JWA 2021 Jewellery Industry Best Practices

these attributes into simple numbers, aptly called the Gübelin Points. “Before this, there was no common language for describing the key characteristics of gemstones,” says Nyfeler. “Our rating system was inspired by the Parker Wine Rating System, which also aims to describe a very complex product by using numbers; giving its followers a clear picture of a product’s quality with just one look.” To accomplish this, the Gübelin team pored through its massive database of gemmological knowledge. After analysing the data, the lab was able to determine traits that are considered to be the most precious, along with relative parameters that measure a gem’s rarity. INDUSTRY SOLUTION As the jewellery and gemstone trade embraces more digital settings, customers are now able to make purchases without having to physically touch the gemstones. This turns the Gübelin Rating System into a tool of empowerment for the consumer. “This new service shifts some of the authority of interpretation from the seller to the final customers, empowering and giving the latter more confidence in buying their precious stones,” explains Nyfeler. Also worth noting is how Gübelin aims to share this language to the world. “After some time, we would like to turn the current system into an open source, thus enabling third parties such as other gem labs to use it autonomously in their own assessments. The intention is to make our rating system a true industry solution,” he continues. The Gübelin Rating System also helps jewellers reduce their environmental footprint, since it eliminates the unnecessary back-and-forth commute of gemstones between buyers and sellers, along with physical meetings that were previously required in completing such transactions. With travel bans and lockdowns in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the staff of Gübelin found that they had more time to complete their scientific pursuits. “Our gemmologists – most of whom are experienced researchers coming from the fields of geology, mineralogy, geochemistry, material sciences and related areas – intensified their research and development activities. The slowdown in business allowed us to grow our scientific knowledge and develop new services,” reveals Nyfeler. This led to another major initiative, named “GemTelligence” – a digital “super-expert” that contains a comprehensive database of all the high-end stones that the lab has tested over the decades. “GemTelligence is the next big innovation. It will undoubtedly have a major impact in how we do our work and how we serve the industry,” promises Nyfeler. 1. The Gübelin Rating System identifies the quality, rarity and salience of a gemstone and translates these attributes into simple numbers, known as the Gübelin Points 2. Kashmir sapphire 3. Raphael Gübelin, President of Gübelin 4. A gemmologist subjects a gemstone to microscopic analysis 5. Rubellites are in the scope of the Gübelin Gemstone Rating service 4 3 5