The Gemological Institute of America announced a new technology that enables laboratories to assess much larger groups of pearls more quickly and in greater detail than any previous technology.
After months of tests and evaluations, micro-CT X-ray units that produce high-definition 3-D images of individual pearls have been installed. The units allow the GIA to gain fully rotational 3-D images of the internalgrowth structures of pearls in 15 to 20 minutes.
The technology is in addition to the high-resolution real-time 2-D radiography that the GIA has used in pearl testing for the past several years. Both micro-CT and real-time microradiography are processes that examine the internal structures of small objects in minute detail, which iscritical in determining whether a pearl is natural or cultured.
“We are confident these state of the art units will give unparalleled service to the pearl industry,” Tom Moses, GIA senior vice president of lab and research, said in statement.
Photos courtesy of GIA
“This equipment reflects GIA’s 80-year commitment to pearl research, providing the public and trade with the most advance pearl identification, using the most innovative and sophisticated technology. Kenneth Scarratt, Nick Sturman, and the rest of the pearl identification team have more than 100 total years of hands-on experience examining and identifying almost every pearl type,” Moses said.
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