SSEF Mourns the Loss of Former Director Professor Henry A. Hänni
January 13, 2025 Basel, Switzerland – It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Professor Henry A. Hänni, former Director of the Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF, who died peacefully at his home in Basel on January 9, 2025, surrounded by his family. Professor Hänni, whose remarkable career spa
SSEF validates the ASDI-500 device and provides unique worldwide service for melee diamonds down to 0.5mm
ASDI-500, is the world’s first automatic device to verify the nature of diamonds – natural diamonds VS laboratory-grown diamonds VS diamond simulants – down to the tiny size of half a millimeter (0.5mm or 500 micrometers, hence its name ASDI 500).
50 years of SSEF: special symposium & gathering of key industry leaders in Basel
For 50 years, the Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF has been the forefront of scientific gemmological research and testing to support a thriving gemstone and jewellery trade. In tribute of both its mission and accomplishments, some 150 industry leaders and opinion-makers from around the world gathered in Basel
SSEF conducts analysis of cobalt-blue spinel from a newly reported source in Tanzania
For several months already a supply of blue cobalt-bearing spinel has been appearing in the gem trade, including some stones of remarkable size -up to 40 carats- and quality. According to information from reliable sources, the source of the new find is a deposit located about 20 kilometres south-east of Mahenge
Scientists report breakthrough in precious coral traceability using novel genetic-testing method on samples seized by customs
BASEL, SWITZERLAND: FEBRUARY 14, 2022 – An international research group led by scientists from the Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF and the University of Zurich’s Institute of Forensic Medicine (IRM) has reported a breakthrough in precious coral jewellery traceability, through the use of a novel forensical
New emeralds from Musakashi in Zambia appear in the market
Advanced testing using Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LAICPMS) on an anomalous stone from a batch of 10 emeralds submitted to the Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF has indicated that it is likely to have been sourced at Musakashi, in the Solwezi district of central Zambia. This sug
SSEF launches free online courses on major gems in English, French and simplified Chinese
The Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF has launched a series of free-of-charge, online courses, entitled “Understanding Gemstones.” With each covering a specific gem, the courses are comprehensive and self-paced by the student, who is able to start and complete them at any time via SSEF’s Internet-based le
SSEF scientists author first published study of new high-quality emerald type from Afghanistan
The first detailed study characterising an emerald type from Afghanistan that has recently become available in the gemstone trade has been prepared by a team of scientists from the Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF, and published in the most recent edition of Journal of Gemmology. One of the challenges posed by
SSEF introducing new service using DNA fingerprinting technology that finally enables identification of pearl species
The Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF is introducing a new service to support the documentation of the origin and provenance of pearls, in partnership with the Institute of Forensic Medicine at the University of Zurich. It is made possible by a substantial expansion of the organisation’s DNA fingerprinting re
Breakthrough scientific study on precious coral identification leads to new DNA coral fingerprinting service by SSEF
BASEL, SWITZERLAND: MAY 19, 2020 – A breakthrough study entitled “DNA fingerprinting: an effective tool for taxonomic identification of precious corals in jewelry”, authored by researchers from the Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF and the University of Zurich’s Institute of Forensic Medicine (IRM)