Inside Gemcamp Laboratories: Meet Our Expert Gemological Director

At Gemcamp Laboratories Philippines, our commitment to world-class gemological standards is led by Director E. Ehron Chua, a certified GIA Graduate Gemologist (G.G.) and one of the most internationally credentialed gem experts in the country. As a second-generation alumni of GIA, Chua continues a legacy that began in 1988 when his father became one of the first Chinese-Filipino graduates of the Gemological Institute of America’s early diamonds program. After earning multiple credentials under a competitive international scholarship at GIA, Chua expanded his expertise with advanced training in synthetic diamond detection (CVD and HPHT) at the De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds, before later delving into jewelry history and provenance studies with Christie’s Auction House. In 2024, he travelled to Basel Switzerland to take part in the Scientific Gemology program spearheaded by the Schweizerisches Gemmologisches Institut (SSEF - Swiss Gemological Institute) under the directorship of Dr. M. Krzemnicki, FGA. This advanced educational regimen encompassed honing a gemologist's precision and skills in the various spectrometric techniques and is widely regarded as one of the most highly technical courses within the international gemological industry.

Between his year-round laboratory duties, Chua has also attended several seminars on the diamond trade and its economics conducted by the Rapaport group, as well as completed various specialist courses taught by the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A, London), the Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences (AIGS, Bangkok), and Gubelin Laboratories (Lucerne).

In the spirit of local community growth and development, our director has also led and organized educational trade tours for Filipino-Chinese participants to many notable jewelry venues such as the HKTDC international jewelry fair (Hong Kong), the ‘Vault’ at the Natural History Museum in London, and the Gassan diamond cutting factory in Amsterdam, within the Netherlands.Prior to his involvement with Gemcamp Laboratories, Chua has previously also worked with Filipino-French & American jewelry companies and boutiques, fulfilling a diverse range of operational roles and spanning a wide array of experiences within the industry for over 15 years.

The Gemcamp Laboratories Group is one of the few independent gemological evaluators in the Philippines that is not affiliated with any retail store, brand or jewelry sales endeavor, ensuring 100% objective and unbiased gemstone grading and impartial appraisal ethics. We are proud to be a leading name when people search for a Philippine gemologist—offering integrity, international training, and professional-grade service.