GIA Experts to Present at ICA Congress

CARLSBAD, Calif. – April 24, 2009 – Representatives from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) will visit China next month to present two major talks at the upcoming International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) Congress. The focus of this year’s annual international conference will be on global trade and business development in China and will be held in China’s largest jewelry manufacturing area, Panyu, Guangzhou, May 5-10.

Robert Weldon, manager of GIA Photography and Visual Resources, will discuss “New Developments at the Gemological Institute of America,” which will introduce GIA to a sizeable audience of Chinese manufacturers and retailers for the first time. He will focus on the Institute’s exciting new developments in education and its new Web site, and provide an overview of recent museum exhibits that highlight colored gemstones. He will also give updates on recent GIA travels to exotic gemstone localities around the world.

Vincent Pardieu, supervisor of Field Gemology at the GIA Laboratory, Bangkok, will share information on a new deposit of emeralds recently discovered in Davdar, Xin Jiang, a province of China. Pardieu recently visited the new mining area on a three-month expedition and will highlight his gemological research discoveries.

“This expedition was particularly fascinating since Davdar is one of the rare emerald deposits in which emeralds host the classic ‘3 phases’ inclusions, more commonly seen in Colombian emeralds,” Pardieu said. “The mines are located close to the Karakoram Highway, formerly part of the famous Silk Road, and as a major road, should make mining this area an interesting and promising deposit.”

“The Institute continues to make every effort to share the most up-to-date and comprehensive information that is found in the field of gemology,” he said.