A look at the mining and distinguishing characteristics of this naturally vibrant blue sapphire.
Read MorePresents a group of corundum standards developed by GIA to improve the accuracy and efficiency of its laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) instruments.
Read MoreThe heat treatment of corundum involving lattice diffusion of beryllium (Be) at temperatures over 1800°C has become a major issue in the gem trade.
Read More
Since 1996, large quantities of yellow to blue sapphires have been recovered from alluvial deposits derived from basaltic rocks in northern Madagascar.
Read MoreLocated just 3 km south of the famous Umba locality, the geologically similar Kalalani area hosts deposits of gem-quality sapphire.
Read MoreGreater amounts of colourless sapphire—promoted primarily as diamond substitutes, but also as natural gemstones—have been seen in the gem market during the past decade.
Read MoreMost Russian hydrothermal synthetic rubies and pink, orange, green, blue and violet sapphires—coloured by chromium and/or nickel—reveal diagnostic zigzag or mosaic-like growth structures associated with colour zoning.
Read MoreGem-quality rubies and fancy-colour sapphires have been recovered from dolomite marble lenses located high in the Himalayan mountains of east-central Nepal (Ganesh Himal).
Read More
Gem-quality blue to bluish green sapphires from basaltic terrains in southern provinces of Vietnam have been entering the gemstone market since the late 1980s.
Read More
Gem-quality rubies and pink to purple sapphires are being recovered from the Luc Yen and Quy Chau mining regions of Vietnam.
Read More
