Mother-and-son team Laurie and Geoffrey Watt (Mayer & Watt, Maysville, Kentucky) noted that while there were plenty of customers at the AGTA show this year, the formula for success was a wide selection of materials and competitive pricing.

The third Jewelry Industry Summit, held in Tucson February 2–3, revealed the successful implementation of several initiatives mapped out since the conference’s inception in 2016.

The Jewelry Development Impact Index (JDI), one of the initiatives from the second Jewelry Industry Summit in January 2017, has become the flagship project of the Minerals, Materials and Society (MMS) program at the University of Delaware. Patricia Syvrud, development manager of MMS, discussed the program, which she calls a “road map to responsibility.”

Indonesian purple chalcedony containing interesting native copper inclusions is a first for the Carlsbad lab.

A composite of synthetically grown and natural diamond was recently identified by the Carlsbad laboratory.

The age of something is fundamental. Humans, animals, wine, cars, and antiques are viewed and understood in the context of their age.

The examination of a nearly complete trapiche emerald crystal–which are difficult to obtain–is consistent with the findings of previous studies.

One of the most striking materials encountered in the Riverpark Inn (Pueblo) Gem Show was “rainbow lattice.”

Presents a simplified but comprehensive classification of gem tourmaline species based on quantitative measurement of six common major elements.

An update on the activity at Potentate’s Montana deposits.

Spinel is often inclusion free but occasionally showcases unusual inclusions.

A unique doublet displaying a yellowish chatoyant sheen is examined by the Tokyo lab.

The president of Oregon’s Desert Sun Mining and Gems provides the outlook for activity at the Ponderosa sunstone mine.

The Carlsbad lab identifies a color-change Burmese sapphire with a unique chemistry profile.