Story and photos by Mauricio Minotta

GIA provided several continuing education opportunities for industry members who want to stay abreast of new developments, and gemology students who need to complete their studies, during the gem and mineral shows in Tucson and Phoenix Jan. 31-Feb. 6.

Advanced Gemology: Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald classes for working gemologists and Gem Identification extension courses for Graduate Gemologist students were provided in conjunction with the AGTA GemFair at the Tucson Convention Center.

“There is no school like GIA in Singapore, and it’s so convenient to travel here for classes,” said Caroline Yeo, a Phoenix resident who plans to return to her native Singapore after she completes her G.G.

“People are more inclined to buy from someone with GIA credentials, and I’ll be much more comfortable buying gems after I have my G.G.,” she said.

The Institute also hosted a series of free seminars for retailers and others, ranging from marketing to the GIA Gem Laboratory’s latest findings.

David McKinney, Ph.D., an associate professor in GIA’s School of Business, described the personalities of different generational consumers and outlined specific advertising strategies major companies use to market to them in his presentation, Selling to New Customers.

While Baby Boomers respond to advertising that plays to their desire to stay youthful, younger generations act on more direct marketing campaigns.

“You need to embrace this change in order to flourish in this industry,” McKinney said. “Change your ads to fit the personalities of Generations X and Y. They have to be simple and honest. It’s important to speak to them on an emotional level to earn their trust.”

Associate Professor Eric Carstensen gave a lecture titled Cash Flow, in which he gave tips on money management and described the various components that contribute to a business’s financial stability.

“Knowing how to better prepare and plan for expenditures, expansions, equipment and other needs is essential to any business,” Carstensen said. “For jewelry business professionals, keeping track of where the money comes from and where it goes can help you prosper.”

G&G Annual Review
Andy Lucas, product manager of Gemology for GIA Education, gave an overview of select Gems & Gemology articles in his G&G 2004 Recap lecture. He covered various topics published in GIA’s quarterly scientific journal over the past year, including De Beers experimental chemical vapor deposition (CVD)-grown and Chatham HPHT-grown synthetic diamonds, gem treatment disclosure and U.S. law, an updated chart on HPHT-grown synthetic diamonds and a new instrument for detecting beryllium-diffused corundum. He also provided a brief review of GIA’s new cut grading system.

Although still at the experimental stage, CVD-grown synthetic diamonds will likely continue to be developed because of wide interest in their industrial applications, he said. They are grown in a low-pressure and high-temperature environment as flat, tabular-shaped crystals.

GIA Research Associate Al Gilbertson and Manager of Laboratory Communications Barak Green presented the progression and foundations of the Institute’s ongoing cut study, which has concluded that there are many ways to cut a round brilliant diamond to give it a pleasing overall appearance.

After initial exploratory testing, GIA researchers compared their computer-modeled predictions of brightness and fire with thousands of observations from individuals in all levels of the diamond trade (including consumers). They used these observations,
Gilbertson said, to refine the brightness and fire metrics, and continue research on other aspects of cut quality.

Researchers were able to determine the thresholds at which people usually saw differences in appearance, and isolate other significant aspects of a diamond’s face-up appearance (those related to scintillation) that can be predicted with
additional calculations and formulas based on the diamond’s proportions.

“We combined the findings of our observation testing and trade discussions with the
prediction and assessment capabilities of our brightness and fire metrics,” Green said, noting the importance of standard lighting and viewing environments for consistent results. “This helped us develop a comprehensive system comprised of all the components that are now the framework of GIA’s Diamond Cut Grading System.”

GIA Director of Research James E. Shigley spoke about the Institute’s latest work in studying synthetic diamonds, HPHT-treated diamonds, clarity enhancement of rubies with silica or lead glass filling, and the development of a portable system to detect beryllium diffusion of corundum, called LIBS (laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy) in his Research Update lecture.

Hands-On Training
A standing-room-only crowd of more than 100 attended a hands-on, interactive enameling demonstration presented by GIA Instructor Mark Maxwell at Rio Grande’s Catalog in Motion Show.

Using a camera to project the steps onto a large screen, Maxwell demonstrated the enameling essentials of this ancient art form and explained the basic processes of laying down enamel, firing and the finishing procedure.

“You can make jewelry, charms, tiles and other objects using these techniques,” Maxwell said. “I explored a few colors in this demonstration, but the beauty of enameling is that it puts the entire spectrum right at your fingertips.”