Ted (Theodore) Themelis was born in Lefkada (Ionian islands, Greece).He received his B.Sc. degree in 1975 from the City University of New York. For 37 years Ted has been involved in the technological side of the gemstone industry.He served as the Director of Research & Development (1984-1986) of the Accredited Gemological Association in the USA) and worked with various international organizations in the gem industry (CIBJO, AGS, NAJA, GAAB, TGJTA); He has written 6 books and published over 110 articles on gem treatments, identification-detection, instrumentation, He spent 7 years writing two books on history, geology, mineralogy, gem mining and gemology of the famous gem mining area at Mogok (Burma) which were published in 2000 and 2004. He has visited the most important gemstone mining areas of the world collecting gems which were studied, and modified at his laboratory composing the core of his 5,000 unique reference collection of untreated-treated gems.
Since 1979 has been designing and fabricating innovative gemological instruments were more than 1500 were sold around the world. Since 1987 he has been designing, fabricating and sold unique and innovative gemstone treatment equipment with more than 70 installations worldwide. He developed, and periodically teaches his highly acclaimed training course on gem treatments attended by more than 300 students and mentored many of his students. He is considered by many members of the industry as one of the foremost pioneers in the gemstone treatment field. 
Ted maintained state-of-the-art gemstone enhancement laboratories in Europe, Thailand, and in the USA. He lives in Thailand and spends his time at his lab working on new innovative ideas, travelling throughout the world and studying papyrology, ancient Hellenic philosophy, and Classical studies.