About me
Dr. James Shigley is a distinguished research fellow at the Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, California. Prior to joining GIA in 1982, he studied geology as an undergraduate at the University of California Berkeley and later received his doctorate in geology from Stanford University. He helps direct GIA’s research activities on the identification of gemstones, and he has ongoing research interests in the natural environments of gem formation as well as the characterization of gem materials. Dr. Shigley is the author or coauthor of more than 200 published articles on diamonds and other gemstones in various journals, and he has been a well-known speaker on gemological topics to both professional and general audiences on more than 350 occasions. He was given the Richard T Liddicoat Award by GIA in December 2018, and the Robert M. Shipley Award by the American Gem Society in September 2021.
