The Sinkankas Symposium

Twelfth Annual Sinkankas Symposium
Peridot & Uncommon Green Gem Minerals

Eleventh Annual Sinkankas Symposium
Ruby, Revised Edition

Tenth Annual Sinkankas Symposium
Topaz
Available here

Ninth Annual Sinkankas Symposium
Diamond, Volumes 1 and 2
Available Here

The Birthday Book of Diamonds
by Harold and Erica Van Pelt
Available Here

Eighth Annual Sinkankas Symposium
Gem Feldspars
Available Here


Shipping costs vary.
USPS postage to Canada costs USD 19.00
most European destinations cost USD 24.50

 

Thirteenth Annual Sinkankas Symposium –
Opal  (see detail »)

Edited by Stuart Overlin
Photographs by Robert Weldon, Mia Dixon, Jurgen Schutz

 

Table of Contents

Program   2

Dedication andAcknowledgments   3

Speaker and Author Biographies   4

Program abstracts   8

Eloise Gaillou – An Overview of Gem Opals:
   From the Geology to Color and Microstructure   10

Raquel Alonso-Perez, Jason Tresback, and Theresa Smith –
   Opals, History and Science of the Harvard University Collection   20

Bill Larson, A Collector's Perspective   34

Renee Newman, Matrix Opal   40

Renee Newman, Not-So-Common Common Opal   48

Helen Serras-Herman, Exotic Common Opals   58

Robert Weldon, Opal Photography   80

Nathan Renfro, The Microworld of Opal   88

Si and Ann Frazier, Opal: Lores, Lies and Misperceptions   92

Si and Ann Frazier, Frazier Opal Library   98

James E. Shigley, Articles on Opal Localities   104

Opals from the Collection of William F. Larson  106

 

Cost: USD 35.00 + S/H + sales tax (where applicable)
   (shipping cost varies based on destination)

Specifications: 8.25" x 10.75"; soft cover, perfect binding
   120 pp., more than 150 B&W and color plates.

Designer: Faizah Bhatti

Production Coordinator: Juan Zanahuria

Publisher: Pala International Inc.

Publication date: April 18, 2015

Available from: Roger Merk

 

Twelfth Annual Sinkankas Symposium –
Peridot and Uncommon Green Gem Minerals  (see detail »)

Edited by Lisbet Thoresen
Photographs by Mia Dixon, Jeffrey A. Scovil, Harold and Erica Van Pelt

 

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments   2

Program   3

Program Abstracts   5

Speaker and Author Biographies   8

Papers –

Dr. William "Skip" Simmons, Mineralogy and crystallography
     of olivine   12

Dr. James A. Harrell, Discovery of the Red Sea source of
     Topazos (ancient gem peridot) on Zabargad Island,
     Egypt   16

Lisbet Thoresen and James A. Harrell, Archaeogemology
    of peridot   31

François Farges, The gem peridots of the Muséum national
     d'Histoire naturelle, Paris: An historical overview  52

Map: Worldwide peridot localities   66

Dr. James E. Shigley, Geology of olivine and peridot
     localities  68

Si Frazier and Ann Frazier, Going to the source:
     Kashmir peridot  72

Pir Dost, Peridot from Supat, the land of mountains  80

George Harlow and Kyaw Thu, Peridot from Pyaung-gaung,
    Mogok Tract, Myanmar: Similarities to Sapat
     and Zabargad deposits  82

Robert E. Kane, The making of a suite of peridot jewelry  96

Si Frazier and Ann Frazier, Out of this world gems  111

Dr. James E. Shigley, Selected bibliography: Olivine   120

Green with envy: Peridots and green minerals from
     the collection of William F. Larson  128

 

Cost: USD 35.00 + S/H + sales tax (where applicable)
     (shipping cost varies based on destination)

Specifications: 8.25" x 10.75"; soft cover, perfect binding
     147 pp., 172 color photographs, maps and illustrations.

Publisher: Pala International Inc.

Publication date: April 5, 2014

Available online from: www.shastaprint.com (US only)
or from: Symposium Info (intl)

 

Eleventh Annual Sinkankas Symposium – Ruby
Revised Edition  (see detail »)

Edited by Lisbet Thoresen
Photographs by Harold and Erica Van Pelt
Mia Dixon, E. Billie Hughes, Richard W. Hughes and Jeffrey Scovil

 

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments   3

Speaker and Author Biographies   4

Program Abstracts   9

Papers –

Dr. James E. Shigley, Ruby geology and localities   12

Map: Worldwide Ruby Localities   16

Shane McClure, Ruby Treatments   18

W. G. Fitz-Gerald, City built on rubies   24

Richard Hughes, Pigeon's blood:
     A pilgrimage to Mogok – Valley of rubies   32

Elise A. Skalwold, Dr. Allen M. Bassett and the Ruby Mines
     of Nepal: A historical overview   42

Gary W. Bowersox, The rubies of Afghanistan and Tajikistan:
     An update   49

Dr. James E. Shigley, Selected bibliography: Ruby   66

Richard Hughes, A collector's guide to the literature
     on rubies and sapphires   72

Lisbet Thoresen, Gamini Ratnavira and Eberhard Equit:
     Extending the legacy of the art and science
     of mineral illustration   104

Robert Weldon, The Conundrum, a poem   111

Rubies from the Collection of William F. Larson   112

 

Cost: USD 35.00 + S/H + sales tax (where applicable)
     (shipping cost varies based on destination)

Specifications: 8.25" x 10.75"; soft cover, perfect binding
     127 pp., 205 color photographs, maps and illustrations.

Publisher: Pala International Inc.

Publication date: February 7, 2014

Available online from: www.shastaprint.com (US only)
or from: Symposium Info (intl)

 

Tenth Annual Sinkankas Symposium – Topaz  (see detail »)

Original papers prepared for the Tenth Annual Sinkankas Symposium on Topaz

Edited by Roger Merk
Photographs by Jeff Scovil, Robert Weldon, John Koivula and Mia Dixon

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments  4

Speaker and Author Biographies  5

Papers –

Dr. D.B. Hoover, The Historical Transmutation of Topaz 11

Dr. Skip Simmons, Topaz Mineralogy 21

Dr. James A. Shigley, Topaz Geology and Localities 31

John Sinkankas, TOPAZ From Gemstones of North America 41

John Koivula, The MicroWorld of Topaz 55

Si and Ann Frazier, Topaz Words and Their Surrogates 63

Availability: April 21, 2012

Cost: USD $20.00 + shipping (varies according to shipping options and destination)

Please use the form below to request a publication. Do not include credit card or sensitive personal information in your message; you will be contacted to discuss shipping options and process an order.  Please be sure to include first and last name and a valid email address, phone number.

 

Ninth Annual Sinkankas Symposium – Diamond, 2 Volumes  (see detail »)

Original papers prepared for the Ninth Annual Sinkankas Symposium on Diamond

Photographs by Harold and Erica Van Pelt, Robert Weldon, John Koivula and Mia Dixon

Table of Contents – Volume 1

Acknowledgements  iv

Speaker and Author Biographies  v

Articles –

Al Gilbertson and Scott Sucher, The Evolution of Diamond Cutting  1

Dr. Skip Simmons, The Crystal Structure and Mineralogy of Diamond  19

Dr. James E. Shigley, Geology of Diamond Deposits  25

John Koivula, The Microworld of Diamond: Minerals and Clouds from the Earth's Mantle  33

Dr. Mike Breeding, Diamond Treatments and How Treatment Affects Color in Diamond  49

Dr. Sally Eaton-Magaña, Synthetic Diamond Production  59

Jo Ellen Cole, Fancy Cut Diamonds – Evolution and Valuation  65

 

Table of Contents – Volume 2

Acknowledgments  iv

Speaker and Author Biographies  v

Articles –

Si and Ann Frazier, Quartz as Diamond  1

Meg Berry, Diamonds are a Drill's Best Friend: or the Secret Life of Bort  19

Dr. James A. Shigley (compiled by), Articles on Diamond Geology and Diamond Deposits (2000–2010)  27

Cost: unit price + shipping (varies according to shipping options and destination)
     Volume 1 only – USD 22.00 + shipping
     Volume 2 only – USD 8.00 + shipping
     Volumes 1 and 2 (set) – USD 25.00 + shipping (value pricing)

Specifications Volume 1: 8.5" x 11"; soft cover, 71p., 79 col. pl., 1 col. map, 1 B&W pl., 16 diag.

Specifications Volume 2: 8.5" x 11"; soft cover, 37p. B&W

Please use the form below to request a publication. Do not include credit card or sensitive personal information in your message; you will be contacted to discuss shipping options and process an order.  Please be sure to include first and last name and a valid email address, phone number.

 

The Birthday Book of Diamonds by Harold and Erica Van Pelt  (see detail »)

Keep track of birthdays, anniversaries and other important dates, year-in and year-out, with this perpetual calendar illustrated with the stunning photographs made by internationally-renowned photographers Harold and Erica Van Pelt.  This handsome birthday book is sumptuously illustrated with 57 full-page color photographs and features diamonds and fine jewelry from some of the world's top museums and jewelers. Foreword by Richard T. Liddicoat.

Cost: USD 15.00 + shipping (varies according to shipping options and destination)

Specifications: 8.75" x 6.25" x 0.75"; padded hard cover, color

112 pages, 57 full-page color plates, 365-day calendar

ISBN 0-9616485-2-X

Please use the form below to request a copy. Do not include credit card or sensitive personal information in your message; you will be contacted to discuss shipping options and process an order.  Please be sure to include first and last name and a valid email address, phone number.

 

Eighth Annual Sinkankas Symposium – Gem Feldspars  (see detail »)

Original papers prepared for the Sinkankas Symposium on Gem Feldspars

Photographs by Robert Weldon, John Koivula and Mia Dixon

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments  iv

Speaker and Author Biographies  v

Articles –

Si and Ann Frazier, The Feldspar Family–The Jones Family of Minerals: Even more fecund than the Quartz Family  1

Jo Ellen Cole, Pricing Gem Quality Feldspar  5

Si and Ann Frazier, Spectacular Spectrolite  7

Dr. Skip Simmons, Karen Webber and A. U. Falster, Gem Feldspars from South Betroka, Madagascar  15

Shou-Lin Lee, In Search of Sun, Moon and Rainbow–A Lapidary's Notes on Cutting Feldspar  17

Si and Ann Frazier,The Gem Feldspars: A Colorful Ménage á Trois  25

Photo Gallery of Feldspars 35

John Koivula, The Microworld of Gem Feldspars  54

Lisbet Thoresen and Dr. James A. Harrell, Archaeogemology of Amazonite  58

John Sinkankas, Feldspar Group (reprinted from Gemstones of North America)  63

Cost: USD 25.00 + shipping (varies according to shipping options and destination)

Specifications: 8/5" x 11"; soft cover, 74p., 70 col. pl., 1 col. map, 2 diag.

Please use the form below to request a publication. Do not include credit card or sensitive personal information in your message; you will be contacted to discuss shipping options and process an order.  Please be sure to include first and last name and a valid email address, phone number.

 

 

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