A gem dealer's journal — GIA

Hey Loungers, Some of you may know today’s guest as GIA’s Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library & Information Center’s director. Others know him for his career as a world famous photographer and one of the first modern journalists of the gem trade. We had the pleasure to meet with him moments after he was awarded with the coveted 2020 Antonio C. Bonanno Award in Tucson, in recognition of his contributions to the gem trade’s development in his decades-long career. Today, we welcome the man that made Bartholomew the Rat an instant celebrity in 2018 on Facebook: Mr Robert Weldon!  ...

Hey Loungers, His name is Zyubenko, Dmitry Zyubenko and the trade has about as many urban legends about his past as there are stones available. Today we receive the cheerful Dmitry to learn more about his path and his trade. Today we get to see another facet of our Eastern friends and the east European gem trade! Dmitry, tovarish (comrade), the floor is yours!     Dmitry Zyubenko is with us in the Lounges today - Photo Credits: Dmitry Zyubenko   AsiaLounges: Privet, Dmitry! Thank you very much for being with us today. Let’s start with learning a bit about...

Hey Loungers, Today we interview our friend Zoe Michelou from Imperial Colors and we’ll be discussing about her path in the gem trade. Daughter of a prominent coloured-gems sourcing entrepreneur and emerald specialist, Zoe has made a name for herself in the fine quality gem segment. Discover with us today how she got involved in the trade and what pushed her to pursue the mine to market path she is now on. Without any further delay, we give you Zoe Michelou!   Here is Zoe Michelou looking at some fine emeralds in Colombia - Photo Credits: Zoe Michelou   AsiaLounges: First...

Hey Loungers, This week we welcome as our guest Ms. Victoria Raynaud, the young French gemologist who has quite the track record albeit her age and is one of the last people to have learned the traditional Swiss cutting technique! She has worked diligently under our pal Vincent Pardieu both at GIA Bangkok and at DANAT Bahrain and is now setting her own activity as a gem cutting expert in Bangkok, Thailand! But whom better than herself could tell us more about herself? Victoria the floor is yours!     Victoria learning to cut on a traditional Burmese faceting handpiece during...

Hey Loungers,

Wim Vertriest is the current Supervisor of GIA´s field gemology program in Bangkok, Thailand.

Today, we propose you an interview with Wim in hope to better understand what field gemology is all about and what the average day at Bangkok´s GIA office looks like as well as how and why is a gemological field expedition deployed.

With this in mind, we propose you to fasten your seat belt and to follow us as we interview Wim Vertriest. Wim, the floor is yours!