The American Gem Society (AGS) awarded its Richard T. Liddicoat Journalism Award for Industry/Trade Reporting to GIA's Shane McClure, director of West Coast Identification Services; Wuyi Wang, manager of Research Projects; and Matthew Hall, manager of New York Identification Services. Their article, "Identification and Durability of Lead Glass-Filled Rubies," was also co-authored by Christopher Smith, formerly with GIA New York.

"With the help of the outstanding Gems & Gemology editors and staff, we work very hard to produce accurate, timely articles that are useful to gemologists and the trade, so it is always gratifying to have organizations outside GIA acknowledge that we have been successful in those efforts," McClure said.

The article, from the Spring 2006 issue of G&G, presents GIA's research on heavily fractured natural rubies that are clarity enhanced with a high-lead-content glass filler. The award was presented at the AGS Circle of Distinction dinner in New York City July 31. The four authors share a $1,500 stipend and a $1,000 donation was made in their names to GIA's Richard T. Liddicoat Scholarship Fund.

Tom Moses, senior vice president, GIA Laboratory and Research, was also honored at the event with the AGS Triple Zero Award in the industry category.

– Stuart Overlin