Editor’s Note
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Gübelin Gemological Laboratory, founded in 1923. For a century, it has pursued the scientific study of gemstones, seeking to answer fundamental questions about their origin, authenticity, and nature. To celebrate this milestone, Gübelin has created a new space dedicated to sharing its expertise and heritage.
Precious stones have always fascinated people. But what are they? How and where are they created? How are their identity, authenticity, and origins determined and verified? Gübelin has been working on these questions for a hundred years. In 1923, the Gübelin family established a gemological laboratory to study precious stones. To mark the laboratory’s centenary, Gübelin created a space to share its knowledge of precious stones and the history of the family business founded in 1854.
The Gübelin family has been passing on its pioneering spirit for six generations. Its members have founded, among other things, the Gemmology Laboratory, the Gübelin Academy and Provenance Proof.
The museum unveils the innovations of the gemstone laboratory. It also introduces the technology used by the startup Provenance Proof, including the first blockchain for colored gemstones, which ensures transparency in the gemstone and jewelry industry.
The museum offers insights into the original research of Eduard Josef Gübelin (1913–2005). The Lucerne-born gemologist is one of the fathers of modern gemology. He is known for his research into the inner world of gemstones and their inclusions, which enabled him to establish their identity, authenticity, and origin. Under Eduard Josef Gübelin’s leadership, the laboratory became one of the world’s most prestigious gemological institutions. Today, the laboratory remains a benchmark in gemstone research.
The museum combines innovation and tradition. Here, Gübelin’s pioneering work from the founding of the family business to the present day is presented, including its plans for the future. The exhibition thus offers a fascinating insight into the laboratory’s work, from its beginnings to its latest analytical strengths, including the development of “Gemtelligence”, a project aiming to combine artificial intelligence with deep models (deep learning) to improve the cohesion of the analysis results.
The Gübelin Gemmological Laboratory has an extensive reference collection of gemstones, the most comprehensive of its kind in the world. It currently contains over 28,000 gemstones from all commercially important mines, as well as gemstones from long-exhausted deposits. Eduard Joseph Gübelin traveled the world many times, bringing back gemstones from the mines he visited, and his collection began, and has continued to grow and improve. The reference collection remains the cornerstone of the laboratory’s work. Gemtelligence draws on this rich database. The Gübelin Gemstone Museum presents visitors with a selection of 174 gemstones from the reference collection. Each one is individually displayed and explained. The reference collection is the backbone of the exhibition, attracting both gemstone enthusiasts and researchers.
A collection of watches and jewelry reflects key and defining moments in the history of jewelry and culture. Thomas Gübelin, who headed the company from 1988 to 2007, quickly began expanding the company’s watch and jewelry collection. More than 50 works are now on display and open to the public.
The museum now houses the Gübelin Academy. The academy holds seminars in the museum’s inspiring atmosphere. Multimedia exhibits and information allow the seminars’ theoretical content to be put into practice. Gübelin founded the Academy to share its knowledge of colored gemstones and inspire people’s passion for them. The Gübelin Gem Museum provided it with an ideal setting.
The Gübelin Gem Museum is located in the center of Lucerne. Situated at Schwanenplatz 7, this magnificent building is logically called “House of Stone”, meaning the stone house. The museum is located on the first floor of the house, the noble floor, and is aimed at visitors to Lucerne and tourists who want to learn more about precious stones and gemology. The exhibition is designed to appeal to anyone interested in precious stones, regardless of their level of knowledge in the field.
The museum perfectly interprets the “Deeply Inspired” philosophy that characterizes the house. The Gübelin Gem Museum is a true embodiment of this philosophy.
Raphael Gübelin, President of the House of Gübelin, says.