Curious about precious stone and the journey they go through to wind up set in a piece of jewellery? A visit to The Gem Museum will enlighten you. The compact private museum dedicated to precious stones, The Gem Museum offers visitors a chance an opportunity to take a look at how gemstones such as diamonds make their way from the mine to the market.
The Gem Museum was set up in 2015 by Ms Lok Huiying and Mr Tay Kunming. Now at its third location at Perak Road, the Gem Museum showcases provides a glimpse into the fascinating world of precious stones and the industry built around it.
From Mine to Market
The Gem Museum’s exhibition takes a look at journey a stone takes from its formation to its extraction from the ground to how it is shaped and polished before eventually being presented to the market for sale.
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This story starts off at the ground floor of the three-storey museum. It is a bit of a geology lesson, unearthing facts about rocks and stones. Of course, these stones include precious ones such as rubies and sapphires, and diamonds.
For example, did you know that gems and diamonds are treated distinctly because of their presentation and how they are sold. For example, gemstones may be rounded out to highlight their lustre and colour while diamonds are cut to augment their clarity and reflective qualities.
There are also gems which glow under ultra-violet light, showing off different facets of their mineral composition.
Gem Lab & Industry
One floor above is the the laboratory where gems and precious stones are analysed for their composition. Using sophisticated spectrometers, the gem lab can determine the minerals found in a rock to determine its composition, grade and ultimate its value.
It’s also where you can find the Far East Gem Institute which educates industry members in the knowledge of gemology under the guidance of founder Mr Tay Thye Sun.
At the top level of The Gem Museum is a room where visitors can get an insight into market aspects of the gem industry.
The ground floor also has a museum shop which retails gems and other precious stones.
The shop also has a little basket filled with polished stones which can be purchased by weight. It is a nice way for visitors bring home a souvenir from The Gem Museum.
Visiting The Gem Museum
The Gem Museum is an interesting place to visit for anyone who is curious about what goes on behind-the-scenes in the gem and jewellery industry. It offers a chance to learn about the journey taken by a precious stone, making its way from mine to market.
There is also a Junior Rockstar programme which caters to kids too.
Where: 9 Perak Road, Singapore 208130.
