Past conferences
Abstracts Library
Color enhancement in yellow sapphire
Natural yellow sapphire is colored by one or the combination of two different chromophores, Fe3+ and the trapped hole-Fe3+ (h• -Fe3+) colour center. Fe3+ chromophore is typically
A study of nickel-bearing type Ia diamonds
We present a detailed FTIR and PL spectroscopic study (i.e. at 298 and 77°K) of a large number of colorless (i.e. color D to G) type Ia diamonds (i.e. >200), showing the presence
Violet Diamonds from Argyle: New Insights into the Cause of their Unique Color
Until its recent closure, the Argyle mine in Australia has been the only source of uniquely colored violet diamonds produced during the 35 years of its operation. These diamonds th
Irradiation treatment and gamma-spectroscopy of morganite
The pink variety of beryl, morganite, is one of the most popular orangey-pink to pink gemstones. Its colour is attributed to manganese, both Mn2+ and Mn3+ (Nassau & Wood, 1968, Woo
Influence of Irradiation on Colour Modification and Colour Stability of Rubies: A Preliminary Study
Ruby is the chromium-bearing red colour-variety of corundum Al2 O3 . Since historic times, ruby is highly popular in the gem and jewellery market because of its highly saturated re
The Banjarmasin Diamond in Amsterdam – War Booty from Borneo
The Banjarmasin diamond in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam plays a questionable role in the history of the Dutch occupation of Southern Borneo. Confiscated from the
Mechanism and Application of High-Temperature Copper Diffusion in Surface Recoloring of Labradorites
Feldspar, with the chemical formula of [KAlSi3 O8 ]x[NaAlSi3 O8 ]y[CaAl2 Si2 O8 ]z (x + y + z = 100), is one of the most important rock-forming minerals in the earth’s crust, and
Explanation on Yellow, Green and Brown Coloration Series of Basalt Related Bangkaja Sapphires
The basalt related Bangkaja sapphires, excluding the black star ones, commonly occur in three coloration series, i.e., the yellow, the green and the brown. Two representative sampl
Purple to bluish grey chalcedony from Ethiopia
In the past 15 years, Ethiopia has repeatedly gained attention for a variety of new gem finds. In 2008, a large deposit of white play-of-colour opal was found (Rondeau et al., 2010
A brief history of synthetic diamond researches in Japan
Research on diamond synthesis started in early 1960s in Japan, following GE’s success in 1955. The research was most active between 1980 and 2000 in Japan, triggered by success i
Causes of color in brown mammoth ivory
The mammoth species were once the largest terrestrial mammals in the world during the late Pleistocene (approximately 350,000 to 10,000 years ago), inhabiting the northern hemisphe
Past, Present and the Future of IGC
Exactly, seventy-one years ago, in the month of October, to be precise from the 23rd to the 25th of October 1952 in Lugano, Switzerland, the inaugural meeting of the International
Cobalt spinel from Bai Buoi mine, Yen Bai, Vietnam
The cobalt bearing spinel from Lukande, Tanzania, discovered in 2019, has attracted much attention and several papers were published recently (Stephan & Muller., 2022, Krzemnicki e
FTIR Fingerprinting: a case study on mineral inclusion identification by FTIR applied on rubies from marble-hosted deposits
Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) is a well-established analytical method in the field of gemmology (Suhner, 1979; Fritsch and Stockton, 1987; Smith, 1995; Beran and R
Nacreous Blister Pearl Discovered in Edible Oyster (Crassostrea gigas)
A baroque pearl with a gray, nacreous appearance was discovered attached to the interior of an edible oyster while the author was enjoying a meal at home. The oyster had been purch
Quartz crystals from alpine fissures: their formation and the historical significance of alpine quartz as raw material for objets d’art
The central Alps, especially the central granite massifs (Aar Massif, Gotthard Massif, Mont Blanc Massif) in Switzerland and adjacent France are known since ancient times for their
Colour varieties of gems – where to set the boundary?
In theory it is simple: a gemstone is a mineral formed in nature by geological processes and, as such, it has a mineralogical name that is scientifically defined and accepted by th
Sulfur-based species induced photochromism in sodalite
Sodalite Na4 (Al3 Si3 O12)Cl is a natural aluminosilicate mineral that contains sulfur or sulfur-related defects, known as chromophores (Reinen et al. 1999; Fleet et al. 2010). Hac
Snapshot of rubies from 1915
In 2008 the Honourable Mary Montagu Scott oversaw the opening of a permanent exhibition at Buckler’s Hard Maritime Museum on the Beaulieu Estate about the steamship SS Persia (Fi
