CGA announced the first Canadian gemstone repository called Gem-bank. The CGA will be responsible for collecting and cataloguing donated gemstones from across Canada for use in classrooms and research laboratories.
“We are very excited to finally have a collection of important gemmological samples to accelerate and enrich learning and research in Canada,” said Donna Hawrelko, President of the CGA. “We hope that others will step forward and donate their gemstone collections to help grow our Canadian Gem-bank.”
To kick off the launch of the gemstone library, the CGA received a generous collection from the family of the late Anthony de Goutière, award-winning photomicrographer, gemmologist and a proud recipient of the 2019 CGA Lifetime Achievement Award.
“My father would have been proud that this is now part of a Canada-wide collection,” said Paul de Goutière, owner of de Goutiere Jewellers in Victoria, BC. “He spent his life collecting these gemstone specimens and he would have been honoured that students, educators and researchers will be able to use them.”
The collection will be housed at the CGA head office and will be available for use by approved education and researched facilities in Canada. Through this collection, the CGA hopes to further understanding, knowledge and appreciation of gemstones and minerals in Canada.
