ICA Newsletter - December 2019
ICA Shenzhen Congress 2020 Hosts ICA Reception in Tucson
 
ICA NEW YORK... The ICA's 2020 Congress in Shenzhen China, Sept 20-23, will host the annual ICA Tucson Reception at the Marriott Tucson University Park Hotel on Wednesday evening, February 5th.
 
Located in Shenzhen’s preeminent gem and jewelry cluster, the ICA’s 2020 Shenzhen Congress will focus on the opportunities and challenges of the global colored gemstone market, as well as seeking innovation to better communicate and collaborate within the industry.

ICA’s Tucson Reception will officially launch the Shenzhen Congress amidst a cultural and gastronomical show of China’s historic traditions and legacy. Attendees will enjoy live music, a vast Chinese buffet and a unique Chinese cultural experience.

Thieves Steal Priceless Diamonds in Heist at Dresden's Green Vault Museum

NPR ...  Police are searching for the bold thieves who made off with priceless diamonds and other historic treasures from the Grünes Gewölbe, or "Green Vault," state museum in Dresden, Germany, early Monday.

The museum has a large collection of jewels, Baroque artifacts and intricately crafted golden tableaux amassed between 1723 and 1730 by August the Strong, the Saxon elector and arts patron who later became king of Poland.

Early reports of the heist sparked incredulity and worries about how much was taken, ...



GILC 2020 - Gemstone Industry & Laboratory Conference

An ICA Invitation Only event - Monday Feb. 3rd
A Conversation between Gem Suppliers and Professional Gemological Laboratories

ICA NEW YORK... For over two decades, the Gemstone Industry & Laboratory Conference (GILC), organized by the ICA every year, has provided a space for industry peers to discuss worldwide gemstone issues like ethical practices, nomenclature, consumer confidence, terminology, and accurate use of laboratories for certification and grading purposes.

Short presentations will include the primary theme of this year’s conference, focusing on Harmonization of Color nomenclature, for all varieties with an emphasis on Emerald, as well as Color Stability Issues for Padparadscha, Yellow Sapphires, and Other Gems. ...

LVMH Seals Tiffany Deal for $16B

RAPAPORT ...  LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton is set to acquire Tiffany & Co. for $16.2 billion, strengthening the Paris-based luxury group’s position in the global jewelry market and increasing its US presence.

“Tiffany [is] a company with an unparalleled heritage and unique position in the global jewelry world,” LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault said Monday. The deal will transform LVMH’s watches and jewelry division, the company added. ...

Diamond and Jewellery, Glitter in the Greater Bay Area


ICA NEW YORK... The Conference, jointly held by the Guangzhou Diamond Exchange and the Guangdong Gems & Jade Exchange (GDGJE) took place on November 21-22. 

ICA Vice-President, Henry Ho on behalf of ICA President, Clement Sabbagh attended the Conference and spoke about the ICA and the latest developments in the colored gemstone sector ...

Gemfields' Brian Gilbertson Has To Step Down

JOHANNESBURG... Gemfields' board chairperson Brian Gilbertson is to step down as director and chairperson next Monday as the JSE listed company prepares to obtain a dual listing on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market.

The group said yesterday that the process of obtaining the listing highlighted the father-and-son relationship with his son Sean, Gemfields' chief executive ...

Two Provenance Proof technologies combined for more transparency

GUBELIN... F or the first time, large quantities of gemstones equipped with two innovative Provenance Proof technologies are available in the international trade. The combination of both a physical tracer (Emerald Paternity Test) and a digital ledger (Provenance Proof Blockchain) offers a completely new level of transparency. ...

Is this the last generation of opal miners?

An underground rebellion is brewing in the outback, as opal miners fight against growing rules and regulations.

ABC AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORP... Most days, 74-year-old Geoffrey Weller climbs down a ladder, descending through fifteen metres of red rock down a narrow mine shaft.

In the tunnels, below the harsh sun, he is searching the fault lines of the stone for boulder opal — a gemstone formed over millions of years from silica and water, and found only in this desolate stretch of western Queensland ...

Inside The Glitzy, Star-Studded Diamond Museum In Antwerp


FORBES... Antwerp is a city with a storied history, from fashion to royalty and art. But this Belgian city is also renowned for it's precious stones and diamond history, which dates back 600 years.

One of the best ways to experience the diamond history of Antwerp is through the city’s diamond museum, the Diva Antwerp . The museum, which opened last year, features over 500 objects that detail the story of Antwerp's history with diamonds and gemstones ...

Gemstones in the Era of the Taj Mahal and the Mughals

GIA... The Taj Mahal evokes an image of a monumental building and reflecting pool—its classic view. But the Taj Mahal complex is much more than that. It is actually a series of beautiful buildings and gardens in Agra, India, built in the seventeenth century in loving memory of Mumtaz Mahal. This name, given by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to one of his brides, means “Chosen One of the Palace.”

Famed for its architectural magnificence, the landmark holds additional significance for the gemologist. Upon closer investigation, one is impressed with the intricacies of the inlay of numerous gems to create thousands of designs throughout the buildings on the grounds. This article sheds light on the gems used in decorating the Taj Mahal and in the extraordinary jewelry collected by Shah Jahan and other Mughals ...

Meet The Women Behind The World's Best Jewellery Brands

SINGAPORE... Meet the women responsible for re-imagining the heritage of world class brands such as Cartier, Bvlgari and more through a 21st century lens ...


  • Caroline Scheufele - artistic director and co-president of Chopard

To say Caroline Scheufele is a busy woman would be an understatement. She’s not only made clients rethink what luxury means with Chopard’s commitment to use 100 per cent ethical gold, but her designs have sparked trends — if you’ve recently been inspired .. .

Robert Weldon to Receive the 2020 Antonio C. Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology


AGA ... The Accredited Gemologists Association is pleased to announce that Robert Weldon, Director of the RTL Gemological Library & Information Center at GIA, to receive the Antonio C. Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology for 2020.

"Robert's contributions to the field of gemology are simply incomparable," stated AGA president Stuart Robertson. During his career Robert has taught gemology, worked as a journalist at both JCK and Professional Jeweler, he has photographed some of the most important gem and jewelry collections known and he has published and lectured extensively on wide range of gemological issues. ...

More Signed Jewels, Fewer Fancy Colored Diamonds At Geneva Jewelry Auctions

FORBES... In many ways the Sotheby’s and Christie’s fall jewelry auctions in Geneva mirrors the trends of recent years in which there is tightening of fancy colored diamonds and the “big three” colored gemstones: rubies, sapphires and emeralds; while signed jewels continues to attract more interest from buyers.

When it comes to fancy colored diamonds and colored gems, collectors are limiting their interest to the most exceptional stones at a time when there appears to be fewer of these stones available. ...

Bahrain plans grading system for pearls

BAHRAIN... A new classification system for pearls, similar to the grading system for diamonds, is being developed in Bahrain.
Pearl experts from around the world gathered in Bahrain yesterday for a first-of-its-kind Pearl Symposium, which aims to shed light on Bahrain’s pioneering position, regionally and globally, in the pearl trade.
The two-day event is being organised by the Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (Danat) at the Shaikh Ebrahim Centre for Culture and Research in Muharraq ...

New economic possibilities for Nigeria as government approves gemstone laboratories

VENTURES AFRICA... The Federal Government of Nigeria recently approved the development of gemstone laboratories in the country to facilitate local certification of genuine precious stones. The Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite, said this during a familiarisation tour of the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency (NGSA), in Abuja. He also asked the management to focus on developing its capacity to meet the standard requirements of the Gemmological Institute of America (GIA).

Adegbite explained the need to train competent staff ...

Collecting guide: the jewels of Harry Winston

CHRISTIE'S... American jeweller Harry Winston (1896-1978) founded Harry Winston Inc. in 1932 in New York City. Over the course of his dazzling career, Winston handled some of the world’s most famous diamonds, coloured gemstones and pieces of fine jewellery, earning himself a reputation as ‘The King of Diamonds.’

From the 1950s through to the 1970s, his boutiques were the destination of choice for royalty, Hollywood stars and business moguls alike ...

MINING WEEKLY... Gemfields earned revenue of $27-million from an emerald auction held in Singapore from November 18 to 21.

The company sold 33 out of 38 lots of high-quality rough emeralds at an average price of $85.26/ct, which the company on Friday said was an all-time record.

The emeralds were extracted by Kagem Mining, in Zambia, which is 75% owned by Gemfields and 25% by the Industrial Development Corporation of Zambia. Gemfields confirmed that proceeds would ...