The first known group of color-change gem-quality chrome grossular garnet, reportedly from Ethiopia, is examined in GIA’s Carlsbad lab.

Projects developed by the GemHub to benefit miners, cutters, and others involved in the gem and jewelry industry.

A transparent greenish blue pear-shaped gemstone, reportedly from Madagascar, is discovered to be a Maxixe-type beryl.

Gold: Vortex, Virtues, and Values was hosted by Initiatives in Art and Culture (IAC) at Bohemian National Hall in New York City, April 12–13. Now in its eighth year, the conference has become an annual industry gathering for those looking to evaluate the market, discover exceptional work, and discuss key gold-related issues.

A jade bracelet contains unusual fillers, used to create a smooth surface.

aser confocal microscopy, a very reliable method of revealing surface micro-features, is used on an HPHT synthetic diamond to reveal growth structures.

The DiamondView instrument is able to identify glass as the filler in a pair of heart-shaped rubies.

An update the gemological and chemical characteristics of golden sheen sapphires from Kenya.

A synthetic diamond seen in the Carlsbad lab is the largest faceted lab-grown diamond examined by GIA.

An unusual assembled stone is examined at GIA’s New York lab.

Crassostrea virginica, the so-called Eastern or American oyster, is a commercial seafood widely distributed along the east coast of the United States to the Gulf of Mexico.

Over the last decade, the production methods used to create synthetic diamond melee have improved substantially, along with the quality of the specimens themselves.

Irradiated CVD-grown diamonds are examined in the Carlsbad lab.

Rare pearls, along with their shell, are studied in the Hong Kong lab.

A sapphire cabochon with an unusual appearance is seen at GIA’s Tokyo lab.

A black star sapphire produced from eastern Thailand, showing both golden and silver rays, is studied at GIA’s Bangkok lab.

A Medusa quartz from Paraíba, Brazil, hosts a surprising inclusion.

Aesthetically pleasing inclusions are found in topaz from Pakistan’s Shigar Valley.

Seldom-seen inclusions are found in a host material that is rare in its own right.