Examines the growing percentage of rough diamonds being sold through auctions, a shift that has caused price volatility while opening up supply to more manufacturers and dealers.

Describes the extremely rare polished pink diamonds from Australia’s Argyle mine that have been sold for 30 years through invitation-only tenders.

Reports preliminary findings—based on FTIR and Raman spectrometry of more than 300 samples—on distinguishing natural and synthetic emeralds using vibrational spectroscopy.

Presents spectroscopic and phosphorescence data of the Blue Moon, a 12.03 ct Fancy Vivid blue diamond discovered at the historic Cullinan mine in early 2014.

Although this stone bore some superficial resemblance to moissanite, its gemological properties were consistent with HPHT synthetic diamond.

Review of Mimi Lipton's Untamed Encounters: Contemporary Jewelry from Extraordinary Gemstones.

Review of Damiani: Alchemy of Desire.

Review of Yvonne J. Markowitz and Denise Doxey's Jewels of Ancient Nubia.

Strong absorptions from N-V centers were the main cause of a CVD synthetic diamond’s pinkish orange bodycolor.

Melee diamonds can be efficiently screened for synthesis and treatment using infrared absorption spectroscopy, DiamondView imaging, and microscopy.

The Stayish mine in Ethiopia’s Wollo province has been producing black opal since 2013.

Auction price records were broken in late 2014 as ultra-wealthy buyers vied for rare, important gemstones.

Examination of a pink-purple spinel revealed what appeared to be a spinel crystal inclusion.

Nine demantoids reportedly from a new deposit in the Khuzdar area in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province were recently examined.

A report on what appears to be the first non-nacreous beaded cultured pearl examined by a laboratory.

Samples composed of lawsonite pseudomorphs were coated to make them appear deep green and imitate chromian lawsonite crystals.

An oval-shaped faceted stone resembling an emerald proved to be a doublet with a beryl top and a topaz bottom.

A very large diamond with a Fancy Vivid yellow color was identified as artificially irradiated.

Ten loose pearls with interesting shapes and internal growth features were from Pteria-species mollusks.