gems, beryl, emerald, Egypt, Cleopatra, emerald geology, archaeology, ancient gemology, ancient mineralogy

An important study not only of the geological structure of Egypt and the mineral composition of its rocks, but also of ancient Egyptian stone quarries. Illustrated with almost 500 photographs and diagrams, microscopic sections and electronic scans, as well as colour photographs of all the types of stone discussed, the detailed descriptions of the quarries and numerous examples of quarrying and masonry techniques make this book an indispensable tool for the provenancing of museum exhibits. Originally published in German in 1993, this edition has been updated to take account of new research, and a new chapter on the building stones of the western oases has been added. Archaeologists, Egyptologists and travellers to Egypt will find a wealth of fascinating information on ancient quarry sites, working methods and transport in ancient Egypt, as well as an introduction to the geology of the Nile valley and the surrounding desert regions.

corundum, Mozambique.12, gems

Rubies have recently been discovered in northern Mozambique, specifically in Niassa Province (M’sawize village, Lichinga district) and Cabo Delgado Province (Montepuez area). These rubies display internal features such as twin planes, fluid-film inclusions, negative crystals, and crystalline inclusions. Many of the crystalline inclusions are colorless to green amphibole (possibly pargasite), along with confirmed apatite and fine needles producing “silk.” Some fractures contain material resembling hematite. Infrared spectra of unheated Mozambique rubies show a broad absorption band at 3309 and 3081 cm⁻¹, which disappears after heating; weak bands at 2074 and 1980 cm⁻¹, likely from diaspore, may also be present. EDXRF analysis reveals Cr contents of 0.3–0.8 wt.% and Fe contents of 0.2–0.5 wt.%, higher than typical non-basalt-related rubies but lower than basaltic rubies. Most Mozambique rubies have been heat-treated, often leaving flux residues in fissures.

gems, agate, Germany, Idar-Oberstein, history, mining, geology

The study discusses German agates hosted by rhyolitic to dacitic volcanic rocks and their historical exploitation. The published Journal of Gemmology abstract highlights early working of these materials at Freiburg in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, later use of Black Forest agates, and historical agate production in Thuringia and Saxony. This summary is based on that published abstract rather than inspection of the complete original article.

gems, archaeology, archaeogemology, Africa, Niger, ivory, eggshell, bone, stone, amazonite, feldspar, microcline, neolithic

Excavation of 84 burials and surface artifact collection at Gobero (Niger) from paleodune and lakebed contexts yielded a diverse assemblage of ornaments made from ivory, eggshell, bone, and stone. These were categorized as either in situ grave goods or surface finds from deflation. Grave goods included a hippo ivory upper arm bracelet found on the left humerus of an 11-year-old girl from the mid-Holocene phase (4250 ± 40 BP), showing a tessellate enamel fracture pattern diagnostic of hippo tusk under UV light. Two necklaces, found with mature individuals, were composed of ostrich eggshell beads, larger green metamorphic rock beads, and—on a mature female dated to the later occupation phase (4860 ± 40 BP)—nine hippo ivory beads and a subrectangular ivory pendant incised with a ‘crow’s foot’ motif giving a serpentine lateral profile. Surface finds included amazonite and carnelian beads, partially drilled or unworked amazonite cores, a lobate amazonite pendant (44 mm long), a drilled Gazella dama phalanx, a pendant from an external hippo tusk section, and one from a curved cranial bone of a large Nile perch (Lates niloticus). The absence of ornaments in early Holocene burials suggests most surface finds likely date to the mid-Holocene occupation.

gems, ancient gemology, ancient jewelry, advanced testing, archaeology, archaeogemology, glyptic, engraved gems, cameos, intaglios, seals, glass, fraud, counterfeit, forgery, imitation gems

“The so-called pastes manufactured only in Rome are imitations, or rather impressions, of ancient and modern cameos and intaglios in enamel. Besides these pastes, impressions are also made in sulfur and in scagliola. These cost very little and are extremely interesting, since through them one may acquire, at very little expense, a compendium of the art, history, and mythology of the Ancients. […] In this way there are collections whose purpose is to show the development of Art, beginning with the Egyptians and Etruscans, continuing through the Greeks and the Romans, from the birth of Art to its decline. Other collections are historical, containing the principal events of history; others contain only portraits arranged in series of the first Kings of Rome, the Emperors, famous Captains, Philosophers, and Poets.” Thus Giuseppe Brancadoro wrote in the “Notizie riguardanti le Accademie di scienze, ed arti esistenti in Roma coll’elenco dei Pittori, Scultori, Architetti etc. compilata ad uso degli Stranieri.” The first of three volumes, this catalog constitutes the complete publication of the collection of glass molds used during the first half of the nineteenth century by the workshop of Bartolomeo and Pietro Paoletti for the serial production of scagliola impressions of cameos and hardstone intaglios from every period. The catalog is supplemented by a reconstruction of the Paoletti workshop’s activity in Rome and by a historical-critical analysis of the collection.

gems, obsidian, natural glass, archaeology, archaeogemology, Sardinia

gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, Mesoamerica, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mayans, Olmecs, Aztecs, archaeology, history, archaeogemology, Pre-Columbian jade; Costa Rica; Maya; exchange; iconography, lapidary

In his essay, David Stuart provides a carefully nuanced reading of the many bundles that appear in Classic Maya imagery. He contests their traditional grouping under the rubric “tribute bundles” and suggests instead that various categories of bundles can be identified, some of which provide important insights into the economic significance of this motif. In particular, he posits that the contents of one type of bundle—labeled ikatz (“cargo” or “burden”)—may have been carved jades, which served a powerful role in elite gift exchange and tribute in ancient Mesoamerica. In contrast, he identifies another type of bundle, labeled with the numerical classifier pik, which appears to have contained cacao beans, a commodity closely associated with elite gift-giving and payment. Weaving together a variety of images with epigraphic and archaeological evidence, Stuart reconstructs patterns of elite exchange that shed insight into the social, political, and economic role of these practices and that illuminate their mythological ramifications as well. In short, he posits that bundle-related text and imagery such as this provide insight into ancient Maya notions of wealth.

gems, jade, jadeite, fei cui, Mesoamerica, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Mayans, Olmecs, Aztecs, archaeology, history, archaeogemology, Pre-Columbian jade; Costa Rica; Maya; exchange; iconography, lapidary

gems, gemology, jade, China

This is a comprehensive Chinese textbook covering the crystallography, optical, physical, and chemical properties of gemstones, their identification methods, and classification systems. It is widely used in gemological education and certification programs in China.

gems, feldspar, moonstone, albite, peristerite, rainbow moonstone, India, locality, species