Profiting from Knowledge: Gem Education for the 21st Century Dr Jack Ogden GemA CEO ICA Congress, Pa

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Profiting from KnowledgeGem Education for the
21st Century Dr Jack OgdenGem-A CEOICA
Congress, Panyu, 2009
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The Gemmological Association of Great Britain
Founded in 1908 and Serving China since 1989
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ca 5000 BC Shell and obsidian beads. Iraq.
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Refractometer, also used for spectroscope
readings 2nd half 19th century.
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Brooch set with synthetic rubiesE . Fremy 1891
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Professor Yan Weixuan and Professor Chen
Zhonghui. Under a portrait of Herbert Smith, one
of Gem-As founder members.
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ca. 1908. Gold brooch set with diamonds and an
early cultured pearl. Mikimoto Pearl Museum,
Japan
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New Things

• Known gems from newly discovered deposits.
• Newly discovered gem materials.
• Newly developed (and commercially viable)
  synthetics.
• Newly developed treatments (that may be applied
  to all three of the above).
• New types of imitation gems.

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If we lived in a truly ethical world would we
need gemmology graduates?
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What Defines a Gem?

• Beauty
• Durability
• Rarity

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Statistically speakingthere are more
dishonestgem-buying consumers in the world than
dishonestgem dealers.
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What do we expect a 21st century gemmology
graduate to do?

• Act as ICA's and CIBJO's policeman?

• Avoid themselves, their employer or their client
  making costly mistakes?

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Gemmologist One who best ensures that the gems
they buy, sell, appraise or otherwise encounter
on behalf of themselves, their employer or their
customer are accurately identified and described
as per relevant legislation and industry
recommendations.
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Predictions for the 21st century

• The number of synthetics will increase

• The number complexity of treatments will
  increase.

• The divide between treatment, artificial and
  synthetic will become blurred.

• Some advanced equipment will become cheaper,

• but there will always better technology we
  cant afford.

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In the twenty-first century
You can be a successful gem dealer without being
an expert gemmologist.
But you will not have a successfulgem
industry without expert and enthusiastic
gemmologists.
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The Gemmological Associationof Great Britain
Thank you