IGI instructors played a prominent role at the Fifth National Conference of Gemmology held at Sapienza University in Rome June 26-27. The event, titled “Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow: Gemology between Research, Market, and Politics,” drew more than 220 participants, including more than 50 recent graduates of IGI’s schools of gemology.
IGI instructors Flavio Butini and Francesco Sequino joined a lineup of internationally recognized presenters at the conference, including Emmanuel Fritsch, Thomas Hainschwang, Federico Pezzotta, Fabrizio Nestola, and Brendan Laurs, among others. The annual event draws scientists, researchers, gemologists, practitioners and enthusiasts together for two days of education, new information and discussion about this constantly evolving field.
Two IGI Presentations
Francesco Sequino spoke on June 26, at midday. His lecture was entitled “Identification and evaluation of coral: an overview of treatments and origins.”
Flavio Butini brought that day to a close with a lecture about archaeogemology, a relatively new discipline used to study gem materials of the ancient world, titled “Prase – The Emperor’s Emerald.”
IGI operates five schools throughout Italy, covering every region of the country. The institute has graduated more than 3,000 students over the past three decades, many of whom continue to become career professionals in the diamond, gem and jewelry industry.
Organized by IGR
The Conference was organized by the Department of Earth Sciences of Sapienza University of Rome with the support of IGR – Italian Gemological Review. Sapienza University of Rome is one of the largest European universities by enrollments and one of the oldest in history, founded in 1303. Sapienza university is widely considered one of Italy’s most prestigious universities, commonly placing first in Italian and Southern European rankings.
