The Crystal Gazette Vol 51 # 9 SEPTEMBER 2012 STONE OF THE MONTH (modern) Sapphire 234ct Logan Sapphire Padparadscha Sapphire Notices and Phone Nos Management Committee Meeting: Thu 11th Oct 2012, Room 428, 38 Gawler Place, Adelaide @ 6 pm. President: Sue Arthur, FGAA,Dip DT,Cert IV T&A, M 0422 609 989 Secretary: Sandra Pimlott, FGAA, Dip DT Ph 8223 2362 Treasurer: Don Bennett B.E. FGAA Ph 8296 1666 Education: Tanya Cerny FGAA M 0401 213 835 Lise Jensen FGAA M 0428 363 698
GAA Quiz Night and Christmas Party Save the Date!!! This years GAA Christmas Party and Quiz Night will be held as a combined event. When: Sat 17 th November, 2012, Where: Lithuanian House, 6 Eastry Street, Nowood Cover Charge: $15 entry, proceeds go to GAA There will be raffles and a silent auction. BYO nibblies and drinks. The SA Div of the JAA invites members of the GAA to the JAA Christmas Party. The party will be held at the Saracen's Head Hotel, 82 Carrington St, Adelaide When: Wed 21 st Nov, 2012 The cost will be $15 for JAA members, $20 for non JAA members. Apprentices are Free Food and 1 raffle ticket is included. Drinks are not included. Lots of Prizes!!!! Raffle Tickets on Sale $2 ea or 3 for $5.00 The Crystal Gazette Is Going Online!! From July, the Crystal Gazette will be on the GAA website in printable PDF format. You can also have your Crystal Gazette emailed to you in PDF format, rather than mailed to you in hard copy. If you would prefer a paper hard copy sent out to you, rather than in email format, please email your preference to Tanya Cerny at tanya@australianpublications.com
Notes & Reminders TO REGISTER for any GAA course PLEASE CONTACT: Education: Tanya Cerny FGAA,. M 0401 213 835 or Lise Jensen FGAA M 0428 363 698 or Secretary Sandra Pimlott 8223 2362, sandrapimlott676@hotmail.com 2012 Courses Commencing dates 1. Intro to Gemmology-, 10 th and 17 th November-$275 2. Gemmology Update- $2750* *Course offered depending on numbers enrolling Note :- Prices given are members prices- Non-members please contact Secretary for prices. ROOMS ATTENDANCE AND VOLUNTEERS Please note that attendance at the rooms on Fridays for cataloguing, testing of stones, qualified members use of instruments and students extra study/practical opportunities has commenced. Extra volunteers to assist are welcomed. Second Hand Books for students If you want to sell your gemmology study books please contact the Secretary. Typical are Gems Webster, Gemstones of the World Schumann, also Read, Bruton, Nassau, Liddicoat any edition The tour of the SA Museum Mineral Collection in August was a huge success. Thank you to the SA Museum, and Allan Pring, Ben McHenry and Joel Brugger for showing us around, to see this very special part of the mineral collection. Everyone had a fantastic time. Thanks to Lise Jensen for organising the tour. MONTHLY MEETINGS: Friday meetings will be held at the AGMC Clubrooms, at 6.30 pm for a 7pm start, on the 28th September, the 4 th Friday of the month at 19 Fourth Ave St Peters with sherries or ports and finish about 9.30 with tea coffee and biscuits and of course a good chat. This month we have a very special guest speaker, Anna Griffin, who will speaking to us about various aspects of the Diamond Industry. Anna studied gemmology with the GIA in New York. She was hired by De Beers in London as a rough diamond valuer, where she also learned how to value polished diamonds. She also worked with DTC and Diamadel in Antwerp 3
COURSES: COMING SOON!!! INTRODUCTION TO GEMS AND GEMMOLOGY This basic course is designed for jewellers, hobbyists or for people traveling overseas. Gems and Gemmology provides students with an opportunity to assess whether they wish to proceed with a range of more advanced short courses or the intensive two year Diploma in Gemmology. 10 th & 17 th November, 9am-5pm $275 Flat Rate Vintage Fair at Burnside Ballroom- Portrush Road, Tusmore Friday 12 Oct 6pm-9pm, Saturday 13 Oct 10am-5pm Sunday 14 Oct 10am-4pm Antique Fair Woodside Institute and Woodside Primary School Gymnasium Moffet Street, Woodside, 27 October to 28 October 2012, 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Find A Word- Words can be forwards, backwards, up, down, diagonal. F H Y I P D S R B C H K B O 1,A white/blue shimmer which passes across the surface of a polished moonstone S H A R D N E S S D G Q N L cabochon due to scattering of light from D E H I N T A G L I O R W K alternating parallel planes of potassium I S E F Q F G N I L B U O D and sodium rich feldspars. 2,A star formed by reflection or scattering D U L L C I H V N R D H R O of light from sets of parallel fibrous Y A D U L A R E S C E N C E inclusions which are oriented parallel to M L P X E C S D G N M U M Z specific crystal directions. 3,Gem materials having an irregular shape I O I G A L K T R B K H F C 4,The portion of a faceted stone above the U D G R V E H J E A K I Y R girdle. 5,The resistance to abrasion of a mineral M L N O A T I D Y R E F H G when a pointed fragment of another N R E W G T U K I O I F E T substance is drawn across it without O I O T E N I Y T Q V S C F sufficient pressure to develop cleavage. 6,The double image of back facets and E R U H W G H I F U S U M J inclusions observed in stones of high P O S U K P A S T E U D T O birefringence when examined with a hand lens 7,A method of producing synthetic gemstones where a flux solvent, at high temperature and frequently at high pressure, is saturated with the required gemstone ingredients. Slow cooling results in crystal nucleation and growth. (2 words) 8,An incised carving, with the design cut below the surface of the material 9,Gemstone simulants made from glass 10,The combination of rare earth elements neodymium and praseodymium which are often found in close association and often given the combination (or twin group) name of... 11,Rocks formed by the solidification of molten rock magma within or on the surface of the earth. 12,The tendency of a mineral crystal to split along certain planes which arc parallel to actual or possible crystal faces, yielding more or less smooth, flat surfaces. 4
Gem Of The Month Sapphire Star Sapphire Sapphire (is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, aluminium oxide (α- Al2O3). Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, copper or magnesium can give corundum blue, yellow, pink, purple, orange or greenish color. Chromium impurities in corundum yield a red tint, and the resultant gemstone is called a ruby. Sapphires can be found naturally, by searching through certain sediments (due to their resistance to being eroded compared to softer stones), or rock formations, or they can be manufactured for industrial or decorative purposes in large crystal boules. Because of the remarkable hardness of sapphires, 9 in Mohs Scale, (and of aluminium oxide in general), sapphires are used in some non-ornamental applications, including infrared optical components, such as in scientific instruments; high-durability windows; wristwatch crystals and movement bearings The sapphire is one of the three gem-varieties of corundum, the other two being ruby defined as corundum in a shade of red and padparadscha a pinkish orange variety. Although blue is their most well-known color, sapphires may also be colorless, and are found in many colors including shades of gray and black. The cost of natural sapphires varies depending on their color, clarity, size, cut, and overall quality as well as their geographic origin. Sapphire and rubies are often found together in the same area, but one gem is usually more abundant. Rubies are corundum which contain chromium impurities that absorb yellow-green light and result in deeper ruby red color with increasing content. Purple sapphires contain trace amounts of vanadium and come in a variety of shades. Corundum that contains ~0.01% of titanium is colorless. If trace amounts of iron are present, a very pale yellow to green color may be seen. If both titanium and iron impurities are present together, however, the result is a magnificent deep-blue color. Sapphires may be treated by several methods to enhance and improve their clarity and color. It is common practice to heat natural sapphires to improve or enhance color. This is done by heating the sapphires in ovens to temperatures between 500 and 1800 C for several hours, or by heating in a nitrogen-deficient atmosphere oven for seven days or more. Upon heating, the stone becomes more blue in color but loses some of the rutile inclusions (silk). When high heat temperatures are used, the stone loses all silk and becomes clear under magnification. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/sapphire 5
To access the GAA WebPage, please visit www.gem.org.au On home page on right hand side go to Member tab and enter in user name which is your own email address and password which is gaa2012. If you have trouble accessing, then we may not have your current email address. Please provide to your State Division. Once you have access, go to Update your details and add/correct any information displayed. If you are an FGAA then you are eligible to tick the Directory Opt In box if you wish to be part of the Find a Gemmologist service. You can also log a job opportunity through the Employment section. You also need to change your password to secure your details. IMPORTANT. Then SAVE at the bottom of the page. Short courses now up and running click on ONLINE COURSES tab The GAA e-learning suite The Gemmological Association of Australia (GAA) and the JAA bring you online learning. Written by Australians for the Australian Jewellery Industry and interested consumers. See brief descriptions of the courses under Educationonline. The e-learning suite 1.Introduction to Diamonds 2.Introduction to Coloured Gemstones 3.Introduction to Daily Jewellery Retail Business 4.Introduction to Jewellery 5.Introduction to Retail Jewellery Sales brought to you by the GAA 6.Introduction to Opals and Pearls - brought to you by the GAA Go to www.gem.org.au and follow the links The Adelaide Gem & Mineral Club Annual Exhibition 6 th October 10 am- 5pm 7 th October 10am- 4pm Payneham CommuntityCentre Adjacent to Library Turner St off OG RD, Payneham ` Secrets Of The Dichroscope Watch Jack Ogden demonstrate how the humble gemmological dichroscope can be used for military purposes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oy59qtwhyw&feature=youtu.be 6
USPTO Grants Patent for Identifying Investment-Grade Gems Aug 8, 2012 11:26 AM By Jeff Miller RAPAPORT..The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) issued patent number 08239211 to Gemshares LLC of Chicago, Illinois for a process in which investment-grade natural and synthetic gemstones can be identified for use in financial investments and commercial trading. The invention relates to a method of standardization for natural or synthetic diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds in order to enable the delivery of a standardized, fungible and certified global investment-grade gemstone, or basket of gemstones, which then can be used in futures contracts, options, exchange-traded funds or any other regulated or unregulated financial vehicle. Inventors Victor Feldman, Andrew J. Feldman, Sharon Karsten, Daniel Gramza and David W. So filed for the patent on March 27, 2009. The patented process involves grouping diamonds in an investment standard based upon their gemological, proportional, optical and light behavior characteristics. Diamonds that conform to the investment-grade standard are interchangeable within a specific size range, according to an equivalent monetary bundling process, the filing stated. Diamonds subjected to the standard conform to a ''holistic set of gemological, proportional, optical and light characteristic requirements that enables diamonds to be classified into a extraordinarily homogeneous, visually indistinguishable and highly fungible group, which can be used to create baskets of diamonds to form an index or benchmark for diamond pricing, financial instruments, and a standard that can be used for certifying diamonds as investment grade to insure quality.'' Diamond characteristics will be classified using the Gemological Institute of America's (GIA) Diamond Grading Reports; however, other ''recognized gemological grading standards'' may be used as long as the characteristics are substantially similar to the standards used by the GIA or can be correlated, according to the inventors. The patent listed preferred sizes of 0.50 carats to 2.20 carats, with the flexibility to include 0.25-carat stones and those greater than 3 carats in order to ensure consistency with a grouping (basket) of gemstones. Grading standards were defined as requiring stones to reflect colors of D through J with clarities of IF to SII and absolutely ''no milky or cloudy material;'' to be generic, round brilliant cuts with 57 to 58 facets, cut grades of "Excellent" and "Very Good," general proportions of "Excellent," a finished polish of "Excellent" to "Very Good," a symmetry of "Excellent" to "Very Good," and graded as showing no or faint fluorescence, with some stones possibly including medium blue, no natural unfinished surfaces, no excessive graining and no extra facets. The patent also describes a system for generating an index, or benchmark, of investment-grade diamonds intended to reflect ''the general market'' for the stones that fall into a collection of diamonds, wherein the the collection has similar predetermined gemological characteristics, predetermined distinct weight classifications and stones that are optically substantially similar, wherein each of the diamonds within a distinct weight class has an equivalent monetary value. The purpose of the patented process is to create an ''exchange for purchasing and selling financial instruments'' based upon a collection of diamonds and a computer with data storage and processing capabilities for recording the prices, and calculating the value of the collection of diamonds based on the recorded prices as a single figure, wherein the single figure is calculated by the computer using the following algorithm: Index=NAV=Xo(Yo) +Y1(Y1)+FI FE. http://www.diamonds.net/news/newsitem.aspx?articleid=40827&rdrissueid=0&art 7
World's most precious diamonds go on sale by: Greg Roberts MINER R io T i n t o i s t a k i n g a c o l l e c t i o n o f t h e wo r l d ' s mos t v a l u a b l e a nd r a r e d i amond s on a g l o b a l s a l e. Potential buyers will need deep pockets though, as the Western Australian pink diamonds in this collection are the most concentrated form of wealth in the world. The tour is Rio Tinto's Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender 2012, with much of the collection coming from the miner's 27-year-old Argyle mine in Western Australia's Kimberly. The collection includes 56 single pink diamonds, along with red and blue diamonds. Argyle produces most of the world's rare pink diamonds, which typically command far higher prices than white diamonds. Manager of the collection, Josephine Johnson, said the diamonds were destined for investment portfolios or heirloom pieces of jewellery. The highlights include Argyle Siren, a 1.32-carat square radiant cut Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink diamond and Argyle Satine, a 1.02-carat cushion cut Fancy Intense Purplish Pink diamond. The biggest pink diamond ever found at Argyle was a 12.76-carat gem unveiled at the start of this year. While diamonds might be forever for devoted connoisseurs, collectors and investors, the business's days as a Rio Tinto asset are numbered. Diamonds might have posted $US203 million ($A197.98 million) in underlying earnings for the first half of this year, but Rio Tinto is investigating selling it. The company's other mining operations are so large it leaves the diamonds business too small, with the Argyle mine regarded as having passed its peak in production. Tender viewings will be held in Perth, Hong Kong and London with bids closing on October 15. Read more:http://www.news.com.au/business/breaking-news/worlds-most-precious-diamonds-goon-sale/story-e6frfkur-1226464202266#ixzz26jnsprev 9
The Gem and Jewelry World's Foremost Resource on The Internet. Open to the public, Free of Charge! Holding Place: A Repository of Containers and Vessels by Metalsmiths Around the World One of the axioms of mathematics is that the container must be greater than the contained. Prove us right! Ganoksin is pleased to announce its third annual International Online Jewelry Exhibition. This year's theme will be "Holding Place: A Repository of Containers and Vessels by Metalsmiths Around the World". The exhibition is open to all metalsmiths, professional and amateur, advanced and beginner, around the world. All metal containers and vessels are eligible for entry. Examples include, but are not limited to, pill boxes, vases, bowls, pitchers, lockets, prayer boxes and memento mori. As this is an online exhibition the work will only be seen via the photographs metalsmiths submit. It is therefore vital that these be in focus, on a neutral background (preferably not textured), and do an excellent job allowing the viewer to really see the piece and the workmanship involved. Any photographs not meeting exhibition standards will not be used, and the submitting metalsmith will be asked to re-submit the entry with a higher quality of photograph. Works will be juried by the curator and director. The exhibition will be curated by Beth Wicker, Co-President of the North Carolina Society of Goldsmiths in the United States, and Adjunct Instructor at NortheasternTechnicalCollege insouth Carolina. Director of the exhibition is Hanuman Aspler, founder of The Ganoksin Project, the world's largest internet jewelry site. Entries are accepted from now until January 15, 2013 Details and entry information is available at http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/vessels Please contact Beth Wicker at http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/contact with any questions. 10
TERACAST Diamond Merchants T 08 8223 1123 F 08 8227 1050 Suite 403, 38 Gawler Place Adelaide SA 5000 www.teracast.com.au louise@teracast.com.au Contact Louise We encourage our members to use the services of the advertisers in the Crystal Gazette. They are great supporters of the GAA. Find a Word Answers 1 Adularescence, 2 Asterism, 3 Baroque, 4 Crown, 5 Hardness, 6 Doubling, 7 Flux Growth, 8 Intaglio, 9 Paste, 10 Didymium, 11 Igneous, 12 Cleavage