CURRICULUM VITAE
Thomas E. Tashey Jr., G.G., F.G.A.
Born: September 11,
1947, Highland Park, Michigan.
Married: July 26,
1980, Santa Monica, Ca; to Myriam Clara Both of Antwerp, Belgium. Father of three children, currently aged 12,
16, 19.
June, 1965: Graduated
from Wylie E. Groves High School; Birmingham, Michigan.
September,
1965-January, 1967: Attended Kalamazoo College; Kalamazoo, Michigan. Majored in
chemistry.
May, 1967-April,
1971: Served in U.S.Navy; attained rank of MM2(SS) Machinist Mate, 2nd class
Petty Officer, qualified in Submarines, qualified in Nuclear Power.
September,
1971-August, 1974: Lived in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Took classes at Kalamazoo College, Western Michigan University,
Kalamazoo Valley Community College.
November, 1974-May,
1975: Attended the Gemological Institute of America in Brentwood, Ca. Awarded the Graduated Gemologist diploma
(G.G.).
May, 1975-February,
1976: Began work at the Gemological Institute of America as a staff gemologist
in the Gem Trade Laboratory.
February, 1976-March,
1977: Helped to start up and became the assistant to the Director of the GIA’s
Gem Trade Laboratory in Downtown Los Angeles.
March,1977-May, 1978:
Was put in charge of training newly hired Graduate Gemologists for laboratory grading
at the GIA Gem Trade Laboratory Headquarters in Santa Monica. Was a supervisor of laboratory grading.
May,
1978-October,1979: Started up and directed the Los Angeles Office of the
European Gemological Laboratory.
November, 1978:
Awarded the F.G.A. diploma; Fellow of the Gemological Association of Great
Britain.
October,
1979-March,1980: Worked as a diamond wholesaler for Luxor Gems, Inc. in Beverly
Hills, Ca.
May,1980-Present:
Started own company: Independent Gemological Laboratory and Consultants, Los
Angeles, Ca.
April, 1982-December,
1984: Elected and served as Secretary of the Accredited Gemologist Association.
August, 1983: Awarded
the Maser Gemologist Appraiser title (M.G.A.) from the Accredited Gemologist
Association.
January, 1985-December,
1985: Elected and served as First Vice President of the Accredited Gemologist
Association.
August, 1985-March,
2001: Acquired the rights to operate and directed the European Gemological
Laboratory, Los Angeles, Ca.
January,
1988-January, 1990: Elected and served as Treasurer of the Los Angeles Chapter
of the GIA Alumni Association.
January,
1990-January, 1991: Elected and served as Vice President of the Los Angeles
Chapter of the GIA Alumni Association.
May,
1991: Delegate of the Diamond Dealers Club, West Coast to the World Diamond
Congress, London, England.
January,
1991-January, 1992: Elected and served as President of the Los Angeles Chapter
of the GIA Alumni Association.
April,
1992: Initiated the use of the SI3 clarity grade on diamond grading reports.
June,
1993: Delegate of the DDC, West Coast to the World Diamond Congress, Antwerp,
Belgium.
January,
1994: Incorporated the business as Gem Quality Institute, Inc. (GQI)
February,
1994: Published “The World of Color”,
a book used to describe the color of a gemstone, based on the Munsell
color-order system.
May,
1996: Delegate of the DDC, West Coast to the World Diamond Congress, Tel-Aviv,
Israel.
July,
1997: USA Delegate to the ICA (International Color Stone Association) Congress,
Belo Horizonte, Brazil
April,
1998: Started up and directed a branch office of GQI in Chicago, IL.
June,
1998: Joined the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA).
February,
2000: Changed Corporate name to Professional Gem Sciences, Inc.
April,
2000: Initiated the use of standardized face-up color appearance descriptions
(grades) for mounted diamonds and on some loose diamond reports.
August,
2000: Delegate of the DDC, West Coast to the World Diamond Congress, Antwerp,
Belgium.
June,
2002: Closed Los Angeles office.
September,
1975 – February 2003: Served as expert witness on numerous trials and pre-trail
hearings (approximately 12-15; local, state and federal, civil and criminal
courts).
