THURSDAY 2 SEPTEMBER AT 2Pm
25 Surfers av Mermaid Waters Qld
PRESENT:
Paul Sedawie (Pres; Chair)
Ted Hamilton
Ross Sedawie
Wayne Sedawie
Patrick Ujsjaszi
Robert Short [zoom]
Sylvia Iskenderian [zoom]
George Emmanuel Christianos [zoom]
Jason Blaiklock {zoom]
APOLOGIES:
Chris Gawthorpe
John McDonald
Meeting declared open by the Chair at 2 pm:
President’s Report:
Paul Sedawie, President
Over the last twelve months we have been involved with the the Opal Classification/Nomenclature Committee and we have had several zoom meetings and have progressed what has been four and a half years’ work into two foolscap pages to be submitted to CIBJO. (Together with the Gemmological Association of Australia)
There is still a strong demand from members wanting to issue certificates through the opal association. There are still many gem testing labs issuing in correct opal certificates. Check out our face book page which has 3500 followers for examples of misleading certificates. Over the next twelve months we will be focusing on the areas of education (consumers and gem classification labs), promotion of the industry to new entrants, developing a system for member certification of Opals and also some community promotion centred around Opal cutting and polishing. If any one has a project you think we should be involved with please contact us.
President’s report accepted. Moved: Ross Sedawie Seconded Ted hamilton
Treasurer’s Report
This year we lost many members. The pandemic has taken its toll and many members dropped out so we are considering possibly freezing dues for affected members so that they may continue to be members during this time which is proving difficult for some. Total membership fee income for the year was only $2800. Operating expenses included $1800 to the Qld Boulder Opal Association towards an advertising campaign agreed to earlier, $1400 wages and salaries, $1650 to repair hacked Opal Association website.
Presently the Association has $30792 in the bank.
Treasurers Report Accepted:
Moved: Wayne Sedawie
Seconded: Ted Hamilton
Election of Office Bearers:
The same committee will stand for the same offices as last year.
President calls for any additional nominations – None received.
So the present committee were elected unopposed, for the record:
President – Paul Sedawie
Vice President – Yanni Anastasiadis
Treasurer – Sally Patel
Secretary – George Emmanuel Christianos
Publicity Officer – Edmond Lahoud
Moved: Paul Sedawie
Seconded: Ross Sedawie
General Business:
Suggestions were invited for ideas as to running a cutting and polishing promotion type of workshop to encourage some new industry entrants in Opals and Opal cutting
Paul Sedawie mentioned that the base body tone posters be available at 20 cents to members and they can be listed on our web site. As Paul paid for the web hosting of 200$ he asked to take posters instead.
It has come to the committee’s attention that some gem labs have been issuing certificates with no testing for treatment and often writing in small print at the back that the stone has not been tested for treatment. In one such case Paul Sedawie emailed both the gem lab and the sellers and it appears that the seller referred him to the gem lab and the gem lab referred him to the disclaimer / was not willing to listen to corrective information or to be cooperative. The issues are to do both with the identification and certification of composites as natural and of treated Welo Opal as natural black Opal.
Discussion about how to go about implementing a system whereby members could do certification of Opals. Jason Blaiklock suggested the Tuna industry model whereby each member must abide by the industry code of practice.
Ted Hamilton: We should move ahead to implement Opal certification by members.
A discussion regarding a testing regime whereby each member wanting to issue certificates would have to take a study course to be developed in house and then pass a testing regime so that they knew exactly what they were looking at when examining an Opal – could distinguish all treatments, composites and could tell the difference between Welo and Australian Opals.
This regime has been discussed previously over the past few years since the online certification feature was taken down.
It was moved by Paul Sedawie that we pay a sum to Natasha Patel to develop the course for us. All those present agreed on the sum up to $2000 to develop the course.
Paul Sedawie moved and Ted Hamilton seconded.
Jason Blaiklock offered some materials into the mix pertaining to Opal identification which he has on his websites and provided the following links: Your comments on his work would be most welcome.
George Christianos: Together with the education and certification we need to bind the members who will be issuing the certificates to a code of ethics which states that they will be truthful and faithful to the meaning of the terminology – members not permitted to mislead etc.
The Year Ahead:
Four area of concentration for the year ahead:
- Develop a comprehensive test for members wanting to issue certificates of Authenticity
- Education of Gem Labs
- Promotion of our industry to new entrants
- 4. Education of consumers
Close:
No further business to discuss, the Chairman called the meeting closed at 2:40 pm.
Kind Regards
Paul Sedawie
President of the Opal Association