 | Hong Kong SAR – Building on its mission to spread jewelry knowledge, appreciation and culture, L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific, School of Jewelry Arts, is delighted to announce its newest educational exhibition, ”Discover the Gemstones, Ruby & Sapphire”, which will be available to the public from June 10 to September 30, 2020. Since opening its second permanent campus in Hong Kong last November, L’ÉCOLE Asia Pacific has already welcomed thousands of students through its courses, talks and exhibition, and will now be offering new opportunities to learn more about the rich beauty of gemstones. Through this exhibition co-curated by Olivier Segura, gemologist and Scientific Director at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts and Billie Hughes, gemologist at Lotus Gemology and award-winning photographer, visitors will be able to embark on a journey of discovery and see rubies and sapphires like never before. During the journey, one of the many fascinating things they will learn include the fact that these two precious stones are both scientifically of the same mineral “Corundum”, and both have a similar chemical composition and structure. What leads to a brilliant red ruby or the many colors of sapphires is completely determined by trace amounts of chemical elements found within the gemstone. |
The interactive exhibition will feature photomicrographic images taken by Billie Hughes and will allow visitors to take a closer look at the natural birthmarks - “inclusions” of these minerals. The unique captures of the rainbowlike halos in the Burmese ruby, frosty snowball like crystals in the Madagascar sapphire, or even star-like patterns glowing from within the trapiche ruby are,much more than just beautiful imagery: the solid inclusions and trapped cavities also provide important clues to each gemstone’s place of origin, natural or synthetic composition, or even treatments and enhancements it has undergone. Through Hughes’ work, visitors can explore the microscopic depths and be dazzled by the inner and secret life of gemstones.
