Zincite
To complicate matters, zincite can be and has been intentionally synthesized in a laboratory. Many years ago, synthetic zincite was used as semi-conductor crystal detectors in radios before the advent of vacuum tubes.
Gem NotesBlue chalcedony is not a gem that the GemGuide normally researches, but in Tucson was a dealer selling Ethiopian blue chalcedony that was of the finest we have seen.
Gem NotesRhodochrosite has become increasingly popular among collectors and jewelry connoisseurs in recent years. Most
Gem NotesMuch of the pink diaspore rough seen to date has areas capable of cutting medium to large size stones that are eye clean and in many cases loupe clean
Gem NotesI first reported on scapolite as a rare stone becoming part of the jewelry landscape back in the September/October 2009 issue (Volume 28, Issue 5). The mineralogical prop- erties are being repeated below for reference. (Ed. Note: subscribers can log in to the website, go to News and Cur- rent Publication, and search on the archives—Scapolite— to find this article in entirety.)
Gem NotesFluorescence is a common feature for a gemologist to note for a variety of gem materials. Some common gems of which fluorescence is well-known include diamond, ruby, pink spinel, pink and purple sapphire and alexandrite.
Gem Notes