Club Meeting

On Thursday 18th May members of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry enjoyed a speakers night at the Hawes Inn. The talk was given by Alistir Tait who spoke about the jewellery and gemstones of Scotland.

Alistir is a jeweller and gemologist who has been well-known in Edinburgh jewellery circles for over thirty years. His interest started as a schoolboy when he collected Scottish minerals and agates. He also panned for gold.  Alistir was the youngest student to become a Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain in 1973. He began his professional career in the African gem trade with a gem firm in Johannesburg and returned to Edinburgh to develop his own retail business, eventually establishing a shop in Bruntsfield in 1980. Later the company moved to Rose Street. Alistir, who has now retired, is a member of the Rotary Club of Braids. Alistir's fascinating talk prompted many questions from the floor.