Important Note: The author: Vincent Pardieu is an employee of GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Laboratory Bangkok since Dec 2008. Any views expressed on this website - and in particular any views expressed by Vincent Pardieu - are the authors' opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of GIA or GIA Laboratory Bangkok . GIA takes no responsibility and assumes no liability for any content on this website nor is GIA liable for any mistakes or omissions you may encounter. GIA is in particular not screening, editing or monitoring the content on this website and has no possibility to remove, screen or edit any content.
We are gemologists (gemmologists) sharing a passion for gemstones, gemolology (gemmology), gem people and traveling.
You will find in this website gemological expedition reports and some studies of gemological interest.
Visiting many gem mining areas we saw that people in remote mining and trading areas have difficulties to access to gemological publications. As today the Internet can be accessed in most of these gem mining areas and trading centers, the author started to build this website to give gem people living there the opportunity to see the result of the gemological expeditions they were associated in. It is a way to thanks them for their time and collaboration and to help them to get access to more gemological information.
At the same time the author hope that these expedition reports will please the people from consuming countries interested in gemstones and fascinated by their mysterious origins. Our purpose here is to help people facing difficulties to get quality first hand information about gems and their origins to get the information they need through this website and its links.
With our field expeditions to gemstone mines and gem markets around the world, we intend also here to share our passion for photography, gems and our fascination for the work of the "Gem People" bringing gemstones from the ground to magnificent jewelry.
From the gems external beauty to the intimate beauty of gemstone inclusions, from gem lore to the mines, the people and the landscapes gems origin from, we expect to share with you our passion for gemstone beauty.
We also invite you to join us on some gemological forums we are active in as they are convenient tools to get rapid answers to your questions as they are regularly visited by many other passionate gemologists, jewelers, hobbyists and professionals willing to learn more and share their knowledge about gemstones.
Website Map
Index page: Vincent Pardieu's Blog
About the Author
About me : How did a countryside Frenchman became a "Shameless travel addicted gemologist"? ( Under construction)
October 2007: Gemological expedition to East Africa (Kenya and Tanzania) with Richard W. Hughes, Mike Rogers, Guillaume Soubiraa, Warne and Monty Chitty and Philippe Bruno:
Sep. 2005: Madagascar with Richard W. Hughes and Dana Schorr (Will be available one of these days...)
Summer 2005: Gemological expeditions to South East Asia (Vietnam) South Asia (Sri Lanka) and East Africa (Kenya, Madagascar and Tanzania) with J.B. Senoble and Tanguy Lagache with the support of the AIGS, the ICA and the Gubelin Gem Lab:
- Introduction to AIGS/ICA/Gubelin Gem lab 2005 Expeditions
Special THANKS for their support for our field expeditions since 2005:
Any QUESTIONS?
about gems, gemology, field expeditions, studying gemology, minerals, jade, pearls or jewelry? We recommend these FORUMS where the author is contributing:
Do you want to STUDY GEMOLOGY?
Here are some recommended institutes where the author studied gemology in Thailand ... and was happy about his investment!
For those willing to go further after their gemological studies: Recommended Advanced Gemological Courses:
To finish here are some BOOKS about gemology the author have read and appreciated and would like to recommend to people willing to learn more about gemstones, gemology and the places where gemstones are found:
I wanted to find the time and the place to start reading the first novel of Richard Wise: "The French Blue". I took then the road to one of my favorite week end destination when it is not about traveling to gem mining area: The River Kwai in Kanchanaburi province.
There the nature lover can find some beautiful hotels with no electricity, no mobile phone network, but the jungle, fresh water, a cozy wooden room, good food, nice people, and a hammock.
A perfect place to enjoy nature and a good book.
"The author enjoying reading "The French Blue" by Richard Wise on the River Kwai near Kanchanaburi "
Photo: Jean Marc Calmet, 2010
"The French Blue" is the new book from Richard Wise, author of the excellent "Secrets of the Gem Trade". This time it is a novel based on the life of the famous French gem dealer of the 17th century: Jean Baptiste Tavernier who sold to the Sun King Louis XIV the large blue diamond known for many years as "the French Blue", but which is now world famous a the Hope Diamond.
It is another book that I'm happy to recommend to all people interested by gems, history and traveling. In fact I would like to recommend it to all people interested by gemology.
So how is that new novel?
Well, I'm still reading it but I can already say that I love it. The first part of the book is very interesting for the gem lover as the descriptions related to buying and selling gemstones are obviously based on the extensive experience of the author. Richard Wise as Tavernier spent his life buying and selling gems. It is obviously a book written by a connoisseur. Furthermore I find the book really interesting as it brings something often forgotten in modern gemology:
Gemology is not just about chemistry and spectroscopy but also about history, people and art. Gemology would not exist if gemstones were not fascinating people. It is about dreams and passions as much as spectra or trace elements.
Today in modern gemology, with the arrival of new treatments and synthetics, most of the focus is put on the scientific aspect of gemology as the trade needs gemologists to identify properly the nature of gems. It is something that I understand and approve, nevertheless the other aspects of gemology like history and art should not be disregarded as gemology is perhaps more than any other science truly a human science.
So this book is a novel, the author took some ease with the historical reality for his pleasure and our: If Tavernier never went to my knowledge to Ava, or had a role into Wallenstein assassination, the fiction proposed by Richard Wise is not unpleasant.
The real interest of the book is in my opinion in the numerous descriptions of the way Tavernier was buying or selling gems: The result will be entertaining for some but, I'm sure, highly interesting for those willing to discover and understand some of the secrets of the gem trade.
As I wrote these lines I've read one third of the book and I know already that I will recommend it to all the young people willing to study gemology...
Like "Secret of the Gem trade", but in a completely different style, jeweler Richard Wise, truly a gem connoisseur, gave once again to all people with a passion for gems and the gem trade a very pleasant, tasty, surprising but also interesting and educative book.
Something to keep like a good old cognac for a good quiet week end or a long cruise...
Important Note: Vincent Pardieu is an employee of GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Laboratory Bangkok since Dec 2008. Any views expressed on this website - and in particular any views expressed by Vincent Pardieu - are the authors' opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of GIA or GIA Laboratory Bangkok. GIA takes no responsibility and assumes no liability for any content on this website nor is GIA liable for any mistakes or omissions you may encounter. GIA is in particular not screening, editing or monitoring the content on this website and has no possibility to remove, screen or edit any content.
