Noted colored diamond authority John King will present a lecture on colored diamonds Nov. 14 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the world headquarters of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in Carlsbad, Calif.

Co-sponsored by the Gem & Jewelry Society of San Diego and titled, “Color in Diamonds: Colorless to Colorful,” this will be the fourth and last seminar in GIA’s 2001 lecture series, “What Makes a Gem Special? Understanding the key factors in determining beauty, rarity and durability.”

This is an opportunity to discover the role of color in diamonds, to learn how colored diamonds are graded by the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory, and to find out how grading colored diamonds differs from grading color in other gemstones. It’s also a chance to hear about some of the unusual diamonds that have been examined and graded at the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory.

John King serves as laboratory projects officer for the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory headquartered in New York. With more than 20 years of experience, King frequently lectures on colored diamonds and laboratory grading procedures. He has graded many of the world’s largest and most renowned fancy colored diamonds including the famous Hope Diamond. King is also an artist and earned his master of fine arts from Hunter College.

The increased popularity in colored diamonds can be illustrated by the surge of requests for grading of these gemstones at GIA, the world’s foremost authority in gemology. According to Tom Yonelunas, chief executive officer of the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory, GIA has experienced a 102 percent increase in demand for colored diamond services since 1999.

The lecture series is free for Gem & Jewelry Society members; nonmembers pay $10. The lecture series is open to the public on a space available basis and seating is limited. Reservations for the King lecture close on Friday, Nov. 9. To join the Gem & Jewelry Society of San Diego or to attend the upcoming lecture, call GIA Development assistant Sonia Brodkin at 760-603-4170 or 800-421-7250 ext. 4170.

JCK