It gives me great pleasure to address the august gathering of Gemmologists at this 6th IGS.

Friends, in 1999, when we started IGS at Hyderabad we did not imagine how soon we shall be gathering together for the 6th IGS that too in Khajuraho. It had always been my dream to see Khajuraho temples, to visit the Panna Diamond Mines for many years and now to have the 6th IGS here is a dream realized ! At the same time see how soon the 6th IGS has dawned. Time is indeed a winged chariot; it just flies ! As all of you know each IGS has been in some exotic place, each one better than the other. Today we are meeting here, at Khajuraho where gemmologists from all corners of India have assembled ! Each one of us has started realizing the importance of these seminars.

Friends, this past September, I was in China for the 29th International Gemmological Conference. Some of these delegates get our journal, the “Indian Gemmologist”. One of these delegates actually came up to me and congratulated the good work we are doing; he said that he had been reading about our annual seminars and he was amazed to read that so many people were attending and presenting papers but more important, he said, we all were spreading the awareness of the science of gemstones. How true this is even in a place like Khajuraho, today so many people must have read the word “Gemmologist” on the sign board stating “Welcome to Gemmological Seminar”. For many local people there will be curiosity to know “what is Gemmology?” This is very important ! We have to spread the knowledge of gemstones.

Today in this world of IT, Information Technology, information is available, any one can get it at the click of a mouse ! But not knowledge. Knowledge is information with experience. To get that one has to work, keep oneself updated. One really has to interact with people with knowledge, and people with experience.
The China conference for me was very educative. I could meet some of the world’s top most gemmologists whose years of experience in gemmology is much more than my age. That is where I realized the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Information plus experience is knowledge. But this knowledge plus an analytical mind and dedication is wisdom ! Because the science of gemmology is leaping forward in gigantic manner, one requires a steady dedicated work study, one requires an analytical mind, clarity of thought, a mind full of wisdom to take certain decisions !

It is here at the IGS that we try to do our best to share our knowledge, our experience, our wisdom. Let me assure you that each one of you will go back rich with valuable experience, contacts, which you can use later, friendships that will last you a life time ! IGS members are like family members coming together for this great occasion, rest of the time, they are “NRGs” meaning “Non-Resident-Gemmologists” !

Another aspect I wish to stress on is perseverance. This is what I found in China. People there are perseverant. They have gone ahead of us, in many ways, be it pearl farming, diamond mining, Jewellery making. The massive support, given by the government, the trade and the educational institutions is amazing. Each one has only one thing in mind, the national development. We went to a village called “Dongzhou”, where pearl farming is done. The full village had come together to receive us. They had organized themselves to get good culture of the mussels; they had bred the mussels in the lakes, made innovations, today believe it or not they can produce more than 60 pearls in each pearl mussels, in each animal. I had always thought one could make maximum 20 pearls in one mussel ! But the Chinese interpreter was telling me that there was a separate research team who went on experimenting till they managed to inject 60 pieces of mantle tissue. Once they got success they called all the village folk together gave them first hand information so that the full village developed ! The news spread; they gave training to other village folk so that side by side with paddy they were now also pearl farmers and the result all of us know you can get wonderful good quality pearls in large quantity - called Chinese Pearls. Chinese Pearl have become world famous ! Kokichi Mikimoto must be turning in his grave ! He succeeded in making marine cultured pearls in Japan but the Chinese beat him totally in volume making fresh water pearls.

Friends perseverance pays and spreading knowledge pays even more ! See if the person who first succeeded in getting 60 pearls had kept the knowledge to himself, today, Chinese pearls would not have been known! In India, sadly many of our people from this gem industry are extremely secretive. Had they been more open minded, we would have been on the top of Gem Trade years ago. In this context, I would like to point out that nothing can be kept secretive for a long period of time, be it laser cutting machine or heat treatment of stones. Had this knowledge been shared amongst the fellow businessmen, our country would have done much better. Because of this unhealthy secretive attitude other competitor countries benefited immensely. And now also, Ladies and Gentlemen, if India wants to remain on the top, keep ahead of China, Israel and other competitors then we have to come together, share our knowledge be open minded and be perseverant.

With this advancing technology, the innovations in treatments, new techniques in synthesis of gems and diamonds, gemmology has become more and more challenging. Today rubies can be heat treated, Beryllium diffusion treated, fracture filled, diamonds can be synthesized by CVD and HPHT process. And all this falls on the shoulders of the gemmologists to identify them. Here is the big issue; what happens if the gemmologist is ill-informed, he makes a mistake then what ? What if the client files a suit in the consumer court ? Here again remember the trader himself is equally at fault. Both the trader and the gemmologist should know their rights and duties. The trader is absolutely duty bound to disclose the treated or the synthetic gemstone. Already in foreign countries law suits are being filed for treated stones. It is the duty of the trader to get the stone checked in a proper laboratory which is fully equipped. It is also the duty of the gemmologist to indicate if there is treatment detected in the stones.
Therefore friends, fellow gemmologists we come here to this IGS to get to know the most recent and state-of-the-art knowledge of gems. Through these seminars we should make contacts with gemmologists and discuss and deliberate on issues and get our problems solved. It is only at the IGS, we can literally come together, it’s like an annual pilgrimage, you owe yourself that much. You leave your business, you leave your precious appointments just to be here to know more, to up grade your knowledge - an investment of time for knowledge. You have a glaring example here of Mr. Prateek Jhaveri. He has come all the way from Tanzania just to attend and share his knowledge and experience. So friends I wish you, a very enjoyable and fruitful seminar.

Vote of Thanks

Mr. Kapil Malhotra, proposed a vote of thanks. In his address, he appealed to the gemmologists from all corners of the country and Gemmological Institutions to come forward and share the responsibility to spread the knowledge of gemstones in the country. He placed on record the Forum’s gratitude to the National Mineral Development Corporation, Gemmological Institute of India and Indian Diamond Institute, the co-organisers and M/s. Gems & Gemmological Equipments for their valuable support and co-operation in making the seminar a grand success.

He also expressed his sincere thanks to the Management of Hotel Clarks for their efficient arrangements.