The Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A) has announced the speaker line-up and venue for its annual Gem-A Conference, set to take place on 1–2 November 2025 at The Leonardo Royal Hotel London St Paul’s.
Speakers representing international gemmological laboratories, academic institutions and museums will present on a range of subjects, including gemstone identification, origin, treatment, artificial intelligence and sustainability.
Programme Overview
The conference opens on Saturday 1 November with a presentation from Purvi Shah, Head of Ethical and Sustainable Value Chains at De Beers Group, titled The Blue List – the Responsible Jewellery Supply Chain Lexicon – Why Words Matter. Her talk will focus on terminology used within responsible jewellery supply chains.
Rosie Young of GCS Gemmological Certification Services will speak on The Copper Connection: Identifying Oregon Sunstone, followed by GIA’s Rachelle Turnier, Ph.D., presenting new findings on the geochemistry and timing of Mogok sapphire formation.
Other day one sessions include How Old is Your Treatment? by Çiğdem Lüle, Ph.D., exploring the timelines of gemstone treatments, and a talk from Eloïse Gaillou, Ph.D., of Mines Paris – PSL on The Winston Red Diamond: Contribution to the Understanding of the Rarest Colour.
On Sunday 2 November, the programme will include Gemtelligence: A Deep-Learning Software to Determine Origin and Treatment in Gemstones by Daniel Nyfeler, Ph.D., of Gübelin Gem Lab. This will be followed by a presentation on demantoid garnet genesis by Isabella Pignatelli, Ph.D.
Sarah Steele, FGA, DGA, of Whitby Museum will present Carbon-Based Gems, Carbon-Based Consequences, discussing jet and its synthetic legacy. Museum-based sessions will be led by Helen Molesworth FGA, FSA, of the Victoria and Albert Museum with Cartier: A Blockbuster Behind the Scenes, and Robin Hansen, FGA, of the Natural History Museum with Hidden Gems – Secrets of the Natural History Museum.
Comments from Gem-A
Cath Hill, CEO of Gem-A, said:
“With a new venue and a diverse group of speakers, I am confident that this year’s Gem-A Conference will support the continued learning needs of our Members. The Conference provides an opportunity for gemmologists, including both Gem-A Members and non-members, to engage in continuing professional development. I look forward to welcoming familiar and new attendees to London in November.”
Honorary President Richard B. Drucker added:
“This year’s speakers include professionals from a range of international gemmological institutions. Topics to be covered include gemstones from various sources including Burma sapphire, Oregon sunstone, demantoid garnet, gemstones of importance in museums, age dating of treatments and more.Topics will also include developments in AI and approaches to sustainability within gemmology. We look forward to seeing you in November.”
Graduation Ceremony and Awards
On Monday 3 November, the annual Graduation Ceremony and Presentation of Awards will take place at the same venue. Graduating students from Gem-A’s global network will be recognised during the event.
Ticketing Information
Tickets for the 2025 Gem-A Conference are being sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Early bird rates are available until 30 September for Gem-A Members, non-members and students. Registration is available at https://web.cvent.com/event/a299c7b3-3469-427a-af96-6949eab329b7/register
