It was in 1934 that Robert M. Shipley, founder of both GIA and the American Gem Society, published the first issue of Gems & Gemology. The journal began as a bi-monthly, pamphlet-sized publication with three holes punched for convenient storage in a loose-leaf binder. I wish Robert Shipley could be with us now to see the full-color, 180 page, Fall 1999 Symposium Proceedings issue 65 years after his brainchild first appeared.

I believe (and our authors tell me) that G&G is the most rigorously peer-reviewed publication in gemology and allied sciences alike. We felt that such a review process was critical if gemology was to achieve the status as a science that gems and jewelry had achieved as an industry. We also recognize that, unlike the situation with most scientific journals, our readers encompass a broad range of education and experience. Through careful editing, we work to make every item as useful to the advanced researcher as it is to the new G.G. or the gemologist with 20 years of experience.

Over time, some articles have been portentous, others pretentious. I recall, for instance, a piece that Shipley and I wrote in 1941, which we titled "A Solution to Diamond Color Grading Problems." Obviously, diamond color grading problems remain to this day. Nevertheless, each article has contributed something to the body of knowledge in gemology.

Looking back, it’s been an exciting, exhilarating journey. I am proud to have been part of such a dynamic evolution, and I look to the future of gemology, and Gems & Gemology, with anticipation and great expectations.

Richard T. Liddicoat
Editor-in-Chief

So where will the next 65 years take us? What once seemed fantastic—a computer that fits in the palm of your hand—now seems ordinary. What once seemed impossible—the nondestructive identification of non-surface-reaching inclusions—is becoming routine. What will change in gemology over the next several decades? Let us look to the current issue for some clues.

The lead article, on emerald clarity-enhancement classification, is in response to concerns regarding the many new fillers being used to enhance emeralds. The future will see more fillers and even more-sophisticated treatments in other gem materials. The methods developed by General Electric to treat diamonds—as discusssed in Karl Schmetzer's article on possible GE POL-related patents, and updated in the Lab Notes item on the new GE-processed yellow-green diamonds—are just two examples of the resources now being devoted to enhancement and synthesis.

At the same time, gemology is becoming increasingly sensitive to world affairs. The lead Gem News entry and a special section of Gemological Abstracts address the challenges of making a country-of-origin determination for Angolan diamonds. This is in response to demands by U.S. politicians that diamonds be "identified" in an attempt to bar from the market stones that are being sold to support the atrocities committed by Angolan rebels.

We at Gems & Gemology will continue to work with researchers worldwide to address critical issues. Although good research takes time, we will make every effort to disseminate reliable information as quickly as possible. We plan to use our Web site to give regular updates on developments in gemological research, and eventually to provide real-time reports from new and important gem localities. As computing and publishing technologies coalesce to provide consistent color reproduction on screen, our vision of the future shows a fully digitized version of the journal itself.

We have a great foundation, provided by giants such as Robert M. Shipley and Richard T. Liddicoat. With our current combination of dedicated researchers and expert reviewers, we have a future as exciting and exhilarating as the past that propels us forward.

Alice S. Keller
Editor