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Gem Formation, Production, and Exploration: Why Gem Deposits Are Rare and What is Being Done to Find Them

¹ Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
E-mail: lgroat{at}eos.ubc.ca
² Gemological Institute of America (GIA)
5345 Armada Drive, Carlsbad, California 92008, USA
E-mail: blaurs{at}gia.edu

The geology of gem deposits is a relatively new area of research focused on understanding the rare and exceptional geologic conditions that give rise to gem-quality materials. These conditions may include the availability of sometimes uncommon major constituents, the presence of adequate chromophores, limited concentrations of undesirable elements, open space, an environment conducive to forming crystals of sufficient size and transparency, and a favorable environment for mining. Future research should aid exploration, which until recently has been nonsystematic and nonexistent for many gem minerals, with diamond as the notable exception.

KEYWORDS: gems, diamond, emerald, sapphire, ruby, geochemistry, exploration

This article has been cited by other articles:

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