Articles

The history of the Black Prince's Ruby, one of the world's most famous precious stones.

The Thai city of Chanthaburi (จันทบุรี) may be small, but it has played an important role in both the history of Thailand and the gem trade. Taking its name from the Sanskrit word for moon ('chan'), this petite town is among the most charming in the Land of Smiles.

An exploration of the history and lore of the Emerald Buddha, a green statue that resides in Bangkok, Thailand’s Wat Phra Kaeo and watches over Thailand.

An essay on buying gems at the source in Asia, with a discussion of how con men play on the greed of those who believe gems will be cheaper at the mines.

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…

In search of Thailand's last ruby miner.

Since the turn of the millennium, the price of fine spinel has risen at an incredible pace. No longer simply the poor man's ruby, spinel is finally getting the attention it deserves as one of the world's premier gems.

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, Tanzania, where the First World meets the Third, and graphite-covered miners pull glittering blue gems from black earth.

The use of Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) in gem identification, with examples of sapphire & jadeite.