The Journal of Gemmology has been the official journal of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain since the company was incorporated in 1947. Printed in black-and-white with a grey cover, the 1947 journal looked very different from the full-colour publication produced today. All Gem-A members receive The Journal as part of their membership package, keeping them up-to-date with new gemstone sources, the latest synthetic and simulated gems and gemstone treatments. Laboratories, libraries, museums and similar institutions may subscribe to The Journal. The Journal also gives details of Association events, lists those who have qualified in our Gemmology and Gem Diamond examinations, new Fellows and members, and donations and gifts received. It is important for all those with an interest in gemmology to have access to a collection of reference literature on the subject. Many back issues of The Journal are available for purchase, please contact Gem-A to check availability and prices.
The Journal is also now available online for current Gem-A members. Click here to access 2008 and 2009 issues with full search facilities. New articles placed online in 2010, abstracts of which are given below, will also be published in ‘hard copy’ as a single issue and sent to all paid-up Gem-A members early in 2011 as part of their 2010 subscription. Access to these pages require membership log-in, but you can view samples of two articles from the The Journal here.
Online Journal articles will also have a detailed summary in Gems & Jewellery, explaining the interest, relevance and importance of the article, the science, if necessary, and, of course, pointing to the online article where the full text, charts, footnotes and so on will published. These summaries will be readable and interesting brief articles, not to be confused with the succinct abstracts that will continue to be provided online.
The Editor is glad to consider original articles shedding new light on subjects of gemmological interest for publication in The Journal. If you would like to submit an article for consideration please click here for guidance on the preparation of typescripts.
Journal of Gemmology articles 2010
Gem-A members should click here to download the complete articles.
Mexican jadeite-bearing rock: a first mineralogical and gemmological approach
Mikhail Ostrooumov and Alfredo Victoria Morales
Abstract: Jadeite-bearing pebbles have been found in secondary deposits overlying Cretaceous sediments in the Vizcaino Peninsula, Sierra San Andres, Baja California Sur, Mexico, the first in the country. These pebbles are probably derived from a blueschist assemblage associated with a serpentinite-matrix mélange complex about 2 km north of Puerto Nuevo. Jadeite is accompanied by omphacite and aegirine, and different associated minerals enable distinction from Californian and Guatemalan jadeites.
New data for distinguishing between hydrothermal synthetic, flux synthetic and natural corundum
Alexei S. Bidny, Olga S. Dolgova, Ivan A. Baksheev and Irina A. Ekimenkova
Abstract: Although the synthesis of coloured corundum became widespread long ago, it may still be diffi cult to distinguish some natural and synthetic specimens especially if no inclusions are visible. The analysis of oxygen isotopic composition in combination with standard gemmological measurements (especially UV spectroscopy) can prove very useful in the identification of hydrothermal synthetic and flux synthetic corundums and in distinguishing them from natural stones. The indicator of flux synthesis is the presence of a 290 nm line in the photoluminescence spectrum and hydrothermal synthetic corundums contain negative δ18O values.