incolor spring 2010

8/9/2019 InColor Spring 2010

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InColor | Spring 2010 3www.gemstone.org

CONTENTS 5 Foreword

Ethical Mining and Fair Trade6 Rapaport Fair Trade Jewelry Conference

7 Gemelds Partners with the World Land Trust8 Designers Pledge to Continue Not Using Coral

Industry News10 General Industry News

50 GILC Opens Discussion on Key Issues

Cover Feature16 Thailand Sets Gem and Jewelry Branding and Promotion Strategy

Education24 The Edward Arthur Metzger Collection, The Photographs of Jeffrey A. Scovil48 Federation for European Education in Gemology

Gemology34 The Uses, Potential, and Risks of Analytical Equipment in Gemology44 AGL Discusses the Latest New Ruby Heat Treatment Coming out of Thailand

47 AIGS Lab Launches Master Gemstone Report

Book Review51 The Stunning Mineral Collection of the Sorbonne University in Paris

Market Trends and Trade Fairs52 Full Steam Ahead for Color in Tucson54 Color in the Desert56 BaselWorld 2010 Looking Ahead57 Positive Optimism Marks the 45th Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair

58 More Buyers, More Buying Power in Hong Kong

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24

56

51

Cover designed by Claudiu Magarit.

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FOREWORD

Dear Readers,

During the Tucson gem shows earlier this year, ICA held the GemstoneIndustry & Laboratory Conference (GILC) for the first time since 2007.

While we didnt know what the response from the industry would beafter this hiatus, registration numbers were double what we anticipated. GILChas always been an invitation-only event, but word spread quickly resulting inmany calls to the ICA office from people active in industry debates requesting tobe added to our list. The end result was that we had excellent participation fromall major international gemological laboratoriesincluding representatives from

CIBJO and LMHCheads of associations and organi-zations, and leading members of the industry from boththe wholesale and retail sectors.

Our industry fosters many people who are pas-sionate about issues relating to gemstone treatments,nomenclature, and disclosure. Fortunately, a great num-ber of these passionate individuals were in attendance atGILC. With topics ranging from the origin of andesine,colored stone grading standards, and glass-filled rubies,to ethical mining and Fair Trade certification challengesfor the colored gemstone sector, there was plenty to bepassionate about during the all-day meeting.

The format of GILC allowed for discussions of thescheduled topics with presentations from well-known industry experts followedby questions addressed to the speaker and then by open discussion and debate.The strength of GILC is that all parties involved in these issues are in the sameroom at the same time where questions can be raised, answers proposed, and

solutions debated among key industry players and those with knowledge andinfluence on gemstone related issues.At the end of each session, working groups were formed to engage in follow-

up discussions, with the responsibility to report back to the GILC participantswith their conclusions. To facilitate this communication among committees,and also to serve the entire GILC community, an online forum, www.GILCForum.org, was created featuring a public area for general discussion of industryissues and a private area for committee members only. The ruby committee hasalready worked on and concluded a new treatment classification. This and otherinformation as well as downloads will soon be available on the website.

I extend my thanks to all participants in GILC in Tucson, and especially ourappreciation to the speakers who prepared material for presentations. Our not-

ed speakers included Christopher P. Smith, president of American GemologicalLaboratories; Dr. Lore Kiefert, chief gemologist, Gubelin Gem Lab; Dr.Ahmadjan Abduriyim of the Gemological Association of All Japan; Dr. PornsawatWathanakul, academic adviser, Gem & Jewelry Institute of Thailand; Shane McClure,director, West Coast Identification Services, Gemological Institute of America; andICA vice president and World Bank consultant, Jean Claude Michelou.

The tentative date for the next GILC is set for September 2010 in HongKong. Further details will be sent as soon as the venue is confirmed. GILC willbe held in Tucson next year, most likely on January 31st. We look forward toseeing you there.

Sushil Goyal

ICA DirectorGILC Chairman

19 West 21st Street, Suite 705New York, NY 10010-6805 USA

Tel: 212.620.0900, Fax: 212.352.9054www.gemstone.org

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORBarbara Wheat

[email protected]

BUSINESS MANAGERAashish Shah

[email protected]

OFFICE MANAGERClaudiu Margarit

[email protected]

2009-2011 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PRESIDENTWilson K.W. Yuen

VICE-PRESIDENTSJean Claude Michelou

Charles Abouchar

TREASURERMichael Haag

SECRETARIESBenjamin HackmanClement Sabbagh

EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBERMuhamad Asraf Sultan

DIRECTORSEdward W. Boehm, USA

Terrence Coldham, AustraliaSushil Goyal, USA

Nobuyuki Horiuchi, JapanA.H. Muhammed Imtizam, Sri Lanka

Rajiv Jain, IndiaSusie Kennedy, Kenya

Phuket K hunaprapakorn, ThailandKamal Kothari, India

Bryan E. Pavlik, AustriaEmmanuel Piat, France

Capt. Ramji Sharma, JapanAvner Soov, Israel

Prida Tiasuwan, Thailand

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFJean Claude Michelou

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Barbara Wheat

SENIOR EDITORCynthia Unninayar

CONTRIBUTING EDITORDelphine Leblanc

PRODUCTIONInnovative Productions

The contents of InColor magazine may bereprinted with proper attribution. For more

information, articles, or photo material, contactthe ICA office at [email protected].

ISSN: 1158934X

To Subscribe to InColor, send an email to:[email protected]


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www.gemstone.org6 InColor |Spring 2010

Starting with this issue, InColor will present a sec-tion on responsible practices in the gem and jewelryindustry. These practices include Fair Trade, ethical

mining practices, and sustainable development. This sec-tion begins with a look at the Rapaport Fair Trade JewelryConference held at BaselWorld 2010, followed by a reporton one of Gemfields environmental projects.

Rapaport Fair Trade Jewelry ConferenceOrganized during the BaselWorld fair, the Rapaport FairTrade Jewelry Conference featured speakers from leadinginternational organizations. Reports from some are summa-rized here.

The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) announcedthat membership has grown from 148 at the end of 2009 toover 190 companies and trade associations throughout theglobal diamond and gold jewelry supply chain. According toMichael Rae, the new member, Danish Jewellers Associa-tion is the first Scandinavian trade association to join. Other

members include the Union Franaise de la BJOP, NationalAssociation of Goldsmiths, British Jewellers Association,American Gem Society, Jewelers of America, and the WorldGold Council. For 2010-2011 initiatives, RJC plans to: ex-pand the certification scope with platinum; work on the stan-dards for gemological laboratories and assayers; investigatethe feasibility of chain-of-custody standards as a voluntarycertification option for members under the RJC System.

ICA vice president, Jean Claude Michelou presented thechallenges to certification for col-ored gemstone producing nations

and the gem and jewelry supplychain, indicating that 80 percent ofthe worlds colored gems come fromartisanal small-scale mining (ASM)and that 90 percent of ASMs are indeveloping countries. He explainedhow ethical mining of coloredstones and related Fair Trade prin-ciples should be based on certify-ing the country of origin throughthree simple criteria: developmentof a value chain; formal and certi-fied exports; sustainable povertyreduction and social responsibility

ETHICAL MIN ING & FAIR TRADE

initiatives. His presentation showed how Country of OriginCertificates could be used and traced along the distribution,manufacturing, and retail chain. He highlighted the presentinitiatives for this certification scheme, which he is devel-oping and implementing as a case model with the Nigeriangovernment as part of the World Bank funded Sustainable

Management of Mineral Resources project.The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) president,

Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri, announced the launch of a compre-hensive program in Corporate Social Responsibility, theExecutive CSR Course, offered through the World JewelleryConfederation Education Foundation (WJCEF) and hostedby HRD in Antwerp, Belgium. This is proactive CSR, and Ipropose that it should set us apart from other luxury productindustries. CSR should be recognized as an integral part of

our industrys DNA. It should defineus as a community and be a charac-

teristic by which consumers recog-nize us, said Cavalieri.Damien Cody introduced a

Jewellery Ethical Trade System(JETS) currently being consideredfor implementation by CIBJO. Theprinciples involved in JETS wereinitially developed by ICA andinclude developing a global ethicaltrade system throughout the sup-ply chain that embraces both largeand small participants in existingnational trade organizations and in-dustry associations, while providing

Recent Reports on

Responsible Practices

A panel discussion at the Rapaport Fair Trade Jewelry Conference held at

BaselWorld (photo courtesy of Rapaport).

ICA vice president Jean Claude Michelou talks about

country certication at the Rapaport conference (photo

courtesy of Rapaport).


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artisanal miners a channel for their products to reach whole-salers and retailers.

Patrick Schein of the Alliance for Responsible Mining

(ARM) introduced the new alliance with Fair Trade LabelingOrganizations International (FLO) for the development ofthe first ever third-party independent certification for gold.Its goal is to bring about social, environmental, and econom-ic development in ASM communities. The partnership willenable both organizations to meet shared strategic objec-tives and to create a system ensuring that ASM miners earn abetter price for gold while improving mining conditions andprotecting the environment. The partnership will be com-municated on the product with a co-labeling hallmark usingboth FAIR TRADE and FAIR MINED.

Robin Smith, founder of Host Universal, shared his viewson the fundamental drivers behind the success of Fair Trade.He insisted that Fair Trade be considered as much more thanjust a label on a product. Fair Trade is about a new relation-ship between producers and consumers, supply chain trans-parency, and market access for self-determined producers.Were here to help create the right market conditions, ratherthan lay down the law. The Fair Trade label, he argued, isa vital signpost and assurance, but only a thriving producereconomy will deliver the evidence of transformation; onlythe evidence of transformation will drive belief; and only be-lief will drive the transformation of consumers into investors.

Robin expressed his concerns that if Fair Trade becomes per-ceived as corporate access to Fair Trading producers becauseit pays a little more, then nothing much has changed.

Other speakers included Elisabetta Molina, from Italianjewelry manufacturer Garavelli, who presented the brandsGlobo collection, which uses ethically produced gold fromOro Verde in Colombia and Ecoandina in Argentina. Anotherspeaker was Elisabeth Umlas from SMART, who highlighteda social venture whose goal is to construct a transparent routeto market for responsibly mined minerals and metals, thus de-livering sustainable economic development to communities.

Gemelds Partners withthe World Land Trust

In association with the World Land Trust (WLT),Gemfields has collaborated with eight jewelry designersto create a collection of fine emerald jewelry, which isbeing launched at Selfridges Wonder Room in London.The aim of the collection is to create awareness of theplight of the Asian elephant and to bring attention to theWLTs Indian Elephant Corridor project, which is raisingfunds to save elephants in India, stated Gemfields.

The collection centers on a life-size fiberglass elephant, theEmerald Queen, that was designed by Sabine Roemer using

Gemfields Zambianemeralds. The EmeraldQueen will also take part

in the London ElephantParade, between Mayand July.

The collection isshowcased at Selfridgesduring May and intomid-June, and thenwill be sold at auctionat Sothebys. A percent-age of the profits willgo towards the Indian

Elephant Corridor proj-ect. The WLT is work-ing to safeguard tradi-tional migration routesfor elephants so thatthey can move safelybetween national parksand other protected forests. Other supporters of the trustsproject include Sir David Attenborough and David Gower.

Gemfields says that itsmine-to-market capabil-ity guarantees the prov-

enance of every gem,through a full disclosureand certification program.It focuses on the consistentsupply of what it describesas ethically producedemeralds, which aremined under a rigorousset of standards in regardsto Fair Trade, environ-mental, social, and safety

practices. Earlier, thecompany announced thediscovery of a 6,225-car-at rough emerald at itsKagem mine in Zambia.The rough emerald hasbeen dubbed Insofu,meaning elephant in thevernacular of the re-gions indigenous Bembapeople, in honor ofthe Elephant CorridorProject and the stonesunusually large size.

The Emerald Queen, a life-size ber-glass elephant, designed by Sabine

Roemer using Gemelds Zambian

emeralds, in support of the World

Land Trusts Indian Elephant

Corridor project.

Necklace in Gemelds Zambian

emeralds by Jim Currens, in support

of the World Land Trusts Indian

Elephant Corridor project.


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Jewelry Designers ContinuePledge To Not Use Coral

A measure that would have granted trade protection to

red and pink corals (Coralliidae) used in jewelry and homedcor failed to receive the necessary two-thirds major-ity at the 15th Conference of Parties of the Conventionon International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES),reported ocean conservation organization SeaWeb. While64 countries voted in favor of protection, 59 voted againstit and 10 abstained. SeaWeb had called on governmentsto protect Coralliidae under Appendix II of CITES, whichwould have required countries wishing to export them toprove that trade is not harming their continued survival.

SeaWeb called the decision on Appendix II, a major step

backward for the long-term survival of red and pink coral andthe industries that depend on them, and noted that inten-sive lobbying by coral industry interests occurred in the daysleading up to the vote. Coralliidae are in desperate need fora mechanism that controls the immense trade in these spe-cies, said Kristian Teleki, vice president of science initia-tives for SeaWeb. CITES could have provided that but therepresentatives failed to heed the science showing these


populations are in steep decline. It is now up to the jewelryand design industries and their customers to act where gov-ernments have failed.

SeaWeb created the Too Precious to Wear campaign,which calls on jewelers and designers to refuse to use red orpink coral until sound management is in place and popula-tions of the long-lived, slow-growing species have recov-ered. Supporters of the campaign include Tiffany and Co.,Temple St. Clair, Nak Armstrong of Anthony Nak, IreneNeuwirth, and many others. After the setback vote, a long listof designers have pledged

to not use coral in theircreations. The jewelersjoining the campaigntoday are helping to setthe standard in respon-sible design among thefine jewelry industry bypledging to personallydo their part to protectthese natural resourcesby refusing to purchase

or use real coral in theirdesigns. The efforts ofthese committed finejewelry designers meanwe are experiencing asea-change in the fash-ion and design industrywhen it comes to coraluse, said Dawn Martin,president of SeaWeb.

All photos courtesy of SeaWeb,

SeaWeb.org, TooPrec ious-

ToWear.org

Too Precious to Wear brooch in

gold with assorted gemstones by

Jean Schlumberger.

Too Precious to Wear necklace

in 14K recycled gold, calcite crys-

tals, vintage recycled bakelite, and

a conict-free diamond clasp by

Monique Pan.

Comprehensive...accurate anadventure

bookwithpassionandunderstanding.

Emeralds, A Passionate GuidebyRonaldRingsrudcontains70photomicrographs,250colorphotos,

with23chaptersandforewordbyJohnKoivula.

Info & Ordering: www.emeraldpassion.com

Lecture and book signing at JCK Edu-

cation session,

Thurs. June 4

at 3:30 PM in

the Titan Room,

JCK Las Vegas

Available at

emeraldpassion.com

and most gem

booksellers.


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62

West

47th

Street,

Suite

905,

New

York,

NY1

0036Tel:212.391.5649Fax:917.595.5312Email:[email protected]

SinghalGemsD-50,SubhashMarg,C-Scheme,Jaipur-302001 INDIA

Tel:+91.141.4057867Email:[email protected]

925 Sterling,Inc.

Dealer of Fine Gemstones, Tanzanite & Zambian Emeralds

Manufacturer of Fine Sterling Jewelry


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INDUSTRY NEWS

Buyers examine lots at the Gemelds auction in Jaipur (photo

courtesy of Gemelds).

Gemelds: Record Sales at Rough Emeraldand Beryl Auction in Jaipur

Gemfields held its first rough emerald and beryl auction

of 2010 in Jaipur, India in March, selling 89 percent ofmaterial by value for US$7.2 million, with a volume of 5.78tons. This was Gemfields largest auction in terms of weightsold and sales realized, with 25 participating companiescompared to the previous auctions in London. A total 28.9million carats of principally lower-quality rough emeraldsand beryl were offered in 56 separate lots, of which 49were sold with 8 bids per lot on average. The share of lotssold amounted to 78.9 percent by weight and 89 percentby value at US$7.2 million, or US$0.31/carat. Lots rangedfrom about US$0.03/carat to US$38/carat. Jaipur marked

our first low-grade auction and the improvement in marketsentiment was palpable. We were particularly pleased tofurther cement our relationships with our various custom-ers, laying the path for Zambian emeralds to take the leadin the supply of ethical gemstones of guaranteed prove-nance, said CEO Ian Harebottle.

Tanzanias Controversial New Mining Law

Tanzanias parliament passed a new mining law that in-creases the rate of royalties paid on minerals such asgold from 3 to 4 percent and requires the government to

own a stake in future mining projects. The Mining Act2010 also requires mining companies to list on the Dar EsSalaam Stock Exchange. Gemstones identified by the newlaw include diamonds, tanzanite, emerald, ruby, sapphire,turquoise, topaz, etc. The new law requires that the Tanza-nian government own a stake in future mining projects andthat the country will no longer issue gemstone mining li-cences to foreign firms, although current agreements withforeign companies remain unchanged. Tanzanite One, forexample, will not be affected by the new ownership rules.

Faceted tanzanite gems mined in Tanzania (photo courtesy of

Tanzanite One).


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INDUSTRY NEWS

Mining companies however have said that this lawwould further erode investor confidence. In a joint state-ment issued through the Tanzania Chamber of Minerals

and Energy (representing international and local inves-tors), the legislation is described by investors as distort-ed, that it would curtail future mining projects in the na-tion. [The bill] will only serve to hinder further growthof the mining sector as existing investors resort to curtail-ing existing and expansion projects, and is bound to scarepotential investors who will look elsewhere, the chamberstated to Reuters. Mining companies said they hoped toconvince the government to amend the new law before itreceives presidential assent, as it would have serious re-percussions on the industry.

2010 CIBJO Congress

In February, the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO)held its annual congress in Munich, Germany where135 delegates from across the globe discussed importantindustry-related topics. Among the highlights were: theapproval by CIBJOs Coloured Stone Commission of a setof codes for the industry to describe gem treatments; therelease of its Gemmology Laboratory Blue Book (GLBB);

a decision by the CIBJO Diamond Commission to broad-en the number of acceptable terms to describe syntheticdiamonds; and the release by the CIBJO Marketing and

Education Commission of a diamond, colored gemstone,pearl, and precious metals guide for jewelry consumers.The GLBB is a guide for the management and technicaloperations of gemological laboratories. It suggests bestpractices and general requirements for laboratories to

One of the sessions at the CIBJO 2010 annual congress (photo cour-

tesy of CIBJO).


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INDUSTRY NEWS

carry out tests, grading, and internal calibrations on instru-ments, colored gemstones, diamonds, and pearls.

In his address to the CIBJO Assembly of Delegates,

CIBJO president Dr. Gaetano Cavalieri announcedthe development of Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) programs by the World Jewellery ConfederationEducation Foundation (WJCEF). The first course will bean intensive WJCEF Executive Program, which will op-erate according to a model developed for CIBJO by aUnited Nations-appointed team of CSR experts. CIBJOhad created a 50,000 Swiss franc scholarship fund, andit will be used to help finance the first WJCEF execu-tive course, which will be hosted by HRD Antwerp inBelgium in June.

ICA, CIBJO, and AGTA Cooperateon Common Disclosure Codes

The International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA)met with CIBJO and AGTA delegates in Tucson to setthe basis for developing a common code of disclosure forthe colored stone sector. This is the first time the three or-ganizations have endorsed a common initiative, based on

a system previously developed by AGTA. It is envisionedthat these codes will be used and understood by the greatmajority of the global colored gemstone trade.

British Reality Show TargetsLuxury Goods Industries

The first episode of a new BBC reality show aiming tohighlight the workers conditions in producing lux-ury goods started with a look at gemstone mining. Thepremise of Blood, Sweat and Luxurieswas to send six youngBritish consumers to work alongside the people who mine,manufacture, process and recycle luxury goods, accordingto BBCs website. The shows inspiration is to get the char-

acters and viewers thinking more about the human costof that shiny sapphire necklace or that new leather hand-bag. For the first episode, six rich Brits were shipped offto the isolated mining town of Ilakaka, Madagascar wherethey are lowered down a 50-foot deep mine shaft to digfor sapphires. As a TV reviewer for The Guardianwrote, theparticipants have a collective moment of realization: Ohmy God, the world is totally so unfair. One even criticizedthe European gem dealer for making all the money whilethe guys at the mines do all the work for a pound a day.

QVC and Smithsonian Partneron Jewelry Line

TV retailer QVC has teamed up with the SmithsonianInstitute to create a line of fashion jewelry expected tolaunch this fall, which has been inspired by the museumscollection of iconic pieces. The National Gem and MineralCollection contains more than 375,000 individual speci-mens, including the blue Hope Diamond and the MarieAntoinette Earrings. The line with QVC will include ear-rings, rings, bracelets, pins, and brooches, as well as repli-cas of pieces in the museums collection, using gems such as

alexandrite, garnet, topaz, and tourmaline with price pointsstarting at $85.The Smithsonian is delighted to work with QVC, said

Carol LeBlanc, director of consumer products for Smithso-nian Enterprises. Together, we will create jewelry that isnot only fashionable but also serves to educate the publicabout the Smithsonian and the jewelry, gems, and min-erals found in its collections. Debra Puzio, QVCs direc-tor of merchandising, added, Millions of people visit themuseum each year, admiring its beautiful and rare jewelryand gemstone collection. Now our customers can sharethese national treasures in a very personal way as we givethem access to owning jewelry based on items of greathistorical significance.


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By Barbara Wheat

With the support ofthe Royal ThaiGovernment and the

combined cooperation of as-sociations and institutes inThailand, the gem and jew-

elry industry is being sustainedthrough a variety of projectsthat include promotion, brand-ing, changes on import taxationregulations, and developingstandards and a pricing indexfor the gemstone industry.

The Thai gem and jewelryindustry provides more than onemillion jobs and is the countrysfourth largest export sector withUS$27 billion in sales in 2009.

It is no wonder that the govern-ment, through its Ministries ofCommerce and Finance, getsactively involved in concrete co-operation with the private sectorto develop initiatives intended toweather the uncertainties of theworld economy while keepingthe sector at the forefront of theglobal marketplace.

Over the past few years, the

Thai Gem and Jewelry Trad-ers Association (TGJTA), incooperation with the Thai Min-istry of Commerce, has rolledout several major projects andinitiatives aimed at support-ing the Thai gem and jew-elry industry. TGJTAs goal isto make Thailand the worlds gem and jewelry hubby 2014. Some initiatives by TGJTA to promoteThailand as the Gems and Jewelry Trade Route include thebranding of gemstones processed in Thailand as Ploi Thaiand a Buy With Confidence campaign, as well as the de-cision of the Thai government to scrap the value added tax

COVER STORY

(VAT) on the import of raw ma-terials such as rough gemstones.

The Zero VAT Pavilion, nowa permanent attraction in theBangkok Gems and JewelryFair, has drawn exhibitors fromAfghanistan, Kenya, Nigeria,and other gem producing na-

tions. This initiative is part of thestrategy to ensure a regular sup-ply of rough gemstone materialinto the country to supply themany lapidary companies.

Another major developmentfollowing a mandate from theThai government to supportsmall and medium enterprises(SMEs), is the formation byThailands Ministry of Com-merce of the Gem & Jewelry

Business Development Commit-tee of Thailand (GCT) to over-see planning and implementationof projects aimed at sustainingthe growth of the Thai gem andjewelry industry as well as put-ting measures in place to providecontinuing support for producers,traders, and retailers.

The Educational Subcom-mittee, under the GCT, one of

thirteen committees formed,was entrusted with the task ofpreparing both a quality stan-dards and a reference pricingindex for colored gemstones.The main objective for es-tablishing such standards wasto support the decision by

the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Bank(SME Bank) to provide loans to gem and jewelry stake-holders using gemstones as collateral. Without a solidsystem in place for grading and pricing colored gemstones,the SME Bank could not support the industry with loansagainst their stock of gems.

Thailand Sets GemAnd Jewelry

BrandingAnd Promotion Strategy

The Thai Buy with Condence certicate, top, and logo

(photos courtesy of GIT).


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COVER STORY

The subcommittee was comprised of representatives of theThai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association (TGJTA), special-ists from the Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (GIT),as well as international experts from every sector of the busi-ness, including those involved in rough stones, production,trade, the retail sector, and technology. Their objective wasto specify reference standards and establish pricing guidelinesthat could facilitate fair-trading, and which would establishconsumer confidence in Thailand and abroad.

The Colored Stone Buying Guide was completed onDecember 28, 2009, and is the first such reference guideto circulate in the world of commercial colored gemstonetrading. The documents are available in Thai, English,and Chinese, the major languages of the destination mar-kets for the campaign. Distribution of the Colored StoneBuying Guide has, to date, been concentrated at tradeshows in Bangkok, Hong Kong, Vicenza, and Basel.

Over 30 years ago, the Asian Institute of GemologicalSciences (AIGS)Asias first professional gemologicalschool and gem testing laboratorylaunched the AIGSRuby and Sapphire Grading system. The grading systemis part of AIGSs aim to provide students with a completeeducation, involving not only gem identification and theo-

retical knowledge, but also to give an understanding aboutqualities, prices, market history, trends, and sources, saidAIGS founder and president, Henry Ho. He further ex-plained that the grading is not used on the AIGS labora-tory reports issued in Bangkok.

The Colored Stone Buying Guide goes further in that itis available to the entire industry to serve as a tool to sus-tain the growth of the Thai gem and jewelry industry. It ishoped that the combined initiatives will be of benefit to the

colored gemstone industry in Thailand, and also boost con-sumer confidence in Thai products worldwide. The reactionto the Colored Stone Buying Guide is expected to empha-size Thailands position as a leading world gem-trading cen-ter with fair trading practices. Also important is the fact thatthis reference price index will assist Thailand in protectingthe colored stone market from the crises and disruptions thathave adversely affected the industry during the last decade.

As the first such standards, these documents focus onthe most important and popular colored stones in theThai gem trade: sapphire and ruby, the gems in whichThailand has the worlds best expertise. The standards includenamely corundum, of which there are five basic colors: ruby,blue sapphire, yellow sapphire, pink sapphire, and orange

Zero Vat pavilion shared by African rough stone dealers at the Bangkok Fair(photo courtesy of Jean Claude Michelou).


18/60

7. The standards and price index willmaintain the position of Thailand as aleading center of gemstone trading.

Following the above principles, thiscooperation was developed through theefforts of the Thailand Small and Medi-um Enterprises Development Bank (SMEBank) along with Thailands Ministry ofCommerce and Gem Appraisal Co., Ltd.,with the support of three major trade or-ganizations; the Thai Gems and JewelryTraders Association; the Thai Gems and

Jewelry Manufacturers Association; and the Chantaburi Gemand Jewelry Traders Association. The government appointed

the SME Bank to begin providing loans for working capitalto gem and jewelry businesses using gemstones as collateral.Members of these three associations are eligible to sub-

mit applications for bank loans using only gemstones ascollateral for short-term loans to cover immediate expens-es or to enhance business liquidity. The terms of the loanrequire payment within three months and can be extendedfor an additional three months at the Minimum Loan Rate(MLR) with a maximum loan amount of 10 million Baht(approximately US$310,443) per loan.

Gem Appraisal Co., Ltd. located in the Jewelry TradeCenter, provides the appraisal services for the gemstones used

as collateral. According to its president, Chirakitti Tangathach,Gem Appraisal Co., Ltd is the sole appraiser for the SMEBank. Since the service became available in late February2010, the equivalent of over US$375,000 has been providedin loans to various gem and jewelry businesses in Thailand.Currently, the bank has more than 40 loan applications pend-ing ranging in amount from 100,000 Baht to 10 million Baht.

Although the pricing and value classification of the Col-ored Stone Buying Guide is reportedly set to be taken as abasis for evaluation by the SME Bank loan system, it is notclear how much it will be used and promoted by the trade.

No industry organization or country has ever set stan-dards and pricing for the colored gemstone marketuntilnow. At a time when many gem traders are resistant to grad-ing colored gemstones, and some organizations in the indus-try actively oppose the idea, Thailand has nonetheless pro-ceeded with the release of the Colored Stone Buying Guide.

The guide is printed in Thai, English, and Chinese andpositions itself towards the fastest growing markets. How-ever, several questions arise on what the reaction will befrom both Thai and international traders. Will the mar-ket accept this grading and certification system? Will theChinese market embrace it? Nobody knows yet what thereaction from the market will be. It is, without a doubt, avery big step for Thailand to have taken.


COVER STORY

sapphire. In grading the levels of quality,the four attributes that are assessed arecolor, cut, clarity, and size/weight. The

pricing index serves only as a guidelineand is subject to monthly updates.

All parties involved in the preparationof the guide realize that establishing andissuing these quality standards and refer-ence price index is not 100 percent per-fect, but it has reportedly been done ina professional and transparent manner,based on data from the commercial retailmarket. They foresee that using these reference documentswhen trading colored stones can benefit both the buyer

and the seller. The documents are the basis for facilitatingsales, and they leave room for periodically adjusting pricesat all stages of the trading cycle.

According to information released by the Gem and Jew-elry Business Development Committee of Thailand, benefitsof the quality standards and reference-pricing index are:

1. Gem trading prices will reflect the world market situa-tion, and are adjusted in accordance with the realities ofthe world market.

2. The standards will establish confidence among consum-ers both in Thailand and abroad.

3. The reference documents will facilitate sales at every levelof the market, and will permit more flexibility in trading.

4. As listings, the documents inform traders of marketconditions, and enable traders to adapt their operationsto suit the market.

5. The standards reduce the contrast between producers andsmall-scale merchants, and facilitate trading at fair prices.

6. The standards facilitate increased trading volume, in boththe Thai market and in international markets.

The Thai government appointed the SME Bank to begin provid-

ing loans for working capital to gem and jewelry businesses us-

ing gemstones as collateral (photo courtesy of SME Bank).


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COVER STORY

Color Standardization and Trade Name


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COVER STORY

Clarity GradingGuide


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COVER STORY

Trade Name


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COVER STORY


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By E.A.Skalwold and W.A.Bassett

The upcoming book, Extraordinary Gems: The

Edward Arthur Metzger Collection, documents thestory behind Cornell Universitysfantastic collection of gemstones asseen through the lens of one of thegrand masters of mineral photography,Jeffrey Scovil.

While the images speak for them-selves, what follows is a brief look at thecollector himself and a few of the peoplewho helped him pursue his passion.

The collection encompasses a broadrange of gem species, many of very finequality and great rarity. Their rarity notonly pertains to the gem material, but

EDUCATION

also to extraordinary size, clarity, and natural color, as wellas many fashioned of non-traditional gem minerals.

Edward Metzger the Collector lived a life as extraor-

dinary as his collection. His interests in gems was bornout of his upbringing in a family sur-rounded by fine art and later refined byhis careful study of their attributes andhistory. He directly linked his love ofgems with his lifetime of travel in dis-tant lands. His adventures took himnot only to commonly visited desti-nations, but also to remote Kashmir,Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, New Guinea,Antarctica and many other equally ex-otic places. The cultures, history andnature all played a part in developinghis sense of aesthetics and color.

The Edward Arthur Metzger Collection

One of the many acquisitions Irma Vollrath made for Edward Metzger is this 22K gold necklace containing 32 unheated rubies of

exceptional color from the Valley of Mogok (approximately 38 total carats).

The Photographs of Jeffrey A. Scovil

Kunzite Spodumene, 102.16 cts


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EDUCATION

This portrait seems to come alive, conveying how every movement brings out

a magnicent kaleidoscope of changing colors in this stunning 20.45-ct black

opal brooch (designed and executed by Claus Vollrath).

The collection contains many colors of zoisite includ-

ing pink, green, yellow, and of course the magnicent

variety so familiar to alltanzanite. The color and bril-

liance of this spectacular 33.55-ct stone is nothing less

than dazzling as it graces this lovely platinum brooch

(designed and executed by Claus Vollrath).

Rubellite Briolette: 39.56 cts, 25.43 x 19.54 x 13.84 mm.


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The story of the Metzger Collection cannot beseparated from that of the late master goldsmith ClausVollrath and his wife Irma who, over a 35-year period,helped Edward put together the majority of this collection.The preeminent GIA gemologist Robert Crowningshieldonce said of Claus, whom he knew well, the man with themost beautiful stones! Many of these found their way into

Edwards collection.

EDUCATION

Very often finding the perfect specimen of a certaingemstone took a great deal of searching worldwide onthe part of the Vollraths, who not only called in stone

dealers from around the globe, but also traveled to Idar-Oberstein and elsewhere in search of fabulous gems forEdward. Some acquisitions took many individuals work-ing together to procure the final gem that would satisfyEdwards shrewd sense of quality and desire for rarity.

The Teal Diamond: 1.08-ct Fancy Vivid Green-Blue SI1. While

it appears to be an old mine cut, this diamond was actually

fashioned around the year 2003. The rough originated from the

Ubangi Watershed area of the Central African Republic. As of 2004,

the size of this fancy vivid green blue diamond was extraordinary,

with most below a carat and almost none above one carat of this

particular color (Hofer, 2003 personal correspondence).

Many of the set stones and fabulous jewelry designswere of Claus Vollraths making. For the most part, Edward

collected loose stones, but he also had a love of very finegoldwork, deceptively simple in design and which neverdetracted from the gem itself. For these reasons, Claus ex-acting workmanship was what Edward most often favoredwhenever he chose to have a fabulous stone set in jewelry.

Sri Lankan Sapphire: 18.78 cts, 18.85 x 11.96 x 9.97 mm. Be-

sides the stone dealer, who in 1983 watched this Padparadschas

cutting from the rough outside of Ratnapura, as well as that of

a magnicent 51.54-ct sapphire, Edward was the rst of Irmas

clients to view these untreated marvels. Needless to say, Edward

added both to his collection without hesitation.

This 18K gold ring sports an 11.71-ct cats eye that nearly denes

the variety. It is one of several such chrysoberyls including an

alexandrite cats eye (designed and executed by Claus Vollrath).

This magnicent 13.01-ct (16.69 x 11.50 x 8.30 mm) spinel was cut

from a 32-ct rough cr ystal originating from Okkampitya, Sri Lanka

in the late 1980s.


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EDUCATION

Topaz and diamond brooch: 58.21 cts, 28.45 x 19.70 x 13.30 mm.

Color Change Diaspore: 11.05 cts, 13.41 x 13.10 x 9.42 mm. (Left: daylight; Right: incandescent light.)


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EDUCATION

In personal letters, Edward often praised the Vollraths,not only for their assistance in obtaining fine materials,but also for educating him in the subtle details of whatconstitutes a connoisseur gem. While not every item inthe collection was acquired through them, they certainlyinfluenced Edwards careful purchases anywhere else inthe world.

While gems of every type make up the collection, animportant section is that of the fancy colored diamonds.For years, Edward urged Irma to find him a true reddiamond. Not one to be daunted by such a challenge,Irma brought in one of the most famous colored diamond

experts, author and consultant Stephen Hofer, to assistin the quest for this elusive gem and to advise Edwarddirectly regarding the building of a marvelous suite offancy colored diamonds, part of which Edward hadalready begun to acquire.

A telling illustration of Edwards passion for coloredgems, and diamonds in particular, is that he had obtainedand studied Stephens famous tome on the subject. Pur-veyors of colored stones can appreciate what a challengeand a pleasure it might be to sit across the table from sucha client. Stephen related to this author (EAS) that he wasprofoundly impressed with Edwards acumen and deep in-terest in not just the beauty and diversity, but also the sci-ence of color in diamonds.

Kashmir Sapphire Ring: 14.63 cts, 15.13 x 12.16 x 8.39 mm. An un-

heated magnicent facet-grade sugarloaf cabochon set in plati-

num, from the early 1990s (Raymond Yard design).

30.77-ct Star Sapphire Ring (David Webb design). Padparadscha: 13.36 cts, 15.61 x 11.22 x 8.35 mm. Purchased in

Colombo, Sri Lanka in the mid-1990s.

6.67-ct Star Ruby Platinum Ring.


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EDUCATION

Zircon: 22.50 cts, 17.92 x 14.17 x 8.25 mm.

Exotic Gem Minerals

Rhodochrosite: 10.05 cts, 13.16 x 13.39 x 8.76 mm.

Scheelite: 48.87 cts, 19.75 x 19.39 x 10.67 mm.

Phosphophyllite: 10.99 cts, 14.77 x 10.30 x 10.28 mm.

Aragonite: 47.93 cts, 30.40 x 20.24 x 14.32 mm.


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EDUCATION

15.90-ct Merelani Mint garnet.

30.22-ct Peridot.11.95-ct Tsavorite garnet.

0.64-ct green diamond.

26-inch Imperial jadeite bead necklace with beads ranging from

9.32 to 4.91 mm in diameter.

A Predilection for Green

Edward collected a multitude of green gems, not just theones seen here, but also chrome tourmaline, demantoid

garnet, and chrome diopside. While searching for the per-fect green diamond, he and Irma took the green diamond(below) out into Central Park to see if it compared favor-ably with the color of the grass!


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EDUCATION

In 2003, with Stephens assistance, Irma was able to ful-fill Edwards long quest for a diamond which rivals ruby inits blood red hue: the 0.89-carat Brazilian diamond nowknown as The Metzger Red. At that time, this stone,

whose origin was the alluvial diamond fields in the countryof Edwards birth, ranked as eighth largest in the world inthe red family and was the largest fashioned as an emeraldcut. Since that time, its rank has dropped considerably, butit still holds a historic place among this family of rarestcolor (Hofer, 2003 personal correspondence).

Tragically in 2004, Edward succumbed quickly to ill-ness, but not before he made arrangements to share withthe larger world what up until then had been a very privatepassionate pursuit. Edward completed what he could of thecolor wheel of fancy diamonds by making sure that one ofthe rarest colors was represented, a so-called pumpkindiamond, adding the stone to the collection just two daysbefore he passed way.

How many of us would spend what we knew to be ourlast hours on such a project? Only those for whom thebeauty inherent in gemstones holds such fascination, awe

and loveperhaps in one respect embodying ones earthlyexistence in such a way as to be worthy to be rememberedby, once life has fled.

Edwards passion for colored gemstones is rememberedby those in the gem world who were fortunate to meethim, such as K.C. Bell of San Francisco. Edwards interestin the unusual and very rare extended not only to the col-ored diamonds and non-traditional gem minerals, but alsoto natural pearls of many types.

He already possessed conch and melo pearls of goodsize and fine color. He learned from K.C. about other

types of pearls of even more exotic and rare nature. To hiscollection, he was able to add scallop pearls, clam pearls,a 45.47-carat conch pearl, a long lovely conch pearl neck-lace, natural saltwater pearls and, not least of all by anymeans, the magnificent necklace of very large abalonepearls pictured here.

Perhaps what personifies Edwards passion for gems issimply the greeting that K.C. received on the telephone ashe listened to a strangers pleasant voice utter: K.C., thisis Edward Metzger in New York. Id like to see your best,your finest, and your rarest.

About the book authors: Gemologist Elise A. Skalwold, BSc, FGA, GG, is a 1982Cornell graduate; William A. Bassett, Ph.D, is professor emeritus of geology, Cornell

University, a 1996 Roebling Medalist, and one of the pioneers of diamond anvilcell high pressure research.

All photographs are copyright Cornell University and Jeffrey A. Scovil. Text is

copyright of the authors and InColor magazine.

The Treasure of California: The natural abalone pearls in this

necklace were discovered in the 1970s and 1980s along the coast of

California and Lower (Baja) California. Largest pearl: 20.04 x 16.73

x 8.45 mm.

The Metzger Red: 0.89-ct Fancy Purplish Red VS1. The extremely

rare color of this Brazilian diamond denes the exact boundary

between pure and purplish-red making it a master stone with

which to judge all others (Hofer, 2003 personal correspondence).


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By Thomas Hainschwang, director and researchgem-

ologist at the Gemlab Laboratory for Gemstone and

Pearl Analysis and Reports in Balzers, Liechtenstein

When the first gemological laboratory was found-ed in London in 1925, the science of gemologyhad just been born. The advent of the first syn-

thetics (Verneuil synthetic corundum and synthetic spi-

nel) and diamond irradiation treatments were the mainchallenges in this early period of gemstone analysis. Un-til the 1970s, the laboratories were mainly equipped withstandard equipment such as microscopes, direct visionspectroscopes, refractometers, polariscopes, and dichro-scopes, among others, and some had access to certainmineralogical techniques such as X-ray diffraction and, ata later time, scanning electron microscopy via collabora-tion with universities or large geological institutes. Formost challenges during this time, the so-called standardgemological techniques were sufficient and the need formore sophisticated instrumentation was not imminent.

In 1976, the well-known mineralogist and gemolo-gist George Bosshart introduced spectrometers into thegemological field and was the first one to record UV-Visspectra of gemstones and even low-temperature spectra ofdiamonds in a gemological laboratory.

Following this initial step by Mr. Bosshart, the instru-ments that started to be used in the major gemologicallaboratories included UV-Vis-NIR spectrometer, infra-red spectrometer, and EDXRF chemical analysis systems.Interestingly, many laboratories, especially the ones doingmostly diamond grading, were not following this evolu-

GEMOLOGY

tion and only in the 1990s with the advent of many newtreatments and more and more synthetics, many started toinvest in analytical equipment.

With the appearance of HPHT-treated diamonds, thetechnique of photoluminescence spectroscopy and Ramanspectroscopy, which is associated with it, was added to theequipment list of the major labs. Even later, mainly for the useof light-element detection in beryllium-treated sapphire, for

example, destructive techniques such as ICPMS (inductive-ly coupled plasma mass spectroscopy), LIBS (laser inducedbreakdown spectroscopy) and rarely SIMS (secondary ionmass spectroscopy) were introduced into the gemologicalfield. Other instruments that were adapted for gemologicalpurposes included x-ray diffraction, radiography, computertomography, and scanning electron microscopy.

Even today, gemology is still regarded by some as some-thing between science and art since much that has beendone in earlier days was rather rudimentary compared toother sciences such as mineralogy, geology, and chemistry.Nowadays, most researchers working in gem labs come

from one of these sciences and advanced gemology hastruly evolved into a science.

The evolution of gem treatments and synthesis inthe past 20 years has changed the requirements for gemanalysis. In todays complex gemology world, the mostsophisticated instrumentation operated and interpreted byvery experienced gemologists are required to solve mostof the problems. The following paragraphs give a brief de-scription of the methods and their uses, potential, and risks.

UV-Vis-NIR Spectroscopy

This technique is the modern equivalent to the spectroscope,with the main difference being that the spectrum does notshow up as lines and bands visible within the rainbow of allspectral colors but rather is shown on a screen as a continu-ous graph, which represents the intensity of absorbance ortransmittance measured at each point on the spectrum. An-other important difference is that, depending on the systemused, such a UV-Vis-NIR spectrometer can cover a muchlarger domain than the standard spectroscope, which covers400 to 700 nm; a spectrometer typically covers the range of190 to 1,100 nm but can go all the way to about 3,000 nm.There are NIR spectrometers that cover the entire near in-frared but such systems are rarely in use. Two different types

The Uses, Potential, and Risks of

Analytical Equipment in Gemology

Figure 1. A natural color blue diamond: this is one of the most

prestigious gems that requires complex laboratory analysis.


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GEMOLOGY

of spectrometers are generally usedscanning spectrometersand diode spectrometers. Of these, the scanning spectrom-eters are the traditional instruments that are relatively slow

but that have the advantage of only measuring absorption.Diode spectrometers have the advantage that they are muchquicker and sometimes more efficient but the results needcare when interpreted since such instruments measure bothabsorption and emission at the same time. UV-Vis-NIR spec-troscopy is extensively used for country-of-origin determina-tion of gemstones, color-origin determination of diamond,and color-treatment analysis of gemstones and pearls. Whilethe spectrometers themselves have made a great evolution inthe past 15 years and portable low-cost instruments are avail-able today, the light sources providing the UV are very costly.

As soon as a high-resolution and high-sensitivity instrumentcovering the domain of the UV to about 1,100 nm is required,the costs of a complete instrument rise steeply.

Infrared Spectroscopy

Infrared spectroscopy is a technique that mainly determinesvibrational absorptions due to vibrating molecules in ma-terials. In diamonds, this method detects also a variety ofelectronic transitions, which are found in the near-infraredportion of the spectrum. The domain from about 1,200to 25,000 nm (~7800 to 400 cm-1) is covered by most oftodays infrared spectrometers. This domain represents theenergetically lower wavelengths of light which are invisible

to the eye. This type of spectroscopy measures how muchinfrared radiation passes through a sample put in its path.Today, there are nearly exclusively FTIR (Fourier Transform

Infrared) spectrometers in use since they are much fasterand efficient than the older generation of dispersive infraredspectrometers. This technique can be used for a large list oftasks including identification of mineral species, treatments,synthetics, determination of the diamond type, nitrogencontent, and presence of IR active hydrogen, and finally forthe identification of organic groups within gem materialssuch as OH (hydroxyl) groups.

Raman Spectroscopy

This method, although known since the 1930s, is onlypopular since lasers have become widely available. Thanksto the intense lasers and very sensitive detectors, it hasbecome possible to efficiently detect extremely smallamounts of inelastically scattered light (Raman scatter-ing) within elastically scattered light (Raleigh scattering)from a sample to be analyzed. It has been estimated that,as an average, approximately one out of one million scat-tered photons is a Raman signal. In Raman spectroscopy,the frequency of such inelastically scattered laser lightis measured and thus the identity of a substance can bedetermined. The use of this method is mainly for mate-rial identification (including filling materials in treatedgemstones), determination of inclusions, and certain

Figure 2. The prototype of the high resolution UV-Vis-NIR spectrometer system used at the GEMLAB laboratory (top). The graphs show

the polarized spectra recorded on this instrument from a natural emerald from the Habachtal/Austria of 1.04 cts (left) and the compari-

son of the reectance spectra recorded on this instrument of a natural black pearl from Pinctada margaritifera (blue trace, photo) and a

color-treated black pearl (red trace).


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organic coloring agents. The features in Raman spectracan also be used to determine the cristallinity of a material.

Raman spectroscopy that is based on the vibrations ofmolecules is a complementary technique to infrared spec-troscopy and in many cases either of them can be used tosolve a given problem. The most noteworthy exceptionis diamond where Raman spectroscopy is of very limitedinterest while infrared spectroscopy is one of the mostimportant techniques for diamond analysis.

One problem in Raman spectroscopy is the presenceof luminescence. Excited by the laser, luminescence canmask the Raman signal and make it impossible to success-fully record a Raman spectrum. It can also be a problemto determine whether a peak is a Raman scattering signalor luminescence, unless two different laser excitations areavailable to verify this.

GEMOLOGY

Photoluminescence Spectroscopy

Photoluminescence is a term that stands for emission ofphotons, thus phenomena such as fluorescence. In such phe-nomena, the absorption of a photon (light) puts a materialinto an excited state, and the energy loss when falling backto the ground state occurs in the form of an emission. Photo-luminescence spectroscopy is a technique that is commonlymeasured with the same instruments used for Raman mea-surements. Lasers are perfect sources to excite luminescence

in gem materials. The vast variability of lasers covering theentire range of wavelengths of interest permits one to exciteemissions related to all possible types of defects in a material.Even though there are many applications of this techniquein many different gem materials, the main use of photolu-minescence spectroscopy can be found in diamond analysis.Unlike any other gem material, diamond spectra exhibit avery large variety of rather sharp vibronic-type absorptionsand emissions caused by many different defects (point andextended defects). Diamond needs to be studied at roomtemperature and low temperature (commonly by the use of

liquid nitrogen with a temperature of -196C) because thespectra can be dramatically different. Usually, the emissionssharpen strongly at low temperature, but in certain casesthey are even absent at room temperature but very dominantat low temperature (see figure 4).

Although diamond is the main gemstone analyzed bythis method, there are vast possibilities for the analysis ofall other gem materials, which are by far not all studied indetail by this method.

Photoluminescence spectra can show a variety of arti-facts from laser, filter, and anything else that is in betweenthe laser and the spectrometer. Knowing these and reduc-ing or eliminating them is important for the proper inter-pretation of the resulting spectra.

Figure 4. The Raman/photoluminescence spectra of calcite and

aragonite recorded using two different lasers (473 and 532 nm).

The broad bands represent photoluminescence while the sharp

features are Raman scattering peaks.

Figure 3. The FTIR spectrometer used at the GEMLAB laboratory (left) and the infrared spectra recorded on this instrument from un-

treated emerald as well as emeralds treated by various commonly used organic llers (right), which are identied by the features in thespectral domain from 2,800 to 3,100 cm-1.


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GEMOLOGY

UV Imaging Techniques

UV imaging is a very useful method to study luminescenceand its distribution microscopically. There are basically two

types, one using very high-energy UV light (< 225 nm) andone using anything from about 250 nm to about 450 nm inthe blue part of the spectrum. The first one is known fromthe instrument DiamondView which has its main uses inthe field of diamonds, since the UV wavelength just belowthe diamond intrinsic UV absorption allows one to observesurface-restricted luminescence phenomena, which givedirect insights into the growth of diamond.

The other type is used for all sorts of analyses such asdetection and quantification of organic fillers and the obser-vation of irregular defect distribution in gemstones. There

are many ways to use a UV microscope and, with the right

setup, gem materials can be excited and observed under lightwavelengths from 250 nm to about 650 nm. Furthermore,such instruments can be coupled to a spectrometer to record

the emission of a sample when excited by the intense lightsource that is necessary for UV microscopy. Such an experi-ment showing the blue fluorescence emission depending onthe excitation wavelength using a xenon light source and amonochromator is shown in figure 6. The spectra shown arephotoluminescence spectra, but simply recorded using anexcitation source other than a laser.

EDXRF (Energy Dispersive X-RayFluorescence) Spectroscopy

This type of spectroscopy is actually the measurementof secondary X-rays that are emitted by a material whenexcited by X-rays. The X-rays cause electrons in the innershell to be ejected from their sites and, when they are re-placed by electrons from an outer shell, secondary X-raysare emitted; therefore the name X-ray fluorescence.

The emitted secondary X-rays have energies character-istic for each chemical element of the periodic table andtherefore this technique permits the non-destructive chem-ical analysis of gem materials. Well-calibrated EDXRF sys-tems permit the quantitative or semi-quantitative chemicalanalysis of materials. The only drawback of this technique

is that light elements (lower atomic number than sodium)cannot be detected because of the beryllium window thatis usually employed at the entrance of the detector andthat the determinable light elements (Na, Mg, Al, Si) needto be present in relatively high concentrations in orderto be detected. In EDXRF, various artifacts occur, withthe most prominent being diffraction peaks that can bereduced by rotating a sample during the analysis.

Figure 6. The setup of the xenon-based luminescence spectroscopy system (left) and the result obtained from a blue-uorescing diamond

using various excitation wavelengths (right).

Figure 5. The room temperature (blue trace) and low temperature

(-196C, red trace) spectra recorded from a nickel-rich natural

diamond (inset). The very intense emission system seen in the do-

main around 700 nm is nickel-related and well known from HPHT

synthetic diamonds grown by a nickel catalyst. The spectra were

recorded with a 532 nm laser on the PL spectrometer system used

at the GEMLAB laboratory.


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LIBS (Laser Induced BreakdownSpectroscopy)

This chemical analysis method cannot be performed withoutdestroying small quantities of material and is based on thewell-known and practically abandoned technique of flamespectroscopy. In this modernized version, small quantities arevaporized using a laser and the resulting atomic emissions aremeasured with a very high-resolution spectrometer; usuallyseveral diode spectrometers covering only a short range eachare coupled to achieve the high resolution necessary to re-

solve all the very sharp emissions. With well-focalized lasersand a well-adapted stage, gem materials can be tested withoutmajor traces visible after analysis; typically very small shallowcraters are created, which can be removed practically withoutweight loss. LIBS is relatively difficult to calibrate to be usedquantitatively, but approximate values can be obtained. Themethod has its main application in the detection of light ele-ments in gem materials, such as beryllium in sapphire.

ICPMS (Inductively CoupledPlasma Mass Spectroscopy)

The highly sophisticated and expensive method is a destruc-tive one that can, thanks to laser ablation via a microscope,be used in the gemological field. The small shallow cratersare about as tiny as the ones created by LIBS, thus creatingno real problem in gem testing. ICPMS is extremely sensi-tive and practically all elements can be detected in very lowconcentrations (sub-ppm). The problem is that it can reallyonly be run correctly if standards are used for the differentmaterials to be analyzed and even then only by a highly spe-cialized operator. ICPMS is, on one hand, super sensitive forquantitative trace element analysis but, on the other hand, itis an instrument that can very easily lead to erroneous resultsif not used with utmost caution and precision.

GEMOLOGY

X-Ray Imaging Techniques

The two most important imaging techniques using X-raysare the well-known radiography and the more sophisti-

cated and very expensive Micro Computer Tomography.Radiography is used for pearl analysis and to visualize andquantify certain fillers in gem materials such as the notori-ous lead glass filled rubies (or glass-ruby composite mate-rial, see figure 8). Film-based radiography has been usedfor a long time and has proven to be efficient in pearl test-ing. The problem with this method is the time needed foreach radiography. Pearls often need to be X-rayed fromseveral directions for conclusive evidence and such proce-dures can be very time-consuming.

For two decades, digital radiography has been available

in the market. Using this technique, real-time imaging hasbecome a reality. The major drawback of digital radiogra-phy has always been the resolution of the images obtained.Until quite recently, the resolution was not satisfactory, andfar from the resolution of the best X-ray film in the market.

In the past years, this situation has changed and somesystems are available that have similar or even equal reso-lution levels of X-ray film. While these detectors are veryexpensive, they can save time and allow many images tobe recorded under different conditions. This helps solvemany tasks of difficult pearls that may otherwise requirecomputer tomography.

When pearls are really ambiguous, computer tomogra-phy may be the only solution. The technique has a resolu-tion superior to radiography and creates three-dimension-al images. The drawbacks are that it is time-consumingif good results are needed and that the initial investmentand the running costs for the complex machine are major.Only the highest-resolution systems make sense since in-struments with lower resolution have no significant advan-tage over a highest-resolution real-time radiography sys-tem. Additionally, only single pearls can be tested; stringscannot be scanned with these systems. This means that

a pearl must be quite some size in order to be worth theexpense of Micro-CT analysis. If the high-resolution CTscanners evolve and become more rapid and if prices comedown, perhaps one day these systems may be economi-cally viable in a commercial gemological laboratory.

Other Methods

Scanning electron microscopy usually permits the observa-tion of the surface of a sample with magnifications up toseveral ten thousands, the visualization of compositionalfluctuations, and variations in a substance and if availablealso the luminescence of a sample under the electron beamused in the microscope. Additionally, many instruments

Figure 7. The EDXRF chemical analysis of a lead glass treated star

ruby, performed on a custom EDXRF spectrometer system with a

thermoelectrically cooled detector used at the GEMLAB laboratory.


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GEMOLOGY

have EDX capacities, which means that they allow pointanalysis of the chemical composition. SEM-EDX has theadvantage that very small surfaces can be scanned point bypoint, but the detection limit of the instrument is lower thanin EDXRF since the electrons used to X-ray emission cause abackground noise known under the term Bremsstrahlung.

14C isotope analysis for age determination of certain organ-ic gem materials (radiocarbon dating) is usually realized usingan accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS). For this destructive,complex, and expensive method, a piece of about 0.015g

must be available for destructive analysis. Ions obtained fromthe material are accelerated to extraordinarily high kineticenergies before mass analysis in order to efficiently determinethe 12C to 14C isotope ratio, which then permits the deter-mination of the age of a substance. 14C is the short-lived ra-dioactive isotope of carbon (mostly 12C is the stable isotopepresent in nature, together with very little 13C), which has ahalf-life of 5,730 years and which is accumulated by all livingthings on earth. By measuring how much of it is left, the agecan be determined, with a maximum of about 40,000 years.

These two methods are only rarely used in gemology

and gem labs can generally only access them by coopera-tion with universities or other research labs.

Discussion and Concluding Remarks

This short overview of the instruments used and neededin todays gemological laboratories has demonstrated thatgemology is a real field of science today. Gemology needsto be separated into a scientific and a commercial defini-tion, since the title gemologist can mean just about any-thing, from a short course allowing one to use the title, toscientific education and a life full of passion for gems.

The advent of advanced instrumentation has broughtthe science of gemstone analysis to a new level. The com-

bination of classic gemological tools with a multitude ofadvanced instruments is the key for the gemological com-munity to defend its credibility and to protect consumers.

Today, the cost of such instruments has decreased to a cer-tain degree and smaller laboratories and others interestedin the techniques can afford them more easily.

The problem that arises with the availability of spe-cialized analytical instruments is the interpretation of thedata obtained. Even the most experienced operators canmisinterpret data or some artifacts can be regarded as realresults; such errors happen very rapidly since they are notalways evident. Therefore, the instruments, techniques,and the physics behind them must be part of the knowl-edge of a laboratory gemologist who is employing them

and interpreting the data. With this in mind, it is not dif-ficult to imagine what can happen when inexperiencedusers try to interpret spectral data. Without sufficientbackground knowledge, experience, and caution, it is saf-er to keep the fingers from such specialized instruments,unless the data obtained is simply used to learn and not tobe published. The fact that the internet has made it easyto publish any type of information without verificationby an independent expert is one of the major problems ingemology today. It is no secret that even peer-reviewedpublications by experienced scientists may contain majorerrors, but this risk is far higher in non peer-reviewed

online publications. Today, one can find rather abstrusepapers online about gemological topics, which gain cred-ibility due only to the fact that some fancy instrumentswere used to come to the published conclusions.

More than once, for example, photoluminescence datahas been regarded as Raman data, leading to rather breath-taking conclusions from data obtained by Raman spectros-copy, which is a method that permits mainly to identifymineral species (see above).

Without a doubt, the use of such still very costlyinstrumentation has permitted the laboratory gemologist to

solve most problems that occur in gemology today. Thereare many methods offering much potential for gemstone andpearl analyses. It is evident that running a serious laboratorywithout a variety of analytical instruments is impossible. Itis also evident that such instruments have their applicationsand uses for gemologists not directly involved in laboratorywork, but that the limitations and risks associated with themshould always be kept in mind.

The author is grateful to Franck Notari (GemTechLab Geneva) for proofreading

the manuscript.

Thomas Hainschwang ([email protected]) is currently working

on his Ph.D on a diamond topic at the University of Nantes (France) under the

supervision of Prof. Emmanuel Fritsch and Dr. Benjamin Rondeau.

Figure 8. A radiography of the lead glass treated star ruby shown

in gure 7 (left) and of a natural pearl (right) recorded on the

custom-made real-time radiography Blackbox system used at the

GEMLAB laboratory. The bright white to lighter gray zones in the

image of the ruby represent lead glass llings.


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By Christopher P.Smith, AGL president

For more than a year, yet another new ruby heat treat-ment has been entering the global marketplace. As thistreatment was first acquired in Bangkok by wholesalers

and manufacturers, then distributed through other marketsacross the world, issues arose as how to properly representand disclose this treatment. Of concern for the industry waswhether it had to be disclosed similarly to the lead-glasstreated ruby, known as Composite Ruby (AGL 2007), and

what special care requirements did it carry. Following its ini-tial investigations, the American Gemological Laboratory(AGL) released its conclusions and policies for their reports(AGL 2010). The findings indicate this latest treatment isessentially the same as the more traditional flux-assistedheating of rubies, with some additional features.

Sizes and AppearanceThe supply of treated rubies from Mozambique is quite largeas are their sizes. The author has examined hundreds of fac-eted rubies below 1 to more than 5 carats in the U.S., HongKong, and Thailand (figure 1). Although these sizes are

common, rubies treated by this new method in excess of 40to 50 carats are also available. In larger stones (generally 10carats or more), faceted stones tend to be shallow due to the

tabular shape of the original rough. The majority of rubiesexamined were of medium to lower quality, with a pinkish-red to saturated red color and obvious inclusions reducingtransparency. Higher quality, more transparent treated ru-bies are also encountered.

Gemological FindingsAll of the standard gemological properties were consistentwith ruby in general. Microscopic examination revealedthe presence of several naturally-occurring inclusionsthat showed evidence of heat treatment (figure 2). All ofthe stones possessed thermally induced healed fissureswith heating residues that ranged from faint or minor toprominent (figure 3). Many of the samples possessed fis-

GEMOLOGY

sures where little to no healing had taken place, however,the fissures were in-filled with a solid, glass-like or vitre-ous material (figure 4). Both features were readily evidentwhen the stones were viewed with a standard jewelersloupe or a microscope. Several of the stones also possessedglass-filled cavities. The lower luster of the glass comparedto the host ruby was evident (figure 5).

Chemical analyses were conducted using an energydispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (ED-XRF).Minor to trace elements of chromium, iron, titanium, vana-dium, and gallium, were detected in concentrations typicalof Mozambique rubies (GIT-GTL, 2009, 2010; Pardieu et

al., 2009, 2010). No lead or bismuth was detected.

Durability TestsInitial durability studies were conducted in collabora-tion with Craig A. Lynch of Ouellet & Lynch in Phoenix,Arizona. Stones that had primarily fissures healed during theheating process, as well as ones that possessed a combinationof fissure healing and in-filling were exposed to conditionsthat would be typically encountered at the work-bench ofmanufacturers and retailers. Standard bench jeweler prac-tices were employed during the re-tipping of prongs, sizing,

repair, rhodium plating, and polishing.

Rubies were immersed in a standard jewelers pickle(warmed Sparex) for 20 minutes. Prior to rhodium plat-ing, the rubies where cleaned in a solution of PotassiumHydroxide for 1.5 minutes. For the rhodium plating pro-cess, the rubies were immersed in a solution of sulfuric acidstandard for plating white gold jewelry, for 1.5 minutes.

AGL Discusses the Latest New Ruby Heat

Treatment Comingout of Thailand

Figure 1: For more than a year,

another new heat treatment for

Mozambique rubies has been on

the Thai market. Rubies treated

by this method are found in

large quantities, ranging in size

from below 1 ct to over 50 cts.

Figure 2: The Mozambique rubies treated by this method possessed

internal features revealing thermal alteration. Left: A whitish

crystal has gone through thermal shock. Right: A heavily altered

crystal has created a halo of orange color as a result of heating.

Figure 3: Shown here are the typi-

cal constituents and patterns of

heating residues present as a re-

sult of induced healing of ssures

by the adding of uxing agents

during heating.


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GEMOLOGY

DiscussionFor this treatment, AGL was told that a selection of the roughmaterial suitable for the Composite Ruby treatment is made.

This sub-group of rough is then treated using various chemi-cals or fluxing agents, similar to the more traditional heatingof ruby that results in fissure healing and heating residues(B. Hakimi 2010; Pardieu et al., 2010).

During the course of microscopic investigations, itwas clear that virtually all rubies possessed fissures thathad been healed. Many of the stones also possessedfissures that had been in-filled with a glass-like or vitreousmaterial. The lead-glass of a Composite Ruby does not par-ticipate in the healing of fissures, and the golden color ofthe lead-glass further augments the color of rubies treated

by that method. Neither is the case with this new treatment.

From our durability studies, immersion in the pickling so-lution and rhodium plating produced no discernible damage.The results are in contrast to the etching that occurs withComposite Rubies (Smith et al., 2005; McClure et al., 2006;Lynch, 2010). The heat of re-tipping and/or sizing, howev-er, could cause the glass to bubble at the surface (figure 6).These results are similar to those of the more traditionallyheated rubies possessing induced healed fissures and heatingresidues (as performed by the author previously).

Report Disclosure TerminologyThe overall investigation of this latest ruby heat treat-ment has shown that it is similar to the more tradition-

ally heated rubies. Therefore, AGL has decided to addressthese stones within the context of disclosure already ex-

istent for such rubies. For

those stones where themajority of what is takingplace involves the healingof fissures, the traditionaldisclosure nomenclatureaddressing the quantityof heating residues will beapplied (figure 7).

For those stones thatpossess a combinationof fissure healing and in-

filling, to better representthe dual nature of whathas taken place and ispresent in these particularrubies, AGL will expandits disclosure information.

Disclosure wording will address both heating residues andin-filling, and their extent will be indicated collectively. Anexpanded description will also be provided under the com-ments section (figure 8).

Concluding CommentsWhen the rubies from the Mong Hsu area of Burma (Myanmar)

first came to the market in the early 1990s, there was greatcontroversy surrounding the extent of fissure healing and glassin-filling in many of these stones (McClure and Smith, 2000).This topic eventually died down as treaters focused more ofthe treatment process on fissure healing and the use of ac-ids to remove the larger masses of glass at the surface of thestones. As a result, less often were unhealed, glass in-filled fis-sures and cavities encountered. Today, this latest treatment ofMozambique rubies parallels the early Mong Hsu material.

Although the extent of this treatment may be significant,there are several differences between this and the materialAGL classifies as Composite Ruby. The glass infused intothe Composite Ruby material contains lead and/or bismuth,as well as other potential elements to raise the refractive

Figure 6: This ruby, with both

ssures that were healed and in-

lled, was exposed to common

procedures of a bench jeweler.

Re-tipping caused some areas

of the in-lled ssures to bubble

while others were left unaffected.

Figure 4: Many of the treated Mo-

zambique rubies had unhealed

ssures in-lled with a glass-like

or vitreous material. Ancillary -

ber-optic lighting reects off the

in-lled ssures, making them

readily visible. This contrasts to

the very low relief of the lead-

glass lling of a Composite Ruby.

Figure 5: Glass-lled cavities were a common feature of the heated

Mozambique rubies. The lower luster of the glass made them easy

to distinguish (left). The lead-glass lled cavities present in a Com-

posite Ruby are more difficult to detect due to the close R.I. match

of the lead-glass to the ruby (right).

Figure 7: The dominant feature resulting from this latest treatment

is the healing of ssures. Heating residues are quantied.


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index of the glass to that of the host ruby. This makes itquite difficult to ascertain the true extent of the treatmentwithout partially dissolving the glass. For the treatment dis-cussed here, the features are readily visible permitting the

true extent of the healing and in-filling to be determined.Initial durability tests indicate that these stoneshave fewer special-care requirements than CompositeRubies and that their characteristics more closely resemblethose of traditionally heated rubies with heating residueswhen exposed to conditions in a jewelers workshop or

GEMOLOGY

commercial household products. Professional bench jew-elers should already be familiar with the proper handlingof a heated ruby. In contrast, Composite Ruby carries withit certain intrinsic special care requirements that must be

conveyed to bench jewelers and consumers, in order toavoid inadvertent damage to the stones.

Over the past two years, Mozambique has become animportant source of rubies of all three types: Unheated,Heated, and Composite (see sidebar). This treatment hasmade these stones an interesting low-cost alternative forthose who dont want to work with Composite Rubies yetare having difficulties in obtaining heated rubies of non-Burmese origin since rubies from Burma (Myanmar) arebanned in the U.S. and elsewhere.

References: AGL (13 November 2007) AGL modifies its disclosure policy on lead-glass filled

rubies. http://www.aglgemlab.com/News/composite%20ruby.pdf

AGL (3 May 2010) AGL Will Not Be Classifying New Ruby Treatment As

Composite Ruby. http://www.aglgemlab.com/News/New%20Ruby%20Treatment-

May%202010-AGL.pdf

GIT-GTL (Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand - Gem testing Laboratory: 2009).

Some characteristics of Mozambique ruby. http://www.git.or.th/eng/testing_center_en/

lab_notes_en/glab_en/2009/GIT_article_ruby_mozambique_web.pdf

GIT-GTL (Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand - Gem testing Laboratory:

2010). New ruby deposits in Mozambique. http://www.git.or.th/eng/testing_center_en/

lab_notes_en/glab_en/2010/new_ruby_deposits_mozambique.pdf

LMHC Information sheet #3: Corundum with glass filled fractures and/or cavities

enhancing the clarity. http://www.giathai.net/pdf/IS3_18012010.pdf

Lynch C.A. (2010) Is that really a ruby? Private publication Ouellet & Lynch, pp. 46.

McClure S.F., Smith C.P. (2000) Gemstone enhancement and detection in the 1990s.

Gems & Gemology, Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 336-359.

McClure S.F., Smith C.P., Wang W., Hall M. (2006) Identification and durability

of lead glass-filled rubies. Gems & Gemology, Vol. 42,

No. 1, pp. 22-34.

Pardieu V., Thanachakaphad J., Jacquat

S., Senoble J.B., Bryl L.P. (2009) Rubies from

the Niassa and Cabo Delgado regions of

Northern Mozambique. http ://www.giatha i.net/pdf/Nias sa_Mozambique_Ruby_Septem-

ber13_2009.pdf

Pardieu V., Sturman N., Saesaew S., Du Toit

G., Thirangoon K. (2010) FAPFH/GFF Treated

Ruby from Mozambique. http://www.giathai.net/

pdf/Flux_heated_and_glass_filled_rubies_from_

Mozambique.pdf

Smith C.P., McClure S.F., Wang W., Hall M.

(2005) Some characteristics of lead-glass-filled

corundum. Jewellery News Asia, November, No.

255, pp. 79-84.

Smith C.P. (2010) Mozambique Rubies. Gems &

Jewellery. Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 3-5.

Mail thisform alongwith yourcheckorCreditCarddetailsto:International ColoredGemstoneAssociation

19West21stStreet,Suite#705

NewYork,NY10010 U.S.A.

Tel:[1] (212) 620-0900 Fax:[1] (212) 352-9054

[email protected] www.gemstone.org

1 year-4issues $50.001 ear-4issu 5 0. 00

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Three types of ruby currently available in the market

Unheated Ruby:A ruby that possesses the intrinsic quality endowed bynature.Potential additional enhancements:

Clarity Oiling of ssures

Heated Ruby:A stable enhancement method.Potential additional enhancements:

Clarity Fissure healing* Clarity Fissure healing* and In-lling Diffusion Beryllium diffusion

Composite Ruby:An amalgam of natural ruby and glass. Special carerequired.

*Heating residues is a term used when describing a healed ssure. It was developed to representthe compound nature of what happens to the uxing agents used during a more traditionalheating procedure. Upon cooling, ssures are healed and what remains along the traces of theseprevious open ssures is re-grown (synthetic)corundum, a vitreous melt (glass), and tiny voids(contraction bubbles). A combination of these three components denes heating residues.

Figure 8: This stone possessed the combination of healed ssures

and in-lled ssures. Heating residues and in-lling are quanti-

ed collectively.


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GEMOLOGY

The Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences-AIGS Laboratory has launched a new MasterGemstone Report (MG Report). The MG

Report is based on a proprietary star-based sys-tem, similar to quality analysis ratings used inratings guides for hotels and restaurants.

The AIGS Ruby and Sapphire Gradingsystem was launched over 30 years ago by

Robert Weiser and Henry Ho, founders of theAsian Institute of Gemological Sciences, Asiasfirst professional gemological school andgem-testing laboratory.

According to AIGS president, Henry Ho,the MG Report evolved from the concept ofquality branding. This document assures theconsumer that the gemstone has been pre-qualified, possessing attributes of excellenceand distinction, and will assist them in makingbetter decisions in determining the quality ofthe gemstone, said Mr. Ho.

incolor spring 2010

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