LIFESTYLE

A Gem of a Researcher

Tay Thye Sun's eyes light up when he talks about gems. Like his latest find, a 500 carat natural opal which he bought from an opal miner in Coober Pedy, Australia. Retailing at $20 000, the gemstone displays a spectrum of colours - red, orange to bluish-green - as it catches light, making it extremely unique.

Originally pressured to study Economics by his parents, Mr. Tay decided to follow his heart instead. He obtained a bachelor's degree in geology from the University of London and went on to do his Masters at the Imperial College of Science and Technology in 1977. As he explains, "Geology provides you with a wider perspective and understanding to find the origins of gems." He then went on to specialize in gemology at the Gemological Institute of America, and graduated in 1980.

He specializes in jewellery appraisals, diamond grading and gem identification for his clients. In the course of his work, he has also partnered with the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore Polytechnic (SP). Through their collaboration, he has published about 40 papers in various gemological and scientific journals since 1986. As a result, he has been invited to speak at conferences worldwide. His company, Far East Gemological Laboratory is even listed in the 'English-Chinese & Chinese-English Dictionary of Gems and Jewellery'.

"We have achieved a standard where we don't muck around," says Mr. Tay on why he was chosen as the only Singaporean company to be listed. He is the only gemologist in South East Asia to be certified by the ISO 17025 standard.

Then, it is no wonder that lawyers often seek him out for unbiased and honest appraisals of gems for court cases. His laboratory, located at Orchard Towers, contains advanced equipment used to conduct analysis on gemstones and diamonds for his clients. For further analysis, he often uses the equipment at NUS or SP. As he says, "The right instrument is key in conducting top quality research which can later help the jewellery industry in general."
The opal is, naturally, not the only eye-catching gem in Mr. Tay's collection. As he whips out a 4 carat gemstone, he explains that it is a type of mineral called Chrysoberyl (beryllium aluminum oxide).

"Unlike normal Chrysoberyl gemstones, this changes colour under different lighting conditions and is called Alexandrite. The original was first discovered in Russia, but this particular one is from Sri Lanka," Mr. Tay exclaims. "It's named after the Russian Czar Alexander II and found on his twelfth birthday in 1830."

He excitedly demonstrates the stone's ability to switch between being raspberry-coloured under incandescent light and emerald-green under white light, due to its composition and the human eye's perception of colours.

As he narrates anecdotes from his many research expeditions worldwide, one wonders if there is any country he has yet to go to.

"Tanzania," Mr. Tay says without skipping a heartbeat. He plans to go next year.

Teshwindar Kaur