Andesine Feldspar
Transparent 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 ArticlesJewelry Handbook: How to Select, Wear & Care for Jewelry
I 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 ReviewMarket Trends: Synthetic Diamonds
The 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 TrendsTucson 2007- Closing Time
When 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 ArchiveDiamonds in Brief
The 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 MarketOrigin- Where is it Really From?
Only 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 ArticlesGem Rough Scams
This 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 ArticlesGem Money Scheme Exposed
In 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…
Featured ArticlesThe Accredited Gemologists Association International Conference
The annual AGA conference, held in Tucson each year, has become the forum for confronting the challenges facing the international gem industry. This year was no exception. The day long program ambitiously tackled issues of…
Featured ArticlesWatch Model Changes Invite Creative Coverage: The Re-occuring Case of the Disappearing Rolex
Watches can be the easiest or hardest jewelry to evaluate. Take, for example, the price of a current Rolex model that a simple phone call or catalog check reveals pretty easy. But take another Rolex example…
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