Month: March 2012

Tuscon Gem Show 2012 Report

Tucson is the highlight in gem shows for the year. This year, traffic was down with few new products. However, industry topics such as the Burma embargo kept things lively. A new freshwater product appeared…

Large Emeralds

In January, the trade and consumer press picked up on an item for sale of huge size and supposed value. The emerald weighed in at 57,500 carats and was appraised for $1.15 million. The emerald…

Irradiated Emeralds

Although oiling of emeralds has been done since ancient times, modern forms of resins came under question in the 1990s. Although irradiation attempts were made with emeralds two decades ago, no commercial production appeared. Recently…

The Heat Treatment of Spinel

Spinel was always thought to be a gem that did not respond to heat treatments. Now, some research shows that some spinels may in fact respond to treatment. The Treatment of Spinel, is a topic I…

Diamond Market

With slow markets, diamond prices were expected to drop but so far only minimal corrections have been seen. Buyers globally remain cautious. Mining companies produce fewer diamonds and BHP considers selling its Ekati diamond mine…

Appraisal Forum Tucson 2012

In Tucson, an appraisal forum was held, developed and sponsored by the California Institute of Jewelry Training and Master Valuer International. The concept was to invite a panel of appraisal experts to discuss appraisal issues…