IN FOCUS

The Carlsbad laboratory received for examination two dark-colored bead cultured pearls embedded with an electronic device (figure 1) from Jeremy Shepherd, CEO of Pearl Paradise. The first sample had been cut in…

When it comes to clarity enhancement with oils and resins, a common belief is that the refractive index of the host gem must match that of the filler. If one follows this…

The micro-world of gemology is fascinating and often mimics scenery, landscapes, or, in this case, food. Recently the authors examined a natural rock crystal quartz that showed needles piercing a yellow and…

The unusual quartz cabochon shown in figure 1 displays visually appealing dendritic inclusions that resemble trees. This inclusion scene is an excellent example of pareidolia, the tendency to assign familiar shapes to…

Two important internal features in gemstones are inclusions and fissures. Inclusions are an important source of information in the gemological evaluation process. They can often provide indications about geographic origin (see, e.g.,…