Can you name one person that during your
lifetime changed the course of your life in an extraordinary way? Is it a
parent, a teacher, a historical figure, or maybe a serendipitous acquaintance?
For me one person stands out among all others -
Richard T. Liddicoat.
Monday, March 2, 2020 marked Mr. Liddicoat’s
102nd birthday. Mr. Liddicoat passed away in 2002 but his memory lives in me.
In 1985, as a resident student at The
Gemological Institute of America (GIA), in Santa Monica, CA, I was invited by
Richard T. Liddicoat Jr. (then Chairman of the Board) to his office. As a
student of human nature, lover of gems and lifetime GIA advocate he would visit
every Resident Colored Stone/Gem Identification classroom just before each
class was to graduate. Many times, he would bring samples of unique gem
materials that had been submitted to the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory for the
students to see. Or he would simply stop by a classroom to discuss industry
trends, the latest development in synthetics, or whatever the hot topic of the
day happened to be.
I can’t remember what he spoke about that day
because when he asked, “Any questions?’ Everyone sat there, blank expressions
on their faces, horrified to speak. After all, this was Mr. Liddicoat, the guy
who wrote the book on Gemology. A jewelry industry icon. The Father of Modern
Gemology. Needless to say, our group was somewhat intimidated.
At that time, along with the Gem Identification
Lab Manual, Liddicoat’s book, Handbook of Gem Identification (first
published 1947) was given to each student as an additional reference tool for
learning what to look for and what tests were necessary to prove the
identification of unknown gemstones. My copy was well thumbed, I was always
searching for identification clues that the Lab Manual simply did not provide.
In the dead silence, enthusiastically my hand
shot up, “Mr. Liddicoat would you sign my copy of your book?”
“Absolutely,” He said. “Stop by my office after
class.”
So, I did . . .
I’ll never forget what he asked me that day,
“What are your plans after graduation? We want you to come back as one of our
instructors. We are always looking for young people with your enthusiasm.”
His uncanny ability to cultivate people I liken
to mining for gems; always looking for the good in others.
For those of you who knew Mr. Liddicoat, who
many GIA staff affectionately called RTL, he was our leader, a friend, patriarch for more
than 60 years. RTL treated everyone at GIA like his son or daughter. During his
visits to the campus long after his retirement he would stroll the halls
greeting students, and colleagues by name and taking the time to chat and
encourage each individual.
His accomplishments encompassed many aspects of
gemology: Liddicoat created GIA’s internationally recognized diamond grading
system, expanded GIA’s education programs, elevated the laboratory and research
functions, developed instruments to aid gem identification, wrote
ground-breaking articles and books, was editor of Gems & Gemology and was
the visionary behind the idea of a world-class gemological library, which bears
his name; The Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library and Information Center.
In honor of his birthday, my hope is you take a
few minutes to reflect on the values he imbued: integrity, respect,
authenticity and a willingness to go the extra mile for anyone who needed
encouragement and direction.
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