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Cincinnati, OH--Veteran gemstone and jewelry industry executive and educator, Barbara Wheat, has been named executive director of Ethical Metalsmiths, an organization committed to transparent, responsible and environmentally sound practices for all facets of the Jewelry Industry. She replaces Alexandra Hart who held the position for just over two years.

Wheat has held numerous positions in the gemstone and jewelry industry in Thailand and the United States. Most recently she served as VP of International Relations and Business Development for the Ho Group of Companies. She also continues to work in the gemstone and jewelry industry consulting company she founded, Gemalytics.

Over the years she has served as president of the Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences (AIGS), executive VP of the Natural Colored Diamond Association and executive director of the International Colored Gemstone Association.

She began her career in the gemstone industry in Bangkok where she was managing director of JewelSiam Magazine, deputy managing director of Kompass International and finally as senior advisor to the Thai Gem & Jewelry Trade Association.

As an educator she serves as a visiting professor of Tongji University in Shanghai, China for its geology department, and previously served as an adjunct instructor specializing in sustainability for the State University of New York education system.

If that’s not enough, Wheat is a partner with Joseph Menzie in Gemstone Expeditions, which leads trips to gem mines throughout the world.

Wheat a Master of Science degree in Sustainability Management at Columbia University and am an Accredited Gemologist from the Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the State University of New York.

For more information on Ethical Metalsmiths, visit the organization's website.