AGA Antonio C. Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology

Dr Michael S. Krzemnicki is director at the Swiss Gemmological Institute SSEF, internationally reputed as leading laboratory for the testing of coloured stones, diamonds and pearls. 

Apart from working at the SSEF since more than 25 years, he is lecturer at the University Basel and is supervising gemmology-related research projects in collaboration with Swiss universities and international research facilities. In 2017, he was awarded the Gemmological Excellence Award of the Swiss Gemmological Society.

Furthermore, he is appointed member of the Scientific Board of the Swiss Gemmological Society SGS, the Executive Board of the International Gemmological Conference IGC, the Committee on Gemstone Varietal Names (CVN) by CIBJO, the Laboratory Manual Harmonisation Committee LMHC, the Technical Board for the Standardization of Fei Cui (Jadeite) Testing by HKTDC, and further technical and editorial boards.

As an internationally renowned expert he is a frequent speaker at gemmological conferences worldwide and has published numerous articles in scientific and trade journals on gems, pearls, and new analytical testing methods.

Dr. Jeffrey Edward Post, a native of Wisconsin, received Bachelor of Science degrees in geology and chemistry from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville, and his Ph.D. in chemistry, with a specialty in geochemistry, from Arizona State University.  Prior to joining the Department of Mineral Sciences at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History in 1984, he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow for three years in the Department of Geological Sciences at Harvard University.  He was Chairman of the Department of Mineral Sciences 1989-1994 and 2014-2019, and from 1991 to 2023 served as Curator-in-Charge of the U.S. National Gem and Mineral Collection. Dr. Post was the lead Curator for the Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems and Minerals that opened in 1997. In May 2023, he was appointed Curator of Gems and Minerals, Emeritus, and Research Associate for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH).

His areas of research interest include mineralogy, gemology, and geochemistry.  He has published more than 150 scientific articles in these fields.  He is the author of The National Gem Collection, and the recently published: The Smithsonian National Gem Collection—Unearthed: Surprising Stories Behind the Jewels.

Press Release 2023

Gary Roskin is a graduate gemologist, author, journalist, and one of the world’s most highly regarded authorities in the art and science of diamond grading, and the former Chief Executive Officer for the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA).

As the author of Photo Masters for Diamond Grading, Gary Roskin provided jewelers and appraisers with an invaluable resource for diamond grading. Former Senior Gemstone Editor for JCK Magazine (1997-2009), Gemstone Editor for the Baselworld Daily News (2010-2015), and for the Roskin Gem News Report (2009-2015), Roskin has covered the international colored gems market, as well as gemological subjects on colorless to fancy color diamonds, and the estate gemstone/jewelry market for well-over two decades.

Roskin is a Graduate Gemologist (GIA) and Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (FGA). In 2002, Roskin received the International Society of Appraisers’ Media Award for his feature story entitled, Bad Appraising Lands Good Jeweler in Court. Roskin was awarded several Richard T. Liddicoat Journalism Awards Honorable Mentions from the American Gem Society in 2004 and in 2011, he earned 2nd place in Gems & Gemology’s 2010 Dr. Edward J. Gübelin Most Valuable Article Award, as a co-author of Synthetic Gem Materials in the 2000s: A Decade in Review.

Roskin began his career as a fourth-generation retail jeweler in Marion, Indiana in 1976 when he traveled to Santa Monica, CA to attend GIA at the urging of his father. Upon completion of the Graduate Gemologist program, Roskin worked at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) from 1977 to 1992. First as Assistant to the Director of the Los Angeles GIA Gem Trade Lab before moving on to resident gemology instructor in both diamond grading and colored stone / gem identification, and finally as Executive Director of the GIA Alumni Association. From 1992 through 1997, Roskin was Assistant Director of the European Gem Lab in Los Angeles. From 2009 to 2017, he taught gemology as an adjunct professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology’s Jewelry Design Department in New York City while serving as a Practical Tutor for the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A).

During his time at GIA, Roskin worked for and with some of the great gemologists and Bonanno Award recipients including: Richard Liddicoat, Bob Crowningshield, John Koivula, Shane McClure, and Jim Shigley. Two of Gary’s former students have been honored with the Bonanno award, Chris Smith, and Robert Weldon.

Highlights of Roskin’s career include the opportunity to quality grade the Black Orlov diamond (approx. 67.5 carats Natural Black), attending and reporting on several of the Argyle Pink Diamond Tenders, and an invitation to attend the gemological study of the two blues, the Fancy Deep Greyish-Blue Hope Diamond and the Fancy Deep Blue Wittelsbach-Graff Diamond at the Smithsonian.

The Accredited Gemologists Association is pleased to announce that Robert Weldon, Director of the RTL Gemological Library & Information Center at GIA, received the Antonio C. Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology for 2020. (Press Release 2019, Press Release 2020 Tuscon Conference Speaker)

“Robert’s contributions to the field of gemology are simply incomparable,” stated AGA president Stuart Robertson. During his career Robert has taught gemology, worked as a journalist at both JCK and Professional Jeweler, he has photographed some of the most important gem and jewelry collections known and he has published and lectured extensively on wide range of gemological issues. “Yet in each phase of his career one can clearly see a common thread, Robert has strived to give a voice to some of the most economically vulnerable members of the trade by extending an opportunity to tell their story. We see this again in his role as part of GIA’s initiative training small scale miners to better understand the basic quality and value factors of the rough they mine,” said Robertson.

When notified of the award, Robert stated, “I’m humbled by this incredible honor. Long ago, I set out to be a very different kind of gemologist. I focus on gems of course, but also on the colorful personalities of the industry, exploring people’s successes, challenges, needs, and dreams. Through photography, I hope to celebrate the great beauty of gemstones. As a writer, my goal is to inform and entertain: not only about gems, but also the remarkable individuals who mine, trade, and wear these beautiful objects of the earth. As a librarian, a new perspective for me involves the fascinating gemological and human records of the gemstone industry. In a sense it is what my career has been about from the very beginning.”

Robertson noted that Robert Weldon embodies everything the Antonio C. Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology represents. “As with Mr. Bonanno, it was not just about knowledge and discoveries, but also the willingness to generously share information with other gemologists. Weldon has the gift for pointing a lens at a gemstone but telling the story of each person that touched that stone as it traveled through the market, thus empowering each to appreciate the value of their contribution.”

Donna Hawrelko, Gemmology & Jewellery Program Coordinator & Instructor at Vancouver Community College

Donna is awarded for her significant contribution to the field of gemological education and her commitment to generations of gemology students.

As a leading figure in the international gemological community, Donna has focused on developing course manuals, and materials while teaching gemology to an international student body at the Gemmology and Jewellery departments at Vancouver Community College, where she has served as instructor since 1992, and Program Coordinator since 2005. She has educated thousands of students, some of whom now hold prominent positions in the gem industry worldwide. She was instrumental in developing the Canadian Gemmological Association (CGA) program, and served as Chief Examiner, Director of Education, and later became the president of CGA in 2015. The CGA reestablished its historic alliance with Gem-A through her efforts in 2017. Donna is also past president of AGA and was an influential figure during her tenure helping to reshape the AGA into the internationally respected organization that it is today.

Alberto and Mikko are recognized for their work in computerized spectroscopy. Alberto’s fascination with gemology led him to explore possibilities for adapting advanced testing methods to gemology, an area where partner Mikko has extensive knowledge. Their company produces instruments designed specifically for use by gemologists. This was most notable from their Gemmoraman system, a major breakthrough for gemologists and appraisers as it placed portable and reliable Raman & Photoluminescence spectroscopy capabilities at their fingertips.

Prior to this, such technology and the detailed database critical to accurate results were typically only accessible through universities and major laboratories. Alberto Scarani and Mikko Åström have helped make advanced gem testing accessible to the broader gemological community, while filling a gap that currently exists in some gemology course work. They are dedicated to teaching advanced testing techniques to gemologists around the world and now have a course at HRD Antwerp. Their efforts are better equipping gemologists for the challenges of an evolving market.

Alberto and Mikko are recognized for their work in computerized spectroscopy. Alberto’s fascination with gemology led him to explore possibilities for adapting advanced testing methods to gemology, an area where partner Mikko has extensive knowledge. Their company produces instruments designed specifically for use by gemologists. This was most notable from their Gemmoraman system, a major breakthrough for gemologists and appraisers as it placed portable and reliable Raman & Photoluminescence spectroscopy capabilities at their fingertips.

Prior to this, such technology and the detailed database critical to accurate results were typically only accessible through universities and major laboratories. Alberto Scarani and Mikko Åström have helped make advanced gem testing accessible to the broader gemological community, while filling a gap that currently exists in some gemology course work. They are dedicated to teaching advanced testing techniques to gemologists around the world and now have a course at HRD Antwerp. Their efforts are better equipping gemologists for the challenges of an evolving market.

Dr. Schmetzer is awarded for over 50 years dedicated to research in the mineralogical and gemological fields and sharing his discoveries globally through an astounding body of work, and for serving in leadership roles with CIBJO and other organizations to help raise professional standards for the global gem and jewelry industry yielding new discoveries and insights into these sciences.

He has generously shared his findings through an unparalleled body of work, including almost 400 papers, two books, and presentations around the world. He has also served in leadership roles with CIBJO and other organizations to help raise professional standards for the global gem and jewelry industry.

Dr. Hanneman’s contributions to the gemological community are many. From education to his various innovative tools, Bill Hanneman’s body of work is of profound benefit to gemology. “Dr. Hanneman has dedicated decades to providing gemologists with practical solutions to many of gemology’s big challenges. It would difficult to think of anyone more deserving of this recognition,” said AGA President Stuart Robertson.

Bill Hanneman exemplifies what the AGA Bonanno Award represents: gemological expertise and excellence in gemological practice, research, and education, and a dedication to sharing gemological knowledge through formal teaching and professional collaboration. Dr. Hanneman has authored a number of books, including: Guide To Affordable Gemology, Pragmatic Spectroscopy for Gemologists, Diamond Cut Grading Simplified, and Naming Gem Garnets, all of which were motivated by Bill’s desire to make gemological information affordable and thereby assessable to anyone interested in exploring the subject.

Hanneman’s many tools are notable because they filled a gap for something portable, affordable, & practical. They include the Diamond Eye, a reflectivity meter providing RIs for gems that with RI values over 1.80; the Diamond Eye provided readings for such gems as diamond and synthetic moissanite, CZ and other diamond look-alikes. Another Hanneman tool provided not only an RI, but birefringence and dispersion for faceted gems, with RI values up to 2.37 (and without the need for toxic liquids). His color filters, developed in collaboration with Alan Hodgkinson, provided quick and easy pre-screening ID, and his specific gravity balance was the first to provide direct readings, even for gems weighing under one carat.

Dr. Hanneman’s work parallels that of Mr. Bonanno’s distinguished career, it’s a life-long body of exceptional work inspired by a desire to share his work and knowledge with gemologists everywhere, students and professionals alike. His contributions to the field of gemology have had a tangible impact on gemologists, universally.

Mr. Gilbertson is Project Manager, Cut Research at the GIA Carlsbad Laboratory, continuing an extensive career with contributions in appraisal science, color communication and cut research. Al is also an accomplished gem cutter having grown up in the lapidary business.

Earlier in his career, Al lobbied members of the board for the American Gem Society to establish a new firm designation for independent jewelry appraisers. In 1992 Al and Jim Coote (former instructor for GIA) were the first to receive, and helped set the standards for the Independent Certified Gemologist-Appraiser Firm (ICGA) designation. They were also the first independent appraisers to be awarded the title of Certified Gemologist-Appraiser by AGS.

Al is well-published and has presented numerous lectures and workshops for jewelers, gemologists and appraisers. He is an inventor, with several patents pertaining to aspects of gem cutting and light performance. Al was on the gemological committee that helped set up the AGS lab. Tools he developed became the core of the AGS ASET light performance model. GIA hired Al in 2000 to be part of GIA’s team researching diamond cut evaluation. Al was an important part of the team that created GIA’s cut grading system for the round brilliant. He is currently studying the influence of proportions and other factors on the appearance of fancy shape diamonds, working towards a cut grading system for fancy-shaped diamonds. His book, American Cut —The First 100 Years is highly regarded as the standard work on the subject.

“Al Gilbertson continues in a career that has already made an incredible impact on this industry. The generous manner in which he shares his knowledge with both student and veteran industry members alike is clearly appreciated by our members,” stated AGA president Stuart Robertson. On notification that he was to receive the award, Al expressed his appreciation while noting, “This is certainly unexpected. I am fortunate to know and have worked with more deserving gemologists. I’m humbled by this recognition and thank the members of the AGA.”

American Cut – The First 100 Years  (GIA digital library archives)