Summer 2011

GIA SYMPOSIUM 2011: ADVANCING THE SCIENCE AND BUSINESS OF GEMS

On May 29–30, more than 730 people from 35 countries gathered in Carlsbad to attend GIA’s 5th International Gemological Sym­posium. Like the four previous symposia, this conference provided a mixture of thought-provoking presentations on both the science of gemology and the challenges facing the business of gems. Unlike the others, this one was held at home, on GIA’s main campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean, with GIA’s talented staff as hosts and hostesses.

“The new normal is abnormal,” declared Steve Forbes, chairman of Forbes Media, as he opened the event. To meet the needs of a global economy, he said, the world needs a global currency—one backed by a modern gold standard. And to thrive in the current economic environment, a business leader must know how much risk to take, relentlessly strive for innovation, and have the ability to deal with crisis.

In the research sessions, Caltech’s Dr. George Rossman and dozens of other prominent speakers explained the gemological applications of instrumentation such as LA-ICP-MS, explored the challenges of identifying treated and synthetic diamonds and colored stones, and examined new techniques in pearl identification.

During the business sessions, Gallup’s Ken Royal reported that today’s consumers gravitate more toward well-being and experience than material objects. Designer Wallace Chan mesmerized the audience with his philosophy of jewelry design, in which he combines a wide range of disciplines and summons all his energies to express three dimensions and light. Luxury marketing strategist Scott Galloway announced that “the Web is dying”—and being replaced by new, dynamic forms of social media such as Facebook. With the new generation of luxury consumers, being perceived as digital and innovative is a must.

Rick Harrison of the reality television series “Pawn Stars” recounted how he made his Las Vegas pawn shop an attractive alternative for resale by embracing in-depth historical knowledge. Sustainability expert Dr. Brian Nattrass demonstrated how responsible practices can be good for the environment and good for business.

Supporting both tracks were the 63 poster presentations on topics as diverse as the separation of natural from synthetic emeralds, hallmarking, coral conservation, and the identification of treated pink synthetic diamonds. It truly was a “marketplace of new ideas,” as coined by Symposium founder Dr. Vince Manson at the first gathering in 1982.

Symposium concluded with the debate center, “Shipwrecked!”—where leaders from industry and academia exchanged their views on the benefits of ethical business practices and the challenges of economic sanctions, identifying conflict diamonds, and implementing fair trade practices. As Martin Rapaport noted, “The bottom line is that you are responsible for what you buy. You have the economic power. . . . There has to be an economic incentive for evil people to stop being evil, not just negative punishment.”

Many special gems and pieces of gem-set jewelry were on display during the event, including the Steinmetz Sunrise, a cushion-cut 100.67 ct Fancy Intense yellow diamond; more than 30 innovative designs by Wallace Chan; a 111.96 ct unheated Burmese star sapphire courtesy of Symposium poster presenter Benjamin Zucker; and the award-winning Vega Tahitian cultured pearl jewelry set by speaker Robert Wan.

Summaries of all the presentations are included in this Proceedings issue of G&G, as are photos of speakers, museum displays, and social events. Consult the index to locate a specific speaker or poster presenter.

None of this could have been accomplished without the many hours invested by our presenters, the Symposium planning committee and team leaders, and dozens of GIA volunteers. We are particularly grateful to Dr. Jim Shigley and Brendan Laurs, who organized the research sessions; to Dona Dirlam, who organized the poster session; and to events manager Carol Moffatt and Symposium coordinator Kathy Gilmore. We were especially honored to join GIA president Donna Baker and Board chair Susan Jacques as hosts of this, the 5th International Gemo­logical Symposium.

Kathryn Kimmel and Alice Keller, Co-Chairs

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