Thinking about my 2020 Year in Review: It’s been a roller-coaster ride of mixed emotions. The first few months of lockdown felt like an eternity, but now 2020 is drawing to a close, it feels like the year has flown by too quickly. I had so many plans for this year, but very few of them were possible due to restrictions imposed by the pandemic.
On the other hand, being in lockdown made me slow down, take a step back from my usual jet-setting routine and appreciate what I had on my own doorstep. Because my July trip to Columbia was cancelled, I decided to research gemstones in Great Britain instead. Now there’s a Great Britain book coming out in the Spring!
2020 Year in Review: What was the best thing about 2020?
Because I have travelled so much in the last two years, the best gift that lockdown has given me is more time spent with my husband who has been quietly and safely working from home since March.
2020 Year in Review: What is your favourite memory of 2020?
I managed to host my first gemstone tour to Mogok in Myanmar (Burma), which was a brilliantly timed piece of luck. As soon as I arrived home from South East Asia in March, we went straight into lockdown.
So, my favourite memory of 2020 would have to be the moments I spent with my guests in Mogok. Seeing their eyes light up when looking at the jewel-studded thrones, watching them feast on the amazing food that had been so generously prepared by our host – I wouldn’t have missed that for the world.
A Year in Review 2020 – In February, we were at the Goldsmith in Mogok – Gemstone Tour 2020
2020 Year in Review: What was your proudest moment of 2020?
My proudest moment in 2020 was giving an online seminar for the GIA about Gemstone Tourism. Giving that seminar felt like an achievement and the climax of two years of travel and research. The seminar reached people from all over the world and I felt really honoured to be helping to educate others.
Are you excited for the New Year?
Hell yeah! I know that there is still so much uncertainty surrounding the pandemic. But, all being well, I want to achieve three objectives for 2021:
As a gesture of goodwill (and a business strategy), I am offering a box of 40 books to every Gem Academy around the world to pass on to their students. So far, books have gone to the Asian Gemmological Institute & Laboratory Limited (AGIL) in Hong Kong, the Dutch Gem Academy in the Netherlands, a professional instructor teaching beginner’s gemmology in Mexico and the Gemmological Association of Australia (GAA). The teaching organisation is required to pay the shipping/courier. If there is any school, college or academy out there who teaches beginners gemmology, I would certainly welcome hearing from you.
I want to publish two books in 2021. Myanmar (Burma) and Great Britain. These will be the seventh and eight books in the series. The Myanmar book is currently open for pre-orders.
Buying Gemstones & Jewellery in Myanmar, Burma. Part of the Gemstone Detective travel guide book series.
Provided we can safely travel overseas, I would like to host more gemstone tours. We have already organised the gemstone tours to Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Myanmar for 2021. We’ve just added Australia to the list of gemstone tours.
That was my 2020 Year in Review. How was 2020 for you?
Kim Rix GG GIA
Gemstone Detective
Be sure. Be smart. Buy with confidence.
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