Change for Disaster MitigationTim R. Davies, Oliver Korup, and John J. Clague
3 Remote Sensing Physics: An Introduction to Observing Earth from SpaceRick Chapman and Richard Gasparovic
4 Geology and Mineralogy of GemstonesDavid Turner and Lee A. Groat
Advanced Textbook 4
Geology and Mineralogy of Gemstones
David Turner
The University of British Columbia, Canada
Lee A. Groat
The University of British Columbia, Canada
This Work is a copublication of the American Geophysical Union and John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
This edition first published 2022
© 2022 American Geophysical Union
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except as permitted by law. Advice on how to obtain permission to reuse material from this title is available at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions
Published under the aegis of the AGU Publications Committee
Matthew Giampoala, Vice President, Publications
Carol Frost, Chair, Publications Committee
For details about the American Geophysical Union visit us at www.agu.org.
The right of David Turner and Lee A. Groat to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with law.
Wiley Global Headquarters 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA
For details of our global editorial offices, customer services, and more information about Wiley products visit us at www.wiley.com.
Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty While the publisher and authors have used their best efforts in preparing this work, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this work and specifically disclaim all warranties, including without limitation any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives, written sales materials, or promotional statements for this work. The fact that an organization, website, or product is referred to in this work as a citation and/or potential source of further information does not mean that the publisher and authors endorse the information or services the organization, website, or product may provide or recommendations it may make. This work is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering professional services. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a specialist where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor authors shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages. Further, readers should be aware that websites listed in this work may have changed or disappeared between when this work was written and when it is read.
Library of Congress Cataloging‐in‐Publication Data
Names: Turner, David, 1981– author. | Groat, Lee Andrew, 1959– author.
Title: Geology and mineralogy of gemstones / David Turner, Lee A. Groat.
Description: First edition. | Hoboken, NJ : Wiley ; Washington, D.C. : American Geophysical Union, 2021. | Series: AGU advanced textbooks | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2020027427 (print) | LCCN 2020027428 (ebook) | ISBN 9781119299851 (paperback) | ISBN 9781119299882 (adobe pdf) | ISBN 9781119299875 (epub)
Subjects: LCSH: Precious stones.
Classification: LCC QE392 .G76 2021 (print) | LCC QE392 (ebook) | DDC 553.8–dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020027427 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020027428
Cover Design: Wiley
Cover Image: Cobalt‐blue spinel from southwestern Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada; © Lee A. Groat
Preface
Earth Science departments at universities across North America are diversifying their academic offerings for entry level science courses. Among topics that are catching on are the mineralogy and geology of gem materials. This textbook aims to support these courses. At the same time, the geological settings that give rise to gemstone deposits are as unique and fascinating as those for precious and base metal deposits. Gemstones also have captivating connections to our cultural history, from the well‐celebrated diamond deposits of South Africa to the lesser known occurrences of semiprecious gemstones that are dotted across every continent. The interdisciplinary aspect of gemstone deposits provides wonderful natural laboratories to better understand the Earth's processes and how human civilization has exploited the Earth's natural resources for its beautiful treasures. However, with this comes a need to consider the economic, political, social, environmental, health, and ethical impacts of extracting precious stones whether by large‐scale, small‐scale artisanal, or illegal mining operations. Earth's human population continues to grow and urbanize, and to increase its consumption of nonrenewable resources such as gemstones, so the human, environmental, and ethical implications of these practices are more important now than ever.
This book is designed for undergraduate learners and satisfies the needs of both lower level introductory courses and upper level geoscience curricula. It is intended to include basic concepts of geology in the context of a low‐to‐mid level understanding of gem deposits. It also includes some fundamentals of mineralogy in order to put the understanding of physical properties of gems in context.
It is not intended as a replacement for an “Introduction to Mineralogy” textbook, but does include sections of sufficient depth of knowledge for an upper level “Mineralogy and Geology of Gemstones” course. It is also not intended to replace a “Determinative Gemology” reference book, but briefly covers common tools and the properties they measure/exploit. The references at the end of each chapter should also allow students and instructors to easily access the original “raw” scientific information for further study, either for personal interest, as stepping stones for semester capstone projects, or for inspiration to undertake scientific research into the geological world of gemstone deposits.
The book is divided into two parts. Part I contains content focused on developing base mineralogical and geological knowledge while Part II provides details of the gemstones themselves and their geological settings. Lower‐level learners can focus on introductory material (and be exposed to greater details) while upper‐level learners can jump into the greater details of subsequent chapters (and also be able to fall back on more basic knowledge). Midlevel or keen lower‐level learners should be able to make use of the entire book to scaffold their learning. Topics include the geological settings of diamond and the big three colored gemstones (emerald, ruby, sapphire) as well as a collection of other gemstones