An isomorphous group of minerals with general formula 8[A3B2(SiO4)3]. Cubic system. Mainly dodecahedral or tetragonal trioctahedral crystals. Vitreous to resinous luster. No cleavage. Conchoidal to uneven fracture. Brittle to tough. Garnets are divided in
GAA was formed in Sydney, on the 29th October 1945, the Association has been responsible for producing Australia’s gemmologists by educating and updating members of the gem and jewellery industry and the general public, about all aspects of gemstones an
Gem-A, which began as a Gemmological Committee of the National Association of Goldsmiths, first introduced a gemmology qualification in 1908 in order to encourage jewelers to understand the gems they were selling and to identify the fakes.
GIA is considered the world's most trusted name in diamond grading and gemstone identification. GIA’s D-to-Z colour-grading scale and Flawless-to-I3 clarity-grading scale are recognized by gem and jewellery professionals everywhere. And, by extension, t
Any rough mineral or other material natural or synthetic, which possesses the necessary attractiveness, brilliance, beauty, rarity, color dispersion, refraction, color or colorless, flawless, portability, fashionably, and durability for use in gem industr
In each crystal class there is a form, in which the faces, of which intersect all of the crystallographic axes at different lengths with the symbol {hkl}. In the orthorhombic, monoclinic, and triclinic crystal system {111} is a general form. All other for
A subsidiary company of the Gemological Institute of America Enterprises, which provides professional grading and identification for the diamond and colored stone industries.
Dr. Eduard J. Gubelin, one of the forefathers of modern gemology, and who was a Founding Organizing Member as well as an Honorary Member of the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA), passed away in Lucerne, Switzerland in March at the age of 91
The quality of resistance or property of minerals, gemstones, etc., which is determined by reference to an empirical scale of standard of minerals. Hardness is the resistance of a mineral offered to abrasion or scratching (scelerometric). The absolute har
Any gemstone that has been heated to change its color or improve the color, such as blue zircon, hyacinth, burnt amethyst, white chalcedony, smoky quartz and many aquamarines.
Minerals having a high specific gravity, which are separated in the laboratory from light minerals by use of heavy liquid, such as bromoform. Generally grains heavier than bromoform constitute the heavy minerals.
The retail replacement cost for a 1ct. alexandrite could be anywhere between $500 to $12,000 per carat. The intensity of the color change and the attractiveness of the colors are the most important factors in determining the value of an alexandrite. With
The characteristic color that is determined by its wavelength as red, green, blue, purple, yellow, etc., and excludes white, black, and shades of gray in reference to the visible spectrum of light.
It is very unlikely that even an old alexandrite ring could contain a natural alexandrite. Natural alexandrites, especially large clean stones are extremely rare and almost never available at any price. Most old inherited alexandrite rings are actually sy
To result something of a genuine article or natural gemstone or simulate it from any material that imitate by its color, the appearance of a natural gemstone. Imitation gemstone having wholly different physical properties and chemical composition, and hen
The emission of light by a substance due to high temperatures: white or bright-red heat. When objects such as iron placed in fire it become dull red by 700 C degree. From 700 C degree to 1500 C degree, the color shifted from red to orange and definitely y
The chrysoberyl crystal is penetrated by microscopic tubes, two-phase or relatively short needles parallel to the vertical or c-axis of the crystal, suitable for cut en cabochon. In brown and yellow varieties can be seen. The so-called stepped twin planes
A general name for any small visible foreign matter such as gas, liquid, glass, or mineral enclosed within a gemstone or rock, which is a growth phenomena. Fracture or cleavage in a gemstone are not classed as inclusions. The nature of inclusions are used
In crystal optics, a number indicating the speed of the velocity of light in a vacuum or air to its velocity in a given crystal. The refractive index (RI) of a crystal can be expressed as ratio of the sine of the angle of incidence to the sine of the angl