Visiting gem mine Sri Lanka -  Checking gemstone

Laetitia the gemologist of Kiliaan Jewelry

How do you recognize real gemstones, synthetic variants, glass, or plastic?

You want to buy a beautiful piece of jewelry but you have doubts. Because is this a real gemstone? That question is more complex than you think. At first glance, you often think you know which stone it is, but this can often be a very wrong assumption. For example, red garnet or red spinel may look like ruby, ​​but they are not. The garnet or the spinel are beautiful stones but represent a different value than a real ruby. That's why you must know which gemstone is in the jewelry you want to buy and pay the right price.

For almost 30 years Laetitia is interested in gemstones and minerals. For a long time, she worked annually, together with a gemologist on the famous Tuscon Gem Shows.

It was during these shows that she became more and more interested in the magical world of gemstones. It became her passion.

Studying at the world-famous Gemological Institute of America

Her announcement that she was starting a study of Gemology at the famous Gemological Institute of America, the GIA, was therefore not surprising at all.

The first study was Colored (colored by mother nature) Stones. She stepped into the world of precious gemstones and learned to identify an impressive variety of gemstones. She studied hard to evaluate the gems by color, quality, and of course rarity.

Diamonds and pearls

After graduating on Colored Stones she started studying the art and science of diamond grading. During that time you could find her from the morning till the evening in the laboratory. Lab classes were her favorite; every diamond slid through her fingers. It wasn’t surprising that Laetitia graduated also in diamonds. And now she is intrigued by the lab-grown diamond, how it is produced, and the consequences for the natural diamond trade. She already has written different articles about this subject.

Her expertise is the base for the Kiliaan Jewelry Collection to choose and buy gemstones. After visiting a pearl farm in Lombok, it took her not long to start the study of Pearls. And fortunately, she is also a certified pearl specialist. 

Are you looking for that special gem? Don't hesitate to e-mail or check our jewelry collection.

Laetitia Ruchtie Graduate Gemologist