Akiva Caspi Joins Institute as Director for GIA Gem Instruments
By Amy Toosley

The Institute has appointed Akiva Caspi as director of Research and Product Development for GIA Gem Instruments. In his new role, Caspi will manage technical services and new product development.

Caspi’s background includes a wealth of engineering experience and knowledge of diamonds and diamond manufacturing equipment. A retired Israeli Air Force officer, he developed manufacturing and maintenance methodology for special Air Force systems that are still in use today. 

Caspi was responsible for developing the central computer of the avionics system for Israel Aircraft Industries in the early 1980s. He directed a team of engineers and pilots that established modern definition and design methods.

Caspi moved to the diamond industry in 1987 when he became director of Technology for the Israel Diamond Institute. He was a leader in the invention of advanced computer and software technologies for diamond cutting. His decade-long career there allowed him to learn diamond centering concepts, bruting, and CAD/CAM systems for cutting diamonds, said Howard Pomerantz, executive director of GIA Gem Instruments.

“In many ways, Akiva helped modernize Israel’s diamond cutting industry,” he said.

Caspi also created the conceptual framework and design for a gemological system to determine the geometric properties of polished diamond, which is known as the Sarin System.

Most recently, he worked as director of marketing for Dialit Ltd., an automatic polishing machine manufacturing company for the diamond industry, where he created new methods for diamond table polishing.

Caspi has contributed to GIA in the past. He wrote “Modern Diamond Cutting and Polishing,” an article featured in the Summer 1997 issue of Gems & Gemology.

“Akiva will collaborate closely with GIA Research, Education, and the GIA Gem Laboratory in developing and bringing new products to market.” Pomerantz said. “We look forward to him adding technological advances to the GIA Gem Instruments product line.”

Akiva Caspi
Born: Israel, 1950
Married: Sharon, 1973
Children: Limor, 27 and Liron, 24
Education:
   1972: Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
   1981: Game Theory, Open University, Israel
Professional Studies:
   Courses in Marketing & Sales, Project Management, Negotiation, Gemology
Work Experience: 
   Present: Director of Research and Product Development, GIA Gem Instruments
   1997-2003: Director of Marketing, Dialit Ltd.
   1987-’97: Deputy Managing Director, Director of Technology, Manager of Technology & Training Center, Israel Diamond Institute
   1984-’87: Assistant Director, Project Manager, Real-Time Division Yael Software and System   
   1981-’84: Systems Engineer, Israel Aircraft Industries  
   1979-’81: Project Engineer, Israel Aircraft Industries 
   1972-’79: Officer of Development Administration, Officer of Air Force Command, Department Commander, Israel Air Force