The highlight of a single-owner jewelry and watch collection, it’s estimated to fetch up to $7 million at auction this December.
Glenn Nord, Past President and ‘Captain’ of GIA, Dies
The institute will honor the industry veteran by establishing a scholarship in his name.

Carlsbad, Calif.—Glenn Nord, the third president of the Gemological Institute of America, died June 9. He was 90 years old.
Through his five-plus decades with the GIA, Nord was a student, instructor, president and member of its board of governors.
He received his Graduate Gemologist diploma in 1959 and was hired by the institute’s second president, Richard T. Liddicoat, in 1961.
He started as one of GIA’s traveling instructors, providing gemological training for students—and becoming a well-known and very popular teacher, according to GIA’s fourth president and friend Bill Boyajian—while also promoting the institute to local jewelers.
Glenn was the No. 2 person for the GIA on the West Coast behind Liddicoat during the institute’s formative years from the 1960s through 1974, Boyajian said, adding that he was the “perfect complement to the soft-spoken Liddicoat, himself a prince of a man.”
Nord is credited with pioneering the GIA’s corporate training programs. In 1970, he took GIA instruction to Israel and Japan, beginning a global outreach that now spans 14 cities in 12 countries.
Boyajian said he “probably did more to broaden the appeal of GIA education than anyone else.”
Nord left the GIA in 1974 to join Joseph Goldfinger, one of the biggest diamond dealers in the world.
The board of governors then asked him to return as president in 1983, as then-president Liddicoat was transitioning out due to health issues.
Nord retired from the GIA in 1986, after which time Boyajian became president—handpicked by Nord and Liddicoat themselves—but remained on the GIA board of governors until his death, serving the last few years as governor emeritus.
Boyajian said: “Glenn was a very strong and commanding person. Tall and good-looking, he commanded attention and was viewed as tough businessman. But he was also sensitive and thoughtful in how he dealt with people and could become quite emotional when confronted with the tough decisions he often had to make.”
“Glenn was a pioneer, maybe even more like a captain, at GIA and even in the industry. His greatness is legendary, and his memory lives on.”
The GIA honored Nord with its highest honor, the Richard T. Liddicoat Award, in 2001.
It credits him, along with other early leaders like Liddicoat, G.
“Glenn Nord was a committed advocate for GIA’s mission, and for our students and the GIA staff, particularly those in our gemological laboratories,” GIA President and CEO Susan Jacques said. “His business acumen and wisdom, shared over decades with GIA management and the board of governors, provided strategic guidance that built GIA’s success.”
He is survived by his wife, Hannah, their three children and their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Services will be held on June 22 in Pasadena, California.
The GIA said it will soon establish a scholarship in his name.
The Latest

CEO Efraim Grinberg noted a resurgence in the fashion watch market.

The “Bullseye” necklace, with vintage bakelite and peridot, August’s birthstone, is the perfect transitional piece as summer turns to fall.

Jewelers of America is leading the charge to protect the industry amidst rising economic threats.

Sponsored by Clientbook


It will classify lab-grown stones into one of two categories, “premium” or “standard,” in lieu of giving specific color and clarity grades.

Former Free People buyer Afton Robertson-Kanne recently joined the retailer.

As a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.

The jeweler teamed up with two local organizations for its inaugural “Back to School and Bling” event.

The singer’s new bling, reportedly a natural old mine-cut diamond, is no paper ring.

Plans for dining out, booking vacations, and buying big-ticket items were down.

The “Play” collection centers on nostalgic toys that have kinetic elements to carry playfulness and wonder into adulthood.

Designer Christina Puchi, the creative force behind CCWW Designs, has created charms and pendants based on iconic candies and crackers.

The Jonas Brothers star showed off new timepieces against the backdrop of his favorite spots in his home state of New Jersey.

The family-owned jeweler in Fayetteville, North Carolina, is in the hands of the second generation.

In his latest column, Emmanuel Raheb shares tips for encouraging customers to treat themselves to new jewelry.

The new stand-alone Rolex boutique is housed in the former Odd Fellows Hall, a landmark built in 1897.

The Brilliant Earth ambassador co-designed a diamond medallion featuring meaningful symbols.

Wrap jewelry is more than just a trend; it’s the perfect motif for the coming season of layering, scarves, and pumpkin spice.

The three-day watch collector show, coming this October, will feature 44 exhibiting brands, as well as a new dinner experience.

Sriram “Ram” Natarajan is now GIA’s senior vice president of laboratory operations and is based out of the lab’s headquarters in Carlsbad.

The one-of-a-kind collar represents the beauty of imperfection and the strength to rebuild.

Three C-suite executives, including former CEO Tom Nolan, have resigned as part of what the company describes as a “transition.”

The retailer, which recently filed Chapter 11, inked a deal to sell its North American business and intellectual property.

Target CEO Brian Cornell will step down in February and be replaced by the company’s chief operating officer, Michael Fiddelke.

The group met with the president's senior trade advisor earlier this week to express the industry’s concerns about the effects of tariffs.

The pop-up will display this year's Tiffany & Co. Singles Championship trophies along with a diamond-encrusted tennis racket and ball.