Gems & Gemology
Vignettes
The question most frequently asked of our jewelry experts at Lang is “what is the difference between antique cut and contemporary cut diamonds?” The answer is to be found primarily in...
You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined...
Further Resources Gems & Gemology: The Quarterly Journal of The Gemological Institute of America. March-April 1935, Synthetic Diamonds, Historic and Modern, by Anderson, p. 213, 4pp. Winter 1938, Supposed Synthetic...
Glyptography comes from the Greek word glyptos which means to carve. In jewelry, glyptography is the art of gemstone carving and applies to both intaglios and cameos. Begun in ancient times as one of the earliest forms...
Enhancement, when used in gemological conversation, stands for a man-induced treatment that improves the appearance or durability of a gemstone. Gem minerals are rare, durable, and beautiful by definition; this...
Agates have long been attributed with the ability to aid in love, wealth, good luck, longevity, courage, protection and healing, balance, harmony, generosity, strength, security, and the appreciation of nature....
Terms & Definitions
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from Gems in Myth, Legend and Lore by Bruce G. Knuth References to gemstones appear in many ancient writings. They may be mentioned as decoration, a means of barter, a symbol of...
Adamantine is the term used to describe the luster exhibited by diamonds and gems with a Refractive Index of 1.9 – 2.5. The root word adamant derives from the Greek word adamastos which means untameable. Throughout history the...
Adularescence is an optical phenomena often called the “moonstone” effect. The phenomenon is applied to feldspar, usually orthoclase that, when cut as a cabochon, exhibits a floating, billowy bluish or...
Like many historical diamonds, the Agra’s saga is a familiar combination of fact and legend, leaving the reader with the challenging task of choosing what is indeed its true story. Regardless,...
Unfortunately, the history of famous diamonds is not without its list of casualties. In this category are those magnificent stones that somehow could not escape the fate of enduring such calamities as...
Alexandrite is a variety of chrysoberyl with a distinct change of color when viewed in incandescent and fluorescent light. The colors that alexandrite occurs in depend on its geographical source...
Alexandrite-like refers to the ability of a gem material to change colors when viewed under different light sources such as daylight and incandescent lighting. It is named after the natural “change of...
The term allochromatic is used in reference to gem materials that derive their color from elements that are not an essential part of their chemical composition. In other words, the...
