Few have the ability to move and impact an entire industry. Most of us function in our own little worlds making incremental changes. We may be a big fish in a small pond or a little fish in a big pond. We work. We innovate to some degree. We hope the world will be a better place for our having been here.
In 1999, George Holmes, JCK's editorial consultant and former editor-in-chief, proposed that we honor the "Person of the Century." The person selected was to be someone who had had a singularly dramatic effect on the jewelry industry. Throughout the year members of the industry cast votes, and selected Robert Shipley as "Person of the Century."
The nominee receiving the next highest number of votes was Richard T. Liddicoat, who received nearly as many votes as Shipley. And while both men had had an enormous impact on the jewelry industry, Liddicoat's contribution had literally and fi