Hello All- First, I bought a delightful book about 20 years ago
titled “Gems for the Taking” by Mary Brown. For me it remains the
single best reference (if a bit dated) for the often-colliding worlds
of Romance vs. Technicalities in the colored gem realm: Easily read
in small chapters, many historical anecdotes and not too much
technical claptrap while at the same time presenting the science to
the reader in laymans’ terms. It is richly-worded and actually a fun
book to read; I’ve made many sales through loaning the book to
clients for their reading pleasure.
I am recently-subscribed to this list, and it’s great to have
no-holds-barred discussion about many subjects. With twenty-five
years in the business ( or the hobby, depending on my depth of
involvement at the time), I’ve came across a vast array of "names"
describing certain highly sought-after gems. Some were merely
marketing tools, others have become synonymous with a specific type
of stone- many times signifying a specific geological/geographic
source. The “pigeon-blood” rubies have traditionally come from two
sources: The Mogok region of Burma (Myanmar) and the Cowee Valley
region of Western North Carolina. “Imperial” topaz has traditionally
described a specific color, regardless of geographical source,
although Russian and Brazillian sources are the most often cited.
“Kasmir” sapphire describes a color, and only rarely the geographical
locale of the mine. “Muzo” and “Chivor” emeralds, along with the
corresponding geographic designation of “Colombian” are indicative of
a green/blue color saturation which is nearly unique to the region,
making these stones so distinctive and more highly prized than
others. “Imperial” jade has traditionally indicated a degree of
translucency and hue which makes it much more desirable than other
types of jade. The list goes on and on, but many of these terms are
hundreds of years old and have a romantic association linked to
them, which increases their desirability, and we are in the romance
business. I believe that we should romance the stones when describing
our wares, of course, but when the difference between a significant
stone being a true “Pigeon Blood Ruby, Untreated” which (is so very
rare) commands a king’s ransom and a Thai/Indian ruby, which (has
invariably been heat treated before it leaves the country) sells for
a few tens of dollars per carat, we have a responsibility to
ascentain the origin of the stone. If you can’t get a straight answer
from your dealer/broker, then perhaps you need to find a more
informed and communicative supplier.
Cap Beesley of AGL has spent decades attemting to find the unique
compositional qualities of the finest gemstones which are referred
to by a specific moniker or geographic description. He has has some
success and has shared his findings on many occasions with the trade
and the general public, to demystify the hazy process by which we
judge the quality of colored gems. We have a responsibility to our
customers as well as our own reputations as experts in our chosen
trade to “Romance the Stone” without misleading or misrepresenting
the origin or method of enhancement (if that applies). If we don’t
know, then we need to ask the nasty questions of our
suppliers/importers- and if they don’t know/won’t say then it’s our
responsibility to find out or simply tell our customers that many of
these descriptive terms are simply that: descriptions. Many of them
are incorrect and downright misleading (ie: Balas Ruby, Bamboo Coral,
Herkimer Diamonds, etc), but deeply ingrained in the sales and
traditional marketing of these stones that it warrants some extra
time to make sure the customer knows what they are buying. It’s only
our reputation at stake, that’s all. ThaiGem was nailed to the
proverbial barn door a couple of years ago by US-led importers for
non-disclosure and outright misrepresentation of colored stones.
Their reaction was basically “So what? Here’s your refund, now shut
up…”, and it was not until they began to feel real heat from their
customers that they changed their tactics (albeit with poor grace).
How many sales were lost due to these mistakes? How many future sales
were lost by ThaiGem because of their desire to make a few extra
dollars? Can your reputations survive this if you are not taking the
time to keep the tradition of romance and jewelry alive while at the
same time disclosing all you know about its treatment and origin
(even if that is nothing)? What I have found in this context is that
the customer WILL purchase the stone(s), while at the same time
giving you your due as an expert who is concerned about disclosure.
That equates to Good Will and many future sales.
Thanks for the time and space for my first post,
Clyde Gilbert
Greenwood Studio
Dahlonega, GA
