American Gem Society, Las Vegas, announced the winners for the AGS Richard T. Liddicoat Journalism Awards. The RTL awards were developed in remembrance of Richard T. Liddicoat to honor journalists that have made exceptional contributions to the understanding of gemology, as well as AGS ideals of ethics, education and consumer protection.

The award winners are “Take a Strand: Classic Pearls Add Luster to Casual and Dressy Looks”, written by Melissa Gagliardi for The Courier-Journal in the category of consumer reporting in national/multiple markets; “Romantic Leads”, written by Rubén Rosario for St. Paul Pioneer Press; in the category of consumer reporting in a local market; and “Beryllium Diffusion of Ruby and Sapphire”, by John L. Emmett with Kenneth Scarratt, Shane F. McClure, Thomas Moses, Troy R. Douthit, Richard Hughes, Steven Novak, James E. Shigley, Wuyi Wang, Owen Bordelon, and Robert E. Kane for Gems & Gemology in the jewelry industry/trade reporting category.

The awards will be presented at the Circle of Distinction Dinner on Tuesday during the JA NY Show at the Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center. Each recipient will receive a check for $1,500, an etched crystal award, and the Society will donate $1,000 to the Richard T. Liddicoat Scholarship Fund at the Gemological Institute of America in the name of each award recipient.

In the jewelry industry/trade reporting category honorable mentions go to Rob Bates writing “Cut From the Same Cloth” for JCK; and “Trade Worries Over Mounting Skepticism Among Consumers” by Victoria Gomelsky for National Jeweler.

“It is my pleasure to congratulate the winning journalists, and thank all of the numerous journalists from across the country who entered” said Ruth Batson, Executive Director/CEO of the American Gem Society. “Their work has set a standard of excellence in jewelry industry reporting and we look forward to honoring these individuals at the annual Circle of Distinction Dinner.”

The RTL Award judges were chosen from the top journalism schools in the United States. This year’s judges included Glen T. Cameron, Maxine Wilson Gregory chair in journalism research, Columbia School of Journalism at the University of Missouri; Quint Randle, assistant professor of print journalism at Brigham Young University and David L. Nelson, chair newspaper department, and associate professor at Medill School of Journalism of Northwestern University.

JCK