The Woman Behind GemologyGeek
Founder & Creative Director
Erica Silverglide
Graduate Gemologist • Fine Jewelry Designer • GemologyGeek®
I’m a Graduate Gemologist, trained fine jewelry designer and the founder of GemologyGeek®. My expertise spans gemology, design, engineering, production and direct gemstone sourcing, built across every level of the fine jewelry industry during the last two decades at some of the most prestigious houses.
My relationship with color started long before I had words for it. As a child, I could perceive subtle shifts in hue and saturation that most people simply don't register. The slightest change in light could stop me cold. Gemstones were the first place that way of seeing made complete sense. That lens took me through art and design and eventually to Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) where I earned a BFA in Jewelry Design. I was formally trained to design, engineer, fabricate, and source materials. I then completed my Graduate Gemologist diploma (G.G.) at GIA, the highest credential in gemology, followed by a CAD certificate from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).
I spent the next fifteen years working across top New York City jewelry houses. I began managing production at a fine jewelry store in NYC's West Village, then moved into design as an Assistant Designer at Alexis Bittar, and went on to develop full mechanical specification packs for overseas factory production for three high-profile costume jewelry manufacturers. Moving deeper into fine jewelry, I served as Product and Production Manager for a bridal and custom line, then as Head Stone Buyer and Product Development Manager at Judith Ripka for KGK.
From there, I joined David Yurman as lead engineer on the gold team, working on the prestigious press collections. In that role I was responsible for sourcing, manufacturing, production, and engineering on one-of-a-kind and high-profile press projects, collaborating across every team. I had the experience and the expertise to speak to every part of the process. It was the role where everything I had built came together.
GemologyGeek® evolved from the place where all of it converged- design, gemology, sourcing, and engineering, aligned with my understanding of optical behavior: how pleochroism, inclusions, cut, and faceting influence a stone's color and brilliance. I founded GemologyGeek® to give designers, retailers, collectors, and private clients direct access to stones that are exceptional and to show them exactly why. Every gem is individually evaluated for color, cut, clarity, unique inclusions, and locality. My non-negotiables are unheated stones, minimal treatment, loupe-clean clarity wherever possible, and 100% natural. No synthetics. No imitations. Full disclosure, always.
In 2026 I launched Ignite, GemologyGeek®'s first finished fine jewelry collection. One-of-a-kind pieces, each built around rare, high-color natural gemstones with strong fluorescence, set in handmade baskets engineered to match each stone's individual faceting. It is the full expression of everything I know.
I’m an active member of the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) and the American Gem Society (AGS), past Board Chair of Programming and Events for the New York Metro Chapter of the Women’s Jewelry Association(WJA), and also a visiting lecturer to the Jewelry Design dept. at SCAD.
Education
BFA, Metals & Jewelry Design- SCAD
Graduate Gemologist (G.G.)- G.I.A.
CAD Certificate F.I.T.
Industry Experience
Alexis Bittar
Judith Ripka for KGK
David Yurman
Memberships & Leadership
American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) · American Gem Society (AGS) · WJA New York Metro Chapter — Board Member & Chair of Programming and Events (2020) · SCAD Alumni Association — Visiting Lecturer, Jewelry Design Department