Completing the GAA Diploma of Gemmology in 1974, he passed the course with a high distinction and was awarded the Australia Prize for the highest marks in the country. The following year, he achieved another high distinction when completing his studies with the Gemmological Association of Great Britain.
Brown became a lecturer at the Queensland Division of the GAA in 1975 and served as the Federal Chairman of the GAA from 1979 to 1981, becoming president of the GAA in 1983.
He lectured at the University of Queensland and taught gemstone identification for the Department of Mineralogy and Geology from 1989 to 1992.
Brown travelled to many countries to provide lectures and seminars in gemmology. He visited various organisations, including the Gemmological Association of Hong Kong, the Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences in Bangkok, the Singapore Gemmologists Society, the GIA International Gemological Symposium, and the Gemmological Association of New Zealand.
Brown was a prolific writer and researcher, and by the end of his life, he had published more than 500 gemmological papers.
He was awarded the first Research Diploma of the GAA for his investigations into the structure and properties of precious corals.
His Summer 1991 Gems & Gemology article on treated Andamooka matrix opal remains the definitive work on the subject.
He also wrote ground-breaking articles on various kinds of ivory - perhaps an apt topic for a dentist!
He not only contributed through his writing and research, but was an accomplished editor.
Brown's extensive role as editor of The Australian Gemmologist is detailed on the GAA website.
"Prior to 1982, a general committee was responsible for the production of the journal without the specific role of an Editor," it reads.
"Dr Grahame Brown followed on in the esteemed footsteps of Bill Hicks and was Editor from 1994 until his death in January 2008, the longest tenure to date."
In 2001, Brown was appointed editor to The NCJV Valuer, Australia's dedicated journal for evaluating gemstones and jewellery.
He was a contributing editor to the fifth edition of Robert Webster’s Gems: Their Sources, Descriptions and Identification, first published in 1994. It is a reference book used by gemmological organisations across the world.
Throughout his lifetime, Brown has been greatly celebrated and acknowledged throughout the industry.
The National Association of Jewelry Appraisers in the United States awarded him a Charter Senior Member title of the National Gem & Jewelry Appraisers Association, the Canadian Gemmological Association awarded him a pass with distinction, and he was elected a Fellow of the Gemmological Association of South Africa.
He was also elected to the International Gemmological Conference (IGC) in 1995 and served as Australia’s delegate to the CIBJO Congress in 2002 and 2004. He was made an honorary life member of the GAA in 1990.
Among his varied commitments, Brown founded his own gemstone identification, valuation, and consultancy business called ALLGEM Services.
Brown passed away after a long battle with cancer, and following his death, numerous articles were written to commemorate his contribution to the field.
In an article for JCK Magazine, Gary Roskin describes Brown as being “well-known and highly praised throughout the world by his peers for his ability to share his love for gemmology.”
Grahame Brown was a man of unquestionable intellect whose passion and drive for the science of gemmology lives on in his extensive contributions to the field through his leadership roles across gemmological and educational institutions, his numerous research articles and his dedication to many industry publications.
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