Miller & Miller Auctions welcomes new in-house expert in gems and jewellery
Introducing Roberta J. Bielak. BSc Hons, FCGmA
Roberta sports a pink tourmaline and diamond pendant as well as a couple of pieces by Cartier.
Roberta Bielak, Miller & Miller’s new resident gemmologist, has been fond of sparkly things ever since her beloved grandmother let her play with her emeralds and aquamarines when she was very young. That led to a fascination with how those sparkles worked, and a Bachelor with Honours in Earth Sciences from the University of Waterloo. There she specialized in mineralogy and crystallography, undertaking a thesis on Chrysoberyl: Alexandrite, a variety of that mineral, is her favourite gem. “It’s known as ‘emerald by day, ruby by night’ as it changes colour depending on the light source,” she says.
A woman of many talents and passions, Bielak has variously developed world-leading software for the concrete industry, become a spreadsheet wizard, corsetière, belly dancer, Kung Fu adept, baker, financial manager and, most importantly, mum-extraordinaire to two wonderful children. As a ‘sideline’, she also pursued studies with both the Gemmological Institute of America and the Canadian Gemmological Association, becoming a Fellow of the latter.
One of Roberta's signature corsets, in snakeskin, sets off her Peridot and Diamond necklace, a gift designed by her husband.
That allowed her to work part-time when the first of her children were born. She found being a certified gemmologist highly portable, allowing her to easily find part-time work each time her husband accepted a transfer. To his chagrin, sometimes even before his offer had been finalized, she was able to announce, “I went into this wonderful store today darling, and I have a job.”
She practiced for many years as the only gemmologist in the Maritimes, working for leading jewellers and auctioneers in the region, including serving as an expert witness in court in a case involving diamond switching by a retail outlet that was carrying out dodgy repairs. On her return to Ontario, Roberta was the resident gemmologist at Waterdown Goldsmith for over a decade and is thrilled to now be associated with one of Canada’s leading auction houses. Ethan Miller says of his new colleague “My brother and I were impressed by the depth of her knowledge in and passion for gems, as well as her professional and engaging approach. She is going to be a great asset to us for our upcoming November 23rd Jewellery and Watches auction.”
In public talks to service clubs, she’s not shy in telling people “As all women know, size matters…, especially when it comes to gems.” With training in theatre, she easily engages audiences on the subject, explaining the 4 Cs of diamonds, and why, with a good Cut, in terms of ‘bang for the buck’ Carat weight trumps Clarity and Colour. She also offers useful insider tips like using denture cleaner to shine up a stone in a ring, and never to clean emeralds or opals in an ultrasonic cleaner as they are too fragile and will be ruined.
Roberta wearing a beautiful antique diamond and seed pearl necklace.
She recalls working her contacts and being able to pull a rabbit from a hat for a friend whose wife was soon to deliver their second child. When he asked her what he should get his wife as a gift, she emphatically told him diamond earrings were the only answer. He agreed and was stunned when, a few hours later she was able to slip him a matched pair, custom-made to his specifications, just before he went to visit his new baby.
She says one of the occupational hazards of being a gemmologist is almost everyone is afraid to buy her jewellery: luckily, she laughs, her husband has come to know some good sources! Another is that she is sometimes obliged to gently let down a client who has brought in a treasured family heirloom they had always been told was something valuable, only to learn Granddad had opted for a synthetic stone. “Being old does not automatically mean something is valuable. On the flip side there can be great joy in going through a jewellery box to discover a treasure the owner was unaware of,” she adds.
Roberta is really looking forward to working with Miller & Miller, assessing potential auction items and, especially, to interacting with clients in person to ensure they are fully informed as to what they have, and what to expect as the sales process proceeds.
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