WE TEST AND GRADE ORGANIC GEMS TOO

Photo: Indications of shrink treatment in Aquilaria spp. sample

PEARLS - NACREOUS AND NON-NACREOUS

AGARWOOD / EAGLEWOOD / OUD

As the only non-trading gemological laboratory outside of China providing agarwood authentication services, GemRight Gemology aims to distinguish natural Aquilaria spp. materials from the cultivated and treated types in the market. As such, we employed the following identification terms in our reports as part of our effort to support the trade in proper disclosures:

  • Natural Qinan Agarwood 天然奇楠沉香 - refers to the highest quality of resinous materials from natural Aquilaria spp. trees grown and formed in the wild as part of a mutation. This excludes Bodhisattva Qinan (or 菩萨奇). We do not differentiate between the types of Qinan agarwood commonly used in the trade.

  • Natural Agarwood 天然沉香 - refers to all other resinous materials from natural Aquilaria spp. trees grown and formed in the wild.

  • Cutlivated Agarwood 种植沉香 - refers to resinous materials from Aquilaria spp. trees grown and formed in a plantation environment.

  • Aquilaria spp. 沉香木 - refers to materials that display the Aquilaria spp. anatomy, but does not have any resinous formation or have been treated artificially (treatment type will be separately disclosed).

  • For all other materials, we do not issue any report. Fees for testing still apply for these cases.

Material forms that we accept:

  1. Raw resinous materials that have been sufficiently cleaned of its Aquilaria fibrous, non-resinous parts

  2. Carved items from the raw materials, e.g. carvings, beads, pendants, spheres, jewellery parts. Please contact us if in doubt.

Examples of items we do not test:

  1. Incense

  2. Essential oils

  3. Powders

Difference between Concise and Standard Reports:

  • Both report types are produced after the same rigorous testing process and will provide the material identification and treatment disclosure.

  • Standard Reports will also include:

    • A magnification photographic evidence most representative of the item

    • Scent Type 香系 - Hoi An Type 惠安系 or Xing Zhou Type 星洲系

    • Resin formation 结香 - Sinking 沉水香, Near Sinking 栈香, Non-Sinking 黄熟香

    • Fragrance strength 香气:

      • Room Temperature 生闻

      • Warm Temperature 热闻

      • Poor < Fair < Good < Very Good < Excellent (< Exceptional, reserved for items of distinction)

CORAL / AMBER / SHELL / BONE

For these materials, the reporting format will largely follow the format for coloured gemstones. Please refer to the relevant section.

FOR BUSINESSES CONDUCTING IMPORT/EXPORT/Re-EXPORT OF CITES-LISTED ENDANGERED MATERIALs and DERIVATIVEs

We provide technical reports that support businesses’ custom declaration of certain controlled materials through gemological/specialised identification. This does not replace the need to apply for a CITES licence through the relevant local authorities for trading to occur and it is not required for the application. It acts as supplementary technical evidence to support clarity, especially in complex or higher-risk cases. With the suite of advanced testing equipment and a distinctive non-trading position, GemRight Gemology is well placed to provide independent, scientific and objective identification for relevant parties.

These materials include we can provide this technical reports for:

  • Agarwood (raw, carvings, chips, beads) - Aquilaria spp.

  • Stony/hard, reef-building corals (live, dead, skeletons, cut, beads, carvings, ornaments, stone decor) - All under the Scleractinia order. Acropora spp., Porites spp., Montipora spp., Favia spp., Favites spp., Pocillopora spp., Goniopora spp., Stylophora spp., Turbinaria spp., Seriatopora spp., etc.

  • Precious corals (beads, cabochons, carvings, finished jewellery, cut, fragments, whole skeletons) - All under the Coralliidae family. Corallium rubum, Corallium japonicum, Corallium elatius, Pleurocorallium spp.

  • Black corals (soft, deep water coral) - All under Antipatharia order

  • Giant clams (whole shells, cut slabs, carvings, beads, jewellery, decorative objects, etc) - All under the Tridacnidae family, such as Tridacna gigas, Tridacna maxima, Tridacna crocea, Hippopus spp.

  • Queen conch (whole shells, cameos, beads, jewellery, carvings, etc) - Aliger gigas (formerly Strombus gigas and Lobatus gigas)

  • Elephant ivory (raw, worked, beads, carvings, jewellery) - all under Loxodonta and Elephas spp.

  • Hippopotamus ivory - Hippopotamus amphibius

  • Nautilus shell - Nautilus pompilius

  • Fossil mammoth ivory - all under Mammuthus genus

As a gentle reminder, the following materials are prohibited from commercial trade:

  • Marine turtle shell

  • Rhinoceros horn

  • Whale bone and teeth

for the gemstones and jewellery buyers out there, insisting on our reports is insisting on a peace of mind for your precious purchase.

For businesses in the gems and jewellery trade, insisting on our services is insisting on building lasting credibility that differentiates.

Teo Wei Hong, G.G., Founder and Gemologist

Enquiries?