On The Fly

In this episode, the 2026 Sinkankas Symposium. Let’s get one thing straight: I didn’t arrive in a DeLorean. No flux capacitor, no dramatic lightning strike—just a Saturday parking pass and a name badge. And yet, somewhere between the rotunda doors and the first handshake, it happened anyway. This past Saturday, April 25th, I was transported—effortlessly and completely—back in time at the 20th Annual Sinkankas Symposium on the GIA campus in Carlsbad. Walking into that magnificent main campus rotunda early with my colleagues, Paul Mattlin and Glenn Wargo, felt like wrapping myself in a familiar, gem-encrusted blanket. It was less a building, more a family living room where nobody ever really forgets your name. The halls were quiet (a rare and beautiful thing), and the soft echo of our footsteps on the polished floors sounded exactly as I remembered it. For a moment, it wasn’t 2026—it was April 1997, my first time walking onto the beautiful, brand-new GIA campus as Director of Alumni. Som...

For over 80 years, students of gemology have struggled with spectrums, bewildered by birefringence, and simply plagued by pleochroism. The following sonnet is guaranteed to bring a smile to your face, a glow to your heart, and a simple reminder that students of life and gemology rediscover nature's gifts every day.  Ode to Gemology , by a GIA on-campus student. Dispersion, fire, adventurescence. Orient, sheen, or iridescence. Refractive index, high or low. The luster should indicate that, you know. Polarization, double or single. What to do now, they intermingle. Pleochroic colors you really should see. Was that only two, or actually three? Birefringence should help you a lot. Use your polarizer and watch the spot. Now, did it jump most on low or high? Sure, you can get it if you really try! Your liquids should be an aid, I think. Does it float, suspend, or slowly sink? Just use your imagination now. (He doesn't see me wiping my brow.) Solid inclusions or only bubbles? Huh, th...

In this episode, Echoes of Giants: A Dream Panel at Converge 2035 The year is 2035, and the world has changed. I didn't attend AGS/GIA Converge in Carlsbad, at least not in the way we once did. Instead, I sat in my living room, surrounded by the shimmering holograms of friends' posts. In a dream, lectures floated before me in glowing 3D, memories made tangible—yet behind the futuristic spectacle, something old stirred inside me. It was a pull back to the years I spent at GIA from 1987 to 2014, a time of tactile learning, not holographic projections. Two familiar faces appeared first: Dr. Jim Shigley, whose quiet generosity I'd relied on countless times, and John Koivula, whose incredible microphotography once graced our alumni newsletter, Facts on the Fly . Their holographic presence felt so real it nudged me into a dream—one where time dissolved, and I found myself in a ballroom where past and future coexisted. A panel was about to begin, not just of peers, but of giants. ...

In this episode, Mr. GIA . . . Can you name one person who, during your lifetime, changed your life in an extraordinary way? Was it a parent, a teacher, a historical figure, or maybe a serendipitous acquaintance? One person stands out among all others -  Richard T. Liddicoat . Sunday, March 2, 2025, would have been Mr. Liddicoat’s 107th birthday. Although he passed away in 2002, his memory lives on 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. Liddicoat was a student of human nature, a lover of gemstones, and a lifetime GIA advocate. He would visit every Resident (on campus) Colored Stone/Gem Identification classroom just before each class was to graduate. He would often bring samples of remarkable gems submitted to the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory for the students to see. He would also stop by a classroom to discuss industry trends, the ...

In this episode, Griffith's Glory and Electric Glee . . .   Welcome back to On the Fly, Lori asked me if I wanted to do something special for my weekend birthday (August 16th, 2024). My thought: Hmmm–It’s been over 35 years since we’ve had one of our Friday night dates at the Griffith Park Observatory. ” What if we spent the weekend in Los Angeles, had dinner at a historic diner, visited the Observatory, and hiked Griffith Park the following morning?” This was a regular occurrence when I lived in Glendale, CA., and Lori lived on Los Feliz Blvd; she could walk to the Observatory. So, we did. Now, don't get me wrong. We've been to LA many times since moving to Carlsbad for various reasons like Dodger games, my memorable 60th birthday trip to Guitar Center, our visit to Norman's Rare Guitars, the trip to Exposition Park to see the Space Shuttle, and yearly trips to pick up Lori's Mom for Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. My blog is filled with such adventures, not j...

In this episode - Wisdom at 65 . . .   As a wise man once said, "There ain't no free lunch.” Yes, I realize the grammar is completely wrong. However, this statement reveals a lot when you take its meaning to heart. It's about work. At 65, I'm still wondering why more folks don't attempt to learn new skills? Challenge yourself, go beyond what you've comfortably achieved in the past. It's exciting, a little unsettling at times, but that's what motivates me every day. "You don't pay the price - you enjoy the benefit" of work that allows you to contribute to society. During my journey through this maze, we call life on earth. Here are a few nuggets that I've uncovered - not discovered, there is a big difference.  Please understand I don't claim originality to these timeless truths. Like everyone who has come before me, I'm just passing on what's helped me along the way. First, as we mentioned in a previous podcast, I attribute ...