From Amber to Rubies, Exploring for Gems in Myanmar
GIA’s April gemstone gathering in Bangkok recounts tales of surveying for gems
BANGKOK – April 18, 2016 – In January 2016, foreign gemologists were granted access to the Hukawng Valley in northern Myanmar, a thriving natural resource containing amber and gold deposits, for the first time in decades. Vincent Pardieu, GIA’s senior manager of field gemology in Bangkok, will discuss his recent expedition to the region in search of rubies and amber during GIA’s next Gemstone Gathering in Bangkok on April 27.Beyond amber beads and jewelry, which are much appreciated by the Chinese market, amber from Myanmar is of particular interest to scientists. Insects preserved in amber from the region are thought to be around one hundred million years old, thus among some of the oldest insects in the world.
Pardieu specializes in the origin determination of gemstones and has visited numerous gemstone-producing areas in Australia, Central and South East Asia, and East Africa over the past decade to help build a comprehensive origin-focused reference collection for GIA. He has spent his career in leadership positions with gemological laboratories around the world, including in Thailand and Switzerland. His research and expertise have been the catalyst for numerous articles in GIA’s Gems & Gemology and various trade publications.
GIA’s Gemstone Gathering, a free event, begins at 6 p.m. on April 27 in the “Crowne Room 1-3” on the 21st floor of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Lumpini Park in Bangkok.
