Gem News International Gems & Gemology, Winter 2014, Vol. 50, No. 4

Pearl Newsletter: Margaritologia

Erin Hogarth

Margaritologia
Margaritologia, a quarterly newsletter on pearls, was recently launched by Elisabeth Strack.
The Greek word for pearl, margaritēs, was used by Theophrastus in the fourth century BC in the first known effort to explain the scientific origin of the beloved organic gem. Margaritologia, or “the science of pearls,” is a newsletter recently launched by Elisabeth Strack, founder and director of Gemmologisches Institut Hamburg and author of the comprehensive book Pearls. Ms. Strack is also a member of G&G’s editorial review board.
 
The newsletter, published four times a year in English and German, in print and electronic versions, offers a forum for pearl research findings and news. Topics range from science and history to pearl grading and testing, farming, and market conditions. The first issue, published in October, featured articles on Vietnamese cultured pearls, DNA fingerprinting of pearls, the International Gemmological Conference in Hanoi, Spondylus pearls, a Mikimoto necklace, and a museum exhibition in Mecklenburg, Germany.
 
A yearly subscription to Margaritologia is €70, with a discounted rate for CPAA or NAJA members. More information can be found at www.gemmologisches-institut-hamburg.de.

Erin Hogarth is a San Diego–based writer and editor in GIA’s Learning Design & Development department.