Author Guidelines

As the award-winning quarterly journal of GIA, Gems & Gemology publishes the latest research on diamonds, colored stones, pearls, and other gem materials. Authors should use the following guidelines when submitting an original manuscript to G&G, or the paper may be returned. If you have any questions about these guidelines, contact Managing Editor Stuart Overlin (soverlin@gia.edu).

TOPICS

Manuscript topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Laboratory or field research
  • Notable gem materials and localities
  • Synthetics, imitations, and treatments
  • New instruments or identification techniques
  • Trade and business matters
  • Jewelry manufacturing arts, historical jewelry, and museum exhibits

Authors are also encouraged to contribute to these regular G&G sections:

  • Gem News International—brief reports on new localities, unusual gem materials, or current events in the field (four figures, 1,000 words maximum)
  • Micro-World—very brief submissions on gem inclusions revealed through photomicrography (one or two figures, 600 words maximum)
  • Note that G&G's Lab Notes section consists of reports from GIA laboratory staff.

MANUSCRIPT PREPARATION

Language and Format

Manuscripts must be submitted in Standard American English. We will consider articles previously published in other languages. The authors must translate into Standard American English and inform us when and where the article was first published.

All text (including tables, figure captions, and references) must be submitted in Microsoft Word. Figures should be large and easy to evaluate.

Preferred formatting includes U.S. letter-size paper with standard 1-inch margins, Times New Roman 12 pt. font, and line spacing at 1.5.

Contents and Organization

The contents of the manuscript should be arranged as follows:

Abstract. State the purpose of the article, what was done, and the main conclusions. All acronyms need to be spelled out on first use in the abstract and the body text. This also applies to element names, unless representing an ion or isotope.

Body Text. Follow a clear outline with appropriate headings. Research paper example:

Introduction
Background (e.g., a review of previous studies)
Materials and Methods
Results
Discussion
Conclusions

Use other heads and subheads as the subject matter warrants.

Be sure to explain the relevance of your work to a gemology audience.

Manuscripts that present original research must include a Materials and Methods section containing the number of samples, a description of the samples (gemological characterization), and the techniques and instrumentation used to obtain the data.

  • Provide as much information as possible regarding how samples were obtained in order to substantiate their origin: Did the authors obtain them from the source directly (ideally) or from miners at the source? Did they purchase in the local market or from a gem dealer? Ensure the samples are representative of the source and numerous enough to draw conclusions from.
  • For quantitative data, completely describe instruments and settings used, what reference materials were used to calibrate the instrument(s), and limits of detection.

About the Authors. Include a one-sentence biography for each author that includes title, present occupation, and location. For example: Dr. Shigley is a distinguished research fellow at GIA in Carlsbad, California.

Acknowledgements. Indicate any non-authors who provided assistance in the research and writing of the manuscript.

References. Use primary references to indicate information taken directly from another publication, to document ideas and facts attributed to another writer, and to refer the reader to other sources on a subject. Avoid excessive self-referencing. References must be cited in the text (in parentheses), with the last name of the author(s) and the year of publication. Add the appropriate page number when citing a direct quote or a specific illustration or piece of data. For example: (Koivula et al., 2000, p. 362).

Personal communications should be cited in the text as follows: (G. Rossman, pers. comm., 2010). Such persons must also be listed, with their affiliations, in the Acknowledgments section.

List references at the end of the paper in alphabetical order by the last name of the lead author. If there is more than one publication by the same lead author, list in chronological order starting with the earliest publication. List only references actually cited in the text (or tables or figures).

Include the following information, in the order given here, for each reference:

  • Journal format: Surname and Initials for all authors (year of publication) Full article title. Full Journal Title, Vol. #, No. #, pp. #–#, digital object identifier (DOI, if any)
  • Book format: Surname and Initials for all authors (year of publication) Full Book Title. Publisher Name, City/State or Country of Publication.
  • Conference proceeding format: Surname and Initials for all authors (year of publication) Full article title. Full Volume Title. City/State or Country of Conference, month d–d, pp. #–#.

Sample references:

  • Renfro N., Koivula J.I., Wang W., Roskin G. (2010) Synthetic gem materials in the 2000s: A decade in review. G&G, Vol. 46, No. 4, pp. 260–273, http://dx.doi.org/10.5741/GEMS.46.4.260
  • Balfour I. (2000) Famous Diamonds. Christie, Manson & Woods Ltd., London.
  • Levinson A.A. (1998) Diamond sources and their discovery. In G. Harlow, Ed., The Nature of Diamonds. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, pp. 72–104.
  • Evans D.J.F., Kelly C.J., Leno P., Martineau P.M., Taylor A.J. (2006) Silicon doped single crystal CVD diamond grown using silane. Proceedings of 57th De Beers Diamond Conference, Cambridge, UK, July 10–12, pp. 38–40.
  • Special report on red feldspar, Part 2 (2011) News from Research, www.gia.edu/research-resources/news-from-research/special-issue2 homepage.html, Aug. 1.

Figures and Tables. References to figures and tables must be placed in the text. Figures and tables must be numbered consecutively.

Include a descriptive caption with every figure. Each caption should clearly explain any symbols, arrows, numbers, or abbreviations. Information in captions must be consistent with the text. For photomicrograph captions, provide field of view in millimeters instead of magnification. The measurement should be provided up to two decimal places.

Provide any maps in a high enough resolution to be very clear. Boundaries need to be distinct, legends complete, and a scale provided. For geological maps and cross-sections, different rock units and primary and secondary structure symbols need to be color- or pattern-coded. Please limit the amount of information on the map to fit the purpose of your study.

Every table should have a title; every column (including the left-hand column) should have a heading. Terms and figures in the table must be consistent with those used in the text. For quantitative data, provide limits of detection.

MANUSCRIPT SUBMISSION

Send all submissions to:
Stuart Overlin, Managing Editor, Gems & Gemology
soverlin@gia.edu

Copyright. GIA acquires worldwide copyright to all submitted material upon publication.

Our policy is to allow authors to republish their material elsewhere starting six weeks after first publication in G&G, provided the original publication in G&G is referenced.

PEER REVIEW

Each manuscript receives a critical review for accuracy, readability, interest value, and scientific or educational contribution to the field. Manuscripts are evaluated by the editorial staff and at least three peer reviewers. (Authors are permitted to suggest reviewers for their manuscript.) Authors are expected to address all peer reviewer concerns in the revision stage. All content accepted for publication is subject to copy editing and technical editing. Authors will receive page proofs for review and are held fully responsible for the content of their articles. Decisions of the editors are final.

UPON ACCEPTANCE

Upon acceptance for publication, authors will be asked to provide print-quality files in the following format:

Photos and Photomicrographs. All photographic images should be previously unpublished and sent as high-resolution digital files (JPG or TIF preferred) with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi (pixels per inch) at 4 × 5 inches (10 × 12 cm). G&G reserves the right to reject photos that do not meet our production standards. Photos that are not original work must be submitted with written permission from the copyright holder(s).

Send as individual files without labels or pointers. G&G will apply these using our style.

Line Illustrations. All line art (spectra, graphs, diagrams, etc.) should be sent as vector graphics files (Excel, PowerPoint, Acrobat, or Illustrator format preferred). Art that is not original work must be submitted with written permission from the copyright holder(s).