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