Jewellery testing
Preferrably, gemstones should be submitted to SSEF for testing in a loose unmounted state. Coloured gemstones set in jewellery can generally be tested as far the mounting permits it. For colour grading of ruby and sapphire (e.g. pigeon blood red and royal blue), stones need to be submitted loose. Diamonds cannot be graded in jewellery and must be unmounted for testing. Pearls may need to be unmounted depending on the setting. For prices please see our price list. Please contact us for inquiries regarding if a gemstone/pearl needs to be unmounted before testing.
Get your jewellery items tested by us.
For any question regarding our testing services, please do not hesitate to contact us.
SSEF at auction
55.22 ct ‘Estrela de Fura’ ruby from Mozambique (unheated) mounted in a ring sold at Sotheby’s New York in June 2023 for US$ 34,804,500. Photo: Sotheby’s.
Famous jewellery items tested by us
The Graff ruby, the Aga Khan emerald, the Peacock sapphire necklace or the Sunrise ruby have been tested by the Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF.
SSEF’s Curated Collection
As part of its educational mission, SSEF began curating its own jewellery collection in 2022—a growing archive of exemplary pieces that illustrate key movements, styles, and makers in the history of jewellery.Our testing philosophy
SSEF’s four core values reflect a strong commitment to advancing the science of gemstone testing, maintaining the highest standards, and safeguarding independence. The abbreviation SSEF stands for “Schweizerische Stiftung für Edelstein-Forschung,” or in English: Swiss Foundation for the Research of Gemstones.
Explore our research library
Estrela de Fura: an exceptional ruby of 55 ct
On the 8th of June 2023, the Estrela de Fura ruby was sold at Sotheby’s in New York for a world record price of US$ 34.8 million. This ruby of 55.22 ct was cut from a 101 ct piece of rough, discovered in July 2022 near Montepuez in Mozambique, in a mine operated by the Fura Gems company.
Unravelling the secrets of antique jewellery
Testing of antique jewellery at SSEF may provide insights which go far beyond simple gem testing. They add valuable information to the jewel, starting from its design and craftsmanship in the making, the choice of colours and qualities of gemstones, or the facet arrangement and proportions of old cu
SSEF jewellery collection: a brooch by René Boivin (1944)
In 2022 the SSEF began its project of establishing a jewellery collection illustrating the history of jewellery to accompany the Advanced History of Jewellery Course held at SSEF (next taking place July 15-19 2024 in Basel). I was thrilled by this visionary approach – and grateful for this unique
Exceptional non-nacreous pearls and pearl jewellery
Over the past few months, we have again analysed a number of outstanding, historic, or gemmologically interesting pearls. These include natural pearls from gastropods and non-nacreous shells.
SSEF GemTrack™: exceptional cases from the last few months
Since January 2019, SSEF offers the gem trade a tracking service and document, known as SSEF GemTrackTM. It not only allows the client to track a gemstone in time, but is also an attractive option for our clients to tell the story of the provenance of a specific and exceptional gemstone to their cus
Pearls & diamonds: a royal selection
The SSEF is known worldwide as a leading authority in gem testing, and as such we have the great pleasure to scientifically analyse some of the most prestigious and important jewellery before it is offered up for auction or in private sales. Apart from testing the gem materials in such jewellery, we
Beware: Laser Damage in Sapphires due to Jewellery Repair
Having personally tested gemstones for more than 20 years now, the author of this short note was quite shocked in recent months to see distinct laser damage features on quite a number of sapphires which were submitted to us by different clients.