The early history of beryllium diffusion in sapphire, starting with the 2001 appearance of large numbers of padparadscha sapphires in the Thai gem market.

The use of high-temperature lattice-diffusion heat treatment with beryllium to lighten the color of blue sapphires.

The Book of Ruby and Sapphire

J.F. Halford-Watkins  |  2012

Prior to the 1930s, ruby and sapphire were mysteries, arcane gems oft-confused with spinel and other look-alikes. Enter Col. J.F. Halford-Watkins. Living in Mogok for more than two decades, he penned several articles and an entire monograph on the subject of these rare gems. Sadly he passed away before it could be published. In 1994, Richard Hughes came across a reference to the manuscript. Patrick Streeter, grandson of G. Skelton Streeter, and great grandson of the famed London jeweler, Edwin Streeter, had mentioned the Halford-Watkins manuscript while writing his book, Streeter of Bond Street. Following up on that obscure reference Richard Hughes stumbled upon something truly fantastic, an undiscovered treasure of the gemological literature. Over ten years in the making, The Book of Ruby and Sapphire  is the realization of Halford-Watkins’ vision. Professionally edited and illustrated, it represents a gemological tour de force.

Still in Print. To order this book click this link

A discussion of brilliance, windows and extinction as they relate to the face-up appearance of colored gemstones. Diagrams demonstrate that extinction is largely a function of cut.

The author makes his first pilgrimage to Burma's Mogok Stone Tract, home of the pigeon's blood ruby.

Myanmar's jadeite mines occupy a privileged place, representing the planet's principal source of fine jadeite jade. This article covers the deposits themselves, along with the cutting, grading and trading of jadeite.

An investigation into nephrite and imitation nephrite pebbles purchased in Guangzhou, China's Hualin Street jade market.

A critical examination of the methods used in gemological laboratories for the color grading of diamonds.

Probably the first opinion piece I ever wrote, it was my take on diamond grading from the standpoint of someone working with colored stones.

The Opticon treatment of fissure-filling treatment emeralds with Opticon became an issue of huge controversy in the late 1990's. This article takes a close look at it and asks if Opticon is actually that different from fillers like cedarwood oil.

An exploration of the history and lore of the Emerald Buddha, a green statue that resides in Bangkok, Thailand’s Wat Phra Kaeo and watches over Thailand.

Digital Devil #9. Once again, we take a look at emerald fillers.

Fiber-optic lighting is one of the most useful form of lighting in the gemological laboratory. With it, we are able to see inclusions that would otherwise be invisible.

A discussion of how inclusion patterns mimic crystallographic symmetry in ruby and sapphire.

A discussion of the flux-healing treatment of rubies. This article was awarded the Richard T. Liddicoat Journalism Award by the American Gem Society in 2005.

Digital Devil #8. The Fred Ward emerald case killed his business and nearly killed the emerald business in the US. Here was my tongue-outta-cheek take.

The optical properties of crystals are intimately related to their crystal structures. This article examines the precise relationship between optic character and sign and crystal structure.

A curated list of the most important books on gems, gemology, jewelry, mineralogy and allied fields.

Digital Devil #1: The fights between gem dealers and gemologists are legendary, with each side looking down upon the other. It's truly dog against dog.

The issue of gemological nomenclature is one that has been hotly debated for decades, because an attractive name is a crucial part of marketing and selling gemstones. In this article from 1994, Richard Hughes takes a stab at the subject.