ICA Newsletter - November 2019

ICA Congress Sees Biggest Ever Turnout, Largest Number of Speakers and Delegates   BANGKOK, November 1, 2019 – The 18 th International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) Congress, which took place in Bangkok from October 12-15, saw its largest ever turnout in its more than 30-year history.   The event, which gathered 370 delegates from 26 countries, including some of the world’s leading gemologists, miners, retailers, gem dealers, jewelry designers, and visionaries, staged discussions about pressing issues facing the industry ...  Read More

$360,000 New Tourbillon Watch from Jacob & Co. is a Garden of Gems From butterflies to flowers, the motifs that decorate the new Astronomia Fleurs de Jardin timepiece from Jacob & Co. comprise a veritable garden of feminine clichés. Beneath the watch’s sweet, ladylike ornamentation, however, lies some serious mechanical wizardry ...  Read More

ICA Congress' Poster Competition Every two years, in coordination with our Congress, the ICA has an international poster competition, a tradition organized by long-time Poster Competition Chair, Yehuda Kassif. The winning design will be used for many communication and marketing efforts by the ICA worldwide to promote colored gemstones. The entries are exhibited at the Congress venue where all attendees, both ICA members and Congress delegates, vote for their favorite designs ...  Read More

E-commerce Threat for Myanmar’s Jade As if human rights abuses, corruption charges and deadly landslides haven’t hurt the industry enough, Myanmar’s multi-billion-dollar jade and gemstone industry now has to deal with the challenges of e-commerce. Myanmar produces 90 percent of the world’s jade and is a major player in the global gem economy, but poor regulations mean up to two-third of the country’s production is possibly not subjected to tax according to a report by the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI) in March ...  Read More

Tanzania: Sweeping Reforms Yield Revenue Boom in Mining Sector Revenue collections in the mining sector have soared to the current 470bn/- from an annual average of 196bn/- in the past four years, thanks to sweeping reforms in the lucrative industry. Minerals Minister Doto Biteko, speaking in an exclusive interview with an online television- Maelezo TV-which is run by Tanzania Information Services, attributed the great achievements to government efforts to curb cheating in the industry, especially smuggling of minerals and gemstones ... Read More

BLUE 21st Annual Fashion, Jewelry + Design Conference Initiatives in Art and Culture’s 21st Fashion Conference, Blue, Launches a Fresh Conversation on the Cultural Significance Behind the Color This November blue--a potent color most often used branding, the preferred hue of colored gemstones, and a visual metaphor for purity and creativity—the color and its power are the focus of IAC’s annual fashion and design conference; its history and use fuel consideration of contemporary issues including ... Read More

How Does Taiwanese Jewellery Artist Cindy Chao Make Her Stunning Creations Stand Out? The eponymous founder of Cindy Chao—The Art Jewel has had her extraordinary pieces of work displayed at various institutions and museums all over the world. Asian jewellery artist Cindy Chao has taken quite the unconventional approach to sharing her creative philosophy with the world, having showcased her creations at famed institutions such as the Smithsonian and storied auction houses, on the glamorous red carpets of the Academy Awards ...  Read More

Here’s What Mikimoto’s New High Jewelry Collection Looks Like In JCK‘s 150th anniversary issue, which just came out, there’s an article tracing the history of pearls in America. This is not a tale we could tell without noting the contributions of Kokichi Mikimoto and his pearl company’s legacy of quality, incredible beauty, and innovation. At the center of the article—literally straddling the middle of the first spread—is a magnificent necklace that shows how far Mikimoto is willing to push the limits of jewelry design and craftsmanship as a 21st-century pearler. The necklace, pictured below, is part of the Jardin Mystérieux high jewelry collection, which premiered over the weekend in Tokyo ...  Read More

Maria Theresa’s Gemstone Bouquet With all the art museums in Vienna, it’s strange to find one of the city’s most extraordinary pieces of art and design lives in the Natural History Museum: an 18th-century gemstone bouquet. A gift from Empress Maria Theresa to her husband, Emperor Franz Stephan from 1764 Contains over 2800 (!) diamonds and other gemstones ... Read More

Pakistani Traders Eye Chinese Market to Generate Revenue in Gems, Jewelry Sector ISLAMABAD, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani traders believe that the export of precious stones and jewelry from gem-rich Pakistan to China will help the country in revenue generation, local media reported Friday.  Addressing the Export Promotion Committee of Pakistan China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCJCCI), the chamber's President Zarak Khan said that China is the world's largest consumer of gems and jewelry and Pakistan being the fifth largest country of gemstones reservoirs in the world can tap the potential of the Chinese market... Read More

Set in Stone: Gems and Jewels From Royal Indian Courts The Museum of Islamic Art (MIA) in Doha, Qatar, is a monument to the Islamic Arts. Opened in 2008 the museum aims to shed light on the rich cultural origins of the Middle East. Under the leadership of Her Excellency Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, MIA’s goal is to preserve the past to illuminate the future. How better to do this than with a dazzling display of bejewelled objects. ‘Set in Stone: Gems and Jewels from Royal Indian Courts’ opens on 23rd October ... Read More

GIA Expanding Program for African Gem Miners The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is expanding its gem guide for artisanal miners to other African communities after a successful  pilot in Tanzania. At the International Colored Gemstone Association Congress in Bangkok on Oct. 15, GIA president and chief executive officer Susan Jacques announced a four-year, $1.3 million commitment to expand the program to Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Zambia ...  Read More

Kathleen Ryan Creates Moldy Fruit Sculptures from Semi-Precious Gemstones New York based artist, Kathleen Ryan, comments on the culture of excess with her series of ‘rotten’ over-sized fruit sculptures . using polystyrene foam bases and countless beads carved from precious and semi-precious stones, the pieces transmute the image of discarded and rotting fruit into beautifully intricate artwork ...  Read More

Last Chance to See Bulgari’s Magical History Tour ‘ Bulgari , the story, the dream’ charts the 135-year history of the Roman jewellery house across two locations in its Italian home city - Castel Sant’Angelo and Palazzo Venezia ...  Read More

De Beers Group and Christie’s Reveal Plans for Interactive Fancy Coloured Diamond Exhibit De Beers has partnered with auction house, Christie’s, to showcase its expertise in diamond grading, testing and educational services as part of a collaborative exhibition. Next month, De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds, part of De Beers Group Industry Services (formerly known as IIDGR), will be hosting an exclusive exhibition entitled ‘Rare Treasures of the Earth’. Taking place at Christie’s in London, the public, press and industry professionals will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with some rare coloured diamonds, rocks and minerals ...  Read More

Louis Vuitton Owner Offers to Buy Jewelry Icon Tiffany & Co. Hong Kong (CNN Business) - French luxury goods giant LVMH has offered to buy Tiffany & Co., the iconic New York jeweler known for its little blue boxes. LVMH, which is run by billionaire CEO Bernard Arnault and owns brands such as Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior, confirmed its interest on Monday following media reports of an offer over the weekend. ...  Read More

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