aquamarine

In recent decades, something remarkable invaded the thinking process of the colored stone industry. From dealers to consumers, they all discovered…

Discover America’s best gem hunting locations where you can unearth emeralds, diamonds, sapphires and more! Plan your gemology vacation with…

Learn how gemstone optical properties, like refractive index and pleochroism, help gemologists identify gems and lapidaries choose cuts.

Long associated with royalty, sapphires are some of the most popular (and expensive) gems in the world. Our sapphire buying guide will help you…

A gem refractometer is the best tool for refractive index testing. Learn how to use this instrument to conduct this and other gem identification…

Commentaries on the foundation stones of the Book of Revelation influenced the development of the Western birthstone system. Learn more about…

Golden beryl, also known as heliodor, can display rich colors and is an excellent gem choice for jewelry. Learn more about this golden relative…

Although hard enough to be worn safely in jewelry, euclase in beautiful colors is rare over a few carats. It’s also a difficult gem to facet.

Crystals have habits. In crystallography, mineral habits refer to the way crystals form within a specific mineral. There are six crystal systems.…