Editorial Gems & Gemology, Spring 2014, Vol. 50, No. 1

Eighty Years and Still Going Strong

Duncan Pay

Duncan
It is truly a privilege to be at the helm of Gems & Gemology in the journal’s 80th year, following in the illustrious footsteps of Robert M. Shipley, Richard Liddicoat, and Alice Keller. We start 2014 with renewed anticipation and the strongest intention to build on the many notable innovations that shaped G&G in previous years. This year, we will continue to foster collaboration with researchers working in related fields at other institutions, while actively producing dynamic media content for the GIA website that complements and adds value to our printed journal.

This issue’s lead article focuses on the Chinese gem and jewelry industry. This paper lays the foundation for a series of articles that will explore specific aspects of China’s powerhouse industry, including diamond and colored stone cutting, jewelry manufacture, design, and jewelry retail, as well as uniquely Chinese industry sectors like jade carving. The paper is a partnership between Chinese authors Zhili Qiu, Mu Li, and Qingyuan Yu, and G&G’s own Tao Hsu and Andrew Lucas. As demand for gem and jewelry products surges in China and impacts consumption patterns elsewhere, this is a very timely topic for our journal to investigate. To reach a wider audience, we have provided a Mandarin translation.

Download: Exploring the Chinese Gem and Jewelry Industry - Mandarin translation (PDF)

Our second article is a study of near-colorless synthetic diamonds grown using high-pressure and high-temperature (HPHT) by the AOTC Group of the Netherlands. AOTC is the dominant near-colorless HPHT synthetic diamond producer targeting the gem trade. Lead author Ulrika D’Haenens-Johansson, a research scientist at GIA’s New York laboratory, investigates the gemological and spectroscopic properties of a suite of 52 colorless to light-colored synthetic diamonds. This important paper illustrates the recent strides made in growth technology and quality.

We are also delighted to present G&G’s second field report. Titled “Hunting for ‘Jedi’ Spinels in Mogok,” it details GIA field gemologist Vincent Pardieu’s decade-long quest for bright “neon” red spinel in Myanmar’s fabled “Valley of Rubies.”

In our fourth and final article, we offer a fascinating look at a baroque South Sea cultured pearl from Indonesia that is far larger than the norm for specimens of this type. Ms. Laura Otter and her co-authors use high-resolution computerized microtomography to study the cultured pearl’s interior.

In addition to our regular Lab Notes and Gem News International sections, we bring you in-depth coverage of the February 2014 Tucson gem and mineral shows. And don’t forget to take the G&G Challenge, our annual multiple-choice quiz.

We hope you enjoy the Spring 2014 edition!