inclusions

Step 2: Advanced Gemology Lesson 8 Back to syllabus In 1999, General Electric (GE) introduced a new diamond treatment into the jewelry trade. The…

Diamond simulants often appear in jewelry, as side stones and accents as well as centerpieces. Identifying these lookalike materials, whether…

Even as new diamond treatments enter the market, old techniques are revised and improved. Learn how to identify the most common current treatments.…

Lab-created diamonds have an undeserved stigma. However, they make excellent, lower cost alternatives to natural, mined diamonds. In this article,…

A gemstone with a refractive index (RI) reading that exceeds 1.81 is said to be “over the limit” (OTL). Low-cost refractometers can’t…

Most gems form naturally as minerals within the Earth. Most form as crystals, solids whose atoms are arranged in highly ordered repeating patterns…

We tend to take light for granted. It’s such a common thing we experience every day. Rarely do we think of the scientific definition of light…

Distinguishing natural from synthetic gems is a critical skill for gemologists. It could mean the difference between valuing a gemstone at thousands…

Step 5: Advanced Gem Information Lesson 2 Back to syllabus Synthetic diamonds aren’t new. General Electric (GE) has been making them since…