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Pearl
Perfect shining spheres. Lustrous baroque forms. Seductive strands, warm to the touch. Pearls are simply and purely organic.

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Unusually Large Flux-Grown Synthetic Sapphire
An abnormally large flux-grown synthetic sapphire rough crystal is examined in a lab in India.
Hammered Effect in a Worked Pearl
A natural saltwater pearl displays the optical illusion of a bumpy texture.
Akoya Cultured Pearl Prize in an Arcade-Style Claw Game
Arcade-style games in Japan dispense akoya pearl jewelry as prizes.
The Appeal of Non-Nacreous Pearls
Several vendors offered a variety of impressive non-nacreous pearls at the Tucson gem shows.

Iridescent Imitation Pearl
A brown oval specimen submitted to the Bangkok laboratory resembles a pen pearl at first glance.

Two Foraminifera-Like Objects Found in a Natural Saltwater Pearl
Examination of a brown nacreous pearl reveals a pair of foraminifera-like spheres.

A Fascinating Large South Sea Bead Cultured Pearl
An exceptionally large South Sea bead cultured pearl is examined at GIA’s Mumbai laboratory.
Brenda Smith Jewelry Designs
Award-winning jewelry designer Brenda Smith shares some of her creations at the AGTA GemFair in Tucson.

Microscopic Shells in Natural Pearls from Pinctada radiata
Two pearls from Bahrain containing minute shells are examined at GIA’s Mumbai laboratory.

Pinctada radiata Atypical Bead Cultured Pearls from the UAE
GIA’s Mumbai laboratory reports on pearl samples from a culturing experiment by the Suwaidi Pearl Farm in the UAE.
Exceptionally Rare Pearls from ECIJA
An impressive variety of natural, wild, nacreous, and non-nacreous pearls were on display at the GJX show.
Sixth Annual Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award Winner
A graduate of GIA’s Jewelry Design program in London is the recipient of the 2022 Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award.








