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Recent articles from GemTech News
Heat seeker: UV Fluorescence as a gemological tool.
An article by Richard W. Hughes & John L. Emmett. One of the greatest challenges gem dealers and gemologists face today is being able to accurately determine if a stone has been heat treated. While a 100% reliable answer to that question is a job for a major gem lab, there is a simple and inexpensive tool that can often give an important indication. So what is this miracle tool? We speak of the lowly ultraviolet light. It wasn’t long ago that ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence was considered the poor stepchild of the gem lab, a pint-sized pea shooter when compared with the high-caliber cannons available in modern labs. But with the rising importance of treatment detection, the humble UV lamp is making a... Read the article on GemTech News/Articles |
Pigeon blood. A poetic description turning to a brand oriented quality grade.
Not long ago they did not like the name pigeon blood. The combination of ruby and blood is lost in the mists of time. References are found in the Chinese reports and in Arabic (the great medieval gemologist At-Tifasci and Al Afghani dealt with the subject). But tallying ruby to pigeons’ blood has more controversial origins. In all likelihood the vividness of the attribute (in Burmese ko-twe) stems more from a tint of the pigeon's eye than from its blood. The expression was then taken up again when in the second half of the nineteenth century the precious material came into the hands of the incredulous British officers. Yet, with absolute certainty, the dispute over the relevancy of such definition rages from... Read the article on GemTech News/Articles |