gems, antique gems, antique jewelry, engraved gems, glyptic, topaz, diamond, beryl, emerald, ruby

Monstrances, jewelries and ex voto represent the core of the ecclesiastic historical patrimony. Most of them, coming from the 18th century, are now stored and exposed in numerous Diocesan and Sacred Art Museum, which boast centuries of history and the property of unique objects. Refined designs, golden finishing and set gemstones give these objects a very precious appearance. But are these objects really valuable? Does the nature of the gemstones really correspond to the declared one? Often, the identification of a gem in this context is assigned according to autoptic observations and historical documents. No scientific studies are usually performed. Traditional techniques, indeed, do not allow to analyze set gems, which could be studied only with non-invasive instruments, better if portable directly in situ. Raman spectroscopy, coupled with portable X-ray Fluorescence (pXRF) could be considered well-suited analytical techniques for this purpose, but few are the examples of their application on these kinds of art and historical remains. With the aim of deepening the knowledge about the Sicilian production of ecclesiastic objects, confirming or not the declared gemstones identifications, a set of objects from the Diocesan Museums of Catania and Caltagirone (Italy) were studied by in situ portable Raman spectroscopy (with 785 nm excitation wavelength) and portable X-ray Fluorescence (XRF). The series of objects investigated included different monstrances with stylistic similarities and set gemstones, dated back to the 18th century; bishop’s adornments, as a miter with differently coloured gems, a pastoral ring with a large green stone surrounded by colourless ones (supposed to be an emerald and little diamonds) and a pectoral cross with light orange centimetric stones surrounded by colourless little ones (supposed to be topazes and diamonds). Furthermore, an ex voto ornament, used for the Immaculate Conception statue for a religious ritual in Caltagirone, was also extensively analysed. It is an elegant combination of jewellery parures sewn together on a textile bustier. Numerous reddish and pinkish gemstones are set, together with small colourless ones; moreover, a cameo appears at the centre of the jewel. According to a kind of traditional Sicilian production of European derivation in vogue, especially in the 18th century, the gems mentioned were supposed to be rubies and diamonds. Interesting results emerged from the analytical investigations. In some cases, precious gemstones, such as rubies, emeralds and diamonds, are detected together with quartz or garnet, while in some others the presence of precious gems must be discredited due to the identification of glass.

gems, emerald, quartz, plagioclase, sphalerite, sulfide, Ural emerald mines, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, galena, zinc greenockite, bismuthine, matildite, electrum, Mariinsky, Malyshev, Russia

A mineralogical study was carried out and the chemical composition of sulfide mineralization rare for the Ural emerald mines was studied. Previously, zinc greenockite and matildite were not described, so this is the first find of these minerals at the Mariinsky deposit.

beryl, emerald, phlogopite, betrandite, fissures, gems

An emerald ring submitted to American Gemological Laboratories for identification and enhancement reporting contained interconnected fissures with unusual mineral infillings. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy detected no conventional oil, resin, or filler, while Raman micro-spectroscopy identified bertrandite in the altered areas and phlogopite along the fissures. These findings suggest that late-stage fluids entered the emerald after crystallization, causing alteration and mineral formation. This case highlights the importance of combining high-magnification reflected-light observation with Raman micro-spectroscopy to identify mineral phases and understand alteration processes in emeralds.

gems, chrysoberyl, alexandrite, beryl, emerald, phenakite, Russia, Ural Mountains, Malysheva

Alexandrite was discovered in 1833 in the emerald mines of the Ural Mountains, Russia. Since then, numerous legends have been told about the discovery and naming of this first colour-change gem material. Key figures in these stories were L.A. Perovskii, vice president of the appanage department of the Russian Tsar and minister of Internal Affairs of the Russian Empire, and N.G. Nordenskiöld, superintendent of mines in Finland. Phenakite was also discovered in the Uralian emerald mines in the early 1830s, with the same two people involved. Based upon extant letters written by both individuals—Perovskii and Nordenskiöld—as well as the published literature, this article critically evaluates the facts about the discoveries and the initial descriptions of alexandrite and phenakite. Our research shows that a third individual, Y.V. Kokovin, who at that time was director of the Ekaterinburg lapidary works, actually discovered both gem materials, and soon after samples of each were distributed via Perovskii to various mineralogists for examination. The name phenakite was suggested by Nordenskiöld in late 1832 or early 1833, ignoring the local use of the already-existing name kokovinite. Nordenskiöld suggested the name alexandrite, in honour of the Russian Crown Prince, almost a decade later—in 1842—after Kokovin’s death.

gems, Afghanistan, Panjshir Valley, beryl, emerald, ruby, Jegdalek, lapis lazuli

Exploring Afghanistan in 2021 has become increasingly difficult. Just read the State Department guidelines before departure: “Do not travel to Afghanistan due to COVID-19, crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict.” And now we have withdrawn. At the time of this travel, the advice included: “ON APRIL 27, 2021, THE DEPARTMENT ORDERED THE DEPARTURE FROM U.S. EMBASSY KABUL OF U.S. GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES WHOSE FUNCTIONS CAN BE PERFORMED ELSEWHERE. TRAVEL TO ALL AREAS OF AFGHANISTAN IS UNSAFE… TERRORIST AND INSURGENT GROUPS CONTINUE PLANNING AND EXECUTING ATTACKS IN AFGHANISTAN… AT LOCATIONS FREQUENTED BY U.S. CITIZENS AND OTHER FOREIGN NATIONALS. THE U.S. EMBASSY’S ABILITY TO PROVIDE ROUTINE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES TO U.S. CITIZENS IN AFGHANISTAN IS SEVERELY LIMITED, PARTICULARLY OUTSIDE OF KABUL.” I know you’re asking yourselves why anyone would go to Afghanistan. For me, it’s an affection for the people of Afghanistan. I’ve been traveling there and exploring the remote mines for 50 years and have a strong attachment to the gem mining industry. I have a three-year contract with USAID/DAI “to advance the gemstone industry of Afghanistan and increase its exports of gemstones.” However, like scenes from a James Bond movie, I was met at the Kabul airport by armed guards and driven in an armored vehicle to a fortified compound where I stayed and worked for two weeks. If I was to go rogue and head to the emerald mines in the Hindu Kush Mountains, it had to be unofficial and on my own. Doing so was a sleight of hand transition. Upon my departure from the heavily guarded compound, I was escorted by guards in an armored vehicle back to the Kabul airport. Inside the airport my USAID/DAI mission was completed, and we said our “goodbyes.” Moments after they left, an Afghan friend drove up in his dusty vehicle, and we were off to the Hindu Kush Mountains.

gems, beryl, emerald, emerald history, medicinal gems

When the Black Death started to spread throughout Europe following its arrival in 1347, the medical responses, looking for answers to the death and desolation that fell upon the people, were rapid. One of the first medical treatises written on the plague in this period was the Compendium on the epidemic by the college of the Faculty of Parisian Physicians (Compendium de epidemia per collegium Facultatis Medicorum Parisius). It was produced in October 1348, at the request of King Philip VI (1293 – 1350), by physicians from the University of Paris as a collective work explaining the etiology of the disease and proposing prevention and cure regimens, which were largely composed of the consumption of medicines.

gems, emerald, California, Julian, citrine, hematite, dolomite, schist-hosted

Located about 60 miles east of San Diego in the Julian Mining District, a new emerald deposit embedded in biotite schist has been discovered near the surface by author RE and Bruce Edley. While the area is known for pegmatites and hydrothermal deposits, emeralds had not been produced here previously; the recovered single crystals are mostly translucent dark green with inclusions and under 2 cm, alongside a few light-colored green beryl crystals from a nearby pegmatite.

gems, corundum, History.1, Roman jewelry; diadem; necklaces; Herculean knot; sapphires; pearls; long-distance Roman trade

A piece of jewelry consisting of twenty-five gold links in the form of Herculean knots arranged vertically was discovered in 2011 at Colonna (Rome) inside the sarcophagus of a complex female burial—a tomb with an inaccessible hypogeal chamber, dated to the late 2nd century CE. The object is 29 cm long, and all the links were designed to receive a secondary element, which survives in only seven cases: seven sapphires, totaling 46.20 carats. The complete absence of the other eighteen elements and their mounting system strongly suggests that they were pearls. To date, this ornament is unique among jewelry found in the territories of the Roman Empire. Chain necklaces with links in the form of simple Herculean knots—arranged horizontally—alternating with fixing-links strung with gems (mostly emerald prisms) are known in Roman jewelry thanks to their discovery in hoards dated to the 3rd century CE. The length of the object from Colonna and its position within the sarcophagus, near both the head and neck, suggest that it is one of the rare head ornaments attested in the 2nd/3rd century CE in the western provinces of the Roman Empire in high-status female burials, consisting of a diadem worn across or above the forehead, from ear to ear. The style of the diadem from Colonna, which particularly suits Antonine-era hairstyles, suggests that the piece was created between the early 140s and the mid-160s CE. Some final remarks are reserved for a possible symbolic interpretation of the form—already highly decorative in itself—of the Herculean knot.

gems, jade, pyroxene jade, jadeite, fei cui, synthetic jadeite, synthetic fei cui, simulants, HPHT

Jadeite, commonly known as jade, is a rare gemstone composed primarily of sodium aluminosilicate with the chemical formula NaAlSi₂O₆. Its physical and chemical properties are closely tied to geological processes, making it a key subject in both gemological and geological research. This dissertation investigates the high-temperature and high-pressure (HTHP) synthesis of sodium aluminosilicate jadeite, including systems doped with various oxides, in an effort to simulate natural jadeite formation environments. By studying the experimental conditions and the mineralogical and physical characteristics of synthetic jadeite, the work aims to explore the mechanisms of natural jadeite formation and its coloration process. The color and texture of jadeite are closely related to its crystallinity and internal structure. Key to producing gem-quality synthetic jadeite is enhancing the conversion of amorphous glass material to jadeite, maximizing transparency, and enabling coloring ions to enter the jadeite crystal lattice for stable coloration. This study optimized the synthesis assembly and processing of sodium aluminosilicate jadeite, successfully producing samples doped with different oxides and yielding several innovations: (1) An optimized experimental chamber for HTHP synthesis was designed, using a sodium chloride–zirconia composite as the pressure-transmitting medium. This ensured pressure and temperature stability while preventing sample breakage due to sticking with the medium. (2) The preparation process for doped glass was improved by mixing metaaluminate and sodium silicate nonahydrate with trace oxide colorants. Multiple quenching steps produced high-quality doped glass, effectively eliminating the common “black spots” and “color patches” seen in synthetic jadeite. (3) Jadeite synthesis was carried out under various pressures, establishing the pressure-temperature ranges required for HTHP synthesis. As pressure increased, the necessary synthesis temperature also rose. Undoped samples exhibited uniform, dense textures and no cracking, with a homogeneous white appearance, a pure jadeite composition, and typical silicate chain morphology and vibrational characteristics. (4) By doping with 0.4 wt.% of TiO₂, V₂O₅, Cr₂O₃, MnO, Fe₂O₃, CoO, NiO, and CuO, jadeite samples with gray, apple green, emerald green, pink-purple, light yellow-green, cobalt blue, yellow, and sky blue colors were successfully synthesized. XRD analysis confirmed that all samples were composed primarily of jadeite. When doped with 1.0 wt.% MnO, the jadeite turned bluish-purple, with synthesis possible at pressures as low as 2.5 GPa. (5) Microstructure, Raman, and infrared spectroscopy of the high-quality doped jadeite samples showed that those synthesized at higher pressures exhibited a fibrous woven texture resembling natural jadeite. At 5.0 GPa and 1450 °C, samples doped with 0.4 wt.% TiO₂, MnO, Cr₂O₃, and Fe₂O₃ exhibited strong Si–O tetrahedral vibrational peaks at 373 cm⁻¹ and 698 cm⁻¹, identical to those of natural jadeite, with no extraneous peaks. Infrared spectra confirmed typical jadeite absorption features. (6) Elemental and UV–Vis spectral analysis of the doped jadeite samples indicated elemental compositions consistent with natural jadeite. The concentrations of color-causing ions matched the doping levels, suggesting effective incorporation into the crystal lattice. UV–Vis absorption spectra showed distinct ion absorption peaks corresponding to each dopant, consistent with the mechanism of coloration through ion-based color centers.

gems, beryl, emerald, Madagascar

Emerald deposits in eastern Madagascar near Mananjary were discovered in the 1970s by Jeannot Andrianjafy and have yielded some high-quality emeralds. There are currently a few mining sites being worked by Andrianjafy’s children. This article characterises emerald samples that were collected in 2019 at two of the deposits—Ambodivandrika and Ambatomaneno, in the northern and southern parts of the area, respectively—where the mineralisation occurs in schist associated with pegmatites. The samples from each deposit showed some significant differences in their internal features and trace-element composition (i.e. alkalis and others such as Mn, Zn and Ga). Emeralds from both mines share many characteristics with those from other schist-type deposits, such as in Zambia, Brazil and elsewhere.