Sallie Morton (November 8, 1925 – October 24, 2017), born Sallie Miller, was an American jeweler and

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 ...

. In 1977, she became the first female president of the

American Gem Society The American Gem Society (AGS) is a trade association of retail jewelers, independent appraisers, suppliers, and selective industry members, which was founded in 1934 by Robert M. Shipley. The Society is based in Las Vegas, Nevada, along with th ...

Early life

Sallie Miller was born in

Reno, Nevada Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...

, one of the six daughters of Meredith Raines Miller and Sadie Phillips Miller. She attended from

Reno High School Reno High School (RHS) is a public secondary school in Reno, Nevada, United States. It is a part of the Washoe County School District. The school's teams are known as the Reno Huskies, and the school colors are red and blue. History Reno High wa ...

, and graduated from the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

in with a degree in accounting. She later studied gemology, earning certification as a gemologist in 1962. At the time, there were only five American women with such certification.

Career

Finding limited employment as an accountant, Morton worked with her husband at his watch repair shop in

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

. Their business grew into Morton Jewelers, with various locations around San Jose and

Los Gatos, California Los Gatos (, ; ) is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population is 33,529 according to the 2020 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area just southwest of San Jose in the foothills of the ...

. As a gemologist, she lectured internationally, and toured mines, factories, and private collections in Australia, Africa, Asia, and South America. "I go primarily to see how jewelry is made, not to buy," she explained in 1978. In 1986, she was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Women's Jewelry Association. Morton sold her business, Morton Jewelers, when she retired in 1993. From 1977 to 1979, Morton was president of the American Gem Society, the first woman to hold that executive position. She served on the Society's board from 1980 to 1992. In 1982, she was the first woman recipient of the Society's Robert M. Shipley Award. She took the lead in raising funds to replace the Society's San Francisco headquarters, which were destroyed in a 1983 fire. She was a member of the editorial board of the Society's journal, ''

Gems & Gemology ''Gems & Gemology'' is a quarterly scientific journal published by the Gemological Institute of America. Each issue is devoted to research on diamonds, gemstones, and pearls. Topics include geographic sources, imitations and synthetics, treatments, ...

.'' In 2014, the Society launched the Sallie Morton Award. Morton was active in the

Rotary Club Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, profe ...

of San Jose, as one of its first female members; she also served on the board of the Santa Clara Girl Scout Council.

Personal life

Sallie Miller married watchmaker MacDonald G. Morton in 1949. They had a son, Philip. She died in 2017, aged 91 years, from

mesothelioma Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that develops from the thin layer of tissue that covers many of the internal organs (known as the mesothelium). The most common area affected is the lining of the lungs and chest wall. Less commonly the lining ...

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Morton, Sallie 1925 births 2017 deaths People from Reno, Nevada Reno High School alumni University of Oregon alumni Gemologists American women in business Deaths from mesothelioma in the United States 21st-century American women