the swiss gemmological institute ssef - eth z · lupita nyongo’s giorgio armani ‘pearl’ dress...
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The Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF Leading Authority for the Testing of Diamonds, Coloured Stones and Pearls
The ‚Ratnaraj‘ Ruby, 10.05 ct, sold in Hong Kong december 2016
Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF (Swiss Foundation for the Research of Gemstones) founded in 1974 by Swiss trade organisations under the aegis of the Federal Department of Home Affairs of Switzerland. Non-profit organisation Providing independent scientific testing services at highest level for coloured stones, diamonds, and pearls. Located in Basel, Switzerland Currently 33 highly motivated staff members
About SSEF
SSEF structure
Main division:
- Coloured Stone Testing
- Diamond Testing
- Pearl Testing
Consultancy,
international
organisations
Education
Department
Instruments R&D
selling by subsidiary
SATT Gems SA
The most important division of SSEF is gemstone and pearl testing and certification.
SSEF reports are Swiss quality products and renown worldwide for their expertise and accuracy.
SSEF Reports
SSEF full disclosure policy
SSEF instruments - We offer a large range of instruments and devices to the trade: from portable and easy-to-use to
high-end advanced analytical solutions. - We also offer consultancy and specific training for analytical instruments of international
manufacturers (ThermoFisher, Renishaw, Spectro…)
SSEF diamond spotter
SSEF portable UV-Vis spectrometer
ASDI developed by SSEF
The PearlScan
SSEF Education
Since its successful beginning in 2001, the Swiss Gemological Institute SSEF’s education department has offered a broad spectrum of gemmological courses to thousands of students from industry, trade, and academia We offer: - Basic training courses - Advanced training courses - Scientific training courses We also can customise a course based on a company’s specific requirements. This course format is especially suited for businesses that need specific gemmological training for their employees.
SSEF Research Collaborations with… University Basel, Switzerland Centre of Microscopy, Institute of Mineralogy and Petrography, Department of Physics
Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ), Switzerland Institute of Integrative Biology, Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology
University Zurich, Switzerland Institute of Forensic Medicine
University Berne, Switzerland Institute of Geological Sciences, LAICPMS laboratory,
University Lausanne, Switzerland Institute of Earth Sciences, Laboratory of Stable Isotopes
University Jena, Germany Institut für Geosciences
CSEM SA, Centre Suisse de Electronique and Microtechnique X-ray imaging, Robotics & Automation
Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Villingen, Switzerland Neutron Imaging & Activation Group
EMPA - Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology
Division Advanced Analytical Technologies
Analytical instruments at SSEF
- Various microscopes, refractometer, polariscope, spectroscope, dichroscope, conoscope, hydrostatic balance, reflectometer, thermoconductivity meter, electroconductivity meter, UV lamps (SW & LW), UV transmission, calibrated light sources...
- X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) - X-ray radiography - X-ray luminescence - X-ray microtomography (CT-Scan) - Raman microspectrometers - FTIR infrared spectrometers - Micro-FTIR spectrometer - UV-Vis-NIR spectrometers - Geiger counter (radioactivity) - GemTOF (laser ablation inductively coupled time of flight mass spectrometry) - ASDITM Automated Spectral Diamond Inspection - DiamondView and PhosView - Colorimetry - PearlScanTM
Photo © Christie‘s
Sold at Christie‘s Hong Kong
for a record price of 551‘000.-
US$ per carat.
With SSEF report and Appendix
A superb Burmese „pigeon
blood red“ ruby of 6.04 ct set
in a ring with diamonds by
Etcetera.
PEARL TESTING AT SSEF
The oldest documented pearl in the world:
5500 B.C. (UAE)
Photo source: Charpentier et al., 2012
Photo: Sygma
Mary I (1558) Elizabeth Taylor (1980s)
LA PEREGRINA PEARL: sold in Dec 2011 for $11.8 million
Photo: SSEF
NEW RECORD (2018)
Source: Town & Country
NATURAL PEARL FISHERIES
Pearl terminology
Pearls are organic gem materials.
International trade (CIBJO) rules require specific definitions:
Natural pearls: Natural pearls are formed by various saltwater and freshwater
molluscs within a natural pearl sac and without human intervention.
Cultured pearls: Cultured pearls are formed within a cultured pearl sac (5.52) with
human intervention in the interior of productive living molluscs
Imitation pearls: Imitations only reproduce the visual appearance of a pearl.
These imitations do not consist of nacre and have never been either fully or partly
produced by shells.
‘PEARLS’ IN FASHION
DOLCE & GABBANA ‘PEARL’
HEADPHONES. Photo: D&G LUPITA NYONGO’S
GIORGIO ARMANI
‘PEARL’ DRESS SAGA
@ OSCARS Photo: TMZ
NICHOLAS KIRKWOOD
A/W 2015/2016. Photo:
Nicholas Kirkwood
A NEW INDUSTRY
Photo: Mikimoto
NATURAL PEARLS Pearls formed accidentally in wild oysters
(ca. 1 in 4200 oysters – Al Matar et al., 1993)
CULTURED PEARLS (ca. 1910- today) Pearl formation induced by human operation;
oysters benefit from pearl farmer’s care
“The man that solves the problem of pearl oyster cultivation, will not only have the privilege of
contributing to scientific and industrial progress: his name will deserve the honor of being
included among the founders of empires.” Alexander Lyster Jameson, 1914
THE DIVERSITY OF PEARLS
Photo: Hubert Bari
CULTURING PEARLS
CULTURING PEARLS
Late 13th century China: Buddha figurines covered with nacre
Cultured pearl production
nucleus
nacreous
overgrowth
Source: M.S. Krzemnicki & H.A. Hänni
DONOR
OYSTER
MANTLE
TISSUE GRAFT
NUCLEI
MANTLE
TISSUE
GRAFT
HOST
OYSTER
© Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF
Separation of natural pearls
versus cultured pearls
PEARL TESTING
Pearl identification by X-ray shadow pictures:
radiography
The x-ray tube in this instrument
emits radiation that can
penetrate solid matter.
Differences in density and
structure can be made visible
on film or by electronic imaging.
A bracelet with pearls is immersed in a dense liquid and the x-ray shadow graph is registered on the film below.
smaller Photos: H. A. Hänni
Beaded cultured pearls
Beadless cultured pearls
Natural pearls
Traditionally this is done
by X-ray radiography
radial calcite prisms
aragonite platelets (nacre)
Natural pearl of Pinctada radiata
Photo © H.A. Hänni, SSEF
and more recently by
micro X-ray computed tomography
the visibility of internal structures (e.g. irregular cavity in a beadless cultured pearl)
may vary strongly depending to the direction of the X-ray projection.
from H.A. Hänni, 2008
X-rays
- Difference in X-ray absorption of calcium carbonate (matrix) compared to the
interlayered organic matter (conchioline) or empty voids (fissures and small cavities).
- 3D visualisation helps greatly in understanding these structures and obtaining evidence
on natural or cultured origin of a pearl.
New approach with X-rays
X-ray imaging based on grating interferometry
allows to measure three different effects simultaneously
- X-ray absorption (conventional radiography)
- X-ray phase contrast (differential phase contrast image)
- X-ray scattering (darkfield)
Analytical setup at CSEM, Switzerland Centre Suisse d‘Electronique et Microtechnique
Natural pearls
rich in organic matter
Inversed scattering image
Beaded cultured pearl with fissures in bead
X-ray absorption Phase contrast Scattering (dark field) Combination
absorption and
scattering
Beadless cultured freshwater pearls
Characteristic tiny „comma-shaped“-structure
P14_11 – Run 5845 Sample 51, 3.675 ct
Scattering
3D rendering
Scattering
X-DFI Computed Tomography of a natural pearl
Revealing the fine spherical arrangement of growth layers.
Neutron imaging of pearls
Photo: PSI
Research in collaboration with the Laboratory for Neutron
Scattering and Imaging, Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, Villingen,
Switzerland
Neutron radiography
G2.2m beadless cultured pearl
(„Keshi CP“)
G2.2h beaded cultured pearl
(„Tokki CP“)
G1.2f natural pearl
Figures from:
Carina Hanser, 2015
unpublished Masterthesis
Neutron tomography
G2.2m beadless cultured pearl
(„Keshi CP“)
Neutron tomo X-ray tomo
Figures from:
Carina Hanser, unpublished Masterthesis
NP 2a: saltwater natural pearl from Pinctada
maxima (NW Australia)
X-ray absorption (CT scan section) Neutron absorption Neutron dark field
Figures from:
Carina Hanser, 2015
unpublished Masterthesis
Pearls from the Cirebon wreck (ca. 10th century) Chinese coins and ceramics firmly place
the wreck in the 10th Century AD (ca. 50m
depth).
Radiocarbon age dating of these pearls
The 14C dating perfectly fits
with the assumed date of
this ship wreck based on
pottery and coins.
Age dating of historic pearls
21.45 ct 0.02 ct
- requires less than 0.004 g nacre material - sampling usually within the drill-hole Result is not a pin-pointed age but a historic period !
Age dating of historic pearls
Pearl Tiara, ca. 1900 Sotheby‘s Geneva 2010,
SSEF Report 52367, sold for 150‘000 CHF
14C radiocarbon dating service
offered for SSEF clients in collaboration
with the Federal Institute of Technology
Zurich
Is there oyster DNA in a pearl?
A pearl consists of 95% CaCO3 and 5% H2O & organic matter
DNA BARCODING OF PEARLS
AKOYA PEARLS
WHITE and GOLDEN SOUTH SEA
PEARLS
BLACK SOUTH SEA PEARLS
MAIN SALTWATER PEARL SPECIES
Results of our DNA-study:
- Identification of the shell species in
most cases possible (enough
organic material)
- DNA can be still analysed,
although pearls are partly several
years old
- Minimized sampling in the drill
hole is commonly sufficient
P. maxima P. radiata P. margaritifera
Sampling Sample material for DNA-analyses PlosOne publication
detailing method
Geographical distribution of shell species populations and pearls based on
recovered oyster DNA in pearls. For example for Pinctada radiata natural pearls
from the Arab/Persian gulf.
„Geographical origin“ of pearls
Map: Bellin, 1745
Thank you for your attention