Pala’s Featured Stones: Made in America

This month we visit some homegrown stones that remind us of the rare treasures the U.S. has spawned.

Oregon has continuously produced beautiful and natural feldspar sunstones. Intense, orangey-red gems such as the 5.30-carat pictured below are some of the rarer hues found at the Dust Devil Mine outside of Plush, Oregon.

California’s state gem has taken a hiatus for the time being, as far as new production, but we still see a few jewels circulating in the trade. The Benitoite Gem Mine in San Benito County has blessed us with truly rare and beautiful gems over the years, including the 2.63-carat round shown below.

American Neighbors: 5.30-carat oval sunstone, 14.80 x 10.69 x 5.86 mm.; 2.63‑carat round benitoite, 8.79 x 4.68 mm.; 3.44-carat oval pink tourmaline, 11 x 9.1 x 5.8 mm., and 0.75-carat red beryl 7.12 x 5.26 x 2.62 mm. (Photo: Jason Stephenson)

In Southern California, the Himalaya Mine tourmaline still has a presence, with all the stockpiles left in our safes here at Pala. Occasionally, pink tourmalines are still found in the surrounding mines, but the quality and quantity seem to be limited. The 3.44-carat pictured above is one of the cleanest and most pure pinks we have left.

Red beryl is another gem that seems to be out of production for now, but luckily we still see a few of these intense red jewels bubble up now and again. The Violet claim, in the Wah Wah Mountains of Utah, produced the most red beryl, including this little 0.75-carat beauty.

And speaking of red beryl, loyal readers may recall our featured stone from May 2008. It’s back in stock.

Interested? Call or email us to inquire. [back to top]

The Sinkankas Symposium 2010

Bill Larson to present on Gem Feldspar theme

The annual Sinkankas Symposium has been described by John Koivula as the “best gem mineral symposium in North America” and never fails to achieve sold-out enrollment. This year’s topic is Gem Feldspar, a subject made a bit more compelling by the unraveling of red feldspar issues that we looked at last October, in “A Mystery of the Orient.”

The Symposium, which will be held on Saturday, April 17, will feature Pala’s Bill Larson presenting on “World Class Collectable Gem Feldspars.”

The Sinkankas Symposium now has a handsome website of its own.

The Symposium is organized by Roger Merk, and co-sponsored by the San Diego Mineral & Gem Society and the Gemological Institute of America. For more information see the new Sinkankas Symposium website. [back to top]

Larson to Give San Diego Talk

April 14 presentation in Carlsbad on Burma Gem Crystals

Can’t make the Sinkankas Symposium? The San Diego Chapters of the Women’s Jewelry Association and GIA Alumni Association are cosponsoring an event the prior Wednesday, for which they sent the following…

“Gem Crystals of Burma – The Source and Experience” will be presented by Bill Larson, President, Pala International.

Pack your passport….“Burma Bill” will take you on the experience he has traveled nearly two dozen times—into the valley of gems to one of the most historical resources for fine gems—Burma (now called Myanmar). Your journey will begin with history, and include the profound experience of visiting this land. You will also hear first hand, about the abundance of gems and minerals found, some of Bill’s guests/travel partners’ experiences to Burma, and the current trading issues that have resulted from the US embargo against Myanmar.

“Awed by the Fabulous Ruby Ngamauk.” Han Htun, FGA, and Pala’s Bill Larson, under the image of King Tibaw showing the royal ruby to author and gem merchant extraordinaire Edwin Streeter. Read the story of this ruby in our reprint of C. M. Enriquez’s “Fire-Hearted Pebbles from Burma.” (Photo: Bill Larson)

The event is open to the public, and there is an admission charge (see below).

Event: Cosponsored by WJA/GIA Alumni
When: Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Where: La Costa Resort & Spa, Carnation Room
2100 Costa Del Mar Road, Carlsbad, CA 92009
800.854.5000

Program:

• 5:00–6:30 pm: Mix/mingle, no-host happy hour, at resort’s Blue Fire Grill
• 6:30–6:45 pm: Check-in and seating
• 7:00 pm: Bill Larson lecture begins promptly

PayPal payment may be made here. Reservation emails or questions to info@giasd.org or call Blaire Beavers at 619.279.3190. [back to top]

Lawrence Stoller’s “Eye”

A damaged phenacite as artist’s muse

Two weeks ago, Pala’s Bill Larson received an intriguing note from award-winning artist Lawrence Stoller, who included photographs of “a phenacite that I was asked to ‘do something with.’” We found ourselves entranced by what we saw, and wanted to learn more. “So much to occupy the eye,” we told Stoller, before learning the name given to the piece.

“Eye of Matter,” carved by Lawrence Stoller. “The base is made of bronze,” said Stoller, “and has a whimsical quality that seemed to draw from the character of the stone,” (Photo: Gary Alvis)

The story begins with a damaged 98-gram phenacite specimen obtained this year at the Tucson show by John Van Rees, of Exquisite Crystals. “He showed it to me,” Stoller told us, “and said he was considering having it cut into a traditional faceted stone. John and I are friends, so he didn’t take it personally when I told him I thought that was a crazy idea.” Phenacite isn’t common, and this crystal had both size and character. “My thinking was that by faceting it, this rare phenacite would look like a piece of faceted quartz or any other colorless crystal.” Indeed, the mineral was named from the Greek word for “imposter” by Finnish mineralogist N. G. Nordenskiöld, due to the ease with which it often is mistaken for quartz. (Nordenskiöld was responsible for another, famous, appellation—demantoid—for the rare variety of garnet.)

What’s the matter? Nothing, as far as we can see. In in this carving of what was a damaged phenacite specimen, we can see afar… (Photo: Gary Alvis)

“So John asked me what I would do with it, and I really didn’t have a good answer on the spot,” but Stoller said he’d preserve the specimen’s size and distinctive etched surfaces. One wrinkle: Stoller had never cut phenacite before. While the cutting and caving were “relatively straightforward,” as he told us, “getting a good polish on the large surfaces was another matter entirely. The crystal acted much like a large topaz behaving badly. After the 1200 [grit] stage it wanted to scratch itself.” Stoller’s assistant Ingrid Mrencso spent many hours polishing out the large, flat surfaces—roughly 15 times longer than a comparable piece of quartz—to bring out the brilliant finish captured in the photograph by Gary Alvis.

Remodeled without being remade, and surrendering but eighteen of its original ninety grams, the finished piece was given the name, “Eye of Matter.” The specimen, appropriately, hails from the “Shining Stone” Mine (Okuta-didan in the Yoruba language), an alluvial deposit at the Jos Plateau in central Nigeria. The finished size is 43 x 35 x 24 mm.; the stand measures 7 x 4 inches.

For more about Lawrence Stoller and the breadth of his artistry, see his CrystalWorks website. See also this blog entry by metalsmith Carla M. Fox for the description of a photo shoot by Gary Alvis. [back to top]

Tourmaline from Nuristan, Gemstones from Pakistan

Response to last month’s Pala Mineralis report, and more

Last month, in our newly re-named sister e-newsletter, Pala Mineralis, we featured a photo essay, “Tourmaline Mining in Afghanistan,” contributed by a correspondent in southwestern Asia.

Coincidentally, via a mutual friend, we received the following reply on that story from another correspondent, in Pakistan, who we hadn’t heard from in some time. (He had last notified us about a December 2005 avalanche in a peridot-mining region of Kohistan, in the North West Frontier Province border region and had commented on the state of the gemstone industry in Pakistan at the time.)

Here are his remarks on the tourmaline mining in the general area of the Mawi pegmatites in Nuristan Province. (Nuristan also is the traditional name for an area that straddles the current provincial boundaries of Nuristan, Laghman, and Kunar, aka Konar.)

My closest friends actually worked that [Gaamata, aka Gamatha] mine many years ago but were unsuccessful because of the sheer difficulty of the terrain and small yield. Please tell Bill that Gamatha is NOT the only mine producing the neon/Paraiba colors. There are 4–5 mines in Nuristan, [and] I know them all. One of those mines (in Kunar actually) produces the incredible electric green tourmaline that is equal if not better than Mozambique’s finest.

Mawi tourmaline. This was one of the fine lots of tourmaline found in Mawi recently. From last month’s article in our Pala Mineralis.

The correspondent forwarded to our mutual friend an explanation he’d made to a third party upon hearing of the Pala Mineralis story. The Gaamata mine is quite remote, and while production had been low in his experience, “when something would be found [it] was magnificent.”

One of the finest roughs ever recovered from this mine was a 68-gm piece (yes, 68 grams!!) some years ago. My friend sold that stone to a Peshawar dealer who then sold it to Jeff Graham at the Tucson shows. Graham later said it was one of the finest tourmalines he ever saw and bought. … I saw the 68-gm with the Peshawar dealer. I missed by just a couple of days. … This was a year or so before cell phones became popular here—I think it was 2000 or 2001…

Jeff Graham, who died unexpectedly in June 2009, did extensive writing on the art and craft of gemstone faceting, some of which still is available on Cabbers.com.

God only knows what hidden treasures are in that mountain. There’s an emerald deposit near Gamatha, too. Again, some close friends were the first to work that emerald mine, which has produced the occasional fine piece. … Just walking up the 3000-ft trail alone will put you down...

Cool blue. This unenhanced blue trillion-cut tourmaline from Afghanistan is a cool 9.93 carats, and affordable. Inventory #16191. (Photo: Wimon Manorotkul)

He goes on to discuss other material being produced in the area.

The latest mine to yield top neon IS near Mawi but that produces emerald green material. That too is amazing material, and I’m surprised that there has been no mention about it in GIA or AGTA during the past few years because the material is mind-blowing. This started coming out about 4–5 years ago. … I’ve been a little out of touch with the mines during the past year or so [being involved in another sector of the market], but last time I heard about this material it was selling for very high prices in Mawi, even tiny crystal fragments. The exceptional quality and big roughs would sell by the piece, but again, production started to get very sporadic after a couple of big finds, and rare to find.

(Indeed, we’ve been able to find very few if any references to this material.)

We followed up with this correspondent and received more information. He again mentioned the emerald green tourmalines:

There was a lot of talk about the pockets near Mawi producing the material. This was about 4–5 years ago. Much of the initial findings were sold to the major Peshawar dealers the first year, but thereafter just a trickle of material would find its way [out]. Primary color was a beautiful intense spectral green, some with a yellowish-brown modifier, others with a touch of blue. I would see the occasional rough lot in Peshawar, but was told some superb one-of-a-kind pieces weighing over 50 grams were found and sold almost instantaneously at the mines for very high prices.

Avoid the pinch—on St. Pat’s and on the wallet. This blue-green tourmaline from Afghanistan is 4.15 carats and available. Inventory #15654. (Photo: Wimon Manorotkul)

And other mines in the borderlands of the three provinces can sporadically produce neon colors. The mining area is relatively high in elevation, with the nearby Koh-e-Sagoli mountain range nearly 10,000 feet in altitude. Thus, our correspondent told us that “the mines of Kunar, Laghman, and Nuristan are known very little about, even in this age of satellite TV and the Internet.”

We asked him about the geology of the pegmatite veins pictured in the February Pala Mineralis news item. He related what he’d been told when the mining was attempted a decade ago.

I was told by friends that many times the pegmatite veins seem to travel in more vertical and other difficult angles; the deeper you’d penetrate the more complex the pegmatite route. The deeper the pegmatite the better the material, as the old saying there goes, but then what does one do when the vein suddenly goes off in different directions 50 meters or so within the surface, or even further in than that? This is what made the recovery of material at Gamatha so difficult, according to my friends.

One of the beauties of the kunzite mines at Mawi was that a miner could walk into a refrigerator sized pocket containing many kilograms of kunzite just a few meters within the surface. (It’s not uncommon to come across pockets within major pegmatite veins that could contain up to a 100 kilos of Kunzite, even more, just within a few meters beneath the surface!) Unfortunately, that doesn’t apply to Gamatha. The gold and glory is there, but the mining is going to be a challenge surely. Much more challenging than the normal mining conditions in Laghman, Kunar, and Nuristan. Again, your [other] correspondent is working there now and I assume a lot has changed in the past ten years.

He wishes the current miners well: “It’s not easy working that mountain…”

From Paprok, Nuristan. This specimen was just posted to our online inventory on Friday. This tourmaline from Afghanistan consists of four prominent attached crystals. Good luster with glassy terminations. It measures 6.6 x 4 x 2.4 cm. Inventory #18086. (Photo: John McLean)

And Pakistan?

Turning to another subject, and another country, we asked him for a new assessment of Pakistan’s gem and jewelry industry. Four years ago, he’d admitted to being an optimist, but in the face of a reality that called for skepticism. Now, things are

still a little “rough” but improving. I give much credit to the few gemologists here who are working hard to apprise better the gem trade in colored stones and diamonds. There are gemologists who offer week-long programs in diamond grading, for example; you couldn’t see that a few years ago. The Export Promotion Bureau, though helping the local dealers in local promotions, still are lacking in the international avenue. Jewelry manufacturing, especially in the casting and stone setting sectors, is much better than before.

Mining conditions, however, still are pretty much the same, with the same risks and hurdles of the past 30 years. Again, sadly, the political [situation] and stability of peace in the (now) volatile North-West Frontier Province and Pakistan itself will be a major factor in developing the mines as well as prospecting for new mining areas. Northern Pakistan regions like Skardu, Hunza, Gilgit, etc., still are happy and peaceful regions, though.

A follow-up message included information about women’s role in the industry.

I forgot to mention that another interesting aspect I’ve observed in the jewelry sector here is the greater involvement of women entrepreneurs in the jewelry field nowadays—especially colored stone jewelry in silver and gold. Whereas you would find just a couple of women working in jewelry a few years ago, nowadays there are many ladies doing business and doing extremely well. Much of their work and promotion is localized in the form of private exhibitions in homes and hotels, but a few are venturing to places like England and the U.S. and doing well there also.

Thank you to both our contributors for their informative reports…

From Shigar Valley, Baltistan. Another new specimen posted to our online inventory on Friday. It features a gemmy upper half and measures 11.4 x 2.6 x 2.3 cm. Inventory #18087. (Photo: John McLean)

[back to top]

De Beers Blue Diamond Should Fetch Millions

A blue pear-shaped diamond, estimated to be worth $4.6–5.9 million, is expected to be highlighted at an upcoming Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong on April 7. This exceptional diamond is the first from the De Beers Millennium collection to be put up for sale at auction. It is one of eleven rare diamonds that were in this esteemed collection that took De Beers decades to assemble.

Once in a thousand years. This diamond bears the inscription, “De Beers Millennium Jewel 11,” signifying its place in the collection that De Beers presented in 2000 to celebrate the new millennium. (Photo courtesy Sotheby’s Hong Kong)

Weighing in at 5.16 carats, with an even fancy vivid blue hue, and an internally flawless clarity grade, this rare natural diamond is the star lot of Sotheby’s Hong Kong. Last May, a 7.03-carat cushion-cut, internally flawless, vivid blue diamond set a world record per-carat price, of almost $1.34 million/carat.

This Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Sale also will include: a jadeite bead necklace, a necklace with 50 D-color and IF-clarity diamonds, and an assortment of gemstones, diamonds, and natural pearls. See the press release and more photos. [back to top]

“Elephant” Emerald Unearthed in Zambia

The “elephant” has entered the room. A massive 6,225-carat rough emerald crystal has been pulled out of the Kagem mine in Zambia. The local Bemba people named the oversized green jewel “Insofu,” which translates as “elephant.” This remarkable specimen was found on February 5 and announced by the gemstone producer Gemfields. Evaluation of the true quality of this piece has not been released, but even from the simple picture below, one can see the strong color and high clarity. No doubt we will be seeing some mammoth faceted emeralds out of this very gemmy-looking piece of rough.

The “elephant” was named for its size, but also in honor of the World Land Trust’s “Wild Lands Elephant Corridor Project.” Promotion of the project will include the creation of “a bespoke collection of emerald jewellery, designed and created by the very best jewellers from around the world,” according to this International Colored Gemstone Association news item. See also this compelling preview of a forthcoming documentary on Asian elephants. (Photo courtesy Gemfields)

Zambia has become an important source for emeralds as the world’s thirst for these green jewels grows. Other major producers include Colombia and Brazil, which have produced some record-settling emeralds as well. Colombia unearthed a 7,025-carat emerald crystal that actually held the record, but Brazil supposedly found the largest uncut emerald in 1974 that weighed 86,136 carats, according to The Daily Telegraph (UK) and Mindat.

For an overview of gemstone mining in Zambia, see this 2007 briefing paper prepared by the NGO groundWork.

Ron Ringsrud on the Elephant and El Itoco

Our friend Ron Ringsrud, author of Emeralds, A Passionate Guide, had this reaction to the Zambian find: “I am so impressed with the transparency of the ‘Elephant Emerald.’ It is astounding. It reminds me of the gem-quality transparency of the Itoco emerald.”

Ron should know; he facilitated the Itoco’s display last year at Southern California museums, as we reported. He told us that the Itoco will be unveiled once more—at Baselworld. It will be displayed in Exhibition Hall 3, Hall of Elements 3.1. [back to top]

March 8: AGTA Spectrum Designs
Figure in Academy Awards

Jewelry designs created for the American Gem Trade Association’s annual Spectrum Awards were among those flying out the door prior to last night’s Oscar presentations. Celebrity stylist and jewelry guru Michael O’Connor took The Fashion Patrol website on a browse through some of the choices that were made available to red-carpet ramblers.

While “white” diamonds always deliver at the ceremony, color can command as well, from the understatement of Kate Winslet’s yellow diamond necklace, earring, and bracelet ensemble from Tiffany, to Sigourney Weaver’s massive ruby and diamond brooch. Zoom in on Amanda Seyfried’s brown, champagne and mint diamond geometric bracelets by Lorraine Schwartz. Or perhaps the turquoise and diamond earrings worn by Susan Geston.)

Before the ceremony, Michael O’Connor allowed a peek at a StyleLab suite of top designers’ luxury goods—hidden away in a Beverly Hills suite. Several made-for-Spectrum designs—including immense aquamarine earrings by Sam Getz—were highlighted in the Fashion Patrol video. Other designs from the StyleLab—including a lovely ruby and diamond rose-shaped brooch are pictured at the blog The Recessionista. [back to top]

March 4: More from Mozambique?

In 2007, we noted the visit to Tucson of gemstone entrepreneur Moussa Konate, who with his partners in Mozambique Gems dazzled us with paraiba-type tourmalines in substantial sizes. Between August 2006 and August 2008, Pala International chose tourmaline from Mozambique six times as the monthly featured gemstone. After the Tucson show in 2007, Pala’s Jason Stephenson traced the history of these stones in a full-length article, “The Path to Paraiba Winds Through Mozambique.”

Moussa returned to Tucson last month, but production of tourmaline from the region has ceased for the time being. We’ll keep you posted on further developments…

Gemtone supplier Moussa Konate, pictured above with Rebecca Boyajian at a Tucson 2010 party. Rebecca wears a necklace featuring one of the paraiba-type tourmalines that were the talk of Tucson 2007. (Photo: James Elliott, Fine Minerals International)

[back to top]

Campbell Bridges Tribute at Tucson
Followed by Suspect’s Apprehension

Attendees of the Tucson shows on February 3 took time to reflect on the life and work of Campbell Bridges. GIA’s Robert Weldon, whose portrait of Bridges is included below, presented photographs of the pioneer who is known to students of gemology as the discoverer of tsavorite. The gathering was attended by Judith Bridges, Campbell’s wife, and their children Bruce and Laura, along with other family members and over 300 members of the international gemstone community. The tribute took place during the annual International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) reception at the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) GemFair and was arranged by ICA, AGTA, and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). From a February 6 ICA release:

Bruce Bridges’ emotional remembrance of his father included the tragic details of the last moments of Campbell’s life. He thanked the ICA for its collective efforts to rally the support of the international gemstone community immediately following the murder of his father and the association’s commitment to the family and Campbell’s legacy. Bruce called on the international community to support the efforts to seek justice for Campbell and the prosecution of the known perpetrators.

During ICA’s East Africa gem tour in 2007, Campbell Bridges posed for cameras near his tsavorite garnet mine in Kenya. (Photo: Robert Weldon, © 2007 Gemological Institute of America)

Five days following the tribute in Tucson, ICA announced the arrest in Nairobi of the alleged organizer of the attack on the Bridgeses and four colleagues. From the February 8 announcement:

Sources close to the Bridges family reported that a member of the Bridges' private security force apprehended Daniel M. Mnene, commonly known as Suleiman, and held him until police arrived to arrest him. Records indicate that Mnene was booked at 16:36 hrs under Occurrence Book number 99 at the Central Police Station in Nairobi.

Mnene is believed to be behind the illegal mining and attempted takeover of the Bridges’ mining concessions.

The security officer who notified police was a witness to the murder of Campbell Bridges and was brutally beaten and stabbed by the mob that murdered Bridges on August 11, 2009 in Taita Taveta District in Tsavo National Park. He reportedly accompanied police to the station to document the arrest of the alleged suspect.

Details on the charges filed against Mnene are not yet available.

A Reuters story on February 8 stated that the suspect would be moved to the town of Voi, not far from where the attack and murder took place. [back to top]

Pala’s Featured Stones: Prase Opal From Tanzania

This month we feature prase opal from some recently unearthed veins on Mount Iyobo in central Tanzania. Prase opal is a nickel-bearing variety of common opal, with nickel being the chromophore that illuminates the neon bluish-green hue. Chrysoprase and prase opal can be similar in appearance but can easily by separated by varying RI and SG. Both varieties range from low-quality opaque material to high-quality translucent jewels; however, the prase opal tends to be more translucent and gemmy. Pala International just recently purchased some of the fascinating prase opal rough while at this year’s Tucson show.

Tanzanian treat. A glowing prase opal cabochon showing the most pure and intense color; 11.80 carats, 16 x 12.6 x 9 mm. Price available upon request. (Photo: Jason Stephenson)

Chrysoprase and prase opal have been mined on Iyobo Mountain in central Tanzania for more than 20 years, with the first accounts being described by Gübelin in 1975. The most recent discovery revealed some of the most intense and beautiful bluish green material to be seen by the gem trade. The majority of the production is in the chrysoprase form, while the prase opal is the more rare find from this deposit. Chrysoprase and prase opal both form in discontinuous veins within metamorphosed ultramafic rocks with the most dominant host rock being altered serpentine.

Goody goody gum drops. An assortment of the prase opal cabs with a chunk of rough showing the gem vein and the surrounding matrix. (Photo: Jason Stephenson)

See “Chrysoprase and Prase Opal from Haneti, Central Tanzania,” by James E. Shigley, Brendan M. Laurs, and Nathan D. Renfro, in the current issue of Gems & Gemology.

Interested? Call or email us to inquire. [back to top]

Tucson Time: Bill Larson to Address Museum Group

Pala International president Bill Larson will address the 2010 Tucson Meeting of The Society of Mineral Museum Professionals on the subject of Gem Crystals – Mogok, Burma. The meeting will be held during the annual extravaganza of gem and mineral shows in Tucson in late January and early February. The public is welcome to attend.

The Society of Mineral Museum Professionals (SMMP) is an international organization of mineral museum curators and others with related interests. SMMP is a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation incorporated under the non-profit laws of the State of Arizona.

Event: SMMP 2010 Tucson Meeting
When: Thursday, February 11, 4–5 p.m.
Where: Tucson Convention Center

The Tucson Shows – February 2–14, 2010

Tucson hosts the world’s greatest gem and mineral show in February. One-stop general information about individual shows can be obtained from the Tucson EZ-Guide.

Pala International will be represented in Tucson as follows. We look forward to seeing our many friends there. Visit the Pala International Show Schedule for future events.

AGTA GemFair

Pala joins nearly 100 exhibitors for this annual extravaganza. Some highlights from the schedule that may interest mineral lovers and dealers:

• Richard Drucker, of The Guide, gives tips on profitability in the colored gemstone trade (Wed)
• Gary Roskin, of Roskin Gem News Report, discusses color trends for 2010 and 2011, and availability (Wed)
• Jewelers Vigilance Committee invites reps from 5 U.S. agencies to answer questions (Thu)
• Books for Gem Lovers features three authors we’ve spotlighted in Pala’s Gem News in recent months: John Koivula, Ronald Ringsrud, and Richard Wise (Thu)
• Cindy Edelstein, of Jewelers Resource Bureau, explains how to use social networking tools (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) to promote your products (Thu)
• Robert Weldon, of Gemological Institute of America, documents the world of ametrine in easternmost Ángel Sandoval Province of Bolivia, with videography by GIA’s Pedro Padua (Thu)
• Alan Hodgkinson regales with “Intriguing Gem Stories” (Fri)
• Edward Boehm, of JOEB Enterprises, on “Spinel: A Royal Gem” (Fri)
• Antoinette Matlins, of Gemstone Press, teaches how to quickly identify colored gemstones and detect treatments, fakes, and synthetics (Fri)
• Leela Hutchison, of Leela’s Divine Play of Gemstones, explores those amazing selenite caves of Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico, which we covered in 2007 (Sat)

Event: AGTA GemFair
When: February 2–7
Where: Tucson Convention Center
Pala International Booth: 1016–1018

9th Annual Westward Look Mineral Show

Pala International and two dozen other world-class mineral dealers shack up at a Sonoran Desert resort.

• Collector Day (Sat) features Pala’s Will Larson and selections from his Japan and worldwide collections (see this preview from our October edition)
• Mineral Artists (Sun) looks at the work of special guests Eberhard Equit, Hildegard Könighofer, Wendell Wilson, and Susan Robinson, as well as others whose paintings and illustrations will be displayed. Gamini Ratnavira, illustrator of our featured mineral specimen last month, will be included in the exhibition

Event: 9th Annual Westward Look Mineral Show
When: February 5–8
Where: Westward Look Resort
Pala International Suite: 236

See Pala International’s page on the Westward Look Show site.

55th Annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show

TGMS is the largest gem and mineral show in the country. This year’s theme is “Gems and Gem Minerals”—a Pala International specialty.

Event: 55th Annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show
When: February 11–14
Where: Tucson Convention Center
Pala International Booth: Aisle 5 East

Ronald Ringsrud has informed us that the Geo-Literary Society will host a book signing (Emeralds, A Passionate Guide) and lecture by Ringsrud in the Crystal Ballroom at the Tucson Convention Center during the TGMS, Friday, February 12, at 3:30 p.m.

The next day, Saturday, February 13, Richard Wise will appear at TGMS at 11:00 a.m., with a signing (The French Blue) and talk on “The History and Mystery of the Hope Diamond.” [back to top]

Tucson Transit Tips

The I-10 Widening Project is complete; therefore the Gem Ride shuttle is discontinued. Many shows, however, will offer their own shuttles. View your transit and parking options here. [back to top]

All That Glitters: San Diego Museum Launches
Two-Year Exhibition

Pala International to provide 100 gems and minerals

Above, a promotional piece for the upcoming exhibition. Click on thumbnail to view full size. (Images courtesy San Diego Natural History Museum)

The San Diego Natural History Museum is opening an exciting new exhibit for all those gem lovers out there. “All that Glitters: The Splendor & Science of Gems and Minerals” will include mineral specimens, faceted gemstones, and designer jewelry. It tells the story from the formation of gems within the Earth to Man’s creations employing all the wonderful gem materials. The exhibit will appropriately focus on the fascinating array of gems and minerals found in San Diego County, along with a wide variety from major gem producing regions around the Earth.

Over 100 gems and mineral specimens will be provided by Pala International. Prominent names in the industry like Tiffany & Co., Van Cleef & Arpels, and Cartier will provide a wide range of original jewelry pieces. Harvard University, the Smithsonian, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston all will be adding to the extravaganza with more jewels and mineral specimens.

The exhibit opens May 15, 2010 and is scheduled to run through April 2012. “In addition to demonstrating the ‘splendor and science of gems and minerals,’ All That Glitters will have a playful side,” says Exhibition Curator and Graduate Gemologist Elise B. Misiorowski. “Jewels and carvings incorporating natural-history themes will give children as well as adults delightful surprises to hunt for. How many jeweled butterflies, birds, and flowers can you find? Which case contains the Faberge carved pig with diamond eyes?”

See the exhibition website for a look at the efforts underway to construct display installations as well as some of the pieces that will be included in the exhibition. The show’s inaugural week will culminate with the All That Glitters Gala. “The All That Glitters exhibition will seduce visitors with the beauty of these precious objects and fascinate them with the science of their formation, and the Gala will delight revelers with exquisite food, beautiful ambience and fantastic entertainment,” said Ellen Zinn, museum board member and Gala Chair, according to a press release containing more Gala details. [back to top]

CIBJO Announces “Ruby Day”

Congress 2010 to feature “mini conference”

CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, has added “Ruby Day” to a line-up of gemological mini conferences that the organization plans to feature at future congresses. “Ruby Day” at next month’s congress in Munich will focus on new and old deposits as well as new research findings associated with ruby treatments. The conference is to include such topics as:

• Mineralogy of ruby deposits connecting North-Vietnam and South China (Wolfgang Hofmeister)
• Low temperature treatment of Mong Hsu ruby (Pornsawat Wathanakul)
• Rubies from Mozambique before and after treatment (Kenneth Scarratt)
• Occurrence and identification of rubies from Winza, Tanzania (Adolf Peretti)
• Recent observations on synthetic rubies (Claudio Milisenda)
• Heating and diffusion processes on rubies: characteristics, detection and declaration (Michael S. Krzemnicki)
• Glass in rubies: various case, their detection and declaration (Elena Gambini)

Déjà vu. This photograph is included in the “Ruby Day” press release. Pala Gem News readers will have seen another view of this nearly 40-gram Montepuez, Mozambique ruby in our last edition. (Photo: Vincent Pardieu/GIA Laboratory, Bangkok, 2009)

Subject matter and findings of presentations and articles will be added to the CIBJO Blue Book system, which aims to advance universal standards and terminology in the gem and jewelry industry. “CIBJO Blue Books are a definitive set of standards for the methodology, nomenclature and the trade practices of diamond, coloured stones, pearls and precious metals,” explains a recent press release.

• Friday, February 19th, 2010, from 1:00 - 4:00pm in Hall 5 of the International Congress Centre, at the Messe München, in Munich Germany

See the congress website for details. [back to top]

Speaking of ruby…

See how Vincent Pardieu and colleagues marked the New Year at the ruby mines and markets of Pailin, Cambodia, and the sapphire mines and markets of Chanthaburi, on Fieldgemology.org. [back to top]

Pala’s Featured Stones: Burmese Red Spinel

This month we feature a Burmese red spinel with a single octahedral crystal, in conjunction with the theme of this year’s Tucson Gem and Mineral Show: gem crystals. As the world opens its eyes to new gem varieties, spinel is standing at the front of the line, intense and beautiful. Nothing better than a good ol’ fashioned flame-red spinel. This spinel exhibits the best Burma has to offer, with a slightly orangey red hue, high saturation, and a pleasing cushion cut.

Crystal & jewel: 2.24-carat Burmese faceted red spinel, 8.3 x 7 x 5.1 mm,, with 15-carat Burmese spinel crystal, 17 x 12 x 10.5 mm. Inventory #16655. (Photo: Mia Dixon)

As we see many deposits producing fine spinels these days, with Tanzania, Tajikistan, Vietnam, Madagascar, and Sri Lanka, to name a few, nothing quite compares to some of the rich reds that are produced in Burma.

Interested? Select the inventory number above, call, or email us to inquire. [back to top]

John Koivula Receives GIA’s Liddicoat Award

On December 17, John Koivula was presented with the Gemological Institute of America’s (GIA) highest tribute to an individual, the Richard T. Liddicoat Award for Distinguished Achievement. GIA President and CEO Donna Baker, who presented the award, noted, “The Richard T. Liddicoat Award for Distinguished Achievement goes to an individual who truly embodies the characteristics that made Mr. Liddicoat so great, and who sets an example for all of us in our service to the industry and the public.”

Donna Baker presents an image of John Koivula and Richard T. Liddicoat. (Image: Kevin Schumacher/GIA)

In accepting the award, Koivula said, “This award, named after Richard T. Liddicoat, has a very special meaning. Mr. Liddicoat was one of a small number of special people that built and strengthened GIA’s international gemological reputation through decades of hard and innovative work. I was extremely fortunate to have known him, and I considered him to not only be an excellent teacher, but also a very good friend. Gemology is a great profession. I would be doing this anyway even if I was not being paid because this is what I love to do,” he said. Koivula currently is being paid by GIA as the institute’s Chief Research Gemologist, but it goes without saying that he would receive the award anyway because of his his stature in the field of gemology, due to his groundbreaking research and innovations in the laboratory.

Koivula’s writing should be well known to our readers; he has authored or co-authored more than 800 articles. With the late Dr. Eduard Gübelin, Koivula produced all three volumes of Photoatlas of Inclusions in Gemstones, but one title he has written or contributed to. His resumé is colorful and rich, including work on the development of a television series. For more on Koivula’s career, see the GIA website. [back to top]

Carat Gem Lab Opens

Bad time to go entrepreneurial? Apparently not for Dr. Eric Erel, the director of Carat Gem Lab, which opened its doors on January 4, in a suburb of Metz, in the northeastern région of Lorraine. While this Gallic city has roots that date back to pre-Roman Celts (known as the Mediomatrici, from whom Metz derives its name), Dr. Erel studied there for years in fields that are hardly prehistoric. He received his master’s and doctorate degrees in molecular physics and chemistry from the University of Metz. We should note the city’s other cutting-edge door-opening this year—of the Centre Pompidou–Metz (yes, associated with that other Centre Pompidou).

Erel spent four years studying the characterizations of trace elements in minerals and laser ablation processes at the school’s Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse et de Chimie Laser. He also studied natural and synthetic gemstone characterization. The last six years have been spent at Vancouver’s European Gemological Laboratory followed by the Gübelin Gemological Laboratory in Lucerne. He has authored and co-authored articles on diamonds and colored gemstones, several of which are posted, covering topics of interest to our readers. Also browse the lovely Gallery. [back to top]

The Science Sutra: Gemology and gemology discussed
by John Emmett and Richard Hughes

We can draw a fine portrait, but can we draw life?
            —from a South Indian devotional poem by Allama Prabhu

As indicated by the evolving career of Carat Gem Lab’s director, a grounding in the science of Gemology is requisite in the laboratory. But how to account for the fact that, as John L. Emmett points out in a new article, “with few exceptions, gemologists have not received formal scientific training”?

Richard W. Hughes offers an initial response: “In my opinion, the decision to purchase a gem is based more on emotion than analysis.”

Gemology involves analysis and aesthetics, left-brain and right-brain skills and sixth-senses. A duality prone to mesh and clash. In “Betwixt Two Worlds: A search for gemology in the 21st Century,” Emmett and Hughes explore a field that is enhanced by and sometimes diminished by human nature. [back to top]