Articles

Rubies and sapphires occur in a variety of colors. From peacock blue to pigeon's blood red, this article looks at the color types for ruby and sapphire used at Lotus Gemology.

Lotus Gemology warns that oiled rubies, sapphires and spinels are entering the Bangkok wholesale market in increasing numbers. Most, but not all, of these gems are originating from Burma.

Is the Mozambique stone the bejesus of bird's blood? Lotus Gemology's resident ruby wallah, Richard Hughes, weighs in on the state of the market and how Mozambique stacks up to historical heavyweights like Burma and Thailand/Cambodia.

In 1878, the noted Austrian mineralogist, Gustav Tschermak von Seysenegg [1836–1927], was the first to properly identify silk in corundum, finding it to be composed of the mineral rutile (TiO₂). An English translation of his landmark paper is included, along with the original German version.

The best way to check the authenticity of a Lotus report is with online report verification.

The phenomenon of pleochroism in doubly refractive (DR) gemstones is described, as it relates to overall color appearance in the context of faceted gems. With strongly pleochroic gems, pleochroism can be seen in faceted gems, even if the table facet is oriented perpendicular to an optic axis. This is because facets change the direction of light as it moves through the gem.

Do men and women have the same ability to see red? The answer might shock you.

A curated list of the most important books on gems, gemology, jewelry, mineralogy and allied fields.

A look at the geology of Myanmar's Mogok Stone Tract, home to pigeon's blood rubies and so much more…

An account of a 2013 visit to Mogok – Myanmar's fairy-tale wonderland.