Gems And Gem Art

Programa Royal Collections Group writes:

Gazing at the world’s biggest topaz, enjoying the rare sight of a gem embedded in a meteorite or marvelling at centuries-old sculptures made from precious stones are all culturally enriching experiences for people from all walks of life.

But the aim of PRC (Programa Royal Collection) is not only to exhibit unique collections but also to convert these experiences into a discovering and learning process that goes well beyond mere passive observation. This twofold experience of enjoying and learning in tandem is the keynote idea of our exhibition philosophy.

In the case of the gem exhibitions, for example, the precious stones are accompanied with educational display cases containing such exhibits as gemmological maps, uncut gems, laboratory material, polishing and cutting equipment, etc., all designed to raise public awareness of gems and gem art. These display cases are backed up by a wealth of informative material in different languages and with different levels of specialisation: posters for display cases, information panels, photographs, fact files, brochures, catalogues, etc. Visitors are thus enabled to discover numerous aspects of the world of gems, such as their formation, mining, physical characteristics (hardness, optical effects, cleavage...), cutting, authentication, what makes a synthetic gem different from a false gem and many other fascinating facts and snippets.

More info @ http://www.royalcollections.es/ingles/queofreceprc/interesdidactico/interesdidactico.htm