Latest news with #SwissGemmologicalInstitute
Forbes
05-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
SSEF's Advanced Jewellery History Course Provides Invaluable Education
In SSEF's Advanced Jewellery History course, students physically handle and learn how to catalogue ... More jewels of antiquity, such as these Roman gold earrings set with imitation emeralds and pearls (circa 200 A.D.) As any knowledgeable collector or jewelry professional knows from experience, acquiring knowledge and facts about intricacies of fine jewelry design, materials and artisanship is best achieved by viewing, and ideally handling, superb pieces in person. Take for example the expertly curated Cartier survey on view through November at London's Victoria and Albert museum. (Full disclosure: I own a few Cartier jewels, and enjoy their shows and books that present the Parisian heritage jeweler's greatest creations.) Showcasing over 350 spectacular jewels and bejeweled objects, the vast and varied Victoria and Albert exhibit burnishes the Cartier brand and is attracting hordes, despite its steep ticket prices. (Weekday shows cost about US$36.00, while a weekend ticket runs almost US$38.00.) Jewelry Historian Kathia Pinckernelle, M.A. teaches Advanced Jewellery History at SSEF. Pictured ... More here is an Egyptian Eye of Ra Ring made of blue faience, dated circa 1550 and 1292 B.C.. Studying Jewelry At The Swiss Gemmological Institute Attending a carefully curated and invitingly glamorous show such as this one, however, may provide few guarantees of consequential learning. Jostling through museum crowds to glimpse jewels and read their curatorial placards can prove physically and mentally challenging, and in some cases, impossible. When it comes to acquiring depth of knowledge about jewelry, a blockbuster exhibit experience can sometimes turn out to be a bust. Which leads me to the good news for jewelry lovers and professionals in search of authoritative jewelry education. There's an academically authoritative, lavishly illustrated and entertaining in-person course offered by the Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF) entitled Advanced Jewellery History that examines the cultural, artistic, economic and psychological significance of jewelry throughout the timeline of Western civilization. (I live in hope for the day when SSEF announces it's offering Pinckernelle's course covering jewelry throughout the history of Eastern civilizations.) A Mesopotamian piglet pendant from 3000 B.C. is part of SSEF's permanent jewelry collection that ... More Advanced Jewellery History students get to see, touch, and feel with their own hands. The curriculum's caliber is rigorous. Sections on gemstone facts throughout human history are scientifically precise yet enjoyable to study-- and easy to absorb. The course's historical narrative begins with the jewelry of antiquity. For instance, the section on ancient jewelry includes authentic Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Roman and Greek jewels that reside in SSEF's permanent collection and which students handle extensively during practical workshops. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Jewelry historian Kathia Pinckernelle, M.A. worked at Christie's London and Geneva, and at Cartier, ... More before co-creating and teaching SSEF's Advanced Jewellery History course. As Dr. Laurent E. Cartier FGA, Head of Special Initiatives at SSEF explained in an email, 'Based in Basel, Switzerland, the non-profit SSEF aims to advance the science of gemstone testing and gemological training, while also imparting evidence-based knowledge of jewelry and gemstone history.' This newly updated course serves the needs of the world's jewelry lovers, students and those working in the gem and jewelry trades who are highly motivated to learn jewelry history. It is a five-day crash course offered in person at SSEF's Basel headquarters. Titled 'Advanced Jewellery History', this fact-packed program is taught by jewelry historian Kathia Pinckernelle, MPhil. Tuition costs 4,000 Swiss francs, excluding VAT. Students Give Advanced Jewellery History Course An A What differentiates this from similar courses offered at other institutions is its practical training. Every afternoon of the course, students handle antique, vintage and contemporary jewels from SSEF's permanent collection. Pinckernelle trains students in how to professionally examine jewels with a loupe and catalogue pieces from throughout the narrative of jewelry history in precise detail. 'This practical component of study ensures that students can take home skills that they can then expand on by visiting trade shows, auctions and museums,' Dr. Cartier observed. This Art Deco silver, gold lacquer, abalone and eggshell cigarette case was made with the East Asian ... More labor-intensive technique of burgauté, also known as lac burgauté. This involves inlaying iridescent pieces of abalone shell, often tinted, into a lacquer base, sometimes with additional gold or silver inlay. The outer edges of this hauntingly beautiful scene are framed by tiny eggshell fragments that have been pressed into the lacquer with special tools. In an email, mainland Chinese jewelry store owner and gemmologist Martina Xiaoyun Hu, FGA, described her experience of SSEF's Advanced Jewelry History course. 'I learned so much theoretically and practically from this course. Especially useful were the afternoon sessions spent handling jewelry and learning about European and British hallmarks and assay marks through using the loupe and studying the different marks. This information is valuable to me in my daily work. I strongly recommend this SSEF course to anyone who has basic knowledge of jewelry, but hopes to learn in more depth about antique and vintage jewels.' SSEF director Michael Krzemnicki, FGA recounted in an email how the course originated. 'Back in 2021, we decided to launch this course on jewelry history as a way of exploring the different uses of gems through history, and how these link with different periods of jewelry.' Equally important, he added, 'Students also learn about fakes and imitations (quite widespread in antique jewelry) through time.'The course is given in small groups, with a maximum of nine students, and was conceived in part by Vanessa Cron, founder of the website Research Jewel. The course currently on offer was revised and expanded by Kathia Pinckernelle with Dr. Laurent Cartier, who presents a unit entitled 'Gemstones Through Time,' with collaboration from SSEF's Dr. Akitsugu Sato, FGA Laurent Cartier, Ph.D. presents a unit entitled 'Gemstones Through Time' in SSEF's Advanced ... More Jewellery History Course,with collaboration from Dr. Akitsugu Sato, FGA. According to Dr. Cartier, 'The Advanced Jewellery History course offers designers, retailers, vintage and estate jewelry dealers, marketing professionals, design students and collectors deep and thorough historical content. The history of jewelry and the use of gemstones are very linked,' he continued. 'This fact is what motivated SSEF to offer the course in the first place. Although SSEF is known for testing gemstones,' he observed, 'we also see a lot of jewelry from various eras. We wanted to link these two topics so that we (and students) could more fully understand the jewels and gems we examine in a more complete context.' SSEF's Advanced Jewellery History course has been offered seven times since 2021. The next course session will take place from 13th to 17th of October 2025. As Dr. Cartier related, 'We've had an interesting mix of people from auction houses, major heritage jewelry maisons, jewelry dealers, goldsmiths and jewelry collectors join us as students.' Taught By An Historian Who Worked At Christie's And Cartier Regarding the qualifications of the teacher: As a jewelry historian with a master's degree (MPhil) in ancient Greek and Roman jewelry, Kathia Pinckernelle, FGA is also a gemologist. 'I would like to expand research in the future to jewelry history of China, Japan and India, along with pre-Columbian civilizations,' she wrote in an email. Pinckernelle began her jewelry career in London at the auction house of Christie's, which was founded in that city in 1766. Pinckernelle soon transferred to the Christie's Geneva branch, for which she researched and authored three jewelry auction catalogues per year until 2007. Jewels like this exuberant, circa 1955 platinum and diamond brooch by the Parisian house of ... More Mauboussin are handled, drawn and catalogued by student sat SSEF's Advanced Jewelry History course. According to Dr. Cartier, who is also a lecturer at Switzerland's University of Lausanne and an affiliated associate professor at the University of Delaware, 'Kathia Pinckernelle is a tri-lingual jewelry historian in German, French and English, and the Advanced Jewellery History course is taught in English.' As Pinckernelle put it in an email, 'I believe in jewelry. Its story is a human tale of creativity, beauty, artistry, status, technology, science – and a lot of hard work. It illustrates neatly, and beautifully, the history of humanity.' After she left Christie's, Pinckernelle worked in publishing and taught English in Jordan and in Moscow before returning to Geneva and joining Cartier Tradition, the branch of Cartier that restores and offers for sale its heritage jewels. In that position, Pinckernelle traveled internationally buying important antique and vintage Cartier pieces which she then catalogued.. Pinckernelle has been teaching the history of jewelry at the SSEF since 2022 and also curates the SSEF permanent jewelry collection. 'The SSEF is a foundation with a clear mandate to focus on research and education,' she noted. 'It is a pleasure and an adventure to help them build a jewelry collection for educational and research purposes. For jewelry history course students,' she added, 'Handling and examining various types of jewelry, from vintage masterpieces to fakes from various eras, is absolutely essential to the learning experience.' Dated circa 900 A.D., this Celtic, double spiral bronze fibula brings imparts the material presence ... More of the ancient past to SSEF's Advanced Jewelry History students. When asked if SSEF plans to offer an Advanced Jewelry History course encompassing Asian, Middle Eastern, East Indian, North American First Nation people from what is now Canada, and indigenous tribal jewelers from what is now named the United States, Pinckernelle provided the following answer. 'Jewelry history tends to be very Eurocentric, that's the case also when you look at the literature that is available,' she wrote. 'This course focuses on jewels and jewelry periods that are relevant for the high-end market. Given that we only have 5 days available, it's hard to pack more into that time frame.' She went on to share that, 'SSEF hopes to enhance the course offering by providing a culturally broader jewelry education and by sharing more of its research findings in the future. What a clasp: the back view of the Celtic double spiral bronze fibula showcases the profound ... More technical skill of the artisan who made this piece around 900 A.D. While Kathia Pinckernelle and Dr. Cartier are next giving the Advanced Jewelry History course at SSEF's Basel headquarters in October 2025, they often speak in tandem regarding aspects of jewelry history at international jewelry fairs. They recently presented a panel discussion at the Gem Genève jewelry show in Geneva, Switzerland. Entitled, 'How Art Deco Defied Conventional Materials, Gems and Techniques', this presentation also included jewelry expert Violaine Bigot, Heritage Director at Chaumet in Paris,. Together, these three experts provided historical, scientific, cultural and psychological insights into the creation and significance of Art Deco jewelry and in how far it defied convention (spoiler alert: less than is commonly expected). SSEF's Advanced Jewellery course covers Berlin iron, which is black-lacquered cast iron jewelry that ... More became popular in the early 19th century, mainly in Prussia (now Germany). During the Napoleonic Wars, citizens donated their gold to the Prussian war effort in exchange for iron pieces such as this cross. For those unable to afford the time or money to attend the SSEF course in person, there is a free online teaser , 'Introduction to Jewellery History.' While those who enroll can move through the course at their own pace, this educational opportunity, it should be noted, is available throughout the student's lifetime, and can be accessed across any and all devices.
Irish Times
03-05-2025
- General
- Irish Times
Kashmir sapphire valued at up to €200,000 at Adam's
Sapphires have been a symbol of power, strength and wise judgment for centuries. The celestial blue gemstone's name derives from the Latin word sapphirus, which means blue. In ancient Greece it was believed that the sky was a reflection of a giant sapphire upon which the world rested. The Egyptians used sapphires in healing, while elsewhere they were worn to connect the wearer to the spirit world. Sri Lanka has the longest history of sapphires; it was once known as Ratna-Dweepa – Gem Island. But sapphires from the rugged Zanskar range of the Himalayan mountains in Kashmir, northwest India , are the rarest and most sought after. And so, it was with great excitement that Claire-Laurence Mestrallet, head of the jewellery and watch department at Adam's auction house, discovered that she had a Kashmir sapphire among her lots for the Fine Jewellery and Watches auction on May 13th. READ MORE 'The sapphire was tested at the gemmological lab and the result was only communicated to me shortly after the catalogue had gone to print,' she says. 'Once the sapphire was identified as being from Kashmir, the estimate went from €8,000-€12,000 to €150,000-€200,000.' Conscious that buyers might be nonetheless cautious, Mestrallet sought further confirmation of the sapphire ring's Kashmiri origin by having it tested at the world-renowned Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF). Late last week, she got confirmation that meticulous microscopic observation of the gemstone revealed that it is indeed a high quality Kashmir sapphire. Kashmir sapphires are prized for both their unique colour and texture – a vivid and well saturated blue sometimes described as cornflower blue with a slightly velvety appearance – and their rarity, according to Michael S Krzemnicki of the SSEF. They were first found when a landslide in the Zanskar mountains in 1881 exposed a 30m-wide (100ft) area of pegmatitic rock with blue crystals. Locals began to trade the stones for salt but by 1882, the blue gemstones had reached Delhi and other areas of India. A geologist from the Geological Survey of India revealed their mineralogical and chemical properties that same year. Harsh weather made extracting the stones difficult and miners were only able to do so during the summer months. However, the original mine was depleted by 1888, in spite of attempts by British surveyors to create another landslide in search of more sapphires. 'Kashmir sapphires have tripled in value in the last decade and this Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring is part of a private collection of eight pieces, which the French seller inherited from his parents,' says Mestrallet. Rare cultured pearl clip pendant brooch, circa 1940 (€5,000-€7,000), Adam's Fine Jewellery and Watches auction Other striking pieces in the auction include a rare cultured pearl clip pendant brooch, circa 1940 (€5,000-€7,000), and a rare pair of cultured pearl pendant ear clips (€8,000-€10,000). Both these pieces, with their cluster of grapes design – and a Bombé-style cultured pearl ring (€15,000-€20,000) – were made by Parisian jewellery designer René Boivin. Cultural pearl pendant ear clips (€8,000-€10,000) Bombé-style cultured pearl ring (€15,000-€20,000), made by René Boivin Staying with the theme of jewellery and watches, it's interesting to hear that Nomadic Watches, the independent Belfast-based watch brand, will open a store in its home city in June, so customers can see watches being assembled. Founded in 2021 by Peter McAuley, the watch brand was inspired by Belfast's shipbuilding history and is named after the SS Nomadic, the last remaining White Star Line vessel in the world (you can visit the ship in the dry dock just across from the Titanic Museum in Belfast). 'I firmly believe that in a world filled with artificial intelligence, people value a meaningful in-person experience more than ever,' says McAuley. 'Speaking face-to-face with an expert, getting hands on with a watch and immersing themselves in an incredible retail environment is not something you can replicate online. We see this space as less about retail and more about connecting with people.' The Nomadic Watches Belfast store is due to open in June Customers will also be able to observe the watches being assembled. Prices of these modern, durable watches used by divers and other adventure seekers, are between £1,000 and £1,500 (€1,174-€1,761). And finally, for lovers of country houses and their beautiful gardens, there is an opportunity to hear two experts share their knowledge and expertise in the historic setting of Nun's Cross church, Killiskey, Ashford, Co Wicklow on Friday, May 16th at 7.30pm. Robert O'Byrne will speak about country houses and gardens at the Co Wicklow event. Photograph: RTÉ Robert O'Byrne, art and architectural historian, erstwhile writer of this column and author of books including The Irish Country House: A New Vision, and Seamus O'Brien, renowned plantsman, author and manager of the National Botanic Gardens at Kilmacurragh in Co Wicklow, will speak about country houses and gardens at the event. Tickets are €22.50 and available on Eventbrite. All funds will go to the ongoing restoration of this fine Gothic Revival church, with its striking collection of stained glass windows and items in wood, stone and marble from the Arts and Crafts era. ; What did it sell for? A carved marble head of a philosopher, Adam's Carved marble head of a philosopher, possibly Roman Estimate €1,000-€1,500 Hammer price €32,000 Auction house Adam's Chanel Grand Shopper tote bag Chanel Grand Shopper Estimate £700-£1500 Hammer price £1,000 (€1,174) Auction house Ross's Coco Chanel wheat table Wheat table Estimate €600-€900 Hammer price €3,000 Auction house deVeres George IV mahogany writing desk George IV writing desk Estimate €6,000-€8,000 Hammer price Unsold Auction house Adam's
