Palagems.com is filled with information and stories about gemology, gems, and mineral specimens. Browse the links below for a few prime examples.

Gemstones and Minerals (see also Localities)

• The Internal World of Gemstones – A pictorial guide to a microscopic world that lets us further appreciate gemstones’ external beauty. On Palagems.com
• On Kunz and Kunzite – An excellent historical look at the discovery and naming of kunzite. By Lawrence Conklin. On Palagems.com.
• Painite Comes to Pala – Pala International President Bill Larson recounts a thirty-year quest for a mysterious stone, finally concluding, “no painite, no gainite.”
• Passion Fruit: A Lover’s Guide to Sapphire – Pala’s resident ruby and sapphire expert discusses sapphire connoisseurship. By Richard W. Hughes. On Palagems.com.
• Seeing Red: A Guide to Ruby – Palagems.com’s ex-webmaster Richard Hughes examines the elements of quality in ruby. Fully illustrated. On Palagems.com.

Industry and Trade Articles (including Trade Shows)

• Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines 2010 – See also the reports from 2009, 2008, 2007, and 2006. Reports from Pala International’s Bill Larson and Will Larson on one of their favorite mineral shows. Fully illustrated.
• Flashes of Colour: Legendary Wines and Gemstones – In late June 2007, Pala International supplied over $1 million worth of gemstones and mineral specimens to a remarkable exhibition of fine wines and gemstones in Dijon, France.
• Munich Mineral Show 2001 – The Munich Mineral Show is Europe’s finest. For an insider taste of just what it’s all about, one of the world’s great mineral collectors, Bill Larson, has written up a report of the 2001 show.

Localities (see also Gemstones and Minerals)

• Alexandrite from Russia – By Peter Bancroft. Description of the Russian alexandrite mines. On Palagems.com.
• Bill Larson in Burma and Vietnam, 2005 – A pictorial. On Palagems.com.
• Burmese Jade: The Inscrutable Gem – Part 1: Burma’s Jade Mines
  A groundbreaking article on the second-most valuable gem in the world – Burmese jade. By Richard Hughes, Olivier Galibert, George Bosshart, Fred Ward, Thet Oo, Mark Smith, Tay Thye Sun and George Harlow. Fully illustrated. On Palagems.com.
  • Part 2 – The cutting, grading, trading and faking of Burmese jadeite is detailed. Fully illustrated.
• California Gem Mining: Chronicle of a comeback – One of the finest articles ever written about gem mining in San Diego County, California. Fully illustrated. By David Federman.
• Ceylon’s Gem Mines – Ceylon’s storied gem mines are detailed in this segment from Dr. Peter Bancroft’s Gem & Crystal Treasures. On Palagems.com.
• Color-Change Garnet from Kenya – A new discovery (early 2009) from the Taita-Taveta are, best known for tsavorite production. On Palagems.com.
• The Emerald Deposits of Muzo, Colombia – Scholarly examination of these famous emerald mines. By Joseph E. Pogue. Illustrated. Reprinted from Transactions of the American Institute of Mining Engineers, 1917. On Palagems.com.
• Fire-hearted Pebbles from Burma – A wonderful look at mining rubies in Mogok, ca. 1930, by C.M. Enriquez. Complete with period photos. On Palagems.com.
• From Russia with Jade – Pala’s ex-webmaster, Richard Hughes, together with Nickolai Kuznetsov, make an epic journey to Russia’s jadeite mines in the Polar Urals and Khakassia. Fully illustrated. On Palagems.com.
• Gemstone and Mineral Mining in Pakistan’s Mountains – An article by Jim Clanin reprinted from InColor. On Palagems.com.
• Gemstones in Vietnam – Pala International is pleased to reprint this substantial article from The Australian Gemmologist. Written by Vietnamese and French researchers, the article covers corundum as well as aquamarine, tourmaline, peridot, and pearl. On Palagems.com.
• Imperial Topaz from Brazil – Brazilian topaz mines are covered in this segment from Dr. Peter Bancroft’s Gem & Crystal Treasures. On Palagems.com.
• Kashmir Sapphires – The first eyewitness account of the fabled Kashmir sapphire mines in northern India, 1889, by T.D. LaTouche. Complete with period and modern photos. On Palagems.com.
• Lapis Lazuli from Afghanistan – These storied mines are detailed in this segment from Dr. Peter Bancroft’s Gem & Crystal Treasures. On Palagems.com.
• Larsons in China – Pala’s Bill Larson and son Will Larson made presentations on tourmaline and collecting at a first-ever China mineral and gem crystal conference in Beijing. On Palagems.com.
• Letter from Pakistan – True adventure from Pala International’s daring suppliers. On Palagems.com.
• Lloviznando Opal: A Look Above the Surface – An extended look at this rare material from Mexico. On Palagems.com.
• Longido Ruby – We are proud to present this article courtesy of Edward Swoboda, on the ruby mines of Longido, Tanzania. On Palagems.com.
• Pakistan’s Gemstones: An Overview – The past, present, and future of the challenges that face Pakistan in its development of a gemstone industry. On Palagems.com.
• Pala District Pegmatite Opens Wide – New discoveries at the 49er pocket; also see Part 2.
• Pegmatites of Laghman, Nuristan, Afghanistan – By Pierre Bariand and J.F. Poullen. On Palagems.com.
• The Queen Reigns Again – A great description of mining the Tourmaline Queen mine near Pala, California.
• Red Sea Peridot – Zabargad’s peridot mines are detailed in this segment from Dr. Peter Bancroft’s Gem & Crystal Treasures. On Palagems.com.
• Reds Turn to Green: Russia’s Stunning Demantoid Discovery – Russia’s new demantoid strike is detailed in this segment from Pala’s President, Bill Larson. On Palagems.com.
• The Ruby & Sapphire Deposits of Moung Klung, Siam – 1894 account of mining ruby and sapphire in Thailand. By Henry Louis. On Palagems.com.
• Tanzanite from Tanzania – Tanzania’s tanzanite mines are detailed in this segment from Dr. Peter Bancroft’s Gem & Crystal Treasures. On Palagems.com.
• Tsavorite from Kenya – Kenya’s tsavorite garnet mines are detailed in this segment from Dr. Peter Bancroft’s Gem & Crystal Treasures. On Palagems.com.

Museums & Exhibitions

• Flashes of Colour: Legendary Wines and Gemstones – In late June 2007, Pala International supplied over $1 million worth of gemstones and mineral specimens to a remarkable exhibition of fine wines and gemstones in Dijon, France.
• A Trip to Japan – Pala International at the 2005 Tokyo Mineral Show. By Will H. Larson.

Pala International

• Pala’s Featured Mineral Specimens – Featured in our bi-monthly Pala Mineralis e-bulletin.
• Meet the Larsons – Pala’s globe-trotting collectors. On Palagems.com.
• Mining at Pala – A history of Pala International’s various gem mining projects around the world.
• Pala International Celebrates Forty Years – Some of the highlights.

Personalities

• Remembering John Sinkankas – Memorial for noted author/gemologist, John Sinkankas. On Palagems.com.

Photographers

• FotogFocus – An occasional series featuring mineral and gemstone photographers. On Palagems.com.
  • Bruno Cupillard
  • Jeffrey Scovil
  • Wimon Manorotkul

 
In addition to these articles, don’t forget to take a look at

• Pala Mineralis, our bimonthly mineral e-newsletter.
• Palagems Reflective Index from Pala International, our current monthly gemstone e-newsletter.
• The Gem Spectrum, Pala’s newsletter (1995–2003), which contains articles on all aspects of precious stones.
• The Learning Vault on Palagems.com – articles for the gemstone enthusiast.