The Gemological Institute of America will offer classes, presentations, events, and services at the 2008 Tucson trade shows. Events include:

* GIA will have booths at five different trade shows this year: the Centurion Jewelry Show, the American Gem Trade Association GemFair, Worldwide Gem and Jewelry Show, Rio Grande’s Catalog in Motion, and the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show.

For more information on the different GIA events happening in Tucson, visit http://tucson.gia.edu

* GIA is offering four Lab classes to give attendees hands-on experience and practical information to help increase their gemstone grading and identification skills. Registration is required for these classes. Sign up by calling GIA at 800-421-7250, ext. 4001 or to go GIA Education for more information on www.gia.edu. These lab classes include:

– Colored Stone Grading Lab class
– Pearl Grading Lab class
– Identifying Diamond Treatments Lab class
– Identifying Ruby Lab class
 
* Show attendees can stop by for one of GIA’s free one-hour presentations. There is no pre-registration for these free seminars. Arrive early to ensure seating. The presentations are: GIA Research Update, Merchandising: How to Color Your Bottom Line Green, and A Dozen Tips for Successful Gem Photography.

* GIA’s colored stone services will be available for the first time at Tucson through the new “GIA Show Service Laboratory.” GIA gemologists and colored stone specialists from the GIA Laboratory will be on hand to provide GIA Gemstone Identification Reports; Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, Alexandrite, and Tourmaline Reports; and country of origin report services. For more information on the GIA Show Service Laboratory, e-mail coloredstones@gia.edu or call 1-800-421-7250 ext. 4517, or 760-603-4517.

* The GIA Alumni Association’s “GIA Lounge” will be held at the Marriott University Hotel on Feb. 8. This party is open to industry members and guests; tickets will be sold at the door. This long-time favorite event of GIA alumnus and their guests features a live and silent auction, dinner, dancing and public acknowledgement of the two 2008 Richard T. Liddicoat Scholarships recipients and the two 2008 International Alumni Award winners who were chosen from among 20 individual chapters winners. The Alumni Awards process was revised this past year and re-designed to reward professionalism, ethics, commitment, and participation among alumni members.

Interested party-goers can still make reservations by calling 760-603-4204 or by emailing events@gia.edu. They can also go to www.gia.edu and click “Alumni.”

* Information on GIA’s education programs, research projects, and demonstrations of its FacetScan optical scanner, will be available at GIA’s booth on the Galleria Level of the Tucson Convention Center during the AGTA show. There are also savings of up to $800 on GIA Instrument’s microscope. In addition, subscriptions to Gems & Gemology at the booth will come with newly released Winter 2007 issue (a $19 value) free with a one or three year subscription.

* GIA will also be giving away a limited edition 2008 GIA Collection poster at the GIA Collection booth No.1900 in the AGTA Gem Hall.

* Al Gilbertson, author of American Cut—The First 100 Years, will be available to sign copies of his book from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. on Feb. 9 and Feb. 10. The book signing will be located at the main GIA booth on the Galleria Level of the Tucson Convention Center.

For more information, go to GIA’s special Tucson information microsite, which can be found on www.tucson.gia.edu.

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