The online resource is a virtual museum, which includes a photo, description, and gemmological properties for 50 stones from the collection. The information is available in PDF form and more will be added over time.
“The ‘Gem Project’ can act like a virtual museum, but instead of standing in front of a display case, users see a photo of a gemstone and key pieces of information about it,” said GIA museum curator Terri Ottaway. “This also makes it easier to compare the similarities and differences between types of stones at an advanced level.”
More than 2800 samples representing 225 minerals and gem materials comprise the collection, which was gathered from 1940 to 2000.
“Many of the gemstones in this collection are extraordinary examples in terms of colour, weight, and geographic origin,” said James Shigley, GIA’s distinguished research fellow. “I’m not aware of any other online resource with this type of gemmological information. It significantly enhances the educational and display potential of GIA’s gem collection and supports the coloured stone trade.”
The database—which focuses on corundum, spinels, garnets, beryls, and tourmalines— also includes photomicrographs of interesting features, graphical plots of visible, infrared, Raman, and photoluminescence spectra, and qualitative chemical composition information.
