The Gemmology Journal

Red Spinel Ministry of Gems
Spinel: The Great Impostor That Fooled Every Crown in Europe
The Black Prince's Ruby isn't a ruby — it's a spinel. The collector's gem with royal history, untreated brilliance and fast-rising prices, explained. Read more...
Citrines_Ministry of Gems
Citrine: November's Sunshine (and the Truth About Where It Comes From)
Most citrine began life as amethyst — the honest guide to November's golden birthstone: colour grades, Madeira tones, care and smart buying. Read more...
Garnets by Ministry of Gems
Garnet: January's Birthstone Is Not What You Think
Emerald-green tsavorite, mandarin spessartine, raspberry rhodolite — garnet is a family, not a colour. January's birthstone, properly introduced. Read more...
Wedding Band by Ministry of Gems
Men's Jewellery Metals and Stones: A Modern Field Guide
Gold weights, platinum presence, and the stones that work — black star sapphires, dark teals, onyx. A modern field guide to men's fine jewellery. Read more...
Gemstones by Ministry of Gems
Blue Gemstones Compared: Sapphire, Topaz, Aquamarine and Tanzanite
Four famous blues, honestly compared — durability, colour character, price and who each one suits. Choose your blue with confidence. Read more...
Peridots by Ministry of Gems
Peridot: August's Birthstone, Born of Fire (and Sometimes Space)
The gem that rides volcanoes to the surface — and occasionally arrives by meteorite. Peridot's oily green glow, history and buying guide. Read more...
Amethyst Ministry of Gems
Amethyst: February's Birthstone and History's Favourite Purple
Once as precious as sapphire — amethyst's royal history, what makes fine colour, and how to buy February's birthstone well. Read more...
Paraiba Tourmaline by Ministry of Gems
Tourmaline: The Rainbow Gem That Does Everything
Pink, watermelon, neon Paraíba — tourmaline's impossible colour range explained, with buying advice from our FGAA gemmologist. Read more...
Gemmologist_Ministry of Gems
How to Judge a Gemstone Online: Photos, Videos and What They Hide
Saturation tricks, macro illusions, lighting games — how to see through gemstone photography online, what to ask sellers for, and the red flags that matter. Read more...
Heirloom Jewellery_Ministry of Gems
Resetting Heirloom Jewellery: Giving Old Stones New Life
Grandmother's sapphire, a new setting: how heirloom resetting works — assessment, recutting decisions, design and sentiment — from a workshop that does it weekly. Read more...
Engagement Rings by Ministry of Gems
Sapphire vs Diamond Engagement Rings: An Honest Comparison
Durability, price, colour, meaning and tradition — a jeweller's honest comparison of sapphire and diamond engagement rings, without the sales pitch. Read more...
Australian Opals_Ministry of Gems
Lightning Ridge and Coober Pedy: Inside Australia's Opal Fields
Where the world's opals are born: Lightning Ridge black opal, Coober Pedy's underground town, Queensland boulder country — Australia's opal fields explained. Read more...
Emerald_Ministry of Gems
How to Buy an Emerald: Colour, Oil and the Jardin
Vivid green colour, the jardin, oiling and its disclosure grades — an FGAA gemmologist's practical guide to buying an emerald with confidence. Read more...
Rubies by Ministry of Gems
How to Buy a Ruby: Colour, Origin and the Pigeon's Blood Question
Pigeon's blood colour, Burma vs Mozambique origin, heat treatment and fluorescence — an FGAA gemmologist's practical guide to buying a ruby well. Read more...
Gemstones by Ministry of Gems
Anniversary Gemstones by Year: A Gift Guide That Means Something
Sapphire for the 45th, ruby for the 40th, emerald for the 55th — the traditional anniversary gemstone list, decoded, with honest gift guidance for every budget. Read more...
Blue Sapphires by Ministry of Gems
Sapphire Carat Sizes: What They Really Look Like on the Hand
Why a 1-carat sapphire looks smaller than a 1-carat diamond, carat-to-millimetre sizes, and why buying by millimetres beats buying by carats. Read more...
Peridot Jewellery by Ministry of Gems
Jewellery Style Periods: From Art Deco to Modern Minimalism
Victorian romance, Edwardian lace, Art Deco geometry, mid-century glamour — the design eras that still shape rings today, and how to borrow from them. Read more...
Gold Rings by Ministry of Gems
White, Yellow or Rose Gold: Choosing the Colour That Suits You
Skin tone, stone colour and lifestyle — a workshop guide to choosing between white, yellow and rose gold for gemstone jewellery. Read more...
Gem Education by Ministry of Gems
Kashmir, Burma, Ceylon, Madagascar: Sapphire Origins Compared
Why origin moves a sapphire's price: Kashmir's velvet legends, Burmese royal blue, Ceylon's luminous heritage, Madagascar's rise and Australia's character. Read more...
Sapphires by Ministry of Gems
Sapphire Treatments Explained: Heat, Diffusion and What Must Be Disclosed
Heat, beryllium diffusion, fracture-filling — what each treatment does to a sapphire's value, what sellers must disclose, and how certificates protect you. Read more...
Star Sapphires by Ministry of Gems
Star Sapphires and Asterism: Chasing the Six-Rayed Star
How rutile silk paints a six-rayed star across a cabochon sapphire, how to judge a fine star, and why Australia's black star sapphires deserve more fame. Read more...
Sapphire Guide Education by Ministry of Gems
Sapphire Clarity and Inclusions: What's Inside Your Stone
Silk, fingerprints, crystals — what inclusions in a sapphire mean, when they lower value, and when they prove origin or even create beauty. FGAA expert guide. Read more...
Platinum & White Gold by Ministry of Gems
Platinum vs White Gold: Which Metal for Your Sapphire?
Weight, wear, maintenance and cost — an honest workshop comparison of platinum and white gold for sapphire and gemstone jewellery. Read more...
Gold Jewellery by Ministry of Gems
9K, 14K or 18K? Choosing Gold for Gemstone Jewellery
Purity, durability, colour and price — how to choose between 9K, 14K and 18K gold for a sapphire or gemstone piece, from the workshop that casts all three. Read more...