The The Gübelin Gem Lab announces the opening of a permanent gem testing laboratory in Thailand in September 2024, located on the 29th floor of the Jewelry Trade Center Building in Bangkok. For more than 20 years, Gübelin Gem Lab has offered its lab services through regular Off Premises-Testing events to the gemstone industry in Thailand several times per year. Reflecting the increasing importance of Bangkok as a global trading and competence center of the gem industry, the lab now is opening a permanent testing facility there. The new facility focuses on providing the Gem Passport, a new service for rubies, blue sapphires, and emeralds up to 3.0 carats. Additionally, the new Bangkok lab will act as a take-in window for all types of colored gemstones, diamonds, and pearls.
The Gem Passport is a new service that leverages the achievements of Gemtelligence™, the deep learning software developed by the Gübelin Gem Lab for interpreting analytical data, the determination of country of origin and the presence or absence of heat treatment. Gem Passports are available for a highly competitive fee of THB 8,000 (CHF/USD 200), making them attractive for small stones. Now, thanks to Gemtelligence, gemstones of moderate size or value can also receive a genuine Gübelin Gem Lab document.
Gem Passports are A5-sized documents that contain the main identification features of a gemstone, i.e., species and variety, country of origin, and a simplified disclosure of the treatment status. Due to its reduced testing protocol and radically new way of data evaluation, the Gem Passport is different from a standard Gübelin Gem Lab Report. The visual inspection by a trained gemologist is reduced to a quick plausibility check. As no comprehensive description of the microscopic features is provided, Gem Passports do not feature any signatures or the Gübelin Seal. Gem Passports use simplified wording for treatment, applying a simple “present or absent” logic: A ruby or sapphire is either heated or unheated, and an emerald either shows indications of clarity enhancement or does not. Gem Passports do not specify the exact degree or extent of treatment. Furthermore, Gem Passports do not include any quality and rarity additions, such as trade colors, ratings, appendices, information sheets, or rarity comments.
The team at Gübelin Gem Lab (Thailand) works closely with their colleagues in Hong Kong and Switzerland to ensure a reliable and swift service to the gemstone trade in Bangkok, both for Gem Passport services and traditional lab reports. (info@Gubelingemlab.com)
