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Category Archives: Business
Stupid, Sloppy Customer Service
I am one of the people who are beginning to do most of their shopping online. This is just me, but at this time of year, I really dislike the Christmas mobs at the mall and frankly, when I’m at … Continue reading
Posted in Business
Tagged customer service, shipping, shipping delays, shipping policies
Avoid Misleading and Unethical Gemstone Descriptions
The editor-in-chief of InColor magazine, Jean Claude Michelou, recently wrote a column about the usage of the terms “precious” and “semi-precious” in describing gemstones. Although for years gemologists have been taught to avoid using the terms, the issue has resurfaced … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Gemstones, Reference, Sales
Tagged gemstone, gemstones, misleading terms, precious, semi-precious
The Royal Asscher Legacy
Recently the Royal Asscher Company donated a sapphire ring to raise money for AIDS. The auction was run by the Human Rights Campaign and received a great deal of trade coverage. Why? The story of Royal Asscher Company is one … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Gemstones, Jewelry History
Tagged Asscher cut, Asscher family, emerald cut, Royal Asscher Diamond Company
Cambridge Scientists Create Artificial Mother-of-Pearl
For the first time, scientists have created a material that mimics mother-of-pearl in structure, mechanical behavior and optical appearance. Nacre, also called mother of pearl, is the iridescent coating that is found on the inside of some molluscs and on … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Gemstones, Pearls
Tagged Cambridge University, iridescence, iridescent, mother-of-pearl, nacre, pearls
Artists Have Obligation to Participate in the Marketplace
Call me a curmudgeon, but if there is one thing that truly irritates me it’s the practice of some artists of putting out their work and then announcing it’s not for sale. When I ran the gallery, if an artist … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Jewelry Design
Tagged art jewelry, studio jewelry
Cultivating Pearls
This morning I stumbled across a series of marvelous photographs by Kamran Jebreili of the Associated Press documenting the cultivation of pearls in the Ras al-Khaimah lagoon in the United Arab Emirates. The pearl farm is a collaboration between Japanese … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Pearls
Tagged cultivating pearls, Ras al-Khaimah, UAE
Popularity of Turquoise can Result in Deceptive Practices
Turquoise is one of those gemstones whose popularity never seems to diminish. It’s been mined in various parts of the world for thousands of years and treasured by a number of ancient and modern cultures, including our own. The problem … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Gemstones
Tagged gem treatments, misnomers, reconstituted turquoise, turquoise, turquoise matrix, turquoise treatments
When is a Pearl a Pearl?
The CIBJO conference, coming up later this month, is anticipated to address the weighty and controversial issue of pearl nomenclature. Who is the CIBJO? Pearls? Controversial? And, why does it matter to pearl and bead stringers what they say about … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Pearls, Sales
Tagged Blue Books, CIBJO, pearl nomenclature, pearls, The World Jewellery Confederation
The Tiffany Diamond Gets New Setting
Today, Tiffany & Co. unveiled its new setting for its famous yellow diamond. The new setting commemorates the 175th anniversary of the Tiffany Diamond, perhaps the most famous yellow diamond in the world. Not only is the Tiffany Diamond unique … Continue reading
Posted in Business, Gemstones, Jewelry Design, Jewelry History
Tagged Frederick Kunz, Jean Schlumberger, kunzite, Tiffany & Co., Tiffany Diamond, yellow diamond