[caption id="attachment_3207" align="alignleft" width="448"] Kirsty Wilson, an Administration Assistant within The Laboratory for the last 6 years, has taken on Michelle’s previous role as Melt and Assay Co-ordinator in addition to providing support to the Lab’s administration team. There are also more new faces in the Laboratory. Pictured here is Alex Jones, Assistant Chemist, Tayyaba Rizvi, Assistant Chemist, Matthew Rose, Assistant Analytical Chemist, and Gurpal Bhogal, Assist…

Plaque winner Faye Grove[/caption] Faye’s design caught the eye of the judges as it was three dimensional and contemporary while also being clearly legible.  The plaque is being produced in the traditional Jewellery Quarter style, using a handful of specialists to cast, spin and engrave the various components. The final product will be fixed very firmly to the wall.

Eric Knowles[/caption] Eric presented a highly entertaining précis of his career as an auctioneer interspersing amusing anecdotes with references to “finds” which clearly demonstrated his wealth of knowledge.  The Conference attracted a record 198 delegates and as usual offered a diversity of informative workshops ranging from highly technical innovations in the gemstone world, through valuing Asian Jewellery to inspecting antique silver. The education was tightly sandw…