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62 Year Old Wins Gemology Award!
Knowledge is a wonderful thing and something no one can take away from you.
Rapaport News reports that Gayle Webb, a gemologist working in the Geosciences Unit at the Australian Museum of Natural History in Sydney, has become the first woman in Australia to be awarded a research diploma in gemology by the Gemmological Association of Australia (GAA.)
The diploma is one of the highest accolades given by the GAA recognizing outstanding, original research in which the applicant must provide a thesis that forms a distinct and original contribution to gemology. Only five diplomas have been awarded since the GAA was founded in 1945.
Webb’s thesis is entitled Ruby Suites from New South Wales; their chemistry, color, and origin, was a comprehensive study of ruby suites from seven alluvial gem localities in New South Wales, Australia.
Rubies are the red variety of the aluminum oxide mineral, corundum. Particular localities in New South Wales produce a range of pink, red, and purple corundum in addition to the more common blue, yellow, and green sapphires.
The study was based upon trace element analyses of a range of pink to red corundum samples from each locality. The analyses were done on the PIXE (Particle Induced X-ray Emission) probe at the Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organisation (ANSTO,) Lucas Heights.
The PIXE technique needs no sample preparation and is non-destructive. It works by directing an ion beam to the surface of the sample. The changed particles destabilize electrons in their path, causing them to give off x-rays. Energies of these x-rays are characteristic of an element, thereby enabling trace elements to be identified and also quantified.
Elements with atomic weights between those of aluminum and uranium can be analyzed by this method. “This technique was useful for my samples because the chromophores of corundum lie within this range,” explained Webb.
The analyses gave trace element concentrations for each individual grain, providing valuable insight into causes of color. The stones were further studied for their gemological properties and inclusions.
Webb's field work was primarily set in and around New South Wales where she collected and worked on gem concentrations.
GAA's chairman Bill Sechos said, "Webb's thesis is the first in-depth gemological study of Australian ruby occurrence and provides a welcome addition to information on Australian gemstones, especially the rare ruby of Australian origin."
So far, Webb has completed a fellowship with the GAA, earned diplomas for diamond technology and for research in gemology. She also holds a bachelor's degree and post-graduate diploma in museum studies.
Congratulations, Gayle!
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