Press Release

An Expert’s Journey into the World of Australian Pearling


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Photo by Areeya Manustrong; ©GIA
GIA researcher Artitaya Homkrajae searching for natural pearls within the mantle of a Pinctada maxima.

GIA at the Malaysia International Jewellery Fair, July 18-21

BANGKOK – June 30, 2014 – Kenneth Scarratt, GIA’s (Gemological Institute of America) managing director of South East Asia, will discuss the colorful history of Australian pearling on July 20 during the Malaysia International Jewellery Fair (MIJF). During the show, the Institute will also host two special seminars for alumni and will present the MIJF Jewellery Design Awards winner with a scholarship to GIA in Thailand. Representatives from GIA will be available at booth BA02, July 18-21, to answer questions about education programs and laboratory services. 
 
Natural pearls have been fished off the west and northwestern coasts of Australia for more than a century and some extraordinary pearls – found in the Pinctada maxima oyster at a variety of depths – have been discovered in these waters. Scarratt’s presentation will delve into several natural pearl discoveries made during his recent expedition to the 80-mile long beach where wild shell is still fished.
 
Scarratt is considered one of the world’s top gemologists with more than 30 years of experience, including nine with GIA. He has extensive expertise in the identification of a broad range of gem materials and detection of treatments, and is a leading authority on natural pearls. He has authored or co-authored articles in many gemological journals worldwide, and has co-authored two books: The Crown Jewels and The Pearl & the Dragon.
 
The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will be held on July 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The winner of the MIJF Jewellery Design Awards will be presented with a scholarship to GIA’s campus in Thailand on July 21 at 3 p.m. GIA will also host two special seminars for the Malaysia Alumni Chapter on July 20:
 
2:30-3:30 p.m.: Claudia D’Andrea, GIA’s director of Education in Bangkok, will discuss the GIA DiamondCheck™, the Institute’s new device that accurately identifies colorless natural, untreated diamonds in the D-to-N range and refers diamonds that are potentially synthetic or treated for further examination.
3:30-5 p.m.: Scarratt will give an update on colored stones.
 
All GIA events will take place at the stage area of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). Representatives from GIA in Thailand will be at booth BA02, July 18-21 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., to meet with prospective students and other interested parties. GIA is the global leader in gemological education and has 11 campuses around the world in addition to its lauded eLearning program. GIA laboratories are located in Bangkok, Carlsbad, Gaborone, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Mumbai, New York, Ramat Gan and Tokyo. 
 
For more details about GIA in Thailand, visit www.giathai.net, or contact us.

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.