Beyond the Surface: Six Papers on Gemstone Science
Every gemstone has a story beyond its surface. Alexander U. Falster, the experimental researcher at the Maine Mineral & Gem Museum who carries out the testing we commission, shared these six research papers with us—and he is a coauthor of every one. Here is a brief introduction to what they reveal, with links for readers who want to explore the science more deeply.
Copper-bearing tourmaline from Mozambique
Laurs and coauthors · Gems & Gemology · 2008
This study connects the colors of copper-bearing tourmaline with its chemistry, inclusions and response to heating. The researchers documented a broad color range in material from Mavuco, and showed how heating can change many pink or violet stones to blue or green. For a buyer, the lesson is simple: a beautiful blue alone cannot establish a copper-bearing identity or geographic origin.
Read the tourmaline paper (PDF)
Why Erongo produces such remarkable crystals
Falster, Simmons, Webber and Boudreaux · The Canadian Mineralogist · 2018
Erongo, Namibia, is renowned for minerals including aquamarine, tourmaline, topaz and fluorite. This paper studies the granite and crystal-bearing cavities behind that diversity. The authors interpret its unusual chemistry as reflecting substantial input from surrounding rocks, followed by concentration of water, boron and other elements during crystallization. Those changing conditions help explain why one geological complex can produce such varied mineral specimens.
Read the Erongo paper and download its PDF
The geological story of Zambian emeralds
Zwaan and coauthors · Gems & Gemology · 2005
The Kafubu emerald deposits record an encounter between beryllium-bearing fluids and chromium-bearing host rocks. The resulting emeralds preserve mineral inclusions, healed fractures and chemical signatures that help researchers understand their formation and assess origin. The paper combines field geology with laboratory examination—a useful reminder that origin identification depends on several kinds of evidence working together.
Londonite: recognizing a new mineral
Simmons, Pezzotta, Falster and Webber · The Canadian Mineralogist · 2001
Londonite closely resembles rhodizite, yet the dominant alkali element distinguishes them: cesium in londonite and potassium in rhodizite. Detailed chemical and structural work established londonite as a separate mineral species in Madagascar’s pegmatites. It is a striking example of why appearance and an inherited name can miss an important difference inside a crystal.
Read the Londonite paper on ResearchGate (full text and PDF)
Pezzottaite: more than pink beryl
Laurs and coauthors · Gems & Gemology · 2003
Material discovered near Ambatovita, Madagascar, initially circulated under several beryl-related names. Testing showed that the cesium- and lithium-rich pink crystals were a distinct species: pezzottaite. Differences in density, refractive index, crystal structure and spectroscopy separated it from beryl. Some specimens also display a cat’s-eye effect. The discovery shows how careful identification can reveal something genuinely new.
Read the pezzottaite paper (PDF)
What makes yellow tourmaline yellow?
Simmons, Falster and Laurs · The Canadian Mineralogist · 2011
A survey across several countries found that the studied yellow tourmalines were rich in manganese and generally very low in iron. The authors linked the yellow coloration to interactions involving manganese and titanium, and proposed that specific late-stage pegmatite conditions favor its formation. Color becomes a record of chemistry and geological history, rather than simply a label.
Read the yellow tourmaline paper and download its PDF
These are published research studies, separate from the specimen reports commissioned by Soul Body Gems. Each reflects the materials and evidence examined at the time of publication. PDF links lead to publisher, research repository or author-posted copies; the Erongo and yellow tourmaline pages include a PDF download option.
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