GO 340 Gemstones & Gemology
Emporia State University, Emporia, Kansas USA 
www.emporia.edu/earthsci/amber/go340/wkspeak.htm Gem Syllabus: www.emporia.edu/earthsci/amber/go340/syllabus.htm.
GO 340 Gemstones & Gemology
May 1, 2008...
I know everyone is putting the finishing touches on the final webpage project and test. I am looking forward to reading both final assignments and watch for the webpages to be posted online at www.emporia.edu/earthsci/amber/go340/students/stupages.htm. Campus students have been stringing beads and bring your creations and ideas on Tuesday when we can finish up these projects and I will photograph and post your finished projects!
While there are many gemstone lectures to keep you busy until the end of the semester, there are a few online articles that may be of interest linked from the weekly tidbits below. The May birthstone is emerald and sales remain strong for this beautiful green gemstone.
Weekly Gem Tidbits. . .
April 21, 2008...
Note of concern! ... Several emailed assignments from students this semester never arrived in my inbox. If you do not receive a reply from me in 24 hours after sending email to me, send a follow-up note. Thanks!
We can see the end of the semester approaching! And, where did it go?!? I assume you are busy working on the webpage project and you need to contact me with your progress report. One thing for everyone to remember...be sure images are given a name with no more than 8 characters and are saved as a gif or jpg when possible. If this is not heeded, then it can be a problem when the page goes online. I will provide comments when you send a draft and give direction to help you succeed!
Thanks to all of you who are keeping up with assignments. I know it has been a busy semester for me, and a busy one for you as well. I hope you have been enjoying the many lectures on diamonds and colored stones. You can choose which lectures are of most interest to you and follow up with exploring the external links as well. You should have submitted all homework assignments through 8. Test 2/3 is in your emailbox as you are reading this! So concentrate on this and webpage progress for now. When you are working on your webpage, do not forget to visit Farlang as a primary resource... they have many great links at their History of Mining, Gemstones, Diamonds and Jewelry Library, www.farlang.com/gemstones-diamonds-books. Stay in touch and email me if you have any questions.
There are many diamond and colored stone lectures to keep you busy until the end of the semester and beyond. The importance that we place on gemstones is as both a treasure and commodity. Therefore, the weekly tidbits include some general gem sites to visit as well as a focus on the economic impact gems have on global economies and conflicts.
Weekly Gem Tidbits. . .
March 28, 2008...
Thanks to all participants and presenters for the March local demonstrations on gem cutting and fashioning from Jack Greer, silver casting and chain making from Ernie Herrick, and wire wrap jewelry creating by Ruby Herrick. We appreciate our local artists and are pleased they take their time to share their experiences and knowledge. I learn something new each time as well!
Your webpage topic should be in my email soon! And, the first draft of your webpage project is due April 9. I will send you comments and suggestions, so you are ready to submit a nearly complete draft by April 16. The html tutorial is still online for you to refer to and feel free to email me with questions if you are having any html code troubles. A great opportunity for you this week is that our campus meeting, April 1, will be spending some time on HTML and the webpage assignment. If you want some one-on-one attention regarding these topics, then drop into Science Hall Tuesday evening. All students are welcome! Email me, saber@emporia.edu, for details if you are an online student and can will be able to come to class.
Check out the online library resources for gemstones from Farlang Jewelry
I am returning graded homework assignments as I receive them, and test 2 will be sent to distance students once you have completed homeworks through 8. If you have not heard from me, you can assume that I do not have these required homework assignments. Please send or resend them to me immediately.
Weekly Gem Tidbits . . . March 17, 2008...
Welcome Spring Break and happy St. Patrick's Day to you!! I hope you will find time to catch up on things over this week with no formal class periods to attend... distance students, well business as usual since you do not attend the class anyway. I will be out of town and email range from the 18th-22nd, so do not rely on a timely reply from me if you try. I will be back online and in town ready for classes the next week.
Thanks to Jack Greer for the enlightening evening on cutting and faceting gems! He is a remarkable person and terrific lapidary. Our next campus class meeting, March 25, will be an evening with Ernie and Ruby, who will demonstrate lost wax casting, chain fabrication, and wire wrap jewelry design. Please arrive at Science Hall by 5:45 p.m. and we will drive together to the house by 6:00 p.m.
Our flowers are out of the ground and spring is coming soon! However, the spring break is here now and do not forget about the final webpage project. Visit www.emporia.edu/earthsci/amber/go340/webpage.htm and www.emporia.edu/earthsci/amber/go340/htm.htm to get the ball rolling and juggling! Distance and campus students should be working along on homework assignments, and I hope to have many to grade when I return. Read on for some interesting websites to visit.
Weekly Gem Tidbits . . . March 9, 2008...
Test 1 is history and mid-term grades are finished. Thanks for all the hard work, and I hope you are enjoying your course on gemstones and the profession! I had a terrific time at the KC Gem Show and for the campus students, I look forward to reading your reports. Thanks to all in attendance.
I will send out more homework assignments so you can work along at your own pace. Just a reminder... Our class meeting this week will be an evening with Jack Greer, who will demonstrate gem cutting and fashioning. Distance students are welcome but certainly not required to attend. For campus students, please arrive at Science Hall by 5:45 p.m. so we can reach his house by 6:00 p.m.
A great article worth reading is on the newest methods of designing jewelry using digital tools computer aided design (CAD) and machining (CAM) systems, which is at Colored Stone Magazine online, www.colored-stone.com/stories/mar07/cadcam.cfm. Send a summary to me by March 19 for 2 extra points on upcoming assignments!
Weekly Gem Tidbits . . .
March 2, 2008...
All tests received have been graded and returned. If you have not heard from me, please contact immediately about the status of your grade. It is time for distance students to move on to homework 5 and beyond! Homework assignments will be sent via email.
An opportunity for all interested students is the upcoming Kansas City Gem, Mineral, and Jewelry Show! Saturday, March 8, the class will travel to the 47th annual show at the MCC/BTC Exhibit Hall, 1775 Universal Ave., KC MO. Both campus and distance students are welcome to attend and please contact me if you are a distance student so we can make arrangements to meet you at the show. This will be a terrific opportunity to see a variety of gems and synthetics, as well as gem fashioning and jewelry making. You can read online about the show at http://www.showsofintegrity.com/ and kcgemshow.org.
An additional opportunity for all is a local demonstration coming March 11. Again distance students are welcome to join us in Emporia and please email me if you are coming so I can provide details (saber@emporia.edu).
Also, the time is now to think seriously about your webpage assignment. There is a tutorial online for you at www.emporia.edu/earthsci/amber/go340/htm.htm. Except for students who have already submitted webpages, please complete this tutorial and send me the finished webpage using the instructions as an attachment to email. You will receive 4 substitution points on the next test or homework assignment if this template webpage is in my inbox by March 16. Put go340 html in the subject line for an additional point! This step-by-step assignment simply uses raw html code and your text-only program on the computer, i.e., wordpad or notepad, found in accessories, to create this assignment. Whether or not you do your webpage in code or with the assistance of webpage software, you must do this tutorial. If you have not decided on a topic, visit Gemlinks for some ideas. I want to hear from you now if you have any questions or concerns about this project! Do not wait until it is too late.
Weekly Gem Tidbits . . . February 17, 2008...
Test One will be arriving in your mail box soon. The test is due one week later, approximately February 26.
The next portion of the course will be on testing equipment, working with metals, and fashioning gemstones. In March we will begin Emporia demonstrations by local artists and the Kansas City Gem and Mineral Show. Distance learning students are encouraged to attend any of these events although your grade does not depend upon attendance. I will post specifics in the upcoming weekly announcements.
It is never too early to begin thinking about your webpage assignment topic. Although the topic is not due until March 26, March is just around the corner! Maybe a topic will come to you by browsing the links in the Weekly Gem Tidbits. If you are interested in exploring and documenting inclusions in gems, then visit the Swiss Gübelin Gem Lab links below, especially http://www.gubelinlab.com/inclus1.asp. Also, you should visit Gem Briefs; these are gemstone descriptions created by previous students enrolled in the campus version of this course. All of the extra readings provide additional information over what is in the book, make you aware of stones you might not otherwise have noticed, and may spark your thoughts on a webpage topic that is right for you!
Weekly Gem Tidbits . . . February 14, 2008...
Wow, Tucson Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Shows were fantastic and you can gain an appreciation for my trip when you visit the website devoted to this continuing education opportunity for your instructor! Visit my newest webpages at www.emporia.edu/earthsci/amber/go340/tucson/tucson08.htm and the links from this page for a look at Earth from the airplane, Tucson and surroundings, as well as a taste of the offerings of gems, minerals, and fossils at this remarkable event! All links should be working soon!!
Congratulations to all of you for getting this semester off to a great start! After homeworks 1-4 for distance students and lab activities 1-4 for campus students are complete, test one will be a reality! I am pleased to get to know students in both classes, and I think the course is on task. However, although the distance learning section offers terrific flexibility in time, face-to-face contact is missing. As such, I may not realize if you are struggling to pick up a concept or have any questions or concerns...unless you let me know! So whether you are a campus or distance student, do not hesitate to email or call me with questions and comments.
As you already know, answers to questions on the homework assignments may be found in either the textbook or online lectures, which are an expansion on what is found in the textbook! Campus activities are numerous and lectures brief; so campus students need to supplement what they learn Tuesday evenings in class by reading online materials! Please keep the communication channels open, and I will provide feedback on your work in as timely a situation as possible. For all assignments, some questions are answered by a fact, while other questions are answered after considerable thought. The former are exercises in locating information, while the latter are exercises in thinking and synthesizing what you read! Please remember, if you are stuck or confused, then email or call and ask me for help. Enjoy the class and stay in touch!
Weekly Gem Tidbits . . . January 30, 2008...
Hold the email messages until Tuesday, February 5, as I will be attending the Tucson Gem Shows and email range! For distance students, keep reading along on lectures and working on homework assignments. For campus students, keep reading along on lectures and labs, and send the JCK assignments before noon on Tuesday.
Weekly Gem Tidbits . . .
Visit About webpages that include guides to:
January 28, 2008...
You should have homework 1 in hand, which covered readings from the first week. Homework 2 will arrive in your email soon and cover readings from the second week. Keep in touch if you have any concerns or questions. Remember when contacting me via email always type course information into the subject line (e.g., GO340 homework 2) Thanks!!
Weekly Gem Tidbits . . .
The mine, which was established in 1898, was recently sold by DeBeers (Bates, 1/2008, www.jckonline.com/article/CA6516121.html). According to Rob Bates (JCK, January, 2008) the mine was reported to be the largest kimberlite pipe in South Africa and produced many diamonds over 400 carats (p. 38). To learn more about the mine's most famous find visit:
January 21, 2008...
Welcome to the first full week of classes . . . so to speak! You should be through the readings listed for January 16th soon and I will be sending to you via email the first homework assignment, which is due on or before January 29th. After completing this homework, continue with the January 23rd readings. Whenever you email me, please include GO340 in the subject line. Thanks in advance!
Homework assignments are primarily based on readings in your textbook and lectures, but may contain questions that can be answered by the gem tidbits (shown below), as well as external links found in online lectures. Also, from time to time you may receive course assignments here such as...
Book Review Assignment!
Some books on diamond have been reviewed online (www.brysonburke.com/book_index.html) and again, any of these books may be choosen as long as your book review differs from the online review. One choice found on this webpage is available online and reveals the fascinating story of turning the mineral diamond into an gemstone icon and global economic powerhouse:
Epstein, E. J. 1982. The rise and fall of diamonds. NY: Simon and Schuster. Online WWW URL: edwardjayepstein.com/diamond/prologue.htm. Retrieved 1/21/08. Another strongly recommended author is Richard Wise and his book Secrets of the Gem Trade The Connoisseur's Guide To Precious Gemstones., which can be found in part at www.secretsofthegemtrade.com/. Whatever resource you choose, have fun with this assignment and make it count for your final course project as well!
Weekly Gem Tidbits . . .
January 14, 2008...
Welcome to Gemstones and Gemology! I look forward to seeing you this semester via email and in person when possible. The campus version of this class meets Tuesday evenings, and everyone -campus and distance student alike- is welcome to attend local and regional field trips. Obtain the textbook and begin readings shown in the syllabus on or before next week. Take the fun introductory quiz, gemquiz.htm, to test your knowledge and show what to expect during the semester.
If you are enrolled in this course for university credit, please email me, saber@emporia.edu, introduce yourself and give me your preferred email address. If your email address changes during the semester, notify me immediately. You can view the schedule for the semester at www.emporia.edu/earthsci/amber/go340/syllabus.htm
Check this page often during the semester for course announcements and additional lecture information. I am looking forward to getting to know you and hope you will enjoy the course!
Return to the syllabus.
This page originates from the Earth Science department for the use and benefit of students enrolled at Emporia State University. For more information contact the course instructor, S. W. Aber, e-mail: saber@emporia.edu Thanks for visiting! Webpage created: 1999; last update: May 1, 2008.
The 29th of January is the birth date of Friedrich Mohs (1773-1839), the developer of Mohs' Scale of Hardness. Mohs was an Austrian mineralogist who created a scale in 1824 with which to determine relative hardness of any mineral by comparisons with a series of ten common minerals. The scale goes from the lowest hardness of 1, talc, to the highest hardness of 10, diamond. See page 19 in your text book for more information on hardness and read a short biography of Friedrich Mohs on an external webpage sponsored by geology.about.com. This clearinghouse of the geoscience related articles and sites has other pages of interest shown below. If you send me which of the URLs mentions your teacher and in what capacity, you will receive a bonus point on the first test!
During this semester, I want you to read and review a book about gemstones and gemology! This book could be a reference for your final webpage project or just one that sounds interesting to you. Although the book is of your choice, I created a listing from the ESU campus library in 2003 and this is found at www.emporia.edu/earthsci/amber/go340/books.htm. Past student reviews can be found at www.emporia.edu/earthsci/amber/go340/bkreport.htm. While I encourage you to choose a book other than these four, you can review one of these same books as long as your review is original.