Winter 2009

Gem News International

COLORED STONES AND ORGANIC MATERIALS
Benitoite: Update on faceting and jewelry manufacturing.
Large cat’s-eye beryl from India.
Emeralds recovered using new techniques at the Kagem mine, Zambia.
Yellow grossular from Tanzania.
Myanmar cultured pearl production and new gem localities.
Phenakite from Nigeria.
Update on rubies from Mozambique.
Transparent, bright blue sodalite from Afghanistan.
Pseudo-chatoyancy and pseudo-asterism in sphalerite from Spain.
Update on Cu-bearing tourmaline mining in Mozambique.
New find of pink-to-red tourmaline in Nigeria.

SYNTHETICS AND SIMULANTS
Hydrothermal synthetic emerald sold as natural rough from Russia.
High-RI barium-zirconium glass imitation of peridot and other gems.
Silicon inclusions in black synthetic moissanite.
Dyed sillimanite as an emerald imitation.

TREATMENTS
Dyed pink alabaster.

CONFERENCE REPORTS
31st International Gemmological Conference.

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