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In Memoriam: George Kaplan, Renowned Diamantaire; Dana Schorr, Gem Dealer And Social Activist; More August 12, 2015 (0 comments)
George Rene Kaplan, Son Of Lazare Kaplan
New York, NY—George Rene Kaplan, the son of renowned diamantaire Lazare Kaplan and an internationally recognized diamond cutting expert in his own right, died July 12 after a short illness. He was 97. (Image at left: Kaplan was featured in a 1979 article in TWA Ambassador magazine.)
Kaplan was born in 1918 in Brooklyn, NY. His father, Lazare Kaplan, and older brother Leo, who together founded the firm Lazare Kaplan and Sons, achieved worldwide fame as the cutters of the 726 carat Jonker Diamond.
George Kaplan was instrumental in the development of the diamond cutting industry in Puerto Rico while he lived there from 1939 to 1947. While greatly improving traditional diamond polishing techniques, he also developed a technically advanced system to produce precisely cut diamond bearings in sufficient quantities, crucial to U.S. industry at that time.
His later contributions to the diamond industry include co-inventing “laser inscription”, a method for giving diamonds a unique identification by micro-inscription, universally used today on laboratory graded diamonds, and the development of high pressure high temperature (HPHT) processing, which can restore brown Type II diamonds to their original, more colorless, state. He was also renowned for having added to the general understanding and use of diamonds in many scientific and industrial applications.
In addition to being the former vice chairman and treasurer of Lazare Kaplan International Inc., Kaplan was the former chairman and governor emeritus of the Gemological Institute of America and recipient of the 1997 Robert M. Shipley Award, given by the American Gem Society for significant contributions to the science of gemology.
George Kaplan, left, with his wife Carol the day he was presented with AGS's Robert M. Shipley Award.
Kaplan is survived by his wife of 69 years, Carol Tannenbaum Kaplan, three children and two grandchildren.
A statement from Maurice Tempelsman, chairman of Lazare Kaplan International, reads, “George Kaplan died July 12 at the age of 97. Death—no matter what the circumstances—evokes a sense of loss. And yet, on some way, it is also a celebration of life and its potential. George achieved that to its fullest measure. A skilled professional in the industry, well known for his inventive creativity, his caring human touch and his business acumen he was also endowed with a vision that prompted him to devote his multiple skills to the growth and standing of the GIA and AGS and to what these two remarkable professional organizations stood for. George knew that if our industry was to grow and thrive, integrity—and the perception of integrity by the consumer—were essential foundations. And he so conducted himself in all his undertakings. All of us—his colleagues at LKI and his many friends and admirers in the industry and beyond—who drew inspiration from his example, salute him and recognize that we are all the better for what he did and how he did it.”
Top left: George Kaplan with his wife, Carol, when he received the Robert M. Shipley Award from AGS.
Dana Schorr, Renowned Gemstone Dealer
Santa Barbara, CA—Dana Schorr, a colored gemstone dealer best known for his outspoken personality and concern for artisanal miners, died August 5 of complications following a heart attack. He was 63.
Schorr, owner of Schorr Marketing, entered the gemstone business in the 1980s, following a brief stint in the printing business. He was especially active in tanzanite trading and made many trips to Tanzania.
Schorr’s early interest in political activism in the 1960s and early 1970s awoke again in the gem trade, as he grew concerned with the plight of artisanal miners in many of the countries he visited, such as Burma (now Myanmar), Cambodia, Madagascar, Tajikistan, Tibet and throughout eastern Africa.
According to an article in National Jeweler, he was an open and outspoken critic of a number of the corporate social responsibility measures being proposed in the colored gemstone realm. He accused efforts such as the Precious Stones Multi-Stakeholder Working Group (PS-MSWG) and the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) of using the concept of responsible sourcing as a marketing tool while not really doing anything for the people at the top of the colored gemstone supply chain--the artisanal miners.
Nevertheless, his passion for the industry was appreciated by many in the colored gemstone world, including AGTA CEO Douglas Hucker and others who paid tribute to him in the NJ article and on social media.
Schorr is survived by his mother, sister, and brother-in-law.
Renowned gem dealer Dana Schorr was often found down in the trenches, not just behind a desk. Image: LotusGemology.com
Former DPS Representative Killed In Accident
Maui, HI--Ronald "Ron" Dean, a former executive of De Beers' Diamond Promotion Service, was killed when a pickup truck collided with the car he was driving while on vacation in Maui, HI, JCK reports. He was 72. Dean's wife, Karen, 69, also was severely injured at remained in a coma at press time. She is the former head of the Pacific Northwest Jewelers Association and was the first female to manage a Ben Bridge jewelry store. The couple's grandson Noah Chapman, 16, also was killed and a friend of his who was vacationing with them was injured.
A news report from Chapman's hometown of Boise, ID, says the teen had plans to become a doctor, and the trip was a reward for good grades.
The driver of the pickup, Roman Semes, 36, was arrested on two counts of negligent homicide but has not been formally charged. Police are investigating whether he was intoxicated at the time of the accident; he has a prior DUI arrest on his record.