Gubelin Lab can determine origin of emeralds

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Gubelin Lab can determine origin of emeralds

May 18, 2009

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Lucerne, Switzerland--In response to recent reports of the Taliban's seizure of Pakistani emerald mines, the Gubelin Gem Lab has issued a statement reminding the trade that it is possible to determine the origin of colored gemstones, including emeralds.

In a statement issued on Monday by the Lucerne, Switzerland-based lab, Gubelin notes that determining the origin of colored gemstones is a practice that specialist gemological laboratories have been doing for years, and one that is necessary to determine the value of the stones for jewelers, dealers and auction houses.

At Gubelin, the lab identifies the different chemical and physical characteristics of gemstones by comparing them with reference stones--or stones collected from the source mines by hand whenever possible.

To achieve this, Gubelin visits several dozen mines all over the world each year.

According to the statement, the lab's reference collection includes about 20,000 specimens from more than 300 mines or mining regions.

Gubelin last visited the emerald mines in Pakistan and Afghanistan in summer 2006.

A complete report on the lab's travels to the mines in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and China can be found in the "Adventures" section of the lab's Web site, GubelinGemLab.ch.

Reports of the Taliban seizing control of two once-dormant emerald mines in Pakistan's Swat Valley first surfaced in April.

In May, it was reported that the Taliban had begun mining the sites using hired labor and were selling the stones through the black market.

Though it was noted that the Pakistani mines produce a small supply of small, low-quality stones and the impact on the trade was thereby expected to be minimal, dealers warn that the Taliban emerald issue could create another public relations controversy for the international colored gemstone trade, which has caught negative publicity over politically sensitive gem-related issues in recent years.

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