Staff

Richard W. Hughes is one of the world’s foremost experts on ruby and sapphire. The author of many books and over 170 articles, his writings and photographs have appeared in a diverse range of publications, and he has received numerous industry awards. Co-winner of the 2004 Edward J. Gübelin Most Valuable Article Award from Gems & Gemology magazine, the following year he was awarded a Richard T. Liddicoat Journalism Award from the American Gem Society. In 2010, he received the Antonio C. Bonanno Award for Excellence in Gemology from the Accredited Gemologists Association. The Association Française de Gemmologie (AFG) in 2013 named Richard as one of the Fifty most important figures that have shaped the history of gems since antiquity. In 2016, Richard was awarded a visiting professorship at Shanghai's Tongji University. 2017 saw the publication of Richard and his wife and daughter's Ruby & Sapphire • A Gemologist's Guide, arguably the most complete book ever published on a single gem species and the culmination of four decades of work in gemology. In 2018, Richard was named Photographer of the Year by the Gem-A, recognizing his photo of a jade-trading market in China, while in 2020, he was elected to the board of directors of the Accredited Gemologists Association and was appointed to the editorial review board of Gems & Gemology and The Australian Gemmologist magazine. In 2022, Richard published Jade • A Gemologist's Guide, while 2024 brought Broken Bangle • The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature. His jade trilogy was completed in 2025 with his translation of Heinrich Fischer's Nephrite and Jadeite.

Wimon Manorotkul has been involved with gems and gemology since 1979, as a lab gemologist, instructor and photographer. She is an Accredited Gemologist from Bangkok's Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences and for many years directed their lab. Wimon also qualified as a Fellow (with honors) of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain. A skilled gem photographer, her images have been featured in books and magazines around the world, particularly Ruby & Sapphire: A Collector's Guide, along with Ruby & Sapphire: A Gemologist's Guide and Inside Out | GEM• ology Through Lotus-Colored Glasses. Wimon not only photographs gems, jewelry and mineral specimens, but is also an expert photomicrographer. In 2013, she founded Lotus Gemology with her husband, Richard Hughes, and daughter, E. Billie Hughes.

E. Billie Hughes is Co-Founder and Managing Director of Lotus Gemology. She oversees the company's day-to-day operations while continuing gemological research and laboratory work. After graduating from UCLA in 2011, Billie became a Fellow of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (FGA) in 2013. Her research focuses on ruby and sapphire, including low-temperature heat treatment, and she has authored and co-authored articles in leading gemological journals. An accomplished field gemologist, she has traveled to gem deposits around the world, including nearly every major ruby and sapphire locality.

Billie is an internationally recognized educator who has lectured for trade organizations, museums, and luxury jewelry houses. She has collaborated extensively with Van Cleef & Arpels on educational programs and lectures. An award-winning photographer and photomicrographer, her images have received honors in the Nikon Small World and Gem-A competitions and have appeared in publications including National Geographic and Forbes. She is also the creator of Hyperion, Lotus Gemology's online inclusion database, reflecting her commitment to making gemological knowledge more accessible.

Billie developed an interest in gemstones from an early age, accompanying her parents on expeditions to mines and gem-producing regions around the world. That lifelong passion for fieldwork, laboratory research, education, and photography continues to shape her work at Lotus Gemology today.

Natcha ('Ing') Rattana-anan has been interested in gems since childhood, which inspired her to study gemology at Chiang Mai University, where she did an award-winning thesis on heat treatment of amethyst. After graduating in 2024, she joined Lotus's gemological team.

Pimmada ('Pim') Rojtanat studied in the Gems and Jewelry program at Srinakharinwirot University, which sparked her passion for art, jewelry, and gemology. After completing an internship at Lotus Gemology in 2024, she joined the team full-time upon graduation.

Chanon ('Pond') Yimkeativong joined us as a client services representative after graduating from Thammasat University. With excellent language skills, he helps clients submit and pick up stones both in-person and by overseeing shipments. In his free time he is a video game enthusiast.

Sora-at ('Opal') Manorotkul graduated from the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce with a degree in accounting and joined Lotus in 2017. In addition to his work, he enjoys playing football and riding motorcycles.

Ronnakorn ('Lapis') Manorotkul graduated Bangkok's Suan Dusit University in 2013 and worked as a tour guide, where he developed an interest in photography. After joining Lotus in 2020, he quickly rose to the challenge of photographing gemstones, and has had his work featured in industry publications like Gems & Gemology, as well as on our reports.

Teerawan ('Maew') Baengpetch’s administrative support keeps the laboratory running in a timely manner. Her diligence and attention to detail ensure that report assembly and book shipments go off without a hitch.