香港大學地球科學系–亞洲寶石學院 2018國際寶石學研討會主講嘉賓–Dr. Kenneth Scarratt

DES – AGIL 2018 International Gemmological Conference
香港大學地球科學系–亞洲寶石學院 2018國際寶石學研討會

DES–AGIL 2018國際寶石學研討會
日期:2018年9月16日 (星期日)
時間:上午9時至下午12時半
地點:香港大學道3號香港大學
           研究生堂王賡武講堂
語言:英語及普通話即時傳譯
DES–AGIL 2018 International Gemmological Conference
Date :   16th September 2018 (Sunday)
Time :   9:00am – 12:30pm
Venue : Wang Gungwu Lecture Hall, Graduate House,
The University of Hong Kong, 3 University Drive, Hong Kong
Language: English & Mandarin Simultaneous Translation

 

 

Speaker Dr. Kenneth Scarratt
Title of Presentation "1973 and All That"
The evolution of gemmological laboratories and the move from a simple 'need to know the facts' to "the need for an appropriately worded paper to sell the stone"

 

 

The professional biography
Prior to joining GIA as Director of Research in 2005, Ken served as the Laboratory Director at the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) Gemmological Testing Centre in New York; Director of the Asian Institute of Gemmological Sciences (AIGS) in Bangkok; and Chief Executive and Director of Laboratory Services at the Gemmological Association and Gem Testing Laboratory of Great Britain (GAGTL) in London. He was appointed Managing Director of GIA Southeast Asia in 2008.  He retired in 2015 but in 2016 became a consultant to Mumtalakat (the Sovereign Wealth Fund for Bahrain) focusing on expanding the capabilities of the Gem & Pearl Testing Laboratory of Bahrain which he had helped set up 25 years previously. 

 

In 2017, he became the CEO of the newly formed Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (DANAT)

 

Over his career, he assisted in the setting up of pearl and gem laboratories in Bahrain, Qatar and Dubai and consulted for the Bombay Pearl Association to improve their testing facilities.  He has been involved in many projects, not the least of which was the examination of the British Crown Jewels; here he detailed every stone in such notable items as the Imperial State Crown, St. Edwards Crown, the Queen Mothers Crown, and the Sceptres.  He detailed and graded both the Cullinan I and II diamonds and the Koh-I-Noor, three diamonds that represent the largest and most historically significant.

 

A writer on gemmological and trade issues, Ken's articles have appeared in numerous industry publications including The Journal of Gemmology (UK) and Gems and Gemology (USA). He also co-authored the books The Crown Jewels and The Pearl and the Dragon.

 

Ken has lectured to gemmologists and traders in many countries including Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka, UAE, UK and the USA.

 

In addition to his passion for diamonds, rubies and sapphires, Ken also has a strong interest in pearls and has visited and studied most of the world's major pearl producing countries.

 

Ken is currently

 

President CIBJO Pearl Commission

Member CIBJO Coral Commission Steering Committee.

Member CIBJO Gemstone Commission Steering Committee.

 

The abstract of the talks
Upon joining the "London Laboratory" almost fifty years ago, apart from the need to identify a few rare minerals by X-ray powder diffraction and separate cultured from natural pearls using X-ray microradiography and Laue diffraction, these were the only "hi Tech" instruments needed. The major industry concerns were centered around the appearance on the market of new synthetic materials, new synthetic emerald, ruby, sapphire and opal creations amongst others, with most determinations being possible with the use of the microscope only.  Diamond grading was relatively unimportant as a laboratory service and certainly the origin determination of rubies, sapphires, and emeralds was never thought of beyond a general interest point. On the treatment side the only concerns were for the identification of artificially irradiated diamonds. Other treatments were, in terms of reporting requirements, of little concern, including the oiling of emeralds and the heat treatment of corundum both of which were generally acceptable at the time.

 

The world of gemmological laboratories has significantly changed in the intervening years and certainly with technological enhancements gemmologists have benefited greatly through gaining a much deeper understanding of the gem materials they study.  Knowledge of the detailed chemistry of gems, Raman spectroscopy and IR Visible and UV spectroscopy has allowed gemmologists to delve ever deeper into their world to uncover and appreciate them ever more.

 

In addition to the technological innovations of the past two decades in particular, there are now a plethora of gemmological laboratories around the world providing the trade with varying levels or reporting, from the simple to the complex. But more significantly the style and content of laboratory reporting paper has changed appreciably following 'trading needs', with origin determinations being regarded by much of the trade as essential to their business – even if three different laboratories have differing opinions. The reporting on all detectable treatments is now essential and even the quantification of some is a requirement.

 

This presentation examines the various innovations that have taken place over the last five decades and how these have been made use of by laboratories to enable the detection of synthetic and / or treated stones, as well as offer opinions on origins and colour designators.