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 ArticlesAmong 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 ArticlesSo 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 ReportLove 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 ArchiveThe 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 TrendsWhile 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…
Featured ArticlesVegas Diamond Roundup The Las Vegas trade show is behind us now and as a barometer of the industry, it could be a rocky road ahead. The traffic was definitely down, and diamond sales were much…
Diamond MarketDespite the slowdown in sales for the U.S. jewelry industry, the colored stone market is experiencing growth. Last year was a record year for colored stone imports into the U.S. Among the leaders was emerald. Colombian…
Colored Stone MarketOur industry is known for its liberal rules when it comes to the English language. Actually, we tend to make our own rules to fit the need at the time if the English language does…
Featured ArticlesTwo years ago, we wrote about the distinct difference between natural strain in a diamond and the flash effect seen in glass-filled diamonds. Mostly, separation of the two should be easy, yet we have seen…
Gem Notes