The Gem-A Conference 2024 will welcome ten speakers to etc.venues County Hall to educate and inspire Gem-A Members and non-members in November.
Gem-A, London, United Kingdom
The Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A) has announced the esteemed line-up of speakers who will share their professional expertise at the upcoming Gem-A Conference from November 2-3, 2024.
Hailing from across the world and representing different gemmological disciplines, this year’s speakers will enlighten Gem-A Conference attendees on topics such as Chitral emeralds, giant quartz crystals, Mozambique rubies, and age-dating gemstones, pearls and corals.
This year’s speakers and the titles of their talks are outlined below:
Day One – Saturday, November 2
- Characterisation of the Chitral Emeralds and What Remains to be Learned About Beryl – Carina Hanser, M.Sc., FGA, DGA (Germany).
- Age Dating of Gemstones, Pearls and Corals: Fascinating Insights in their Formation, Origin and Historic Provenance – Dr. Michael S. Krzemnicki, FGA Director Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF (Switzerland).
- The Thrill of Discovery: A Miner’s Experience with Finding Gems in Situ – Jim Clanin, JCMining, Geologist/Mining Engineer, Author of The Fundamentals of Mining for Gemstones and Mineral Specimens (USA).
- Mozambican Ruby: The First 15 Years – Wim Vertriest, GIA GG, FGA, Manager, Field Gemology, GIA-Thailand (Thailand).
- The End of Gems and the Origins of Gemmology – Dr. Michael Bycroft, Associate Professor of the History of Science and Technology, University of Warwick (UK).
Day Two – Sunday, November 3
- Giant Quartz Crystals from Alpine Deposits: Their Formation and their Historical Significance as Raw Material for Objets d’Art – Michael F. Hügi, M.Sc. Mineralogist, FGA, Director of the Swiss Gemmological Society, Delegate of the International Gemmological Conference IGC (Switzerland).
- Fantastic Opals: Their Nature and Where to Find Them – Boris Chauviré PhD in Geology and Mineralogy, DUG, Managing Director of GeoGems, Lecturer at the University of Nantes (France).
- No Stone Unturned: The Hunt for African Gems – Richa Goyal Sikri, Journalist, Digital Storyteller, and Author of No Stone Unturned (Singapore).
- Emerald Fillers and Today’s Market: Demand & Pricing – Brecken Branstrator, GIA GG, Editor-in-Chief of GemGuide, Gemworld International (USA).
- Sustainability Rated Diamonds Initiative – Kat Weymouth, GIA Diamond Graduate, Director, Sustainability Rated Diamonds, SCS Global Services (USA).
The Gem-A Conference 2024 is proudly supported by Gold Sponsor Fuli Gemstones, and Bronze Sponsors Gemworld, Gemfields, John J. Bradshaw, the Accredited Gemologists Association (AGA) and Fellows Auctioneers. Further sponsors are expected to be announced in due course.
Fuli Gemstones CMO and Executive Director Pia Tonna comments: “This will be our third year in supporting Gem A’s annual conference. Education in our industry, especially on coloured gemstones remains paramount; research, discovery and sharing of knowledge in gemmology will benefit tomorrow’s gemstone loving generation.”
Gem-A President and Conference Master of Ceremonies, Richard Drucker, adds: “The Gem-A Conference is undoubtedly the highlight of our year and is a testament to the thirst for education and continuous professional development among Gem-A Members and the wider gemmological community. Ours is a field that never stands still; gemmology is an evolving discipline that demands opportunity for likeminded people to gather to learn, understand, assess, and feel inspired. The Gem-A Conference fulfils this brief with two days of speakers, all of whom have high levels of knowledge to share.”
The annual Gem-A Conference is a highly regarded professional development opportunity for gemmology professionals, jewellers, retailers, auctioneers and research scientists, including Gem-A Members, non-members and students. Its broader schedule of events includes the informal Gem-A Conference Networking Drinks on the evening of Saturday, November 2, and a series of workshops and London-based tours organised by the Gem-A London team.
Following this, on Monday, November 4, Gem-A will once again welcome graduating students from around the world to its annual Graduation & Awards Ceremony, held at Goldsmiths’ Hall.
Tickets for both days of the Gem-A Conference 2024 are sold on a first-come, first-served basis and cost £260 for Gem-A Members, £330 for non-members, and £130 for students. Guests can also choose to attend for one day.
Tickets for the Gem-A Conference Networking Drinks with canapes from 6-7.30pm on the evening of Saturday, November 2 are available for Conference attendees for £50.
Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and TJM Media Pvt Ltd. is not responsible for any errors in the same.
