John Bradshaw

“We met Alberto and Mikko many years ago in Tucson as they were developing the database for the Gemmoraman. We were so happy to work with them providing known samples of the rare and unusual to firm up their library. Since that time, the purchase of the Gemmoraman has paid for itself many times over. There have been many instances of this powerful equipment being indispensable so let me give one example. Oftentimes, artisanal miners in the field cannot separate different mineral species especially if there is no crystal form so similar colors are packaged together in parcels. One particular example was checking a parcel of kornerupine that had a few hitchhikers. Before the Gemoraman was in use, a few stones from this parcel were cut and sold as kornerupine. On discovery that one of these stones was a tourmaline, every rough and cut stone from this parcel was checked with very surprising results. There were a few beryls, apatites, and even a piece of glass. The ability to check both faceted stones as well as gem rough for identification is a huge benefit of the equipment. Prior to this, stones would have to be cut, polished, and then checked with standard gemological tests. Because this is a time-consuming process, every stone was not checked, only if something looked “off”. With the Gemmoraman, it is simple quick, and accurate. It is also very compact and portable. We now carry it with us to Tucson for the annual shows not only to double-check our own stones but to confirm any newcomers during the shows.”