{"id":22703,"date":"2026-03-17T12:51:48","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T11:51:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.geowiss.uni-mainz.de\/institut-fuer-geowissenschaften\/geomaterial-und-edelsteinforschung\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T13:50:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T11:50:20","slug":"geomaterial-und-edelsteinforschung","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.geowiss.uni-mainz.de\/en\/institut-fuer-geowissenschaften\/geomaterial-und-edelsteinforschung\/","title":{"rendered":"Geomaterial and Gemstone Research"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n<\/jgu-base-anchornavigation>\n \n<\/jgu-base-teaserbox><\/jgu-base-heading>\n\n
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The Geomaterial and Gemstone Research department focuses on the organic (e.g., pearls, amber, and corals) and inorganic variants (e.g., minerals, imitations, and syntheses) of these exceptional crystalline and amorphous materials. It is one of the oldest work groups (since 1955) of the Institute of Geosciences, unique in Germany, and has a university branch in Idar-Oberstein, the \u201cInstitute of Gemstone Research, Idar-Oberstein.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One main research area is the formation of gemstones, from sustainable small-scale mining to the marketing of this special form of minerals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another research unit focuses on the manipulation of gemstone color and purity to gain a fundamental understanding of the interactions of trace elements in geogenic and laboratory-based crystal structures (topologies).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An interdisciplinary main research area places gemstones in their historical and archaeological context, for example, to reconstruct trade routes of gemstones and illuminate cultural implications.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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