GIA Research

Publications

From the history of the Chivor emerald mine to the ancient craft of jade carving to insight into the causes of corundum color, these articles combine science with art and history to provide insight 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. View theResearch Publication Archive.

Field Gemology

GIA field gemologists are globetrotters, traveling to all corners of the world to study new gem sources, such as Colombian emerald or Mozambican ruby. In the past decade, they’ve been on 95 expeditions to 21 countries, collecting more than 1 million carats of samples. Collecting gems from known geographic localities is of tremendous importance to the GIA research program.  By collecting samples in the field, we have a much better understanding of where they come from, and the geologic conditions of formation of the gem deposit itself.  We can obtain samples of both the gem materials and the host rocks in which they occur, as well as photographs and video footage of the area. Once back at GIA, these gem samples can be studied using a wide variety of scientific techniques, and the resulting data can be added to our information database which supports the gem identification report services of the GIA Laboratory.

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 — gemologists rely more and more on the 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.

Presentations

Fueled by our mission to share our discoveries, knowledge and expertise with the world, GIA researchers regularly present research on diverse and pressing gem topics to both public and professional audiences through webinars, seminars, at conferences and more.

Collaborations & Support to Academia

To support our commitment to gem knowledge, GIA researchers share their findings in professional publications and often collaborate with researchers at universities or other institutions to coauthor articles. These diverse articles represent pressing topics that our scientists are currently investigating, including knowledge that addresses current gemological challenges.