Rui Galopim de Carvalho FGA DGA

09/10/2026

The Museu do Tesouro Real just announced that the second edition of TREASURES – Crowns and Tiaras International Colloquium has SOLD OUT, with the remaining seats now only available for students, academics and educators that apply for the Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF scholarships and other charitable sponsorship assistance that are available through the Museum.
As Program Chair of this cultural event, I am grateful for all the participants, sponsors and supporters for trusting their time and resources in joining this two-day program of gemological, jewellery, conservation, art history and (great food and w**e) and joyful gathering of friends and colleagues from around the globe in the state-of-the art Royal Treasure Museum in Lisbon, Portugal.
I am also very much obliged to the speakers that accepted to contribute with their expertise time and generosity to this cultural event, namely, António Valle, Bénédicte Epinay, José Alberto Ribeiro, H.H. D. Maria Francisca de Bragança, Dutchess of Coimbra, Maurício Vicente Ferreira Jr., Hugo Miguel Crespo, Odile Emanuelli, Kazumi Arikawa, Albert Gilg, Francisco Noriega Carvalheira, Miguel Cabral Moncada, Inezita Gay-Ezkel, Beatrice Austerlitz, Linda Borsch, Matthew Cumbie, Teresa Maranhas, Cristina Filipe, Jorge Leitão, Akitsugu Sato, Suzanne van Leeuwen, Ellen van Bork, Gabrielle de Montmorin and Eduardo Alves Marques.
All this success has been possible only because of the tireless commitment of Nuno Vale, Executive Director of the museum and his team that have been placing our museum, our collections, our cultural heritage and our country in very high prestigious position.
See you all in Lisbon very soon!

03/10/2026

You wish to become a gemmoligist?
In collaboration with GIT - The Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (Public Organization)

02/10/2026

30/09/2026

What about enjoying Jewellery, History and Patrimony in Porto, Portugal?
The exhibition "IFC Collection: Matter of Dreams" at Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis, Porto, is a rare opportunity to see one of the most significant private collections of Portuguese jewellery of relevant cultural heritage. Curated by Rosa Maria Mota, this exhibition brings together more than two hundred pieces dating from the 17th to the 19th centuries, and explores the material, artistic and symbolic richness of Portuguese jewellery. It traces the evolution of techniques, styles and the social functions of adornment over more than three centuries, offering insight into the changing ways in which jewellery has shaped and expressed individual and collective identities. It presents numerous rare or little-known works, while contributing to a deeper understanding of one of the most distinctive expressions of Portugal’s decorative arts. Guided by the collector’s refined aesthetic sensibility, the collection is organised around four main strands: Jewellery from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, alongside 19th-century popular golds jewellery (typical from the north of the country). Taken together, these precious metal and gemstone treasures transformed by local traditional "savour-faire" give light to the role, meaning and use of adornment in Portugal, revealing its place within the country’s social, cultural and artistic history and, last but no least, constitute an array of beautiful masterpieces that will make every jewellery lover feel happy in the end!
Photos © Pedro Lobo

22/09/2026

Ellen van Bork, Metals Conservator in the Conservation and Science Department at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, will participate at TREASURES, Crowns and Tiaras International Colloquium at the Museu do Tesouro Real in joint talk with her colleague Suzanne van Leeuwen, entitled “Fit for a Crown: a detailed look at a 17th Century Aigrette”.
In 2021, the Rijksmuseum received a rare 17th-century aigrette, an ornament worn by both men and women, either in the hair or on a hat. Only a few early modern aigrettes have survived, although contemporary paintings show they came in various shapes and sizes. Made of gold, enamel, gemstones and pearls, the Rijksmuseum aigrette, once part of the collection of Scottish politician and art collector Thomas David Gibson-Carmichael (1859-1926), is believed to be of Eastern European origin. Its restoration was guided by extensive scientific and ethical considerations. Although past repairs affected its ‘original’ condition, they also saved the jewel from the melting pot, making it possible to examine and reveal parts of the history of this extraordinary object.
The presentation emphasizes the importance of collaboration between curators and conservators in researching and understanding an object. As a fashionable, unisexual jewel and intricate piece of goldsmith’s work, the aigrette has many stories to tell.
Ellen van Bork initially trained as a goldsmith and silversmith, specialised in metal conservation at the Cultural Heritage Agency in Amsterdam, graduating in 2009. She subsequently worked as a metal conservator at the British Museum in London, and as a lecturer and coordinator for the Master’s and postgraduate programmes in Metal Conservation and Restoration at the University of Amsterdam. Her main focus is on (gilded) silver and jewellery, their manufacturing techniques, and the associated deterioration processes. She also runs the Dutch Hallmarks Project, developing a database of silver hallmarks linked to an automated recognition system and an online portal where users can upload and compare their own marks with those in associated collections.

22/09/2026

Applications for the SSEF Scholarship Now Open with Five FREE Full-Access Tickets
The Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF has announced an agreement with the Museu do Tesouro Real, organiser of the forthcoming TREASURES – Crowns and Tiaras International Colloquium in November, to offer five scholarship sponsorships for students and young academics wishing to attend the second edition of this international cultural event in Lisbon, Portugal.
This unique opportunity provides selected recipients with a complimentary full-access pass to the colloquium, including admission to all lectures and sessions, exhibition areas, meals during colloquium hours, the Gala Dinner, and a certificate of participation.
Applications are open to Bachelor’s, Master’s, Doctoral and Postdoctoral students, as well as early-career researchers, working in History, Art History, Gemmology, Jewellery Studies, and related disciplines. Candidates from all countries are encouraged to apply.
The sponsorship aims to support emerging talent and encourage participation in an international forum dedicated to the study, preservation, and appreciation of treasures, jewellery, gemstones, and cultural heritage. Applications will be assessed on academic merit, motivation, relevance to the colloquium themes, and potential professional impact.
To apply, submit a motivation letter (maximum 600 words) and a CV (maximum two pages) by 30 September 2026. Successful applicants will be notified by 9 October 2026.
Applications should be done on the colloquium webpage (https://lnkd.in/eGkHMbWd) or sent by email to [email protected] with the subject line: “Application to TREASURES’ SSEF Colloquium Scholarship– [Applicant Name: first name + last name]”.
Take this opportunity to engage with leading experts, expand your professional network, and contribute to discussions shaping the future of heritage, gemmology, jewellery studies, and related fields.

18/08/2026

Tourmaline is a name all too familiar within the gem and jewellery community. What is less familiar is the fact that it is not a mineral species but rather a super group of minerals comprising dozens of mineral species, some of which have gem varieties, namely elbaite, fluor-liddicoatite, dravite, Cr-V dravite, tsilaisite, buergerite, uvite and schorl. Quite recently, in 1998, a new tourmaline species with gem-quality crystals was welcomed in the scientific community: rossmanite. The name of the mineral is a homage to Prof. George Rossman, an notable American mineralogist from Caltech in Pasadena, California, in recognition for his outstanding work on spectroscopy, namely on the tourmaline-group minerals.
It is a lithium-rich species that occurs from colourless to brown to pink, distinguishable from the other tourmaline species only by advanced analytical techiques (LA-ICP-MS). It has already been reported in the Czech Republic, Italy, Canada and also Russia, namely in the Orieshnaja pegmatite in Zabaykal’skiy Kray, Transbaikal, from where the illustrated brown-coloured 2 cm high terminated crystal and 4 ct cut stone set in a ring come from, as collected by pegmatite specialist Peter Lyckberg
Photo © Jeff Scovil / Peter and Nadya Lyckberg Collection

17/08/2026

Ellen van Bork, Metals Conservator in the Conservation and Science Department at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, will participate at TREASURES, Crowns and Tiaras International Colloquium at the Museu do Tesouro Real, at Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, in joint talk with her colleague Suzanne van Leeuwen, entitled “Fit for a Crown: a detailed look at a 17th Century Aigrette”.
In 2021, the Rijksmuseum received a rare 17th-century aigrette, an ornament worn by both men and women, either in the hair or on a hat. Only a few early modern aigrettes have survived, although contemporary paintings show they came in various shapes and sizes. Made of gold, enamel, gemstones and pearls, the Rijksmuseum aigrette, once part of the collection of Scottish politician and art collector Thomas David Gibson-Carmichael (1859-1926), is believed to be of Eastern European origin. Its restoration was guided by extensive scientific and ethical considerations. Although past repairs affected its ‘original’ condition, they also saved the jewel from the melting pot, making it possible to examine and reveal parts of the history of this extraordinary object.
The presentation emphasizes the importance of collaboration between curators and conservators in researching and understanding an object. As a fashionable, unisexual jewel and intricate piece of goldsmith’s work, the aigrette has many stories to tell.
Ellen van Bork initially trained as a goldsmith and silversmith, specialised in metal conservation at the Cultural Heritage Agency in Amsterdam, graduating in 2009. She subsequently worked as a metal conservator at the British Museum in London, and as a lecturer and coordinator for the Master’s and postgraduate programmes in Metal Conservation and Restoration at the University of Amsterdam. Her main focus is on (gilded) silver and jewellery, their manufacturing techniques, and the associated deterioration processes. She also runs the Dutch Hallmarks Project, developing a database of silver hallmarks linked to an automated recognition system and an online portal where users can upload and compare their own marks with those in associated collections.
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10/08/2026

I am truly happy to introduce Suzanne van Leeuwen, Conservator of Jewellery at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, that will conduct a joint talk in TREASURES, Crowns & Tiaras International Colloquium at the Museu do Tesouro Real , with her colleague Ellen van Bork entitled “Fit for a Crown: a detailed look at a 17th Century Aigrette”.
In 2021, the Rijksmuseum received a rare 17th aigrette, an ornament that was worn on the head by both men and women, either directly in the hair or as an addition to a hat. Only a few aigrettes from the early modern period have survived, but from contemporary paintings we know that they came in various shapes and sizes. The Rijksmuseum aigrette, made of gold, enamel, gemstones and pearls, once part of the collection of the Scottish politician and art collector Thomas David Gibson-Carmichael (1859-1926), is believed to be of Eastern European origin and was restored, guided by both extensive scientific and ethical considerations.
Although its ‘original’ condition was affected by past repairs, this also saved the jewel from the melting pot allowing making it possible to examine and reveal parts of the history of this extraordinary object.
With this presentation, Suzanne van Leeuwen and Ellen van Bork, mean to emphasize the importance of the collaboration between curators and conservators when researching and understanding an object. As a fashionable, unisexual jewel and an intricate piece of goldsmith’s work, the aigrette has many stories to tell.
Suzzane studied Art History, Classical Archaeology and Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage at the University of Amsterdam. She has been a Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain since 2017. Together with Dutch art historian and jewellery collector Dr. Marjan Unger (1946-2018) she co-wrote the book Jewellery Matters (2017). Recently, she co-curated the Rijksmuseum exhibition At Home in the 17th Century and was one of the authors of the self-titled book. In her work she combines art historical, archival, gemmological and material research to unveil the various stories jewellery can tell us.

04/08/2026

Emeralds?
No, these are not emeralds. Among the more than 3500 mineral species defined by the IMA - International Mineralogical Association, there are a few that would have became popular gemstones, only if they were a bit more durable for everyday jewellery wear. Dioptase, is one of those cases. This hydrous copper silicate with a characteristic emerald-green to blue-green colour has a relatively high dispersion (δ = 0.052) and would be a top choice as a cut gemstone if it wasn't for its low hardness (5 in the Mohs scale), its brittleness and perfect cleavage. Dioptase was named by famed French mineralogist René Just Haüy in 1797 precisely because of one of these properties, from the Greek "through" and "to see" alluding to the visibility of internal cleavage planes.
From the three main characteristics that are typically associated with a gemstone, “beauty” is there, “rarity” is also there, but not durability. It is, however, a rather popular mineral among collectors and connoisseurs especially in its typical rhombohedral crystal clusters. Jewellery artists, like Andrew Grima GRIMA JEWELLERY LIMITED (1921-2007) that was known for using the unusual, made this gold and diamond pendant in 1973 with a fine dioptase cluster (on the left) © Bonhams On the right, a fine two-crystal dioptase on calcite specimen from the famous Tsumeb mine in Namibia, collection of Bill Severance © Jeff Scovil