Published on the Italian Gemological Review, issue N°5, Sep 2018
There are two vibrational spectroscopy techniques successfully used since years in gemology: the Raman and the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). It is not by chance they are considered complementary “sisters” techniques and, therefore, both necessary in the modern gemological laboratory. If Raman spectroscopy, which we have discussed in the issue N ° 3 of the magazine, is distinguished by its effectiveness in identification of gems featuring well-defined crystalline structures and is, unfortunately, less suitable for analysis on amorphous and organic materials, FTIR, on the other hand, provides more precise information about the latter and it is also an irreplaceable tool in the analysis of diamonds.