Cassiterite
Recently, a client brought in a small assortment of gemstones to our lab and represented them to be crystallized tin from Bolivia. His initial excitement came in the hopes that this would prove to be…
Gem NotesRecently, a client brought in a small assortment of gemstones to our lab and represented them to be crystallized tin from Bolivia. His initial excitement came in the hopes that this would prove to be…
Gem NotesOccasionally, the GMN takes a look at the broader market in an attempt to project the business trends that jewelers might encounter during the short-term. The recent news that the sub-prime sector of the mortgage…
Economic ReportTransparent red andesine appeared in the market in 2002. At first, only small quantities were observed. Dealers stated that the apparently new, rare, stone was coming from a small deposit in the Congo. The GMN…
Featured ArticlesI have to admit, when I first see a handbook written for consumers, my expectations for trade interest are low. This book surprised me. As you will see from the review, I felt that not…
Book ReviewThe synthetic diamond market continues to expand. Although dealers and manufacturers of natural diamonds express concerns that synthetics pose a risk to the market and as such should not be graded using the GIA diamond nomenclature, the reality…
Market TrendsWhen the early February temperatures hover around zero here in Chicago, even the unseasonably low fifties that greeted us as we arrived in Tucson were a welcome relief. We accepted them knowing that Tucson never…
News ArchiveThe holidays are behind us. While the industry as a whole did seemingly ok with total jewelry sales increasing by 7%, the trend was definitely toward certain product categories. Finished jewelry did better than loose…
Diamond MarketOnly two people know the origin of a gem: God and the miner and the second is suspect. C.R. Beesley, American Gemological Laboratories, 1982. The father of origin determination is considered to be the late Dr…
Featured ArticlesThis seems logical enough since most finished rubies and sapphires are less than one carat in size. But that little fact does not stop the ethically challenged from singing the praises of gem quality corundum…
Featured ArticlesIn a story we first reported in the May 2006 GMN (Fraud in the Gem and Jewelry Industry), an investigation was pending on a California company. When we first broke the story, AMX Global Funding…
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