Volume 22 No. 4. October 1990 The Journal of Gemmology THE GEMMOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION AND GEM TESTING LABORATORY OF GREAT BRITAIN OFFICERS AND COUNCIL President: Sir Frank Claringbull, Ph.D., FInst.P, FGS Vice-President: R. K. Mitchell, FGA Council of Management D.J. Callaghan, FGA N.WDeeks,FGA N.B. Israel, FGA E.A. Jobbins, B.Sc, C.Eng., FIMM, FGA I. Thomson, FGA V.P Watson, FGA K. Scarratt, FGA : Chief Executive R.R. Harding, B.Sc, D.Phil., FGA : Director of Gemmology Members' Council A.J.Allnutt,M.Sc, D. Inkersole, FGA PG. Read, C.Eng., Ph.D., FGA B. Jackson, FGA MIEE, MIERE, FGA C. R. Cavey, FGA G.H. Jones, B.Sc, Ph.D., FGA I. Roberts, FGA P J. E.Daly, B.Sc, FGA H.Levy,M.Sc,BA,FGA E.A. Thomson, T. Davidson, FGA J. Kessler Hon. FGA R. Fuller, FGA G. Monnickendam R. Velden J.A.W Hodgkinson, L. Music D. Warren FGA J.B. Nelson, Ph.D., FRMS, C.H. Winter, FGA EInst.E, FGA Branch Chairmen: Midlands Branch: D.M. Larcher, FBHI, FGA North-West Branch: W Franks, FGA Examiners: A. J. Allnutt, M.Sc, Ph.D., FGA D. G. Kent, FGA E. M. Bruton, FGA P Sadler, B.Sc, FGS, FGA A. E. Farn, FGA K. Scarratt, FGA R. R. Harding, B.Sc, D.Phil., FGA E. Stern, FGA E. A. Jobbins, B.Sc, C. Eng., FIMM, FGA M. Virkkunen, M.Phil., FGA G. H. Jones, B.Sc, Ph.D., FGA C. Woodward, B.Sc, FGA Editor: E. A. Jobbins, B.Sc, C.Eng., FIMM, FGA Editorial Assistant: Mary A. Burland Curator: C. R. Cavey, FGA Gemmological Association and Gem Testing Laboratory of Great Britain 27 Greville Street, London EC1N 8SU Telephone: 071-404 3334 Fax: 071-404 8843 The Journal of Gemmology VOLUME 22 NUMBER FOUR OCTOBER 1990 Cover Picture A series of necklaces fashioned from a variety of gem materials. Identification will be provided in the January issue. (See 'Bead buyers and parcel pickers filter set', page 212) 194 J. Gemm., 1990, 22,4 The merger Many members will be aware that the Gemmolo- in the signing of an agreement between the Labora­ gical Association has merged with the Gem Testing tory and the GA on 6 August 1990. This agreement Laboratory of Great Britain. This merger was was ratified at the Extraordinary General Meeting recommended by the Council of the G A at a meeting on 4 September 1990. on 25 June 1990 and was agreed by attending Professional advice was given to the effect that members and proxy voters at an Extraordinary the most efficient way to effect the merger would be General Meeting held on 4 September 1990. Other for the GA to transfer its assets to the Laboratory. At members may wonder about the reasons for this the same time the Laboratory would change its merger and therefore we set out below the back­ name to The Gemmological Association and Gem ground events leading up to this decision. Testing Laboratory of Great Britain' and admit the The Gemmological Association can trace its Association members to the relevant class of mem­ history back to 6 July 1908 when it was proposed at bership. GA and Laboratory members would all the Annual Conference of the National Association have one vote at all General Meetings of the merged of Goldsmiths that teaching courses and examina­ company. The Laboratory has also altered its tions in gemmology be launched. The first Gem- Memoranda of Association to include the Educa­ mology Diplomas were awarded by the NAG in tional Aims of the Association and its Articles of 1913. In October 1931 the GA was formally inaugu­ Association to include provision for a Members' rated as a NAG branch. In 1938 the Association's Council. title was changed to the Gemmological Association The actual day-to-day management of the new of Great Britain, and in April 1947 it was incorpo­ company is under the control of a Council of rated as an independent Company. Management which consists initially of the Chief Throughout its history the GA has operated from Executive (Ken Scarratt), the Director of Gemmol­ the NAG premises with its administration being ogy (Roger Harding), supported' by six non­ carried out by NAG staff. This arrangement has executive directors. These would all have to be become increasingly difficult as both Associations elected (if they wished to stand) at the first Annual have developed along different lines and last year General Meeting of the merged company. At each the NAG intimated to our Association that the joint Annual General Meeting thereafter a third would administration would come to an end on 31 Decem­ retire by rotation, but could stand for re-election. ber 1990. It was decided therefore that it would be The Members' Council is envisaged rather along most convenient for our Association, as well as its the lines of a Board of Trustees. It cannot interfere subsidiary Gemmological Instruments Ltd., to in the day-to-day management of the Company, but move to new premises at 27 Greville Street, Lon­ will be empowered to enquire into all operations, don, on 30 June 1990. and, if it considers it necessary, to take its recom­ When, last year, the separation from the NAG mendations directly to the Members by calling an became a probability the Officers of the Association Extraordinary General Meeting of the Company. had to consider its future - the primary concern The Members' Council has been appointed initially being the continuity of its operations. However, it from the current Council of the Association and the was also necessary to explore ways by which the Committee of the Laboratory. All will retire at the Association could expand and prosper in the future. second Annual General Meeting of the merged It was considered that a close association with the company, but may stand for re-election. At each Gem Testing Laboratory of Great Britain could be Annual General Meeting thereafter a third will beneficial. The Gem Testing Laboratory is the retire by rotation, but may stand for re-election. world's oldest such laboratory, founded in 1925 with The members of the Council of Management are Basil Anderson as Director. It has become a world not, of course, eligible to serve on the Members' leader in commercial gem testing and dia­ Council. mond grading, as well as in gemmological research. We have also been advised that it would be When considering the history of our Association prudent to keep the Gemmological Association of and the difficulties encountered over several years Great Britain in existence and the mechanisms to with its relationship with the NAG we became achieve this were included in the resolutions passed extremely anxious that our Association should not at the recent Extraordinary General Meeting. re-create these problems by entering into some sort To summarize, the Gemmological Association of partnership with another independent organiza­ and the Gem Testing Laboratory have amalgamated tion. It was felt, therefore, that we should investi­ to form a single organization with a common gate the possibility of a complete merger with the administration. The educational aims of the GA will Laboratory. A series of meetings followed where the be expanded and the Laboratory services will be proposal was discussed at length. These culminated widened. JJ.. Gemm.Gemm.,, 19901990,22,4, 22,4 191955 GemstonGemstonee prospectprospectss iinn CentraCentrall NigeriNigeriaa J. Kanis* andand R.R. R.R. Harding** *Cascais*Cascais,, PortugalPortugal **Scienc**Sciencee DepartmentsDepartments:: MineralogyMineralogy,, NaturaNaturall HistorHistoryy MuseumMuseum,, CromwelCromwelll RoadRoad,, LondoLondonn SWSW77 5BDt5BD† AbstracAbstractt IntroductioIntroductionn The localities localities and and geological geological setting setting of recent of recent gem-stone gem­ ArounAroundd 19819800 ththee firsfirstt informatioinformationn abouaboutt newnew stone mininminingg activitieactivitiess iinn centracentrall NigeriNigeriaa araree brieflybriefly gemstongemstonee discoveriediscoveriess iinn CentraCentrall NigeriNigeriaa reachereachedd thethe described. Aquamarine Aquamarine and and topaz topaz occur occur in areas in areas generally gener­ outsidoutsidee worlworldd anandd bbyy ththee middlmiddlee ooff ththee eightieseighties ally relaterelatedd ttoo ththee edgeedgess ooff YoungeYoungerr GranitGranitee bodiesbodies.. NigeriNigeriaa hahadd becombecomee aann importanimportantt produceproducerr ofof Tourmalines are associated with pegmatites of the Older Tourmalines are associated with pegmatites of the Older aquamarineaquamarine,, topaztopaz,, tourmalintourmalinee anandd sapphire.sapphire. A fewfew Granite bodies. bodies. Sapphires Sapphires and andzircons zircons have beenhave extracted been ex­ articles about Nigerian gemstones were published tracted frofromm eluviaeluviall depositdepositss oonn weathereweatheredd alkalialkali articles about Nigerian gemstones were published basaltsbasalts.. ThThee gem-qualitgem-qualityy zirconzirconss rangrangee frofromm reredd toto betweebetweenn 19821982 anandd 19871987 (se(seee references)references),, bubutt thesethese colourlescolourlesss anandd chemicachemicall analyseanalysess araree reportereportedd ooff stonesstones deadeall mainlmainlyy witwithh theitheirr microscopimicroscopicc anandd physicalphysical covering this this range. range. propertiesproperties.. / / / / \ .sOkm Fig.Fig. 1.1. SketchSketch mapmap ofof partpart ofof PlateauPlateau andand KadunaKaduna States,States, Nigeria;Nigeria; locationlocation ofof placesplaces mentionedmentioned inin thethe text.text. tf Present address: GemmologicaGemmologicall AssociatioAssociationn anandd GeGemm TestinTestingg LaboratorLaboratoryy ooff GreaGreatt BritainBritain,, 2277 GrevillGrevillee StreetStreet,, LondoLondonn EC1ECINN 8SU8SU.. © CopyrightCopyright