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Physicist John Emmett named Bonanno Award winner
The Accredited Gemologists Association (AGA) has chosen Dr. John Emmett, who is considered the world’s foremost expert on corundum treatments, as the recipient of the 2014 Antonio C. Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology.
The Bonanno Award for Excellence recognizes those who have made significant contributions to the gemological field, which the AGA says Emmett has done through his numerous contributions to gemological research and his willingness to share his expertise with all.
Emmett received his Ph.D. in physics from Stanford University. From 1975 to 1988 he was the associate director for lasers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California.
He became involved with heat treatment of ruby and sapphire in the 1990s and today is the world’s foremost corundum enhancement expert. He was instrumental in in discovering the beryllium diffusion of corundum through a series of experiments that he designed and conducted.
Since then, Emmett has been working to train gemologists in modern scientific methods and moving gemology beyond theory to experimentation so that the industry may better understand identification and treatment issues it’s facing today, largely through self-funded work.
Previous Bonanno winners include Emmanuel Fritsch, Thom Underwood, Stuart Robertson , C.R. Beesley, Robert Crowningshield, Richard Drucker, John Koivula, Antoinette Matlins, Shane McClure, James Shigley and Christopher Smith, among others.
The Bonanno Award for Excellence will be presented to Emmett at the AGA’s Gala Dinner Dance at the conclusion of its Tucson conference on Feb. 5 at the Marriott University Park Hotel.
For additional information about the conference and dinner, or to register or purchase tickets, visit the AGA website.
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