Tom Yonelunas, who resigned last year as chief executive officer of GIA’s Gem Laboratory, is joining pearl company Honora as chief operating officer.

“I’ve known Tom for almost 30 years, and he’s a systems and operational genius,” said Joel Schechter, company CEO. “He’s a perfect fit for us, and he’s one of the finest men in the industry, as far as personality, integrity, character. We are extremely happy to get him.”

Yonelunas was one of the first employees at the GIA’s New York lab and helped develop it into a major force in the industry. Though not implicated in any wrongdoing, he resigned last year after four employees were fired for violating the lab’s code of ethics.

JCK