Herbert Tillander (1909-2006) was the grand old man of the Finnish jewellery industry. Born in St Petersburg, Herbert was a third-generation member of the Tillander family, renowned as jewellers to the Russian Imperial Court and founders of the prestigious A.Tillander jewellery house. A passionate advocate for the goldsmithing trade, he wrote extensively and organized exhibitions that introduced the public to the captivating world of jewellery and gemstones. His lifelong fascination with gemmology led him to play a pivotal role in founding the Finnish Gemmological Society in 1960 and in developing the Scandinavian Diamond Nomenclature, the Nordic diamond grading system.