Presentation of Gemstones viewed through a Microscope
The contemporary Italian goldsmiths and the international art of Jewellery
On the occasion of the year of Architecture and Design, the Italian Cultural Institute is pleased to host and present the work of Martin Donoghue. This exhibition will give you the possibility to look at gems through the lens of a microscope. This will enable you to admire and discover the inner beauty of some very precious stones.
Martin Donoghue: Before working as a gemologist and gem cutter, in the 1970’s he spent a few years as a hospital Medical Laboratory Technician in a Pathology department. There he learned the skills of using various microscopes and the making of stained histopathology sections.
In 1982 he had a degree in Microbiology as well as a strong interest in gemstones. He began his work as a professional gem cutter, providing a stone polishing service to jewelry repair workshops.
In 1983 he started his scientific studies of gemstones and diamonds. He obtained the Gemmological Association Fellowship Diploma in 1984 and the Diamond Certificate in 1985. From that time he promoted his gem testing service to Jewellers in the Glasgow area.
He continued to improve his abilities as a gemmologist and the instruments used to test and identify gems.
In 2008 he started taking digital photomicrographs of gem inclusions. For this work he used the excellent NIKON COOLPIX 995 camera mounted on the first class LEITZ ORTHOPLAN research microscope. Using this combination allowed him to see and record the fascinating internal structure of gems.
Free Event