GIA Thailand :: The Loupe





		The Loupe (GIA World News) GIA Launches Public Diamond Education Campaign Volume 16-Issue 4-Fall 2007 Editor's Note : GIA is embarking on a public awareness campaign designed to meet the public's growing need to know more about diamonds. As an integral component of GIA's mission – to maintain an international grading standard through education, research and laboratory services – the public campaign will encompass a dedicated Web site, www.gia4cs.gia.edu, as well as print and online ads incorporating the tagline, "The Difference Between Wondering and Knowing." Concurrent with the public outreach campaign and GIA's streamlined laboratory services, GIA has created a Retailer Support Kit to enable retailers to communicate and educate consumers effectively. As key providers of diamond information to the public, a retailer's ability to accurately and confidently communicate diamond grading and reporting is essential. To that end, GIA is offering, for the first time, a suite of display and educational support tools designed to assist retailers in communicating the 4Cs, the International Diamond Grading System™ and the value of a GIA Diamond Grading Report. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Web site that educates and builds confidence With the launch of GIA's new Web site, www.gia4cs.gia.edu, in October 2007, the public will be able to easily access unbiased information about diamonds. This new Web site will help the public understand the value of a GIA grading report and the confidence it brings when buying a diamond. A wealth of valuable information will be available, including : The essential 4Cs (color, clarity, cut and carat weight) The International Diamond Grading System™ How GIA grades diamonds What a GIA report means and how to read it Fundamentals about diamonds, including treatments, and the difference between natural, synthetic and simulant diamonds Diamond care Basic information about the Kimberley Process Advertising that informs and inspires action GIA has been supplying information to ensure the public's trust in gems and jewelry since 1931. GIA created the 4Cs and is considered the universal authority on diamond grading. GIA's new, public advertising campaign, launching in November 2007, will reach nearly 70 percent of soon-to-be-engaged men and 60 percent of connoisseur diamond buyers. The national print campaign will be seen in magazines such as Architectural Digest, Departures, Town – Country, Robb Report, GQ, Men's Journal and Men's Health. Also starting November 2007, banner ads on sites such as CNN, ESPN, FOX News and Yahoo! will direct traffic to a public microsite, www.gia4cs.gia.edu. GIA Consumer Print Advertising ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By Jaime Kautsky Joanna Seetoo-Schiele Photo courtesy of Joanna Seetoo-Schiele She's worked as a fashion stylist on videos for Run-DMC and Joan Jett and designed jewelry for Julia Roberts and Andie MacDowell, but Joanna Seetoo Schiele says her award-winning pieces are a far cry from the here-today, gone-tomorrow styles that dominate much of the entertainment world. "My goal as a designer is to produce 'modern classics' – jewelry that is as desirable and lovely today as it will be when passed to future generations," she says. Seetoo Schiele, a San Diego-based jewelry designer and goldsmith, says the award-winning piece she recently donated to the GIA Museum is a good example of that. "Elation," a 22K, hand-fabricated gold ring that features granulation and anticlastic raising, as well as an estimated 3-ct., trilliant-cut golden chryso-beryl and two rubies, won a 1995 Spectrum Award from the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA). "The size of the piece makes it a strong statement, but the restraint – no heavy 'bling' – keeps it elegant and blends ancient and contemporary styling," she says. "And the ring's shape is reminiscent of the female form, which is essentially beautiful." Seetoo Schiele, who established Joanna Seetoo Designs while living in her native New York in 1991, has also won three Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America Vision Awards for her work. She calls granulation, a skill she learned while studying at Cecilia Bauer Studio, a "finicky" technique – though it's one of her favorites. "Elation," part of the GIA Museum's Permanent Collection, won an AGTA Spectrum Award in 1995. Photo by Robert Weldon After "Elation" was honored by AGTA, Seetoo Schiele worked for the San Francisco-based Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, where she later served as an instructor and marketing director. Seetoo Schiele says she's "learned so much, and met incredibly talented people throughout the jewelry arts industry" in her career. "When [GIA Museum Director] Elise Misiorowski told me that donated, award-winning pieces would inspire future designers, how could I not want to be a part of that cycle?" she asks. "The jewelry industry has been very generous toward me and it's a necessity to give back." Misiorowski says donations like Seetoo Schiele's build the Museum's Permanent Display Collection of jewelry from ancient times to present day. These pieces help tell the story of how jewelry styles have evolved through the ages. "Joanna's ring is an important addition to the Collection, not only because it's an award-winning piece, but it incorporates anticlastic raising and granulation – two signature metal techniques for the late 20th century." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- African Gem Safari Volume 16-Issue 4-Fall 2007 ICA tour reveals a bounty of riches Story and photos by Robert Weldon Eric Saul and his family work a historic mine for tsavorite garnet at Lemshuko, Tanzania. A day's worth of work – from excavating, moving, washing and sorting tons of gem-rich gravel – is in his hands. Scroll down for more photos of this exciting trip. Africa is a continent of divergent and stunning beauty – from deserts to lush tropical forests, and from high peaks to low, scrubby grasslands that are home to a wide variety of species of exotic wildlife. Kenya and Tanzania, microcosms of the continent, are also rich with natural resources such as gemstones. Gemstones have made East African countries attractive to prospectors, gem dealers and large mining entities for the last several decades, so it was no surprise when the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) decided to lead a gemstone tour there in May 2007. More than 30 people from around the world participated in the trip, including GIA representatives Andy Lucas, product manager for Course Development, photo editor Eric Welch, and this author. We went to update GIA's knowledge of this significant gem-producing area, develop new contacts at the sources and enrich the Institute's image library. Beneath Africa's vast grasslands and volcanic mountains, such as Mount Meru and snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro, is the geological reason for the bounty of mineral deposits. The massive Mozambique Belt stretches through Eastern Africa northwards towards Arabia. The earth's crust in this region was alternately compressed and folded some 900 million years ago, leading to mountainous formations. But a variety of gems also grew within the belt's pegmatite and metamorphic deposits. Examples abound: Kenya boasts commercial deposits of rare, grossular green garnet, dubbed tsavorite, because the deposit is so close to Kenya's game-rich Tsavo National Park. Zoisite, which is heated to turn it a rich purplish-blue color, is named tanzanite, in deference to the country in which it is found. Both of these popular gems are unique to the Mozambique Belt formation. East Africa also produces a remarkable array of other colored gemstones such as ruby and sapphire (including rare, color-change varieties); emerald, aquamarine and other beryls; feldspar varieties; chrysoberyls (including alexandrite); quartzes; idocrase; tourmaline; diopside; and ornamental minerals, such as variscite. Africa's longest operating diamond mine, the Williamson Diamond Mine, is located in Tanzania. ICA travelers had ample opportunities to interact with Kenyans and Tanzanians who struggle to extract these gems from the earth. The stark reality of mining in remote areas, by hand or by using primitive mining utensils, was often obvious. Some areas don't even have running water, electricity or mining equipment. ICA pledged to help miners in some of the regions we visited by supplying school books and computers and providing electricity to some rural mining areas. Larger mining entities, such as TanzaniteOne (a tanzanite mine in Tanzania) and Rockland Ruby (a ruby mine in Kenya), employ much more sophisticated mining techniques and closely guard their properties. They say they are embracing societal needs in the mining areas. The ICA says there is great educational value in visiting gem localities so members can see for themselves not only the natural setting of the sources, but the huge challenges involved in the mining processes. The experience certainly helps visitors understand a gem's value more clearly. The geologic obstacles a gem must surmount before it sees the light of day, and the human aspects involved, tend to be overlooked when we handle gemstones in a more comfortable setting such as a jewelry store. The photo essay on these pages aims to provide you with a glimpse of East Africa's gems, its interesting people and magnificent landscapes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Weldon, GIA's manager of photography and visual communications, has worked in the gem and jewelry industry for 20-plus years. ICA visitors had the good fortune of seeing a pride of lions and many other animals at the N'goro-N'goro crater and animal preserve in Tanzania. The group can be credited for rousing this young lion from a nap. A visit to Africa is hardly complete without seeing an elephant. East Africa's gemstones include aquamarine, rhodolite garnet, scapolite, tsavorite, malaia garnet, spessartite garnet, pink sapphire, color change garnet, beryl, chrome tourmaline, pink tourmaline and spessartite garnet. These gems range from approximately 2 carats to 18 carats. Gems courtesy of Campbell Bridges and Bridges Exploration Co., Nairobi, Kenya. A small-scale miner and his friend at Block B in Merelani, Tanzania, take a short break from mining tanzanite. Miners tunnel to depths of 300 to 400 meters under extremely difficult conditions. A roadside lodge between Kenya and Tanzania offers sleeping quarters, a bar and butchery. Crested cranes fly in to meet the rest of their flock at a small lake within the N'goro-N'goro crater. This national park treasure is not far from Arusha, one of Tanzania's main gem trading centers. Gemologist and miner Campbell Bridges is credited with having discovered the grossular green garnet called tsavorite. He first discovered it in Tanzania, then moved to neighboring Kenya and found it near the Tsavo National Park. Bridges treated ICA visitors to a lesson in tsavorite technology. ICA Kenya Ambassador Suzie Kennedy examines a ruby pebble from a new deposit near the border with Tanzania. Called "Simba," it means lion in Swahili. Mount Kilimanjaro, with its eternally snow-capped peaks, towers over considerable mining activity in East Africa. Ruby, tsavorite, tanzanite and various garnets and beryls are mined at its flanks. Baboons are almost everywhere in East Africa, and while their presence may seem benign and cuddly, they can steal your food, notebooks and camera equipment if you are not careful. At Rockland Ruby Ltd in Kenya, sorters sift through piles of pre-screened corundum to determine each gem's clarity characteristics and cutting potential. Russian ICA visitor Pavel Sokolov (left) scrutinizes the actions of the sorter. The Saul family, based in Arusha, Tanzania, operates the Lemshuko tsavorite mine along the Lelatema Hills. The Sauls have assisted the local mining community by building and supporting a school and are working on a new building within the compound to house teachers. These young Tanzanians were delighted when the ICA gem tour interrupted their class. Tanzanite is one of East Africa's most recognizable and popular gemstones and comes from the Merelani region of Tanzania. Pictured are a 12.62-ct. and 20.32-ct. stone. Gems courtesy of JOEB Enterprises, Solana Beach, California. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Cut Above: Empress of Bling Volume 16-Issue 4-Fall 2007 Au-Co Mai brings "affordable elegance"to the online consumer By Emily Stegman It was the first summer Au-Co Mai had been unemployed in a long time. The international trade company she was designing online stores for had gone under and she was eager to put her marketing and research skills to use. So, she went fishing. "You never know what's going to hit, so you just cast your net as far and as wide as you can, and you never know," Mai says. Au-Co Mai, CEO of Emitations, proudly displays a sampling of celebrity-inspired bling offered on her Web site. Browsers can take a break from perusing the company's inventory of rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces, anklets and hair jewelry to catch up on celebrity gossip and the latest red carpet looks. Photo by Emily Stegman Jewelry seemed to be the catch of the day after a fruitful experiment on eBay in 1999. Mai purchased a choker at a discount store for $7.50, started the online bidding at the same price and let it be for 10 days. The final bid: $65. People started asking for more pieces just like it. Mai realized there was a demand and began asking key questions: "What is the market opportunity? Who is the customer? Why do they love this product, and how do I give them more of it?" "Zoelle's Pink Elephant Cocktail Ring" features clear, gold and pink cubic zirconia stones over a rose gold he base, and a faux pearl on its trunk. Mai says serpents are also popular in jewelry and Emitations.com offers several other animal-inspired pieces in the "CZ Couture" section. Photo courtesy of Emitations The Internet was just becoming "hot" for buying and Mai, an economics graduate from the University of California, San Diego, recognized its potential to help realize her goal of establishing a successful business. "I knew it needed to be a product that was light, that was relatively affordable, where the market hadn't been saturated by competition yet," she says. Jewelry was a perfect fit, and Emitations.com was in its start-up stages soon after. Mai's idea was to fuse trends in the marketplace with media happenings. The 31-year-old CEO analyzed tons of consumer-related data until she got a good sense of what people wanted – a technique she continues to rigorously employ by subscribing to all sorts of magazines, tapping into Internet chat rooms and recording search patterns on her company Web site. "It's a very different approach from being a designer or artist and creating what is inside of you, letting it out, and then seeing who comes," Mai says. "I'm not creative, I'm not gifted that way, so I do it the other way and listen to the momentum and try to pick up the patterns and then deliver based on that." Emitations offers "affordable elegance" in the form of moderately priced jewelry pieces inspired by celebrity and designer looks. Mai describes it as a way of "getting the bling without the sting." This sterling silver necklace was modeled after a piece worn by actress Eva Green in the most recent James Bond film, "Casino Royale." The "Algerian Love Knot Necklace" symbolizes joy, wealth and health, and is one of Emitations' most popular items. Photo courtesy of Emitations The online inventory ranges from rhinestone flower barrettes Ã la Hilary Swank's '07 Golden Globes ensemble, to a cubic zirconia version of the sapphire studs Katie Holmes wore on her wedding day. Bracelets, rings, anklets and necklaces – such as the Larkin Leaf necklace that mimics Jennifer Aniston's pendant in the movie "The Break-Up" – are also available. Browsers can enjoy new features including the option to shop according to your favorite celebrity's style and vote on whether a celeb's look is hot or not. Emitations has several media partnerships, is regularly featured in magazines such as People, Life & Style and Glamour, and was named one of the "Top 500 Fastest Growing E-Commerce Companies in America" by Internet Retailer in 2006. Not to mention, in 2006 Mai was featured in 944 Magazine as a Leading Lady of San Diego and nominated for the San Diego Business Journal's "Women Who Mean Business" awards. The publicity and brand recognition wasn't always so abundant, Mai admits, saying the progression of her business has been "very slow and organic." The business operated out of her home for nearly four years, with staff members posted in the living room, kitchen and dining room, and inventory and packaging piled high in the garage. "I loved those days. Those were bootstrap days – when just because you don't have the resources, doesn't mean you can't do it," Mai remembers fondly. She stuck with it, even when her boyfriend (now husband) suggested she put Emitations on the back burner and focus on another dot-com. But, after a full day of work and school, Mai still found the time to nurture her online project. "I'm definitely a big-time multitasker," Mai says. "My thing is, you never know what's going to materialize, so keep the things you're interested in close to you." Mai plans to focus her energy on the progression of Emitations well into the future, and hopes the company can increase its brand recognition by maintaining relationships with the media, meeting customer expectations, keeping merchandise consistent with trends and increasing its sales channels. These cubic zirconia studs from Emitations mimic the sapphire and diamond earrings actress Katie Holmes wore as she wed Hollywood icon Tom Cruise. Photo courtesy of Emitations No matter where the future takes her, the self-proclaimed "Empress of Bling" says she will keep catering to the female consumer because of their candidness and loyalty. Staying involved in and connected to the gem and jewelry industry will also remain a priority for Mai, who is a board member for the San Diego Women's Jewelry Association and is in charge of designing programs, outlining speakers and maintaining the chapter's Web site. Mai completed several courses in GIA's School of Business in 2003, including Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Retail Management, as well as Ethics and Law in 2005. She has been a speaker at multiple GIA Career Fairs and participated in a panel titled "The Great Internet Debate" at the Institute's 4th International Gemological Symposium last year. "GIA is terrific because it's so supportive and you're surrounded by people who want to be creative, who want to have the courage to actually execute logistically," Mai says. Career Fair is an especially rewarding event for Mai because she remembers what it felt like to be in the exact same position as many of the attendees. She enjoys the opportunity to share the unique perspective she has as a young, established woman in the online sector of the jewelry industry. "I know there's someone who's going to be really interested in what I can tell them – someone who doesn't have as much experience, but has a wealth of creativity and energy to offer our industry, and those people need representation as well," she says. The best advice Mai can give industry newbies is to find something they're passionate about and that they know they can be an expert in. "It can't be something general," Mai says. "You have to have an angle to some extent." She says she didn't know how much work it was going to be to start her own business, but the time and effort paid off and she enjoys encouraging others to go after their goals. "There's never a perfect story when it comes to establishing yourself or your business," Mai says. "And, it's not magic – people are doing it every day."