GIA Museum to build 'Historical Jewelry Collection' May 08, 2008
GIA Museum to build 'Historical Jewelry Collection'
Carlsbad, Calif.—The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Museum is launching a new campaign to build the "GIA Historical Collection," an assemblage of jewelry, objets d'art and gemstones from all over the world and spanning every era.
According to GIA Museum Director Elise Misiorowski, the museum intends to create a wide-ranging, world-class collection that captures the essence of each period in gem and jewelry history.
"Jewelry is like a time capsule," Misiorowski said in a media release. "It can tell you about the economics, social structure and technology of the culture it came from. Jewelry preserves this information in a very concentrated way. It's like a Rosetta stone; if you know how to read it, you can interpret the socioeconomic climate of the period."
To inspire and educate viewers, the museum will be launching a number of initiatives, including archiving any accompanying documents from donated items within the Cartier Rare Book Repository and Archives, part of the GIA Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library and Information Center. In addition, the museum plans to use the Historical Collection for display in other venues on a regular basis, accompanied by lecturers and experts. Pieces from the collection will be showcased even further via podcasts and other educational outlets.
The GIA Museum currently has a number of prized pieces, including a late 18th-century diamond floral brooch and a corsage ornament featuring a pink topaz and diamonds from 1905.
For more information about the GIA Historical Collection, contact Kimberly Vagner, project manager of in-kind donations, at (760) 603-4150 or kimberly.vagner@gia.edu.
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