Lotus Gemology
Lotus Gemology is a gemology laboratory located in Bangkok, Thailand that was founded in 2014 by Richard W. Hughes, Wimon Manorotkul, and their daughter, E. Billie Hughes.[1]
 | |
| Type | Gemological Laboratory |
|---|---|
| Industry | Gem Trade |
| Founded | June 1, 2014 in Bangkok, Thailand |
| Headquarters | Bangkok , Thailand |
Key people | Richard W. Hughes, Wimon Manorotkul, E. Billie Hughes |
| Website | lotusgemology |
In 2017, Lotus Gemology published Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide[2], a book that covers the corundum gem species.[3][4]
In 2019, Tongji University created an exhibit centering on Lotus Gemology's photography.[5] Van Cleef & Arpels' L’École, School of Jewelry Arts ran an exhibit in Hong Kong featuring photomicrographs from Lotus Gemology in 2020.[6]
Laboratory Services
Lotus Gemology issues reports on many types of gemstones with the exception of diamonds and pearls. All gems are tested for treatments of any kind.[7]
Laboratory Equipment
Lotus Gemology is equipped with gemological and research microscopes, photomicrography stations for both normal and ultraviolet photography, micro Raman spectroscopy and standard Raman analysis, UV-Vis-NIR and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) and Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for chemical analysis.
Education
Hyperion Inclusion Database[8] is a public, keyword-searchable database of inclusions in gemstones.[9][10][11]
Lotus Gemology also has created a reference search engine for gems and gemology. The majority of references relate to ruby, sapphire, spinel and jade.[12]
Memberships
The laboratory and/or its staff are members of the gem trade organizations Accredited Gemologists Association (AGA), the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A), Gemstone Industry & Laboratory Conference (GILC), the International Colored Stone Association (ICA) and the Thai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association.[13]
Select Bibliography
Books
- Inside Out • GEM•ology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses (2020), ISBN 978-0-9645097-3-3[14]
- Ruby & Sapphire • A Gemologist's Guide (2017), ISBN 978-0-9645097-1-9
- Ruby & Sapphire • A Collector's Guide (2014), ISBN 978-616-91450-3-5
- The Book of Ruby & Sapphire by J.F. Halford-Watkins (2012; from an unpublished manuscript from 1935; edited by Richard W. Hughes), ISBN 978-0-9645097-0-2
- Terra Spinel • Terra Firma by Vladyslav Y. Yavorskyy & Richard W. Hughes (2010), ISBN 978-0-615-40901-6
- Ruby & Sapphire (1997), ISBN 0-9645097-6-8
- Corundum (1990), ISBN 0-7506-1007-7
Papers
- Hughes, E.B. & Perkins, R. (2019) Madagascar sapphire: Low-temperature heat treatment experiments. Gems & Gemology, Vol. 55, No. 2, Summer, pp. 184–197.[7]
- Hughes, E.B., Koivula, J.I., Manorotkul, W., Renfro, N. and Hughes, R.W. (2019) Spinel inclusions: An exercise in aesthetics. InColor, No. 43, pp. 66–73.
- [various labs, including Lotus Gemology] (2019) Squeezing sapphire: Pressure-heated sapphire.
- Lotus Gemology (2015) Lotus Gemology lab alert for oiled gems. InColor. Spring, Issue 28, pp. 18–23.
- Hughes, R.W. and Emmett, J.L. (2004) Fluxed up: The fracture healing of ruby. The Guide, Vol. 23, Issue 5, Part 1, Sept.–Oct., pp. 1, 4–9. [won the Richard T. Liddicoat Journalism Award from the American Gem Society]
- Emmett, J.L., Scarratt, K., McClure, S.F., Moses, T., Douthit, T.R., Hughes, R., Novak, S., Shigley, J.E., Wuyi Wang, Bordelon, O., Kane, R.E. (2003) Beryllium diffusion of ruby and sapphire. Gems & Gemology, Vol. 39, No. 2, Summer, pp. 84–135.
- Hughes, R.W., Galibert, O., Bosshart, G., Ward, F., Thet Oo, Smith, M., Tay Thye Sun, Harlow, G.E. (2000) Burmese jade: The inscrutable gem. Gems & Gemology, Vol. 36, No. 1, Spring, pp. 2–26.[15]
References
- Ressigeac, Mariaveronica Favoroso (26 July 2018). "IGT Inspirational Interview Series: Conversation with Richard W. Hughes". igtthailand.com. Institute of Gem Trading. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- Hughes, Richard; Manorotkul, Wimon; Hughes, E. Billie (2017). Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide. Bangkok: RWH Publiishing/Lotus Publishing. p. 816. ISBN 978-0-9645097-1-9. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- Minieri, Paolo (26 October 2017). "Driving gemstone lovers to corundums. A twenty years tireless work for the most accurate survey on rubies and sapphires". rivistaitalianadigemmologia.com. Italian Gemological Review. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- Skalwold, Elise (Winter 2016–17). "Book Review • Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide" (PDF). InColor: 68–73. Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- Lawson, Lynda. "Lotus Gemology's Gem Exhibit "Inside Out"". sustainablegemstones.org. Gemstones and Sustainable Development Knowledge Hub, University of Delaware. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- Knott, Kylie (10 July 2020). "Precious gems go under the microscope in Hong Kong exhibition". scmp.com. South China Morning Post. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
- Hughes, E. Billie (2019). "Madagascar sapphire: Low-temperature heat treatment experiments". Gems & Gemology. 55 (2): 184–197. doi:10.5741/GEMS.55.2.184. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- "Hyperion • The Lotus Gemology Inclusion Search Engine". LotusGemology.com. Lotus Gemology. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
- Brecken, Bransrator. "This Database of Gemstone Inclusions Is Now Open to All". NationalJeweler.com. National Jeweler. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- Chabrol, Marie. "Hyperion – Inclusions Search Engine". LeGemmologue.com. Le Gemmologue. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- Simon, Dussart (28 January 2019). "A gem dealer´s journal: The Birth of Hyperion". AsiaLounges.com. Asia Lounges. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- "Four Treasures: The Lotus Gemology reference database". LotusGemology.com. Lotus Gemology Co. Ltd. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- "Memberships • Lotus Gemology". LotusGemology.com. Lotus Gemology. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
- Branstrator, Brecken. "Lab Takes 'Inside Out' View of Gemology with New Book". NationalJeweler.com. National Jeweler. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
- Hughes, Richard W. (2000). "Burmese jade: The inscrutable gem" (PDF). Gems & Gemology. 36 (1): 2–26. doi:10.5741/GEMS.36.1.2. Retrieved 7 November 2019.