Dr James Shigley, director of research for the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), is a researcher who could be compared to a police officer of a bygone era. His beat, however, encompasses much more than just a few city blocks.

From his lab in Carlsbad, California, Shigley and his stuff, as well as other gemological research labs throughout the world, must address the growing concerns of the gem and jewelry industry on a global basis.

At GIA Thailand’s first alumni meeting this year, graduates and other guests were brought up to speed on the institute’s main research subjects, ranging from gem identification and characterization to instrument development and evaluation.

“Our job is to solve practical gemological problems with the ultimate goal of providing useful information to the trade. One way to do this is to conduct these sort of lectures to report back to people on what is going on in the research portion of the industry. I am trying to convey to people what we’re doing and to demonstrate credibility to the research world,” Shigley said.

Gemological studies is still a fledgling area of research, according to Shigley. As this area of research learns to crawl in its infancy non one end of the spectrum, the trade is asking it to run in order to keep pace with the mounting challenges on the opposite end of the industry.

In order to lengthen its stride and quicken the pace, gemological studies is striving to expand its database. “Gemology is not like other areas of science that have huge databases while addressing the problems facing the industry,” Shigley said.

Over the last 10 years, the GIA has been working to build its database with news articles, photographs and numerical data. “Research is critical for the industry. Each year there are increasing challenges to the industry with synthetic and treatments of gemstones. Jewelers and retailers are in a difficult position with consumers possessing grater knowledge of gemstone varieties combined with increasing pressure, by law, to disclose treatments, of any kind, done to the gemstones,” Shigley said.

The first issue addressed at the GIA alumni lecture was colored diamonds. Each year auction houses realize record-braking prices for colored diamonds, thus increasing the stakes for those dealing in them.

Last year, the GIA, in conjunction with De Beers, developed a chart for the separation and identification of natural and synthetic diamonds. Shigley said this is one measure the GIA has contributed to research efforts and the diamond industry.

The GIA is also currently developing a high intensity fluorescent lamp which will allow researchers to focus on a portion of a diamond to detect ultraviolet radiation, a signature of certain treatment processes.

The subject of synthetic diamonds was raised as well. Shigley said that in the past, synthetic diamonds (not to be confused with the commonly known diamond stimulant cubic zircornia) were developed for industrial purposes, but are now finding their way into the gem and jewelry industry.

Since 1986 Shigley and members of his staff have examined over 200 samples of synthetic diamonds from a variety of sources. He was quick to convey that synthetics, at the present stage of technology, are only being produced in rough size ranging from 1 to 2 carats, when polished produce from ½-1 carat sizes, according to Shigley.

The diamond portion of the lecture ended with an update on advances in technology to create computer graphics modeling of faceted diamond appearance. The computer program can produce realistic images of a diamond, as well as numerical information related to its appearance.

Another portion of the GIA alumni seminar focused on colored stones. The most readily accepted way of examining a gemstone is with a loupe or microscope. One way to determine if a gemstone is synthetic or natural, however, is to examine its trace elements.

In the last decade Shigley and his staff have examined over 500 rubies from various sources to not only determine a ruby’s trace elements, but to ascertain the ratios of these elements as well.

The colored stone segment of the lecture also covered the investigation of other synthetic classic gemstones, namely emerald and sapphire, as well as chrysoberyl, alexandrite and quartz material.

Participants were encouraged to peer through microscopes as part of the examination portion of the evening’s seminar. Shigley provided samples of some gemstones discussed during the seminar.