
Eighth Annual Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award Winner
A graduate of GIA’s Jewelry Design program in London is the recipient of the 2024 Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award.

Wearable Art Jewelry Supporting Families in Guatemala
Chick Boss, a small jewelry business based in Guatemala, gives back to the community.

Gems Keep Giving
The nonprofit organization Gems Keep Giving aims to improve global small-scale mining and gem-cutting communities.

Rare Faceted Väyrynenite
Uniquely saturated examples of the collector stone were on display at GJX.

Quarterly Crystal: Fluorite in Quartz from China
A large transparent colorless quartz crystal from the Yaogangxian mine plays host to numerous fluorite inclusions.

Paraíba Tourmaline Melee: An Entry-Level Market Perspective
A look at Paraíba tourmaline melee, which offers a more accessible price point for consumers.

Lepidolite in Copper-Bearing Tourmaline
A prismatic colorless lepidolite crystal is observed in a copper-bearing tourmaline.

Gem-Quality Spinel from Southern Malawi
Parcels of rough spinel recently mined in Malawi were offered at the AGTA show.

Evil Eye in a Flux-Healed Mong Hsu Ruby
The mirror reflection of a flux-healed fissure from a step pavilion facet in a Mong Hsu ruby creates an interesting inclusion scene.

Update on Montana’s Rock Creek Sapphire
Potentate Mining expands its mining operation and hosts the first Montana sapphire tender in Bangkok.

Irreversible Photochromism in Synthetic Sapphire
The first documented case of corundum with irreversible photochromism encountered at GIA.

Devitrified Glass “Pom-Poms” in Ruby
Devitrified glass inclusions resembling pom-poms or sea urchins are observed in a clarity-enhanced ruby.

Phenomenal Gems
A look at the most popular phenomenal gems exhibited at the 2025 Tucson gem shows.

Rock Crystal Quartz Skull
A remarkable skull carved from quartz crystals mined in Arkansas is submitted to the Carlsbad laboratory.


Natural Non-Nacreous Pearls from Various Marine Mollusks
The Bangkok laboratory studies 35 loose non-nacreous pearls from a wide range of marine mollusk species.

New Deposit of Pezzottaite from Madagascar
A highly saturated purplish pink to red pezzottaite from a new deposit in Madagascar is encountered in Tucson and tested by GIA researchers.

Spiral Patterns on a Non-Nacreous Pearl
A 6.79 ct orange pearl displays a fascinating spiral pattern.

Enormous South Sea Cultured Pearl with Filled and Partially Hollow Structure
Examination of a gigantic South Sea bead cultured pearl reveals an intriguing internal structure.

“Bubble Obsidian” from Armenia
An exhibitor at the 22nd Street show offers an unusual type of obsidian from Armenia.

.jpg)
