Dr. George Rossman, Former GIA Governor, Dies at 81

Dr. George Rossman is seen here in April 2023 speaking on “The Causes of Color of the San Diego County Gem Minerals” during the Sinkankas Symposium at GIA’s Carlsbad, California, campus.

Carlsbad, Calif.—Dr. George Rossman, a former GIA governor, died on Feb. 6.

He was 81.

Born August 3, 1944, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, he cultivated his passion for natural science early, collecting minerals and building a home chemistry laboratory, according to his online obituary.

He graduated summa cum laude with honors in chemistry from Wisconsin State University-Eau Claire in 1966, earning Bachelor of Science degrees in chemistry and mathematics.

Rossman went on to earn his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1971.

Immediately after graduation, he joined the Caltech faculty, later becoming a professor of mineralogy.

Rossman was a lead authority on mineral spectroscopy and the causes of color in minerals.

Alongside other colleagues, he discovered several minerals, including rossmanite, which was named in his honor in 1998.

Two other minerals also from the tourmaline family were named after him, including alumino-oxy-rossmanite in 2020 and fluor-rossmanite in 2024.

Rossman advised GIA for more than 50 years and was a member of its board of governors from 1995 to 2007.

“George was a skilled and passionate scientist, a dedicated and talented educator, and a mentor to generations of GIA scientists,” said Tom Moses, executive vice president and chief laboratory and research officer at GIA.

Rossman was known for his passion for the field of gemology and his enthusiastic dedication to teaching.

He authored and co-authored many articles for GIA’s professional journal—Gems & Gemology—and served many years on the journal’s editorial review board.

He also produced more than 400 academic papers.

“George was one of the most significant resources for Gems & Gemology, whether he was an author, peer reviewer, or guest editor,” said Jennifer Stone-Sundberg, senior technical editor at Gems & Gemology, who frequently visited Rossman at Caltech.

“Endlessly curious, he would always consider a researcher’s background and research capabilities and was very sympathetic to new talent.”