Prof. Dr. Henry A. Hänni

Director
SSEF Swiss Gemmological Institute
Falknerstrasse 9
CH-4054 Basel / Switzerland
Tel. +41 61 262 0640, Fax +41 61 262 06 41
e-mail: gemlab@ssef.ch

Born in 1945, Henry A. Hänni belongs to the first European generation after World War II, a generation which was educated in modest conditions. Already in primary school he was outstanding as he was the third largest in size in his class. After finishing basic school he took a job as workshop assistant in the mineralogical institute of Basel university. Here he learned a large number of practical skills like cutting stones for thin sections, photography, mechanical works, bookbinding etc. Since his interests have always been with natural science he was now most thrilled by geology and mineralogy. With evening courses over many years he prepared himself for the maturity, an exam to pass in order to have access to a university study. When he inscribed at university in 1968 he started his academic education with geology, mineralogy, physics and chemistry, and other subjects. But he maintained his workshop job for making the living money. During his study he visited many sites of geological interest as e.g. the field trips to Greenland, Island and gemmological interesting places in South Africa, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Turkey and Iran. He worked on the mineralogy and mineral chemistry of alpine beryls, and delivered his doctoral thesis on that topic in 1980. He got an FGA diploma earlier and was now ready to start a professional life as a gemmologist. Luckily he got an employment in a gemmological laboratory: SSEF. George Bosshart was his boss and trainer; Dr. Gübelin was his guiding star. Henry Hänni found a lot of interesting problems while working as a professional gemmologist. By his affiliation to the mineralogical institute of Basel university he completed a number of scientific publications, which were finally rewarded in an assistant professorship in gemmology (venia docendi in 1989). He was pushing forward analytical gemmology and developed techniques and instruments for a more scientific gemmology. Interested in education, he became a member of the Swiss Gemmological Society SGG, and of ICA, where he continued to deliver lectures and articles. In 1990 he became the director of SSEF and made the transfer of the laboratory to Basel. Here he could re-shape the Swiss Gemmological Institute to what is today. With support of the SSEF board and his excellent staff he brought the laboratory to a wide international recognition. Henry Hänni became member of a number of societies and groups, such as Swiss Chamber of scientific and forensic experts, delegate of IMA gemstone section, International Gemmological Conference. He has written over 100 gemmological papers und has been delivering lectures to different bodies, in many countries worldwide. Professor Hänni has gained an excellent reputation among gemmologists and is a very respected person by the people from the trade. With intellect and good humour he has been enriching the field now for over 25 years.

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