AGA conference to focus on latest gem treatments
December 03, 2007
Tucson, Ariz.—With more gemstone varieties being treated than ever before, the Accredited Gemologists Association (AGA) will use its 2008 Tucson Conference to ensure that gemologists are in the know on the latest treatments and detection techniques.
"More gemstone varieties are being treated than ever before, in many new ways," the AGA said in its release. "But not all treatments are equal in terms of permanence and impact on value, and it is increasingly difficult for buyers and sellers to know for sure what they are buying and selling, since many dealers don't know themselves."
The all-day conference will take place on Feb. 6, 2008, at the Marriott University Park Hotel in Tucson. It coincides with a series of gem shows taking place in Tucson, including the American Gem Trade Association's AGTA GemFair, which runs from Feb. 6-11 at the Tucson Convention Center.
Treated gemstones will be the focus of the AGA conference's morning sessions, which will lead off with an examination and discussion of new types of treatments and detection methods. The panel presentations will be followed by a hands-on session and a presentation that focuses on the ways independent gemologists can get the most out of classic gemological techniques.
Those scheduled to present include author and educator Alan Hodgkinson, a fellow of the Gemmological Association of London; James Shigley, Gemological Institute of America distinguished research fellow; Ted Themelis, president of Gemlab, Treatment Innovation and Research; Lore Kiefert, director of the AGTA Gemological Testing Center; Christopher Smith, vice president of American Gemological Laboratories; Jay Neogi, chief executive officer of Serenity Technology; and Ron Kearns, president of Azotic Coating Technology.
The afternoon session will revisit the topic of color-grading fluorescent diamonds. Though this topic is not new, technological advances in lighting and new instrumentation could change how these diamonds are graded, and thus, how they are valued.
Panelists scheduled to speak at the afternoon sessions include Sheldon Kwiat, president of Kwiat; Stanley Hogrebe, chairman of Dazor Lighting; Tom Tashey, chief executive officer of Professional Gem Sciences; Peter Yantzer, executive director of the AGS Laboratories; Jack Ogden, chief executive officer of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain; and Tom Moses, senior vice president of GIA Laboratory and Research.
The cost of the conference is $195 for AGA members and guests, and $250 for non-AGA members, including the gala dinner-dance, award ceremony and special celebration of "100 Years of Gemmological Education." For those interested in attending only the evening gala, tickets are $75 for AGA members and guests, $100 for non-members. For more information about other topics to be addressed during the conference, or to register, contact Jan Giamanco at (619) 501-5444 or visit the AGA's Web site,
AccreditedGemologists.org.
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