gems, Ceylon, Sri Lanka, ekanite, metamict

Gauthier and Fumey examine ekanite as an unusual metamict gemstone, discussing the structural damage produced by its natural radioactivity and the resulting effects on its gemological properties. They describe the stone’s appearance and physical and optical characteristics and consider the difficulties that metamictization creates for conventional mineral identification. The study emphasizes the relationship between ekanite’s thorium-bearing composition, internal irradiation, and progressive destruction of its original crystalline structure, making the mineral an instructive example of a naturally metamict gem material.