A necklace of Chinese freshwater bead-cultured pearls demonstrates the strides made in culturing techniques.

Baroque pearls were ubiquitous at the Tucson 2015 gem shows.

An update on the nephrite jade market from the 2015 GJX show.

The Green Dragon mine yields exceptional demantoid, including a round brilliant seen at Tucson’s GJX show.

The popularity of gem slices, particularly diamond, is on the rise, as reflected at the 2015 Tucson gem shows.

A hexagonal boundary, usually found in natural material, is observed in a synthetic star sapphire.

An insider’s view of the stunning world of inclusions.

A tourmaline displaying different colors of chatoyancy on opposite sides of a double cabochon is examined.

A pink sapphire bead with drill holes revealing ruby fragments is examined.

Inclusions create chatoyancy in a colorless phenakite cabochon.

A musgravite specimen’s inclusions result in an optical phenomenon unusual for the material.

A carving identified as blue chalcedony shows evidence of epoxy resin treatment.

A cracked apatite specimen reveals hidden treasure.

This large marble-hosted occurrence in the Pamir Mountains is a potentially productive source of corundum, including ruby with a bright red color reminiscent of “pigeon’s blood” Burmese rubies.

Examines a form of asterism comprising two six-rayed stars, one white and one that exhibits the stone’s bodycolor. Firsthand accounts and a survey of patent documents reveal that diffusion has been used to create or enhance this optical phenomenon in synthetic and possibly natural corundum since the 1950s.

A guide to capturing gem inclusion scenes using practical equipment and techniques and the appropriate image-refining software.

G&G’s new column takes a closer look at the hidden wonders found in gemstones.

Review of I Love Those Earrings: A Popular History from Ancient to Modern, by Jane Merrill with Chris Filstrup.

『ニューヨーク州の鉱物収集家ガイド』のレビュー。