Gemmologist Jelena Muhhamedjanova, long-time head of Estonian Assay Office at Metrosert, is starting a new career path as a high school chemistry teacher this autumn. In this interview, we talk about the growth of the Estonian Assay Office over time and Jelena’s growth alongside the company.
How long have you been associated with the Estonian Assay Office?
I started working for the unit, which was then under the Ministry of Finance, in 1992. I began as a chemical engineer, conducting chemical analyses. In 2004, the Estonian Assay Office was established on the basis of our department. I officially became the head of the Assay Office when the company was moved under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications and joined Metrosert, as the former director left. Today, thirty-three years have passed since my first day at the Assay Office.
What was your educational background and what drew you to chemistry?
I studied at Tallinn University of Technology, where I earned a degree in chemical engineering. After that, I had the opportunity to continue with doctoral studies at the Institute of Geology, where my work was meant to be on natural stone, or building stones. At the Gemmological Association of Great Britain in London, I studied gemmology, which is quite special, as it’s not a field you can study in Estonia, and there are practically no people with my specialty here.
What does the profession of a gemmologist entail?
A gemmologist deals with the analysis of precious metals and gemstones, as well as synthetic stones and their forgeries. A gemmologist’s work also consists of being able to identify treated stones. Often, a gemmologist works with gemstones that have been found in nature and are not as visually attractive as they are when polished. This is why a gemmologist assesses what treatments (coloring, cleaning) are necessary to increase the stone’s value.
Please tell me about some interesting cases at the Assay Office.
The most exciting period was around 2012. We were approached en masse by VAT fraudsters who exploited loopholes in the legislation to defraud the state of VAT amounts through complex schemes involving gold alloys. For their schemes, they still needed real gold and proof that the goods actually contained a precious metal. This is where the Assay Office came into play with its analysis service. For us, it was a normal service, but it had to be done in large quantities. It was a very exciting time, when we had a lot of contact with the tax authorities and even testified in court. There was also a case where a client carrying a casting of gold alloy was robbed right outside our door. It was later revealed to be a staged incident involving different criminal groups.
We have also had situations where people have brought us valuable jewelry for appraisal that we suspected might have been stolen.
People mainly want a gemmologist to tell them if a gemstone is real and valuable. In about a third of the cases, it turns out the stone has no value. People simply don’t know if the stone is natural or artificial (which is many times cheaper), as it’s impossible to tell with the naked eye and without special knowledge and equipment. People might not always pay attention when a store says, “The stone is a synthetic diamond,” which essentially means it may be beautiful, but it’s worthless.
It has been particularly sad to see people bring in heirloom jewelry that is supposedly valuable but turns out to be worthless financially. There have also been many cases where couples are breaking up and, for example, a woman brings in an engagement ring for appraisal. It turns out it’s not worth 10,000, but perhaps 1,000 euros.
Recently, there was a case where a nicely packaged gold bar brought in for analysis turned out to be a copy, the likes of which you can buy on Temu for 5 euros.
“People might not always pay attention when a store says, ‘The stone is a synthetic diamond,’ which essentially means it may be beautiful, but it’s worthless.”
What’s next for the Estonian Assay Office?
I will be replaced in the precious metals analysis department by another person who is very competent. We must fulfill the obligations given by the state, and that concerns the assaying of precious metals. We will also continue to be able to determine harmful impurities in metal alloys.
The offering of gemmology services at Metrosert is ending, as people no longer have as much interest in gemstones and the economic situation is also different.
So what happens now if I want to know how much my diamond is worth?
Essentially, it’s difficult in Estonia, as Metrosert was the only such place. However, the number of diamonds brought to us in recent years has been very low.
What is your favorite gemstone?
My favorite is the sapphire. I like its blue color.
Why did you decide to become a teacher?
I believe a person should do what they like and what they want to do. My dream has been to be a teacher and to pass on all the knowledge I have acquired in my life.
Starting from September, I will be a chemistry teacher at Tallinn Õismäe Russian Lyceum, teaching chemistry in both middle and high school. At the same time I am pursuing a teaching qualification at Tallinn University. I am very grateful to the management and colleagues at Metrosert for the long and excellent cooperation. Metrology gave me the opportunity to develop and grow with the company. I believe and hope that my students will also one day come to work at Metrosert.
*The Estonian Assay Office is a unit of AS Metrosert, which is the sole verifier of precious metal hallmarks in Estonia. Previously, the Assay Office was under the Estonian Ministry of Finance; it is now a unit of the business entity AS Metrosert, which is partly owned by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications.
