About ICA | GemLab.
Independent coloured gemstone testing, established in 2016 and affiliated with the International Colored Gemstone Association.
2016
Founded · Bangkok
4/cities
Bangkok · Dubai · Hong Kong · Surat
6/techniques
Microscopy, LA-ICP-MS, EDXRF, Raman, UV-VIS-NIR, FTIR
Fig. 01 · Inclusion field · Spec. 2026-LB-0042Mogok ruby · 4.18 ct
Who we are
An independent gemological laboratory, by design.
ICA | GemLab specialises in the identification, origin determination, and treatment detection of coloured gemstones.
We are affiliated with the International Colored Gemstone Association, the trade body that represents the global coloured gemstone industry across 47 countries.
Our work supports the trade, retail, auction, and collector communities by transforming questions about a gemstone into documented findings. Every report we issue reflects analytical results obtained through advanced instrumentation and the interpretive expertise of trained gemologists.
Mission · Three commitments
To advance gemological science by raising standards of analytical accuracy, and to deliver coloured gemstone testing that is reliable, ethical, and transparent.
01 · Methodology
Transparency in methodology.
We document not only the findings on a stone but the analytical techniques used to reach them. This level of disclosure is not standard practice across the industry. We believe it should be.
02 · Independence
Independence from commercial interests.
We do not trade in the stones we test. Our analytical conclusions are not influenced by ownership, brokerage, or sales motivations affecting the specimen under examination.
03 · Language
Findings, not guarantees.
We issue reports rather than certificates because gemological findings are documented observations rather than guaranteed facts. Our reports reflect what the science can determine, and where it cannot, we say so.
The laboratory · Leadership evolution
Three generations of analytical practice.
Founded in 2016 to advance gemological testing standards. The laboratory’s analytical methodology has been shaped by three generations of leadership, each building on the protocols established by the last. The founding gemologist has since returned in a research capacity.
Phase I: 2016 – 2019
Dr. Dietmar Schwarz
Founding Chief Gemologist
Oversaw the establishment of the laboratory and the development of its core analytical protocols. His work laid the foundation for the laboratory’s approach to origin determination and treatment detection.
Phase II: 2019 – 2023
Kenneth Scarratt
Managing Partner & Chief Gemologist
Former GIA Laboratory Director and a recognised authority on pearl identification. During his tenure the laboratory developed specialised coral colour grading standards and maintained continuous operations through the COVID-19 period.
Phase III: 2024 – Present
Dr. Supharart Sangsawong
Chief Gemologist
Leads the analytical programme, from identification and origin determination to the instrument work every report depends on. Trained under Schwarz and Scarratt, and publishes on synthetic identification and treatment detection.
Phase III: 2024 – Present
Yenruedee Lohnsomboon
Head Gemologist
Runs day-to-day laboratory operations alongside her analytical work. Specialises in identification and origin determination, and in the advanced instrumentation both rely on. Published on inclusion study in cobalt-blue spinel.
Current · Research
Dr. Dietmar Schwarz
Research Scientist
The laboratory’s founding gemologist has returned in a research capacity, working alongside the current team on method development and the reference data behind origin determination. Both Dr. Sangsawong and Ms. Lohnsomboon trained under him during the laboratory’s first phase.
The ICA affiliation
Affiliated with the industry’s trade body.
Our affiliation with the International Colored Gemstone Association is reflected in our name. It places the laboratory inside the trade body that represents the coloured gemstone industry worldwide.
The International Colored Gemstone Association was founded in 1984 and represents nearly 700 members across 47 countries. It is the only worldwide trade body created specifically to serve the coloured gemstone industry, spanning the supply chain from mine to retail.
Our affiliation places the laboratory inside the industry’s global trade network, aligns our standards with international best practices, and supports the broader work of the association in elevating professional practice across the coloured gemstone sector.
Members · Nearly 700
Countries · 47
Founded · 1984
ICA member laboratory
47/countries
The association connects members across the full supply chain, from mine to retail.
Bangkok · Thailand
Source market presence
Close to where stones are mined and traded.
Most gemological laboratories operate in consumer markets, far from where stones are mined and traded. We have taken a different approach: placing analytical capability inside the global trade network and inside producing countries.
The laboratory is headquartered in Bangkok, at the centre of the global coloured gemstone trade, with additional facilities in Dubai and Hong Kong, and a fourth laboratory opening in Surat, India. Our presence across Asia places us close to the source markets that produce the majority of the world’s coloured gemstone material.
We are pursuing partnerships in source countries to extend testing capacity into producing regions through joint, complementary arrangements. The objective is verification that connects mine to market: traceability that the entire supply chain can trust.
Network
4 facilities, 4 markets.
Strategy
Mine to market verification.
Position · A note on language
Reports, not certificates.
What we don’t issue
Certificate
Implies a guarantee. Suggests gemology is an exact science. It isn’t.
What we issue
Report.
A record of findings from analytical testing on a specific stone, at a specific time, using the methods available to the laboratory.
“Gemology is not an exact science. Some questions can be answered with high confidence. Others require interpretation. Some cannot be answered conclusively at all.”
Most gemological laboratories use the word “certificate” to describe the documents they issue. We use the word “report.” The distinction matters. A certificate implies a guarantee. A report records the findings of analytical testing on a specific stone at a specific time, using the methods available to the laboratory.
By calling our documents reports, we acknowledge the limits of analytical science. By documenting the methodology behind every report, we make clear how the findings were reached and where the boundaries of confidence sit. This is the foundation of trust in gemological testing.
Advanced instrumentation
Five instruments. One analytical workflow.
The laboratory’s analytical workflow draws on five advanced instruments. Each addresses a specific analytical question. Together they support the comprehensive characterisation of coloured gemstones.
i.01
LA-ICP-MS
Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry
The most advanced instrument in the laboratory. Supports geographic origin determination through trace element fingerprinting and detects treatments such as beryllium diffusion at the part-per-million level. Provides the analytical foundation for our origin reports and our proprietary trace element reference database.
i.02
EDXRF
Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence
Provides rapid elemental analysis used to distinguish natural from synthetic gemstones, identify treatments and enhancements, and support geographic origin determination. Serves as a primary screening tool in our analytical workflow.
i.03
Raman
Raman Spectroscopy
Provides definitive gemstone identification through molecular structure analysis. The technique is non-destructive and is particularly effective for detecting treatments and enhancements in species such as spinel where modifications are common.
i.04
UV-VIS-NIR
Ultraviolet–Visible–Near Infrared Spectroscopy
Analyses the absorption spectra of gemstones to differentiate natural from synthetic material and to support geographic origin determination. Particularly effective for corundum (ruby and sapphire) and beryl (emerald), where spectral signatures reveal both provenance and treatment history.
i.05
FTIR
Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
Analyses infrared absorption to differentiate natural from synthetic material and to detect specific treatments. Particularly effective at identifying polymer and resin fillings, detecting beryllium diffusion in corundum, and classifying diamond types.
Locations
A network across the trade’s major hubs.
Bangkok HQ, with branches in Dubai and Hong Kong, and a fourth laboratory opening in Surat, India. Submissions are accepted at every operating facility and routed through the analytical workflow in Bangkok or Dubai.
Headquarters★ HQ
Bangkok
ICA Gem Laboratories Co., Ltd.
919/7-8, 6th Floor, Jewelry Trade Center
Silom Road, Silom Sub-District,
Bangrak District, Bangkok 10500,
Thailand
Tel: +66 2 630 0001
info@icagemlab.com
Training centre & laboratory02
Dubai
ALMAS Tower 49-A13
Jumeirah Lakes Towers
Dubai,
United Arab Emirates
Email: info@icagemlab.com
dubai@icagemlab.com
Branch03
Hong Kong
Unit 811, 8/F, Lippo Sun Plaza
28 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon,
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2973 6363
hatta@hattanewworld.com
Opening soon04
Surat
ICA | GemLab India
906, 9th Floor, Excellent Business Hub
Lal Darvaja,
Surat, India
Equipped to the same standard as the Bangkok headquarters, with diamond and jewellery testing.
india@icagemlab.com
Frequently asked
About the laboratory.
Brand and operational questions that come up most often. For analytical and methodology questions, see the FAQ on the home page.
Q.01 What is ICA | GemLab?
ICA | GemLab is an independent gemological laboratory specialising in coloured gemstone identification, geographic origin determination, and treatment detection. We are affiliated with the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA), the global trade body representing the coloured gemstone industry across 47 countries.
Q.02 When was ICA | GemLab founded?
The laboratory was founded in 2016 in Bangkok, Thailand, under the direction of Dr. Dietmar Schwarz as its founding Chief Gemologist. Since then the laboratory has undergone three phases of leadership, each building on the analytical protocols established by the last.
Q.03 What is the International Colored Gemstone Association?
The International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) is the only worldwide trade body created specifically to serve the global coloured gemstone industry. It represents over 500 members across 47 countries, including miners, cutters, dealers, retailers, and laboratories. ICA | GemLab operates as the association’s direct laboratory affiliate.
Q.04 Where is ICA | GemLab located?
Our headquarters are in Bangkok, Thailand, at the centre of the global coloured gemstone trade. We also have facilities in Dubai (training centre and laboratory), Hong Kong, and Taipei. Submissions are accepted at every facility and routed through the analytical workflow in Bangkok or Dubai.
Q.05 Why ‘report’ rather than ‘certificate’?
We use the word “report” rather than “certificate” because gemological findings are documented observations rather than guaranteed facts. A certificate implies a guarantee; a report records the findings of analytical testing on a specific stone at a specific time, using the methods available to the laboratory. By calling our documents reports, we acknowledge the limits of analytical science.
Q.06 Who leads the laboratory today?
The laboratory is led by Dr. Supharart Sangsawong (Chief Gemologist) and Yenruedee Lohnsomboon (Head Gemologist). Both trained under Dr. Dietmar Schwarz and Kenneth Scarratt, the laboratory’s first and second generation leaders. The current leadership has modernised laboratory operations while expanding analytical capability to meet evolving market requirements.
Work · with us
Submit a stone, or ask the laboratory directly.
For trade clients, retailers, and individual submissions, contact the laboratory to discuss services, request lot pricing, or arrange submission logistics.
Trade & dealers
Lot pricing, parcel separation, Travel Card formats.
We work with luxury groups, retailers, auction houses, and individual dealers. Enquire about turnaround times and submission logistics.
Collectors & individuals
Not sure which service is right for your stone?
Get in touch and we will advise. The Verbal Consultation service is a practical entry point for time-sensitive decisions.