Pair of sautoirs by René Lalique
René Lalique (1860-1945) was one of the most ingenious and creative designers of jewellery and glass objects at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. He significantly contributed to the Art Nouveau and Art Déco periods.
Gemmological study of the medieval Königsfelder diptychon
In 1298 AD, the king of Hungary Andreas II presented to his wife Queen Agnes a stone-set wooden altar piece as a royal wedding present. This small medieval artwork, known today as the Königsfelder diptychon, was originally made in Venice.
Cultured pearls in a bracelet of historic design
An antique-style bracelet with diamonds and pearls was recently submitted to SSEF for testing (Figure 1). Despite the complex setting, we were able to analyse all the pearls and found, that five of the pearls in this bracelet were in fact beaded cultured pearls (Akoya type), whereas the remaining 26 were saltwa
A never-ending story: recheck service and report validity check on myssef.ch for emeralds
Imagine life as an emerald. Just born in the rocks and growing, you get joggled and bruised by mother nature and later by the mining process. So, already in your young age you carry quite some scars and fractures, which reduce your true beauty considerably and may not make it so easy to find a good mate (emeral
Zircon inclusion analysis for sapphire origin determination
Zircon ZrSiO₄ a very intriguing mineral, not only because it can be used as an attractive gemstone (Figure 1) but also due to the fact that it can contain minute traces of radioactive elements (U, Th), which decay over time to lead (Pb) isotopes.
Gemtof successfully passed G-Chron 2019 proficiency test on zircon U-Pb dating
The quality and consistency of analytical data is important for gem labs in order to provide replicable results to gemmologists over a long period of time. In addition, the accuracy compared to internationally recognised standards allows us to perform inter-lab comparisons or track instrument performance and tr
Beware of synthetic ruby with ‘zircon-like’ cluster inclusions
Very recently, we tested a tricky case of a synthetic ruby (Figure 1) of 4.27 ct, submitted to SSEF as a natural stone accompanied by two lab reports confirming its natural origin. Under the microscope, the submitted stone showed ‘zircon-like’ cluster inclusions (Figure 2). They were somehow reminiscent of
Souvenirs from the past: doublets uncovered at SSEF
From time to time, we get a flashback in gemmological history. This is specifically the case when we receive an antique ring with an ‘early’ Verneuil synthetic ruby showing strongly curved growth bands, or, as in the past few months, when clients submit us doublets.
New copper-bearing tourmalines from Nigeria
Copper-bearing tourmaline from Nigeria is known in the trade since about two decades (Milisenda 2001, Henricus, 2001; Smith et al., 2001; Zang et al., 2001). The first reported material from Nigeria was rather of aquamarine- to amethyst-like colours, but shortly after it was followed by a limited and sporadic p
Natural pearls dyed green
The body colour of pearls is normally related to the presence of natural colour pigments produced by the mollusc during pearl formation. Another option is to colour pearls artificially, with dyeing being the most readily available method. Often applied to rather low-quality freshwater cultured pearls, these tre