Gemstones: Quality and Value, Volume 2
Yasukazu Suwa is president of Suwa & Son, Inc., a Japanese gemstone dealer business established in 1908. Since becoming the first Japanese national to earn his Graduate Gemologist certification from the Gemological Institute of America in 1965, Mr. Suwa has traveled to gemstone mining, cutting, and distributions centers around the globe while establishing his firm as one of the premier wholesale gemstone importers in Japan.Director of the Japan Jewelry Association from 1997 to 1999, Mr. Suwa has also sat on the Boards of Directors and Executive Committees of major Japanese and international colored stones trade organizations. He also dedicated his time to consumer education through the NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) Educational Institute's Jewelry Course from 1991 to 2001.A strong proponent of educating both the industry and consumers regarding the quality and value of gemstones, Mr. Suwa has written three books on the subject and developed a system for verifying the quality and judging the value of the different varieties of gemstones.