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ICA to Hold Two-Session GILC Format

OtherJan 04, 2016

ICA to Hold Two-Session GILC Format

The International Colored Gemstone Association has announced the lineup and schedule for this year’s Gemstone Industry & Laboratory Conference during the Tucson gem shows, with an invitation-only session followed by an open discussion.

New York--The International Colored Gemstone Association has announced the lineup and schedule for this year’s Gemstone Industry & Laboratory Conference during the Tucson gem shows.

This year, the GILC will include a morning session that is invite-only, designed to attract laboratories and working gemologists and provide a forum to address three major issues the industry is facing--origin, nomenclature and traceability, the ICA said. This will be followed by an open-invitation summary and discussion, as well as a luncheon, at noon.

The ICA’s GILC will be held on Monday, Feb. 1, at the Graham and Gila rooms in the Tucson Convention Center.

This year’s featured speakers include Daniel Nyfeler, director of the Gübelin Gem Lab in Switzerland, presenting the latest findings on using radioactive isotopes to date gem materials, which could help in the traceability of gemstones.

James Shigley from the GIA research lab in Carlsbad, Calif. also will speak, explaining how color science is applied to make “royal blue” and “pigeons blood” red more accurate for sapphires and rubies as more professional labs apply these commonly-used trade terms.

Meanwhile, Bruce Bridges from Bridges Tsavorite in Tucson, Ariz. and Nairobi, Kenya, will discuss the upcoming summit on traceability, giving a brief report on what is happening in the industry, what is expected from the summit, and the reality of sustainability and traceability.

At noon, the doors will open to anyone who wishes to join the discussion.

This paid admission session will include a summary of the morning’s events, as well as discussions on topics including how labs can better contribute to traceability of a gem from mine to market, whether or not color science is truly science or more of an art, and how color terms like “royal blue,” “pigeon blood” and “cornflower blue” are affecting the market.

Michelle Graffis the editor-in-chief at National Jeweler, directing the publication’s coverage both online and in print.

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