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Program on emeralds offered January 11

On Thursday, January 11, at 7 p.m. the Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Society (at their museum at 123 Alvarado Street) will greet 2007 with a program about emeralds from Marisa Zachovay, an on-campus instructor for the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) headquartered in Carlsbad. Many will remember the fine program she gave last year on cultured pearls and she has an equally informative program this time.

Recently Zachovay went to the Second International Mining Conference, held in Medellin, Colombia (of which Colombian President Uribe attended the opening), to represent GIA as a speaker on emeralds and diamonds. During her stay she also visited Bogota, where she visited cutters at Plazoleta Rosario and merchandisers of rough emeralds at Avenida Jimenez.

Zachovay’s January 11 talk will cover the locations of mining, cutting and marketing of Colombian emeralds, the current political climate and its effect on the emerald trade as well as some of the challenges facing this industry. There will also be scenes from some of the emerald mines and, of course, there will be a glimpse at the culture of this land to set the proper mood.

Besides being a GIA graduate gemologist, Zachovay is a certified goldsmith (Swiss Art and Design School), certified gemologist (American Gem Society) and member of the Gem & Mineral Council of the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. She has worked in the jewelry trade for the past 15 years. In Switzerland she worked as a technical assistant at the Gubelin Lab and was also the head of appraisals and assistant buyer for Edigem Ltd., a group of retail stores owned by Gubelin. In 2002 she joined the staff at GIA as an instructor of gemology.

An article by Zachovay, “What is the Price of an Emerald?” can be found in “Emeralds of the World, Extralapis English No. 2: The Legendary Green Beryl.”

 

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