ICA mourns the passing of Andre Assaf
Founding ICA member, dedicated to the global natural colored gemstone Andre Assaf was born in Fez, Morocco in August of 1942. While completing his graduate studies at Hebrew University in Israel, he met his future wife, Malka, where the two would embark on an epic journey through life. After spending a few years living in France and Switzerland, they were offered French teaching positions in the Ivory Coast, and later in Nairobi Kenya, where all three of their children were born. It was during this time that Andre was introduced to the local gemstone market, and he began buying and cutting stones. In the coming decades, his name would become synonymous with fine tsavorite and other rare and exotic gems. His adventurous spirit carried him throughout the globe, in the process making multiple countries his home such as Israel, Canada, the United States, and Thailand. "André's passing is a great loss to our industry and to ICA," says Roland Naftule, one of the