Gems & Gemology, the quarterly journal of the Gemological Institute of America, is now available in electronic format at gia.metapress.com.

G&G Online comprises all elements of the print version, plus the Book Reviews and Gemological Abstracts sections, which appear online-only starting with the Winter 2008 issue, released in January. Individual articles and sections are available for download as PDF files the same day the print issue mails.

Current print subscribers have the option to add online access to their subscriptions for a nominal additional fee. Online-only subscriptions are also available and are priced the same as U.S.-address print subscriptions. Feature articles as well as journal sections such as Lab Notes (news from the GIA Laboratory) and Gem News International can also be purchased individually.

“Electronic access is the standard for scientific publishing,” said G&G editor-in-chief Alice Keller. “We are very pleased to offer this additional means of delivering the journal’s content to our readers. We’re especially excited for our international subscribers, who will now be able to see the journal as soon as it’s released instead of having to wait weeks for the issue to arrive by mail.”

To enhance the availability of gemological research, some of G&G Online is open (free) access, particularly the Book Reviews, Gemological Abstracts, Editorials, and Letters sections. Currently, all these sections from Spring 1981 through Winter 2008 are freely available on the MetaPress site.

Many past articles are also open access. These include several landmark works from the GIA Laboratory, such as the Fall 2004 article on the development of GIA’s diamond cut grading system and the Winter 2007 update on Apollo CVD-grown synthetic diamonds. 
Finally, the recent fall 2008 issue, which features articles on the identification of synthetic diamond melee and several new synthetic gem materials, is open access and will remain so indefinitely to allow readers to check out the new online version.

The content of G&G Online goes through the same rigorous production process as the print version. However, because of the difficulties of controlling color appearance across different computer monitors, GIA cannot guarantee that accurate colors will be displayed in the electronic versions. Readers needing precise color representation should refer to the printed issues of the journal.

To check out G&G Online, visit gia.metapress.com and click on “Journal Issues” or the G&G cover. To purchase an online subscription, visit www.gia.edu/gemsandgemology or call toll-free (800) 421-7250, ext. 7142. Outside the U.S. and Canada, call (760) 603-4000, ext. 7142.

JCK