Gems & Gemology is pleased to announce the winners of the 2002 Dr. Edward J. Gübelin Most Valuable Article Award, as voted by the journal’s readers. Our special thanks to the many G&G readers who participated in this year’s voting.

The first-place article was “Modeling the Appearance of the Round Brilliant Cut Diamond: An Analysis of Fire, and More About Brilliance” (Fall 2001), which presented the latest results of GIA’s research on the interaction of light with colorless round brilliant cut diamonds of various proportions. Receiving second place was “The Current Status of Chinese Freshwater Pearls” (Summer 2001), a report on the latest culturing techniques being used at Chinese pearl farms. Third place was awarded to “Discovery and Mining of the Argyle Diamond Deposit, Australia” (Spring 2001), which examined the development of the world’s largest diamond mine by volume.

The authors of these three articles will share cash prizes of $2,000, $1,000, and $500, respectively. Following are photographs and brief biographies of the winning authors.

Congratulations also to Francisco Brooks-Church of San Francisco, California, whose name was drawn from the many entries to win a five-year subscription to Gems & Gemology.

First Place

Modeling the Appearance of the Round Brilliant Cut Diamond:
An Analysis of Fire, and More About Brilliance
Ilene M. Reinitz, Mary L. Johnson, T. Scott Hemphill, Al M. Gilbertson, Ron H. Geurts, Barak D. Green, and James E. Shigley

Ilene Reinitz is manager of Research and Development at the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory in New York and an editor of G&G’s Gem Trade Lab Notes (GTLN) section. Dr. Reinitz, who holds a Ph.D. in geochemistry from Yale University, has written numerous articles for G&G and other publications. Mary Johnson, manager of Research and Development at the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory in Carlsbad, is also an editor of the GTLN section and a frequent contributor to the journal. Dr. Johnson received her Ph.D. in mineralogy and crystallography from Harvard University. Scott Hemphill, a GIA research associate, has been programming computers for more than 30 years. Mr. Hemphill holds a B.Sc. in engineering and an M.Sc. in computer science from the California Institute of Technology. Al Gilbertson is a research associate with GIA Research in Carlsbad. A noted gemologist and appraiser, Mr. Gilbertson has published several articles on diamond cut and clarity. Ron Geurts is Research and Development manager at GIA in Antwerp, Belgium. Mr. Geurts has 27 years of experience in diamond grading and the development of grading instruments and techniques. Barak Green is a technical writer for GIA Research in Carlsbad. Mr. Green holds a master’s degree in anthropology from the University of California, San Diego, where he currently teaches writing and rhetorical analysis. James Shigley, who holds a Ph.D. in geology from Stanford University, is director of GIA Research in Carlsbad. This marks his sixth Most Valuable Article first-place award.

Second Place
The Current Status of Chinese Freshwater Cultured Pearls
Shigeru Akamatsu, Li Tajima Zansheng, Thomas M. Moses, and Kenneth Scarratt

Shigeru Akamatsu is former manager of the Pearl Research Laboratory and currently general manager of the Sales Promotion Department, K. Mikimoto & Co. Ltd. A graduate of the Tokyo University of Fisheries, he is vice-president of the CIBJO Pearl Commission. Li Tajima Zansheng is president of Stream Co., Tokyo and Hong Kong. Mr. Li, a graduate of Yokohama National University, began dealing Chinese freshwater cultured pearls in 1986. Thomas Moses is vice president of Identification Services at the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory in New York. Mr. Moses, who attended Bowling Green University in Ohio, is also an editor of the GTLN section. Kenneth Scarratt is laboratory director at the AGTA Gemological Testing Center in New York. A member of the Gems & Gemology Editorial Review Board, Mr. Scarratt is one of the very few to have been entrusted with examining the British Crown Jewels.

Third Place
Discovery and Mining of the Argyle Diamond Deposit, Australia
James E. Shigley, John Chapman, and Robyn K. Ellison

James Shigley is profiled in the first-place entry. John Chapman is an independent diamond scientist in Perth, Australia. Mr. Chapman, who has a bachelor’s degree in physics, has spent the past 15 years in the diamond industry doing geological assessments, economic analyses, and gemological research. Robyn Ellison is a senior business analyst with Argyle Diamonds in Perth, Australia. With an MBA from the University of Western Australia and an extensive background in the diamond industry, she has been closely involved in the strategy and planning of Argyle’s marketing initiatives for the last 10 years.