“The Tenth Sinkansas Symposium 2012, Topaz” Carlsbad, USA and Art & Antique fair “TEFAF” Maastricht, The Netherlands
March 22, 2012 | No Comments
The Tenth Sinkansas Symposium is on it’s way! And it look likes to me that it will become an absolute beauty …starting with coffee & donuts from 7.30 onwards! It’s clear you’ ve got to be an early bird…
The Tenth Annual Sinkankas Symposium convenes on Saturday, April 21, with topaz being the featured gemstone for 2012. Co-sponsored by the San Diego Mineral and Gem Society and GIA (Gemological Institute of America), the event’s venue will again be the Robert Mouawad Campus and GIA world headquarters in Carlsbad, California.
This year’s roster of contributors, each authorities in their respective disciplines, will be introduced by keynote speaker D. B. Hoover. Known for his reference volume, “Topaz” (Butterworth–Heinemann, 1993), Dr. Hoover will speak on the “Historical Transmutations of Topaz,” examining ancient texts about the terms that he believes may have been applied to the mineral known today as topaz and speculating on its use as a gemstone in Classical antiquity. Presentations will be made by regular Sinkankas Symposium contributors John Koivula, George Rossman and William “Skip” Simmons. GIA’s John Koivula will present a pictorial tour of “The Microworld of Topaz,” in which he discusses the internal features that attest to the gem host’s paragenesis and provide tell-tale evidence of treatment. Dr. Rossman, McMillan Professor of Mineralogy at Caltech, Pasadena, will discuss color in natural and treated topaz, leading the audience on an odyssey into the gem’s atomic structure. Dr. Simmons will travel from the University of New Orleans for a repeat appearance to present “Topaz Mineralogy” this year. Attendees can look forward to a reliably lucid and entertaining lecture, which has come to be known for its animated graphics and very animated speaker.
Distinguished Research Fellow at the GIA laboratory in Carlsbad, Dr. James E. Shigley returns to the Sinkankas Symposium for a second engagement, this time to discuss worldwide localities of gem topaz. GIA’s director of gem identification services, Shane F. Mc Clure, will speak on “The Treatments of Topaz,” an important topic in the gem trade. Local lapidary artist Meg Berry, a frequent Sinkankas Symposium presenter, will show step-by-step her process of carving topaz from gem rough to fashioned, polished carving in “Cutting Topaz.” This year, Robert Weldon, Manager of Photography and Laboratory Publications at GIA, will present an historical narrative, “How Brazilian Bandeirantes Blazed Trails to Topaz – and other Gems,” illustrated with his beautiful photographic images. Inimitable raconteur of minerals Bill Larson is slated to provide a pictorial tour of topaz specimens in a range of colors from localities around the world.
If you would like to read more about the speakers, their biographies and the abstracts of the lectures they will give, please take a look at the very well up-dated web-site (see direct link Sinkansas Symposium first paragraph). By this I give you also the direct link to the register form.
Exact information you need for now:
| Date/Time: | April 21, 2012 Badging, coffee and donuts, 7:30 – 9:00 AM. Symposium begins at 9:00 AM sharp. |
| Venue: | GIA (Gemological Institute of America) World Headquarters and The Robert Mouawad Campus 5345 Armada Drive Carlsbad, CA 92008 USA S. Tasaki Student Lecture and Graduation Hall |
| Registration fees and deadlines | Registration opens to All officially on March 15 and closes on April 13. No on-site registration permitted. Registration before April 1 – USD 85.00/person. Registration after April 1 – USD 95.00/person. Registration closed on April 13, 2012. No exceptions. |
| For inquiries about space/availability, please contact Anne Schafer at agate.annie2@gmail.com or 1 858-586-1637. |
TEFAF
The other beautiful annual event I would like to highlight is the art & antique fair ‘TEFAF’, held in Maastricht (The Netherlands) until the end of this coming weekend (25th March2012).
My absolute jeweller treasure this year ‘Didier Ltd.‘ from London, stand number: showcase F. They have such an unique jewellery collection by post-war artists. Here on the photograph my personal absolute favorite, the hair comb of Alexander Calder.
Tags: Carlsbad | Maastricht | Sinkansas Symposium | TEFAF
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About
Margriet Sopers, FGA
Having a diploma in jewellery, FGA and a propaedeutic of the Academy of Art followed-up by interesting years as a jewellery expert at Sotheby's & Gemeentelijke Krediet Bank, as well as being a member for years of the Society of Jewellery Historians, I am glad to share with you today's world of jewellery.