Tag Archives: jewelry industry

How Precious Am I?

What do Imperial jadeite, black opal, demantoid garnet, and alexandrite all have in common? First of all, they are all exceptionally rare gemstones. Second, they can command thousands to tens of thousands of dollars to even millions of dollars per carat. Third, they have all historically fallen under the unfortunate appellation “semi-precious” because they are…

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Diamond Certification Part I

Most people are familiar with the Four Cs of Diamonds: Cut, Color, Clarity, and Carat Weight. Those of you who have purchased a diamond from me know I harp on cut more than anything else because the quality of cutting can make or break the Wow Factor of a diamond. But there is an unspoken…

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Glass Isn’t Always an Imitation

Faceted Moldavite

Since the Annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show is this month, some of the more unusual things in the colored gem world are on my mind. I wanted to take the time to comment on a part of the jewelry industry that gets overlooked and has some of the coolest science behind it. Man-made glass…

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Ethical gemstone buying at Aronstam Fine Jewelers

There is significant buzz and a fair amount of contention right now in the jewelry industry about the term ‘fair trade’ as it pertains to gem stone purchase. Does fair trade actually mean something or is it simply a tag for marketing? As an American jeweler for over four decades now, I have watched interest…

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