Named after seawater, aquamarine’s fresh watery hue is a cool plunge into a refreshing pool

A review of Gemstone Carvings: The Masterworks of Harold Van Pelt at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California.

Ruby and sapphire (usually blue, but also in every other color) have been the most important colored gemstones for several thousand years. Originating historically in southeast and central Asia, and more recently in eastern Africa, these colored varieties of the mineral corundum have been much sought as gems because of their rarity, color and durability. Gem corundum can display asterism and chatoyancy due to the presence of oriented mineral inclusions, and in some cases, a change of color when viewed under different light sources.

This article, from the Spring 1991 issue of Gems & Gemology, is a compilation of abstracts of important gemology-related articles published outside of Gems & Gemology.

Chemically pure beryl is colorless, but trace elements give rise to green, blue and pink/red colors.

The authors have encountered hundreds of polymer-filled aquamarines in the Chinese jewelry market.

A look at JTV’s history, current activities, and impact on the industry.

Alexander Arnoldi explains the strategy of Arnoldi International and provides an update on some new high-quality materials.