Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka is rich in resources and its people have a passion for gems and gemstone mining. It was a fitting location for the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) semiannual symposium. This report covers not…
Featured ArticlesBaselworld 2015
For those who have never been to Basel, Switzerland for “Baselworld,” the world’s most impressive watch and jewelry show, this will give you a sense of the importance, or enormity, of the show. Let’s begin…
Featured ArticlesPearls of the Desert
Again this year Tucson provided an excellent venue to research trends in the cultured pearl industry. Immediately apparent to this author was the influence that the rising costs for raw materials is having on prices…
Featured ArticlesMinerals: Too Beautiful To Cut
For a brief few weeks each year, Tucson, Arizona forms the epicenter of the gem world. Dealers from around the globe come together to exhibit or search for gems as they have for decades. However, this…
Featured ArticlesColored Gemstones: Impacts on Availability and Pricing from 2000-2014
This report looks at the various events over the last fourteen years that have significantly impacted the colored gemstone industry. It is meant to highlight certain events and the impacts they have had, but it…
Featured ArticlesPitch and Niche: 30th Intergem Showcases Best of Idar-Oberstein
Celebrating its 30th year (Oct. 3-6, 2014), Intergem remains a calling card for the gem houses of Idar-Oberstein, Germany. Jewel of the Rhineland, this twin-city located 145 kilometers southwest of Frankfurt, has a 500+ year history in the…
Featured ArticlesThe Ivory Pandemonium
The noble and ethical standing of the US Government on illegal ivory trade is certainly welcomed by the environmentally conscious both in the US and abroad. A similar ban on ruby and jade, however, doesn’t give much…
Featured ArticlesEditorial: Changes in Diamonds— Labs, Specs, Price Research
On October 1, Rapaport officially dropped all EGL laboratory reports from his Rapnet trading network. Diamonds that previously were listed as EGL can still be listed and sold by firms but they will simply show…
Featured ArticlesConsiderations for Pricing Colored Stones
The concept of the 4Cs is relatively well understood as they relate to classifying the quality of a gemstone. However, measurable quality is not the sole consideration for determining value. As the market grew and…
Featured ArticlesThe Gems of East Africa
“If I know a song of Africa, of the giraffe and the African new moon lying on her back, of the plows in the fields and the sweaty faces of the coffee pickers, does Africa…
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