Market Trends: White Opal
e opal market is one area where the dollar slide has been more evident. The price of opal has been rising not only on demand issues but also as a result of eroding value of…
Market TrendsTanzanite
Tanzanite is a relative newcomer as far as gems go. Discovered in 1967 in the African nation of Tanzania, the initial pocket of mate- rial was quite small. Many stories are tied to its discovery…
Featured ArticlesDiamonds in Brief
As we crawl into the final quarter preparing for the busy season, a few things are certain. There will be fewer large diamonds available and global demand for these will force prices up. There will…
Diamond MarketColored Stone Market
Reports from the colored stone market are as confusing as I have ever seen them. Some dealers are reporting successful business this summer, but many were disappointed with the lack of business. For those that…
Colored Stone MarketBlue Topaz Update
Acting on a complaint earlier this summer, the NRC informed retail jewelers that they may be selling blue topaz in noncompliance with NRC regulations. The NRC letter also purportedly requested the names of the retailers…
Featured ArticlesElemental-Focus on the Spectroscope
Among these, the spectroscope is generally the most difficult to initially master. This fear factor leads students into a self-fulfilling cul-de-sac where lack of skill leads to lack of success and the eventual conclusion that…
Featured ArticlesEconomic Report
So where is the economy and how is it affecting the jewelry industry? While I have never professed to be an economist, I am a small business owner and a family man with college-aged children…
Economic ReportBlazing an E-Trail: The Electronic Transmission of Appraisal Reports
Love em, or hate em, computers are here to stay. Today, instead of merely creating appraisal reports, they are also used to transmit them by email. Called PDF- appraisals, these files ending with the suffix…
News ArchiveMarket Trends: Tanzanite
The lead story discusses the price volatility associated with tanzanite through the years. The following charts illustrate this for the years since 1993. All graphs represent average prices in each category, not the high or…
Market TrendsEmeralds: New Green Pastures and Possible Trouble in Paradise
While so many good things have happened to emeralds in this decade, dealers in Colombia are in danger of giving it all away. It took years to regain confidence in emerald treat- ments following the…
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