The gem industry experienced significant hardship during the year as cautious consumers and tight credit from lenders combined to stifle trading at all levels of the market, thawing only slightly at end of the year…
Colored Stone MarketThe holiday season got off to a decent start in the U.S with Black Friday sales rising 0.5% to $10.66 billion but analysts were still disappointed after predicting increases similar to what we saw in…
Diamond MarketABSTRACT This article looks at gemology from two different, but complimentary perspectives, drawing the following conclusions: Scientific gemology needs experimentation in addition to observation. Unassailable source material is the foundation upon which that experimentation should be based…
Featured ArticlesIn what could have been the next “Fred Ward” emerald trial, the jeweler in this case prevailed. It was not that he was without error. However, had he lost this trial, it would have wrongly…
*Free Featured ArticlesThe prevailing attitude in the market is still one of caution. However, several months of positive economic news gives cause for marginal optimism for jewelers this holiday season. Consumer confi- dence has more than doubled…
Colored Stone MarketWe are in interesting times right now. We know that the economy is trying to recover and we know that luxury items will take longer to recover. We know that demand for diamonds is way…
Diamond MarketIn what could have been the next Fred Ward emerald trial, the jeweler in this case prevailed. It was not that he was without error. However, had he lost this trial, it would have wrongly…
Featured ArticlesNot only has the recession taken hold, but a major generational shift has occurred in the United States, changing the rules of the game, Martin Rapaport warned in his state of the industry address at…
Featured ArticlesWhile these two stories are not related based on place of purchase, they illustrate the increasing prevalence of consumers being duped with false corundum purchases. The first is a sad story of how our military…
Gem NotesToday, akoya pearls are produced in Japan, China, Korea and Vietnam, with the most significant source clearly being Japan. Akoya experts report that production has declined sharply during the last three decades. According to industry…
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