Ask A Gemologist - Eunice R. Miles

Today’s question is about diamond treatments, fillers, diamond look-alikes and making a difference. Before we begin, let me emphasize the obvious: During general observation, always check for coated diamonds first!

Fooled you - this segment is about reminding our readers how women continue to make a difference in the jewelry industry. Recently during the Las Vegas show a question came up about Eunice Miles. My first thought, that would be a great segment for Ask A Gemologist.

Eunice R. Miles, G.G., 1917 - 1997, was the first female gemologist/researcher in the GIA Laboratory. Her GIA career began in 1953. She made history by becoming the first woman to join then GIA’s Gem Trade Laboratory, in New York. In 1963 she did it again when Gems and Gemology (Winter 1962–63, Vol. 10, No. 12, pp. 355–364, 383) published her article Diamond-Coating Techniques and Methods of Detection.

In 1963, she was acknowledged in the U.S. Department of Mines annual report for advancing diamond research with her two-year investigation into detecting coated diamonds. Later, the FBI used her data to arrest a major coated-diamond dealer.

In her words, the article’s objective was “to present for the first time in print a discussion of the practice of raising the color grade of certain diamonds to near-colorless by disguising the true light-yellow or brown body color by the application of a foreign substance to the surface of the stone.”

Eunice’s commendations demonstrate her professional diversify as a gemologist, designer, educator, and writer. In 1984 Eunice was elected an honorary fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, now Gem-A. In 1985 she became an honorary member of the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA). In 1985 the International Society of Appraisers (ISA) presented Eunice with its “Gems and Jewelry Industry Service Award,” and in 1986 GIA named Eunice as the first recipient of the “Eunice Miles Lifetime Achievement in Gemology” award.

In 1987 the Women’s Jewelry Association inducted Eunice Miles into its Hall of Fame.

The Manhattan Chapter of the GIA Alumni Association honored Eunice in 1988. Under the leadership of Gail Brett Levine, of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA), the Eunice Miles Scholarship Fund was founded. Each year the Chapter contributes to the fund to assist students attending GIA to further their educational endeavors.

So . . . let’s take a moment and look around our industry today. Who are the women you know making a difference? Maybe it’s you! Have you considered what your legacy will be? Don’t worry, you don’t need to focus on your legacy just do what Eunice Miles did, give it your best every day, love what you do, and continue to share your enthusiasm for life. The rest will take care of it’s self, it’s inevitable.

You too may be making history right now!

(This post appeared in Fall 2014 edition, WJA News San Diego)

Comments

Confidently Wrong: The Art of the AI Tall Tale

In this episode, A chat with Adamas the Chef on hidden recipes causing digital hallucinations. Pull up a chair and pour yourself a fresh cup of coffee—and please, for your own sake, taste it first. We need to have a quiet chat about why your computer sometimes decides to reinvent reality with the confidence of a five-star chef who has clearly lost his mind. In the world of technology, we call it a hallucination . It sounds pretty dramatic, doesn’t it? As if the computer decided to ignore your instructions altogether in favor of a vivid, technicolor imagination that simply hasn’t met reality yet. But in truth, an AI hallucination isn’t a breakdown; it’s just a very confident, very polite mistake. Think of it like our friend Adamas , the Chef. Adamas is a master of the kitchen, but he is also a bit of a romantic who refuses to say “I don’t know.” When you ask him for a classic recipe he hasn’t made in years, he doesn’t stop to consult a cookbook—that’s far too pedestrian. Instead, ...

Opening Day Magic 2026 . . .

It’s back. Baseball—yes, baseball ! If you’re someone who finds themselves inexplicably drawn to this peculiar ritual, let’s be honest with each other: it’s a bit odd, right? I mean, 162 games. That’s a lot of hot dogs, a lot of standing around, and a lot of grown men in oddly tailored trousers spitting with remarkable precision. And yet, here we are, poised on the precipice of another season. Thursday, March 26, 2026, to be precise—Opening Day. It’s a curious thing, this Opening Day. You walk into a stadium, or turn on the TV, and suddenly, everyone is infected with a highly contagious strain of . . . Optimism . It’s a spectacular form of collective amnesia. All of last year’s fumbles, the endless losing streaks, the existential dread of watching your bullpen implode in the eighth inning—poof. Gone. It’s entirely replaced by a wide-eyed, childlike belief that this year, finally, the baseball gods will smile upon us. The Cycle of Hope and Despair As a Cubs fan, I know this cycle intim...

Overcooking the Grid

In this episode, terrified of smart toasters, yet demanding infinite electricity for potato personality tests. Pull up that chair again, and let’s hope your coffee is safe this time. In our last chat, we talked about our well-meaning but occasionally delusional AI friend, Chef Adamas, and his penchant for hallucinating blueberries into your Carbonara. We learned how to manage his quirks by keeping our “digital pantry” organized. But today, we need to look past the chef and take a hard look at the sheer size of the kitchen we are building for him. And folks, that kitchen has gotten completely out of hand. Down in Louisiana, tech companies are currently building an artificial intelligence data center the size of 70 football fields. It is a four-million-square-foot digital brain that requires so much electricity they are building three new natural gas power plants just to keep the servers from literally melting down into a puddle of expensive silicon. And what are we using this god-like, ...

Vintage Vinyl

In this episode - Vintage Vinyl . . . Turntables are making a big comeback; why? Listening to music should be a multi-sensory experience. Harmony, rhythm, and the deep expression of emotion. Like a warm, gentle rain in the springtime cascading around you the room is filled with a resonant, rich, melodic sound. My emotions welled up, and tears come to my eyes. Ok, I get it, we need to step back to get some perspective here. Recently a visit to Lou's Records in Encinitas, California, inspired me to dig out my Vintage vinyl LP record collection. I selected the Carpenters Singles 1969- 1973 . This musical duo reigned from 1969-to 1982 with the rich, full melodic voice of Karen Carpenter. They were one of the biggest-selling groups of the 1970s. "No fewer than ten of their singles went on to become million-sellers, and by 2005 combined worldwide sales of albums and singles well exceeded 100 million units." The tactile sensory experience of music begins with the album cover it...

On The Fly

Search This Blog