Fall Issue of Gems & Gemology Illuminates Sri Lanka’s Gem Industry

Gems & Gemology Illuminates Sri Lanka’s Gem Industry

Fall 2014 issue reviews pen pearls, pleochroism, nephrite jade and more

The Fall 2014 issue of GIA’s scientific quarterly journal Gems & Gemology(G&G) highlights Sri Lanka, recounting two decades of evolutionary and revolutionary changes in mining, trading and cutting for the island nation. The issue also reveals the unusual beauty found within non-nacreous pen pearls, a practical look at the phenomenon of pleochroism and its effect on the appearance of faceted gems, a new Chinese deposit of nephrite jade, and much more. The issue is available in print, and online with exclusive video content.

G&G’s cover story, “Sri Lanka: Expedition to the Island of Jewels” documents Sri Lanka’s revitalized industry, which has gained a stronger presence in the modern global marketplace by blending traditional skills with innovative strategies and technologies. The firsthand accounts of mining, cutting, jewelry manufacturing and retail centers by GIA field researchers and Sri Lankan authors illuminates the country’s gem and jewelry industry today.

Next, researchers from the Institute’s Bangkok laboratory provide a gemological characterization of 22 non-nacreous pen pearls, revealing not only their porcelaneous nature but also the unusual beauty of their surface textures and inner structures. Another paper aimed at both researchers and practicing gemologists examines pleochroism’s impact on the appearance of faceted gems and looks to demonstrate how it is always visible to some degree, even when viewing a gem along an optic axis. The issue’s final article highlights pale-colored nephrite jade from a new deposit in China’s Guangxi province with interesting banded or dendritic patterns.

G&G marks its 80th anniversary in 2014. Since the first issue was published in 1934, G&G has been recognized as one of the leading academic journals in its field. In 2013, it was made available in its entirety online. Today, the award-winning quarterly journal is available as a print subscription and at no cost on GIA’s website.

Additional details about G&G, full articles, more in-depth coverage, hundreds of additional photos, and exclusive video footage are available on GIA’s website at http://www.gia.edu/gia-news-research. 

About GIA

An independent nonprofit organization, GIA (Gemological Institute of America), established in 1931, is recognized as the world’s foremost authority in gemology. GIA invented the famous 4Cs of Color, Cut, Clarity and Carat Weight in the early 1950s and in 1953, created the International Diamond Grading System™ which, today, is recognized by virtually every professional jeweler in the world.

Through research, education, gemological laboratory services, and instrument development, the Institute is dedicated to ensuring the public trust in gems and jewelry by upholding the highest standards of integrity, academics, science, and professionalism. Visit www.gia.edu.