Pearls of the World in Focus By GIA In Singapore

by Robyn Hawk on June 14, 2013

Pearls of the World in Focus
GIA at the Singapore International Jewelry Expo, July 4-7
Image © GIA
Pearls and their beauty have captivated people worldwide since ancient times and have been a research focus at GIA (Gemological Institute of America) for more than 80 years. As part of the Institute’s mission to bring industry-leading gemological information to the public, Nicholas Sturman, GIA supervisor of Pearl Identification in Thailand, will give two presentations on pearls July 4 and 5 during the Singapore International Jewelry Expo. Representatives from GIA in Thailand will greet attendees at its booth A07, July 4-6from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and on July 7 from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Pearls: Are They or Aren’t They?
Thursday, July 4, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Over time, the industry has developed various types of cultured pearls and pearl imitations to compete with their natural counterparts and to meet market demand. Sturman’s presentation will focus on the daily challenges pearl testers in labs like GIA must address before issuing gemological reports, which separate natural nacreous and non-nacreous pearls from cultured examples, and pearls from pearl-looking materials.
Saltwater Cultured Pearl Farms of Vietnam, Philippines 
and Northern Australia
Friday, July 5, 1-3 p.m.

Techniques used to culture bead-nucleated pearls in saltwater environments are similar around the world, however, there is a degree of variation in the methods different operators use. This presentation will discuss the history, operations, procedures applied and mollusks used in Vietnam, the Philippines and Northern Australia in the quest to produce the ultimate nucleated cultured pearl.
With more than 23 years of experience in the detailed examination of pearls, Sturman brings a unique perspective to this topic. He obtained his Fellowship (FGA) and Diamond Membership (DGA) of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain and spent more than 16 years studying pearls in the Kingdom of Bahrain, where he served as the gemological advisor to the Bahrain Government’s Gem and Pearl Testing Laboratory. He has been with GIA since 2008.
GIA’s pearl presentations, which are free and open to the public, will take place at the Stage Area, Marina Bay Sands Hall A&B, at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore. 
For more information, visit  www.giathai.net/news.php.    
About GIA
An independent nonprofit organization, GIA (Gemological Institute of America), established in 1931, is recognized as the world’s foremost authority in gemology. GIA invented the famous 4Cs of Color, Cut, Clarity and Carat Weight in the early 1950s and in 1953, created the International Diamond Grading System™ which, today, is recognized by virtually every professional jeweler in the world.
Through research, education, gemological laboratory services, and instrument development, the Institute is dedicated to ensuring the public trust in gems and jewelry by upholding the highest standards of integrity, academics, science, and professionalism. Visit www.gia.edu. 

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