Sorry, I had to change the title because we was off base. I hate to
ask Hanuman to intervene on this. That is a whole different issue we
should look at.
Anyway, I agree with Gerry 100% on this. Every faceted stone, cab
and carving I buy I hand pick every single piece. The stone reflects
my work. I have bought a number of cab cut stone from Ebay. I have a
group that I watch and buy their product because I know they cut it
in the US and the quality is very high. I bought stones from Jason
Penn at the SNAG show. His stuff is outstanding!!! Overseas cabs are
not fully polished, they do not always have flat back or good
shoulders. As for faceted stones they are cut for weight most of the
time. They have belly cuts or the angle is too shallow and you get
the window in them. I saw a 19ct faceted Tanzanite on one of those
TV shopping channels. It was a great piece of rough that would cut a
nice stone. The stone was dead with zero fire. The stone was cut
with a big belly and the facets did not look symmetrical. The asking
price was around $20,000. The public does not know any better. I
keep looking for a facetor in my area but they are all dying off so
quickly or have to give it up for health reasons.
Happy New Years!
Wishing everyone a prospers 2005!
The point I would like to make is just one. I see the retail
jewelry industry in the USA as one which has skewed what quality in
gemstones means and what are acceptable labor practices in
manufacturing My point is that it is unacceptable by my
personal standards to redefine quality of product and labor in
manufacturing of gemstones just to further your own profit. I agree
that this is the way the business has always been accomplished. It is
now time for the business to change. Not all at once, but one
company at a time setting standards by which they will do business.
Like, I will not do business with your company unless you start
paying your child labor enough so that they can someday hope to free
themselves of the bondage they have been sold into. I have already
started with the stones I plan on buying in Asia. Treatment of
laborers and the quality of the product produced are where I will
start. I will also try to enact slow change by telling each and every
company I deal with that I expect them to try to improve the working
conditions and pay of thier work force. I hope to verify these
changes by making it a point with the US Diplomats I hope to involve
in the process. I will buy quality cut stones and poorly cut stones
as there is a market for both. I will never sell poorly cut stones
as quality just to reap the extra profit. It is not worth it for my
soul.
I will buy quality cut stones and poorly cut stones
as there is a market for both. I will never sell poorly cut stones
as quality just to reap the extra profit. It is not worth it for my
soul.
Gerry,
Sounds like a great pro-active plan. Change can start from someone
like you, at the level of commitment and with the knowledge ,
experience, and connections you have.
I wonder how the public could be educated so they understand how to
buy the best for the money they have.
I have customers come in with gems they bought at a gem show, and I
feel sorry for them. No color or sparkle in the center of the stone,
which is the largest area. They just don’t seem to know how to see
what they are looking at.
I educate my customers, and I tell them I expect them to hold me to
the standard I have taught them when buying from me.
With education, lower quality stones could not be sold as high
quality. Perhaps someone having a free seminar at gem shows to
demonstrate how cutting affects beauty.
I have tried to tell gem dealers they have good material, but I would
not buy it because of the cutting, and they don’t seem know what I am
talking. So I show them a sample of something well cut compared to
what they have. I tell them why I am not buying their goods. I don’t
know if it has any effect.
I see programs at Christmas by local news on how not to get swindled
on gold or diamond jewelry, but nothing on how to shop for colored
gems and get good value.