Editor’s Note
This issue of *The Journal of Gemmology* (Vol. 34, No. 6, 2015) represents a significant international collaboration, bringing together expertise from Gem-A, SSEF, AGL, and GIT. It offers a valuable collection of the latest research and developments from the global gemmological community.
The Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A) has released the latest issue of its academic publication, The Journal of Gemmology, in collaboration with the Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF and with the support of the American Gemological Laboratories (AGL) and the Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (GIT).
The current issue (Vol. 34, No. 6, 2015), released on July 24, 2015, contains a diverse array of new content, covering the latest news and research from the international gemmological community.
The issue features the articles: Green-Luminescing Hyalite Opal from Zacatecas, Mexico (by Emmanuel Fritsch, Peter K. M. Megaw, Tyler L. Spano, Boris Chauviré, Benjamin Rondeau, Michael Gray, Thomas Hainschwang and Nathan Renfro), Raman Spectroscopy of Ancient Beads from Devín Castle near Bratislava and of Four Intaglios from other Archaeological Finds in Slovakia (by Magdaléna Kadlečíková, Juraj Breza, Ľubomír Vančo, Miloš Gregor and Igor Bazovský), The First Undisclosed Colourless CVD Synthetic Diamond Discovered in a Parcel of Natural Melee-Sized Diamonds (by Thomas Hainschwang and Franck Notari) and The “Coffee-and-Cream” Effect in Chatoyant Cabochons (by Harold Killingback).
In addition to this collection of articles, the ‘What’s New’ section of The Journal highlights the Automated Melee Screening (AMS) Device, the DFI Mid-UV Laser+ Diamond Screening System, the DiaCam360 for onside diamond photography, the GemmoSphere UV-Vis-NIR Spectrometer, news from the GRS GemResearch Swisslab, HRD Antwerp, GIA and ICGL, and more.
Other sections aimed at practising gemmologists include Practical Gemmology, which discusses a matched pair of natural and synthetic opals, and Gem Notes, which describes several new and interesting materials and developments, including tourmaline mining in the DRC, chromium-diffused pink sapphires, lead-glass-filled yellow sapphires, a non-destructive method of pearl marking and much more.
In every issue of The Journal, the Learning Opportunities section features detailed listings of upcoming conferences, exhibits and educational events to further the professional development of its readers. The Conferences section reports cutting-edge research from recent gemmological symposia. New Media reviews several new books and lists the titles of many more, and Literature of Interest points the reader toward recently published articles in various journals and magazines that are of interest to gemmologists.
Discussing the latest issue of The Journal of Gemmology, editor-in-chief Brendan Laurs states.
