Lotus • Articles from Lotus Gemology

Apatite Oiling | Before and After

: E. Billie Hughes

Oil treatment has a significant impact on the appearance of an apatite.

Vietnamese Skyline

: Wimon Manorotkul

Hogbomite-filled dislocations in a Vietnamese spinel.

Intro Image Spinel with maze-like fingerprint.

An A-maze-ing Fingerprint in Spinel

: E. Billie Hughes

A web-like fingerprint creates a maze-like pattern in spinel.

spinel

Intro Image Bubbling Up • Carbon Dioxide in Sapphire

Bubbling Up | Carbon Dioxide Inclusion in Sapphire

: Wimon Manorotkul

The internal world never fails to amaze, as witnessed by this incredible video of a negative crystal in a Sri Lanka sapphire.

Intro Image Discussion of gem treatment disclosure and its somewhat difficult history.

Gem Treatment Disclosure | Notes from the Eastern Front

: Richard W. Hughes

Discussion of gem treatment disclosure and its somewhat difficult history.

Made You Look | The Challenges of Identifying Inclusions at First Sight

: E. Billie Hughes

This article discusses the challenges of identifying inclusions based on observation alone. While certain features can help narrow down the possibilities, other methods such as micro Raman help identify inclusions with a greater degree of certainty.

Ruby & Sapphire Books | Collecting the Literature of Corundum | Hidden Treasure

: Richard Hughes

A discussion of the literature of ruby and sapphire (corundum), with particular emphasis on the most collectible books covering ruby and sapphire around the world.

Jade | A Lifetime In Search of Heaven

: Richard W. Hughes

The story of Richard Hughes' four-decade adventure with jade, from Burma's jadeite mines to China's classic mutton-fat nephrite deposit at Hetian, Xinjiang Province. The work of China's modern jade carving masters is also discussed.

Black Star Sapphire Surprise

: Richard W. Hughes, E. Billie Hughes & Wimon Manorotkul

A large black star sapphire was brought in for testing. Two large pits on the base were carefully filled with brown dopping varnish. After removal of the varnish with alcohol, it was found that a large portion of the base had been filled with a lead glass.

Long-Wave Ultraviolet Torches • A Gemologist’s New Best Friend

: E. Billie Hughes

This article discusses the use of handheld long-wave ultraviolet torches with the microscope. It has been found that these have tremendous utility in identifying and characterizing certain oiled gemstones, such as emerald, tourmaline, etc.

Contemporary Jade Carving in China • Interview with Lin Tze-Chuan

: E. Billie Hughes

The word "jade" often evokes the green jadeite used in jewelry. However, some of the most valuable jade in China is not this green jadeite, but in the creamy "mutton fat" carved nephrite from Hetian, Xinjiang province. In the past, many carvings touched upon familiar motifs like dragons or religious symbols, while in recent decades there has been a revolution of carving, with artists incorporating modern themes and styles into their work. Lin Tze-Chuan, an influential collector and patron of many jade carvers, is considered by many to be the father of Chinese contemporary jade carving. Here he discusses the changing world of jade carving and what he looks for when commissioning new work.

FTIR in Gem Testing | A Pink Sapphire Lesson

: Richard W. Hughes & Wimon Manorotkul

A discussion of DRIFTS vs the Beam Condenser FTIR attachment in the testing of pink sapphire. The DRIFTS accessory is generally much better at unmasking heat treatment in ruby and sapphire.

World Sapphire Market Update | 2020 | Lotus Gemology

: Richard Hughes & E. Billie Hughes

The world sapphire market has changed dramatically in the past 40 years. The authors review the famous sources of the past and look at the current situation in sapphire around the globe.

Madagascar Ruby & Sapphire | Ruby & Sapphire | A Gemologist's Guide

: Richard W. Hughes, Wimon Manorotkul & E. Billie Hughes

This excerpt from Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide (2017) details the ruby and sapphire deposits of Madagascar. Since the mid-1990s, Madagascar has become one of the world's most important sources.

Intro Image Gem Testing Labs • Tips on Choosing a Colored Gem Testing Lab • Lotus Gemology

How to Choose the Best Colored Gem Testing Lab

: Lotus Gemology

How does one go about choosing a good gem testing lab? The gemologists at Lotus Gemology provide the following guide to help customers make the best decisions when choosing a good gem testing lab.

Jade Books | Collecting the Literature of Jade • Hidden Treasure

: Richard W. Hughes & Eric J. Hoffman

A discussion of the literature of jade, with particular emphasis on the most collectable books covering both Chinese jade and jade around the world.

Intro Image Sapphire Squeeze • Corundums treated with high temperatures and low pressure

Pressure Heated Sapphire | Corundums treated with high temperatures and low pressure (HT+P)

: [see below for authors]

27 February 2019: Sapphires heated with high temperatures and low pressures (~1kbar) first entered the market in 2009, becoming more common since 2016. This article examines the process in detail and looks at the question of whether a separate disclosure is needed for the treatment.

Intro Image Laos Sapphires • Laos – Land of a Million Elephants... & Sapphires

Lao Sapphires | Laos – Land of a Million Elephants... & Sapphires

: Richard W. Hughes, Auslan Ishmael, Flavie Isatelle & Peter Wang

The history of the Lao sapphire mines at Ban Huay Xai is detailed, along with modern mining by Hong Kong based Sino Resources Mining Corp. Ltd. from 2006–2012.

Colored Stone Grading | A Heretic's Guide

: Richard W. Hughes, with E. Billie Hughes & Wimon Manorotkul

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.

Six-Rayed Star in Sapphire from Myanmar

: E. Billie Hughes

A Burmese sapphire shows a celestial scene both externally and internally.