Richard W. Hughes is an American gemologist and author, known as an authority on

corundum Corundum is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide () typically containing traces of iron, titanium, vanadium and chromium. It is a rock-forming mineral. It is a naturally transparent material, but can have different colors depending on the pres ...

, rubies and sapphires.

Career

Hughes graduated from the

Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences The Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences (AIGS) is a private gemological school and gemological laboratory based in Bangkok, Thailand. History The AIGS was founded in 1978 and was Thailand's first educational facility devoted to the study of ...

(AIGS) in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1980, and became a Fellow of the

Gemmological Association of Great Britain The Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A) is an international gemmology education and qualifications body based in the United Kingdom. History Gem-A dates back to 1908 when a gemmological committee was established by ''The National A ...

(F.G.A.) in 1982. He was the director of AIGS during the 1980s, and also served at the American Gem Trade Association’s gemological laboratories in California and

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 * '' ...

from 2005 to 2008. In 1997 he authored ''Ruby & Sapphire'', which is considered by many in the gem and jewelry industry to be the most authoritative treatise on the subject. Hughes has authored or co-authored a number of books on gems as well as numerous articles on gemology over the past 34 years. He received the American Gem Society's Richard T. Liddicoat Journalism Award in both 2004 and 2005. In 2010, Hughes received the Antonio Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology from the Accredited Gemologists Association, in recognition of his contributions to promoting gems and the countries that produce them through his travelogues, as well as his scientific writings and the sharing of this information through trade journals and his website. Hughes has worked both in lab gemology and also in the wholesale, retail and mining sides of the gem business. He currently resides in Thailand with his wife and daughter, where he continues his gemological research. In 2012, together with his family, he established a Gemological laboratory in Bangkok called Lotus Gemology. In 2017, Lotus Gemology published Hughes' book ''Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide'', covering the

gem species. In 2019, Tongji University created an exhibit centering on Lotus Gemology's photography. Van Cleef & Arpels' L’École, School of Jewelry Arts ran an exhibit in Hong Kong featuring photomicrographs from Lotus Gemology in 2020.

Books

*''Terra Spinel: Terra Firma,'' Yavorskyy, V. and Hughes, R.W. (2010). Yavorskyy Co., 202 pp., *''Ruby & Sapphire,'' Hughes, R.W. (1997) Boulder, CO, RWH Publishing, 512pp. *''Corundum,'' Hughes, R.W. (1990). Butterworth’s Gem Books, Northants, UK, Butterworth-Heinemann, 314 pp., *''The Book of Ruby & Sapphire'', Halford-Watkins, J.F. & Hughes, R.W. (2012). RWH Publishing, 434 pp.,

References

External links

HW DiamondsWeb Site of R.W. Hughes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, Richard W. Gemologists American expatriates in Thailand Living people 21st-century American jewellers Year of birth missing (living people)

Career

Books

See also

References

External links