The company had a solid second quarter, with sales of non-charm jewelry outpacing sales of pieces in its core collections.
Lab Takes ‘Inside Out’ View of Gemology with New Book
Lotus Gemology takes a “humanistic approach,” interweaving photos of locations, people and cultures with microscopic details of colored stones.

Bangkok—It can be so easy to look at a gem or piece of jewelry and forget how many people were involved in bringing it to market.
Now, one Bangkok lab is releasing a book to remind the world of the human aspect behind colored gemstones.
Richard W. Hughes, Wimon Manorotkul and Billie Hughes of Bangkok lab Lotus Gemology have penned “Inside Out – Gemology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses” to offer another perspective on gemology.
Founded in 2014, Lotus Gemology specializes in the identification and characterization of colored gemstones. The team has authored or co-authored more than 200 papers and 10 books on various aspects of gemology.
“Inside Out” is their platform for sharing the “humanistic gemology” they see through their work, doing so through stunning imagery.
“Rather than the misery that fills our newspapers, we meet people who, despite their sometimes meager wealth, never fail to offer us graciousness and hospitality,” Billie Hughes writes in one of the book’s introductions. “As you look at the faces in this book, we hope you will sense not just the human struggle, but also optimism. Beneath the outside, there is an inside core of hope.”
Richard Hughes and Manorotkul add in theirs: “This volume of images bears not just testimony to the diversity of our world, but also to a hidden realm within the gemstones we seek.”
The 152-page book is a microcosm of the gemstone world, providing photographs of the humans and landscapes involved and interweaving them with the minute details of gemstones all the way down to the inclusions.
For example, a 2013 photo of a sapphire miner in Thailand is followed by a photomicrograph of rutile silk in a Burmese ruby.
Later, a photo of a sapphire miner taken in 2010 in Madagascar comes just after a shot of a Burmese spinel octahedra.
“Inside Out” features bilingual text in English and Simplified Chinese.
Lotus Gemology is now accepting pre-orders; books will begin shipping from Bangkok in October.
The standard edition is priced at $100 plus shipping and handling.
The lab also offered a special limited edition of 50 copies, signed by the three authors, numbered and featuring a slipcase. Those were priced at $200 plus shipping and handling but have already sold out.
The Latest

Taylor Swift dons the vibrant pair in new promotional imagery for her upcoming album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” set to release in October.

Its investment in micromechanics expert Inhotec will preserve skills essential to the watchmaking industry as a whole, said the company.

As a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.

Nicolette Bianchi joins the wholesale provider with more than 15 years of cross-industry experience in marketing and product development.


Her new “Ocean” collection was inspired by Myanmar’s traditional articulated fish jewelry, with depictions of flounder, catfish, and more.

Longtime Casio executive Yusuke Suzuki is the new president and CEO of Casio’s U.S. subsidiary.

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

Model Georgina Rodríguez received a rock of an engagement ring, with her diamond estimated to be 35 carats, experts say.

Three winners will receive a custom ring from Honest Hands Ring Co. inlaid with a piece of history from Denver-based distillery Stranahan’s.

JD Sports and Wawa were among the fastest-growing retail companies in the U.S. last year.

The new inventory, all untreated, features vibrant hues and unique bicolor combinations.

Acquired by a tech investor, the historic brand will continue to focus on jewelry, accessories, and timepieces.

President Donald Trump issued an executive order extending the pause on higher tariffs to November as negotiations with China continue.

The “Thunderbird Slab” collection features a thunderbird motif as a symbol of power, protection, and boundless possibility.

Columnists Jen Cullen Williams and Duvall O’Steen share tips on how to elevate your professional image.

Peter Damian Arguello, a jeweler in the Denver suburb of Wheat Ridge, was found dead inside his store in November 2023.

The retailer, owned by Berkshire Hathaway, is becoming part of the Berkshire Hathaway Jewelry Group with Helzberg.

The Continental Buying Group’s 2025 Tampa Experience Show is slated for Sept. 8-10.

Associate Editor Lauren McLemore recently attended a fabrics trade show where a trend forecaster shared her predictions for summer 2027.

The company raised its full-year sales guidance while noting it has not yet assessed the potential impact of the latest tariff news.

The organization has raised more than $1.3 million for charity since its inception.

The brand’s latest iteration of a bezel-set diamond bangle features clean lines and a timeless design for a new modern silhouette.

The first watch in the series commemorates his participation in the Civil Rights movement, marching from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.

The catalog contains a complete listing of all the loose gemstones in stock, as well as information about the properties of each stone.

The company added a retailer dashboard to its site and three new birds to its charm collection, the cardinal, blue jay, and hummingbird.

An additional 25 percent tariff has been added to the previously announced 25 percent.