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:
GIA "On-Going Research" publication: Apr. 30, 2009: "Sapphires reportedly from Batakundi/ Basil": Visiting Peshawar in Pakistan during summer 2006, I saw some unusual milky purple sapphires with strong red color zoning. Recently, similar stones came for examination at the GIA Laboratory Bangkok where I work and we started a preliminary study on this unusual material reportedly from the Batakundi area a remote valley in Pakistan controlled Kashmir not very far from the Nangimali ruby deposit I visited in 2006 with Guillaume Soubiraa. Sadly at that time we had lost several days because of the numerous landslides in the Neelam valley and we had then no time to try to visit Batakundi. The present preliminary study is the result of the work of all the gemologists of the GIA Laboratory Bangkok on the samples we got from the Bangkok market. As the material is very unusual, we feel that it was a good first step to document these stones and share our results with the rest of the gemological community. You can download the study on the GIA Laboratory Bangkok "On-Going Research" (follow the link) where you will find also many other interesting gemological studies from my friends and colleagues at GIA Laboratory Bangkok.
(A group of rough and cut sapphires we studied at GIA Lab Bangkok and reportedly from Batakundi placed on a map presenting the area they were probably mined from.
Photo: V. Pardieu / GIA Laboratory Bangkok, 2009)
The next ideal step would be probably a visit of the mining area in Pakistan control Kashmir. Located just few kilometers away from the 1972 cease fire line between Pakistan and India, the region is beautiful but very remote: This is where the Hymalaya is joining the Karakoram. But visiting the Batakundi/ Basil area is not possible now as we were reported that the mining is only possible there in July and August... I will keep you informed but if you want to help, please contact me at the GIA Lab Bangkok indicating of course my name. All the best,
GIA "On-Going Research" publication: March 22, 2009: Rubies from Niassa Province, Mozambique: At the end of September 2008, I was informed by my friend Abdul Msellem, a Tanzanian gem broker that some new ruby material was available in the local gem market at Mpwapwa, the Tanzanian gemstone trading center close to the Winza mines. Since my return in Thailand in December 2009 I started enquiring about rubies from Mozambique while visiting Chanthaburi during my week end field expeditions. Week end after week end I was able to collect more information and also some material for study. The present preliminary study is the result of this work. You can download the study on the GIA Laboratory Bangkok "On-Going Research" (follow the link) where you will find also many other interesting gemological studies from my friends and colleagues at GIA Laboratory Bangkok.
(A group of rough and faceted rubies reported to have been mined in the Niassa Province of Mozambique. Note: The oval stone on the first row on the right might have been mined fon Winza in Tanzania.
Photo: V. Pardieu / GIA Laboratory Bangkok, 2009)
The next step will probably a visit at the mines in the Niassa province of Mozambique. But first I will wait for the rainy season to stop and I will need also to find some good local contacts in Mozambique! I will keep you informed but if you want to help, please contact me at the GIA Lab Bangkok indicating of course my name. All the best,
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.
