DIAMONDS

• Claim-staking rush in Canada
• International Diamond Technical Symposium in Israel
• Prospecting reveals kimberlite pipes in Ukraine
• Small industrials in Uzbekistan
• De Beers and the Republic of Sakha sign sales agreement
• Visit to a small diamond-mining operation in South Africa
• De Beers signs prospecting agreement with Tanzania
• Zaire produced fewer diamonds
• Zaire tightens trade regulations

COLORED STONES

• Exotic "jewel" beetles
• Cat's-eye golden beryl
• Garnets from Egypt
• Large jadeite boulder
• Gemstones from Laos
• Attractive meteorite jewelry
• Black mabe "pearls" and simulants (from nautilus shell)
• Rare gemstones from Quebec
• Tajikistan to develop gem resources

ENHANCEMENTS

• Acrylic coating of gem materials
• Dyed massive beryl and quartz resembling ornamental gems
• Beryl beads with multiple color enhancements
• Treatable "concrete" opal
• Silver-nitrate-treated matrix opal
• Modern-day turquoise oiling

SYNTHETICS AND SIMULANTS

• Assembled imitation emerald crystal
• Update on nontransparent CZ
• Bicolored CZ
• Blue spinel from Vietnam as sapphire imitator
• Glass imitation tourmaline crystal
• More synthetics sold as natural rubies from Vietnam
• Experimental synthetic sodalite from China

INSTRUMENTATION

• Low-cost quartz wedge simulator

Appears on pages 129-139