 2004)
Briolette Cuts: Drops of Light
Aficionados reveal the appeal of this romantic cut.
(May/June 2001)
Noel Cheney: Detour to Design
Noel Cheney’s winding road in life led her to the top spot in our 2005 Reader’s
Choice Award for jewelry design.
(July/August 2005)
Considering CAD
Computer-aided design is changing the shape of jewelry making.
(March/April 2007)
The Cutting Edge
High-tech cutting machines and robotic technology have begun to infiltrate
the gem business. Even tech converts agree, though, that the cutter's skill remains
the key factor.
(September/October 2002)
Douala Days
Cameroon's enterprising jewelry designers find their gemstones — and
their customers — where they can.
(September/October 2006)
Erte - The Alchemy of Beauty
Art Deco icon Erté's jewelry is transformed fromlead pencil to gold.
(September/October 2003)
The Fashionable Brain
Dissecting why fashion has such a grip on the minds of the masses.
ONLINE BONUS: How psychology affects
fashion trends in Asia.
(November/December 2004)
Gem Art: Two Great Tastes
The union of gem carver and innovative designer is a marriage made in jewelry
heaven.
ONLINE BONUS: See the inspiration
behind the jewelry designed with gem art.
(September/October 2004)
Common Ground (Gem Cutting Design)
A study in contrasts — and collaborations — from gem artists on opposite sides
of the Atlantic.
(September/October 2005)
Idar Oberstein's Collective Soul
When it comes to design, this group of German goldsmiths and gem cutters are
about as different as anyone can be. But when it comes to promoting their wares,
it's one united front.
(May 2003)
Valerie Naifeh: Hometown Girl
2006 Reader's Choice winner Valerie Naifeh found her niche right in
her backyard.
(July 2006)
Pave: Carpets of Sparkle
Usually thought of as a diamond technique, pavé setting has brought
colored stone jewelry to a new level.
Bonus Feature: Has stone-in casting revolutionized
pave?
(September/October 2002)
Peruvian Jewelry: From a Past
Life
The jewelry of Peru takes its form from memories of a long-gone civilization.
BONUS: Explore Incan history
and culture and how it affects Peruvian people today.
(November/December 2004)
Reinventing Khmer
Out of the ashes of a bloody past, jewelry makers define Cambodia's new
look.
BONUS: Cambodia's tough journey
to the 21st century.
(November/December 2003)
Shapes of Things to Come
ONLINE BONUS: The experts predict future
trends in other fields.
(January 2004)
Silver’s Golden Age
Silver finally gets a seat at the high-end table.
ONLINE BONUS: Designing (and selling!)
jewelry with silver.
(July/August 2005)
Wild
Things: Jewelry Goes Natural!
Nature has inspired designers throughout history, but our growing concerns for
our planet, as well as our desire to be more connected with reality, have placed
a greater, more urgent focus on the natural elements of our world. Today’s
hottest jewelry designers are taking cues from Mother Earth and some of her most
brilliantly colorful creations. Tree huggers are not the only ones who’ll
go wild for these styles. (March/April 2009)
Women With Tools
Women entering the jewelry field for the first time are starting to feel the power.
(November/December 2006)
Diamonds
The Argyle Tenders: Diamond
Rhapsodies in Blue, Purple, Brown, Pink and Red
When in 1983 fabulous purplish-pink diamonds from Rio Tinto Zinc’s
Argyle Mine in Western Australia started trickling on to the market, few realized
that the company would make popularization of fancy color diamonds one of its
main missions. The success of that mission has written a new, momentous entirely
unexpected chapter of diamond history. (July/August 2009)
The C1-C7 Grading System
for Diamonds and Zircons
The C1-to-7 color grading system developed for champagne diamonds works
equally well with zircons and any other colored stone known for champagne colors
and earth tones. (July/August 2009)
More Blue, Less Provenance: Recutting
the Wittelsbach
The entire gem world is reacting to rumors of imminent recutting of the
famous Wittelsbach diamond by its new owner Laurence Graf as if this gem’s
survival in its current form were as important as the survival of the spotted
owl or snow leopard. (June 2009)
One Red Diamond In Search of an
Owner
A hidden red diamond worth at least ½ million dollars that was
supposed to be found using clues in a book will come out of hiding at a New York
auction in September. (June 2009)
Emeralds
The Emerald World's Best-Kept
Secret: The La Pita Mines of Colombia
Since the late 16th century, one country, Colombia, has produced most of the world's
finest emeralds. Today, two mines--Muzo and La Pita--account for 90% of the country's
emerald exports.
(January 2009)
Highly Doctored Emeralds Raise the
Question: Where's the Beef?
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into emeralds, there comes news of
a new treatment scandal involving stones being exported from Colombia.
11/20/07
GIA Certs Emerald Origin
In a reversal of a long-standing policy, the Gemological Institute of America
has begun offering origin reports for emerald. - 12/18/06
Northern Exposure (Emeralds)
In the far reaches of northern Canada, a group of miners are applying the
latest technologies to explore a new emerald deposit. Their goal? Prove that there's
more then just gold in the Yukon's hills.
(November/December 2002)
Ethics
Honor Thy
Father: Louisville Gem Dealer Acquitted of Charges in Estate Jewelry Case
Robinson Brown Jr. wanted to donate an emerald necklace to a Louisville
museum as a memorial for his wife of 62 years. But when he died before he could
give the gift, his heirs spent almost as much money as the necklace cost trying—unsuccessfully—to
convince a local jury to make the seller take it back. (July/August 2009)
Social Reponsibility
and Environmental Sustainability in the Jewelry Industry
Years ago, buying gems and jewelry was all about feeling good and looking good.
Nowadays, the jewelry purchase also has a lot to do with doing good for the people
who mined, cut and set the gems we find so beautiful. (May/June 2009)
Council for Responsible Jewellery
Practices Adopts Code
The Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices, an industry group formed
to promote ethical business practices in the jewelry industry, has released its
approved Code of Practices for member companies. - 9/27/06
STS CEO Indicted for Bribery
A federal grand jury has indicted Sunil Agrawal, CEO of STS Jewels and president
of the Indian Diamond and Colored Stone Association (IDCA), based on allegations
that he bribed a U.S. Foreign Service officer to expedite the visa process for
his employees. - 9/1/06
Nothing to Declare
The truths and myths behind the ancient art of gem smuggling.
(July/August 2004)
Chanthaburi Gem Dealers
Agree to Disclose Beryllium Treatment
At a meeting of the Chanthaburi Gem & Jewelry Association (CGA) on February
19, a group of Thai gem heaters formally agreed to disclose the use of beryllium
to enhance the color of corundum.- 2/21/03
Associations Set Beryllium
Disclosure Standards
Following a closed-door session on February 7, 2003, at the American Gem Trade
Association (AGTA) GemFair in Tucson, Arizona, members of prominent U.S. jewelers
associations agreed on disclosure terminology for beryllium-diffused sapphire.
- 2/14/03
Fashion
Emmy
Stars Show Best in Color
Attendees at the American Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ annual
soiree Sept. 21 embraced color in both their garb and jewels, making fun and fanciful
fashion statements.
(September/October 2008)
Feldspar/Sunstone
Sunstone Hunting
in Tibet
It was to have been the scoop of a lifetime—being the first reporter to
visit Tibet’s new, much-ballyhooed andesine mine. There was only one problem:
No one in Tibet had ever seen or even heard of it.
(November/December 2008)
Sunstone Controversy:
The Furor Over Feldspar
All-natural Oregon sunstone and similar-looking treated andesine once sold as
natural are locked in apples-and-oranges competition that is both unfair and unnecessary.
(March 2008)
Garnet
Kenya's New Double-Barrel
Color-Change Garnet
Kenya’s new color-change garnet performs miracles in different lighting
environments. In fluorescent light, it looks the bluest any garnet has ever looked;
in incandescent light, you’d swear it was a very fine alexandrite. (June
2009)
Spessartite Garnet: Life
In Orange
Spessartite garnet's supply has been on a roller coaster ride, but demand
for its beauty is on a permanent high. What does the future hold for this former
collector's stone? (March/April 2002)
Gem Treatments
Diffusion
CSI Tucson
Robert James showed evidence of something irregular inside tourmaline, topaz,
and garnet processed in Bangkok. But because he called what he saw “grain-boundary
diffusion,” critics and even those sympathetic to him found semantic grounds
to dispute his findings. (March/April 2009)
A Dark Hour for Gemology: The
Diffusion Debacle
Robert James' 14-month investigation into what he calls "grain boundary diffusion"
culminates in a day-the-earth-stood-still seminar at Tucson's Hotel Arizona on
Friday, February 6th at 3:00PM. There he will summarize the high-tech research
that has hardened his suspicions of rampant artificial chemical coloring into
undeniable
truths.
(January/February 2009)
Andesine-Copper Diffusion:
The Red Scare is Real
For more than a year, gemologists and dealers have suspected so-called natural
red andesine was, in reality, colored using copper diffusion. Now research physicist
John Emmett has proven these suspicions are quite possible.
(November/December 2008)
Irradiated Gems (Blue Topaz)
Topaz Troubles
Will the NRC soon give a green light to blue topaz? Read about the gem trade's
current troubles with irradiated topaz.- 8/1/07
Topaz Troubles Part II
The NRC Brings its Geiger Counters to NYC for spot checks of neutron-irradiated
blue topaz. - 8/3/07
Topaz Troubles: Irradiated
Topaz Updates
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is lending a sympathetic ear to jewelry industry
pleas for the ‘decriminalization’ of neutron-irradiated (a/k/a “London
Blue”) topaz.
Exclusive Statement
from the NRC on Irradiated Topaz
Although the Nuclear Regulatory Commission ran spot checks of dealer inventories
on August 2nd, and found all stones tested safe for wearing (eight of the nine
samples measured at background radioactivity levels and one twice above), it is
not yet ready to declare huge industry backlogs of this gem safe for selling.-
8/8/07
Will Blue Topaz Be ‘X-rated’
for X-mas?
Neutron-irradiated topaz, which many jewelers hope will be given a special exemption
from tough Nuclear Regulatory Commission safety rules, is looking less and less
likely to be given a one-season clemency. - 8/15/07
Blue Topaz: The Ban That Never Was
A ban on reactor-blued topaz that was never certified for commerce by NRC-licensed
facilities (which means all such topaz sold for the last decade) turns out to
have been a false alarm—never a fait accomplit. - 10/10/07
Irradiated Topaz: What's Next?
Dealing with the red tape and paperwork of neutron-irradiated topaz. - 12/27/07
Gem Treatments, Other
New Gemstone Treatments:
A Coming Crisis
An abridged version of this article by Joel Arem appeared in the May-June 2009
issue of Colored Stone under the title “Ending Diffusion Confusion.”
This is the full version of the scientific paper from which that condensation
was made using its original title.
Coming to a Court Room near You: The
Labradorite Litigations
If you recently bought red or green "new-find" labradorite on screen
or on line as a natural-color gemstone, you may be in for a rude awakening. These
feldspars may owe their beauty to the gemological equivalent of color implants
- or, more crudely, dyeing.
(May/June 2008)
Un-True Blue:
Cobalt-Treated Tanzanite Is Here
For years, jewelers have complained about the paleness of tanzanite in calibrated
sizes. Now there's an avalanche of deep sapphire-blue material. Alas, it's color-coated.
(May/June 2008)
Markets: Selling Naked
Tired of enhancements? Some gem dealers are targeting people who prefer their
gems au naturale by selling stones that are never enhanced.
(May 2003)
Dissecting the Atom
As technologies for creating treatments and synthetics get more sophisticated,
gemologists need better and better equipment to detect them. How far can science
go?
(September/October 2002)
FTC Ups Disclosure Ante
The FTC has revised its rules for gem disclosure, but the industry says it's not
enough. Check out the latest on this debate.
(March 2001)
FTC Ups Disclosure
Ante
The debate over gem treatment terminology continues. Here's
what industry experts think.
(March 2001)
Sunstone Controversy: The Furor Over
Feldspar
All-natural Oregon sunstone and similar-looking treated andesine once sold as
natural are locked in apples-and-oranges competition that is both unfair and unnecessary.
(March 2008)
History
Fortune, Gods, & Gems
Millennia of tradition shape Indian jewelry's new groove.
BONUS: Hinduism's
bejeweled gods and goddesses.
(March 2004)
The Jade Age
In an era when stone was cutting-edge technology, jade became the heart of Chinese
civilization. Part 1 of 2.
(May/June 2001)
Jade: Stone of the Heavens
In one of the most turbulent periods of Chinese history, jade took its place at
the center of culture. Part 2 of 2.
(July/August 2001)
Jade
Guatemala Yields New Blue Jade
Miners have uncovered a sizable deposit of deep blue jade in the Motagua Valley
of Guatemala, home to the historic jade deposits of the ancient Maya.
(November/December 2003)
The Jade Age
In an era when stone was cutting-edge technology, jade became the heart of Chinese
civilization. Part 1 of 2.
(May/June 2001)
Jade: Stone of the Heavens
In one of the most turbulent periods of Chinese history, jade took its place at
the center of culture. Part 2 of 2.
(July/August 2001)
Jade is Jade?
. . . or is it? More and more, top green chrysoprase is being passed off as jadeite.
(May/June 2001)
Jasper
Royal
Saharan Jasper Gets Wired
 Wire
jewelry designer Dale Armstrong was one of the first jewelry artisans to see Royal
Sahara Jasper when Colored Stone showed it to a select group of lapidaries
and craftspeople at Tucson 2008. Her enthusiastic reception inspired the magazine
to sponsor an invitation-only exhibition of cut and set stones for Tucson 2009.
Running from Saturday January 31st to Sunday February 15th at the Tucson Electric
Park Gem & Mineral Show, the event is to be the first annual collection
commissioned by the magazine. In the following article, Armstrong discusses the
challenges and joys of cutting and setting this fabulous material.
(January/February 2009)
Desert
Storm: Royal Saharan Jasper
At Tucson 2009, Colored Stone will launch its first-ever jewelry exhibition
devoted to showcasing the finest picture jasper ever discovered. You don't want
to miss this collection of loose and set Sahara Desert splendors from North Africa.
(January/February 2009)
Laboratories
AGL Launches Fast Track Certs
New York-based American Gemological Laboratories (AGL) has introduced a new gemstone
certification service: Fast Track, a program designed to give retailers and dealers
an affordable way to certify gemstones. - 1/24/07
Dissecting the Atom
As technologies for creating treatments and synthetics get more sophisticated,
gemologists need better and better equipment to detect them. How far can science
go?
(September/October 2002)
Marketing & Business
Gem-Enchanted Evenings at Nancy's
Every couple of months, New Jersey jeweler Nancy Schuring holds after-hours
wine-tasting and gem education evenings in her store. She calls these evening
affairs “Geminars.” Customers call them fabulous. (June 2009)
Pixel Perfect: Editing Your
Show Photos with Freeware and other Software
So you've gotten back from Las Vegas with tons of digital gem pictures and you
want to put the best results on-line. There's just one problem: images that may
be good enough to show your staffers are not good enough to show customers. Here's
how to get from flawed to flawless. (May/June 2009)
Gem Show Photography: Getting
Good Images on the Show Floors
Tony Siedeman shares some of his tips on taking great photos at gem shows that
will help with your sales and marketing strategy. (May 2009)
Gold
Fever: How to Make a Killing Without Killing Your Conscience
When times are tough and people need money fast, all that glitters is gold. (March/April
2009)
Follow
the Yellow Brick Road: Gold Liquidation
Continuing our series "Gold Fever" GemMail presents the story
of Michael Shields who has turned from dealing in second-hand diamonds, jewelry
and watches to dealing primarily in gold--and is doing ten times the business
since the switch. (March/April 2009)
The Penny Pincher's Guide to
Fine Gems Between $400 and $900 Retail.
For those consumers willing to stretch their budgets into the middle and upper
three figures but who want to stay far shy of the $1,000 mark, there are a multitude
of superb colored stones available. (March/April 2009)
The
Penny Pincher's Guide to Fine Gems
Spending less doesn’t have to mean you’re getting less. To the contrary,
it can mean you’re getting more—much more. But you might have to shift
your spending away from the old staples to what are quickly becoming the new staples:
garnet, tourmaline and zircon. Here are some of the best-buy gems in a few dealers'
inventories that would retail for no more than $450. (March/April 2009)
Festive Nights at the Gemstone
Round Table
Jeweler Nancy Schuring learned first hand that the Grinch can't steal Christmas
when shoppers are wined and dined while looking at gems.
(January 2009)
What's in the Cards for Credit?
The old no-money-down, take-two-years-to-pay model of jewelry consumption
financing is likely a thing of the past. What will debt-dependent jewelers do
to coax spending in a credit-starved economy?
(January 2009)
Gem Artists vs. The Internet
Self-promotion doesn’t come easily to gem artists, and neither does
cyberspace.
(September/October 2006)
Story Selling: Marketing Designer Jewelry
Marketing unique designer jewelry is a personal affair.
BONUS: The complete JCOC study on consumers
who buy one-of-a-kind jewelry.
(July/August 2004)
Miscellaneous
AGL Under New Ownership with
Chris Smith
The AGL Brand will live on--this time under the leadership of Chris Smith.
(March/April 2009)
The Diopside Dilemma: No Green to
be Seen
Tashmarine, the luscious green diopside from China that Columbia Gem House introduced
in 2001, has two plusses in its favor: high brand recognition and unquenchable
consumer demand. There’s just one problem. No one can find any more of this
gem.
(November/December 2008)
Sources: Blue Bounty (Benitoite)
The story of benitoite is one of frustration, politics, and triumph.
(September/October 2001)
China's Gemstone Market Booms
China ’s gemstone market: Where are they now?
(March/April 2007)
Scientists Discover Kryptonite
A new mineral discovered in Serbia has a chemical makeup almost identical to that
given for the fictional mineral kryptonite in the film Superman Returns.
- 4/30/07
Rough Times at the Mines
Gem prices are rising, and it's not just a miner issue.
ONLINE BONUS: An update on several
major mining sources.
(September/October 2004)
GIA Joins World Jewelry Center
The World Jewelry Center (WJC) recently inked a deal with the Gemological Institute
of America (GIA) to offer GIA courses at the center. - 4/17/07
Mining - Vision Underground
Ground-breaking technologies allow miners to find potential gem deposits without
ever lifting a shovel. But do the methods work well enough?
(September/October 2002)
Signity Acquires Leslie & Co.
Signity, the world’s leading distributor of precision-cut natural and created
gemstones, has acquired Leslie & Co., producers of color-treated topaz.
- 2/15/07
Waking up in the
Townships
For the residents of South Africa's poorest neighborhoods, jewelry makes for a
fresh start.
BONUS: Get the big picture
of South Africa's jewelry market.
(March 2005)
Rare Blue Beryl Discovery in Canada
True North Gems has confirmed the discovery of blue gemstones believed to be a
rare deposit of blue beryl, a discovery that was originally announced in the National
Science and Engineering Research Council's (NSERC) News Bureau Bulletin in late
August.
(September/October 2003)
Opal
Opals
Along the Tequila Road
Mexico has become the world's second most important producer of opal after Australia.
So we sent our trusty travel correspondent to visit the country's main beehive
of mining and buying activity.
(September/October 2008)
Australian Opal Miners Celebrate Native
Deal
Years of legal wrangling have led to a deal that will allow opal miners to
work a vast tract of aborigine-claimed land in Queensland. Other opal-producing
areas remain in question.
(November/December 2002)
Lawsuits Ignite Over Created
Opal
How far can a synthetic be from its natural counterpart before it becomes
a simulant? The debate has moved from academia to the courtroom.
(July/August 2001)
Opal: Fatal Attraction
How superstition, world travel, and bad English gave opal a reputation for
evil that it still can't shake.
(September/October 2001)
Paraiba
An Open Letter to the
Trade on the Paraiba Controversy
Editor-in-Chief of Colored Stone, David Federman addresses the controversial
issue of gemstone nomenclature as it relates to Paraiba and other stones. (May
2008)
The Paraiba Perplex
Miner Dave Sherman has sued AGTA and GIA for $100 million in damages from allowing
the trade to call all green and blue cuprian elabaite "Paraiba tourmaline."
(March 2008)
Pearls
Chinese Pearl Trade
Faces Crisis
In May 2007, the algae that is a byproduct of widespread use of pesticides
and fungicides to protect oysters, formed a carpet of green so thick in Taihu
Lake pearl country on China’s east coast that officials had to turn off
the water supply to 2 million residents which affected the oyster farms.- 9/25/07
Is Chinese Pearl
Farming Imperiled?
China's Hubei Province had to ban pearl farming in lakes, rivers and reservoirs
in an attempt to prevent water quality from worsening for a short period during
2007. - 8/30/07
Researchers Find Link in Oyster Deaths
A study conducted on non-pearl-producing oysters in the eastern waters of
North America found that even relatively low levels of heavy metal pollution can
interfere with oysters’ metabolic processes, and that the effects of this
pollution become particularly notable when coupled with high seasonal temperatures.
- 1/4/07
Akoyas Down Under
Australian pearl farmers venture into cultivating akoyas.
(May/June 2007)
Cultured Beauty
Are pearls at the bottom of the fountain of youth?
BONUS: Find out more about cosmetics
that use pearl as a main ingredient.
Fresh Possibilities
Chinese freshwater pearls have led artisan jewelers into a sea of design choices.
BONUS: A timeline
for the Chinese freshwater revolution.
(May 2004)
Golden Pearl Anxiety Fades, Questions
Linger
Ongoing research has made detecting golden pearl treatments a sure thing
— well, almost. The question is, how much is being sent for testing?
Read more information on color enhancements
used on pearls
(November/December 2002)
Pearls of Wisdom
Experts share pitfalls to watch for when hunting pearls.
BONUS: A buyer's guide to pearl quality.
(May 2004)
Sea Change: Global Warming
Hits the Pearl Market
What happens to pearl oysters when the world gets warmer?
(May/June 2007)
JVC: Cultured is for Pearls
The Jewelers Vigilance Committee, acting on behalf a 10 other industry associations,
has petitioned the Federal Trade Commission to ban the use of the word “cultured”
when referring to synthetic gemstones. - 12/13/06
Natural Pearls Set Auction Record
The famed Baroda Pearls sold for more than $7 million at a Christie’s
auction on April 25. - 5/15/07
Peridot
Apache Peridot: Land of Spirit,
Land of Stone
Sometimes you encounter a place where the hand of the Creator is evident
in a dramatic way. The San Carlos Apache Nation is such a place. The story of
its famous gemstones is the story of a people who are intrinsically bound to the
land and its elements. (May/June 2009)
Politics
Burma/Myanmar
Congress set to close major loophole in U.S. law banning imports of Burmese gems
(February 2008)
Jewelry Industry Boycott of Burmese Gems
is Gaining Momentum
The powerful Jewelers of
America sent a letter to its 11,000 members requesting their participation
in an industry-initiated moratorium on selling any gems known or suspected to
have been mined in Burma. - 10/18/07
Customs Reverses Myanmar Ban
A new ruling allows gems from Myanmar to enter the United States legally.
(May 2005)
U.S. Bans Myanmar Imports
The United States has banned imports of anything and everything from Myanmar --
including gemstones.- 9/17/03
Other Countries
A Labor of Love
Australian minerals are pretty, but are they worth the red tape?
(January 2007)
PATRIOT Games
The deadline is nigh. Should you be worried about the PATRIOT Act?
ONLINE BONUS: PATRIOT Act compliance
for dummies.
(September/October 2005)
Madagascar Opens to Foreign Buyers
Legislators in Madagascar signed a piece of historic legislation, allowing
foreigners to buy and export gems legally for the first time in recent memory.-
2/22/05
Afghani Gems: War
disrupts supply but not market.
(November 2001)
Merelani Mining Conflict Results in
Death
Hostility between local small-scale tanzanite miners and African Gem Resources
Co. (AFGEM) escalated to violence over Easter weekend. - 5/1/01
Ruby
Ruby Boomtown
A ruby rush in Madagascar created a city from raw jungle. The first in a three-part
series about the mines of Madagascar.
(July 2006)
Market Sees Increase of Synthetic Ruby
(GIA) has reported that synthetic ruby — which has been altered to look
like natural, heat-treated ruby — has recently been appearing on the gem
market.
(May/June 2005)
Madagascan Ruby Floods Market
A wave of ruby from a new find in Madagascar is crashing through the market, but
will it be a hit or a miss? 6/13/01
Ruby: With Open Arms
A Kenyan farmer found precious bounty in his barren fields.
(November/December 2006)
Sapphire
Thais, Japanese Deal on Beryllium Sapphire
The Thai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association (TGJTA) and the Japan Jewelry
Association (JJA) announced at the recent World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO)
congress that they had come to an agreement on disclosure of beryllium-treated
corundum. - 3/21/07
The Mines of Madagascar
Remembering the sapphire mines in Madagascar before everything went boom.
(Series of 3 articles - January-July 2006)
Beryllium-Diffused Blue Sapphire?
Gem dealers in Bangkok, Thailand, are reacting to concerns that beryllium
diffusion is being used on blue sapphires.
(May 2006)
No Reports of Diffusion on Blue Sapphire
from Sri Lanka
The Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF) and the Gemological Institute of America
(GIA) reported that through independent studies they have found no evidence of
diffusion in a batch of heated blue Sri Lankan sapphires treated by the same source.-
1/21/04
New Treatment Found in Blue Sapphire
American Gem Trade Association Gemological Testing Center researchers (AGTA GTC)
issued a lab alert on a new treatment discovered in blue sapphires.- 10/14/03
Giving Orange (Sapphires) a Bad
Name (Beryllium Diffusion)
Beryllium-diffused sapphire is out there, but who's buying? The answer may
surprise you.
BONUS: Read more about
the orange sapphire treatments, get links, and more information on how it's affected
other markets in Japan and Thailand.
(March 2003)
Diffusion Sapphire Study Continues
New research has shed further light on the controversial sapphire treatment
being called "bulk diffusion." The treatment adds yellow to sapphire,
turning pink sapphires orange and brightening dark red or purple sapphires. -
10/8/02
Mystery Sapphire Treatment
Unmasked: Diffusion
Gemologists have decoded the mysterious process used in Thailand to change
pink sapphire to pink-orange shades resembling rare padparadscha: beryllium diffusion.
(6/11/02)
New Sapphire Treatment Still
a Mystery
A mysterious new process is being used in Thailand to change pink sapphire to
pink-orange shades resembling rare padparadscha
(1/31/02)
Shows
First InStore Show Draws Rave Reviews
April's Chicago InStore show drew around 400 exhibitors and 2,000 buyers. While
this optimism didn’t translate into strong sales, it translated into the
kind of strong enthusiasm among vendors and visitors that hopes to ensure a second
edition of this event. (May 2009)
Gem Hajj in Quartzsite
Every January, rock and rough dealers from all over America and Mexico gather
for a desert sale/swap at Quartzsite 120 miles west of Phoenix just near the California
border. No wonder the event is considered a harbinger of things to come at the
Tucson Show. With exhibitor attendance down, and far fewer quantity buyers from
Asia, Quartzsite is telegraphing trouble ahead for the colored stone industry’s
main event.
(January 2009)
ICA Meets in Dubai
The 12th biennial International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) Congress covered
topics spanning the range from emerging markets to consumer confidence. -
5/14/07
Tanzania
(Tanzanian) Mining, Interrupted
Tanzania’s forgotten mines hold a bountiful supply of gems — for those
with the money to get them out.
ONLINE BONUS: An exclusive look at Tanzanian
women in mining.
(July/August 2005)
Tanzanian Ruby Find Brings Hope
In a remote area of a remote country, miners have made a discovery that could
put them on the map.
Plus: Bonus Resources on Tanzanian Mining.
(May/June 2003)
AFGEM Sued:
Tanzanian miners want them out.
(July/August 2001)
Tanzanite
Tanzanite Foundation, IGI Team Up
on Grading
The Tanzanite Foundation, a non-profit organization funded by the tanzanite
industry, has announced a partnership with the International Gemological Institute
(IGI) to offer tanzanite grading services. - 3/22/07
Topaz (Blue)
Topaz Troubles
Will the NRC soon give a green light to blue topaz? Read about the gem trade's
current troubles with irradiated topaz.- 8/1/07
Topaz Troubles Part II
The NRC Brings its Geiger Counters to NYC for spot checks of neutron-irradiated
blue topaz. - 8/3/07
Topaz Troubles: Irradiated
Topaz Updates
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is lending a sympathetic ear to jewelry industry
pleas for the ‘decriminalization’ of neutron-irradiated (a/k/a “London
Blue”) topaz.
Exclusive Statement
from the NRC on Irradiated Topaz
Although the Nuclear Regulatory Commission ran spot checks of dealer inventories
on August 2nd, and found all stones tested safe for wearing (eight of the nine
samples measured at background radioactivity levels and one twice above), it is
not yet ready to declare huge industry backlogs of this gem safe for selling.-
8/8/07
Will Blue Topaz Be ‘X-rated’
for X-mas?
Neutron-irradiated topaz, which many jewelers hope will be given a special exemption
from tough Nuclear Regulatory Commission safety rules, is looking less and less
likely to be given a one-season clemency. - 8/15/07
Blue Topaz: The Ban That Never Was
A ban on reactor-blued topaz that was never certified for commerce by NRC-licensed
facilities (which means all such topaz sold for the last decade) turns out to
have been a false alarm—never a fait accomplit. - 10/10/07
Irradiated Topaz: What's Next?
Dealing with the red tape and paperwork of neutron-irradiated topaz. - 12/27/07
Tourmaline
CSI Tucson
Robert James showed evidence of something irregular inside tourmaline, topaz,
and garnet processed in Bangkok. But because he called what he saw “grain-boundary
diffusion,” critics and even those sympathetic to him found semantic grounds
to dispute his findings. (March/April 2009)
From
Cropland to Outcropping: Vietnamese Pink Tourmaline
As soon as gem trekker Dudley Blauwet saw the dozens of motorbikes parked in the
corn field at Khai Trung, Vietnam, he knew the locals had switched from farming
to gem mining--in this case, pink tourmaline.
(September/October 2008)
Zircons
The C1-C7 Grading System
for Diamonds and Zircons
The C1-to-7 color grading system developed for champagne diamonds works
equally well with zircons and any other colored stone known for champagne colors
and earth tones. (July/August 2009)
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