He was 70 years outdated.
Lynch’s family launched his passing by the use of his Fb internet web page on Nov. 26.
For the earlier 35 years, Lynch owned and operated Ouellet and Lynch, an unbiased gem and jewelry appraisal company in Phoenix.
Since 2008, he had served as a result of the gemological advertising advisor and appraiser for the “Someplace throughout the Rainbow” assortment.
“Our rainbow merely turned a lot much less vibrant,” Shelly Sergent, curator of the Someplace throughout the Rainbow assortment, said in a undergo Lynch’s Fb internet web page.
In accordance together with his on-line obituary, Lynch was born on Feb. 28, 1954, in Duluth, Minnesota.
He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was devoted to his faith, a cornerstone of his life.
He was desirous to share the gospel, his family said. He was baptized on March 3, 1962, and he served as a full-time missionary in England from 1974 to 1975.
Lynch moreover was eager about his work as a gem and jewelry appraiser.
He earned his graduate gemologist accreditation from the Gemological Institute of America in 1983, adopted by his accredited senior gemologist title from the Accredited Gemologists Affiliation in 1985.
Lynch later turned a senior member of the American Society of Appraisers and a licensed insurance coverage protection appraiser by the Jewelry Insurance coverage protection Appraisal Institute.
Over the course of his nearly 50-year career throughout the jewelry commerce, Lynch handled and appraised a variety of unusual and historic jewels, along with the 76-carat D-flawless “Archduke Joseph” diamond that supplied for $21 million at Christie’s Geneva in 2012.
He did fairly just a few worth determinations for the Smithsonian’s mineral and gem assortment on the Nationwide Museum of Pure Historic previous in Washington, D.C., The Museum of Pure Historic previous of Los Angeles County, and The Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum in Tucson, Arizona.
In 2002, he was chosen as a result of the appraiser for all jewelry and watches recovered from the RMS Titanic wreckage, consistent with a profile on Lynch on the American Gem Commerce Affiliation’s website online.
Lynch authored a lot of revealed articles along with the 2010 e-book, “Is That Really A Ruby?”
He moreover shared his info on television a lot of situations regionally and nationally, with AGTA noting he had appeared in further than 45 episodes of the PBS television sequence “Arizona Collectibles” as a result of the current’s on-air skilled for gems and jewelry.
Gail Brett Levine, authorities director of the Nationwide Affiliation of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA), knowledgeable Nationwide Jeweler by the use of e mail that Lynch’s presence was felt in Tucson on a lot of ranges, and he always had time to greet you with a smile and one factor to share.
“His contributions to the appraisal neighborhood had been unstinting,” said Levine. “Not usually would Craig decline an invitation to present as he preferred sharing his info, along with learning from others. He believed in coaching.”
Commerce journalist Jennifer Heebner, who presently serves as editor-in-chief of AGTA’s Prism journal and publication, said by the use of e mail that at any time when she was writing about an obscure matter, like appraising pearls, Lynch was excessive of her guidelines of people to call.
“He had every the real-world and classroom experience to produce insights that others wouldn’t know, such why cultured pearls might presumably be current in some 100-year-old pure pearl necklaces,” she said.
“I keep in mind him telling me that if pearls needed to get changed over time, people would most likely merely add cultured ones because of that they had been quite a bit less complicated to accumulate than an an identical pure. Craig was a wealth of information for these tales.”
Following the announcement of his lack of life, Lynch’s Fb internet web page was flooded with posts from mates and colleagues, who remembered him as caring, generous, a lovely pal and a gifted gemologist.
Phillip Bosen, director of product sales at Arizona jewelry retailer Coffin & Trout Fantastic Jewellers wrote, “Craig was always optimistic and upbeat. He was what all gemologist(s) ought to aim to turn into. Reliable, educated, type, expert, respectful, and far more. Deepest condolences to his family.”
Alongside his work, Lynch had a wide range of hobbies and pursuits, along with a love for the skin and journey and his penchant for telling “dad jokes.”
He turned a licensed scuba diver at age 15 and later pursued industrial deep-sea diving teaching on the Divers Teaching Academy in Florida, occurring to volunteer as a search-and-rescue diver.
Lynch was preceded in lack of life by his father, Robert John Lynch; his mother, June Diane Kotka; and his grandson, Noah Michael Jakeman.
He is survived by his partner of 42 years, Donna Wilkinson Lynch of Phoenix; son Joshua Robert Lynch, daughter-in-law Ariel Jensen, and granddaughter Iris of Murray, Utah; and daughter Alexandria Elizabeth Jakeman, son-in-law Shaun Jakeman, and grandchildren Lilyan, Elijah, Aiden, and Emma Jakeman, all of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.
A memorial service shall be held within the current day at 4 p.m. MST/6 p.m. EST at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Phoenix.
For these unable to attend particularly particular person, the event shall be live-streamed by the use of Fb.
Flowers or donations is also despatched to Sunland Memorial Park Mortuary, located at 15826 Del Webb Blvd., in Photo voltaic Metropolis, Arizona.
A GoFundMe Lynch’s daughter organized to spice up money for funeral payments and help his family could also be found proper right here.