Gem-A Releases Spring 2026 Journal of Gemmology for Industry Professionals

The Journal of Gemmology is published quarterly and contains original research articles on all aspects of gemmology, including natural stones and their treatments, synthetics and simulated gemstones. Its Spring 2026 issue, released digitally by the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, arrives with a lineup that reads like a field dispatch from four corners of the globe: a newly discovered pocket of gem-quality emeralds in China, petrified wood that has turned a vivid green in Indonesia, the first-ever documented rose quartz from Iran, and a spotted quartz variety from Tanzania that has earned a name as dramatic as its appearance.

The centerpiece is a feature on limited quantities of gem-quality emeralds recently found in Zhen'an County, Shaanxi Province. The research presents a comprehensive analysis of the gemological, spectroscopic, and trace element characteristics of the Shaanxi emerald samples. The Journal's authors also offer preliminary insights into the geological setting of the deposit, a critical first step in establishing whether this locality has broader commercial or scientific significance. China is not a country typically associated with significant emerald production, which makes the Zhen'an County find geologically notable even at limited quantities.

Three additional feature articles round out the issue's geographic sweep. A study on a new type of green opalised wood from the Garut region of West Java, Indonesia represents a rare intersection of palaeontology and gemology: organic material replaced over geological time by silica, preserving woody structure while adopting the play of colour associated with opal. Next, researchers document the first recorded occurrence of rose quartz from the Hamedan region of western Iran, a locality not previously associated with this pastel-pink variety of quartz. First-documented occurrences carry particular weight in gemmological literature because they expand the known distribution of a material and provide new reference points for provenance testing.

Perhaps the most visually arresting entry is 'Jaguar' quartz, a recently discovered gem material from the Mpwapwa District in Tanzania. The material, which takes the form of either rock crystal or rose quartz, is defined by its visually distinctive dark-coloured inclusions: a patterning that separates it immediately from other included quartz varieties and explains the feline name. The Journal publishes original research on all aspects of gemmology, and in addition to feature articles, sections such as Gem Notes inform readers about new instruments and publications. The Jaguar quartz find fits squarely within that Gem Notes tradition of flagging emerging materials before they fully enter the trade.

The Journal is currently published by Gem-A in collaboration with the Swiss Gemmological Institute and with support from American Gemological Laboratories. It is indexed in Clarivate Analytics' Science Citation Index Expanded and holds an impact factor of 1.1 according to the 2024 Journal Citation Reports.

Gem-A CEO Cath Hill framed the issue's importance in terms of professional responsibility: "The Journal of Gemmology demonstrates just how vital continuing professional development and learning is in our ever-evolving field." That sentiment carries particular weight when the field is actively adding new localities, new materials, and new names to its lexicon. The Journal's archive stretches back to 1947, with older issues free to read, while members enjoy access to the newest issues. A find like Jaguar quartz from Mpwapwa or emeralds from Shaanxi is precisely the kind of discovery that begins its journey into gemmological knowledge here, as a characterised, peer-reviewed entry rather than a rumour circulating at a gem fair.