inclusions

Blue is one of the rarest colors in nature. Nevertheless, blue gemstones are always in demand for jewelry. While people have adorned themselves…

Yellow gemstones bring warmth, positivity, and sunshine to any jewelry collection. From bright citrine crystals to rare yellow diamonds, these…

Since ancient times, emerald has been synonymous with “green.” However, there are so many more green gems, giving you plenty of alternatives…

For over 7,000 years, jade has held an almost mystical power over human imagination. Ancient Chinese emperors believed jade connected them to…

The commercial part of the lapidary business favors new mine finds and exotic or rare materials. As gem carvers, these reasons draw us to these materials,…

Some treatments add lab-created material to mined gemstones. The part-natural, part-synthetic nature of these gems has prompted some in the…

We often recommend that novice gemologists send gems that are difficult to identify to a laboratory for testing. Gemological and mineralogical…

Sometimes, microscopic inclusions and color banding are the only way to distinguish natural from synthetic gems. This makes the microscope an…

Hot point testing can determine if some gem materials are plastic imitations. It can also reveal if a stone is treated with wax or plastic. By Donald…