Sriram “Ram” Natarajan is now GIA’s senior vice president of laboratory operations and is based out of the lab’s headquarters in Carlsbad.
Galatea Releases Pearl Necklace That Plays the Bible
The company also announced that its Momento pearl jewelry is now iPhone compatible.

San Dimas, Calif.--Just in time for Easter, Galatea Jewelry by Artist has launched the “Bible in a Pearl,” a piece of pearl jewelry that contains an audio version of the entire book.
By tapping the pearl necklace against a mobile phone, the near-field communication (NFC) chip allows users to play messages or view texts or images—in this case, the full Old and New Testament as well as original voice recordings—via an app.
The NFC chip also accesses “The Jesus Film,” a movie about Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.
Galatea said the Bible Pearl is protected by two U.S. patents with more pending. The suggested retail pricing for the item ranges from $175 to $915, depending on exact style of necklace.
The company, which is based between the United States and Vietnam, also said that its NFC chip-powered patented “Momento” pearl, gemstone and diamond jewelry now works with iPhones 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus and X.
Previously, it was compatible with Android phones and tablets only.
First introduced in 2014, Galatea’s Momento jewelry encompasses more than 75 jewelry styles, including the new Bible Pearl.
One of those styles is what Galatea calls “the world’s first interactive engagement diamond,” sold as a semi-mount, which can be programmed to access anything from a user’s “proposal to wedding vows and images and video links to the ceremony,” said Galatea founder Chi Huynh.
Apple unlocked the NFC part of its operating system for app developers last September.
“We’ve been waiting for Apple to allow us to adapt our technology for the iOS operating system since we debuted this product three years ago,” said Huynh. “We invested heavily in the technology and the patents because we believe this is the future for fine jewelry.”
Galatea is largely known for its hand-carved cultured Tahitian and freshwater pearls. In 2005, the company introduced the patented Galatea Pearl,
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