The Washington DC-GIA Alumni
The Washington DC-GIA Alumni is a Chapter of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Alumni Association. It is a non-profit, award-winning, gemological and educational organization serving the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area. The chapter was established in 1984 by a handful of members and later grew to nearly 100 members. It has received multiple top awards from the GIA for best Regional Chapter (1995-1997, 2007), Outstanding Chapter (1999, 2003), and Chapter of the Year (2004-2006).
Contrary to the notion that GIA Alumni chapters are only open to GIA graduate gemologists (GG), membership to these organizations are open to anyone. Membership availability does include all graduate gemologists and jewelers, lapidaries, designers, artists, gem dealers, geologists, mineralogists, rockhounds, and gem enthusiasts who have an interest in learning more about all these fields. Members stay current on the latest developments in the science of gemology, new natural gem materials, synthetic gemstones, testing and instruments, antiques, and the fastmoving gem and jewelry trade.
The DC-GIA Chapter is a diverse group comprised of individuals from all these disciplines with an interest in continuing education and networking opportunities with their peers. The chapter holds monthly meetings with outstanding, world-renowned experts in diamonds, colored stones, pearls, and jewelry fields. They also hold special hands-on classes and seminars, visit exhibitions, and arrange for special behind-the-scenes museum tours.
When I presented my research “20th Century Masters of the English School” at the 1991 International Gemological Symposium poster session held at that time in Los Angeles, California, I met two members of the DC-GIA Alumni, who were surprised to find me there. Upon returning home to Maryland, I joined the DC- GIA Alumni chapter and became a member and lifelong supporter. Later, my husband, Andrew, who is a GIA graduate gemologist, also joined the group. Since 1992, I have been honored to be invited multiple times as their guest speaker, presenting several topics.
The chapter’s newsletter, The District of Gemology, was first published in 1994, with Martin Fuller as editor, who served as president. Also, a Gemological Resource Directory was compiled that year for the first time by Michele Zabel, another longtime member who served in multiple board positions. In 1995 they also established the Tucson Panel Report, an annual event held during their February meeting devoted to news from the Tucson gem shows.
Their $75 annual meeting fee covers attendance for all eleven chapter meetings, but members and visitors can attend individual meetings for $15, payable at the door. Besides the membership dues revenue, the organization holds an annual holiday auction and party each December — a fun and memorable event. Months in advance, club members solicit donations from their speakers, retail shops, and individuals. The holiday auction income is critical as it affords the group to bring famous names in as speakers.
The Washington DC-GIA Alumni gives back to its members through their memorial scholarship fund offering two scholarships and a mentoring program helping current and recent GIA graduates.
The current president, serving since 2016, is Kusam Malhotra, who has tremendous experience and respect in the trade as a gemstone dealer. The board comprises longtime group members and active members of the appraising industry and the gem and jewelry trade.
For the past 35 years at the Holiday Inn Rosslyn, the monthly meetings took place in Arlington, Virginia, at Key Bridge right across the Potomac River from Washington D.C. Meetings always ended with dinner at the top floor with an incredible view of Washington and
great camaraderie. However, they will be changing hotel venues in the future, as the hotel is due for demolitions and re-development. Currently, like so many other organizations, the group holds its meetings via Zoom.
There are several national and world GIA chapters, each group holding unique events. Visit www.gia.edu/ gia-alumni-us-chapters to find one near you.
If you live in the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia area and have an interest in learning more about gems and jewelry, the DC-GIA Alumni is a great group to join. You may also build lifelong, treasured friendships, as I have.
For more information, visit https://dcgia.org, where an incredible speaker’s archive is maintained by the chapter’s secretary, Charles Marts, who also keeps the group’s Facebook page updated. Charlie, and his wife Melanie, who takes most of the chapter’s photos, are two more longtime, dedicated members.
PAST NOTABLE MEMBERS
Many DC-GIA Alumni members contributed enormously to the group’s establishment and continuous success, in addition to all those previously mentioned: Toby Fitzkee, Tom Mangan, Carolyn Chappell, Chuck Hyland, Tony Conway, and the Kramers, and those who have passed away - Lorin Atkinson, Bob Davis, Lisa Carp, and Hap and Dee Williams. They have left an incredible legacy for all present and future officers and members to look up to.
Among them was William R. (Bobby) Mann (1936-2015), one of its founders. Bobby was a GIA graduate gemologist (1982) and a Professional Gemologist (PG) of the Columbia School of Gemology (1983). He was kind, energetic, and funny and served as the group’s president several times until his passing in 2015. He received multiple awards from GIA, including Member of the Year for his efforts.
Bobby was an expert on ivory and ivory stimulants identification and was the co-founder of the International Ivory Society (1996). He had the most extensive collection of natural unusual ivories, tusks, teeth, skulls, and manufactured ivory look-a-likes. Bobby dedicated time to teaching ivory identification through his talks, seminars, and hands-on workshops, for which he created ivory I.D. comparison kits. He authored Ivory Identification – A Photographic Reference Guide, and Ivory Identification – A Photographic Companion with the writing help of Charlie Marts and Melanie Marts, who photographed Bobby’s ivory collection.
Another DC-GIA member who contributed a lot to the group was Fred Ward (1935-2016). Fred also served as president in 1996-97. Fred was a renowned Washington photographer who visited over 130 countries and published over 850 photos for National Geographic. He also authored several articles about gemstones published in National Geographic, which later became part of the nine popular Gem Series books. Fred was also a GIA graduate gemologist. I appreciate the photos that Fred took of some of my work, and I will never forget him for introducing me to Guatemalan jade.
One more exceptional member was Lois Berger. She was a gentle, generous, humble person and a faithful member from the chapter’s inception until her passing in 2019. Her love for pearls and her annual pearl research and publication was a trade favorite. Lois used to visit the annual Tucson gem shows, talk to pearl dealers, take photographers, and report on the Chinese freshwater cultured pearls’ evolution. She shared information about developments, techniques, retails offerings, and wholesale pricing. Lois was the recipient of the GIA International Alumni Achievement Award in 2009. She would stop by our Tucson show booth every year, and we would take a photo together, photos I cherish.
All these members were exceptional in their fields and served the DC-GIA Alumni as members and officers. They offered their warm camaraderie and generously shared their knowledge. I had close friendships with all of them, and I miss them all dearly.
Helen Serras-Herman, a 2003 National Lapidary Hall of Fame inductee, is an acclaimed gem sculptor and gemologist with over 38 years of experience in unique gem sculpture and jewelry art. Visit her website at www.gemartcenter.com and her business Facebook page at Gem Art Center/Helen Serras-Herman.