Vincent Pardieu, the senior manager of Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Thailand’s field gemology department, will be accompanied by a team of five other GIA personnel in a tour led by Gemmological Association of Australia (GAA) federal patron Terry Coldham from 31 May to 18 June 2015.
The group will be exploring and recording details on Australia’s sapphire and opal fields, which Coldham said would be a continuation of the work Pardieu regularly carried out for GIA Thailand.
“[Pardieu] collects reference and ‘type’ gemstone samples direct from the source. These are brought back to Bangkok for cataloguing and detailed investigation of their properties, thus providing a database of samples and information to be used by GIA laboratory staff around the world when certifying stones,” Coldham explained.
He added that while Pardieu had visited Australian gem fields in the past on similar expeditions, this would be the first time he had been accompanied by additional GIA staff.
During his visit, the gemstone expert will also be presenting a series of gemstone-related videos – some of which have never been shown before – in an exclusive event hosted by the NSW division of the GAA on 30 May in Woollahra, Sydney. The videos have been prepared by Pardieu and document his work as a GIA field gemmologist as well as record his visits to various gem fields throughout the world.
In addition to providing attendees with a viewing of Pardieu’s latest videos – which will not be available to the wider public through the GIA until late June – the event will also include a Q&A session in which participants will be able to directly address and learn from the seasoned gemmologist’s extensive experience.
“This is an extremely rare opportunity to be in the company of one of the world’s leading field gemmologists. His presentations are always very entertaining and informative, so you are sure to walk away with a wealth of new up-to-date information about several gemstone deposits,” a GAA media release stated.
At the time of publication, the event program was still being finalised but some of the topics the GAA indicated could be covered included: Pardieu’s expeditions to Vietnam; the Thailand province of Chanthaburi and the Cambodian province of Pailin; rubies from Mogok and Mozambique; sapphires from Madagascar; and emeralds from Zambia.
Coldham indicated that Pardieu would also conduct a number of other smaller presentations in Lightning Ridge, Rubyvale and for the GAA’s Queensland division.