Gerald D. "Jerry" Sisk Jr. (February 2, 1953 – January 13, 2013) was an American

gemologist Gemology or gemmology is the science dealing with natural and artificial gemstone materials. It is a geoscience and a branch of mineralogy. Some jewelers (and many non-jewelers) are academically trained gemologists and are qualified to identify a ...

who co-founded Jewelry Television (JTV) in 1993. Sisk also served as the executive vice president of Jewelry Television until his death in 2013.

Biography

Sisk was born in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and raised in the

New York City Metropolitan Area The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban area, urban landmass, at , and one of the list of most populous metropolitan areas, most populous urban agg ...

. He began working in the

jewelry industry Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry (U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a wester ...

as an

apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...

as a teenager. He earned a bachelor's degree from the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee (officially The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; or UT Knoxville; UTK; or UT) is a public land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee. Founded in 1794, two years before Tennessee became the 16th state, ...

in Knoxville, where he was a member of the

Pride of the Southland Band The Pride of the Southland Band is the official name of the University of Tennessee's marching band. History The Pride of the Southland Marching Band has been performing at halftime for more than 110 years, but has existed since 1869 when it ...

as a student. Sisk, who spoke six languages fluently, was a graduate

accredited through studies at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). He traveled to approximately forty countries during his career. He was a national committee member for the Gemstone Industry and Laboratory Conference and a member of the International Colored Gemstone Association. In 1993, Sisk co-founded what would become Jewelry Television together with two partners and longtime friends, Bob Hall and Bill Kouns. Kouns was a jewelry expert, while Hall had spent his career in the television industry. The new

home shopping Home shopping is the electronic retailing and home shopping channels industry, which includes such billion dollar television-based and e-commerce companies as Shop LC, HSN, Gemporia, TJC, QVC, eBay, ShopHQ, Buy.com and Amazon.com, as well as tradit ...

channel broadcast from a small studio in

Greeneville, Tennessee Greeneville is a town in and the county seat of Greene County, Tennessee, United States. The population as of the 2020 census was 15,479. The town was named in honor of Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene, and it is the second oldest town i ...

, utilizing just one television camera. Eventually, Sisk and his partners moved to a larger, permanent television studio in Knoxville as business and viewers increased. Jewelry Television, which calls itself the largest retailer of loose gemstones in the United States, employed more than 1,200 people by the time of Sisk's death. Sisk's best known book, ''Guide to Gems & Jewelry'', has sold more than 15,000 copies, resulting in a second edition. In April 2012, the ''Jewelers Circular Keystone'', an industry

trade magazine A trade magazine, also called a trade journal or trade paper (colloquially or disparagingly a trade rag), is a magazine or newspaper whose target audience is people who work in a particular trade or industry. The collective term for this ...

, included Sisk on its "Power List of industry movers and shakers" within the gem and gemstone field. The magazine called Sisk the fourth most influential person in its "Gems and gemology" sublist. Within the Knoxville area, Sisk served as a former President of the Knoxville Opera Company and held a seat on the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. Sisk died in his sleep at his home in

Farragut, Tennessee Farragut is a suburban town located in Knox and Loudon counties in the State of Tennessee, United States. The town's population was 23,506 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Knoxville Metropolitan Area. The town is named in honor of Hispa ...

, on January 13, 2013, at the age of 59. He was survived by his wife of thirty-seven years, Karen Lawhorn Sisk, his mother, Elaine Sisk, and his sister, Melanie. He was buried in Concord Masonic Cemetery in

Concord, Tennessee Concord is an unincorporated community in Knox County, Tennessee, United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district, the Concord Village Historic District. The United States Geographic Names Informati ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sisk, Jerry 1953 births 2013 deaths Gemologists American television company founders American television executives American jewellers University of Tennessee alumni People from Knoxville, Tennessee People from Farragut, Tennessee