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Media Queries Contact: Alexander Angelle, 760-603-4112, alex.angelle@gia.edu

Amy Toosley, 760-603-4197, amy.toosley@gia.edu

Photomicrographs by GIA's Chief Research Scientist
to be Exhibited in Rome

Carlsbad, Calif. - Sept. 27, 2004 - Award-winning photomicrographs by Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Chief Research Scientist John I. Koivula will be featured in a special exhibit in Rome at the Rome Civic Zoological Museum Oct. 5-11, as part of a gemstone inclusion display. Organized by SMATCH (Scientific Methodologies Applied to Cultural Heritage) and sponsored by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the Cultural Section of the American Embassy, the Municipality of Rome, the Italian Gemological Institute (IGI), the Associazione Italiana degli Istituti di Credito su Pegno, the Mineralogy Museum of the University of Rome "La Sapienza", the National Council of Research (CNR) and the University of Rome "La Sapienza", the exhibit will open with a reception on Oct. 5.

The Civic Zoological Museum, located in the heart of Rome, at via Ulysses Aldrovandi, 18, features collections which gravitate toward natural life sciences. The museum houses almost 4 million specimens, including collections of animals, extinct species and shells, fauna from the Roman countryside, Italian birds and insects, and assembled skeletons.

"The photomicrographic images in this exhibition provide a glimpse at this fascinating, limitless micro-cosmos. Hopefully they may stimulate the imagination of the viewer as well," Koivula said.

Koivula has spent much of the last forty years studying and photographing the micro-world of gemstones. His internationally acclaimed photomicrographs have graced the covers and contents of numerous books and magazines. Koivula has also won numerous international awards for the unique images he creates through photomicrography. He is co-author, with Dr. Edward J. Gübelin, of the major gemological reference work, Photoatlas of Inclusions in Gemstones, which features many of his photomicrographs. MicroWorld of Diamonds is another book by Koivula that displays his spectacular photomicrographs. His newest book, Photoatlas of Inclusions in Gemstones: Volume 2, once again co-authored with Dr. Gübelin, is an extension of the earlier work and is scheduled for release in spring 2005.

As a result of his inclusion research and microscopy, Koivula has developed several useful illumination techniques applicable to gemology. In addition, he has authored or co-authored more than 800 articles and notes on gemstone inclusions, microscopy, and related topics for a variety of professional and trade publications. He has been chief research gemologist in the Laboratory for almost two decades.

Explaining his longtime involvement with photomicrography, Koivula said, "The micro-world of gems is seemingly infinite," "Inclusions and their related features provide a fascinating look at natural planetary processes that would otherwise remain hidden from view. They are essentially geologic time capsules ? recordings of growth environments that produced their host gems.

Photomicrography of inclusions also has a significant role in gem identification, Koivula added. "The study of inclusions is one of the most exciting aspects of gemology. It is also one of the most important to the gem trade since it facilitates the separation of nature’s treasures form the over-abundance of treated and synthetic materials."

About GIA: An independent nonprofit organization, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) is recognized as the world's foremost authority in gemology. Established in 1931, GIA has translated its expert knowledge into the most respected gemological education available. In 1953, the Institute created the International Diamond Grading System™ which, today, is recognized by virtually every professional jeweler in the world. Through research, education, gemological laboratory services, and instrument development, the Institute is dedicated to ensuring the public trust in gems and jewelry by upholding the highest standards of integrity, academics, science, and professionalism. Media queries contact: Alexander Angelle 760-603-4112.

Photo cutline: [text]. Photo © 2004 Gemological Institute of America. Reprinted by permission.

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