Bob Lynn
Bob Lynn is the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Lynn’s Manufacturing, Inc. (LMI). LMI does business as Lynn’s Jewelry Studio.
He was born and raised in Ventura County as was his wife Kitty. Bob and Kitty founded Lynn’s Jewelry in 1970 with quite literally $20 worth of sheet silver and a borrowed propane torch. They are now rated in the top 2% of jewelry stores in the world. Lynn’s Jewelry is the oldest locally owned and operated jeweler in Ventura County.
Both Bob and Kitty are Rotarians but are members of different clubs. Both are Paul Harris Fellows and active with their respective Rotary Clubs projects. One advantage of being a Rotarian married to a Rotarian is that when you are traveling, there is no excuse to not make up missed meetings. They have attended meetings at clubs in almost every country they have visited. They will testify that it really is possible to run a business that is governed by the Four Way Test.
Besides being the head Gemologist for Lynn's Jewelry, Bob is a graduate of the Gemological Institute of America as a Gemologist and he has gone on to earn a Registered Jeweler title from the American Gem Society (AGS) and a Certified Gemologist rating.
After all that, Bob went on to pass the stringent requirements of the Certified Gemologist-Appraiser (CGA) title. The requirements include an examination of the theory and practice of appraisal. This examination is the only one that requires that the applicant actually write an appraisal on jewelry that is provided by the examiners. The CGA examination appraisal must pass the AGS standards for description, form, research, content, and value. The examinations are graded by select group of recognized professionals in the jewelry, appraisal, and gemological fields.
Bob currently serves on the AGS Gemological Sciences board and on the AGS Appraisal Committee. He formerly chaired the CGA re-registration examination. Bob has been a member of the group that grades the CGA examination appraisals.
Among the qualifications one must pass to become a member of the AGS is that the applicant must pass a review by their peers for personal and professional integrity. Bob is a past president of the Southern California Guild of the AGS.
Currently he is serving on the Gemological Advisory Board of the American Gem Society Laboratories, Inc. and recently served on the panel of internationally recognized experts advising on the criteria to create a system to grade the cutting of fancy shaped diamonds, the Fancy Cut Grade Task Force.
At the American Gem Society Conclave in 2006, Bob was honored as one of the first seven individuals to be made an American Gem Society Fellow. A Fellowship is awarded to individuals that have made significant contributions through their efforts in three areas: To the science of Gemology, to the work of the AGS, and to their local community.
In addition, Bob brings more than 3 decades of experience in the manufacture, design, repair, purchase, sale, and re-sale of fine jewelry.
Over the years, Bob has taught seminars at such venues as: The Jewelers Circular Keystone Orlando show, the American Gem Trade Association’s international show (Tucson), the numerous American Gem Society Conclaves, the Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers Association shows (both the Eastern and Western meetings), and was a founding Kraft Master with the KraftWerks® Invitational seminars. In addition he has been asked to speak at foreign jewelry functions.
In 1995 Kitty and Bob participated in a study trip to South Africa at the invitation of a DeBeers sight holder. During that trip they studied diamond mining and went underground in a number of diamond mines. During the trip they also went 1½ miles down the platinum mine at Rustenburg and toured the platinum refinery. The trip included briefings and meetings with officials in the diamond, gold, and platinum mining industries, and the group met with senior officials in the post-apartheid government under President Mandela.
Research and buying takes Bob to major trade shows of the jewelry industry every year, plus regular buying trips to the gemstone cutting and marketing centers of the world gives him first hand knowledge of the world markets, trends, and developments in the jewelry and gemological fields.
Bob is also known as one of the pioneers in bringing Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) into the retail jewelry field and to smaller jewelry manufacturers. His consulting practice has lead to teaching CAD/CAM in seminars attended by many firms and training the design staffs of major manufacturers that were seeking to modernize their operations.
Kitty Lynn
John Muscarella |
