TUCSON 2000
The kaleidoscope of gems that is Tucson showed many more colors this year than we have seen for some time, and most of the shows were far more successful than in previous years. Although it is impossible to report the full range of items seen by the Gem News editors and their colleagues, following are some of the new, different, and more plentiful gem materials they encountered.
COLORED STONES AND ORGANIC MATERIALS
- Amphiboles are not necessarily jade.
- Chitons in jewelry.
- Unusual copal.
- Newly commercial emerald deposits in Colombia (La Pita and Polveros).
- Some new examples of drusy hematite.
- Orbicular jasper from Madagascar.
- Colorful nephrite.
- Tahitian and Australian “keshi” pearls.
- Pyritized ammonite from Russia, sliced in a new way.
- An update on ruby and sapphire from Chimwadzulu Hill, Malawi.
- Another locality in Para’ba for cuprian elbaite.
- Tugtupite and other gem materials from Greenland.
- Large faceted zircon.
- Also seen at Tucson. . . .
TREATMENTS
- Moonstone with dichroic backing.
- New hues of dyed freshwater cultured pearls.
- Heat-treated rubies: Glass or not glass?
- Silicon coating of drusy materials.
SYNTHETICS AND SIMULANTS
- Bicolored synthetic beryl, resembling tourmaline.
MISCELLANEOUS
- “Floating diamonds” in jewelry.
- Bismuth egg.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- Faceters’ Symposium 2000.
- GANA exhibit in Los Angeles.
- Jewelry 2000.
- Tourmaline 2000.
- Gemstones at upcoming scientific meetings.
Gem News Editors:
Mary L. Johnson, John I. Koivula, Shane F. McClure,
and Dino DeGhionno, GIA Gem Trade Laboratory, Carlsbad, California
Contributing Editors:
Emmanuel Fritsch, IMN, University of Nantes, France
Henry A. Hänni, SSEF, Basel, Switzerland
Karl Schmetzer, Peterhausen, Germany
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