We’ve known Gary Bowersox for decades—first when he would visit GIA in Santa Monica, sharing tales of his gem-hunting expeditions in Afghanistan, and later as he crisscrossed the U.S., partnering with retail jewelers to showcase the stones he sourced from some of the most remote regions in the world. Now, with more than 50 years of adventure behind him, three books, a documentary film, and four articles in GIA’s Gems & Gemology, Bowersox is easing back from the front lines of the gem trade. We caught up with him recently to hear his story—and to learn what comes next.
Q&A with Gary W. Bowersox: The Gem Hunter Reflects on 57 Years in the Field
Renowned gem hunter, author, and Afghanistan expert Gary W. Bowersox has spent more than five decades exploring remote regions, sourcing stones, and telling the stories behind them. In this conversation, he looks back on his globe-spanning journey—from a spontaneous trip around the world to a shop in Waikiki, from Afghan mountaintops to mineral specimen suitcases—and hints at what’s next.
GR: You grew up in Michigan. Did you go straight into the service after school?
GB: I’m from Kalamazoo. I went to Western Michigan University, studied accounting and finance. Three days after graduation, I took off on a solo trip around the world. That’s what really started everything.
GR: That’s a bold move. Where did you go?
GB: I hit 20 countries—Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Burma, India, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, across Europe. Places you can’t easily go to now. I had this goal in college to see the world. I had friends who planned to come too, but one by one they dropped out—parents, girlfriends, jobs. So I ended up at the airport alone, and I just went.
GR: What did your parents think?
GB: Surprisingly supportive, especially considering they hadn’t traveled much themselves.
GR: When you got back, was it straight into the military?
GB: Not immediately. I had my second lieutenant’s commission from ROTC, but I went back for grad school in finance at Western Michigan. Then I applied to enter active duty, thinking I’d have time to take the CPA exam—but within two weeks, I had orders. I was heading to Korea.
GR: Where were you stationed?
GB: My first assignment was in Pusan (now Busan), Korea. Then at the US Army Finance Center in Indianapolis, Indiana for three years. My final three year assignment was as Chief of Operations, US Army Audit Agency, Pacific. The headquarters was in Honolulu, Hawaii with sub offices that I had to visit each month in Vietnam, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Okinawa.
And no, I wasn’t into gems at that point—not yet.
GR: So how did the jewelry business start?
GB: It happened after the service. I was finishing up coursework at the University of Hawaii, and a classmate—an F-16 pilot—decided to get out of the military too. We looked into businesses and found a small jewelry shop for sale in Waikiki, right on Kalakaua Avenue. We had zero experience, but it was mainly a tourist shop: silver charms, coral jewelry—nothing too high-end.
GR: And how did it go?
GB: Amazingly well. We did over a million dollars a year with no advertising. Tourists just walked in from the beach. We had to replace the carpet every six months because of all the sandy feet. But it was exhausting. Open 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., 365 days a year. I worked the afternoon to close. After three years, I needed out—and luckily, we sold at a good profit.
GR: And that’s when you started traveling again?
GB: Exactly. I had the travel bug, and I was getting interested in stones. That’s when I met Mike Albritton and Janice Mack from GIA and started taking colored stone courses. They came to Hawaii first, then I went back to California. Eventually I started sourcing rough and having it cut—mostly in Brazil—and doing in-store gem shows across the U.S.
(Photo by Robert Weldon)
11-carat Spinel (right) carved by Larry Winn
GR: What drew you to Afghanistan?
GB: A friend from the Department of Commerce invited me to help on a U.S. trade promotion in Japan. I ran the jewelry department on a ship they had leased, and on that ship, I met officials who were trying to get Americans interested in investing in Afghanistan. They knew about lapis, but not much else. They gave me an introduction to the president of Afghanistan, and I went over thinking, “This could be big.” It was—until the coup. Everyone I had met was killed.
GR: But you kept going back.
GB: I started sourcing stones there in the early ’70s—emeralds, rubies, tourmalines, kunzite. I’d bring them back, have them cut, and do shows across the States. Eventually I had 10 salespeople, but the problem was, stores weren’t paying their bills. At one point I was owed over $300,000. So I shifted: I started going directly to jewelers I knew, setting up showcases in their stores for two or three days, and moving on to the next. That worked for 20 years.
GR: I know you also worked in Pakistan after 1979.
GB: Yes—when the Russians invaded Afghanistan, I had to go through Pakistan. I’d cross the border and head into the northern provinces. That’s how I kept the pipeline open.
GR: What materials were you bringing back?
GB: Early on, mostly emeralds, rubies, tourmalines, and kunzite. Lapis, of course. Spinel came later—Afghanistan now has multiple spinel mining sites, but those developed more recently.
GR: And you were back there as recently as 2021?
GB: I left two weeks before the Taliban took over. That was my 50th year of trips into the mountains of Afghanistan. I had gone back as part of a USAID project, and then made a trip up to the Panjshir Valley to visit the emerald mines—13,000 feet up. We tried to go by horse, but Afghan horses don’t have saddles. I was wobbling all over. I had to get off and walk. My knees aren’t what they used to be!
GR: Do you think you’ll go back?
GB: Unlikely. I’m still in contact with people there—Afghans call me weekly—but it’s dangerous. Nothing leaves the country legally right now. It all has to be smuggled through Pakistan. As an American, it’s just too risky.
GR: You’ve mentioned wanting to find a home for your collection.
GB: Yes. I’ve got over 60,000 stones—from fine gems to lower grades, minerals, specimens, and even tabletops. I hauled back suitcases weighing hundreds of pounds over the years. There are 2,000 mineral specimens in matrix. It’s a lifetime of work.
GR: Are you thinking of selling the whole lot?
GB: Ideally, yes—but realistically, it might need to be broken up. A few people are interested in parts—some want the top stones, some want the specimens—but no one has stepped forward to take it all. I’m open to discussions. I’m not stepping away completely, but after 57 years, I’m ready to hang up the hiking boots and find someone who wants to carry the torch.
Tap here to read more about Gary Bowersox, Gem Hunter!
If you’d like to get in touch with Gary Bowersox directly, he can be reached at MrGary77@AOL.com
