Educating the world’s jewelers since 1995

The Ganoksin Project is Born: The Ganoksin Project was created in Bangkok and Calgary in 1995-96 by Hanuman Aspler (right) and Charles Lewton-Brain (left). A doctor by training, Hanuman changed careers and entered the jewelry trade while traveling in Thailand. Charles was a metalsmithing teacher and writer. In Thai, ganok means "pure gold," and sin means "art." Together, they can be thought of as meaning "The Art of Gold."

From Catalog to Content: Ganoksin began as an online catalog with bits and pieces of information on jewelry making and articles on the gem trade. In 1996, Charles offered the Ganoksin website all his metalsmithing and jewelry articles. Over time, more jewelers and designers began to contribute articles. Now, Ganoksin has over 400,000 web pages of content and has become the largest educational internet site for the jewelry, gemology and metals field.

An Online Community: In 1996, the Orchid discussion group brought together a community of jewelers, gemologists, and metalsmiths to communicate and exchange information about their craft freely. Hanuman and, starting in 1999, Noppadol Srinorakut managed the nuts and bolts of this new, ever evolving medium. The Orchid discussion group is a genuine global village that continues to foster a forum rich in content as well as a sense of family.

Dinners and Partnerships: Around 1999, the Orchid discussion group began to hold dinners and get togethers at major jewelry events in North America. These gatherings (which still occur yearly) have helped spread the word about Ganoksin and led to partnerships with major players in the jewelry world such as the Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) and the Authority on Jewelry Manufacturing (AJM) Magazine.

A Dedicated Server: In 2005, the Ganoksin project got its own dedicated server with the power of broadcasting up to 1,500 GB of jewelry content monthly.

Orchid in Print: In collaboration with the Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America (MJSA), the Ganoksin Project has published two volumes in the series, "Orchid in Print: Maximum Bench Work." These are Making the Most of Your Flex-shaft by Karen Christians and The Jeweler’s Bench Book by Charles Lewton-Brain.

International Gem Society: As of 2016, International Gem Society is the proud new owner of Ganoksin. Founded in 1998, IGS is an educational resource and online community for hobbyists, gem-lovers, professionals and everyone in between. The team at IGS has completely modernized Ganoksin making it easier to navigate and mobile-friendly. And has replaced the Orchid Email Discussion List with cutting edge forum software while fully retaining all 20 years worth of discussions. We owe a debt of gratitude to Hanuman for founding and running Ganoksin for the past 20 years. You can now find him at his new projects here: Hanuman on Facebook, ThaiFoodMaster, Three Trees Doi Saket.