A gem dealer's journal — photomicrography

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,  Today we have a bit of a special treat for you, we present you with this unique chance to discover the world of one of the best, if not the best, gem cutter in the World.  Today we interview Victor Tuzlukov! So, without any further delays, let us get going with the interview, read on!     Victor Tuzlukov gazing at the camera with the same intensity he would gaze at his cutting table   AsiaLounges: First of all, thank you very much Victor for agreeing to answer our question today. Can you tell us a bit about...

Hey Loungers,  While some of you may have already read our 2016 article on the topic, we figured that a little refresher probably couldn't hurt.  It is undeniable that nowadays the attraction for colour gem is on the rise yet, very few actually know what they are buying and this could lead to a somewhat rude awakening.  In this article we intend on discussing some of the main points that one needs to know when purchasing a gem such as: treatment, cut, clarity, carat weight, origin and of course the importance of a serious gemological report backing your purchase as well...

Hey Loungers,  The last time we interviewed E. Billie Hughes was about two years ago, as Lotus Gemology was growing fast but, we kind of forgot to ask about one of the most talked about features of their lab: Hyperion Photo Library! Some of you may have heard of it here, others have visited it out of professional curiosity while others just wanted to take a look at the art that the Lotus Team, with Billie as their vanguard, produces with a photo camera and a microscope.  This said, few of us know how this amazing tool got created. Billie,...

Loungers, We are pleased to re- introduce you to our favorite gemologist, E. Billie Hughes but this time, we invite her not as the lab gemologist but as the multiple photography award winner. Today, days after being awarded the title of best photomicrographer of 2016 by the Gemological Association of Great Britain (Aka Gem-A), Billie is back with us for an interview on her favorite topic: Photomicrography!    Excuse me while I pierce the sky -By E. Billie Hughes (Award Winning shot of the 2016 Gem-A photomicrography contest)   AsiaLounges: Hi Billie. I'd like to extend our congratulations to you for...