Anthony de Goutière, G.G.

Anthony, AKA Tony, began his career in the jewellery business as a watchmaker in 1950. After working for several different jewellery concerns, he opened his own watch-repair and jewellery store in a small suburb of Victoria on Vancouver Island in May 1960.

Using the ‘distance-learning’ courses from the Gemmological Institute of America, Tony became a Graduate Gemmologist. Continuing his studies, he earned a Certified Gemmologist Certificate from The American Gem Society. Later de Goutière Jewellers became the first American Gem Society Certified Gem Laboratory in Canada.

Inspired by gemmologists, John Koivula and Dr. Edward Gübelin, Tony purchased a new trinocular microscope with camera adaptor. He attached his camera and commenced taking photomicrographs of the beautiful inclusions he found in gem and crystal specimens.

Tony retired from business in 1995 and the photomicrography of gemstone inclusions became a rewarding hobby. His photomicrographs of gemstones and jewellery have been published in gemological journals around the world. In 2012 one of his gemstone photomicrographs won first prize in the British Gemmological Association’s photo competition. His first book, “Wonders within Gemstones”, was published in 1996 and was well received by the industry and by lovers of gemstones.

Tony passed away December 2019 in his home in Sidney, not too far from Victoria. He was a keen wild-life photographer and traveller.  “When not photographing gemstones, I spend a lot of time photographing the abundant wild life around our home with my digital Canon T5i. My favourite lens for wild life is a Canon 100-400 Zoom with built-in image stabilizer.” He spent many hours at his microscope with a camera at the ready, and believed, “my work with the microscope and camera combine the scientific study of gems and their inclusions with photographic art.”

“Thanks go to my son, Paul, present owner of de Goutière Jewellers, for the loan of several  of the fine gemstones from his extensive collection.”