COLORED STONES

Introduction
 Table of Contents

Subject Page

What is a Gem? ........................................................................................ 4

Atoms and Crystals ............................................................................. 5
Species, Varieties, and Mineral Groups............................................. 10
The Colored Stone Market ..................................................................... 14
Production and Availability ............................................................... 19
Consumer Preferences and Marketing .............................................. 22
Treatments and Disclosure ................................................................ 25
What’s to Come.................................................................................. 28
Checking Your Progress .................................................................... 29
The Final Examination ...................................................................... 30
Help Isn’t Far Away ......................................................................................30
Key Concepts.......................................................................................... 31
Key Terms ........................................................................................................31
©
©2002 The Gemological Institute of America
All rights reserved: Protected under the Berne Convention.
No part of this work may be copied, reproduced, transferred, or
transmitted in any form or by any means whatsoever without the
express written permission of GIA.
Printed in the United States.
Reprinted 2004, 2006, 2015
Revised and updated 2013

Cover photos: (clockwise) Donald Stampfli/AP Wide World Photos, John Parrish/Richard Krementz Gemstones

Facing page: Colored stones, like this exceptional Burmese ruby, entice buyers with their romantic history and captivating beauty.
Peter Parks/AFP

INTRODUCTION
Colored stones have a special allure. For centuries, they’ve been treasured
by maharajahs, emperors, and kings. They come from some of the world’s
most remote locations, where just a few bold adventurers dare to go.
They’re mined in nearly inaccessible mountains and deserts, far from the
modern world of most jewelry consumers.
Many source countries are politically turbulent. A gem’s supply might
go from a torrent to a trickle overnight if a country’s government changes.
Such changes have dramatic effects on a gem’s price, availability, and
popularity.
Although the Big 3—ruby, sapphire, and emerald—have the strongest
hold on consumers’ imaginations, other enticing gems also compete for
attention in today’s marketplace. Some, like tanzanite and tsavorite,
were unknown until very recently. Others, like spessartine garnet and
cultured freshwater pearl, weren’t widely available until new sources
appeared.

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COLORED STONES 1

Donald Stampfli/AP Wide World Photos

Welcome to the Colored Stones

course! This course will help
you build on the knowledge
you gained in Colored Stone
Essentials. When you’ve success-
fully completed the course:
• You’ll have a solid foundation
of colored stone knowledge.
• You’ll be able to apply the
basic principles of gemology
August Theodor Schoefft/Christie’s Images Inc.
to judge the color, clarity, and
cut of colored gemstones. Gems have been coveted by royalty throughout history. An Indian maharajah displays
his priceless treasure of rubies, emeralds, and pearls (above). The magnificent
• You’ll be familiar with most emerald and diamond jewelry (left) once belonged to Catherine the Great of Russia.
major gem treatments.
• You’ll understand the structure
of the colored stone industry, The study of colored stones is not just about gemology. The economics
from mining through production of supply and demand are just as important. Today—more than at any time
and marketing, up to final in the past—the number of new gems and new gem sources makes it
retail sales. necessary for the people who work with colored stones to be better informed.
• You’ll qualify for positions such In Colored Stone Essentials you learned how to sell colored stones at
as gem laboratory staff, sales the retail level. Colored Stones will take you farther down the supply
associate, assistant buyer, and chain. This course blends the science of gemology with current product
customer service representative. knowledge and practical trade examples to give you the information you
need for a successful career in the jewelry industry.

2
 INTRODUCTION

Tino Hammid/GIA

©Harold and Erica Van Pelt Michel Viard/AFP

New sources can increase a gem’s availability and enhance its position in the A miner is the first to recognize a colored
colored stone market. Examples are Chinese freshwater pearls (above) and East stone’s value. Like many gems, these
African fancy sapphires (top right), which are much more available today. sapphires were extracted from a remote
location using primitive mining methods.

This course will serve as a guide to the multitude of colored stones in

today’s market. You’ll learn how wholesalers, gem cutters, and miners
judge and market them. You’ll discover which gems are most commer-
cially important and why. You’ll understand the value differences among
gems. You’ll gain insight into the shifting patterns of colored stone supply
and how they affect gem prices and availability.
Whether you work in retail or in the wholesale colored stone industry,
this course will give you the information you need to sell more colored
stones.

3
COLORED STONES 1

Ralph Gabriner/Maija Neimanis

This contemporary necklace features a combination of organic and inorganic gems. The pearls were produced by a living
animal—a mollusk—while the aquamarines and peridots were derived from non-living matter.

Inorganic—Composed of, or WHAT IS A GEM?

arising from, non-living matter.
 What are gems made of?
Organic—Produced by, or derived  What is a mineral?
from, a living organism.
 How do gemologists classify gems?
Natural gems—Gems produced
by natural processes, without Almost all the colored stones you’ll encounter in this course form in the
human help. earth. They’re inorganic, which means that they’re composed of—or arise
from—non-living matter. Some other gems—like pearl, coral, amber, and
ivory—are produced by living organisms, which means that they’re
organic.
Whether gems form within the earth or from animals or plants, they’re
referred to as natural gems. This distinguishes them from materials
produced in a factory or laboratory.

4
 INTRODUCTION

Jeffrey Scovil

Each gem is built from a specific combination of atoms of different types and amounts. This combination is called chemical
composition.

ATOMS AND CRYSTALS Atom—The basic structural unit of

all matter.
All gems—inorganic and organic—are made up of atoms. Atoms are the
basic structural units of matter and the smallest units that retain the Chemical element—A substance
characteristics of a chemical element. Chemical elements consist of only that consists of atoms of only one
one kind of atom, and combinations of them make up and color gems. kind.
Chromium atoms, for example, color ruby red, and aluminum and oxygen
atoms build its crystals. Chemical composition—Kinds and
relative quantities of atoms that
The kinds and relative quantities of atoms that make up a material
make up a material.
comprise its chemical composition. Each gem has its own unique chemical
composition. Emerald, for example, is a precise combination of beryllium,
silicon, aluminum, and oxygen atoms.
Knowing about the atoms and their arrangement within a gem will help
you understand its physical properties, right down to the sharpness of its

5
COLORED STONES 1

Building a Crystal

atoms

combined atoms

crystal structure

crystal

Peter Johnston/GIA
Atoms are the basic building blocks of all matter, including crystals. Different kinds
of atoms combine in different ways to form gems of all kinds.

KEY facets and the perfection of its polish. The types of atoms a gem contains
and how they’re combined determine everything you see when you look
Concepts
at a gem and how it feels when you handle it.
Most gems are minerals. Almost all the gems used in jewelry are minerals. Minerals are natu-
ral, inorganic substances with characteristic chemical composition and—
To be a gem, a mineral must be usually—characteristic structure, too. Synthetic gem materials aren’t
beautiful, durable, and rare. minerals because they’re grown in a laboratory rather than in the earth.

6
 INTRODUCTION

Jeffrey Scovil

Most minerals lack the beauty, durability,

and rarity to be gems. Out of the 3,000
minerals on earth, only about 100 qualify
as gems. Emerald is one of them.

Robert Weldon/GIA

The mottled gray patches and brassy

specks in these lapis lazuli specimens
are the minerals calcite and pyrite. Lapis
lazuli is classified as a rock because it
consists of more than one mineral.
Robert Weldon/GIA

Chromium is the chemical element that gives these rubies their vibrant red hue.

While most gems are minerals, very few minerals qualify as gems. To Mineral—A natural, inorganic
be a gem, a mineral must be beautiful, durable, and rare. These three substance with a characteristic
factors are what make a gem desirable. Of the more than 3,000 minerals chemical composition and usually
discovered so far, only about 100 qualify as gems. characteristic structure.
Some gems are rocks, which means they’re made up of masses of Rock—A natural material com-
mineral crystals. Some rocks, like marble, are composed of crystals of a posed of masses of mineral
single mineral, but most contain more than one kind. An example is lapis crystals of one or more kinds.
lazuli, which is made up of the minerals lazulite, calcite, and pyrite.

7
COLORED STONES 1

Silicate—A mineral that contains

the elements silicon and oxygen.

Crystal structure—Regular,
repeating internal arrangement
of atoms in a material.

Robert Weldon/GIA

Many gemstones are silicates, which means they contain a combination of silicon
and oxygen. Quartz is one of the simplest silicates because it’s composed almost
entirely of those two elements.

Many of the most common minerals, and virtually all of the rocks near
the earth’s surface, are silicates, which simply means that they contain the
elements silicon and oxygen. Most quartz gems are composed almost
solely of silicon and oxygen. That’s why the term silica is sometimes used
to describe quartz. The list of gems that are silicates also includes beryl,
garnet, tourmaline, jadeite, spodumene, and opal.
Minerals almost always form as crystals. A crystal is solid matter
with atoms arranged in a regular, repeating, three-dimensional pattern
called crystal structure, or crystal lattice. A crystal can be natural or
manmade.
Most transparent gems are cut from one large crystal. Other gems—

8
 INTRODUCTION

Ted Spiegel/Corbis

Albert J. Copley/PhotoDisc

Amorphous gems, like opal (top) and

amber (bottom), lack the orderly crystal
structure that’s found in gems like ruby
and emerald.

Jeffrey Scovil

The pattern of a gem’s atoms is called its crystal structure. This tourmaline crystal’s
orderly internal structure is reflected externally in its symmetrical shape.

like turquoise—are made up of many tiny crystals that might not be visible Amorphous—Lacking a regular
to the unaided eye. Still others, like lapis lazuli, are made up of mixtures crystal structure.
of different mineral crystals.
Many rocks are intergrowths of clearly visible mineral crystals.
Architects choose granite for the facades of many buildings because of the
decorative effect of its differently colored, interlocking crystals.
While the majority of colored stones are crystals, there are some
important exceptions. Fire opal appears to have the same transparency as
many other gems, but it lacks a regular, repeating crystal structure.
Gemologists describe gems without a regular crystal structure as amor-
phous. Amber is another amorphous gem material.

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COLORED STONES 1

Gem species—A broad gem

category based on chemical
composition and crystal structure.

Shane McClure/GIA

Gemologists classify gems into broad categories called species. This suite of rough
and cut gems from Sri Lanka includes the gem species spinel, zircon, chrysoberyl,
and corundum. Each one has its own chemical composition and crystal structure.

SPECIES, VARIETIES, AND MINERAL GROUPS

As you learned in Colored Stone Essentials, gemologists divide natural
gem minerals into gem species. A gem species is a broad gem category
based on chemical composition and crystal structure.
The mineral species beryl, for example, is made up of a regular, repeat-
ing structure of beryllium, aluminum, oxygen, and silicon atoms. Those
atoms—in the proper arrangement and relative quantities—always define
that mineral species. But the broad species name isn’t enough to describe

10
 INTRODUCTION

Tino Hammid/GIA

Sotheby’s

Zircon is a gem species with many color varieties (right). A zircon is classified by its
color and species name—blue zircon, green zircon, etc. Peridot (above) is a species
with a narrow yellowish green to greenish yellow color range, so it has no color-
based varieties.

the wealth of color—glorious greens, blues, pinks, reds, and yellows—of Gem variety—A subcategory of
a gem species like beryl. species, based on color, trans-
parency, or phenomenon.
Gemologists use the term variety to describe these color variations.
Variety is a subcategory of species, based on color, transparency, or
phenomenon (a phenomenon is a special optical effect, like the star in
star sapphire, or the blue sheen in moonstone). In the beryl species, for
example, aquamarine is the most widely known blue variety, and emerald
is the highly prized green variety.

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COLORED STONES 1

Understanding Group, Species, and Variety

GROUP
The garnet group,
a family of closely
related mineral
species

SPECIES
Andradite, one of
several important
species of gem
garnets

VARIETY
Demantoid, the
green variety of
the species
andradite

Peter Johnston/GIA
The garnet group is a family of gems with the same crystal structure and the same
basic chemistry of aluminum, silicon, and oxygen. Their differences lie in the other
chemical elements they contain, which give them differing colors and properties.

Group—A family of gems from Sometimes, several gem species differ only slightly from each other.
several closely related mineral Because they’re so similar, gemologists might classify them as a group. A
species. group is a family of closely related mineral species that share the same crys-
tal structure and basic chemistry, but differ slightly in other details. These
differences often lead to differences in physical and optical properties.
There are many mineral groups, but only a few contain important gem
species. The best-known gem groups are garnet, feldspar, and tourmaline.

The important species in the garnet group—almandine, pyrope, spes-

sartine, grossular, and andradite—share the same crystal structure and

12
 INTRODUCTION

Joel Beeson/GIA

Van Rossen/Columbia Gem House

The garnet group includes stones of dramatically different colors, like these striking
green (top) and purple (bottom) examples.

basic chemistry, but they have slight differences in chemical composition.

For example, almandine is rich in iron, while pyrope contains significant
amounts of magnesium. You’ll learn more about this in Assignment 24.

A gem’s rarity can be an important part of its value, and that rarity is
very closely related to the way it forms within the earth. For example, the
formation processes that produce red garnets are far more common than
those that produce ruby. Another factor is that some gems contain more
widely available elements than others, so they’re more prevalent. You’ll
learn more about how gems form in Assignment 2.

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COLORED STONES 1

Dave G. Houser/Corbis

A gem’s rarity almost always affects its value. Garnets are so plentiful in Wrangell,
Alaska, that youngsters unearth the rough crystals and sell them for pennies per
carat.

A gem’s rarity and beauty affect how it’s marketed. These factors also
affect its value. They are just as important to understand as things like
crystal structure and chemical composition.

THE COLORED STONE MARKET

 How are mining and marketing different for diamonds and
colored stones?
 How does the supply of a gem affect its marketability?
 How do treatments impact the sales of certain colored stones?

There’s a greater selection of colored stones available today than ever

before. And new cutting techniques present familiar materials in interest-
ing ways. Because there’s more choice, jewelry designers have to catch
customers’ eyes with distinctive products and designs.
A fine ruby can provide the warmth that a diamond’s icy beauty can’t
match. Even so, diamonds are economically more important than colored
stones.
The US is the world’s largest gem-consuming market, followed closely
by Japan and Europe. In 2010, US domestic consumption of polished
diamonds exceeded $18 billion. By comparison, the US domestic market
for natural, unset, non-diamond gems was $542 million—just a fraction
of the diamond total. Imports of emeralds, rubies, and sapphires made up
the majority of that figure.

14
 INTRODUCTION

John Parrish/AGTA

John Parrish/Richard Krementz Gemstones

Colored stones are more popular today than ever before. Gems like garnet, rubellite,
and tanzanite can act as attention-getting centerstones in contemporary rings (above).
Others like citrine, peridot, and moonstone can be combined into colorful bracelets
(right) and other jewelry pieces.

15
COLORED STONES 1

Ralph Gabriner/Jane Bohan Inc.

New sources often introduce new gem materials that can be combined in interesting
ways. A designer combined rose-colored pearls and a rose-cut pink tourmaline with
18K gold to create this elegant jewelry suite.

Part of the reason for the huge economic difference between diamonds
and other gems is that diamond is a single gemstone, while the colored
stones category includes many different gems. This makes diamond easier
to market. Until very recently, virtually all of the world’s uncut gem-
quality diamonds were marketed through one agency, De Beers’ Central
Selling Organisation (CSO)—now called the Diamond Trading Company
(DTC). De Beers has spent many millions of dollars on global diamond
advertising for decades. There’s no such single marketing agency for
colored stones.
16
 INTRODUCTION

Diamond’s enormous popularity is

due in part to De Beers’ widespread
and well-organized promotional efforts.
The marketing of colored stones, in
comparison, is inconsistent and
underfunded.

Tiffany & Co.

Diamonds are an extremely important part of the jewelry industry. Even colored stone
jewelry is often accented with diamonds.

Diamonds are also featured in many more types of jewelry. Even if a

fine sapphire or emerald forms the centerpiece of a ring, it’s almost
always surrounded by an array of diamonds.
Multinational mining companies invest hundreds of millions of dollars
and take many years to develop diamond mines, but the potential profits
are enormous. The developers of Canada’s Ekati mine spent more than
$700 million for development and early operation, but the estimated value
of the diamonds in the ground is more than $8.6 billion dollars.

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COLORED STONES 1

Peter Essick/Aurora

©Bill Bachman

The enormous scale of Botswana’s Jwaneng diamond mine (left) would overpower
any colored stone operation. Companies invest billions of dollars on elaborate,
mechanized systems and heavy equipment (above).

KEY Many diamond deposits are vast enough to sustain mining for decades.
For example, the Jwaneng mine in Botswana is essentially a gigantic pit,
Concepts
1.24 mi. (2 km) long, 0.62 mi. (1 km) wide, and 650 ft. (200 m) deep.
Many colored stones are mined by But it’s the world’s most profitable diamond mine, with more diamonds
independent miners using small-scale per ton of ore than any other mine in Africa. Between 1973 and 1997,
mining methods. production from this mine alone amounted to more than a billion dollars.
Because of the size of their potential output, most diamond mines are
massive industrial operations. Mining of this size and scope is almost
unknown with colored stones. Most colored-stone mining operations are

18
 INTRODUCTION

Rakotosaona Nirina

Michael Freeman/Corbis

Most colored stone mining operations are primitive, like the corundum mines
in Madagascar (right). Individual miners, like these men in Thailand, recover the
majority of gems by sifting through mud and gravel in search of treasure (above).

small in scale, worked by individual miners who are working to feed their
families and hoping for a chance at a better life.
Also, unlike diamond mines, colored stone deposits can be mined
sporadically for centuries or exploited to exhaustion in just a few decades.
You’ll learn more about colored stone mining in the next assignment.
Even though they’re not as economically important as diamonds,
colored stones generate many billions of dollars worldwide, not only for
the nations that mine and process rough gems, but also the manufacturers,
wholesalers, and retailers who turn them into jewelry products and sell
them to consumers.
Since the late 1990s, the best-selling colored stones have been blue
sapphire, tanzanite, ruby, emerald, cultured pearl, pink and green tourma-
line, fancy sapphire, tsavorite garnet, opal, amethyst, aquamarine, and
rhodolite garnet. These gems are more popular than others—like peridot,
blue topaz, and zircon—due to a combination of factors. One is their
availability, in terms of quantities produced. Another factor is their
marketability, which often affects, and relies on, consumer preferences.
Bellini & Co.
The third factor has to do with treatments and their ethical disclosure.
Today, designers create contemporary
jewelry that features the most popular
colored stones.
PRODUCTION AND AVAILABILITY
As you’ve seen, most colored stone mines are small-scale operations
in remote areas, often with outdated technology and machinery.
Communications and infrastructure might be poor. In addition, many
mining areas have difficult climates and a prevalence of malaria and other
diseases. These deposits are generally worked feverishly for short periods
of time and then abandoned when they become less profitable or more
challenging to mine.

19
COLORED STONES 1

Christie’s Images Inc.

The two vibrant rubies in this ring are

from Mogok, Myanmar, known for pro-
ducing the world’s finest rubies. Political
upheaval continues to interrupt supply
of these coveted gems.

Both by Wendy Stone/Odyssey

Colored stone production fluctuates partly because it typically involves small-scale

mining in remote locations with poor infrastructure (top). Markets have learned to
adapt to the perpetual rise and fall of gem supply (bottom).

20
 INTRODUCTION

These mining practices lead to temporary abundance of a particular

gem, followed by a shortage. This fluctuation in supply usually produces
wild price swings that make a gem difficult to market.
Politics and changes of government in producer countries can have a
drastic effect on gem production. For centuries, the Mogok region of
Myanmar (formerly Burma) was the world’s most important source of
fine rubies—known as “Burmese” rubies—that commanded high prices
in upscale jewelry salons and auctions. In the 1960s, a military coup in
Myanmar caused this supply to shut down.
Neighboring Thailand also had ruby mines, but the market generally
preferred the bright Burmese rubies to darker Thai rubies. Rapid advances
in heat treatment made Thai ruby attractive, and suddenly Thailand’s
Vincent Pardieu/GIA
ample supplies of smaller, cheaper rubies were just what the market
needed. Thai ruby supported the industry’s needs for more than two New sources, like this sapphire mine in
Ilakaka, Madagascar, contribute to rising
decades, but by the late 1980s, even those supplies began to run out. gem supplies worldwide. Rising and
In the meantime, miners found a rich new ruby deposit in Myanmar. falling supplies affect the gem market in
many ways and at many levels.
This deposit became the most important source of ruby during the 1990s.
In the space of thirty years, the world’s premier ruby supplier had
switched from Myanmar to Thailand and back to Myanmar again.
The Burmese rubies of the 1960s were notably more intense than the
darker, redder ones from Thailand that became so commercially important
in the 1970s and 1980s. When Thai ruby ran out in the early 1990s, dealers
had to change back to Burmese rubies—this time from a different source
in Myanmar—with subtle differences of their own.
Each time the source changed, colored stone wholesalers and dealers
had to educate their customers to accept changes in ruby price, general
appearance, and quality. Because the jewelry industry clings to tradition

Both by Michel Viard/AFP

Thailand’s corundum mines were mostly exhausted by the 1990s, but the country
remained a premier corundum cutting and manufacturing center. In Bangkok, workers
fashion sapphires (right) and other gems, then set the stones in jewelry (above).

21
COLORED STONES 1

KEY and doesn’t accept change very readily, it takes time for wholesalers to get
jewelry manufacturers and retailers to accept stones of noticeably different
Concepts
appearance than the ones they’re used to. This is just one example of how
An appealing name can make a gem changes in supply can affect the colored stone market. Consumer demand
much easier to sell. is another factor.

CONSUMER PREFERENCES AND MARKETING

As you learned in Colored Stone Essentials, ruby, sapphire, and emerald
have romantic histories that link them to the rich and famous. But other,
lesser-known gems might also attract consumers’ imaginations from time
to time.
Gem colors pass in and out of fashion just like clothing colors do. Warm
earth colors, russet browns, and peach shades, in gems like citrine and
zircon, might be in favor temporarily to complement a season’s fashions.
Delicate pastel shades of peridot, aquamarine, and pink tourmaline might
be one year’s favorites, only to be replaced by stronger, bolder primary
colors the following year.
Sometimes, clever marketing can greatly boost a gem’s popularity. For
this to succeed, the gem must be available in sufficient quantity to market,
and it must be sufficiently attractive—or have some special quality—that
consumers will find desirable. It must also have a name that’s marketable
and easy for consumers to remember, or its name must be already well
established, like ruby and sapphire.
The history of tanzanite can help you understand the relationship
between supply, demand, and marketing. The gem is an attractive blue
variety of zoisite that’s mined in the African country of Tanzania.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Edward Owen/AP Robert Weldon

Wide World Photos
Both ruby and emerald have enjoyed steady consumer demand for ages (left).
Some lesser-known gems, like this assortment of earth-toned stones (above), pass
in and out of fashion along with clothing colors and styles.

22
 INTRODUCTION

In the 1960s, Tiffany & Co. created a marketing campaign for tanzanite that inspired intense demand for the newly discovered gem.

An upscale jeweler invented the name tanzanite in the 1960s to market

the gem as an alternative to fine sapphire. The association with the famous
jeweler added status to the gem’s highly marketable name.
Unfortunately, tanzanite had only a single source, so its supply was
easily upset by external events. In the 1970s, the Tanzanian government
took over the mines, and supplies declined considerably.
At first, because demand for the gem was still strong, prices rose as
wholesalers competed for the diminishing supply. Less tanzanite reached
the consumer, and retail prices increased sharply. When prices reached a
certain level, consumers resisted paying the price, and promotion of the
gem stopped. Tanzanite slipped from public awareness and became a gem
sought by only a privileged few.
In the 1980s, the Tanzanian government lost control of the tanzanite
mining area, and thousands of independent miners swarmed in. Chaotic, Ralph Gabriner/Jane Bohan Inc.
illicit mining—unauthorized by the owners of the land—became Tanzanite prices rise and fall depending
rampant, and large quantities of small, inexpensive tanzanites were on the gem’s availability. In the 1970s,
tanzanites like this 2.00-ct. cushion
readily available. Supplies of the gem burst back onto the international
cut were extremely expensive because
gem market. Previously high prices plummeted in the face of an abundance Tanzanian government regulations
of stones. limited production.

23
COLORED STONES 1

KEY
Concepts
Changes that take place in a gem’s
source country can drastically affect its
availability and price.

Angelique Crown/GIA

Because Merelani Hill, Tanzania, is the only known source of gem-quality tanzanite,
the gem’s supply is easily disrupted by floods and other natural disasters.

By the 1990s, supply became more regular and prices stabilized. The
demand returned as gem marketers embraced tanzanite and promoted
tanzanite jewelry enthusiastically. Television home-shopping channels
introduced tanzanite to millions of US homes.
Then in the late 1990s, tanzanite mining conditions worsened. Sudden
rains in 1998 brought catastrophic flooding that drowned many miners in
underground tunnels. This interrupted the gem’s supply once more. You’ll
learn more about this event and about other effects on the tanzanite
market in Assignment 21.

24
 INTRODUCTION

KEY
Concepts
Treatments improve the marketability and
availability of many gems.

Both by Michel Viard/AFP

Heat treating gemstones to improve their appearance is a widely accepted practice.

Thai workers seal sapphires in ceramic pots before plunging them into an oven (top).
After treatment, the stones glow from the intense heat (bottom).

TREATMENTS AND DISCLOSURE

Until fairly recently, the average consumer wasn’t aware that most
commonly available gems are treated to make them marketable. If it
weren’t for treatments, many gems might be affordable to only the
wealthiest consumers. For example, some unappealing white sapphire
rough can be turned a beautiful blue by careful heat treatment. Treatment
has become an important issue for many consumers, and media publicity
about gem treatments can affect the sales of some colored stones.

25
COLORED STONES 1

Both by Henry A. Hänni

Heat treatment can turn dark, nearly opaque corundum rough (left) into bright,
transparent, valuable rubies (above).

The emerald market suffered from negative attention in the 1990s when consumers
learned that sellers were not disclosing that most emeralds were treated to improve
clarity.

26
 INTRODUCTION

Emerald is an example of the way treatment and public information

issues can affect sales. As you’ll learn in Assignment 15, most emerald
KEY
Concepts
rough is fractured by the stresses of formation and mining. As a result, most
finished emeralds are treated in some way—usually by filling with oils or In spite of treatment that’s sometimes
resins—to improve their apparent clarity. In the late 1990s, emerald treat- extensive, emerald is the number one
ments received the attention of the media, and the negative publicity colored stone by value imported into
reduced consumer confidence in that gem.
the US.
High-profile court cases and consumer unease about treatments
affected emerald sales. In spite of this, gem importers brought about
$143 million of cut emeralds into the United States in 2002. And emerald Most consumers accept gem treatments
remains the number one colored stone import into the United States in if they’re ethically disclosed and explained
terms of value. in a positive way.
Treatment is just one aspect of the fascinating world of colored stones.
And if you approach the topic correctly, it isn’t a barrier to sales. Most
consumers readily accept gem treatments if they’re ethically disclosed
and explained in a positive way.

Eric Welch/GIA

Gem treatments must be disclosed clearly and ethically to maintain consumer confidence.

27
COLORED STONES 1

Eric Welch/GIA

With eLearning, you can complete assignment questionnaires online and get almost
immediate feedback about your progress.

WHAT’S TO COME
 How is this course structured?
 How can you get the most benefit from this course?

The Colored Stones course is made up of three main sections. Following

this assignment’s introduction to the world of colored stones,
Assignments 2 through 6 show how a gem’s formation affects its rarity
and value and how a gem’s properties affect its value and the way it’s used
in jewelry. You’ll also read about synthetics and imitations and learn how
the marketability of many gems can be transformed by treatment.
Assignments 7 through 11 introduce you to the factors used to judge
gems—color, cut, clarity, and carat weight. You’ll discover how gems
reach the marketplace and how the gem business works.
Assignments 12 through 27 cover the major commercial gems in order
of their importance. The assignments cover them all, from the Big 3—

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 INTRODUCTION

Dave Bartruff/Stock, Boston Inc./PictureQuest

To succeed in the complex colored stone industry, you need product knowledge as
well as an appreciation of the mystical beauty that makes each gem unique.

ruby, sapphire, and emerald—and other market basics like cultured pearls,
jadeite, opal, quartz, tanzanite, topaz, tourmaline, and garnet, to lesser-
known gems like spodumene and diopside. You’ll also learn which gem
colors the trade prefers and why.

CHECKING YOUR PROGRESS

The questionnaires you’ll complete in Colored Stones are great ways to
determine what you’ve learned and what you might have missed. The
questionnaires also give GIA an idea of your progress.

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COLORED STONES 1

Another terrific way to check your progress is to take another look at

the Key Terms and Key Concepts at the end of each assignment. If you
run across a term or concept that isn’t clear to you, you can easily turn
back to the part of the assignment where it’s discussed in detail. Just look
for its mention in the margin.
Now that you’ve finished Assignment 1, complete the first question-
naire. It’s important to do the questionnaires as soon as you finish the
assignments, while the information is still fresh in your mind. That way,
there’s less danger that you’ll forget important facts.

Taking the GIA Colored Stones program THE FINAL EXAMINATION

through eLearning allows you to learn
essential product and market information There will be a proctored final exam at the end of the course. You must
in the environment of your choice. complete each questionnaire with a minimum score of 75 percent in order
to take the final exam. You can schedule your final exam when you’ve
completed and passed all the questionnaires. Then, to receive your
Colored Stones certificate, you must score at least 75 percent on the final.
When you reach the end of the course, you can access the final exam
instructions by clicking the link in the left-hand column of the eLearning
page. Make sure you read them carefully. You don’t need to schedule the
final until you’re nearly finished with the course.

HELP ISN’T FAR AWAY

Your GIA instructor is just a quick email message or phone call away,
Monday through Friday. GIA instructors are gemology experts with many
years of trade experience. They’ll answer your questions, clarify any parts
of the text that you’re unsure of, and help you with study hints. You’ll also
get feedback from your instructor in the form of comments that accom-
pany the answers to your questionnaires. Save these comments to refer to
when you review for the final exam.
By using all the resources available to you as you progress through this
course—and others you might take in the future—you’ll get the most out
of your GIA eLearning experience.
Now it’s time to take the next step in your journey through Colored
Stones. Because the way a gem forms has such an impact on its rarity and
eventual value, Assignment 2 concentrates on formation and mining.
You’ll see why some gems are fairly plentiful—and therefore inexpen-
sive—while others are much more rare and costly.

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 INTRODUCTION

KEY
Concepts

Most gems are minerals. Treatments improve the marketability and availability of many
gems.
To be a gem, a mineral must be beautiful, durable, and rare.
In spite of treatment that’s sometimes extensive, emerald is the
Many colored stones are mined by independent miners using number one colored stone by value imported into the US.
small-scale miningmethods.
Most consumers accept gem treatments if they’re ethically
An appealing name can make a gem much easier to sell. disclosed and explained in a positive way.

Changes that take place in a gem’s source country can

drastically affect its availability and price.

Key Terms
Amorphous—Lacking a regular crystal structure. Inorganic—Composed of, or arising from, non-living
matter.
Atom—The basic structural unit of all matter.
Mineral—A natural, inorganic substance with a char-
Chemical composition—Kinds and relative quantities acteristic chemical composition and usually
of atoms that make up a material. characteristic structure.
Chemical element—A substance that consists of Natural gems—Gems produced by natural processes,
atoms of only one kind. without human help.
Crystal structure—Regular, repeating internal Organic—Produced by, or derived from, a living
arrangement of atoms in a material. organism.
Gem species—A broad gem category based on Rock—A natural material composed of masses of
chemical composition and crystal structure. mineral crystals of one or more kinds.
Gem variety—A subcategory of species, based on Silicate—A mineral that contains the elements silicon
color, transparency, or phenomenon. and oxygen.
Group—A family of gems from several closely related
mineral species.

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COLORED STONES 1

ASSIGNMENT 1

QUESTIONNAIRE

Each of the questions or incomplete statements below is followed by several possible answers. Choose
the ONE that BEST answers the question or completes the statement. Then place the letter (A, B, C, or D)
corresponding to your answer in the blank at the left of the question.
If you’re unsure about any question, go back, review the assignment, and find the correct answer. When
you’ve answered all the questions, transfer your answers to the answer sheet or submit them online.

1. A gem produced by, or derived from, a living organism is

A. organic.
B. synthetic.
C. inorganic.
D. manmade.

2. Which of the following is an organic gem?

A. Jade
B. Ruby
C. Amber
D. Tourmaline

3. A substance that consists of atoms of only one kind is a

A. mineral.
B. unit cell.
C. gem species.
D. chemical element.

4. A natural, inorganic substance with a characteristic chemical composition and usually

characteristic crystal structure is a(n)
A. atom.
B. mineral.
C. synthetic.
D. chemical element.

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

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 INTRODUCTION

5. Most gems are

A. rocks.
B. organic.
C. minerals.
D. synthetic.

6. A natural material that’s made up of a mass of one or more kinds of mineral crystals is a
A. rock.
B. group.
C. variety.
D. chemical element.

7. Which of the following is amorphous?

A. Beryl
B. Amber
C. Garnet
D. Jadeite

8. A broad gem category based on chemical composition and crystal structure is a

A. rock.
B. group.
C. gem variety.
D. gem species.

9. Which of the following is a gem variety?

A. Beryl
B. Garnet
C. Andradite
D. Demantoid

10. Which group does almandine belong to?

A. Spinel
B. Garnet
C. Feldspar
D. Tourmaline

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

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COLORED STONES 1

11. The world’s largest gem-consuming market is

A. Japan.
B. Europe.
C. Thailand.
D. United States.

12. Synthetic gem materials

A. are organic.
B. are not minerals.
C. are usually amorphous.
D. are classified as minerals.

13. To be a gem, a mineral must be beautiful, durable, and

A. rare.
B. colorful.
C. transparent.
D. lightweight.

14. Many colored stones are mined by

A. large corporations.
B. massive industrial operations.
C. mechanized systems and heavy equipment.
D. independent miners using small-scale mining methods.

15. Media attention in the 1990s regarding its treatment reduced consumer confidence in
A. spinel.
B. emerald.
C. rhodolite.
D. tanzanite.

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PHOTO COURTESIES
The Gemological Institute of America gratefully acknowledges the following people and organizations
for their assistance in gathering or producing some of the images used in this assignment:
Varujan Arslanyan, 3 (top right)
Bob Johnson Collection, 7 (top right)
Gary Bowersox, 7 (bottom right)
Cynthia Renée Co., 22 (right)
Mr. Davenport, 7 (left)
Diamond Promotion Service, 17 (right)
Evan Caplan & Co., 10
F. Joseph Kremer, Goldsmith Inc., 15 (right)
Jack Halpern Collection, 6
David Humphrey, 10
Kaiser Gems, 15 (right)
King’s Ransom, 3 (left)
Richard T. Liddicoat, 8
Maija Neimanis, 4
N.D. International, 10
Shades of the Earth, 5
Tiffany & Co., 23 (top)
Traditional Jewelers, 27
Wayne Thompson Collection, 9 (left)

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 1. Introduction
2. Gemstone Formation and Mining
3. Gems and Their Physical Properties
4. Gems and Light
5. Synthetics and Imitations
6. Treatments
7. The Colored Stone Market
8. Color
9. Cut
10. Clarity
11. Carat Weight and the Gem Business
12. Ruby
13. Blue Sapphire
14. Fancy Sapphire and Phenomenal Corundum
15. Emerald
16. Pearl Formation, Types, and Market
17. Pearl Value Factors, Processing, and Treatments
18. Jade
19. Opal
20. Quartz and Chalcedony
21. Tanzanite, Iolite, Chrysoberyl, and Andalusite
22. Topaz and Beryl

6/2015
23. Tourmaline, Peridot, and Zircon
24. Garnet and Spinel
25. Lapis Lazuli, Turquoise, and Other Opaque Gems
26. Feldspar, Spodumene, and Diopside
27. Organics and Collectors’ Stones