Colored Stones
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Gemology legend Crowningshield dies at 87
By Susan Thea Posnock
November 08, 2006
New York—G. Robert Crowningshield, one of the last living legends to help shape the gemology world, died Tuesday night.
"This is a sad day for people throughout GIA and the industry. We have been extremely privileged to work with such a great man for so long," said Tom Moses, senior vice president of the GIA Laboratory and Research, in a statement. "He gave us his talent, his time, his intensity, his quest for perfection, his drive for precision, and we will be forever thankful."
Crowningshield was a former vice president of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Laboratory and is considered the father of modern gemological research in spectrometry. He was one of the original founders of the GIA Lab in New York and a paramount scientist who established hard-hitting, results-oriented, ongoing research as a key tenet of the GIA.
"For over 55 years, he gave selflessly to GIA and its people, building a body of gemological knowledge personally and deliberately, gemstone by gemstone," GIA said in the statement.
A native of Colorado Springs, Colo., and a Navy veteran, Crowningshield's contributions to the field of gemology and gemological research included groundbreaking findings on the spot method of refractive index determination on Rayner and similar refractometers, spectroscopic recognition of treated color diamonds and a comprehensive study of gem-quality synthetic diamonds. He was also renowned for his expertise in nomenclature and his contributions include the 1983 treatise, "Padparadscha: What's in a Name?"
In addition, Crowningshield made fundamental advances in the understanding and identification of treated and synthetic diamonds, colored stones such as amethyst, tanzanite, padparadscha sapphire and heat-treated corundum, and natural and cultured pearls. He was also instrumental in developing and teaching the GIA diamond-grading system.
Sharing his knowledge and experience with the industry, he published hundreds of articles and gave lectures and industry presentations. Much of his research was published in Gems & Gemology, including landmark articles on his discoveries and more than 1,000 entries in the Lab Notes section alone.
Over his distinguished career, he was the recipient of numerous industry awards, including the American Gem Society's Robert M. Shipley Award, Modern Jeweler's Lifetime Achievement Award, the American Gem Society Lifetime Achievement Award and the Antonio C. Bonnano Award for Excellence in Gemology, the highest honor from the Accredited Gemologists Association.
In recognition of his contributions to the science of gemology, the GIA formally named its research facility the G. Robert Crowningshield Gemological Research Laboratory in 1997.
Speaking this morning with National Jeweler, former GIA President Bill Boyajian said the news was a great loss to the GIA, gemology and the jewelry industry.
"Bob Crowningshield was a legend, he was really the pioneer of gemological lab work in my view," Boyajian says. "He and Dick Liddicoat worked closely together and they made a very formidable team, with Bob on the East Coast and Mr. Liddicoat on the West Coast."
He adds that among his achievements, Crowningshield helped to solidify the integrity of the GIA. He notes that the GIA is fortunate to have a professional such as Moses to follow in his footsteps.
"When I became president of GIA 20 years ago, the first call I made was to Tom Moses, and I asked Tom to come back to GIA to work under Bob Crowningshield in New York," he recalls.
According to the GIA Web site, Crowningshield's entr?e into the world of gemology was part happenstance. While serving on a transport ship in the Pacific fleet during World War II, he spent his spare time at sea reading gem books and designing jewelry settings. On stops to ports in Australia, India and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), he bought a number of gems and even advised other crewmembers on their purchases. A chance encounter at a jewelry store in Ceylon helped to put Crowningshield more firmly on his gemological path. The owner's son, Sardha Ratnavira, was a pre-war graduate of the GIA in Los Angeles, and it was through him that Crowningshield first learned about and became interested in attending the GIA.
Summing up Crowningshield's contributions to gemology and the GIA, Moses said, "He taught us how to look for the truth, and to find the core qualities in both gemstones and in people. He was an important man in our field, but he was also our friend, our teacher and one of our leaders. He was brilliant. He was kind. He was a true gentleman. We will all miss Bob deeply."
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