History of Emerald Mining in the Habachtal Deposit of Austria, Part II
The finale of a two-part series on the mining history of Austrian emerald deposits in the Habachtal region.
Gem Topaz from the Schneckenstein Crag, Saxony, Germany: Mineralogical Characterization and Luminescence
Characterizes yellow topaz from this historical source, with particular emphasis on its photo luminescence behavior.
Blue Sapphire Lord of the Rings Pendant
Yellow Topaz from Germany, Emerald Mining in Austria’s Habachtal Region, a Return to Tucson, and More…
Mercury Free Mining Pilot Program
Stephen M. Avery: Celebrating Half a Century in Gem Cutting
Approaching his 50th anniversary in the business, Stephen M. Avery (Lakewood, Colorado) reflected on his journey to becoming an award-winning lapidary artist, detailing his signature cuts and gem sets and offering advice to up-and-coming gemstone cutters.
Complex Fluid Inclusion in Topaz
A blue topaz recently examined by the authors contained an interesting and complex fluid-filled negative crystal that revealed some remarkable behavior when cooled down.
Custom Knives by Loren Feldman
Custom knife maker Loren Feldman details his craft, including his use of rare and fascinating materials such as gem dinosaur bone and meteorites.
Skull Carved of Meteorite
Four-billion-year-old meteorite carved into a life-sized human skull draws attention at the 2022 AGTA show.
Tucson 2022 Overview
Sellers and buyers alike were delighted to be back at Tucson for the show season after a two-year absence.
Fifth Annual Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award Winner
Meghan Simmons, a graduate of GIA’s Jewelry Design program at the Carlsbad campus, received the fifth annual Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design.
Conversation with True Blue Opals and Gems
At the AGTA show, we spoke with Natassa Patel, who along with her mother, Salma, owns and operates True Blue Opals and Gems.
YAG with Flux-Filled Fingerprints
The author recently examined a 3.58 ct yellowish green yttrium aluminum garnet, a manufactured product known in the trade as “YAG,” that contained numerous large flux-filled fractures.
Deep-Focus Earthquakes: The Heartbeat of a Diamond Factory?
The first installment of this column explores the potential role of modern-day deep-focus earthquakes on diamond growth.
Acicular Troughs Coincident with Green Stains on Rough Diamond Surface
The author acquired an alluvial rough diamond from Guyana showing unique surficial features that do not appear to have been documented elsewhere.
New Record Size for CVD Laboratory-Grown Diamond
The New York laboratory reports on a new record size for CVD laboratory-grown diamond.
Washington Jade Update
At the AGTA show, Rod and Nathaniel Cook of Washington Jade (Edmonds, Washington) told us about shifting their focus to cat’s-eye blue and bluish green nephrite jade.

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