Here’s a quickie quiz for members of ASJH:
-What do all the numbers mean when it comes to gold quality? Do you REALLY know?
-What do the initials EP, HGP, and GF mean?
-What is die struck, what is cast? How do I differentiate?
-How do I know the jewel is well constructed?
-What are the characteristics of a handmade piece?
These questions pertain to how a piece is made, and of course, jewelry history offers examples of all manner of jewels both exemplary and mediocre. It’s critically important to know a bit about “ jewelry forensics”, whether you’re a dealer or a collector. Join Al Gilbertson, a past lecturer for ASJH and Project Manager of Cut Research at the GIA Carlsbad Lab, as we explore this topic. We guarantee your skills when looking at a jewel will be heightened after hearing this talk.
Al Gilbertson, currently the Project Manager of Cut-Research at GIA’s Carlsbad Laboratory, was raised in the lapidary (gem-cutting) business and eventually managed a high-end AGS retail jeweler whose shop employed several custom goldsmiths. He later owned a high-end trade shop specializing in several areas, including platinum fabrication and antique jewelry restoration, and owned an appraisal service servicing over seventy jewelers. Al holds a Graduate Gemologist Diploma (1979) from GIA and an American Gem Society Certified Gemologist title (1979). Al is best known for his work in understanding gem and diamond appearance. He is the sole inventor of two patents related to cut evaluation that the American Gem Society acquired, which are the basis of their ASET technology. GIA hired him in 2000, and he is one of GIA’s researchers who created GIA’s cut grading system for the round brilliant. Al has also been a columnist for Professional Jeweler on appraisal issues and was a Jeweler’s Education Foundation Fellow. Al is the author or co-author of many articles related to cut evaluation. Al is a rigorous and exhaustive researcher, well known for his book American Cut —The First 100 Years, a comprehensive historical record of the development of round, brilliant-cut for diamonds from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s. In recognition of Al’s significant contributions to the gemological field, the Accredited Gemologists Association bestowed the Antonio C. Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology in 2017. Al was approached in 2017 to build a class to teach Jewelry Forensics. He assembled a number of experts to build the class and is now working on a manual for the class.
Missed the lecture?