EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL SINKANKAS SYMPOSIUM: ALE XANDRITE AND OTHER COLOR-CHANGE GEMSTONES (VIRTUAL)

Named for one of the most distinguished and influential figures in gemology and mineralogy, the Sinkankas Symposium is an annual event featuring presentations by noted specialists working in diverse gem-related disciplines.

The theme of the Eighteenth Annual Sinkankas Symposium is Alexandrite and Other Color-change Gemstones and will be in a virtual format this year. The virtual experience will feature a menu of ten pre-recorded 30-minute exclusive presentations available to view on-demand from Monday, April 25, 2022 until Monday, June 6, 2022 on the Sinkankas Symposium Eventbrite page. You will be required to register in order to have access to these presentations.

The Sinkankas Symposium has been described as the most important gemological conference in North America by respected authorities on gemstones. Organized by Roger Merk for 13 years (2003-2015), the annual event is co-sponsored by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the Geo-Literary Society, and the Gemological Society of San Diego (GSSD). Bill Larson has been a generous supporter and speaker at the event since its inception.

Recognized specialists in fields ranging from geology and mineralogy to history, treatment, designing and collecting will present on Alexandrite and Other Color-Change Gemstones:

Evan Caplan: Alexandrite, pricing factors and the future market

Bill Larson: Collecting color-change minerals and gemstones from world localities

Çiğdem Lüle: Diaspore from Turkey

Dr. Sally Eaton-Magaña: Color-change phenomena in diamonds

Niveet Nagpal: Designing with color-change gemstones

Dr. Aaron Palke and Dr. George Rossman: Causes of color in color-change gemstones

Nathan Renfro: The micro-world of alexandrite and other color-change gemstones

Stuart Robertson: Price trends of alexandrite and other color-change gemstones

Wim Vertriest: Overview of the geology and mining of alexandrite

Robert Weldon: Gem photography’s biggest challenge: Color-change gemstones

*Presentations are subject to change without notice.

EVENT TIMELINE:

Registration for the Eighteenth Annual Sinkankas Symposium (Virtual) is open March 14 through June 6, 2022, 11PM PDT.

April 25, 2022, 9AM PDT – Start of the Eighteenth Annual Sinkankas Symposium (Virtual). Pre-recorded presentations are available to registrants for viewing on demand.

April 25, 2022, 5PM PDT – Printed Symposium Proceedings may be pre-ordered at: https://sinkankas.dpidirect.com/. The Proceedings Volume features articles contributed by the distinguished guest speakers and is packed with superb photography.

April 25 – May 13, 2022 – Submit questions for the Speakers to: events@gia.edu. Be sure to include in the subject line: Question for [speaker name or moderator].

May 26, 2022 – Q&A video, hosted by Robert Weldon: A compendium of speaker responses to selected attendee questions submitted through May 13th.

June 1, 2022, 5PM PDT – Last day to register to view on-demand speaker presentations.

June 6, 2022, 12PM PDT – Last day to pre-order printed symposia proceedings.

June 6, 2022, 5PM PDT – Close of the Eighteenth Annual Sinkankas Symposium.

June 23, 2022, 5PM PDT – A free downloadable PDF of the proceedings of the Eighteenth Annual Sinkankas Symposium will be available for download. Check back here for the destination URL where the PDF may be downloaded. Copyright permissions apply, no reproduction or cross-posting online, in whole or in part, is permitted, except by explicit written permission of the authors/contributors.

July 1, 2022 – Orders for printed symposia proceedings ship. Please allow up to 21 days for delivery, depending upon destination.