Location:
Meeting Room 201-203
Sponsored By
Panel Discussion Moderators:
About Presenter: Gary Roskin, graduate gemologist, author, gemstone photographer, and journalist, is the Editor in Chief of the Roskin Gem News Report.
Former CEO for the International Colored Gemstone Association, Senior Gemstone Editor for JCK Magazine, and the Baselworld Daily News, Roskin has covered the international colored gems and diamonds market, as well as gemological subjects on diamonds, and the estate gemstone/jewelry market for close to four decades.
With years of professional experience in areas including laboratory diamond grading, supervising, training, monitoring, and reporting, Roskin has provided jewelers and appraisers valuable diamond grading tips and techniques. Gary is the author of “Photo Masters for Diamond Grading.”
Roskin began his career as a fourth-generation retail jeweler in Marion, Indiana. He studied at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in Santa Monica, California, and worked there from 1977 through 1992; 6 years as Assistant to the Director of the Los Angeles GIA Gem Trade Lab, 3 years as a resident gemology instructor in both diamond grading and colored stone/gem identification, and 5 years as Executive Director of the GIA Alumni Association. From 1992 through 1997, Roskin was Assistant Director for the European Gem Lab in Los Angeles.
Roskin is a Graduate Gemologist and Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain. Gary has been the recipient of many awards, including the International Society of Appraiser’s Media Award for his feature story entitled, “Bad Appraising Lands Good Jeweler in Court,” several Richard T. Liddicoat Journalism Awards Honorable Mentions from the American Gem Society, and a shared 2nd place award in Gems & Gemology’s Dr. Edward J. Gübelin Most Valuable Article Award, as a co-author of “Synthetic Gem Materials in the 2000s: A Decade in Review.”
Gary was just presented the Antonio C. Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology from the Accredited Gemologists Association.
Panel Discussion: Presenters
Dr. Aaron Palke developed an interest in minerals and gemstones searching for agates and other minerals in eastern Montana. He was particularly struck by the geographic distribution of mineral and gem deposits and geological features, for instance, why were there mountains and an abundance of mineral deposits in Montana but not in his home state of Oklahoma? These questions led Dr. Palke to pursue a formal education in geology, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Tulsa and a Ph.D. from Stanford University. Dr. Palke began his gemological career as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Gemological Institute of America where he is now the Senior Manager of Colored Stone Research. In this role, Dr. Palke leads GIA’s research efforts into geographic origin determination for rubies, sapphires, emeralds and other colored stones as well as improving criteria for identification of treatments for colored stones. Dr. Palke is a regular contributor to Gems & Gemology, serves on the journal’s editorial review board, and has acted as a Guest Editor for two special issues of the journal so far.
Eileen McClelland is managing editor for INSTORE, the magazine for North American jewelry store owners. Primary responsibilities include managing the America’s Coolest Stores Contest and writing cover stories, cool store articles, and other content, for which she’s won numerous awards, including a prestigious Neal Award for the cover story, “New Rules of Marketing.”
Eileen graduated from the Honors College of Kent State University in Ohio with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Prior to her 2007 arrival at INSTORE, she was a copy editor and arts and entertainment writer for the Houston Chronicle in Houston, TX, and features editor for the Naples Daily News in Naples, FL. Eileen lives in New Orleans.
Brendan M. Laurs (MS, FGA, GG) is editor-in-chief of The Journal of Gemmology, published by Gem-A in London. He is based in the San Diego, California area, and is a gemologist and geologist specializing in the formation of colored gemstone deposits. Brendan developed an early interest in geology while exploring the gem-bearing pegmatites of San Diego County. He obtained a BS degree in geology at UC Santa Barbara and an MS degree in geology from Oregon State University. His MS thesis and post-graduate studies were focused on pegmatite-related gem deposits (emerald and tourmaline) in northern Pakistan. Brendan briefly worked as an exploration geologist for colored gemstones (benitoite and red beryl) with Kennecott Exploration Co., and then was employed at GIA as an editor of Gems & Gemology from 1997 to 2012. He has studied and reported on colored stone deposits worldwide, including various localities in Africa/Madagascar, Brazil, Asia, and the USA.
Jennifer Heebner has covered the jewelry industry for more than 26 years as a writer, editor and trend follower. She is editor-in-chief of AGTA’s Prism magazine and newsletter, as well as a contributing writer and Design Awards contest director for INSTORE. Heebner also contributes to Rapaport and Professional Jeweler, recently served as executive director of the Cultured Pearl Association of America and founder of it #thisispearl magazine and was a senior editor with JCK for 19 years.
