Bravo, GIA! Greetings from my flight home from Carlsbad, Calif., where I attended the 2018 GIA Symposium. Congratulations to GIA president and CEO Susan Jacques, senior vice president and chief marketing officer ­Kathryn Kimmel, and the entire GIA team on a smashing success! The three-day event was attended by more than 750 members of the industry, from more than 35 countries. It truly represented the international scope of this exciting business. The symposium kicked off with a centennial birthday celebration of the founder of modern gemology, Richard T. Liddicoat. The event was stunning, and included a giant hot-air balloon that lifted attendees to an even-better view of the sun setting over the Pacific. The next morning saw the start of the educational sessions, divided into research and business tracks. I attended the business ­sessions, which were centered on case studies and