Spring 1984 Gems & Gemology
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VOLUME XX SPRING 1984 The cluarterly journal of the Cetiiological Institute of America SPRING 1984 Volume 20 Number 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS EDITORIALS 1 Basil W. Anderson, 1901 -1984 Richard T. Liddicoat, Ir. 2 The Gems & Gemology Most Valuable Article Award Alice S. IZeller FEATURE 4 The Santa Terezinha de Goihs Emerald Deposit ARTICLES 1. P. Cassedanne and D. A. Sauer 14 Pitfalls in Color Grading Diamonds by Machine A. T. Collins . , 22 The Eat'ly History of Gemstone Treatments . 1. Kurt Nassau NOTES 34 'Cobalt-Blue' Gem Spinels AND NEW lames E. Shigley and Carol M. Stockion TECHNIQUES 42 Lepidolite with Simulated Matrix lohn I. IZoivula and C. W. Fryer REGULAR 45 Gem Trade Lab Notes FEATURES 51 Gemological Abstracts 58 Gem News 61 Book Reviews ABOUTTHE COVER: Most Imboratories colorgrade diamonds by comparison with masterstones, a subjective procedure that requires very experiencedpersonnel. In recent years, some laboratories have investigated the possibilities of color grading by machine, to provide a more objective procedure. The problems inherent with color grrrriing by machine are discussed in detail by Dr. A. T. Collins in this issue. The 5.07-ctdiamond on the cover has beengraded D-color (flawless).The stone is courtesy oflack and Elaine Greenspan, Sedona, Arizona. Photo 01984 Harold eL, Erica Van Pelt-Photographers, Los Angeles, California. The color separations for Gems &Gemology are by Effeclive Graphics, Compton, CA. Printing is by Waverly Press, Easton, MD. 07984 Gemological lnslitute of America All rights reserved. ISSN 0016-626X EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Editor Editor, Gem Trade Lab Notes STAFF Richard T. Liddicoat, Jr. Alice S. Kellel C. W. Fryer 1660 Stewart St. Associate Editor Editor, Gemological Abstracts Santa Monica, CA 90404 Peter C. Keller Dona M. Dirlarn Telephone: 12131 829-2991 Associate Editor Editorial Assistant Editor, Book Reviews D. Vincent Manson Sally A. Thomas Michael Ross Associate Editor Subscriptions Contributing Editor and John Sinkankas Janet M. Fryer, Manager Editor, Gern News Lisa Hebenstreit, Assistant Manager John I. Koivula PRODUCTION Art Director Production Assistant Production Assistant STAFF Susan Kingsbury Lisa Joko Christine Wilson EDITORIAL Robert Crowningshield Anthony R. Kampf Glenn Nord REVIEW BOARD New York, NY Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Pete Dunn Robert E. Kane Ray Page Washington, DC Los Angeles, CA Santa Monica, CA Dennis Foltz John Koivula George Rossman Santa Monica, CA Sarrta Monica, CA Pasadena, CA Chuck Fryer Sallie Morton James E. Shigley Santa Monica, CA San lose, CA Sunla Monica, CA C. S. Hurlbut, Jr. Kurt Nassau Cambridge, MA Bernardsville, N/ Subscriptions in the U.S.A. are priced as follows: $24.50 for one year (4 issues), $65.00 for three years (12 issues). Subscriptions sent elsewhere are $34.00 for one year, $95.00 for three years. Special annual subscription rates are available for all students actively involved in a GIA program: $19.50 U.S.A., $29.00 elsewhere. Your student number must be listed at the time your subscription is entered. Single issues may be purchased for $7.00 in the U.S.A., 110.00 elsewhere. Discounts are given for bulk orders of 10 or more of any one issue. A limited number of back issues of G&G are also available for purchase. Please address all inquires regarding subscriptions and the purchase of single copies of back issues to the Subscriptions Manager. MANUSCRIPT Gems d Gemology welcomes the submission of articles on all aspects of the field. Please see the Suggestions for SUBMlSSlONS Authors for preparing manuscripts in this issue of the journal or contact the Managing Editor for a copy. Letters on articles published in Gems d Gemology and other relevant mattcrs are also welcomc. COPYRIGHT Abstracting is permitted with credit to the source. Libraries are permitted to photocopy beyond the limits of U.S. copyright law for private use of patrons. Instructors are permitted to photocopy isolated articles for noncommercial AND REPRINT classroom use without fce. For other copying, reprint, or republication permission, please contact the Managing PERMISSIONS Editor. Gems d Gemology is published quarterly by the Gemological Institute of America, a nonprofit educational organization for the jcwelry industry, 1660 Stewart St., Santa Monica, CA 90404. Any opinions expressed in signed articles are understood to be the views of the authors and not of the publishers. Basil W. Anderson he gemological community lost one of its most accomplished leaders with T the passing of Basil W. Anderson from a sudden heart attack on Friday, February 24. Every time I view a gem's spectrum, or the apricot fluorescence of a Ceylon sapphire, or use a Chelsea filter, I make a mental bow toward London. A pioneer in the field of gem identification, Basil Anderson opened the London Laboratory in 1925, and subsequently built it into one of the foremost gemological laboratories in the world. Although the laboratory was originally started primarily to distin- guish between natural and cultured pearls-a very important problem in the '20s-Anderson's probing mind led him to explore spectroscopy and other means of identifying different gem materials. His pioneering studies in the field of gemstone spectroscopy were reported in The Gemmologist magazine over a period of several years, and have been used by succeeding generations of gemologists ever since. 6 r In addition to being a very effective laboratory gemologist, however, Anderson was a superb teacher who contributed greatly to the high regard with which the FGA diploma came to be esteemed all over the world. The quartet of B. W. Anderson, C. J. Payne, Robert Webster, and Alec Farn inspired awe wherever gemologists gathered; and Basil Anderson, deservedly, was regarded as the leader of that intellectually robust foursome. Anderson's boolz, Gem Testing, which was first published in 1942, is now in its ninth edition, and continues to be the classic in the field. In his 1976 boolz Gemstones for Everyman, however, one can experience the full sense of Ander- son's warmth and humanity. This timeless boolz discusses those everlasting objects-gemstones-in a delightfully appreciative manner that is unique. Read- ing Gemstones for Everyman is not only a wonderful experience, but it also gives a true flavor of the unconventional approach to gemology that characterized Basil W. Anderson, and shows very clearly his abiding love for gemstones. In the last few years, Basil Anderson had recovered from problems with his eyesight and appeared to be enjoying his retirement with his lovely wife, Barbara. He continued to work hard, preparing the fourth edition for Robert Webster's Gems: Their Sources and Identification, which was published in 1983. Probably no gemologist anywhere was more respected and loved than Basil Ander- son. He will be sorely missed. Richard T. Liddicoat, Ir. GEMS & GEMOLOGY Spring 1984 THE GEMS & GEMOLOGY MOST VALUABLE ARTICLE AWARD ALICE S. KELLER Editor n excellent year-thank you Gems d Gemology. Of the 30 journals I "A subscribe to, this one is the best all-round for science-writing-pleasure." . "Congratulations on a superb periodical. In all honesty, all the authors deserve first prize." . "Gems d Gemology is the finest source of information and pictorial reference and update to help all segments of the gem and jewelry field." . "Love this magazine!" These are just a few of the many comments we received in this year's balloting for the most valuable article published in 1983. Other readers singled out the accuracy of specific articles, the importance of the regular sections (Gem Trade Lab Notes, Gem Abstracts, Gem News, and Book Reviews), the excellence of the reproduction (complimentsof our color separator Effective Graphics and printer Waverly Press), and the fine photography (all of the covers for the 1983 issues were specially designed and donated by Harold & Erica Van Pelt-Photographers, Los Angeles). Our thanks to you, our subscribers, for helping us prove that the jeweler/ gemologist would give full support to a professional journal: Gems d Gemology is now being mailed to more than 10,000 subscribers-a long way from the 1,400 we started with in Spring 1981. Hundreds of you sent in ballots to indicate your choices for the most valuable article. The voting was so close this year that we had to declare a tie for the third-place award. The winning article for 1983 was "Kashmir Sapphire," by David Atkinson and Rustam Z. Kothavala, which appeared in the Summer issue. Placing second in the voting was Ron Ringsrud's article "The Oil Treatment of Emeralds in Bogoth, Colombia," which was published in Fall. The two articles that tied for third place were "Art Deco: The Period, the Jewelry," by J. Mark Ebert (Spring issue),and "Induced Fingerprints," by John I. Koivula (Winterissue). Cash prizes of $500, $300, and $100, respectively, will be awarded to the winning articles in each category. Brief biographies of the authors appear on the following page. The editors and I would like to take this opportunity to thank those members of the editorial review board who worked so hard to maintain the standards of the journal. Special thanks go to Ralph Esmerian, Henry Meyer, David Atkinson, Jill Fisher, and Joe Borden, who were kind enough to serve as guest reviewers on specific articles during the past year. As I hope this current issue indicates, 1984 promises to be another good year for gemology and Gems ed Gemology. We will continue to do our best to live up to your plaudits and expectations. GEMS & GEMOLOGY Spring 1984 DAVID ATKINSON A native Australian, Mr. Atltinson came to California in 1977 after two years of travel throughout Asia, including Burma, northern India, and Afghanistan. His familiarity with these areas and knowledge of the local languages led him to specialize in rare gems and minerals of Asia.