12-10-2021
Sebastian Schmidt, Germany, has received the Dr Eduard Gübelin Research Scholarship 2021 for his research on oxygen isotopes in gem corundum.
The winning project “New oxygen isotope reference materials for gem corundum with an application to detrital sapphire from the Eifel, Germany” examines the development of reference materials for measuring oxygen isotopes in gem corundum.
“The composition of oxygen isotopes is a key geochemical indicator. SIMS (secondary ion mass spectrometry) analyses are indispensable for understanding the intra-crystalline zonation of the samples and reliably determining their origins. But the well-characterised research materials necessary to ensure the comparability and precision of the isotope analyses are currently lacking. The project is being promoted in order to help fill this gap,” said the House of Gübelin.
To allow the global research community to access the research results, the samples analysed in the course of the project will be shared with SIMS laboratories all over the globe.
Sebastian Schmidt currently works for the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Heidelberg, Germany.
The Dr. Eduard Gübelin Research Scholarship is a grant awarded annually by the Dr. Eduard Gübelin Association for Research & Identification of Precious Stones, a non-profit entity of the House of Gübelin, to an innovative research project in gemmology, geology, materials sciences or other related fields of research in the natural sciences. (Photo courtesy: Gübelin)
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