DNA fingerprinting and age dating of pearls and corals at SSEF
Pearl testing was long limited to determining whether a pearl is natural or cultured, and whether a pearl has been treated or not. As we have considerably invested in pearl research in recent years, we have achieved significant breakthroughs, namely DNA fingerprinting for species identification and radiocarbon
Age dating of cobalt spinel
Radiometric U-Pb dating is a promising tool in gemstone testing and is used at SSEF as an advanced analytical procedure since several years. However, this method is usually only applicable when the gemstone presents sufficient traces of radiogenic elements either in its crystal structure or within a solid inclu
Age dating of coral
by Dr. M.S. Krzemnicki, first published in Facette 26 (May 2020) Since 2017, the Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF offers radiocarbon dating of pearls as a service. To further expand our knowledge about this method and its applicability to other biogenic gem materials, we were happy to receive a number of smal
Age dating as a testing procedure for gemstones and biogenic gems
by Dr. M.S. Krzemnicki, first published in Facette 26 (May 2020) Radiometric age dating is a well-established method in geochronology (Earth sciences) and archaeology. There are numerous studies highlighting the use of radioactive decay of U-Pb, K-Ar (amongst many others) for geological age dating and radiocar
Age Dating on Ruby set in Iconic Ruby Necklace by Harry Winston
by Dr. M. S. Krzemnicki & Dr. H.A.O. Wang, first published in Facette 25 (February 2019) Harry Winston was certainly one of the most important and influential jewellers of the 20th century. The son of a small jewellery shop owner, Mr. Winston was fascinated by gems and jewels already at a young ag
U–Pb Dating of Zircon and Zirconolite Inclusions in Marble-Hosted Gem-Quality Ruby and Spinel from Mogok, Myanmar
U–Pb Dating of Zircon and Zirconolite Inclusions in Marble-Hosted Gem-Quality Ruby and Spinel from Mogok, Myanmar. Published in Minerals, 2020, 10, 195. Link to article
New frontiers in pearl analysis: Age dating, DNA fingerprinting and novel radiographic methods (2019)
Presentation by Dr. Michael S. Krzemnicki and Jean-Pierre Chalain at the Pearl Symposium in Bahrain in November 2019.
Age Dating applied as a testing procedure to gemstones and biogenic materials (2019)
Presentation by Dr. Michael S. Krzemnicki at IGC 2019 in Nantes, France.
Radiocarbon 14C dating of pearls: From the study of cultural heritage to cultured pearl identification (2017)
2017 presentation by Dr. Michael Krzemnicki at Jewellery Matters Symposium at Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam (Netherlands).
Radiocarbon Age Dating of 1,000-Year-Old Pearls from the Cirebon Shipwreck (Java, Indonesia)
Radiocarbon Age Dating of 1,000-Year-Old Pearls from the Cirebon Shipwreck (Java, Indonesia). Published in Journal of Gemmology, 2017, 35, 8, 728–736. Author(s): M.S. Krzemnicki, L.E. Cartier, I. Hajdas