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Welcome to The Gemology Project

The Gemology Project is a non-profit gemstone and gem science wiki-style database for anyone interested in gemstones and gemology (gemmology). Every month we highlight a gemstone and a piece of gemstone identification equipment to help us all understand more about the wonderful world of colored stones and diamonds.

We invite every gemologist, gemstone dealer or gem enthusiast to share their practical and theoritical gemological knowledge and help this central gemology repository grow.
You can simply click on the "submission" links at the top and bottom of each page and your information will be included as soon as possible.


In the spotlights: Zircon
BlueZircon.jpg

Zircon is a gemstone that can be broadly defined as a zirconium silicate containing trace amounts of the radioactive minerals hafnium, uranium and thorium. Over time, these radioactive components break down the lattice of the crystal, eventually (over tens of thousands of years) destroying the internal crystal lattice and leaving it with an amorphous structure and a dark, pithy appearance. Zircons that are geologically young and unaffected by radioactivity are termed "high" zircons. These stones are transparent golden, yellowish-green and greenish-brown in color with incredibly high dispersion ... more


Jill's book tips
Synthetic diamonds by James E. Shigley

Book synthetic diamonds august 2007.jpg

The GIA has bundeled past and present articles on the subject of synthetic diamonds into a fabulous book with entries dating from 1971 to present day. This first effort in a series of identification books is received as a wonderful addition to gemological libraries. You will find detection methods for all the synthetic diamonds that are on the market today, produced then and now. Especially the quick identification with the aid of standard gemological equipment will proove to be highly valuable to gemologists around the world.
This is not just your average bundled article book, instead Shigley edited it in a fashion that it is an easy read and quick reference book with 100's of excellent photographs. The top experts in the field give their views on the past and the future on the subject. As a bonus they added two poster size summaries one can use in the office.

At an affortable price you will get the best book written on this subject.
ISBN 0873110501

Featured article: Refractometer

The refractometer is one of the most important tools in a gemological laboratory. It indicates (not measures) the refraction index of a gemstone, which often gives vital clues to the identity of a gemstone.

Although one would expect a refractometer to measure the refraction of light inside a gemstone, this is not the case. Instead it is based on a unique optical phenomenon named Total Internal Reflection (or TIR) ... more


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