Spring 2008

Gem News International

TUCSON 2008

• Emerald-bearing gem pockets from North Carolina
• Spessartine from Loliondo, Tanzania

GNI Regular Features

COLORED STONES AND ORGANIC MATERIALS

• Gem-quality afghanite and haüyne from Afghanistan
• A blue manganaxinite
• Gem news from Myanmar
• Gems on the market in Taunggyi, Myanmar, 1990–2007
• Large gem pocket discovered at the Oceanview mine, San Diego County, California
• Green sodic plagioclase from East Africa
• A blue topaz with 2500+ facets

SYNTHETICS AND SIMULANTS

• An imitation "elephant pearl"
• An interesting synthetic sapphire

TREATMENTS

• Lead glass–filled color-change sapphire

MISCELLANEOUS

• Myanma Gem Emporium offerings for 1992–2007

CONFERENCE REPORTS

• 2008 Winter Conference on Plasma Spectrochemistry
• Gemological LA-ICP-MS User Group (GLIUG) workshop and meeting
• First International Pearl Convention