Trained as a jewelry designer, she’s pioneering a new field.
If you’ve never heard of a forensic jeweler, there’s a good reason: It’s a job title that didn’t exist before.
Maria Maclennan is profiled in a new article published by OZY in conjunction with the Financial Times. The 29-year-old Scotlander has helped forensic teams to ID victims of catastrophes, including plane crashes, inluding various countries.
She’s described in the article as “the world’s first forensic jeweler.”
Trained as a jewelry designer, Maclennan says jewelry is useful in forensic identification for several reasons, not least of which is the fact that it’s sometimes relatively unscathed after a disaster. Additionally, she notes, gemstones frequently retain DNA from from their owners.
And watches, of course, often bear serial numbers that can be useful in identifying their wearers.
The doctoral thesis that she recently turned in at the University of Dundee is “on the use of jewelry in forensic identification,” according to the article.
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After 139 Years, A Family Legacy Finds Its Perfect Exit With Wilkerson.
When third-generation jeweler Sam Sipe and his wife Laura decided to close Indianapolis’ historic J.C. Sipe Jewelers, they turned to Wilkerson to handle their retirement sale. “The conditions were right,” Sam explains of their decision to close the 139-year-old business. Wilkerson managed the entire going-out-of-business sale process, from marketing strategy to sales floor operations. “Our goal was to convert our paid inventory into retirement funds,” notes Sam. “The results exceeded expectations.” The Sipes’ advice for jewelers considering retirement? “Contact Wilkerson,” Laura says. “They’ll help you transition into retirement with confidence and financial security.”