Barone G. 1*, Bersani D.2, Lottici P.P.2, Mazzoleni P.

1,
Raneri S.1

COLORED GEMS: A REVIEW ON NON DESTRUCTIVE

AND NON INVASIVE APPROACHES IN ART AND
GEMMOLOGY
The possibility to incorporate high technology instruments into the world of
gemstone testing requires constant researches finalized to inspect several
challenges as efficiency and performance of various methods, development of
comprehensive appropriate databases and establishment of analytical protocols.

1 - Department of Biological, Geological and Environment

Sciences, University of Catania, Italy. *gbarone@unict.it
2 - Physics and Earth Science Department, University of
Parma, Italy

GEMS
IDENTIFICATION

1) Gemmological aims
2) Scientific aims

identify mineral species;

characterize treatments;
define genesis and
provenance

3) Commercial aims

TO ACHIEVE THIS PURPOSE, ONLY NON-DESTRUCTIVE &

MICRO-DESTRUCTIVE ANALYSES CAN BE PERFORMED.
Portable Raman equipments for easy and fast certification procedures ocoupled
with standard micro-Raman equipment to support provenance studies;
13
Combined use of complementary techniques (X-ray fluorescence, C solid state
nuclear magnetic resonance, etc.).

. . . REWIEWING SOME APPLICATIONS . . .

PORTABLE RAMAN APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES OF PRECIOUS AND FASHIONABLE FACETED LOOSE GEMS
AVAILABLE IN THE GEM MARKET COUPLED WITH STANDARD MICRO-RAMAN EQUIPMENT TO SUPPORT PROVENANCE STUDIES .
RED GEMS
Rubies versus simulant

GREEN GEMS
Natural emeralds versus
synthetic genesis

Treatments in red corundum

Assembled gems: doublet

Not-allowed treatments: glass filling

and heating treatments

Cr photoluminescence
natural verus simulant

baddeleyte
zircon

Raman Intensity

LOOSE GEMS

Allowed treatments: almond oil filler

Cr photoluminescence origin

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Wavenumber cm

1400

1600

1800

2000

-1

Raman Intensity

glass inclusion

Cr photoluminensce in glass simulant

400

800

1200

1600

Wavenumber cm

2000

Cr photoluminensce in natural emerald

-1

Bersani et al., Characterization of emeralds by micro-Raman spectroscopy. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 2014, 45,
12931300.

G. Barone et al., Red gemstone characterization by micro-Raman spectroscopy: the case of rubies and their imitations,
Journal Raman Spectroscopy, 2016, DOI 101002jrs4919

COMBINED

USE OF COMPLEMENTARY TECHNIQUES: RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY COUPLED WITH PORTABLE

13
C NMR
FLUORESCENCE (e.g.: IDENTIFICATION OF CHROMOPHORES IN COLORED INORGANIC GEMS) AND
CHARACTERIZATION OF FOSSIL RESINS IN TERMS OF CHEMICAL FINGERPRINT AND MATURATION DEGREE).

BLUE GEMS

ORGANIC GEMS: AMBERS

Portable XRF: chromophore in

blue gems

Fe content in

Chemical features of

natural corundum

natural blue gems

Si

12000

Si

10000

8000

Fe

NATURAL SAPPIRE
IOLITE

6000

V Cr

Ca

micro-Raman characteristic spectra;

maturiy degree (relative

intensity of di- and trisubstituted alkene and
exomethyelene)

information on maturity degree based on

-1
I(1650/1450 cm ) ratio
A) Dominican
A)

Fe
SINGLE BONDED CARBON

(Rd)

Al

?
NMR chemical fingerprint;

B)

Ni

Mn

Raman Intensity

LOOSE GEMS

Sapphire identification:
portable versus microRaman

X-RAY
(e.g.:

The Principal Component

Analysis (PCA) of the spectral
data allow differentiating the
provenance of ambers.

4000

2000

Fe: 351.642
16.898 ppm

Ti

DOUBLE
BONDED CARBON

0
1

600

800

1000

1200

1400

Wavenumber/cm

B) Baltic

CARBONYL- CARBOXYL
GROUPS

Cromophore in glass

C)

A)

Ni

1600

1800

-1

Simetite
Dominican

B)

Baltic

simulant
Co: 242 ppm

C)
Barone et al., A portable vs. micro-Raman equipment
comparison for gemmological purposes: the case of
sapphires and their imitations. Journal of Raman
Spectroscopy, 2014, 45, 1309-1317.

Fe: 367 18 ppm

200

DARKER THE GEM,

HIGHER THE Fe
CONTENT

Cu: 14.299
1.788 ppm

180

160

140

120

100

80

60

40

20

C) Simetite

ppm

Barone et al., 13Csolid State NMR and -Raman Spectroscopic Characterization of Sicilian Amber, Applied Spectroscopy, 2016,
DOI: 10.1177/0003702816654087

CLASSIFICATION OF PRECIOUS AND SEMI-PRECIOUS GEMOLOGICAL MATERIALS BY USING PORTABLE RAMAN INSTRUMENTS
ON JEWEL COLLECTIONS PRESERVED IN SICILIAN REGIONAL MUSEUM
P. ORSI REGIONAL MUSEUM - SIRACUSA

803

1160

465

MISCLASSIFICATIONS

685

465
504

glass believed to be an amethyst

quartz believed to be an emerald

1050

860

emerald
641

558

918

1070

quartz+moganite

Raman intensity

465
504

365
360

Barone et al.,
Nondestructive
investigation on
the 17-18th
centuries Sicilian
jewelry collection
at the Messina
regional
museum using
mobile Raman
equipment,
Journal Raman
Spectroscopy,
2014,
DOI: 10.1002/jrs.

NATURAL GEMS

NATURAL GEMS AND SIMULANTS

209

NATURAL VALUABLE GEMS

Raman intensity

JEWELS
IN MUSEUMS

MESSINA REGIONAL MUSEUM

garnet
200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Wavenumber (cm) -1

1400

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400
-1

Wavenumber (cm )

1600

1800

2000

glass believed to be a garnet

Barone et al.,
Raman
investigation
on precious
jewelry
collections
preserved in
Paolo Orsi
Regional
Museum
(Siracusa,
Sicily) by
using portable
equipment.
Applied
Spectroscopy,