WORLD GEM FOUNDATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Gem Academy of Canada / Gem Academy of Belgium
After launching her jewellery line at the age of 15, Alisson stayed in the gem world. She travelled extensively to gem-rich sites. Thanks to this precious field experience, she takes pleasure in augmenting her lessons with real-life stories. Teaching and sharing the knowledge of gems is a vocation for her.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Instructor / Tutor - British Gem Academy
Beth West, the principal tutor at GCS, is a gemmologist, educator and writer with over fifteen years' experience in the jewellery industry in varying senior roles. As a Fellow and Diamond Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain and a member of the Federation of European Education in Gemmology, she has a wealth of passion for her subject, and is driven by a desire to share her knowledge with others. Outside of her immediate professional responsibilities as the laboratory director, she has worked as a diploma level tutor for Gem-A for over five years, and also as a consultant for De Beers Institute of Diamonds, designing and writing educational content. She is also involved in number of other projects, with a particular focus on the importance of gemmological education along the supply chain, which drives her work as a committed volunteer for the NGO, Diamonds for Peace.
Job Titles:
- Gem Academy of Canada / Gem Academy of Belgium
After nine years of management in retail in France, and then six years dedicated to the well-being of everyone as a naturopath, Caroline joined EGM. Organised and dynamic, in a constant search for improvement, she puts her good humour and efficiency at the service of students and teachers. Her experience in terms of project management and change management is invaluable in supporting the EGM in its dynamic evolution and development.
Job Titles:
- Lombas - Director of Education
Cristina Rzepka de Lombas is a geologist, gemmologist, appraiser of gemstones and jewellery and an expert in diamond and coloured gemstone grading.
Currently Cristina serves on the Board of Directors of the Instituto Gemológico Español (IGE) in Madrid, Spain where she also teaches their ‘Gems of Organic Origin' course.
Job Titles:
- Gem Academy of Canada / Gem Academy of Belgium
As WGF gemmologist and gemmologist certified by the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, Dorian is a former student of the school who knows how to effectively prepare students for their WGF exams. He provides valuable support for the logistics of all EGM courses and ensures their optimal organization. He also teaches introductory courses in gemmology and assists participants in the pearl and diamond workshops.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Director of Education
- Managing Director of Mincraft Company
Gamini is the Managing Director of Mincraft Company, a member of the Congress Committee and Communications Committee of the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA), as well as serving as the organization's Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Executive Committee Member of the Sri Lanka Gem & Jewellery Association, Former President and current Executive Committee Member of the Gemmologists Association of Sri Lanka (GASL), Board member for the International Gemmological Conference (IGC), he holds a Master's Degree in Geology from the University of Moscow and Doctorate in Mineral Exploration from Delft University, Netherlands and is an FGA (Gem-A) and G.G. (GIA) gemological graduate.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Co - Founder - French - Swiss Gem Academy
- Head of the International Gem Academy AGAT
Dr. Laurent Massi completed his PhD studies on ‘Atomic-scale Defects in Brown and Hydrogen-rich Diamonds' at the Department of Physics at Nantes University in France under the direction of Professor Emmanuel Fritsch. During his studies he also taught gemology in Paris at the French National Gemological Institute. Dr. Massi subsequently taught gemology and gave presentations at conferences in numerous countries all around the world.
With more than 20 years of experience in the Gems & Jewelry industry, Dr. Massi was the Director of the Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences (AIGS) Gem Laboratory and Gem School based in Bangkok - Thailand. He then completed his Graduate Gemologist (GG) studies at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) headquarters in Carlsbad, USA and then became the Director of the new GIA Thailand Campus located in Bangkok - Thailand.
Back to France Dr. Massi has been the head of the international gem academy AGAT (for ‘Academy of Applied & Technical Gemology') located on the French Riviera, in Nice - France, as well as the co-founder of the French-Swiss Gem Academy (from the World Gem Foundation).
In addition to a variety of scientific and educational publications on different precious stones such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires and on rarer gemstones such as clinohumite, color-change bastnäsite and hibonite, one of the rarest gems on Earth, Dr. Massi traveled around the world in many mining areas and gem markets to collect samples and valuable information that will later be used in his lectures, teachings, fine art photomicrographs (as the ones displayed on this page) and NFTs.
Geoffrey Dominy is an author, independent gemmologist and jewellery appraiser who appeared on the Canadian Antiques Roadshow for four seasons. He received his F.G.A through the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A) in 1987 passing the diploma examinations with distinction.Throughout the 1990's, Geoff developed and taught the ‘Gemmology' program at Red River Community College and The University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, worked for the Canadian Institute of Gemmology, was President and Founder of the Jewellery Appraisers Association of Canada and was a contributing author for the 5th & 6th Editions of Robert Webster's ‘Gems' which even today is considered one of the most authoritative textbooks in Gemmology. He is also the author and creator of the digital e-book 'The Handbook of Gemmology'. First released in 2013, the handbook has now been sold or downloaded in fifty-three countries, is used by fourteen schools, colleges, universities and gemmological organizations as their recommended textbook and features the award winning photography of the Tino Hammid and Jeff Scovil. In 2016, Geoff created 'Gemmology Today', a quarterly gemmological publication that now has a readership of over 20,000 and has been viewed and downloaded in over 50 countries. In 2019, Geoff published 'Gemología Para Todos', a Spanish translation of the first fourteen chapters of the Handbook of Gemmology. In 2021, he created ColourWise, a digital colour grading system now taught in our Coloured Gemstone Grading 2 course.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Director of Education
- CEO & Director of Education - South American Gem Academy
- Member of the Organisation Internationale Des Experts
Gérard Raphaël Quintin is born in Paris France where he studied Art and Design and graduated from Ecole Boulle. His taste for the diamond world may have been inherited from an uncle who worked in the diamond business. In 1978 he took the gemology colored stone and diamond course with GIA while he was mining diamonds in the Sewa River in Sierra Leone and where he started the first diamond cutting center in West Africa. In Abidjan Côte d'Ivoire in 1992 Gérard founded the diamond cutting formation center with a gemological laboratory 'Hardy's', followed by the installation of the colored stone and diamond cutting facilities in the jewelry school EIBMA. Continuing his tour in the world of gemstones, Gérard went to Madagascar as an expert for a French Government project to develop the organization and skill of the gems sector. Professor of Gemology in the Jean Guehenno Jewelry School in Saint-Amand-Montrond France, he then moved to Bolivia to fund and manage the ‘Instituto Gemologico Boliviano' where students learn gemology and the art of gem cutting. Since 1997 Gérard has been a member of the Organisation Internationale des Experts based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Haimanot is a graduate of the World Gem Foundation and an opal cutter based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She has a BSc in Computer Science, is the Director of Operations for Project Africa, Associate Editor of Gemmology Today and an instructor / tutor for the World Gem Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Director of Corporate & Career Development USA
- Director of Corporate & Career Development USA - American Gem Academy
Jack Ghazalian started in the jewelry industry in 1980. He is a graduate gemologist through the Gemological Institute of America (1992), was an instructor for GIA (1993) and was officially Certified-by-the-State of California Education Code 94311(a) to teach Gemology & Jewelry Manufacturing-Arts (1993). He is currently the owner of Isometric Gemological Appraisal Services in Southern California: IsometricGems.com, speaks five languages and is passionate about education. His list of achievements include 1. Honored by the International Distinguished Scholars, Academic Honor Society (2015). 2. Honored & Certified by the Honor Society based in Washington D.C.(2016). 3. Officially granted membership on July 27th of 2017 to the ‘Kappa Delta Pi' and was awarded 'TEACHER OF HONOR'. 4. Honored by the San Diego Chamber of Commerce (2013) (Given a Certificate of Recognition). 5. An official member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. 6. An official member of the National Space Society, which is affiliated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). 7. An official member of the Planetary Society. 8. An official member of the Geological Society of America. 9. Certified Online Instructor (Online Teaching Certification).
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Director of Education
Jan Asplund is a gemmological consultant specializing primarily in the identification and valuation of diamonds, both cut and rough, as well as coloured gemstones and jewellery. He received his FGA (Diploma in Gemmology) and DGA (Gem Diamond Diploma) through Gem-A in 2011, his BA in History from the Mälardalens University in 2000 and studied geology and gemmology at Luleå Technical University (2005 - 2007), cultural and industrial history at the Uppsala University (1998 - 2000), and archival science at Karlstads University (1998 - 1999). Jan also took his Accredited Jewelry Professional - AJP (Gemological Institute of America 2011), Introduction to Watches (International School of Gemology 2012), Jewellers Education Foundation - Graduate Sales Associate (American Gem Society 2011), Blacksmithing (Sätergläntan 2002) and Silversmithing (Tärna Folkhögskola 1996). He is a board member of the Swedish Gemmological Association, fellow and diamond member of Gem-A and initiator and organizer of the Scandinavian Gem Symposium.
Job Titles:
- Director of Education
- Director of Education - East African Gem Academy
- Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain
Kyalo Kiilu is a fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A) and an Alumnus of Birmingham City University where he obtained his BSc with honours in Gemmology and Jewellery Studies in 2017. His passion for gemstones can be traced back forty years to his late grandmother's village in rural Kenya and the prospecting trench dug by the first British gemstone explorers in the early part of the 20th Century. While he was unsure what the bluish stones were, they fascinated and captivated him.
While pursuing his pharmaceutical studies, his interest in gemstones never diminished and while the stones he took to the gem dealers in Nairobi did not captivate them, he still knew that one day he would work with gemstones. Unfortunately in 2003 in Kenya, there were no colleges offering gemmology courses so he decided to relocate to England and enrolled in Gem-A's Diamond Diploma program in 2004; the start of his gemmological journey.
Today, Kyalo is a licenced gemstone prospector in Kenya and in 2015 made a discovery of a very unique sapphire, resembling another Kenyan sapphire marketed as ‘Goldsheen Sapphire' that he will hopefully share with the gemmological community very soon.
He acknowledges the encouragement he received from his mother, wife, son, his late daughter and his siblings and their unwavering support that has enabled him to pursue his interest in gemstones and gemmology.
He comes to the World Gem Foundation and specifically the East African Gem Academy with a strong desire and ambition to share his knowledge of gemstones with his fellow East Africans, particularly those involved in the production of gemstones, gemstone lovers and aspiring gemmologists, to provide support and encouragement that was so lacking in the industry when he was growing up in Kenya. The World Gem Foundation is delighted to have Kyalo as part of our team, to make a difference in a country that is rich in gemstones and gemmological history and will undoubtedly be a major player in the years to come.
Job Titles:
- Founder
- CEO - Dutch Gem Academy
Leone Langeslag is a graduate of the Federation for European Education in Gemmology (FEEG) (2006), an independent gemmological consultant and a dedicated teacher. Her desire to provide accessible gemmological training in the Netherlands led to the formation of the Dutch Gem Academy as part of her company Sole Leone in Naarden, only 20 minutes from Amsterdam. In addition to the theoretical and practical courses and programs offered through the Dutch Gem Academy and the World Gem Foundation. Leone also offers lectures, workshops and webinars, providing solutions for individuals and small groups who wish to become professional gemmologists. She is actively involved with the Gemma Association in Holland and a frequent visitor to international symposiums, exhibitions and trade shows where she continues her own gemmological education and passion for collecting gemstones and minerals. She also serves on the World Gem Foundation Executive Committee.
Job Titles:
- Gem Academy of Canada / Gem Academy of Belgium
After a Master's degree in Volcanology, Lucille has continued to deepen her knowledge in the field of gemstones and the earth: a Gem-A Gemmology degree, her WGF diplomas and a Master's degree in Economic Geology have enriched her career. Lucille continues her doctoral studies (in Geochemistry and Mineralogy) at UQAM, and she generously and rigously shares her passion for minerals with EGM students.
Job Titles:
- CEO - Gem Academy of Canada / Gem Academy of Belgium
- CEO and President of the EGM
Marie-Hélène is an FGA gemmologist and accredited Senior Gemmologist through the AGA.
Following a busy career in real estate, she wanted to change her professional path and became interested in gemmology. This discovery of gemstones turned into a passion. Marie-Hélène studied at the EGM and successfully passed her Gemmology Diploma. Guided by the desire to pass on her love for gems, she became the new Director of EGM in 2016, with a strong desire to modernize the school. As a teacher, she instills in her students the desire to learn more about the world of gemstones.
This passion for gems does not stop there, and Marie-Hélène created Quebec's first independent gem identification laboratory, Lelièvre Laboratoire de Gemmologie (LLG) in 2018. In order to offer the most complete service to her clients, she created the Gems and Jewelry Appraisal Center in 2019, also in Montreal. These two centres allow a synergy with the EGM, with the starting of professional traineeships for students (starting in 2020), so as to facilitate their access into the job market.
Job Titles:
- Director of Corporate & Career Development ( Eastern Europe )
- Director of Corporate & Career Development for Russia and Eastern Europe
Nina Zolotukhina (aka Nina Gold) graduated as an Expert Gemmologist through the Moscow State University, is an independent gemmologist, now based in Bulgaria, founder of Gemlab Europe Project, researcher, gem expert and author of reviews and articles about gemstones, research methods and gemmological equipment.
She is an avid mineral and gemstone collector and photographer of minerals and inclusions (photomicrography).
She has become a regular contributor to Gemmology Today and is currently translating all the World Gem Foundation courses into Russian.
Job Titles:
- Director of Education
- Director of Education - South Central African Gem Academy
Salomon Lutumba is an alumnus of Birmingham City University where he graduated with a Bachelor in Science with honours in Gemmology and Jewellery studies in 2016. He also holds a Diamond Diploma and Gemmology certificate from Gem-A. He is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where in fact, the subsoil is one of the richest in the world in terms of geology and mineralogy.
Since the country has gold in respectable quantities, he joined his uncle, a jeweller in 1995, as a business partner in buying and selling jewelleries, scrap and rough gold at the big city market of Kinshasa. Sometimes the pieces would be set with fascinating and attractive coloured stones. Unfortunately, since their priority was gold and they lacked knowledge regarding gemstones, they could not deal with them. However Salomon was fascinated and captivated by the beauty and mystery of those mounted stones. As a consequence, he developed a passion for gemstones and in the process discovered that his own country contained a wide variety of mineral species with many having a high aesthetic and monetary value. Sadly there were no colleges or training centres offering a gemmology program in the Democratic Republic of Congo that allowed him to pursue his interest, only abroad.
In 2002 he relocated to England where, ten years later, he found the opportunity to fulfil his dream of studying gemmology at the Birmingham City University. In 2012, he started his High National Diploma in Gemmology combined with Gem-A's Diamond and Gemmology program which led to a degree program, introduced for the first time in 2015, at the BCU.
Today, by embracing the World Gem Foundation's concept and philosophy of gemmological education, and through the Gem Academy of DRC, he would like to share his passion and knowledge of gems with his fellow Congolese; particularly jewellers, aspiring gemmologist and gemstone lovers. His personal ambitious goal is to promote the science of gemmology in his country, by providing information and support to empower people in the jewellery business and those trading in stones.
Job Titles:
- Gem Academy of Belgium
- Gemmological Consultant
Since 1972 Wilma has been collecting minerals and gems and has built an impressive gemmological library. She received her first diamond education from Mr. S. Asscher in 1980 and in 1983 graduated at the German DGemG in Idar Oberstein as a diamond professional. At the age of 18, she was introduced to the diamond world in Antwerp where she learned all about rough and polished diamonds.
Two years later, in 1985, she received her FGA diploma and in 1991 graduated as a GG at GIA's headquarters in Santa Monica, USA.
In 1997, shortly after its introduction to the gem world, she was the first in The Netherlands to identify a synthetic moissanite, which was being offered to a jeweller as a 1.00 brilliant cut diamond.
Wilma has great experience in retail and has educated a great number of Asian (Chinese and Indonesian) salespeople at a diamond company in Amsterdam where she also supervised the diamond collection.
Traveling is one of her great passions and she has visited gem mines in Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, and in 2006 she visited the Pala mines in San Diego whilst attending the GIA gemological research conference and symposium.
Over the years Wilma has given many presentations about gemstones for international organisations in The Hague, Amsterdam, Tehran and Jakarta and Surabaya in Indonesia.
Her teaching space is a true paradise for gemmology students because they have access to a great collection of both natural and synthetic gemstones.
Wilma loves cooking and is an avid photographer of gemstone inclusions and nature.