On August 30, 2012 I posted a blog on the rediscovery of a very striking and important ancient Roman amethyst gem engraved with the image of Victory writing on a shield, dating to about 50 BC to AD 25. I also mentioned that the gem was in the collection of Sir Francis Cook by 1903. The posting paid off! Last week I received an email from Dr. Erika Zwierlein-Diehl, a professor at the University of Bonn, Germany, telling me that she had seen my blog and immediately recognized our gem. Dr.

So this weekend @ROMToronto? Kind of a big deal. On Saturday we’re covering all things archaeology and Sunday we’re doing the same with palaeontology. Maybe the two best ologies!

It’s one of the most interesting jobs at the ROM – the museum artist. Working in a studio soaked in natural light, Georgia Guenther creates replicas of objects in the collection and other artistic displays you may see inside the galleries. She works closely with curators to ensure her creations are both scientifically accurate and realistic.

We stopped by the studio to ask Georgia a few questions about her role at the ROM.

Bringing an exhibition to life takes a whole team – especially an exhibition the size and scale of Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants of Gondwana. To help get this ultimate exhibition up and running the ROM brought it contract curator Matthew Vavrek.