PRESS RELEASE

Ruby and Sapphire Discoveries in East Africa


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GIA field gemologist presents at Gemstone Gathering on Dec. 26 in Bangkok

CARLSBAD, Calif. – Dec. 17, 2012 – East Africa has been a well-known source for rubies and sapphires since rubies were discovered near Longido in Tanzania in the early 20th century. Vincent Pardieu, GIA’s supervisor of field gemology in Bangkok, recently returned from a three-month research expedition in the region and will discuss the ruby and sapphire trade in East Africa at the next GIA Gemstone Gathering in Bangkok on Dec. 26.

Pardieu will address the history of ruby and sapphire mining in East Africa, the current market for these gems and their future prospects. Discoveries of new sources for these gems have been made well into the 21st century, and Pardieu predicts that important ruby and sapphire discoveries may appear in the mostly unexplored gem rich rock areas between the Zambezi River and south of Egypt or in Madagascar.

Today, the majority of rubies available in the Chanthaburi and Bangkok markets, the world’s main ruby trading centers, were mined in northern Mozambique, while Madagascar and Sri Lanka are the main sources of blue, pink and yellow sapphires.

Pardieu specializes in the origin determination of gemstones and has visited numerous gemstone-producing areas in South East Asia, Central Asia and East Africa and particularly the Ilakaka–Sakaraha sapphire deposits of southern Madagascar over the past decade. 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 Dec. 26 in the “Crowne Room 1-3” on the 21st floor of the Crowne Plaza Hotel (formerly known as the Pan Pacific), Lumpini Park in Bangkok.

About GIA

An independent nonprofit organization, GIA (Gemological Institute of America), established in 1931, is recognized as the world’s foremost authority in gemology. GIA invented the famous 4Cs of Color, Cut, Clarity and Carat Weight in the early 1950s and in 1953, created the International Diamond Grading System™ which, today, is recognized by virtually every professional jeweler in the world. Through research, education, gemological laboratory services, and instrument development, the Institute is dedicated to ensuring the public trust in gems and jewelry by upholding the highest standards of integrity, academics, science, and professionalism.