In the first Instagram Live of a five-part series, GIA’s Wim Vertriest will talk about key topics such as determining colored gems’ origins.
The term “field gemology” is a broad and often misunderstood one. In a new educational series, Wim Vertriest — Bangkok manager for the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) — will explore what being a field gemologist really entails.
Vertriest joined GIA in 2015 at the Thailand laboratory and has participated in GIA field expeditions on different continents, focusing on ruby, sapphire and emerald mining areas. These expeditions involve collecting samples for GIA’s research and documenting the local situation. In his role as manager, Vertriest oversees the field gemology department and is in charge of GIA’s colored-stone research collection in Bangkok. He has authored and coauthored articles on new gemstone localities, updates on existing mine locations, in-depth gemological studies, and treatment experiments.
In the new Instagram Live series, he will cover subjects such as how labs can help with determining gems’ origins, and what constitutes a reliable reference collection. Vertriest will also answer relevant questions from the audience during the sessions.
“Exploring Field Gemology with GIA — Episode 1” will take place on Wednesday, April 3, at 9 a.m. EDT. Join us on Instagram accounts @rapaportjewelrypro and @giagrams to watch the Live interview.
This Instagram Live is brought to you by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) — protecting consumers and supporting the global gem and jewelry trade since 1931 through research, education, and laboratory services.
The recording of the interview is available on Instagram @RapaportJewelryPro.
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