CARLSBAD, Calif. – June 2, 2025 – Beginning later this year, GIA (the Gemological Institute of America) will start using descriptive terms to characterize the quality of laboratory-grown diamonds and ...

Figure 1. Sapphires from Madagascar: a beautiful 3.29 ct untreated faceted stone and an assortment of rough in the background. Madagascar has produced many high-quality stones in the last few years ...

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 ...

Introduction to the Micro-World of Gems - G&G’s new column takes a closer look at the hidden wonders found in gemstones. Read More Amber with Mite Inclusion - An unusual mite is preserved in a ...

Recently, the author analyzed an interesting 41.51 ct faceted bicolor beryl (figure 1) composed of aquamarine and opaque white beryl. This gem belongs to Brazilian gem dealer Veber Leite and is part ...

Phoebe Shang, a senior writer at GIA, is a Graduate Gemologist. Wim Vertriest is Manager of Field Gemology for GIA, Bangkok. Since joining GIA’s Field Gemology Department in 2015, Wim has visited ...

In the developed world, the word diamond immediately evokes the allure and sparkle of a polished brilliant. What does the word mean, however, for an artisanal diamond miner living in poverty?

A well-known collector mineral, wavellite (Al 3 (PO 4) 2 (OH) 3 •5H 2 O), is named after its discoverer, British surgeon Dr. William Wavell. Wavellite mineral specimens seen on the market often occur ...

Figure 1. The 4.08 ct orangy pink euclase. Parallel pink color zoning is observed under the table. Photo by Shunsuke Nagai. GIA’s Tokyo laboratory had the opportunity to examine an orangy pink faceted ...

Examination of a 1.01 ct triangular portrait-cut diamond with E color and I 2 clarity revealed an inclusion in the center of the table resembling a butterfly (see the figure above and the video below) ...

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) growth technology has advanced significantly over the last two decades. In this study, we report on the largest CVD gem diamond GIA has encountered, recently tested in ...

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 ...