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Legacy
Treasure Trove
The GIA museum puts a different spin on showcasing the best of gems and gemology.
By Phyllis Schiller
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Green dioptase, diamond and 18-karat gold
Horizontal ring by Kara Ross featured in the “Aluminati” exhibition.
Photo
courtesy Kara Ross.
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Officially established as a separate department of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in 2002, the museum at the Carlsbad, California, headquarters is, admits curator Terri Ottaway, “unconventional.” For starters, instead of being housed in a freestanding building or a dedicated center, museum exhibits are integrated throughout the hallways of the different buildings.
Which actually makes perfect sense when you consider that while fascinating to the thousands of visitors that the GIA plays host to annually, the displays are also sources of information for the many students attending classes. From the giant 426-pound, nearly one-million-carat rutilated quartz crystal Bahia sculpture suspended in the GIA lobby to glorious examples of gemstones — such as a 75-carat Burmese sapphire only recently returned to its lender — it is clearly a concept that works.
Some of the exhibits, focusing on one or two pieces on loan from dealers, may stay on display for years, or until such time as the dealers ask for them back. Then there are larger themed exhibits, encompassing 30 or 40 gems, which are usually on view for six months.
“We have a very fun exhibit that is used for the grounding space for the tourists who come in,” says Ottaway. “Called ‘Riches in the Rocks,’ it’s more or less permanent, although some of the pieces do get switched out because they are on loan. It tells people what a gem is and where it comes from. If they can understand that, the rest of the exhibitions will make sense.”
Whatever the size of the exhibit, the criteria remains the same. “We’re always trying to find things that are going to inspire, teach and engage our students and our visitors about the wonders of gemology and everything that you can do with a gemological background,” explains Ottaway. To that end, she says, the goal is to showcase as much diversity as possible and “just get super-high-quality pieces, fun pieces or pieces that have really interesting designs.” Then, you don’t have to say very much. “You can just have people walk up to the exhibit and they’ll see how incredible it is.”
The subjects of the various exhibits featured at GIA run what Ottaway calls “the full spectrum.” One of the goals of the museum is just to “basically show people what all the fuss is about” when it comes to gemology. Sometimes the theme is to explore where gemstones originate, using incredible crystals that visibly demonstrate where a garnet or tourmaline, diamond or emerald comes from.
Sometimes the inspiration is closer to home. A new series, “Aluminati: Students to Stars,” spotlights the talents of GIA graduates. It was launched in 2013 with the work of GIA Graduate Gemologist Kara Ross, whose jewelry has been worn by celebs on the red carpet as well as First Lady Michelle Obama.
Along with highlighting alumni, the museum is also looking to its history with a major exhibit to open this May. Titled “G&G: 80 Years of Excellence Featuring the Artistry of Harold and Erica Van Pelt,” it will pay tribute to the husband-and-wife photographers whose work was featured in GIA’s scientific quarterly journal Gems & Gemology. A variety of photographs by the Van Pelts will be shown alongside the jewelry, gems, minerals and sculptures featured in each image. Tracking down the jewelry photographed by the Van Pelts has been, says Ottaway, “a treasure hunt. Some pieces have disappeared, been lost, or disassembled.” Some of the impressive pieces that will be on view include the 300-year-old emerald and diamond Spanish Inquisition Necklace, on loan from the Smithsonian Institution, and an emerald and diamond Schlumberger necklace.
When it comes to jewelry design, themes span centuries. Several years ago, the museum was fortunate enough to receive a donation of pre-Columbian jewelry, which has been a source of fascination and inspiration for students in jewelry manufacturing. On the other end of the time spectrum, in 2011, there was an exhibit of jewelry by Hong Kong jewelry artist Wallace Chan, which Ottaway calls “breathtaking. His designs, the gems that he chose, the fact that he’s working in titanium and not the traditional elements, were just jaw-dropping.”
And speaking of standouts, the exhibition “More is More: Tony Duquette and Hutton Wilkinson Jewelry” offered visitors a glimpse at “the more unconventional things you can do with gemstones and gem materials — and things that aren’t gem materials, like shark’s teeth,” Ottaway points out. “Duquette and Wilkinson have a very irreverent exuberance about their jewelry that’s really fun to share with others.” Although the exhibit ended in March, several pieces are being lent for long-term display.
Another ongoing exhibit that falls under the “something different” category is “Faces of Eternity.” It features a collection of 15 life-size skulls carved from gem crystals and ornamental rock by Peruvian artist Luis Alberto Quispe Aparicio.
Ultimately, sums up Ottaway, the goal is to foster an appreciation of gems as well as the workmanship behind the jewelry. The exhibits, she says, can help visitors understand why in the past “gemstones filled the coffers of kings. People have gone to all lengths to acquire gems. For our visitors, we want to show the intensity of feelings gemstones can evoke and foster an appreciation for what it takes to find the right-quality crystal and then cut it well and then design a piece of jewelry around it. I’ve heard from so many people, ‘I just had no idea’ that all this work and all this discovery went into taking gems from mines to markets. These exhibits give them a whole new appreciation.” Article from the Rapaport Magazine - April 2014. To subscribe click here.
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