Some time during the later half of our working trip in Switzerland this 2024, we had the privilege of learning with pioneering gemologists from one of the most advanced international laboratories in Europe. Visiting the Swiss Gemological Institute or Schweizerisches Gemmologisches Institut (SSEF) in Basel, we took part in their intensive Scientific Gemology course program to further develop our in-house knowledge on the different types of laboratory spectrometers used in gemology. This undertaking was suggested to us by colleagues and friends we had met many years ago during our GIA days in Hong Kong.
The entire campus program was incredibly informative and their laboratory staff were all very well experienced and at the top of their respective fields. We were able to properly go through full processes with many of their instruments such as the Micro-Raman, FTIR and UV-Vis spectrometers, as well as gain insight into the workings of the LA ICP mass spectrometer as well. All of this was done with immense efficiency in order to assimilate as much technical learning as possible during our stay in the city of Basel.
The immersive lecture sessions and hands-on practicals given by Dr. Tashia Dzikowski-Hutter and Dr. Michael S. Krzemnicki (Director of SSEF), were the highlight of our month, giving us new groundwork to further our gemological prowess and capabilities as an independent laboratory here in Southeast Asia.
As we return to our normal day-to-day operations, the insight and techniques gained from this program will most definitely be supportive additions to our staff’s existing capabilities and knowledge base. To this day, members of our laboratory team have completed a suite of extensive courses and programs from the Gemological Institute of America | GIA, Gem-A, De Beers, AIGS, Gubelin, Christie’s and SSEF.
