inclusions

Chart showing a mix of modern and traditional birthstones by month. The Origin of Birthstones The idea of a birthstone, a gemstone that corresponds…

The polariscope is one of gemology’s simplest and most useful tools. With a little practice and our three-part polariscope guide, you’ll…

An assembled gemstone is constructed from two or more combined materials. Gemstone doublets and triplets, intarsias, and rhinestones are all…

Discovered accidentally when scientists attempted to grow sapphire, synthetic spinel is now used extensively in jewelry. Synthetic or lab-created…

Some people make distinctions between different kinds of synthetic or lab-grown gems. In fact, you may even find different definitions of synthetic…

Spinel is a rare gem not well-known among consumers. Even some professionals in the gem and jewelry trade aren’t well-informed about this…

Natural spinel has long been overlooked. Superstars of the gem world with a similar appearance, like ruby and sapphire, as well as commonplace…

Spinels may be well-known for their red hue. However, spinel gemstones come in many more colors. They also occur in orange, purple, violet, blue,…

Available in many colors, spinels are becoming more popular with consumers. Learn how spinels form and how these gemstones get their colors.