Diamonds in Brief
Not a surprise the economy woes are dragging down diamond prices further after a bleak holiday season. Large diamonds hit the hardest after speculation drove prices up in 2008. Rough imports hit a three-year low…
Diamond MarketMarket Trends: Tanzanite Prices Lower
The price of rough is down in many markets around the world on soft demand and a lack of buyers. However, this does not necessarily equate to the same percentage decreases in prices for cut…
Market TrendsPearls Shine Bright in Tucson
The Tucson show is more than a colored gemstone event. One of the absolute highlights of the show each year is to examine the latest developments in the always-fascinating world of pearls. This year was…
News ArchiveSynthetic Diamond
Appraisers must be on their toes at all times and it gets harder every day. We wondered when, as independent appraisers, we would encounter our first synthetic diamond repre- sented as natural. The client purchased…
Gem NotesAppraising “Branded” Gemstones
A recent appraisal assignment on a branded loose gem- stone, developed into a challenge in determining a fair retail price. The story starts as many do. The client purchased a gem on a cruise, took…
News ArchiveColored Stone Market
The economy continues to be the biggest influence on the gem market. The Consumer Confidence Index rose moderately in November. Just one month earlier, the Index had declined to an all-time low. Conference Board director…
Colored Stone MarketDiamonds in Brief
The market was so quiet before the holidays you could hear a pin drop. As one jeweler told me recently, I cant wait until January just because then I will know that 2008 will be…
Diamond MarketMarket Trends: Tourmaline and Spinel
Dealers have reported an increase in demand for extra fine quality, larger size red tourmalines and spinels since early fall. Although this may be in part due to the issues involving Burmese ruby importation restrictions…
Market TrendsThe International School of Gemology Responds to the Synthetic Tourmaline Article
We have had many contacts over our previous questions regarding that group of tourmalines that gave the anomalous reactions to the Raman, immersion cell, and virtually all other tests. At one point we raised the…
Featured ArticlesSymmetry and the Polished Diamond
Polish and symmetry errors affect the perceptible appearance of a diamond. Off center culets, lopsided pavilions, off center tables, and lopsided crowns all detract from the overall beauty. During several visits to prominent manufacturing centers, I…
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