GIA GemFest Thailand: A Colored Diamonds Lecture by John King

CARLSBAD, Calif. – Sept. 3, 2010 – The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Thailand will host “The Allure of Colored Diamonds” a lecture by John King, chief quality officer of the GIA Laboratory, on Sept. 8 in Bangkok.

Champagne, tangerine, vivid blues, pinks and yellow are just some of the hues in the rainbow of colored diamonds that have captivated the public’s attention in the last 20 years. King, an authority on fancy colored diamonds, will present an overview of why they have sparked such interest, including the rise of high-profile celebrities who wear them, cutting innovations and the discovery of new deposits.

“John has helped grade some of the most notable colored diamonds in the world, including the blue Hope Diamond, the pink Agra and the yellow Tiffany,” said Kenneth Scarratt, managing director of GIA Southeast Asia and director of the GIA Laboratory in Bangkok. “He will present a fascinating look of what effects the way we see color and how that impacts the way we see color in diamonds.”

King, who began his career at GIA in 1978, is also a fine artist whose work has been shown in a number of exhibitions throughout the world. His training in fine art included studies in color theory and color naming and order systems that have enhanced his work in the laboratory, including revamping GIA’s system for color grading to accommodate the greater numbers and colors of diamonds that entered the marketplace.

GIA Thailand’s GemFest is a free event that will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Sept. 8 in the Jupiter Room 8-9, Challenger Hall 3, Impact Muang Thong Thani, during the 46th Bangkok Gems & Jewellery Fair.

Please RSVP by Sept. 7 to the GIA Laboratory Bangkok at 02-632-4090, or call the GIA Thailand Campus at 02-237-9575. For more details, please visit www.giathai.net and www.giathailand.com.