GIA Acquires Collection of 2,665 Gems with Unusual Inclusions

(IDEX Online) - The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has acquired a vast collection of 2,665 gems, minerals and crystals containing unusual inclusions, assembled over six decades by renowned microscopist John Koivula.

The collection includes specimens containing foreign minerals, trapped fluids and distinctive internal structures that offer insights into how gemstones form and develop.

GIA said it will use the material for education, gemological research, gem identification and origin services, as well as expanding its reference collection.

Examples include tourmaline containing a fan-shaped arrangement of mica and quartz with fluorescent petroleum fluid trapped inside. Another specimen contains a methane bubble, solid hydrocarbons and water within a negative crystal.

The collection has been cataloged in a custom database. Selected specimens are due to be exhibited at the AGTA GemFair and the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in February 2027.

Koivula joined GIA in 1976 and has spent much of his career documenting the internal features of gemstones through photomicrography. His work helped establish fiber-optic illumination as a standard technique in gemological laboratories.

GIA is also preparing a large-format book of photomicrographs of specimens from the collection, with Koivula and colleagues involved in its production.

Terri Ottaway, curator of the GIA Museum, in Carlsbad, California, USA, described the collection as a one-of-a-kind assemblage, saying many of its specimens could not be replaced today.

Cathryn Ramirez, GIA's senior vice president and chief learning officer, said it would benefit generations of students, gemologists and scientists.

Pic of John Koivula, courtesy GIA.