An abridged version of this article first appeared in the JNA May/June 2023 issue.

Susan Jacques is leading the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) at a time when new technology, treatments and product categories surface and consumer demand for transparency in gem and jewellery products is at an all-time high. The industry veteran is unfazed though, having guided the institution through several market shifts for nearly a decade now, following a 31-year career with US luxury jewellery retailer Borsheims in Omaha.

On her watch as president and CEO, GIA has expanded its presence in the world, developed diamond verification services and other innovations, introduced lab-grown diamond reports and championed diversity and inclusion across the sector, among others. Among her proudest achievements though is helping to protect gem and jewellery consumers and ensuring their trust.

"Maintaining this critical consumer trust is vital to the continued success of our industry. Without it, we would cease to exist, and the impact would be profound," she said, enjoining the jewellery trade to focus on the importance of consumer confidence and trust so people can continue celebrating their milestones with gems and jewellery.

Social relevance

On top of the good that GIA does through its grading and education services, Jacques cites its gemmological training programmes for artisanal coloured gemstone miners in Africa and its initiatives regarding diamond traceability such as the GIA Source Verification Service and its participation in blockchain platform Tracr as yielding some of the most positive outcomes.

“These initiatives are good examples of what we can all work towards to ensure that everyone in the gem and jewellery supply chain shares the benefits of their hard work. At GIA, we do this through our education and by working to ensure transparency throughout the industry,” Jacques said.

She noted that the institute’s basic gemmological training for artisanal coloured gemstone miners in Tanzania – many of whom are women – enables them to better evaluate and understand the value of the gems they recover. They can thus realise better prices for the gems they sell, which enriches their families and improves their way of life. At the same time, better gem material moves into the supply chain. 

“This programme has developed into a virtuous ecosystem, with Pact, the non-governmental organisation that helps us deliver this training, and Moyo and Anza Gems who established market days when the miners bring their gems to buyers who can bring these gems to market,” Jacques revealed. “We at GIA are very proud to fund this important work from our endowment and to have been able to see first-hand the important impact this has had on more than 1,000 miners’ lives. We are now extending this programme to other countries in East Africa.”

GIA also joined Tracr, the distributed diamond blockchain platform, in early April. Eventually, consumers purchasing a GIA-graded diamond traced on the Tracr platform will receive enhanced information about their diamond’s origin and provenance with their GIA diamond grading report.

The road ahead

And by all accounts, Jacques is just getting started. More automation is being introduced to GIA’s diamond grading processes and the institute is also making great strides in using artificial intelligence in clarity grading, she disclosed. The next step is to integrate these systems to enable grading staff to focus on areas requiring their expertise. These include detecting and identifying treatments, and grading very high-clarity diamonds. 

GIA is also preparing to relaunch its jewellery manufacturing arts programmes and will release its first sustainability report this year. It appointed its first vice president of environmental, social and governance programmes in 2022.

"I look forward every day to the opportunity to advance our important consumer protection mission as an independent, purpose-driven organisation. Our mission is the reason for everything we do and will always be our highest priority. Fulfilling it is one of my greatest goals," Jacques said.
 

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