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McClure, Smith to speak at AGA Tucson conference
Renowned research gemologists Shane McClure of the Gemological Institute of America and Christopher Smith of the American Gemological Labs will speak at the AGA conference in Tucson next month.
Shane McClure, currently the director of West Coast identification services for GIA, will give a session titled “Three-Phase Inclusions and Their Relationship to Country of Origin.”
For a time, gemologists thought that three-phase inclusions were unique to Colombian emeralds, particularly three-phase inclusions that contained a void filled with a liquid, a gas bubble and a cubic solid crystal. They later discovered that these inclusions were found in emeralds from other parts of the world as well.
In this session, McClure will talk about the different sources that currently are known to produce this type of inclusion and what gemologists should know to be able to separate them.
Chris Smith, president of the American Gemological Laboratories, will present a seminar about emerald clarity enhancement.
Though the clarity enhancement of emeralds has a long history, today it is very common and one of the most, if not the most, broadly used type of colored stone enhancement.
In his presentation, Smith will discuss the various types of fillers used and their effectiveness in reducing the gemstone’s appearance of fissures.
He also will be talking about the lab’s approach to classifying the type and extent of clarity enhancement as well as the techniques that gemologists can use to be able to tell if and to what extent a gem has been filled.
Smith’s presentations will include a hands-on session, providing samples of emeralds that have been filled with various types in order for attendees to gain first-hand experience.
Both McClure and Smith are past winners of the AGA’s Antonio C. Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology.
For additional information about the other speakers at the conference, visit AccreditedGemologists.org or call 619-501-5444.
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