(Press Release)
CARLSBAD, Calif. – GIA will offer a variety of activities at the upcoming 2016 Tucson shows – from a show service laboratory and an alumni party to exhibitions and seminars – aimed at enriching the visitor experience. The Institute will have a presence at the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) GemFair, Feb. 2-7, and the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show (TGMS), Feb. 11-14, both taking place at the Tucson Convention Center.
More information is available on the GIA website. GIA highlights at the 2016 Tucson shows include:
GIA Show Service Laboratory at AGTA GemFair
Show attendees and exhibitors will have access to gem identification and country-of-origin services through the GIA Show Service Laboratory. GIA will accept gemstones on-site at the AGTA GemFair in the Onyx Suite Monday through Saturday, Feb. 1-6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 7 from 9 a.m. to noon.
Free GIA Seminar
On Friday, Feb. 5 from 9 to 10 a.m. in the Mojave Room, GIA’s Distinguished Research Fellow Dr. James Shigley will provide a free seminar on “The Latest News from GIA Research.” This will include an update on the Institute’s latest research on diamonds, colored stones and other timely topics of interest.
GIA Education
GIA will offer one fee-based lab class and two fee-based lecture/labs during the AGTA GemFair. Pre-registration is required; call GIA admissions at (800) 421 7250 ext. 4001 to register for the seminars, and visit GIA’s website to register for the lab.
Diamond Grading Lab Class
Monday through Friday, Feb. 1-5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The lab class will teach how to grade diamonds consistently and accurately using a modern gem microscope and a jeweler’s loupe. Participants study GIA’s Diamond Grading System; explore time-saving shortcuts to determine a variety of grading factors; and are introduced to methods for reading a GIA Diamond Grading Report. Participants must pass a two-stone practical test to complete the class successfully.
Identifying Gemstone Treatments Seminar
Saturday, Feb. 6, 9 to 11 a.m.
A dynamic presentation and a hands-on lab led by GIA instructors will introduce participants to the various treatment processes used in the gemstone market, as well as treatment identification of commercially important gemstones used in jewelry.
Identifying Diamond Treatments Seminar
Saturday, Feb. 6, 1 to 3 p.m.
A dynamic presentation and hands-on lab led by GIA instructors will present information on the nature and treatment of diamonds, including laser-drilled, fracture-filled, HPHT, irradiation and multiple treatment processes.
GIA Museum Exhibits
GIA’s museum exhibit “Striking Gold!” will help brighten the AGTA GemFair, Feb. 2-7. A number of transparent yellow gem species and varieties on the market, including sapphire, citrine, topaz and more unusual, collector gem minerals will be on view. At TGMS, Feb. 11-14, the museum will feature an exhibition “Mother Nature Sings the Blues,” featuring blue gems and jewelry to coincide with the show’s “Shades of Blue: Minerals of the World” theme.
GIA Library Exhibit
GIA’s library will feature some of its most venerated books in mineralogy and gemology at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, Feb. 11-14. “Providing Access in a Digital World” will give visitors insight into the library’s recent digitization project. In 2015, the Institute embarked on an extensive project to make many of its rare and historically significant books available online to the public.
Party at the GIA Gem Mine: Arctic Blast
The GIA Alumni Association will have a “blast” in Tucson during its annual auction, dinner and dance party on Friday, Feb. 5 from 6:30 to 11 p.m. at the Marriott University Park Hotel. Ticket prices are $55 prior to Jan. 15; $65 after and at the door. GIA alumni, students and industry friends can purchase tickets here.
GIA at the CAD/CAM Pavilion
GIA’s Jewelry Manufacturing Arts program is at the forefront of jewelry design education – from 3D printer rapid protoyping and casting to prefinishing, setting and buffing. Throughout the AGTA GemFair, GIA experts will answer questions and discuss a variety of relevant topics, including CAD/CAM, zero-shrinkage from CAD file to photopolymer models to rough castings, jewelry engineering priorities, jewelry design concepts, 3D scanning of gemstones and importing content into CAD files for use in making jewelry, and Quality Assurance Benchmarking criteria when CAD modeling. The ongoing series will take place in the AGTA CAD Design Studio, booth 450 in the Gem Hall.
For more details about the Institute’s offerings at the AGTA GemFair, visit the GIA’s website.