Skip to the content

Basel, Switzerland

logo mainlogo darklogo light
  • Testing
    • How to submit

      Please click on the button below to get all the necessary information for your testing inquiries.

      How to submit
    • Quick links
      • Pricing
      • Digital order form
      • Download order form (pdf)
      • Small diamond order form (pdf)
      • On-site testing
    • Reports
      • Verify a SSEF report
      • Understanding a SSEF report
      • SSEF Premium reports
      • GemTrack™
      • Age Dating
      • DNA Fingerprinting
    • More info
      • Coloured Gemstones
      • Diamonds
      • Pearls
      • Small Diamonds
      • Jewellery
  • Education
    • Gemmological courses

      Please click on the button below to discover SSEF’s gemmological course options, calendar and prices.

      Courses options
    • Course programs
      • Basic Gemmology
      • Basic Diamonds
      • ATC Coloured Gemstones
      • ATC Gems & Jewellery
      • Advanced Pearls
      • Advanced Small Diamonds
      • Scientific Gemmology Course
    • More courses with us
      • Understanding Gemstones – Free Online Courses by SSEF
      • Tailored Courses
      • Gem-A Courses & Exams
  • Research library
  • Products
  • Media
  • About
  • Contact
logo main
  • Testing
    • How to submit

      Please click on the button below to get all the necessary information for your testing inquiries.

      How to submit
    • Quick links
      • Pricing
      • Digital order form
      • Download order form (pdf)
      • Small diamond order form (pdf)
      • On-site testing
    • Reports
      • Verify a SSEF report
      • Understanding a SSEF report
      • SSEF Premium reports
      • GemTrack™
      • Age Dating
      • DNA Fingerprinting
    • More info
      • Coloured Gemstones
      • Diamonds
      • Pearls
      • Small Diamonds
      • Jewellery
  • Education
    • Gemmological courses

      Please click on the button below to discover SSEF’s gemmological course options, calendar and prices.

      Courses options
    • Course programs
      • Basic Gemmology
      • Basic Diamonds
      • ATC Coloured Gemstones
      • ATC Gems & Jewellery
      • Advanced Pearls
      • Advanced Small Diamonds
      • Scientific Gemmology Course
    • More courses with us
      • Understanding Gemstones – Free Online Courses by SSEF
      • Tailored Courses
      • Gem-A Courses & Exams
  • Research library
  • Products
  • Media
  • About
  • Contact
logo mainlogo darklogo light
2022

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

Research Blog
Age DatingDNAOrganicsPearl
2022

New pearl oyster species: pinctada persica

We recently tested a pearl jewellery set that consisted of 63 natural pearls, with 61 of them being strung on a thread and two additional loose natural pearls. To our knowledge, this is the first time that pearls from Pinctada persica have been reported.

Research Blog
DNAPearl
2021

Genetic identification of ivory species: research and testing

DNA fingerprinting of ivory involves a scientific method that can provide valuable information about the species of ivory being used in jewellery and ornamental objects, in order to determine whether it is CITES- listed elephant ivory or non-listed mammoth ivory. DNA fingerprinting, together with a morphologica

Research Blog
DNAOrganics
2021

DNA Fingerprinting of Pearls, Corals and Ivory: Research Update

SSEF pioneered DNA fingerprinting of pearls in 2013, in collaboration with scientists from ETH Zürich. This was the first published report of oyster DNA extraction from a pearl, allowing us to trace and fingerprint pearls of unknown origin and match them to the specific oyster species in which they formed.

Research Blog
DNAOrganicsPearl
2020

Precious coral in jewelry: new discoveries

Precious coral in jewelry: new discoveries. Published in GemGuide, November / December 2020, 1-4.

Authors

  • L.E. Cartier
Research Articles
DNAOrganics
2020

A Case Study of Ivory Species Identification Using a Combination of Morphological, Gemmological and Genetic Methods

A Case Study of Ivory Species Identification: Using a Combination of Morphological, Gemmological and Genetic Methods. Published in Journal of Gemmology, 2020, 37 (3), 282-297.

Download PDF

Authors

  • B. Lendvay
  • L.E. Cartier
  • M. Gysi
  • M.S. Krzemnicki
  • N.V. Morf
Research Articles
DNAGemmologyOrganics
2020

DNA fingerprinting: an effective tool for taxonomic identification of precious corals in jewelry

DNA fingerprinting: an effective tool for taxonomic identification of precious corals in jewelry. Published in Scientific Reports, 10(1), 1-12.

Authors

  • A. Kratzer
  • B. Lendvay
  • J.B. Meyer
  • L.E. Cartier
  • M. Gysi
  • M.S. Krzemnicki
  • N.V. Morf
Research Articles
DNAOrganicsTraceability
2019

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.

Presentations
Age DatingDNAPearl
2019

DNA fingerprinting of precious corals an pearls (2019)

Presentation by Dr. Laurent E. Cartier at the International Gemmological Conference (IGC) in Nantes (France) in August 2019.

Presentations
DNAOrganicsPearl
2019

DNA fingerprinting of precious corals and pearls

Presentation by Dr. Laurent E. Cartier at the International Gemmological Conference (IGC) in Nantes (France) in August 2019.

Download PDF

Authors

  • L.E. Cartier
Research Articles
DNAOrganicsPearl

Posts navigation

01 02

Search

Categories

  • Research Blog
  • Research Articles
  • Presentations

Tags

Age Dating Diamond DNA Emerald Gemmology Geochemistry Jade Methods Organics Origins Other Gemstones Pearl Ruby Sapphire Spinel Synthetics Tourmaline Traceability Treatments

Discover our annual magazine

logo SSEF
SCHWEIZERISCHES GEMMOLOGISCHES INTITUT
SWISS GEMMOLOGICAL INSTITUTE
INSTITUT SUISSE DE GEMMOLOGIE
© 2023 SSEF
Legal Disclosure | Terms & Conditions
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy

Address

Aeschengraben 26
CH-4051 Basel
Switzerland

Tel: +41 61 262 06 40

Fax: +41 61 262 06 41

Social

Instagram LinkedIn Twitter

Newsletter

Be up to date with new products

  • Home
  • Testing
    • How to submit
    • Pricing
    • On-site testing
  • Reports
    • Verify a SSEF report
    • Understanding a SSEF report
    • SSEF Premium reports
    • GemTrack
    • Age Dating
    • DNA Fingerprinting
  • Education
    • Gemmological courses
    • Understanding Gemstones – Free Online Courses by SSEF
    • Tailored Courses
    • Gem-A Courses & Exams
  • Research library
  • Products
  • Media
  • About SSEF
  • Contact
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}