DECLARATION OF COPYRIGHT BL2

Reference Gem Image

Turquoise
AH

Turquoise BLC0973

Garnet top Doublet

BLF0111

Apatite
BLF0873

Tourmaline
BLF0330
 Zircon
BLF0018

Fluorite
NH

Minkovite Synthetic
AH GB241

Sapphire
BLF0060

Kyanite
BLF0673

Aquamarine
(ε ray)
BLF0528
Spinel
BLF1018

Tanzanite
BLF0355

Zircon
BLF0396

Diamond
Treated
JKH-S BLF

Tourmaline
BLF0341

Garnet
BLFcc0612
 Spinel
BLF1019

Spinel
BLF0613
 GREENISH BLUE GEMS
400nm Spectrum 700nm
 GEMLAB.UK SPECTRA DATABASE
Comparison Notes
TURQUOISE. Colour due to copper. The
diagnostic lines due to copper in the deep blue to violet region are difficult to detect and have eluded many
observers .Light reflected off the sub-surface provides insufficient absorption. Transmitted light through a
translucent edge, although, better is not always possible. This shallow cabochon did however transmit sufficient
light at the edge to show an absorption band centred at 425nm. with just a hint of transmission in the middle to
indicate two lines. (See BLC0973 below) The remainder of the spectrum transmits to about 530nm. before total
absorption take over.

TURQUOISE. Colour due to copper. The

very small shallow cabochon here was thin enough to pass sufficient light by direct transmission. This photograph
has been over exposed using a 150watt fibre optic lamp so that the viewer can easily resolve the two lines at
420nm.aAnd 432nm As a result, the remained of the spectrum transmits to about 560nm.

GARNET TOP DOUBLET. Colour due to glass pavilion. What may

appear as an aquamarine is a garnet top doublet. The RI from the table at 1.795 contrasting with glass pavilion at
1.64. As the garnet component is an extremely thin slice with the join just below the table. In this case the garnet is
too thin to produce any almandine lines in the continuous spectrum from the greenish blue glass pavilion.

APATITE. Colour due to colour centres and rare earths. The rare
earth neodymium is generally present to some extent in apatite. The spectrum can consist of groups of very fine
lines in the blue, green and yellow areas but the number and strength of these lines is not proportional to the depth
of colour in the gemstone. Here only the group of fines in the yellow is seen with a vague lie in the green.

TOURMALINE. Colour due to iron. This

pale greenish blue variety of tourmaline shows very weak absorption with a faint narrow iron band where the blue
merges to the green at 497nm. Broader bands are also seen in the green-yellow area centred at 560nm. and 580nm.
Transmission fades in the orange as absorption sets in beyond 620nm. Compare this to the darker greenish blue
stone below - BLF0341 and the deep blue variety BLF0516 in Excel file BL1
Zircon .Colour due to heat treatment This is an old
stone with worn facets and shows signs of reverting to the original brownish colour before heat treatment. The
diagnostic absorption line at 653nm; and a weaker one at 662nm; both lines being rather diffuse.

FLUORITE .Colour due to colour centres and rare earths. The

main feature in this large blue fluorite crystal from Pakistan is a broad area of absorption from 550nm. To 625nm. A
weak narrow line is present at 48nm; and I have detected three faint bands in the orange and red areas centred at
635nm. 650nm and 675nm. which are barely visible in this photograph. Transmission in the violet end cuts off about
440nm. and in the red at 690nm.

MINKOVITE - SYNTHETIC. Colour possibly due to chromium, neodymium may be present.

This Russian man made yttrium silicate in this pale greenish blue colour has a broad intense absorption from
550nm to 600nm. Several faint narrow bands are also present in the green and blue regions possibly due to rare
earth elements. Transmission ends abruptly below 440nm. and above 640nm. A darker violet- blue variety is known
to exhibit a sharp multi- line spectrum typical of neodymium.

SAPPHIRE. Colour due to iron In the

spectrum of this pale greenish blue sapphire a strong broad line at 450nm. combined with transmission in the
remainder of the spectrum up to 690nm. indicates colour is due to Fe3 rather than an Fe2-Ti4 transfer charge.
However the absence of prominent lines at 460nm. and 471nm. suggest the iron content is not high.

KYANITE. . Colour due to iron - titanium charge transfer. This

kyanite displays a relatively weaker absorption pattern compared to specimen BLF0860 shown in file BL1. Less
exposure is required in such a pale stone to enable the absorption in the green to be resolved and we now see a
weaker and narrower line at 540nm. Also the absorption in the green to yellow area is seen now as two faint bands
centred at 565nm. and 585nm. The lower exposure has made the deep blue area darker resulting in only two vague
bands to be seen about 435nm and 450nm.

AQUAMARINE. ((ε ray) Colour due to iron.

Most aquamarines are too pale with very little colour saturation to provide absorption lines which are easily seen.
The blue extraordinary should be observed by a polarising filter in order to detect the iron band at 427nm. with
sufficient transmission on the short wave side to make it obvious. A rather diffuse indication may also be seen of
the other iron band centred at 465nm.
SPINEL. Colour due to iron.
A slight green overtone in this light blue spinel is not unlike a sapphire but the single band in the blue is further
to the long wave side at 460nm. as against 450nm in sapphire. Two other broad diffuse band can be seen centred at
560nm. and 585nm. then total absorption beyond 650nm.- Compare to Spinel BLF1019 below.

TANZANITE. Colour due to vanadium.

An untreated tanzanite here retains it's trichroism with a greenish overtone in the body colour. A moderate
absorption is seen from 540nm. to 590nm. with no transmission below 440nm. nor above 680nm. A weak narrow
absorption line can be seen at 440nm.

Zircon .Colour due to heat treatment

The main feature is the diagnostic fine line at 653nm. In the red. Other faint bands appear in the blue and yellow but
are too weak to be of any significance.

DIAMOND. Colour due to artificial irradiation and annealing.

Although mounted this blue diamond provide a spectrum in which some the absorption bands can be
detected. The main feature is a strong absorption centred at 595nm. A faint narrow band is seen at 637nm.in the
orange and a very weak narrow band at 503nm. in the blue -green area. Very little transmission is seen below
560nm. or above 670nm.

TOURMALINE. Colour due to iron. In

green and blue tourmaline the first thing we generally notice is the poor transmission in the orange and red and in
this unpolarised spectrum there is nothing beyond 605nm. Often absorption in the ordinary ray is too strong and no
transmission is seen beyond about 570nm.Other bands contributing to the colour of this tourmaline are a narrow
one seen at 497nm. and two other wider diffuse bands centred at 560nm. and 585nm.

GARNET . Colour mainly due to vanadium and chromium.

This garnet from Sri- Lanka is part of the pyrope- spessartine series with an RI of 1.77. The absorption band
centred at 570nm; due to vanadium and chromium, is responsible for a colour change to purplish red in tungsten
light. The narrower bands at 463nm. and 489nm. are due to Fe2+ and Mn. respectively.
SPINEL. Colour mainly due to iron.
This spinel similar to BLF1018 above illustrates how absorption is stronger as the colour becomes
deeper and more saturated. The spectrum pattern is similar but here all the bands are now broader and darker
especially the iron band at 460nm. Note there is very little transmission beyond 630nm. compared to spinel BLF0613
below.

SPINEL. Colour due to iron and cobalt.

A very dark greenish blue spinel surprisingly provides a spectrum in which as well as a strong iron
band at 460nm. also shows three cobalt bands in the green yellow and orange areas. Very little transmission is seen
from 540nm. to 610nm. but note the two very narrow windows at 555nm. and 585nm. Even with the strong iron band
this stone appears a dull red through a Chelsea filter in tungsten light due to the extent of transmission in the red
beyond 640nm. up to 690nm.
 © John Harris Gemlab UK
700nm Spectrum 400nm