Christopher Louis Bramlett, CGA, owner, Christopher’s Jewelers, Concord, N.C. received the 2001 Robert M. Shipley Award.

In a luncheon presentation at the American Gem Society Conclave, held recently in Nashville, a shocked Bramlett dabbed away tears as he thanked AGS members for the distinction and accepted his award. To break up the seriousness of the moment, Bramlett turned to his wife and asked, “Who’s minding the store?”

The one-time chemist with a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia switched careers in the early eighties. In 1989, Bramlett quit working for other jewelers and opened his own shop. He earned his CGA from AGS, along with certificates for his knowledge of diamonds and pearls from the Gemological Institute of America. His numerous affiliations with state jewelry associations, rotary clubs, guilds, and church groups, plus his service to the AGS as a trustee, made Bramlett the obvious choice for this year’s award.

The Robert M. Shipley award, established in 1967 to commemorate the life and service of Robert M. Shipley, honors an AGS member each year for upholding association ideals, including ethics and knowledge.

JCK