Colored Stone Market
At press time we are only a few days away from the end of the holiday shopping season and unless there is a dramatic shift in the current trend, many jewelers are in for disappointing…
Colored Stone MarketDiamonds in Brief
As the final quarter comes to a close, we find the market in disarray. No one knows what to charge anymore and that makes pricing diamonds that much more challenging. Take for example a recent…
Diamond MarketFalling out of Favor
In the early part of the 1990s, a strong presence was seen in the marketplace for low commercial diamonds. Supply was good, prices were low, and consumers seemed willing to sacrifice quality for price. By…
Featured ArticlesBurma: Shades of Grey
In late August, Buddhist monks numbering in the hundreds, joined prodemocracy activists in protesting hardships faced by the greater population of Myanmar (herein after identified in this article by its proper name Burma) due to…
Featured ArticlesDiamonds in Brief
The stores are complaining. The business is slow. As I write this, we are crawling into the fourth and final quarter of the year. Lets hope its a good one. In the last issue of…
Diamond MarketColored Stone Market
In the colored stone market the big story of the past month was the movement toward a ban on gems mined in Burma. The previous ban imposed in 2003, excluded gems mined in Burma but…
Colored Stone MarketThe Branding of Brazil: Identity of a Colorful Country
In the past five years, Brazil has stepped outside the comfort zone of its domestic market to push its products from meats and wines to shoes, fashion and fine jewelry to a broader international audience…
Featured ArticlesWhat’s it Worth? Markups are Changing!
When appraising, there are two basic approaches to value and both are well-known among appraisers. Often the cost approach is used where the components are individually priced and then a markup is applied. When trademarks…
News ArchiveMarket 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 Articles