About this Event
Two stones. Same gem. One is worth ten times the other. Could you tell which?
Most people can sense when a gem is beautiful. Very few can explain why one stone is fine and another is merely pretty — and that difference is where all the value lives.
In this two-hour session, gemologist Tay Kunming — with over 20 years in the trade and thousands of stones assessed across Bangkok, Tucson, Hong Kong and Geneva — gives an overview of the world's quality grading systems briefly in plain language:
💎 The 4Cs of diamonds &🌈 Fancy colour diamonds — the foundation of understanding.
❤️ Coloured stones — how professionals judge a ruby or sapphire: treatment, origin, and names like "pigeon blood" and "royal blue"
🟢 Jadeite — an introduction to Prof Ou Yang Chiu Mei's grading approach, "4C2T1V" grading system.,🤍 Pearls — lustre, surface and the art of matching, ✨ Phenomena — colour-change alexandrite, star sapphires, cat's eyes: when a gem does something impossible
Then you'll put it into practice: real stones in your hands, a grading card, and your own assessment..
This is Session II of the Gem Discovery series. Session I covered gem identification. You do not need to have attended — this session stands on its own.
What's included:
- Guided museum walk with Tay before the session
- Two hours of live teaching with real gemstones and instruments
- Hands-on grading exercise
- Your personal Gem Passport APP
- Small group — maximum 8 seats
Who this is for:
Anyone who has ever looked at two similar stones with very different price tags and wondered why. Collectors, future buyers, the newly curious, and anyone thinking about jewellery as a purchase they want to make with open eyes.
About Tay Kunming
Gemologist and co-founder of The Gem Museum and director of the Far East Gem Research Institute (GEM-A accredited Allied Training Center), and The King's Bespoke. Tay has spent two decades sourcing directly from the world's gem markets and believes the best protection a buyer can have is education. He is also an Excutive Committee Member of the Singapore Jewellers Association and the Diamond Exchange of Singapore.
Seats are limited to 8 only . Session I was sold out — book early.
Event venue & nearby stays
The Gem Museum, 9 Perak Road, Singapore, Singapore
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.