Lotus • Articles from Lotus Gemology

A curated list of the most important reference books on gems, gemology, jewelry, mineralogy and allied fields aimed at gemologists, book collectors and researchers.

Madagascar has become one of the world’s top sources of fine blue sapphire in recent times. In addition to beautiful untreated material, increasing numbers of treated stones have appeared in the market. Some have been heated to relatively low temperatures, below 1350°C, to lighten their color. To help separate unheated and heated Madagascar sapphire, the authors performed experiments to document the changes they undergo with low-temperature heat treatment in air, which is an oxidizing atmosphere.

Why should Hugh Hefner be the only one to enjoy twins? This special Hyperion Inclusion Gallery features images from the Lotus Gemology Hyperion Inclusion Database, but are shown as pairs, all the better to compare one form of beauty with another.

An account of a 2013 visit to Mogok – Myanmar's fairy-tale wonderland.

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.

A discussion of the definition of padparadscha sapphire, from early to modern times, along with the difficulty in standardizing such definitions.

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 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.

There are many benefits to using a long-wave UV torch when testing ruby and sapphire. Here are a few examples.

Jade has a long and varied nomenclatural history, with its definition altered in the current age for practical and cultural reasons. This paper examines the hardness of "fei cui" (pyroxene jade) and presents the findings in a simplified format based on empirical evidence and theoretical principles, while also considering the jade hardness data available in literature.