GIA Research

Publications

From the history of the Chivor emerald mine to the ancient craft of jade carving to insights into the causes of corundum colour, these articles combine science with art and history to provide a window into the fascinating and complex world of gemstones. Offering up the best and most current research by GIA lab scientists, all were published in GIA’s peer-reviewed academic journal, Gems & Gemology, or other professional journals.

Field Gemmology

GIA field gemmologists are globetrotters, travelling to all corners of the world to study new gem sources, such as Nasarawa aquamarine or Mozambican ruby. In the past decade, they’ve been on 95 expeditions to 21 countries, collecting more than 1 million carats of samples. 

Scientific Equipment & Techniques

As new gems and gem localities are discovered and gem origin services become increasingly in demand — and as laboratory-grown stones and treated stones grow in popularity — gemmologists rely more and more on advanced instruments to identify and evaluate stones. From loupes and microscopes to laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, each instrument provides a piece of the puzzle on gemstone type, potential treatments and origin.