GIA marked a milestone birthday on Aug. 27 with a celebration that drew some of the best-known names in the gem and jewelry industry. The 75th Diamond Anniversary Gala featured a $50 million GIA Museum exhibit, a concert by Grammy-nominated singer Chris Isaak, and a dramatic fireworks display.
The gala was part of the Institute's 4th International Gemological Symposium, held Aug. 27–29 at San Diego's Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel, which brought the global gem and jewelry community together to discuss, debate, and explore the industry's most pressing issues and latest trends.
The three-day event, which drew 1,332 attendees, began Sunday afternoon with a keynote address by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright, titled "Opportunities and Danger: The World in 2006."
"I don't have to tell you that GIA is more than just another industry association," Albright said. "From the time of Robert Shipley to the era of Bill Boyajian, Donna Baker, and Ralph Destino, it has been blessed with the rarest quality of all – outstanding and inspirational leadership. I am honored to help you celebrate the Institute's 75th birthday – but even more the beginning of its second 75 years."
Other keynote speakers included consumer behavior expert Paco Underhill, who delivered Monday's address on "The Consumer of the 21st Century"; Frank Abagnale, the subject of Steven Spielberg's movie Catch Me If You Can, who shared his life story and lessons from his work as one of the FBI's leading fraud prevention specialists; and Deepak Chopra, a leader in the field of mind/body medicine.
More than a dozen speaker sessions and debate centers were also offered on a variety of concerns such as synthetic diamonds, cultured pearls, luxury markets, new gem identification technologies, and the future of the diamond industry.
One of the sessions, "Consumer Confidence – It's All About Trust," included participants from the World Gold Council, the De Beers Diamond Information Center, and the Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices. Panelists discussed how the industry can approach issues such as consumer awareness, money laundering, and concerns raised by the upcoming movie The Blood Diamond.
Concurrent with the speaker sessions, more than 90 posters explored a wide range of gemological topics in this "Marketplace of New Ideas."
Maurice Tempelsman, chairman of the board at Lazare Kaplan International, delivered Tuesday's closing remarks. His speech, "Tradition and Transition," marked his third consecutive Symposium address and focused on the changing face of the diamond industry.
"The fundamentals of our industry are no longer driven by supply, but increasingly and inexorably by issues of ultimate consumer demand," Tempelsman said. "For all those who are stakeholders along the diamond pipeline – from producer nations and mining companies upstream, to manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and their bankers downstream – there is no single fact, and no single transition, more important than this one."
In addition to the gala, Symposium attendees socialized and networked at several evening events, including Monday's poolside Sunset Soirée and Tuesday's dinner and fashion show, themed "Moods, Sensations, Differentiations: The Soul and Future of Italian Jewelry."
The first Symposium was held in 1982 in honor of GIA's 50th anniversary the preceding year, with subsequent Symposia held in 1991 and 1999. Full coverage of the 2006 Symposium will appear in GIA's two print publications. The proceedings, including formal abstracts of all speaker and poster presentations, will be published in the Fall issue of Gems & Gemology. Comprehensive coverage of the educational and social events will appear in the Fall issue of The Loupe: GIA World News. Both will be available in early November.
For a complete list of sponsors, visit www.symposium.gia.edu/07a_sponsors.htm. Brief video highlights of the event can also be viewed by visiting www.symposium.gia.edu.
Image 1: Donna Baker, acting president of GIA, listens as former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright answers an audience member's question. Albright spent more than 40 minutes responding to a variety of questions. Photo GIA © 2006.
Image 2: Grammy-nominated Chris Isaak and his band performed some of his most popular songs, such as "San Francisco Days" and "Wicked Game", at GIA's 75th anniversary gala. Photo GIA © 2006.
Image 3: GIA marked its 75th birthday with a dramatic fireworks display. Photo GIA © 2006.
19th September 2006