When GIA founder Robert M. Shipley released the first issue of Gems & Gemology in January 1934, his aim, stated on the first of 32 loose-leaf pages, was to “increase the gem merchant’s knowledge and ability in order that he may protect more thoroughly his customers’ best interests.” Though not the first gemological publication to appear—Great Britain’s The Gemmologist began in 1931—G&G was introduced at a time when such information was desperately needed. For the most part, jewelry trade magazines of the day did not delve into gemology, and many jewelers and dealers knew very little about the gems they were handling.

Although its early staff was perennially low on budget and manpower, G&G was fortunate to enjoy contributions from some of the world’s most distinguished gemologists and mineralogists. Such legends as Basil Anderson, Sydney Ball, Dr. Edward Gübelin, Dr. Edward Kraus, Dr. Karl Schlossmacher, Robert Webster, and Shipley himself, regularly wrote for the journal during its first two decades. That torch eventually was passed to G. Robert Crowningshield, Richard Liddicoat, Dr. Kurt Nassau, and Dr. John Sinkankas, among others, and today it rests in a number of equally capable hands worldwide.

So, despite the many changes in cosmetics and content over the years, the scientific tradition built by the likes of Shipley and Liddicoat continues. In this 285th issue (for those of you doing the math, G&G was bimonthly rather than quarterly during its first two years), our contributors represent gemological research from around the world—the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Mexico, and the U.S.—and report on a range of meaningful topics. In the lead article, Dr. Philip Martineau and his colleagues from the De Beers DTC Research Centre present the results of their study of more than a thousand synthetic diamonds grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and the properties that differentiate them from natural diamonds. Drs. Roland Diehl and Nikolaus Herres describe an X-ray topographic method for “fingerprinting” a cut diamond so that its identity may be confirmed later in the event of loss or theft (or even recutting), while Dr. Lore Kiefert and co-authors shed light on the new cultured pearls from Mexico’s Gulf of California. These feature articles are well complemented by the regular Lab Notes and Gem News International sections, and much more.

As we celebrate our 70th anniversary, I am delighted to announce another significant milestone. Gems & Gemology has been accepted into the database of the Institute for Scientific Information. ISI (www.isinet.com) is widely recognized as the premier database of scientific publications, and its print and online resources are used by libraries and researchers worldwide. This nomination provides G&G with a mark of recognition within the scientific community for publishing quality research. Just as important, it raises the visibility and stature of gemology as a scientific discipline, since G&G is the first gemological journal to be included in the ISI database. We are very grateful to the authors and reviewers who wrote letters to ISI on behalf of G&G, and to those whose contributions over the years have made the journal a vital component of the scientific literature.

Gems & Gemology will be included in the following ISI media, beginning with last year’s Spring issue (Vol. 39, No. 1, 2003): Current Contents—Physical, Chemical & Earth Sciences; Science Citation Index—Expanded, including the Web of Science; and ISI’s current awareness alerting services.

ISI’s recognition is a fitting tribute to gemology, a science that—like G&G—has come a long way in the last 70 years.