George Frederick Kunz (1856 - 1932)

BiographyGeorge Kunz was a self-taught mineralogist who is most widely known for revolutionizing the jewellery industry in 1876 when he introduced coloured gemstones, such as tourmaline, to Tiffany’s. Kunz would go on to be appointed a vice president of the famous company at the age of 23 and its resident gem expert.

In addition to his role at Tiffany's, Kunz was a prolific researcher and writer on mineralogy with over 300 articckles and notable books under his name. He was an avid collector of minerals and he both sold and donated collections to various institutions such as the University of Minnesota and the American Museum of Natural History.

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