GemsTV Holdings Ltd. has appointed Richard W. Hughes as senior vice president of Gemstone Marketing.

Hughes, a respected gemologist, is author of Ruby & Sapphire, a highly regarded books on precious stones.

“We are very pleased to have Richard join our team. His depth of experience and extensive knowledge of gemstones will significantly enhance the capabilities of our gemstone marketing team,” Jason Choo, chief executive officer of GemsTV. “Educating our customers on gemstones and jewelry is cornerstone to our overall marketing strategy. Our customers feel comfortable buying their jewelry from such a knowledgeable source. Richard moves us up to a new level of trust in the eyes of our customers.”

Hughes will spearhead gemstone marketing activities for GemsTV’s sales teams, the company said in a statement. He will be tasked with bolstering teams with fresh research and information on gemstones to build up the resident knowledge base on each of the over 170 gemstone varieties that are sold via GemsTV’s television programs and the Internet. This will include finding and establishing the ‘next big thing’ when it comes to new and exciting gemstones Gems TV’s customers need to add to their collection.

Hughes’ frequent travels, fuelled by his passion for gemstones, have been the motivation for authoring more than one hundred articles on the gem and jewelry trades. In 2004 and 2005, articles he co-authored won the Richard T. Liddicoat award from the American Gem Society. 

In between his travels, Hughes joined the Los Angeles-based Gem Quality Institute in 1997, where he was head of the colored stone department. At GQI, he developed a comprehensive set of gemstone enhancement disclosure standards that would eventually form the industry benchmark for other testing labs. From 1999 to 2005, he worked in the colored gem wholesale business at Pala International in Fallbrook, California. Thereafter, he joined the American Gem Trade Association Gemological Testing Center in 2005, where he was responsible for creation of the JewelFolio, the jewelry industry’s premier lab document. Richard remained there until his current appointment at Gems TV.

GemsTV Holdings Ltd., based in Reno, Nev., specializes in manufacturing genuine colored gemstone jewelry in exclusive handcrafted designs which are sold directly to customers through a “reverse auction” system via television home shopping and the Internet. The company says it employs approximately 1,800 persons worldwide.

JCK