The calcium-rich lithium tourmaline liddicoatite was first recognized as a new mineral species in 1977. It was named by research staff at the Smithsonian Institution after GIA’s then-president, Richard T. Liddicoat (1918–2002). In honor of Mr. Liddicoat’s centennial birthday, the GIA Museum hosted an exhibit titled Zoning In on Liddicoatite at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, February 8–11. With highlights from Mr. Liddicoat’s career alongside crystals and polished crystal slices showing spectacular color zonation (figure 1), the exhibit was a fitting tribute to GIA’s own “Father of Modern Gemology.”
The calcium-rich lithium tourmaline liddicoatite was first recognized as a new mineral species in 1977. It was named by research staff at the Smithsonian Institution after GIA’s then-president, Richard T. Liddicoat (1918–2002). In honor of Mr. Liddicoat’s centennial birthday, the GIA Museum hosted an exhibit titled Zoning In on Liddicoatite at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, February 8–11. With highlights from Mr. Liddicoat’s career alongside crystals and polished crystal slices showing spectacular color zonation (figure 1), the exhibit was a fitting tribute to GIA’s own “Father of Modern Gemology.”
