Pala International prides itself on having the finest staff in the colored stone and mineral industry, bar none. With over a century of combined industry experience, no other company can offer you the same level of expertise.

In his element: Pala President, Bill Larson, buying gems in Mogok, Burma. (Photo: Edward Boehm)

William Larson

The President of Pala International, William Larson, is one of the world's most knowledgeable gem and mineral experts. Starting from a small mineral collection at age ten, he has built one of the planet’s finest mineral collections in private hands. And along with that, he has built Pala International into one of America’s great colored stone houses.

After graduating with a degree in Geological Engineering from the prestigious Colorado School of Mines, Bill started Pala International in 1967. Today he travels the globe several times each year, bringing back both fine gemstones and mineral specimens. For a full biography of Bill, along with his wife, Jeanne, see Meet the Larsons: Pala’s Globe-trotting Collectors. Email: bill@palagems.com.

Josh Hall

Pala’s Vice President, Josh Hall, brings over 30 years of hands-on trade experience to the company. Josh has a BS degree in Natural Resources from Humbolt State University. Upon graduation he joined Pala in 1976. In the early 1980s, he was one of two gem dealers selected to evaluate the gem collection of the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Josh is the engine that drives Pala day in and day out. No one knows colored stones better. He has seen it all and today is recognized as an authority on colored stone prices and, indeed, is one of the industry experts that is consulted for compiling wholesale gem prices for The Guide. Email: josh@palagems.com.

Pala International’s Josh Hall and Gabrièl Mattice, with Richard Hughes at the 2003 AGTA Gemfair in Tucson.

Gabrièl Mattice

A graduate gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America (grad. 1982), Gabrièl Mattice has worked in sales and acquisitions for Pala since 1988. Gabrièl is jointly responsible for the selecting and purchasing of Pala’s extremely unique gemstone inventory. She has a focused interest in gemstone origins and has traveled to premier gem deposits in places as far afield as Burma, and is one of very few foreign woman to travel to the “Mogok Valley of Rubies” as well as all the major international trade fairs, such as Vicenza, Basel, Bangkok, and Hong Kong.

She works closely with both fine jewelry retailers and a very select group of private collectors. Gabrièl also has contributed to projects in conjunction with the Smithsonian, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Harvard Museum of Natural History. She most recently was consulted as an advisor in building a new collection at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. In addition to sales, she is editor of Pala’s fine newsletter, The Gem Spectrum. Email: gmattice@palagems.com.

Score! Pala’s mining wizard, John McLean holding two beautiful blue cap tourmalines that he had just unearthed.

John McLean

After two years in the Peace Corps in Peru, John McLean joined Pala International in 1971, and has been in charge of Pala’s mining and mineral division ever since. At one time or another, John has worked virtually every important gem deposit in San Diego County, including the Stewart, the Tourmaline Queen, and the Himalaya.

In addition to John’s mining talents, he also excels at mineral specimen preparation and mineral photography. A master of mineral aesthetics, John has brought out the hidden beauty in specimens now gracing the greatest mineral collections in the world, including the Smithsonian, American Museum of Natural History, the Carnegie and the LA County Museum. Email: john@palagems.com

Jason Stephenson on the Pala grounds.

Jason Stephenson

Jason Stephenson joined the Pala team in October of 2006. His path in the gem and mineral world began with a Bachelors of Science degree in Geology from the University of Idaho in 1999. He then earned his Graduate Gemology degree from the Gemological Institute of America in 2000 and quickly became involved in the gem trade.

Jason has worked on the wholesale and retail side of the business, and has been involved with the buying and selling of jewelry, gemstones, and mineral specimens.

At Pala, along with sales, Jason has been contributing to the growth of information on Palagems.com, by researching and writing about the ever changing landscape of gem materials. A full biography of Jason can be read here. Email: jason@palagems.com

Pala International has been in the international gemstone business since 1969 and thus assures your satisfaction. Each gemstone is guaranteed to be exactly as described.

Our gemstones and mineral specimens are among the finest in the world. We have sold pieces to some of America’s most famous jewelers. Below are just a few of our more well-known clients:

• Tiffany’s
• Neiman-Marcus
• Borsheim
• The Smithsonian Institution
• American Museum of Natural History
• Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History

	The International Colored Gemstone Association is an independent non-profit association that was founded in 1983 to represent the international gemstone industry. Pala International is a Founding Member of the ICA.
	Founded in 1981, the American Gem Trade Association is a group of US and Canadian professionals dedicated to promoting the natural colored gemstone and cultured pearl trade while maintaining the highest ethical standards among its members and within the industry. Pala International is a Founding Member of the AGTA.
	Pala International is a Registered Supplier of the American Gem Society. The American Gem Society (AGS) has been protecting the consumer since 1934. An association of fine jewelers, its members are committed to the highest standards of business ethics, and practice truth-in-advertising and pricing.
	The Jewelers Board of Trade (JBT) rates creditworthiness in the gem and jewelry trades. Pala International has been a JBT member for over 20 years and has a 31 (“1st” or “high”) credit rating.
	The Guide from Gemworld International is the best price guide to gems. Pala’s own Josh Hall is a member of the Board of Advisers, whose members provide up-to-date pricing information to keep The Guide accurate.