In this issue, you will see the current situation of the pearl market in 2021 in detail and the challenge faced by the gemologists in the laboratories. Anyone who cares about the development of pearl is strongly recommended to read this article!

Besides, Mengdi Yang and Moqing Lin give the readers a comprehensive introduction of Tahitian pearls’ colors and a combined technique used to determine the color origin of Tahitian pearls with different bodycolors and overtones.

Purple freshwater cultured pearls are sought-after by consumers due to their unique color. The third article discussed the indications of color treatment of dyed purple color freshwater pearls and the comparison of natural and dyed purple color freshwater pearls. As the pearl popularities run in the trade, it is urgent to disclose the treatment applied to the pearls fully.

The Lab Updates part will provide you firsthand knowledge on treatment, imitation, and rare stones in the Lab, giving you a clear idea of what is really going on in the current market, including but not limited to exploring the unique color origin of the bicolor conch pearl, the systematic introduction of mabe pearl and non-nacreous natural pearls.

Finally, the Gem News column provides you the latest and detailed information on the gem and jewelry industry. In this issue, author Xinya Wang presents us the history of pearl development and the technique in identifying pearls in antique jewelry