GIA uses a variety of vehicles to spread the latest news from the Institute and the industry

By Tara J. McKenna

Marjorie Sinkankas has always loved books. She started to collect them as soon as she began to read. By the time she was in second grade, she had built herself a small collection. But it wasn’t until she met her husband years later that books took on an even greater meaning for her.

The late John Sinkankas, also a bibliophile, was a prolific author on all topics related to gemology. In order to write about them, however, he needed reference materials, and they weren’t always easy to find.

“John would need to look at material from one book in Chicago, one in New York and another one in London. It made sense to start buying the books instead of traveling so far to read them,” she said.

One purchase led to another, and soon the couple had amassed what was considered to be one of the finest private collections of gemological and mineral-ogical literature in the United States. They even built a business around it, Peri Lithon, which specialized in buying and selling rare and antique earth science books.

GIA purchased 23,000 items collected by John and Marjorie Sinkankas as the cornerstone of the Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library and Information Center in 1988. Marjorie Sinkankas donated the bulk of what remained in July 2004.

The latest additions, about 800 books, will be sent to the libraries at GIA learning centers around the globe, where they will become yet another vehicle the Institute uses to teach about gems and jewelry.

“The books going to GIA are very standard and useful books that everybody who is interested in our business would want to have or read,” Sinkankas said. “John would be very happy that they’ll be at GIA, where people can access them.”

Commitment to Education
GIA has been committed to educating the trade and public since beginning as a small correspondence school in 1931. Today, the Institute has 14 international learning centers, two laboratories and more than 950 employees who work to ensure the public trust in gems and jewelry by upholding the highest standards of academics, science, integrity and professionalism in the industry.

To fulfill its mission, GIA continually informs people about activities at the Institute, including its latest research and newest products, and relays the issues that affect the public and the industry through its publications, press releases, Web site, education courses, trade show partici-pation and numerous lectures each year.

“GIA started as an educational institute, and nearly 75 years later, we continue to explore and use new and better ways to communicate the Institute’s message of service on behalf of the public and the industry,” said Alex Angelle, senior manager of Public Relations for GIA.

“Every employee and friend of GIA throughout the gem and jewelry industry is also an important part of our public relations program, because they help to represent GIA and everything we do here.”

Vast Resources 
The Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library and Information Center is the first point of contact for those looking for gemology-related information. It is estimated that about 30,000 people visit the Library each year and another 17,000 people call or e-mail with questions.

“People come to us because we have the largest concentration of jewelry knowledge,” said Dona Dirlam, director of the Library. “It’s not just gemology. We get inquiries about everything: how to start a jewelry business, how to find a jewelry designer, what laws pertain to the jewelry industry, and even questions on art history.”

One of the Library’s latest projects is the “Focus on Gems” photo CD series, which began in the 1980s as a slide series for teachers, but was recently digitized to workin popular PowerPoint presentations. There are 48 sets of 12 images on different topics available, and while primarily geared for teachers, they are available for a fee to anyone who wants to use them for educational lectures.

The GIA Museum plays a similar role. It also archives the history of the industry and shares it with visitors who tour the Institute. While the Library answers reference questions and gives people the opportunity to research gemological topics through books, periodicals, images and videos, the GIA Museum provides a chance to see many of the topics firsthand through its numerous exhibits and lectures throughout the year.

“I see the Museum as a really integral part of GIA. Most people outside the trade don’t know much about gemology and the Museum is the perfect way to introduce them to the vast and vibrant world of gems,” said GIA Museum Director Elise Misiorowski. “Our function is to educate the public and, by doing so, increase consumer understanding about the variety of gemstones available.”

The Museum has become a very popular destination for local school children, tour groups and individuals, Misiorowski said. More than 3,100 people will be given official tours of the GIA Museum in 2004, and tours are already scheduled well into 2005.

GIA visitors to the Museum get to see “Magic, Myths, and Minerals: Chinese Jades from the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery,” on loan from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service through October. Two new exhibits, one featuring pieces from the American Jewelry Design Council’s Puzzle and Water themes and one on antique diamond cutting instruments, will follow.

The rising demand for gem-related exhibits, combined with Institute expansion, has spurred the Museum to create exhibits for GIA’s Los Angeles and New York branches, where they will be showcased later this year. Misiorowski hopes to one day provide every GIA learning center across the globe with exhibits from the GIA Collection to enhance students’ learning experience and visitors’ appreciation of gems and jewelry, she said.

The Library and Museum, along with most other departments, use the GIA Web site as a tool to inform the industry and public about what they are doing. Visitors can learn all about the latest GIA Research, enroll for an upcoming education course, subscribe to one of the Institute’s publications and even look at available job opportunities in the industry, without ever leaving their homes.

“The Web site is a great panoramic view of what’s happening at GIA,” said Kathryn Kimmel, vice president of Marketing and Public Relations. “It will never stay the same. It will constantly grow and evolve as the industry and the world evolves.”

GIA Speaks
From the occasional lecture and annual GemFests, to the gemological event for the industry – the International Gemological Symposium – GIA hosts numerous presentations about the gem and jewelry industry. Following are just some of the topics GIA staff members have recently lectured on:
     - GIA’s diamond cut research
     - HPHT and synthetic diamonds
     - Internal laser drilling of gemstones
     - Heat treatment of corundum
     - Women in the jewelry industry
     - Gemstones from Madagascar
     - Copyright and archive digitization projects
     - Jewelry from the 19th and 20th centuries
     - The rising popularity of colored gemstones
     - How to turn career dreams into reality

Learning at the Library
The Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library and Information Center is visited by 30,000 people, and receives an additional 17,000 e-mails and telephone calls for information requests, each year. It is considered to have the world’s largest collection of books and periodicals on gemology-related topics – some dating back to the 15th century. Its holdings include approximately:
     - 13,000 circulating books 
     - 23,000 books, reprints and other items in the Cartier Archives and Rare Book   Repository
     - 325 subscriptions to international magazines and journals
     - 27,000 photographs and slides
     - 800 videotapes of industry-related lectures and events
For more information from the Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library and Information Center, e-mail library@gia.edu, call (760) 603-4046 or (760) 603-4068.
It is open from 7:30 a.m-5 p.m., Monday-Friday.

Industry on View
The GIA Museum was officially established in 2001, but the Institute’s Collection began when founder Robert M. Shipley brought in his own gems and minerals and put them on display. Today, GIA hosts a number of exhibits and lectures throughout the year and its growing collection has become home to many signature, historical and objet d’art pieces.
     - The GIA Museum hosts two main exhibits each year in its Museum Gallery.
     - The growing GIA Collection is home to 31,000 pieces.
     - There are about 800 items on  display at the Institute’s world headquarters and Robert
       Mouawad Campus.
     - GIA New York’s Museum Gallery will have approximately 200 items on display later this year,
       and additional exhibits are planned for GIA Los Angeles.
     - Guest speakers give presentations for the GIA Museum’s annual series of four lectures.
For more information about the GIA Museum, contact Museum Director Elise Misiorowski at (760) 603-4073 or e-mail elise.misiorowski@gia.edu. For more information on GIA Tours, contact Guest Services Supervisor Yvette Wilson at (760) 603-4116 or e-mail ywilson@gia.edu.

Gems & Gemology
GIA’s award-winning scientific journal is dedicated to educating and serving the international gem and jewelry industry by publishing the most up-to-date technical information about diamonds and colored stones.  
     - The journal was established by GIA founder Robert M. Shipley in 1934.
     - G&G has about 7,000 subscribers in more than 100 countries.
     - G&G was the first journal on gemology to be included in the Institute for Scientific
        Information’s database of scientific publications.
     - The journal has had three editors-in-chief in  its 70-year history: Shipley (1934-1952), 
       Richard T. Liddicoat (1952-2002) and Alice S. Keller (2002-present). 
For more information, or to subscribe, contact Circulation Coordinator Debbie Ortiz at dortiz@gia.edu, call (760) 603-4000, ext. 7142 or fax (760) 603-4595.

The Loupe: GIA World News
The Institute’s quarterly magazine is the industry’s source for features, news, profiles and photo-essays about the people, places and events at GIA. It also showcases philanthropists who support GIA’s nonprofit mission and Alumni who have achieved success in the gem and jewelry industry.
     - The publication was created in 1947 as a student newsletter, but has evolved into a quarterly
       magazine for the entire gem and jewelry trade.
     - More than 100,000 people in 138 countries receive The Loupe.
     - A digital companion, Loupe Online, was created in 2000, and plans are in place to upgrade 
        it in 2005. 
     - The GIA Alumni Association publication InFocus was incorporated into The Loupe in 2002 to 
       publicize Alumni achievements to a broader audience.
For a free subscription, contact Development Services at Dev-Services@gia.edu or call (760) 603-4000, ext. 7290.

GIA Insider
GIA Insider was established to announce breaking news and updates from the Institute to the industry and the public. The electronic newsletter also offers columns such as  “Thoughts from the President,” by William E. Boyajian; “Industry Analysis,” with timely news affecting the industry; “Insider Gemologist,” with instruction directly from GIA courses; and “Lab Notes from Gems & Gemology,” with highlights from the GIA Gem Laboratory. 
     - The first issue of GIA Insider was released Oct. 15, 1999.
     - The bimonthly electronic newsletter has more than 48,000 international subscribers.
     - GIA uses the publication to issue special alerts from the Institute, most recently on sapphire
        treatments.
     - There are an additional 15,000 people who visit GIA’s Web site after each issue of Insider is
       published.
For a free subscription to the GIA Insider, send an e-mail with no subject or message to sub-giainsider@gia.edu or visit the Institute’s Web site at www.gia.edu and click on “Subscriptions.”

Legacy of Leadership: A History of the Gemological Institute of America
Legacy of Leadership is the first book to provide an in-depth look at GIA’s history, from its modest beginnings in 1931, to its role today as the world’s foremost authority in gemology. GIA President William E. Boyajian realized the Institute’s history needed to be told and documented after he gave a speech on GIA and AGS founder Robert M. Shipley at the Chicago Conclave in 1997.
     - Bill Shuster, senior editor of JCK magazine  and author of many articles on GIA history,
       authored the book.
     - More than 200 archival images help portray the richness of GIA’s history.
     - A compelling read for gem and jewelry enthusiasts and industry observers.
To order a copy of Legacy of Leadership: A History of the Gemological Institute of America, call GIA Instruments & Books at (760) 603-4200; fax (760) 603-4262 or visit www.gia.edu and click on “Gem Instruments & Books.”

WWW.GIA.EDU
GIA’s Web site is the first stop for the public, students and the trade to learn more about the Institute and the gem and jewelry industry. Visitors get a quick glance at what’s going on at GIA and important industry topics just by looking at the home page, which is set up by areas of interest and includes information on events, up-to-date issues and breaking news. Features like an interactive tutorial on the Four Cs and seasonal micro sites on topics such as Valentine’s Day shopping and Gifts for Grads are some of the most popular areas of the site. Future projects include a tutorial on colored stones, one on pearls and virtual tours of GIA’s campus in Carlsbad, California.
     - GIA has the most visited Web site for consumer information on gemstones and jewelry.
     - The GIA Web site is ranked as the most visited jewelry school Web site.
     - The site has an average of 7,289 visitors per day.
     - The GIA Web site has had more than 1,500,000 visitors through June of this year.
Note: Web site rankings are according to Alexa, an impartial Internet tracking organization that monitors Web traffic.

GIA in the News
The Public Relations department informs the industry and the public of GIA’s latest news and activities, including its vital research, educational offerings, museum collections and donations. Its staff fielded 277 media inquiries in 2003 and distributed 146 press releases.
     - The Institute has been featured on many TV programs, including NBC’s “Today,”
        “Inside Edition,” “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” and “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.”
     - Articles on GIA have appeared in hundreds of publications, including the New York Times,
       the Chicago Tribune, The Wall Street Journal, The Times of London, Robb Report
       magazine and most industry publications.
     - Every press release is posted on GIA’s Web site and distributed to more than 100
        international trade and non-industry media sites.
To contact the Public Relations department with a media request, call Senior Manager Alex Angelle at (760) 603-4112 or e-mail alex.angelle@gia.edu.