Downtown • Gem Hunting in Tanzania • Lotus Gemology

Since the late 1960's, East Africa has been home to some of planet earth's greatest gem discoveries. And yet, little has been written about certain of these finds. In the autumn of 2007, the authors set out to fill in the gaps, specifically regarding Tanzania's Mahenge, Songea and Tunduru regions.

An over-and-underground look at the tanzanite mines of Merelani.

An investigation into nephrite and imitation nephrite pebbles purchased in Guangzhou, China's Hualin Street jade market.

Traditional gemology considers itself a science, but typically omits a key element of the scientific method. And is gemology simply a science, or something more? Read on to learn the answer…

A discussion of how inclusion patterns mimic crystallographic symmetry in ruby and sapphire.

The history of glass-infilling in blue sapphire, along with a description of the latest treatment generation developed in Chanthaburi, Thailand.

The role of fiber-optic lighting in gemological microscopy.

The definition of padparadscha sapphire, from early to modern times.

A discussion of rutile silk in corundum and its use in detecting artificial heat treatment. Careful examination of these "silk" inclusions can provide vital clues to unmask heated gems.