In-Situ Study of Mineralogy, Gemology and Progress in Gemology

Dear Colleagues,

Gemstones were widely used in the manufacture of jewelry and art crafts as early as 7000 years ago. With the diversification of gemstone materials and the increase in the global sales of jewelry, the evaluation of quality of each category of gemstones is an urgent need and has received more attention from the gemological field. Furthermore, as the demand for gemstones increases, numerous new gem deposits have been exploited and new gem species have infiltrated the market. However, the same species of gemstones that share similar qualities can possess a wide range of values in the market as a result of their geographic origins. In the gem and jewelry trade, increasing attention is being paid to the geographic origin of gemstones. Collections from a reliable gem deposit play a vital role in determining the geographic origin of certain gemstones. This Topic aims to present the latest, cutting-edge advances in gem quality evaluation and gem deposits in relation to mineralogy, petrology, and gemology. The combined research of the related specific fields (for instance, geology, field gemology, geochemistry, geochronology, and spectroscopy) can provide important information concerning the formation of gemstones, enabling the comparison and geographic determination of gemstones worldwide.   

This Topic invites submissions that include original scientific research relating to gem deposits from well-known and/or new localities worldwide. The Topic focuses on the following topics: 1) gemological quality evaluation of color, transparency, luster; 2) the geological background, occurrence, and genesis of gem deposits; 3) the mineralogical, gemological, geochemical, and spectroscopy characteristics of gemstones; and 4) the applications of combined studies to trace the provenance of gemstones and highlight the methods of identification for gemstones.

Prof. Dr. Ying Guo
Dr. Xu Bo
Dr. Qingfeng Guo
Dr. Liang Zhang
Topic Editors