corundum, synthetic corundum.7, Chatham, gems

gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, Mesoamerica, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mayans, Olmecs, Aztecs, archaeology, history, archaeogemology

This is a study of Mesoamerica—Mesoamerica as a whole. Like other great civilizations, it possesses its own history, and like other successful epics it is composed of a number of episodes, a climax, and an ending. We know a great deal about the last scene, and vast chapters have been written about the earlier episodes, but a complete study of its beginnings has never appeared. Hence the present history—fraught with perils since it is an attempt to gather all important (but isolated) data into a coherent whole; dangerous since the explorer is not only drawing a map of newly discovered islands but is forced to chart unknown seas. Archaeological exploration in Mesoamerica, together with other anthropological studies, is, at best, an incomplete map of a number of islands, large and small, in an uncharted ocean. At times, in fact, these isles can hardly be called islands; they seem to be no more than poorly illuminated rocks, jutting out from the depths of a murky sea—the past. Let us trust that there will be a minimum of errors in our factual material. My sources have been basically the reports of field archaeologists. Nevertheless, as Alfred Kroeber said, “No one can really examine all the evidence on any major problem; at least not at first hand. This puts us in a nice fix when, as so often happens, we claim to have reached valid conclusions after having examined and weighed ‘all the evidence.’ I would rather publish as fast as I can feel reasonably sure of my material, even at the risk of errors and uncertainties, so that it will be out where others can shoot at it. Nothing is worth much in any profession until it is published.”

gems, ancient gemology, early gemology, ancient mineralogy, early trade, Rome, Romans, Greeks, ancient trade, commerce, Africa

The Classical Review: This volume brings together nine papers by scholars connected with the Department of Classics at Ibadan, aimed at Classical scholars, Africanists, and West African students. Several essays are general overviews intended to introduce students to modern research on contentious subjects or fields where source material is scarce—such as J. Ferguson’s discussions on early Christianity in North Africa and the influence of Greek thought on Islam. The papers reflect individual interests rather than a unified theme, though Ferguson’s “Classical Contacts with West Africa” naturally opens the collection, addressing a crucial question in the region’s prehistory: the extent of contact between West Africa and the classical Mediterranean. While Ferguson surveys linguistic and religious parallels and known Carthaginian trade along the Atlantic coast, much of the evidence remains fragmentary and speculative. The notable absence of Roman interest in West African gold, despite Carthaginian efforts, is highlighted, as is the importance of the Mogador site, with its layered Mediterranean connections from the 6th century BCE to the Roman period. Ferguson rightly emphasizes archaeology as the key to future discoveries. D. Williams’ “African Iron and the Classical World” explores the possible transmission of iron-smelting techniques, comparing Meroitic and Niger-area furnaces to Aegean and Celtic types, though he remains cautious about suggesting direct links. L. Thompson’s contribution outlines clear and sustained contact between eastern Africa and the Graeco-Roman world—especially via Egypt and the Nile—contrasting it with the sporadic and largely inconsequential trans-Saharan interactions in the west, where the desert posed a persistent barrier to lasting cultural or economic exchange.

gems, ancient gemology, early gemology, ancient mineralogy, early trade, Rome, Romans, Greeks, ancient trade, commerce, Africa

Classical Review: This volume brings together nine papers by scholars connected with the Department of Classics at Ibadan, aimed at Classical scholars, Africanists, and West African students. Several essays are general overviews intended to introduce students to modern research on contentious subjects or fields where source material is scarce—such as J. Ferguson’s discussions on early Christianity in North Africa and the influence of Greek thought on Islam. The papers reflect individual interests rather than a unified theme, though Ferguson’s “Classical Contacts with West Africa” naturally opens the collection, addressing a crucial question in the region’s prehistory: the extent of contact between West Africa and the classical Mediterranean. While Ferguson surveys linguistic and religious parallels and known Carthaginian trade along the Atlantic coast, much of the evidence remains fragmentary and speculative. The notable absence of Roman interest in West African gold, despite Carthaginian efforts, is highlighted, as is the importance of the Mogador site, with its layered Mediterranean connections from the 6th century BCE to the Roman period. Ferguson rightly emphasizes archaeology as the key to future discoveries. D. Williams’ “African Iron and the Classical World” explores the possible transmission of iron-smelting techniques, comparing Meroitic and Niger-area furnaces to Aegean and Celtic types, though he remains cautious about suggesting direct links. L. Thompson’s contribution outlines clear and sustained contact between eastern Africa and the Graeco-Roman world—especially via Egypt and the Nile—contrasting it with the sporadic and largely inconsequential trans-Saharan interactions in the west, where the desert posed a persistent barrier to lasting cultural or economic exchange.

jade, jadeite, fei cui, nephrite, China, Burma, Chinese jade, jade carving, gems

Sinkankas: Excellent color photographs illustrating 50 objects carved from nephrite, jadeite, several from agate and “black crystal,” with brief descriptions and dimensions in text. Summary in G. M. Born, 1982, [247], who attributes the work to Na Chih-liang; Yang [2062]; Journal of Gemmology, [13] (8), 1973, [333–4].

corundum, ruby, sapphire, Malawi.12, geology.11, gems

Rutland describes gem-quality corundum from Chimwadzulu Hill in southern Malawi, where mining began in 1965 following earlier geological investigation. The corundum occurs in situ in epidotized amphibolite and in residual and eluvial concentrations produced by weathering; rounded crystals also occur in fine-grained granulary matrix within a dike-like body. The crystals are generally rhombohedral, commonly with basal parting and triangular growth figures, and range in color from pink through yellow and pale green to dark greyish green, with some showing pronounced color zoning. Cut stones examined included blue, pale bluish green, and red specimens, with refractive indices of approximately 1.760–1.770 and densities of 3.88–4.13. Dichroism, absorption spectra, and X-ray fluorescence analyses are reported; iron was prominent in the blue stones, while red material contained chromium. The stones showed no fluorescence under long-wave ultraviolet light, while some fluoresced under short-wave radiation. Rutland also reports that parcels cut in London produced attractive stones, some up to about 12 carats, although many contained veils and sharp internal flaws; the finest colors were described as a very fine rich blue and a dark iron blue, with pinks much smaller and red stones pale but of very good color reminiscent of good Siam material.

corundum, USA.12, Montana.12, Yogo Gulch, assembled stones.8, gems

Liddicoat reports an unusual assembled stone examined by the Gem Trade Laboratory in Los Angeles consisting of Montana sapphire used in a doublet. The brief laboratory note describes the construction and appearance of the composite and the features that permit its recognition under gemological examination. The specimen illustrates the variety of assembled stones encountered in the gem trade and emphasizes the importance of careful examination for junction planes and other evidence of composite construction when identifying apparently natural sapphire.

corundum, inclusions.5, Burma.12, Sri Lanka.12, gems

Gübelin examines the nature and gemological significance of mineral inclusions in gemstones, emphasizing that inclusions are integral records of the conditions under which their host crystals formed. The two-part article discusses the identification, morphology, and genetic relationships of included minerals and explains how their crystal form, orientation, alteration, and association with other internal features can provide evidence concerning the origin and geological history of a gemstone. Numerous photomicrographs, including color plates, illustrate characteristic mineral inclusions in important gem species. Particular attention is given to the value of inclusions in distinguishing natural gemstones and in determining geographic or geological origin where sufficiently diagnostic inclusion assemblages occur. The study demonstrates the importance of systematic inclusion microscopy both as a practical gemological tool and as a means of investigating gemstone genesis.

corundum, ruby, quality.10, gems

Antel recounts the celebrated theft and recovery of the DeLong Star Ruby, one of the notable gems of the American Museum of Natural History, stolen from the J. P. Morgan Hall of Gems in New York in 1964 together with the Star of India and other valuable stones. The narrative follows the robbery, investigation, negotiations for the ruby’s return, and payment of a ransom that ultimately led to its recovery. Written as a true-crime account rather than a gemological study, the book provides a detailed contemporary history of the DeLong Ruby and the circumstances surrounding one of the most spectacular gemstone thefts of the twentieth century.

gems, jade, pyroxene jade, fei cui, Guatemala, Mesoamerica, Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, archaeogemology, gold, turquoise

Until recent times we knew little about the remarkable heritage of the ancient Mexican civilizations. Now, thanks to the enthusiasm of pioneer explorers and the still continuing labors of archaeologists (including the author of this book), the art and architecture of the early inhabitants of Mexico and its neighboring regions have been reclaimed from the jungle and, after centuries of neglect, revealed to the modern world. The origins of these peoples, however, are still mysterious. The first settlers are believed to have travelled from Asia across the Bering Strait into America thousands of years ago, and to have spread southward. But it was not until the rise of the Olmecs (whose golden age was between 800 and 400 B.C.) that urban societies developed in the region. Dr. Bernal, who is Director of the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico, therefore opens his historical account with the Olmecs; he ends with the extinction of their civilization in 1519, when the last Aztec emperor, Moctezuma, was tricked into submission by the Spanish invaders. Dr. Bernal explains how the artistic creations of these strange, sophisticated peoples are closely related to their social structure and to the religious beliefs which dominated their lives. The author has also written detailed commentaries on the magnificent photographs, whose subjects were chosen by him and which were taken by Mrs. Irmgard Groth, a gifted photographer whose special field is Mexican archaeology. In these plates we see the extraordinary sculpture of the Olmecs; the Pyramid of the Moon of Teotihuacan; the Maya temples of Palenque; the Pyramid of the Niches of Tajín on the Gulf Coast; the temples at the great city of Chichén Itzá; the gold ornaments of the Mixtecs at Monte Albán; the temple carved by the Aztecs out of the cliff side at Malinalco; and many other buildings and artifacts, the surviving testimonials—sometimes exquisite, sometimes awe-inspiring—to the greatness of a long-vanished culture.