When you see a fine ruby, it does something to you. It’s not about the value.
If it were simply the value, I’d go out and buy a kilo of gold. Richard Hughes to journalist Rod Nordland
“On the treacherous trail to the rare ruby red”  |  1982  |  Asia

Lotus Gemology begins with a simple idea – beauty is the principal source of attraction for precious stones. Thus it should also be the major focus of gemology. In other words, the GEM is the most important part of gemology.

It is our belief that gemology is not simply about counting atoms; to apply science absent a discussion of how it relates to aesthetics and desire does a disservice not just to clients, but to the jewels themselves. We do not believe that attraction can be reduced to a simple set of measurements, anymore than the beauty of a rainbow or sunset can be expressed by mathematical formula.

Rest assured, we are not Luddites. We not only appreciate science, but use it daily. At the same time, we recognize that many parts of the human experience extend into realms far beyond science. Thus the gemology at Lotus includes not just science, but weaves into the mix history, culture, art and travel. We do this in the belief that these factors play equal roles in how humans perceive desirability and value. 

Like a small French restaurant, we believe that crafting a fine meal takes time and individual care; thus our seating is limited. The translation of the intangibles of rarity and aesthetic beauty is our strength.

Precious stones are among the most compelling examples of Mother Nature’s artistic genius.

Lotus Gemology operates from a base of over 80 years of collective experience in the study, purchase, sale and appreciation of precious stones. Our lives have been enriched beyond measure by our involvement with these gifts of nature and we believe if we characterize them with the appropriate reverence and care, we can open this magical world to others. This is our goal.

Introducing…

Broken Bangle • The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature

by

Liu Shang-i ('Edward')  |  Richard W. Hughes
Zhou Zhengyu ('Adam')  |  Kaylan Khourie

Sponsored by

Zhuang Qingfang
The Gemmological Association of Hong Kong
On Tung Jewellery
Junhao Gemology
Pinde Xuan
Lotus Gemology

Broken Bangle  •  The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature

Liu Shang-i, Richard W. Hughes, Zhou Zhengyu and Kaylan Khourie  |  2024

In recent years, jade nomenclature has been upended by the discovery by gemologists that the gem being sold as "jadeiite" is actually a rock composed of three different pyroxene minerals. But the problems of jade nomenclature run much deeper, literally to the application of the words nephrite and jadeite to jade in the mid-19th century. Already by the 1930s, mineralogists realized that one should not apply the name of a mineral species to a rock, but this knowledge sadly never made its way into the gemological lexicon. Broken Bangle tackles jade nomenclature from the earliest times to the present day, advocating that the mineral species names jadeite, omphacite and kosmochlor not be used because their application to rocks does not follow standard mineralogical/geological practices. In addition, breaking down rocks into their mineral components is not done anywhere else in gemology. Instead, the authors suggest that the traditional Chinese term fei cui be used for the pyroxene jade gems.

Broken Bangle •  Order Page 

Introducing…

Heinrich Fischer's Nephrite and Jadeite

translated and edited by
Richard W. Hughes

Inside Out  •  GEM•ology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

E. Billie Hughes, Richard W. Hughes, Wimon Manorotkul  |  2020

From the dawn of time, precious stones have both attracted and fascinated humans in ways that few other items could. For while objects of desire are found throughout the natural world, physical beauty is too often ephemeral. From the allure of a man, woman, flower or butterfly, through the fleeting moments of a sunset, there is little that lasts and practically nothing that can be passed down to our descendants. The exception is precious stones. Not only are they the most durable creations of Mother Nature, but their visual splendor is truly eternal.

This book presents a completely fresh approach to the subject. Dubbing it humanistic gemology, the authors take readers around the world, showing the places they have explored in their search for gems, along with the people and cultures encountered along the way. Within this volume, remarkable photographs of the human world are interwoven with images of the microscopic realm of the gems themselves. In a lifetime beset by time control, where living is broken into ever smaller bits, as you browse through these pages suddenly you plunge into a domain of frozen time, one that affords vistas of millions or even billions of years. For jewels offer not just superficial beauty, but a window on the primordial forces that birthed both our planet and universe.

Inside Out – Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses represents a fascinating new direction for gemology, linking the external and internal worlds of precious stones for the first time. 

Inside Out | GEM•ology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses Order Page 

Introducing…

Inside Out: GEM•ology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses

by

E. Billie Hughes  |  Richard W. Hughes  |  Wimon Manorotkul

with a foreword by Paolo Minieri

Chinese translation by Jason C.H. Kao (高嘉兴), with Jinding Yu (俞瑾玎) and Bonnie Chao (晁艳)

From the dawn of time, precious stones have both attracted and fascinated humans in ways that few other items could. For while objects of desire are found throughout the natural world, physical beauty is too often ephemeral. From the allure of a man, woman, flower or butterfly, through the fleeting moments of a sunset, there is little that lasts and practically nothing that can be passed down to our descendants. The exception is precious stones. Not only are they the most durable creations of Mother Nature, but their visual splendor is truly eternal.

This book presents a completely fresh approach to the subject. Dubbing it humanistic gemology, the authors take readers around the world, showing the places they have explored in their search for gems, along with the people and cultures encountered along the way.

Within this volume, remarkable photographs of the human world are interwoven with images of the microscopic realm of the gems themselves. In a lifetime beset by time control, where living is broken into ever smaller bits, as you browse through these pages suddenly you plunge into a domain of frozen time, one that affords vistas of millions or even billions of years. For jewels offer not just superficial beauty, but a window on the primordial forces that birthed both our planet and universe.

Inside Out – Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses represents a fascinating new direction for gemology, linking the external and internal worlds of precious stones for the first time. 

•

Published 2020; Now shipping

Standard Edition – Hardcover
Price: Thai Baht 3000 + Shipping & Handling

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A few comments from reviewers…

I am doubtless readers both inside and outside of the gem trade will enthusiastically welcome Inside Out. Buy it, read it, give it away. I am fully confident you will be satisfied, ingratiated and inspired.
Jeffery Bergman – InColor Magazine

This book fills a gap in the literature on gems by pictorially exploring the relationship between humans and gems on an artistic and emotional level. It is a work of art that lives from the quality of the photographs and gets by with minimal textual commentary on the images.
Michael Hügi – Journal of Gemmology

Inside Out is a truly stunning work reflecting the combnied personalities, skills, knowledge and philosophy of the authors, who have created something exceptional and innovative for the world of gemmology.
Terry Coldham – Australian Gemmologist

Jade  •  A Gemologist's Guide

Richard W. Hughes, editor  |  2022

The study of jade is unlike any other gem, trespassing across all conventional boundaries, particularly those of the gemological and mineralogical realm. Despite the march of mineralogical orthodoxy and conformity, the word “jade” is a fist in the air of protest, crying out not for reduction and definition, but an expansion of the mineralogical lexicon to include the cultural aspects of human civilization and life. The word “jade” is the anti-mineral. Because jade is so much more than a simple census of atoms, their valence states, and their places of residence.

An understanding of jade is not limited to the technical or exacting; it also incorporates a feeling for the cultural, textural, and ephemeral qualities that make the study of this gem unlike any other in the world of gemstones. It is our heartfelt hope that this volume will not just fill the “traditional gemological” gap, but will open readers’ eyes to a world beyond. Because jade is so much more.

While the literature on jade is vast, perhaps greater than any other gem, there is a distinct lack of a volume that treats jade as a gemological material. This book is designed to fill that gap, with extensive information on the history, sources, appraisal and identification of both treated and the various forms of imitation jade. All of this is together in a single volume for the first time, making this a must-have for all collectors, dealers, gemologists, appraisers, curators and anyone else with an interest in this fascinating gem.

Jade • A Gemologist's Guide Order Page 

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Jade • A Gemologist's Guide
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Introducing…

Jade • A Gemologist's Guide

edited by

Richard W. Hughes

featuring contributions from…

Ahmadjan Abduriyim • Dale Blankenship • George E. Harlow • Eric J. Hoffman • E. Billie Hughes • Richard W. Hughes • Jiang “Chris” Chenglong • John I. Koivula • Nikolai Kouznetsov • Liu Yicen • Kirk Makepeace • Jeff Mason • Dominic W.K. Mok • Qi Lijian • Mary Lou Ridinger • Donn Salt • Roland Schluessel • Andrew Shaw • Shi Guanghai • Susan Stronge • Wang Mingying • Stewart Young • Zhou "Adam" Zhengyu
with…
Rudolph I. Estrada • Tao Hsu • Jason C.H. Kao • Michael S. Krzemnicki • William F. Larson • Wim Vertriest

Sponsored by the Houston Museum of Natural Science

The study of jade is unlike that of any other gem, trespassing across conventional boundaries, particularly those of the gemological and mineralogical realm. Despite the march of mineralogical orthodoxy and conformity, the word “jade” is a fist in the air of protest, crying out not for further reduction and definition, but an expansion of the mineralogical canon to include the cultural aspects of human civilization and life. Because jade is so much more than a simple census of atoms, valence states, and places of residence. Jade is a lexicon liberator.

While the literature on jade is vast, perhaps greater than any other gem, there is a distinct lack of a volume in English that treats jade as a gemological material. This book is designed to fill that gap, with extensive information on the history, sources, appraisal and identification of both treated and imitation jades. All of this is together in a single volume for the first time, making it a must-have for collectors, dealers, gemologists, appraisers, curators and anyone else with an interest in this fascinating gem.

An understanding of jade is not limited to the technical or exacting; it also incorporates a feeling for the cultural, textural, and ephemeral qualities that make the study of this gem unlike any other. This volume will not just fill the “traditional gemological” gap, but will open readers’ eyes to a world beyond. Because jade is so much more…

•

Publishing: 2022

Standard Edition Hardcover with Dust Jacket
US$200
534 pages; 240 x 280 mm (9.45 x 11 inches), 2.75 kg (6 lb)
Full Color Throughout

Special Limited Edition of 100 Signed and Numbered Copies Bound in Thai Silk with Slipcase
US$300 (Sold Out)

Nephrite and Jadeite  •  Translated from the German original of 1875

Heinrich Fischer | Edited/Translated by Richard W. Hughes  |  2025

In 1875, Leopold Heinrich Fischer (b. 1817; d. 1886) published an extraordinary work on jade, Nephrit und Jadeit, by far the most comprehensive ever to appear. Fischer examined jade not just from China, but from around the world. His book was the first ever to appear in a Western language entirely devoted to jade as we know it today. As you thumb through the pages that follow, the depth of Fischer’s work will amaze. There is an astonishing amount of detail here. That this could be the product of a single author is simply beyond belief. Fischer goes on and on, as he tracks virtually every Western (and some Oriental) source. One senses an obsession, days in cold museums and libraries examining dusty texts, sleepless nights poring over a candle-lit desk scratching out sentences with a quill, condensing this enormous body of human history into a book of just a few hundred pages. It is truly astounding and a book that will delight those who open its pages. This English translation includes a special 43-page appendix containing full bibliographic details of all the references cited by Fischer, as well as additional references on jade in both Western languages and Chinese, making it a valuable resource for scholars.

Nephrite and Jadeite  •  Order Page

Ruby & Sapphire

Richard W. Hughes  |  1997

Ruby & Sapphire is widely acknowledged as one of the finest gemology books ever published. Not just an update of his previous volumes on ruby and sapphire, it represents something rarely seen in a technical book, a fusion of accurate science and spirited, accessible prose. Within its pages, one finds information on prices, quality analysis, sources, history, treatments and identification. Featuring over 300 color photos and 2500 references, this now out-of-print volume is today highly sought after by collectors and gemologists, who pay as much as $1000 or more for the privilege of owning a copy.

Out-of-print. Click here to search for a copy

Introducing…

Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector’s Guide

by Richard W. Hughes
with photographs by Wimon Manorotkul and E. Billie Hughes

This impressive coffee-table style volume takes readers into the secret world of ruby and sapphire, through the pen and lens of international expert, Richard Hughes. The author guides readers with the steady eye of a connoisseur, explaining what collectors should look for in ruby and sapphire. Many pictured pieces feature actual auction prices, aiding collectors in their buying decisions. Illustrated with more than 400 magnificent color photographs, for anyone with an interest in precious stones, this is a visual and intellectual feast of the most delicious order.

Published 2014; Sold Out

Hardcover with Dust Jacket
384 pages; 240 x 280 mm (9.45 x 11 inches); 2.4 kg shipping weight
Full Color Throughout

Ruby & Sapphire  •  A Gemologist's Guide

Richard W. Hughes, with Wimon Manorotkul & E. Billie Hughes  |  2017

Designed as a companion to Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide, this massive volume is aimed specifically at working gemologists, appraisers and students. Based on Richard W. Hughes' 1997 classic, Ruby & Sapphire, this edition is fully updated. The product of nearly 40 years of firsthand experience and research, it covers every aspect of the subject from A–Z. History, sources, prices, quality analysis, synthetics and treatments, everything is here. With over 1000 photos, maps and illustrations and 3500 references, Ruby & Sapphire—A Gemologist’s Guide represents the most comprehensive book ever written on a single precious stone.

Ruby & Sapphire •  A Gemologist's Guide Order Page 

Introducing…

Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide

by Richard W. Hughes
with Wimon Manorotkul and E. Billie Hughes

This massive volume is the most comprehensive book ever written on a single precious stone. Designed as a companion volume to Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide, it is aimed specifically at working gemologists, appraisers and students. Based on Richard W. Hughes' 1997 classic, Ruby & Sapphire, this edition is fully updated. The product of nearly 40 years of firsthand experience and research, it covers every aspect of the subject from A–Z. History, sources, prices, quality analysis, synthetics and treatments, everything is here. Ruby & Sapphire—A Gemologist’s Guide represents the definitive reference on the subject. With over 1000 photos, maps and illustrations and 3500 references, it is nothing less than a tour-de-force of gemological scholarship.

Published 2017; Sold Out

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International Shipping & Handling from Thailand
Ships via International Parcel Air (2-3 weeks)

Hardcover with Dust Jacket
816 pages; 240 x 280 mm (9.45 x 11 inches); 4.6 kg shipping weight
Full Color Throughout

Click on the icon to download a corrected Table of Contents and Errata sheet for the current volume (PDF).

Comments from reviewers…

Voilà un livre de poids, 735 pages et plus de 4 kg qui enrichira vos connaissances historiques comme scientifiques et gemmologiques. L' auteur, bien connu des gemmologues, nous offre un nouveau voyage dans l' univers des corindons. C' est un livre à regarder, approcher, toucher, feuilleter, découvrir enen l' ouvrant avec à la fois impatience et retenue, pour finalement s' y abandonner. C' est une leçon de vie, un livre-compagnon à déguster sans modération.

 —Association Française de Gemmologie

From Peacock to Pigeon's Blood  •  An Introduction to Ruby & Sapphire Colors

Lotus Gemology  |  2017

An introduction to the ruby & sapphire color types used at Lotus Gemology.

From Peacock to Pigeon's Blood Order Page 

The Gübelin Foundation (2014) The Eduard Josef Gübelin Story: The Art and Science of Gems. London. Gübelin Group, Lucerne, and Unicorn Press, 306 pp., illus., hardcover, ISBN 978-1-91006-540-2

Myanmar's jadeite mines occupy a privileged place, representing the planet's principal source of fine jadeite jade. This article covers the deposits themselves, along with the cutting, grading and trading of jadeite.

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

Developing a comprehensive colored stone grading system has been the dream of gemologists since the late 1970's, but despite a number of valient attempts, we are no closer to the goal today than we were four decades ago. This article examines the various problems of colored stone grading, explaining why the challenges are at least an order of magnitude greater than the grading of diamonds.

Short-wave fluorescent illumination provides a useful tool to spot curved banding in flame-fusion synthetic sapphire.