‘Ensuring the Public Trust, One Person at a Time’
By William E. Boyajian

GIA’s theme in 2004 is “ensuring the public trust, one person at a time.” We want to emphasize internally, to the gem and jewelry world, and to consumers everywhere, that each of us at the Institute has a responsibility to serve the public and that every person we encounter in our journey is vital to the cause. 

In this year’s issues of The Loupe, we will take a look at the myriad ways GIA serves the public trust through education, gemological research, dissemination of information and other core services. In the end, I think, we will all be surprised at the many ways GIA provides knowledge and trust to the industry, and ultimately to the consumer.

When I think of this year’s theme and what we try to accomplish each day at GIA, the one person I think of first is the late Richard Liddicoat. As our long-time president and chairman, he championed the ideals of public service and of treating people with kindness and respect. He, more than anyone, set the standards of integrity at GIA. Throughout his 62-year career, from 1940 to 2002, Mr. Liddicoat made selfless sacrifices to help enrich the field. He never sought the limelight, though he was always in it. His passion for gemology and for people was a hallmark of his being. He will always be remembered as the “Father of Modern Gemology.”

A modest and humble man, Richard Liddicoat left more than a legacy of leadership for all of us to follow. Upon his death last year, he remembered the Institute he helped build by giving some $3 million in total to GIA’s endowment program. As if more than six decades of dedication and commitment were not enough, he ultimately gave the greatest part of what he had accumulated over the years back to the institution that meant so much to him. (See story, page 22.) 

As I have reflected on Richard Liddicoat, his gift to GIA and his total commitment to serve the public trust, I can’t help but think of the model this single person has been for me, for all GIA employees, students and graduates, and for the gem and jewelry trade at large. His devotion shows the impact that one individual can have on an entire industry.

As we continue to focus on ensuring the public trust, I want to remind each of us just how important it is to do the right thing, with others in mind, and to stay committed to excellence in all we do. This allows us to serve a broader mission and to serve others, one person at a time.

I would like to end this message with an excerpt from my tribute to Richard Liddicoat in a supplement we published in 2002. It sums up the essence of the man and his contribution to “ensuring the public trust, one person at a time.”

“I, like many of you, loved Richard Liddicoat. I loved what he stood for: honesty, integrity, ethics and myriad interests that belied his curiosity and fascination with gems. He approached things of nature as God’s unique creations. He respected people of all nations, cultures and religions. He created an atmosphere around him of warmth, care and concern. He loved new ideas and innovation, which he encouraged with everyone he met. Simply being in his presence was both a pleasure and an inspiration.

There are not enough words, not enough paragraphs, not enough pages to describe Richard Liddicoat. The model he was, the legacy he left, and the vision he had for gemology and the jewelry industry – always in service to the public – will be with us for generations to come.”