An abridged version of this article first appeared in the JNA July/August 2023 issue.  

World-renowned gemmologist Richard W. Hughes is one of the world’s leading authorities on ruby and sapphire, authoring the definitive resources on these gems.

Over the years, he has written over 170 articles and several books on coloured gemstones. Published in 2017, his Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist’s Guide has been described as the most comprehensive book on a single gem species. It was the culmination of nearly four decades of work in gemmology. The book, written with his wife Wimon Manorotkul and his daughter E. Billie Hughes, built on his earlier work, Ruby & Sapphire, which was published in 1997. Hughes’ latest book, Jade, A Gemologist’s Guide, came out in 2022.

Hughes’ breadth of experience in gemmology is unparalleled. He has worn many hats in his 44 years in the field, from teaching gemmology in classrooms, working in gem labs and for a sapphire mining company in Laos and Australia, and training teams of sorters to establishing Lotus Gemology in 2014 in Thailand. The lab specialises in the identification, treatment detection and origin determination of coloured gemstones.

On top of this, the gemmologist taught himself photography, typography and page layout. As a result, he has published, designed and laid out all his books since 1997. “This gives a control over our work that is unrivalled. My wife has also developed into a world-class photographer of gems, and my daughter is an award-winning photomicrographer,” he revealed.

Hughes’ prolific writings stem from his determination to share his knowledge with the world. “In a scientific field, it is incumbent on you to share your knowledge by writing about your discoveries. This is what we have tried to do – sharing knowledge through writing papers and especially books,” he explained.

Much of the material is available free of charge on Lotus Gemology’s website. The wealth of information includes the Four Treasures reference database that contains nearly 7,000 references on ruby, sapphire, spinel and jade.

Hughes also takes great joy in introducing the world to the people, places and cultures where gems are found. His passion for gems stemmed from his love of travel. Since he entered the field, he has been travelling to find gems and experience the destinations first-hand. 

“It is my belief that when a retail customer buys a gem, they are not just buying a product, but also the image in their mind of the people and places from which it came. By telling their stories, we create an unbreakable link between those people and places and the new owners of the gems,” Hughes said.

Of his many accomplishments though, Hughes is proudest of the way his daughter has taken to gemmology and established herself as one of the world’s best gemstone photomicrographers. Billie created the Hyperion Inclusion Database, which contains over 1,600 photomicrographs and is completely keyword searchable. 

“Her work has been acknowledged by many organisations and she has been invited to exhibit her work in Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai and elsewhere. She has become so famous that I am now sometimes referred to as 'Billie Hughes’ dad.' Nothing makes me more proud,” he remarked.

For more information about the “Extraordinary 40” Awards, visit jwawards.com.

As part of its 40^th anniversary content programme, JNA is casting the spotlight on the “Extraordinary 40” Awardees with special online features covering the highlights of their careers and the valuable lessons they have learned along the way. Click here to view the “Meet the Extraordinary 40” series from May to September, with new profiles published every week.