DELIGHTING IN DIAMONDS

Portraying Lorelei Lee, Marilyn Monroe iconically performed Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, released in 1953. The same year saw the Gemological Institute of America introduce an international diamond grading system based on the 4Cs - colour, clarity, cut and carat weight.

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E. Billie Hughes, left, and Olivier Segura discuss diamonds.

Gemologists Olivier Segura and E. Billie Hughes discussed the criteria in a conversation titled "Fascinating Diamonds" recently held by L'École, School of Jewelry Arts at Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok.

Segura is the managing director of L'École Asia Pacific in Hong Kong. The other campuses are in Shanghai, Dubai and two are in Paris, where L'École was established, with the support of Van Cleef & Arpels in 2012.

The first session in Thailand explored different facets such as the art and science as well as cultural value of the hardest gemstone composed of a single element - carbon.