Expectations are for a good holiday season for jewelers. Many loose stone manufacturers are starting to offer finished jewelry. High demand and excitement is leading to higher gem prices. It has been a curious start…
Colored Stone MarketLike a boxer in the middle rounds diamond prices have taken a hit to the chin and are stumbling into the holiday season. Canada’s mine owners of Diavik mine commit to expansion and more exploration…
Diamond MarketNew jewelry is easy to value but what happens when a customer brings in an item of jewelry showing damage or excessive wear? As the independent appraiser, your job includes an accurate description of the…
News ArchiveIntroduction: Haüyne is an extremey rare mineral, a member of the sodalite group, and is even more rare as a gemstone with the formula (Na,Ca)4-8Al6Si6(O,S)24(SO4,CL)1-2. It is sometimes seen in the literature as hauyne or…
Gem NotesEarly news reports about retail spending after the Thanksgiving holiday indicate a 5% drop in traffic as well as 11% decline in sales compared to the same period last year. However, the sound bite, as…
*Gem Focus & Market Pulse (Free Subscriber)Reading Tea Leaves Strengthening in the US dollar is contributing to some softening of diamond prices. But that is not the only factor. The market was already showing signs of softening in the larger, better diamonds…
*Gem Focus & Market Pulse (Free Subscriber)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 ArticlesIn this the fourth biennial international gem conference, speakers from varying areas of expertise offered lectures on many subjects. The program began with a historical look at the beginnings of the GemGuide, with the many…
ConferencesIntroduction: Serendibite is an extremely rare mineral with the chemical formula Ca2(Mg,Al)6(Si,Al,B)6O20. The mineral was first discovered in 1902 by G.T. Prior and A.K. Coomaraswamy at Gangapitiya, which is near Ambakotte, approximately 12 miles (20 km…
Gem NotesThe 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…
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