Dr. A. Peretti

Dr. A. Peretti earned his PhD for «Mineral Formation in the Alps» from the Institute of Mineralogy and Petrography at ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) in Zurich, Switzerland. He is also the recipient of an award from the University of Zurich for his master’s thesis «Tectonics and Metamorphism in the Alps» and has distinctive acknowledgement by both the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (FGA) and German Gemmological Association (FGG).

Dr. Peretti’s professional accomplishments have been acknowledged by the European Federation of Geologists (Paris, France) where he was awarded the distinction of EurGeol (European Geologist). Dr. Peretti’s ongoing laboratory work includes mine expeditions, visiting cutting and treatment centers, and collaboration with universities and research scientists, earning him recognition as one of the world’s foremost expert gemmologists.

His published research appears in «Contributions to Gemmology», an in-house publication of GRS as well as in other internationally recognized journals and newspapers including Gems & Gemology (USA), Journal of Gemology (UK), Australian Gemologist (AUS), Neue Zürcher Zeitung (Switzerland), Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology (GER), Earth and Planetary Science Letters (NL), American Mineralogist (USA) and other mineralogical periodicals. His work has also been featured on Swiss and other European television programs.

GRS laboratory reports for important gemstones signed by Dr. A. Peretti have been referenced in catalogs of internationally acclaimed auction houses all over the world, starting more than two decades ago.

Currently, he serves as the CEO and owner of GRS laboratories. In 2015, Dr. Peretti discovered the new mineral Perettiite-(Y), Y3+2Mn2+4Fe2+[Si2B8O24], in Burma (Myanmar), which was named in his honor.

In 2020 the Peretti Museum Foundation was established. The foundation's purpose is the operation of its own museum with exhibitions covering the topics of paleontology, mineralogy, and earth sciences. The extensive amber collection with inclusions of lifeforms shall be conserved for the public and science and shall be made available for researchers. The foundation aims to describe new minerals and extinct and non-extinct lifeforms in various international journals.

In November 2020, a newly discovered amphibian animal species with a ballistic tongue was named Yaksha perettii in his honor, as published in the prestigious journal Science.

Awards & Achievements

1979 Award from SJF (Schweizer Jugend Forscht)
1983 Award from University of Zurich
1985 Grant (No. 2.4728-0.87) from SNCF (Swiss National Science Foundation)
1986 Grant from Janggen-Pöhn-Foundation St. Gallen (refunded)
2002 Award from TGJTA (Thai Gem & Jewelry Traders Association)
2015 Discovery of new mineral Perettiite-(Y)
2019 Honorary Lifetime Membership from the Austrian Gemmological Association
2020 Establishment of the Peretti Museum Foundation - PMF.org
2020 Award for "Excellence in Gemmology" from IDCA, New York
2020 Discovery of new animal species Yaksha perettii

Slideshow: Milestones of Dr. A. Peretti's Career

Article URL: https://www.gemresearch.ch/about/dr-a-peretti
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