Dear Friends & Colleagues, Twenty years of slogging through gem
mines, pearl farms and assorted thir d world cesspools, asking dumb
questions and writing lots of articles and its almost here. My new
book: Secrets Of The Gem Trade; (The connoisse ur’s guide to
precious will roll off the presses in April. Th e book
will be excerpted by Lapidary Journal and Colored Stone Magazines
beginning in February. I will be discussing connoisseurship in gems
and the book at the Tucson Gem & Mineral show, Saturday, February
15th, 11:00 Am at the convention center. Please drop by and say
hello!
What the experts say: “The book is a real contribution to the
gemology literature. Written by a veteran jeweler, it is, as
intended a primer…for the collector and as piring connoisseur. It
is very up to date and filled with insider insigh ts”
Carl A. Francis, Ph.D, Curator, Harvard Mineralo gical Museum Secrets
Of The Gem Trade; Hardcover, 250 pages, 110 color photographs inc
luding rare photos and critical analysis of the Hancock, Dresden
Green an d Hope diamonds, The Caplan Ruby, Morgan Sapphire and
Rockefeller sapphir e. Publisher: Brunswick House Press. Price:
$79.95. Prepublication o ffer to Orchid subscribers:
www.secretsofthegemtrade.com For those who wonder, why bother?, I can
only say: You can make a decent living making jewelry, You make real
money selling The jewelry business is going through a sea
change. In an era that will witness the demise of the traditional
jewelry store, new business models, innovative models, models that
work are needed. Everyone on Orchid is l ooking for the key to
success. Gemstones, that is, rare and fine colored are
that key for the designer craftsperson. Why, because the y are truly
rare, meaning they are not and cannot be turned into a commod ity.
Rare gems will always be the province of those with the eye, the kn
owledge, and the will to seek them out. “Secrets Of The Gem Trade”
is t he first book and thus far the only book that will provide you
with the c onceptual tools needed to hone your eye. Sun Tsu said it
first; In war, one never allows the enemy to choose the t errain of
battle particularly if one is the weaker adversary. As Jewelry
craftsmen, we must learn this if we are to survive. The crafts
revival is over! Generation X and Y could care less about the
aesthetics of fine hand workmanship. They want the product, they
want it cheap and they wa nt it now. Craftspeople who think they
can produce mediocre jewelry and compete with jewelers in Bangkok and
Bali who make $150.00 per month are simply deluding themselves. I
believe that quality in materials and craf tsmanship is the key to
success. Secrets Of The Gem Trade. Check out my prepublication
offer at: www.sec retsofthegemtrade.com it may be the best 75 bucks
you ever spent. Feedback requested, dealers enquires welcome,
Richard@rwwise.com P.S. I will be giving a seminar on the “Secrets”
at The Tucson Gem & Min eral Show, Saturday, February 15th at 11 am.
I am setting up a speaking tour starting spring 2003 and am
interested in other bookings. Visit our online gallery: www.rwwise.com