Registration Conference of the German Gemmological Association

The next conference of the German Gemmological Association will take place on April 18 and 19, 2026. This weekend's focus will be on pearls and cultured pearls. A lecture series will be held on Saturday, and practical workshops on various topics will be offered on Sunday.

The lectures will be in english language, workshops in both, german and english language.

Participation in the lectures and workshops will be free of charge, the evening event costs 45€ (early bird) resp. 60€ (from April, 1st). Please note, that for all parts of the conference, a registration is necessary via our website.

Friday, 17th of April 2026

16:00: Members Meeting 2026 (members only) in the DGemG Training Centre

Saturday, 18th of April 2026

Location: DGemG Training Centre or Göttenbachaula, Idar-Oberstein (will be announced shortly)

09:00 to12:30, Coffee-Break approx. 10:30 to 11:00 

Opening of the Conference by DGemG-President Dr. Thomas Lind

Pearls and Cultured Pearls: A General Overview - Dr. Tom Stephan, DGemG

Pearls Through Time: A Historical Overview - Christine Lucia Matter, DGemG

The Lustre of Prestige: Pearls in Renaissance Jewelry - Dr. Olga M. Hajduk, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland & President of SRJ, Poland

Pearls in the Laboratory - Dr. Claudio C. Milisenda, DSEF

14:00 to17:30, Coffee-Break approx. 15:30-16:00 

Formation and Gemmological Characteristics of Saltwater Cultured Pearls - Dr. Akitsugu Sato, SSEF, Switzerland

The Development of Freshwater Cultured Pearls: From Imperial Symbols to a Global Industry - Niels Ruddy Hansen, Denmark

Origin Determination of Natural and Cultured Pearls: From History to Modern Possibilities - Prof. Dr. Stefanos Karampelas, University of Thessaloniki, Greece and LFG Paris, France

Curiosities in Mother-of-Pearls and Pearls - Dr. Ulrich Henn, DGemG

19:00 to 24:00 - Pearls and People

Conclusion of the first conference day with food and drinks, and many opportunities to meet old and make new friends.

Location: DGemG Training Centre

Sunday, 19th of April 2026

09:00 to 13:00, Workshops at the DGemG Training Centre

Microscopic investigation of natural and cultured pearls, identification of treatments, interpretation of X-ray shadow pictures and demonstration of the use of mobile spectrometers in the examination of natural and cultured pearls.

We are looking forward to your participation!