Raman Spectroscopy and X-Ray Diffraction: Phase Identification of Gem Minerals and Other Species
Raman spectroscopy and XRD techniques are used to identify gemstone species through their atomic-scale structures, with Raman spectroscopy analyzing inelastic light scattering from crystal lattice vibrations and XRD examining X-ray interference patterns from atomic layers.

Shining a Light on Gemstone Properties: An Exploration of Photoluminescence Spectroscopy
Photoluminescence spectroscopy examines how gemstones absorb and emit light, uncovering crucial details about their identity and color origin through the detection of microscopic defects and impurities.
Infrared Spectroscopy and Its Use in Gemology
Infrared spectroscopy, specifically FTIR analysis, measures atomic vibrations to determine identity, cause of color, and potential treatments by analyzing how a gemstone absorbs infrared light.
Application of UV-Vis-NIR Spectroscopy to Gemology
UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy measures how gemstones absorb and interact with light across the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared ranges, revealing crucial information about their composition, origin, and potential treatments.

Analytical Techniques in Gemology: A Historical Overview
Gemology has become a highly technical field employing analytical instruments for gem testing, driven by the need to address increasingly complex identification challenges in the marketplace.


GIA Field Gemology Team Completes One-Hundredth Expedition
GIA field gemologists recently completed their one-hundredth expedition, adding to the Institute’s unrivaled store of independently verified gemological information from colored stone mining locales around the world.

Registration Now Open for Converge 2025: A Historic Collaboration Between GIA and AGS
Registration for Converge, the singular gem and jewelry event combining the unique expertise of the American Gem Society (AGS) and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), is now open.

Susan Jacques to Retire as GIA President and CEO
GIA has announced the planned retirement of its president and CEO, Susan Jacques, at the end of 2025. The Institute has begun a global search for a successor.


G&G in a Flash: The Latest on Laboratory-Grown Diamonds
Methods, Treatments, and Identification

G&G in a Flash: Micro-Features of Tourmaline
Learn about the geology and inclusions of tourmaline from the experts at GIA.

GIA Board of Governors Welcomes Two New Members

GIA Board of Governors Welcomes Two New Members
At its recent meeting in Carlsbad, California, the Board of Governors of the Gemological Institute of America, Inc. (GIA) announced the addition of two new members, Lisa Bridge, President and CEO of Ben Bridge Jeweler and Dr. Wendy Bohrson, professor of geology at the Colorado School of Mines.

GIA Laboratory in Ramat Gan, Israel, to End Operations
The GIA laboratory in Ramat Gan, Israel, will end operations by the end of 2024 due to changes in the global diamond industry that resulted in significant declines in submissions from local clients over the last several years.
GIA Laboratory in Ramat Gan, Israel, to End Operations
The GIA laboratory in Ramat Gan, Israel, will end operations by the end of 2024 due to changes in the global diamond industry that resulted in significant declines in submissions from local clients over the last several years.

Rare Musgravite Crystal in Green Sapphire
A surface-reaching crystal in a green sapphire is identified as musgravite.


“Out of the Darkness” …and Into the Light of Diamond Fluorescence
A unique art piece crafted with more than 9,200 diamonds is examined at GIA’s Carlsbad laboratory.

Ruby with Synthetic Overgrowth Lining Cavities
An unusual area of granular texture lining the cavity of a ruby indicates synthetic overgrowth.