On February 15, 1931, during the depths of the Great Depression, a former retail jeweler named Robert M. Shipley and his wife, Beatrice, cashed in their savings to establish the Gemological Institute of America. Shipley’s goal was to do nothing less than professionalize the U.S. jewelry industry through education, research, and gemological instrumentation. 

The story of GIA is one of personalities, innovations, disappointments, and successes, all set against the remarkable events of the 20th century. Legacy of Leadership covers well-known triumphs – including the establishment of the Graduate Gemologist curriculum, the introduction of the GIA Diamond Grading System, the birth of GIA’s Diamond Grading Reports, and the identification of treated and synthetic diamonds – and offers revealing insights into an institution that, many say, has quite literally revolutionized the gem and jewelry industry.

To order your copy of Legacy of Leadership
 visit  GIA Gem Instruments and Books
or call (800) 421-8161 within the U.S., or (760) 603-4200.