by E. Billie Hughes
Beyond Octahedra • Inclusions in Spinel

A look into the world of spinel inclusions that goes beyond simple octahedral crystals.

 

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by E. Billie Hughes, John I. Koivula, Wimon Manorotkul, Nathan Renfro and Richard W. Hughes
Inclusions in Spinel • An Exercise in Aesthetics

To the jeweler, spinel is famous for its vivid colors. But for the gemologist, this gem is unlike any other. Its extreme hardness allows a fine polish. Couple this with single refraction, which eliminates the image blurring found in most other gems, and a varied landscape of inclusion subjects, and the result is an unparalleled canvas of delight for the photomicrographic artist.

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by E. Billie Hughes and Richard W. Hughes
Corundum Inclusions • A Crystal Registry


Solid inclusions have been used by gemologists as a means of determining origin. While there is a great deal of overlap from one source to another, there are also important differences. For example, while apatite has been identified in sapphire from Madagascar, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, apatite has never been identified in sapphire from Kashmir. Thus the purpose of this article is to give a full listing of solid inclusions in gem corundums from around the world, with each occurrence fully referenced. This is provided with the goal of making origin determination of ruby and sapphire more accurate.

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by E. Billie Hughes, Chawalit Chankhantha, Andreas Burkhardt, Wimon Manorotkul & Richard W. Hughes
Padparadscha or Pretender • An Unusual Pink-Orange Sapphire

An orangish pink “padparadscha” sapphire was submitted for testing at Lotus Gemology’s Bangkok laboratory. Testing showed a number of conflicting features that suggested the gem was a cleverly treated synthetic pink sapphire designed to imitate natural padparadscha.

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by Lotus Gemology
From Peacock to Pigeon's Blood: Deconstructing Lotus Color Types

บทคัดย่อเรื่องการจำแนกสีทับทิมและแซฟไฟร์ ที่ใช้ในโลตัสเจมโมโลจี

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by Lotus Gemology
Hyperion • The Literature of Inclusions in Gemstones

For those who wish to explore the literature of inclusions in gemstones further, we have selected the following articles and books that are of particular merit. Most of these are cited in the Lotus Gemology Hyperion Inclusion Database, but are listed below in a more convenient summary format. Many of the links will allow you to download a PDF copy of the original article.

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by E. Billie Hughes
Lotus Gemology report lookup guide

The best way to check the authenticity of a Lotus report is with online report verification.

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从孔雀蓝到鸽血红 细数宝石之美 • 红蓝宝石之动人色泽

Chinese-language translation of Lotus Gemology's ruby and sapphire color types.

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by Richard W. Hughes, with Wimon Manorotkul & E. Billie Hughes
Let It Bleed • New Rubies From Madagascar • Lotus Gemology

When it rains red, it doesn't simply pour. It bleeds. Following closely on the heels of the ruby strikes in Mozambique, a major new find of the crimson stone is made in Madagascar.

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by Richard W. Hughes
Dana Schorr • In Memoriam

Gem dealer, world traveler, activist, Dana Schorr passed away on 5 August 2015 at age 63, following a heart attack.

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