GemResearch Swisslab (GRS) Specializing in Origin Determination of Fine Rubies and Sapphires

Message

Editor

Dr. A. Peretti, FGG, FGA, Eur Geol
GRS Gemresearch Swisslab AG, P.O.Box 4028, 6002 Lucerne, Switzerland

Adolf@Peretti.ch

Previous Journal and Movie

This journal follows the rules of the Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names of the IMA in all matters concerning mineral names and nomenclature.

Distributor

GRS (Thailand) Co., LTD
257/919 Silom Rd., JTC Building
Bangkok 10500, Thailand.

Journal and Website Copyrighted by GRS (Thailand)
Co. LTD, Bangkok, Thailand and GRS Gemresearch
Swisslab AG, Lucerne, Switzerland

This report is available online at www.gemresearch.ch

ISBN 978-3-9523359-3-2

Message from the Editors Desk

The continuous research on new gem occurrences and new gemstones is a very important aspect of the activities of a modern gemological laboratory. With the description of a revised crystal structure of painite in our previous publication and the description of the new gem mineral pezzottaite, GRS has invested much in this tradition. It has featured its discoveries in two issues of Contribution to Gemology No. 2 and No. 3 and published the detailed results in American Mineralogist and Mineralogical Record (see literature). Research institutions all over the world, some of them considered the most prestigious in this field of research such as Caltech University, have made links to the online version of our journal at www.gemresearch.ch, particularly suitable for students to appreciate our extensive use of illustrations. Every day several thousand visitors search our website from more than 15 countries, confirming the interest in rare collector gems in the gem community and the public. It took GRS and its collaborating scientific partners in Switzerland almost two years of intensive research to make another important discovery of corresponding caliber. Again, it is a discovery in the field of new gem occurrences and new important data on mineral structures and mineral chemistry. This time the news is not coming from new mines in Madagascar but from the famous valley of Mogok in Burma, renowned for its fabulous rubies and sapphires. As we constantly studied the ruby and sapphire mines in Mogok, it was only a matter of time to discover one of the rarest collector gems in the world: Johachidolite. It is a true gem with its vivid color, high brilliancy due to the high refractive index, high density and Mohs hardness of over 7.5. Careful crystallographic examination of johachidolite enabled a state of the art structure refinement, which will be additionally published in a specialized scientific journal of high recognition. Thorough examination of the chemistry of johachidolite provided us with data elucidating its origin and authenticity. A new rare earth element (REE) “fingerprint test” for the origin of johachidolite has been made available with the publication of this new edition of “Contribution to Gemology No. 5”.

Adolf Peretti