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VOLUME XXXIX FALL 2003 Featuring: Legendary Gemologist G. Robert Crowningshield Black Diamonds Diamond Cut Copyright THE QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE GEMOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF AMERICA Fall 2003 VOLUME 39, NO. 3 EDITORIAL _____________ 181 G. Robert Crowningshield: A Giant among Gemologists William E. Boyajian 183 LETTERS _______ FEATURE ARTICLE _____________ 184 G. Robert Crowningshield: A Legendary Gemologist Thomas M. Moses and James E. Shigley pg. 185 A look at the extraordinary career of G. Robert Crowningshield. NOTES AND NEW TECHNIQUES _______ An Investigation into the Cause of Color in 200 Natural Black Diamonds from Siberia Sergey V. Titkov, Nikolay G. Zudin, Anatoliy I. Gorshkov, Anatoliy V. Sivtsov, and Larisa O. Magazina A study of black and dark gray diamonds from Siberia by analytical scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Obtaining U.S. Copyright Registration for the 210 Elara Square Cut-Cornered Brilliant Diamond Howard B. Rockman A description of the application process for the first known U.S. copyright pg. 201 registration for a gemstone design. REGULAR FEATURES _____________________ 214 Lab Notes • Dyed black chalcedony • Unusual type II diamonds • Leadhillite • Cultured pearl mystery • Treated-color “golden” South Sea cultured pearl • Quartz crystal with “lizard” inclusion • Unusual mottled pink quartz • Quartzite dyed to imitate ruby • Unusual inclusions in a beryllium-diffused sapphire • Stichtite flowers 222 Gem News International • Australia’s largest diamond crystal • Canadian diamond mining update • Profile Cut diamonds • Alexandrite-emerald intergrowth • Amethyst from Nigeria • New hiddenite discovery • Sapphires and pezzottaite from Madagascar • Mogok update pg. 217 • “Star” obsidian • Unusual star quartz • Star sunstone from Tanzania • More from Tucson 2003 • CVD synthetic diamond • “Mermaid Crystal,” an opal simulant • Synthetic spinel with unusual inclusions • HPHT-processed diamonds from Korea • Tourmaline with an iridescent coating • Madagascar gem cutting, and plans for a gemological institute • Conference reports 251 2003 Challenge Winners 252 Book Reviews 255 Gemological Abstracts 265 Guidelines for Authors pg. 228 G. Robert Crowningshield: A Giant among Gemologists ne of my first intro- Krashes—Bob Crowning- ductions to gemolog- shield was as comfortable in Oical greatness came front of a classroom as in the late 1970s at an behind a microscope (or American Gem Society spectroscope). But his interest Conclave. I was relatively in sharing what he knew new to GIA and gemology, went well beyond teaching but eager to learn as much GIA students or lecturing at as I could. Phil Minsky, a AGS Conclaves. Bob has pro- longtime officer of AGS, duced an incredible body of described Richard published work over the Liddicoat, Bob decades—much of it in Crowningshield, and Bert Gems & Gemology—includ- Krashes to me as “giants in ing landmark articles on his the industry.” They were the discoveries and more than ones I should look to for 1,000 entries in our popular guidance, the footsteps I Lab Notes section alone. should follow. I never forgot his words as I worked with Arguably, with his entire all three men over the years. laboratory career in the All were, indeed, giants in center of the New York the gem and jewelry indus- trade, he has seen and try, each in his own unique identified more gems of way. And it was the tall, thin, unassuming yet always pol- beauty and uniqueness than anyone before him, and ished gentleman, Bob Crowningshield, who dominated likely anyone after him. For Bob Crowningshield has gemological research at the Institute. been a practicing gemologist throughout his career, never tiring of the challenge of identifying gem materi- The article on G. Robert Crowningshield in this issue high- als, never losing his interest in scientific inquiry and dis- lights a remarkable gemological career that has spanned covery, and never ceasing to share what he has learned some 55 years. The contributions described in this article with other gemologists, jewelers, and students alike. illustrate what Minsky was referring to when he used the word giants. Minsky knew GIA almost from its infancy, and As the authors declare in their article, it is impossible to he understood the contributions that this humble man had overstate the contributions that Bob Crowningshield has already made to our field. made to GIA and to the industry. For Bob, though, from the beginning, it was only about establishing gemology as a Having just published a book on the history of GIA, positive force for the professional jeweler—never about authored by JCK senior editor Bill Shuster, I can attest to making a name for himself or becoming a legend in his the singular greatness that Robert Crowningshield embod- own right. Perhaps this is the greatest lesson we can learn ies. Bob’s role in the development of the science of gemol- from Bob Crowningshield: Doing a job well, with integrity ogy is legendary, but equally important is his contribution and virtue, is the mark of true greatness. A giant among to the emergence of gemology as a respected profession. gemologists, Bob Crowningshield has left an indelible mark Bob was one of the many men who came to GIA and on GIA and on gemology. gemology right after World War II and ultimately propelled the Institute and gemological science to greater heights than ever before. He helped take gemology from a periph- eral curiosity to an integral part of a jeweler’s business. Like many of the Institute’s early gemologists—Robert M. William E. Boyajian, President Shipley, Robert Shipley Jr., Liddicoat, Lester Benson, and Gemological Institute of America EDITORIAL GEMS & GEMOLOGY FALL 2003 181 LETTERSLETTERS Gabrielle Trademark Not Abandoned Black Freshwater Pearls Must Be Treated Color I wish to thank you for your recent article listing existing Your journal does a great service for the industry in pro- diamond brands (T. W. Overton, Winter 2002, pp. 310–325). viding so much in-depth information on a variety of Such a condensed reference manual will serve many in our subjects. We are not all experts in every aspect of the industry in navigating the maze of branded diamonds in field of gemology, and the knowledge I have gained existence today. from your publication has helped me expand my hori- However, I must point out some mischaracterizations zons in many ways. in this article. While it is true that Suberi Brothers Inc. has However, I noticed something in the Spring 2003 abandoned its application for U.S. trademark registration Gem News International item “Cultured pearls with dia- for the name Gabrielle, the article failed to state that it mond insets” (p. 56) that should be brought to your continues to use the mark in connection with its dia- attention. Nowhere in the figure caption does it mention monds and has done so since 1997, which gives it uninter- that these pearls have been dyed or treated in another rupted rights of ownership. The term abandoned in trade- fashion to make them black, or that black is not their mark law is a term of art having a meaning distinct from natural color. To the best of my knowledge, there are no conventional meaning, and does not mean that a mark is natural-color black freshwater cultured pearls. In the no longer in use or is no longer protected. It merely means text, the freshwater pearl is discussed alongside Tahitian that a company chose not to act on a pending application pearls, and this may mislead readers into thinking that for registration with the U.S. Patent and Trademark “black freshwater pearls” are in the same category as Office. Thus, use of the word abandoned without further Tahitians and natural in color. explanation can be misleading and lead to damage to those Also, black pearls are being produced in areas other to whom the mark is attributed. than Tahiti, such as the Cook Islands, so it is important In addition, Gabrielle diamonds are available in all not to refer to the pearls by an assumed locality. Rather eight traditional shapes, not simply rounds. Suberi than use the term Tahitian, it is preferable to refer to Brothers is also the owner of the trademarks Empress Cut, them as black South Sea cultured pearls. Baroness Cut, and The Royal Cuts. Avi Raz Marvin Markman A&Z Pearls Suberi Brothers Inc. Los Angeles New York Reply: We thank Mr. Markman for his thoughts and the Reply: Mr. Raz is correct that the earrings pictured are additional information. He is correct that the term aban- not natural color. Although Gems &Gemology typical- doned refers only to the trademark registration process ly does not indicate every instance where a material and not to ownership or use of the trademark. As stated in illustrated is treated unless it is germane to the accom- the article, ownership of a mark depends on its use in panying text, we can understand his concern in this commerce, not registration with the USPTO. It was not instance and thank him for giving us the opportunity to our intention to imply that Suberi Brothers has abandoned remind our readers that, to the best of our knowledge as use of the Gabrielle mark. Gems & Gemology regrets any well, freshwater cultured pearls do not occur naturally misunderstandings that may have occurred. in black. Thomas W. Overton Alice S. Keller Managing Editor, Gems & Gemology Editor-in-Chief, Gems & Gemology LETTERS GEMS & GEMOLOGY FALL 2003 183 G. ROBERT CROWNINGSHIELD: A LEGENDARY GEMOLOGIST Thomas M. Moses and James E. Shigley During his more than 50 years of involvement with the GIA Gem Laboratory, G. Robert (Bob) Crowningshield has made many significant contributions to the study of gems and the science of gemology. These include fundamental advances in the understanding and identification of treated and synthetic diamonds; of colored stones such as tanzanite, amethyst, “padparadscha” sapphire, and heat-treated corundum; and of natural and cultured pearls.

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