Gemological Institute of America’s governor Matthew Stuller was given the American Gem’s Society Lifetime Achievement Award; and Russell Shor, GIA’s senior industry analyst, received the AGS Richard T. Liddicoat Journalism Award. The awards were presented during the AGS’s Circle of Distinction dinner, held Aug. 1 in New York City.

The Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the highest honors an individual can receive from AGS, was established to acknowledge those who have made significant contributions to the industry throughout their career. According to AGS, Stuller was selected for his service to the jewelry industry and lasting contributions to his community. He is chairman and CEO of Stuller, Inc., one of the world’s largest manufacturers and distributors of jewelry products.

Shor was recognized in the category of Jewelry Industry/Trade Reporting for his article “A Review of the Political and Economic Forces Shaping Today’s Diamond Industry,” which appeared in the fall 2005 issue of GIA’s professional journal, Gems & Gemology. During his five years with the Institute, Shor has been a contributing writer for G&G and a columnist for the GIA Insider, The Loupe, and GIA Education’s Facts on the Fly. He was previously the diamond editor for JCK magazine.

Shor’s article examined key developments that have transformed the diamond industry in the past 15 years. From the shift to a multi-channel rough pipeline to the advent of commercially viable synthetics, from the Kimberley Process to the popularity of large “bling-bling” jewelry, and from new manufacturing techniques to the explosion of diamond branding, the article outlined the new challenges that confront dealers and retailers alike.

JCK