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Press Release: A decade ago, a gemologist and his friends journeyed to Pailin, a small Cambodian town surrounded by jungle, volcanoes and rivers, to get a rare glimpse into its gem mining world. In search of a translator at the Samaki market, they encountered a local English-speaker knowledgeable about gems who would forever change their views on field gemology. Attendees of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) gemstone gathering in Bangkok on April 30 will hear from Vincent Pardieu, GIA’s senior manager of field gemology in Bangkok, on how a Cambodian man named Votha Un taught him that gemology encompasses much more than science, art, history, geography or trade. It is most importantly about the people. Pardieu learned that the key to visiting places like Pailin, once thought to be too dangerous for outsiders, is the support and companionship of someone like Un, who opens the doors to the local trade. That lesson helped Pardieu create his vision and methods of field gemology. Pardieu and Un made 29 expeditions to Pailin to meet with gem miners and traders, allowing Pardieu to gain an extensive insight into the dynamics of the gem trade there. This event about the mines and gems of Pailin is dedicated to Un, who is in Calmette Hospital in Phnom Penh with a life-threatening illness. Pardieu specializes in the origin determination of gemstones and has visited numerous gem-producing areas in southeastern Asia, central Asia and eastern Africa, particularly the Ilakaka–Sakaraha sapphire deposits of southern Madagascar. 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 30 in the “Crowne Room 1-3” on the 21st floor of the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Lumpini Park in Bangkok. Due to limited seating, please RSVP by April 29 to pkosolsu-at-gia.edu, or call the Thailand campus at 02.632.4590. For more information, visit www.giathai.net/news.php. About GIA An independent nonprofit organization, GIA, 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. Visit www.gia.edu.
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