Mary Johnson Consulting: Recent
and Past Projects
- June 2006 to present: Owner and sole proprietor, Mary Johnson Consulting
- Emerald durability project for GIA
- Monthly column for National Jeweler: Good Question!
- Working on a couple of projects I can’t talk about yet, involving archiving and other activities. Stay tuned.
- This summer, a patent of mine came through, on a simple device to see fire in gemstones: U.S. Patent 7088434. If you are interested in this device, please contact the Gemological Institute of America, as the patent is assigned to them.
- 1996-2006: Manager of Research and Development at the
Gemological
- Wrote many peer-reviewed articles, wrote trade articles, talked to the press, etc.
- Edited a News section for quarterly trade journal, Gems & Gemology. I am still on their article review board.
- Managed the GIA Diamond Cut project for a few years. Won GIA Staff Member of the Year award for 2001 for my work on this project.
- Developed techniques for analysis of observation data, methods for identifying black opaque gem materials, etc.
- Authored and gave presentations on emeralds in
- Visited diamond mines in
- Demonstrated new crystal growth in high-temperature treated rubies.
- 1996: Developed an ongoing fascination for wolverines (Gulo gulo).
- 1993-1996: Staff scientist in Gem Trade Laboratory,
GIA,
- 1991-1993: Volunteer curator, Department of Mineral Sciences, Los Angeles Museum of Natural History. I identified samples, helped organize acquired collections, designed and set up displays, trained docents, and arranged loans. I was visiting curator on the Smithsonian visiting exhibit, “Inside Active Volcanoes.”
- 1991-1992: Provided data analysis of shock wave data (including literature search in many languages) for 2 volumes of T.J. Ahren’s Handbook of Physical Constants, AGU Reference Shelf Series, 1995.
- 1986-1991: Member of Technical Staff, Division of
Earth and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology,
- Mapped low-concentration transition elements with electron microprobe.
- Studied early solar system meteorites.
- Simulated conditions of volcanism on Io.
- Purchased an SEM (on grant money) and demonstrated its use for combined visual and chemical analyses.
- Introduced Peter Tsou (JPL) to aerogel.
- 1983-1986: Postdoctoral position in physical chemistry, UCLA
- Studied ammonia-water phase relations in a diamond anvil cell
- Did shock-wave luminescence experiments at Lawrence Livermore National Lab
- Held a DOE Q Clearance.
- 1977-1982: Graduate studies in mineralogy and
crystallography,
- Ph.D. Thesis: The Effect of Substitutions on the Physical Properties of Tetrahedrite.
- Taught evening gemology as a teaching assistant to Cornelius Hurlbut; taught general geology as a teaching assistant to Steven J. Gould.
- 1976-1977: Member of Technical Staff, Division of
Earth and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology,
- Hydrogen and oxygen isotope studies of tree rings and climactic change.
- 1976: Curated a private collection
- 1972-1976: Undergraduate studies in geochemistry,
California Institute of Technology,
- Advisor was George Rossman
- Studies of dioptase cause of color; rare-earth-element measurement with an electron microprobe; economics of energy generation; and ion activity measurement.
- Trained rhesus monkeys.
And some of the fun projects:
- August 2006 to October: Kumihimo (Japanese cord braiding) project. A perfect craft to keep oneself occupied during flights, as no sharp objects are involved.
- July 2006: Booth volunteer
at Comic-con,
- February 1977 and 1991-2006: Worked at, reported on, spoke at, and otherwise attended Tuscon mineral, gem, and bead shows.