Pakistan’s Gems, Mines and Markets
Pakistan’s Gems, Mines and Markets An Overview by Jeffery Bergman, SGC SSEF The magnificent ‘King of Kashmir’ aquamarine cluster in situ on meta-granite with quartz and feldspar, in the Shigar Valley, widely considered to be one of the finest mineral specimens ever discovered. (Photo: Fine Minerals International) Considered to be among the finest mineral specimens […]
Chromium Surface Diffusion Treated “Ruby”
Chromium Surface Diffusion Treated “Ruby” By: Jeffery Bergman – ASG SGC of EighthDimensionGems Photos by Ayub Muhammad of Pretty Little Gem July 20, 2023 – Bangkok, Thailand. Fig. 01 & 02. Face-up and pavilion shots of a 7-carat chromium surface diffusion treated “ruby”. Photos by Ayub Muhammad. First documented by the GIA in the early […]
Crimson Prince Ruby from Namya
Crimson Prince Ruby from Namya Mogok, Myanmar is considered the source of the finest rubies on Earth. In 2000, an exciting new ruby discovery was made in Namya, located in the Kachin state approximately 300 km north of Mogok and east of the jade mine at Hpakant (figure 1). While known mostly for its vibrant […]
Emerald Enhancements A Consumer and Trade Guide
Emerald Enhancements: A Consumer and Trade Guide Regardless of origin, perhaps 99% of all cut emeralds are sold with some sort of enhancement for clarity. Since emeralds freshly dug out of the ground from any mine in the world are never found with naturally occurring oils or resins in them, all emerald clarity enhancements are considered artificial processes. […]
Trapiche: The Rising Star – by Jeffery Bergman
Trapiche: The Rising Star : by Jeffery Bergman Humans are fascinated with geometry and historically the hexagon is the most iconic of popular geometric shapes. Likely first encountered in snowflakes, honeycomb and certain starfish species, the hexagon has been adopted, adapted and incorporated by religions, mysticism, astrology, the occult, architecture and art. Modern satellite photos […]
Jade ⽟ a gemologist’s guide: A Book Review by Jeffery Bergman
Jade ⽟ a gemologist’s guide: A Book Review by Jeffery Bergman Click on this link for the original publication Until now, there has never been a book which addresses jade as a gemological material with extensive information on the history, sources, appraisal and identification of natural, treated, and the various types of jade imitations. But, […]
Ethiopian Opals: Facts, Fears and Fairytales
Ethiopian Opals: Facts, Fears and Fairytales Introduction Legend has it that Ethiopia’s Queen Sheba adorned herself with precious opal when she visited King Solomon in Jerusalem. The first known evidence of human use of opal dates back approximately 6,000 years (Gebremedhin, K 2014). In1939, archaeologist Dr. Louis Leakey uncovered opal artifacts in a cave in […]
Origin Opinions
Origin Opinions – When Gem Labs Agree To Disagree Homo Sapiens are obsessed with origins. When we meet people for the first time, we want to know where they come from. We want to know where the universe came from, we want to know where life came from, and we want to know where our […]