Title: Red Beryl – Tucson 2014 Abstract: Figure 1. This matched suite contains 27.35 carats of faceted oval red beryls. Photo by Eric Welch; courtesy of Equatorian Imports.

              At the AGTA show, Ray Zajicek (Equatorian Imports Inc., Dallas) displayed matched red beryls—originally mined from Utah’s Wah Wah Mountains—as suites of jewelry and in loose stone form. According to Zajicek, these gems represent newly marketed inventory cut by Colombian cutters in Gibraltar between 1998 and 2000. Each suite contained 25–30 carats of matched red beryls as emerald, marquise, or oval cuts (figure 1).

Zajicek, who began working with red beryl in the 1980s, said the average faceted gem is approximately 0.08 ct. A 0.50 ct sample would be large, and anything above a carat would be exceptionally rare. This made the matched suites at his booth unique and potentially irreplaceable. Like emerald, red beryl has a range of hues and tones, as well as a typically uneven color distribution that makes it a challenge to match.

Zajicek said there is more red beryl in the ground, but the difficulty of mining makes future production cost-prohibitive. Previous operations had to move more than a ton of hard rock to recover a carat of rough. A carat-sized rough stone is not necessarily cuttable; yields are low, averaging between 8% and 15%.

	Figure 2. Here, red beryls are mounted with benitoite from California in a pendant (left), and with 28.59 carats of unheated Yogo sapphire from Montana in a spectacular necklace (right). Photos by Eric Welch (left) and Robert Weldon (right); courtesy of Equatorian Imports.
Zajicek described red beryl as a beautiful, uniquely American product that is still relatively unknown. Intriguing combinations included a pendant comprised of red beryl mounted with benitoite (figure 2, left), and a red, white, and blue necklace featuring red beryl, Montana blue sapphires, and colorless diamond (figure 2, right).

If there were more viable red beryl mining locations in Utah, the increased production would boost demand and allow greater promotion. As it stands, few would spend money to promote a gem they probably would not be able to obtain in any quantity. Source: GIA @topic:1


Title: Designs from Erica Courtney Abstract: Figure 1. Left: Erica Courtney’s Victoria pendant showcases a 114.56 ct colorless topaz with a 2.76 ct Mahenge spinel set above it, surrounded by 86 Mahenge spinels, 20 rubellites, 10 Mandarin garnets, and 558 diamonds. Right: The Autumn pendant contains a 47.16 ct Malaya zircon accented with 3.91 carats of Tanzanian peach spinel, 7.00 carats of peach topaz, 1.31 carats of yellow sapphire, and 1.68 carats of diamond. Photos by Kevin Schumacher.
Erica Courtney has been adorning Hollywood stars for the red carpet for decades. Her eye for color and bringing out a stone’s beauty are immediately apparent. In talking to her at the AGTA show, we discovered that she is the only jeweler in her family. She was introduced to jewelry making at the age of 11 through a Catholic Youth Organization class. This multiple AGTA Spectrum Award winner has always done things her own way, not following trends when choosing stones or creating designs. In fact, she confided that she does not plan what stones she will purchase, but lets the gems pick her. She likened the jewelry design process to a movie going through her head—designs start forming and keep changing until she settles on the final one.

A Closer Look at Erica CourtneyErica Courtney discusses her entry into the jewelry business and her design philosophy, and displays several notable pieces.
Courtney’s work pulls the viewer in to study meticulous details—the more you look, the more you see. Her attention to detail does not stop at the outward-facing front of her pieces. You need to turn the pieces around in all directions to appreciate the designs that spill over the edges and cover the sides and backs of her work. Returning to her point about the gems picking her, she stated that once a gem seduces you, “if you buy for love, you can’t make a mistake.” This is evident in the centerpiece stones in four of her creations. The Victoria pendant (figure 1, left) contains a 114.56 ct colorless topaz accented with a Tanzanian spinel from Mahenge and surrounded by more spinel plus rubellite, Mandarin garnets, and diamonds in an intricate gallery work. In the Autumn pendant (figure 1, right), a 47.16 ct Malaya zircon is surrounded by Tanzanian peach spinel, topaz, yellow sapphire, and diamonds. The Etoile ring’s green African Paraíba-type tourmaline is flanked by blue Brazilian Paraíba tourmalines and diamonds (figure 2, left), while the Imperial earrings (figure 2, right) contain perfectly color-matched Mandarin garnets flanked by pink spinel and diamonds. She confided that the electric orange and pink in the Imperial earrings was her favorite color combination of these four pieces.

Figure 2. Left: Courtney’s Etoile ring has a 7.71 ct Paraíba-type tourmaline accented with 12 Paraíba tourmalines and 370 diamonds, all set in 18K yellow gold. Right: The Imperial earrings feature a pair of Mandarin garnets (21.25 total carat weight) accented with 1.87 carats of pink spinel and 0.71 carats of diamond in 18K yellow gold. Photos by Kevin Schumacher.
Courtney’s desire to understand the entire gem cycle from unmined rough to polished stones set in finished jewelry has taken her backpacking across far-flung locations. She described the experience as giving her an appreciation of how difficult it is to find real gems. She also took notice of the passion of the miners, each wanting to be “the one to have found it.” Source: GIA @topic:6


Title: Tagua Nut as a Sustainable Botanical Alternative for Ivory Abstract: Figure 1. These teardrop earrings show the kayonan, or tree of life, carved into the tagua nut and the lotus flower in sawo wood. Two brilliant-cut diamonds totaling 0.11 carats are at the center of the earrings. The gold work shows designs usually seen on Balinese temples. Photo by Russell Starr, courtesy of Alexandra Mor.

Award-winning haute couture jewelry designer Alexandra Mor considers sustainability a way of life. When designing her one-of-a-kind pieces, she is mindful of her client’s lifestyle and interests while also thinking of the environment and of the culture and well-being of the artisans who bring each object to completion. It is in this spirit that she created the Tagua Collection, which uses the endosperm of the ivory palm tree—also known as the tagua nut or tagua seed—as an elephant ivory substitute. Now she is expanding into 3D printing using tagua nut specimens.
Mor, who believes that “designers are the new activists,” is not new to ethical or sustainable jewelry design. In 2013, she created a ring (later modeled by actress Mila Kunis) using ethically sourced emeralds, the same year she won the Fashion Group International Rising Star Award. But Mor wished to create a more meaningful, spiritual, and eco-conscious practice of her own. Concerned about the plight of elephants and the continued use of ivory in jewelry, she was inspired to use the tagua nut as a botanical alternative. Mor, who was influenced by Balinese philosophy, chose to ethically source the tagua nuts from Ecuador and Colombia and create the collection in Bali. She worked for 10 months with carvers and master goldsmiths to create the pieces, which are rich in local cultural motifs and Buddhist symbolism. Balinese designs found in this collection include the vines, leaves, and tendrils seen in the gold work of the tagua seed, wood, and diamond earrings (figure 1); these are often seen on the island’s temples. The kayonan, or tree of life, motif is carved into the tagua nut sections of the earrings in figure 2.

Figure 2. These hoop earrings measure 57 × 42 mm, and once again show the kayonan motif carved into the tagua seed surface. The areng ebony wood rim shows off the tagua’s color. The earrings are set on 22K gold. Photo by Russell Starr, courtesy of Alexandra Mor.
The Tagua Collection has been well received among collectors and in the trade. The introduction of a new and sustainable fine jewelry material, at a time when clients seek out such goods, has been an inspiration to others, and Mor was named Town & Country’s Fine Jewelry Innovator of the Year for 2018. Since 2016 she has directed Vogue Italia’s The Protagonist at Christie’s New York, a competition in which 14 designers use sustainable materials such as reclaimed gold and wood, vegetable leather, and responsibly mined gemstones alongside the tagua nut. Mor’s work has also drawn attention outside the industry, allowing opportunities to expand her work. At the 2018 Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) meeting in Mumbai, she met Kamlesh Parekh of Imaginarium, India’s largest 3D printing company. After touring their facilities with Parekh, Mor believed she had found a way to overcome the small size of the tagua seed, a major limitation. She gave Parekh three seeds to test, and Imaginarium has produced the first 3D-printed tagua nut. Such production will allow for larger, more plentiful tagua pieces in the future.
Mor’s next collections will continue to use tagua seeds, as well as sustainably sourced precious metals and conflict-free diamonds, and she will continue to collaborate with Colombia’s Muzo mine due to their social and environmental commitment (figure 3). She supports Space for Giants, a conservation organization dedicated to protecting elephant habitats. She has also launched the Tagua Foundation, which is dedicated to inspiring young designers and leaders, as well as students of all ages, to create sustainable jewelry. Mor explained, “As designers, we have a responsibility to what materials we are using, and as collectors of fine jewelry, we have a voice and can make a difference in how we purchase. I have decided to use my voice to lead and inspire the fine jewelry industry to take the necessary steps to care for our planet and its people through grace and education. It doesn’t matter what we choose to do, what matters is that what we choose will make a difference.”

Figure 3. This one-of-a-kind ring is part of a collaboration between Mor and Colombia’s Muzo emerald mine. The ethically sourced emerald beads, weighing a total of 18.15 carats, are set with a 16.80 ct wild tagua seed bead. The 1.15 carats of diamond melee are in platinum set on 18K yellow gold. Photo by Russell Starr, courtesy of Alexandra Mor. Source: GIA @topic:6


Title: Translating Passion into Success: What “Job Success in Today’s Market” is All About Abstract: The opening panel, "Job Success in Today's Market," at GIA's Carlsbad Jewelry Career Fair held on Oct. 11. From left, moderator Jennifer Wilson, senior vice president and general counsel for GIA; Douglas Hucker, CEO of the American Gem Trade Association; Meghan Simmons, director of operations for Omi Privé; Cathy Calhoun, owner of Calhoun Jewelers and Mitchell Binder, president of King Baby. Video Duration: 1:18:36
“It’s not like you can go out and buy passion. You’ve got to build passion. You’ve got to learn passion,” said Douglas Hucker, CEO of the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA), a panelist at the opening of the 2019 GIA Carlsbad Jewelry Career Fair.
Career Fair, which is in its 28th year, featured 10 speakers, 25 career coaches and 42 jewelry company recruiters ‒ including Tiffany & Co. and Signet Jewelers ‒ and was attended by more than 600 students, visitors and job-seekers. The opening panel, “Job Success in Today’s Market,” featured four industry leaders who spoke about how their passion led them to where they are today.
According to Hucker, passion is acquired through education, perseverance and experience ‒ and is strengthened through networks built at industry organizations such as GIA. “You’ve got to find the things that attract you and be with them, make them a part of your lives,” he said.
For Meghan Simmons, director of operations at Omi Gems and Omi Privé, passion means communicating the provenance of gems and seeing “your own legacy [begin] to imbibe itself into those gems and jewelry.”
For Cathy Calhoun, owner of Calhoun Jewelers, a retail jewelry chain, passion means communicating the beauty and value of jewelry to your clients and to “have fun” while doing it.
To Mitchell Binder, president of the rock ’n’ roll jewelry brand, King Baby, and “go-to” jeweler for the likes of Johnny Depp, Bruce Springsteen, Slash and Aerosmith, passion means changing the world through jewelry, from the United States to Japan and China.
Each speaker shared their backstory and offered tips and advice to attendees. This overview of the panel includes time stamps that will take you to each speaker’s spot in the video.

Mitchell Binder, president of King Baby, coaches a prospective job seeker during Career Fair. Photo by Emily Lane
Douglas Hucker (Begins at 13:37)
Hucker launched a career in colored gemstones because he loved color.
With diamonds, he says, you have to explain the 4Cs, but “when you show your customers five rubies, you don’t have to tell them which one is the best one … It just jumps out at you. It attracts you.”
He also spoke about marketing to today’s generation and finding a mentor.
Meghan Simmons (Begins at 26:07)
Meghan Simmons found her path while helping out with the Elizabeth Taylor jewelry auction at Christie’s. It made her realize that, “your own legacy begins to imbibe itself into those gems and jewelry.”
That experience inspired her to ask: “What would it take to become a jewelry specialist?” The consensus was to get her Graduate Gemologist® diploma at GIA.
She connected with an employee from Omi at the 2015 GIA Career Fair while she was still a GG student.
“I introduced myself and he promised to keep me in mind. A few weeks, after I graduated, I got a call from Adam Graham. They were going to be operating two booths in Las Vegas and they needed help. I knew it would be an invaluable learning experience,” she said.
Simmons was hired by Omi right after.

A prospective job seeker meets a recruiter at GIA’s 2019 Jewelry Career Fair in Carlsbad. Photo by Emily Lane
Cathy Calhoun (Begins at 33:07)
The world of gemstones and jewelry opened up for Calhoun in a surprising way—her jeweler boyfriend had a heart attack on Thanksgiving, the start of the holiday selling season.
“He’s in the hospital and he says to me ‒ you’re going to have to go run my jewelry store,” she said.
Calhoun, not understanding why diamonds of the same carat weight had different prices, started labeling and selling same-sized diamonds all at the same price, almost giving her boyfriend another heart attack.
But “just by sheer luck,” GIA was in town that weekend to do a two-day education symposium on gemstones and Calhoun said attending it changed her life.
“I knew what I was going to do for the rest of my life,” she said, so she immediately enrolled in GIA’s Graduate Gemology program.
Calhoun shared many of the fun and interesting events she has held at her stores, including her Carat Club for self-buying women, hosting car shows and Hippy Day and setting up a bar in her store.
Mitchell Binder (Begins at 45:57)
Binder started out by hand-making jewelry for the Hell’s Angels: They were “not your classy diamond types,” he said.
His jewelry took off when Japanese buyers started bidding wars over his jewelry on eBay and two Japanese businessmen arrived at his small, 400 square-foot studio with briefcases full of cash, buying everything he had.
“It was like a drug deal,” Binder said. “I sold the jacket off my back. With the cash, I started King Baby.”
His next big break was when he was invited to pitch his jewelry at Neiman Marcus.
“You wouldn’t think that a guy like me and my designs would fit at Neiman Marcus…I had the biker rings and the skulls,” he said.
But the Neiman Marcus order quickly grew to over a million dollars and was on its way to two million before Binder stopped them and said he needed to figure out a way to hand-make all that jewelry.
Binder said his mother, who is a painter and a writer, always told him to “change the world,” and he has, by reaching the corners of the world through his jewelry. Not only does he have stores all over the U.S., but also 20 stores in China.
“I went from the black sheep of the family to the patriarch,” he said.
Future Forecast
Hucker painted a hopeful picture of where the gem and jewelry industry is headed:
“You guys have an opportunity in making this industry better, cleaner, more giving and more loving because you have access to data that 10 years ago, none of us had. Don’t think that just because you know where a gemstone came from, that you’re OK. Find out what’s happening, where that gemstone came from,” he said “You’re going to become a part of the family, and you need to take care of that family.”
Read about and watch the Creative Careers panel from the 2019 Jewelry Career Fair in Carlsbad. Source: GIA @topic:10


Title: Designer Kara Ross Featured in First “Aluminati” Exhibit Abstract: View Gallery

The GIA Museum is launching “Aluminati: Students to Stars,” a new exhibit series that will highlight the talents of GIA alumni who have made waves in the gem and jewelry industry. The first exhibit in the series, featuring designer Kara Ross, will debut in April at GIA’s world headquarters in Carlsbad, California.
“We’re thrilled to be able to shine a spotlight on the incredible work of our alumni,” said Terri Ottaway, GIA Museum curator. “So many talented students have emerged from GIA, and we are so pleased to share their success with the public. We are fortunate to have Kara Ross and her uniquely creative pieces as our premier Aluminati exhibit.”

Ross, a GIA Graduate Gemologist (GG), is a world-renowned jewelry and handbag designer who works with all types of gemstones (often in their natural state), crystals, wood and other organic material. Her designs are favored by celebrities and public figures, including U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, who wore pieces from Ross’s “Pyramid” collection, including earrings and cuffs made with sterling silver, mother of pearl and colorless sapphires, to the 2011 State of the Union address. Dr. Jill Biden, wife of U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, wore a pair of hand-carved mother of pearl and white sapphire earrings by Kara Ross during this year’s inauguration ceremony.

“I’m honored to kick off this exciting new exhibition series. Through GIA, I developed my passion and knowledge for gemstones, and these inform and enhance all the designs I create today,” said Ross.

The Kara Ross Aluminati exhibit will run from the beginning of April through mid-October 2013. Ross’s trendsetting and inspired designs will fill the atrium cases at GIA’s Carlsbad campus. Highlighted in this exhibit are custom pieces Ross created for Michelle Obama out of wood from a fallen tree near the White House.

Ross and her work have appeared in numerous national and international magazines, and she was honored in 2012 as the Design Award Winner by the Women’s Jewelry Association.

The Aluminati series will feature GIA graduates from various parts of the gem and jewelry industry, from miners and gem carvers to gem dealers, designers, jewelers and more.

The GIA Museum is free and open to the public by appointment.  For more information or to arrange a campus tour, go to www.gia.edu/gia-museum Source: GIA @topic:11


Title: Trade Hopes for a Bright 2019 Vegas Show Abstract: Business at the May 9-12 GemGenève show was soft reflecting a slowdown in the luxury market. Photo by Russell Shor/GIA

All eyes are on the upcoming jewelry sales events in the U.S. – the Luxury and JCK shows in Las Vegas – as business slows in other parts of the world.
Diamond dealers and jewelry manufacturers are expecting decent sales, based largely on demand this spring from diamond and gemstone wholesalers. U.S. retailers have been buying diamonds up to 1.5 ct and colored gems in the under-$1,000 range, and dealers expect this to continue in Vegas.
A strong turnout will help the middle of the diamond pipeline, which has been beleaguered by high inventories (causing prices to soften in most size and quality categories, especially at the lower end) and ever-tightening credit. Some dealers expect a larger-than-usual pre-show deal dash from those buying bargains from other exhibitors who need cash to pay bankers before the show opens. Colored stone dealers said demand has been improving for popularly priced stones that offer a distinctive look without an extremely high price tag.
Buyers attending the Las Vegas shows will likely see additional suppliers of laboratory-grown diamonds. The number of producers has expanded and demand has reportedly grown – with a number of mainstream jewelers offering them – and prices have reportedly dropped significantly since last year’s show.
Dealers base their optimism on the strong U.S. economy, but there are significant issues affecting the retail business: lack of wage growth among large numbers of consumers; competition from online sales; trends away from luxury items among younger buyers; and the decline of shopping centers, which have depressed sales to the point where some major retailers are in financial difficulty. Of the publicly traded retail jewelers, Tiffany & Co. reported that same-store sales were up 5%, while Signet Corp. (Kay, Zales, Jared, Piercing Pagoda) posted a sales decline of 2% in their most recent quarters.
China, however, continues to slow and the country’s government is trying to reduce the flow of funds out of the country as it grapples with the U.S. trade war. Dealers say the move has deterred many Chinese buyers from acquiring high-ticket luxury goods, including large diamonds and major gemstones. It is also hampering Chinese wholesalers who buy significant numbers of diamonds, gems and jewelry pieces from overseas suppliers.
In addition, Hong Kong banks are adopting stricter credit and money transfer regulations, according to traders based there. They say that these rules, coupled with the general slowdown, have caused a number of large gem companies to downsize and have forced some smaller ones out of business.
Exhibitors at the May GemGenève show, which was geared mainly toward the luxury market, found these headwinds in evidence. Few Asian buyers attended the show and demand came mostly from other dealers looking to acquire large diamonds, fancy colored diamonds and major gemstones.
Despite the slow market, dealers maintained they could afford to hold the line on prices, especially for fancy colored diamonds.
The impending closure of Australia’s Argyle mine, an important source for fancy pink diamonds, is giving dealers of these goods an added incentive to keep prices high.
“Once we sell them, we know we’ll never be able to replace them,” said one dealer, who believes it will bring a fundamental shift in the fancy colored diamond market. “In the past 15 years or so, we have seen many new people come into fancy colors, despite their rarity. But as this source disappears, a lot of these new people will have to change their business model or disappear.”
The increasing numbers of larger, fancy yellow diamonds from Russia and Canada is another worrisome trend for fancy colored diamond traders.
“These always provided a good cash flow (from retailers and consumers), which has allowed us to hold on to the really rare colors,” explained one exhibitor. “But with prices softening for the yellows, we may have to sell the rarer colors.” Source: GIA @topic:8


Title: A Glittering Garden: A Menagerie of Designs from Mother Nature Abstract: Sapphires, diamonds, garnets, rubies and emerald come together in a glittering insect pin. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA

A flower garden may seem like a quiet meditative space, but it’s actually abuzz with activity.

Butterflies, dragonflies and hummingbirds flitter about, while earth-bound spiders, caterpillars and lizards keep a slower pace. Flowers reign as the garden’s crowning jewels.

Never ceasing to fascinate, these delightful garden creatures and the flowers they visit are favorite subjects that transform beautifully into Victorian, Art Nouveau and modern jewelry designs.

Victorian jewelry in the early 19th century was influenced by a heightened interest in botany and zoology that stemmed from the scientific classification of plants and animals. These designs followed accurate representations of the natural world of insects and flowers. Fashion-conscious women pinned jeweled insects to their hairdos and gowns and a Victorian enamel spider brooch with articulating legs may have graced a coiffure.

Green enamel lends color to the clover design of this crescent brooch set with pearls. Tiny diamonds at the center of each cloverleaf add a dash of sparkle. The brooch is late Victorian or late 19th century, by Krementz. Courtesy of Mary Matthews. Photo by Valerie Power/GIA
Diamonds, discovered in South Africa in 1867, were used in pins and brooches to add sparkle to insects, animals, crescent moons and stars, as well as mythical creatures, such as dragons and griffins. Seed pearls were also used as accents in floral and natural motif Victorian jewelry.

Snakes became popular in early Victorian jewelry as a symbol of love. Their popularity was influenced by Prince Albert’s engagement ring to Queen Victoria, which featured a serpent with an emerald set in its head. British royalty continues to set trends in engagement jewelry.

In contrast, Art Nouveau, which developed in France and Belgium in the mid-1880s, also focused on the natural world, but with a tendency to interpret, rather than imitate nature. This is due in part to the influence and popularization of Japanese art, which is credited as the single most important contributing factor to the development of Art Nouveau. This new style flowed through Europe and reached as far as Russia and the Americas, a refreshing change from the more austere Victorian designs.

View Gallery

Enameling, popular in both Victorian and Art Nouveau jewelry, was the perfect technique for representing both the movement and the delicate colors and designs of flowers, leaves and insects, which in many cases could not be conveyed with gems alone. Plique à jour, an enameling process constructed in such a way that light transmits through the enamel, making it appear translucent, is well-suited to represent winged insects such as dragonflies or butterflies. Art Noveau jewelers were also attracted to opal, especially for its play-of-color.

George Fouquet, a leading jeweler of the Art Nouveau movement, created lavish, jeweled wings adorning the female figures and heads of butterflies and dragonflies, in the 1880s. He used flowing, graceful lines sometimes referred to as “whiplash,” to suggest movement.

The natural blister pearl pin, with green enamel leaves and diamond accents, is in the style of George Fouquet, a leading jeweler of the Art Nouveau movement. Photo by Robert Weldon/GIA
The natural world of flowers and insects continue to inspire modern designs. Hints of bygone eras, and new representations of flower gardens, can be seen in today’s jewelry. Colored gemstone materials are often more available than they once were, and are faceted with precision, or carved with great artistry. Pearls, still popular, are paired with colored gemstones, diamonds and enameling to help render a design.

So before you swat a caterpillar from your best friend’s shoulder, check to make sure it is not a jeweled insect! Source: GIA @topic:6


Title: 10 Tips to Boost Your Career Abstract: Joel Schechter, CEO of Honora, shared the key attributes his father, Stanley Schechter, taught him to look for in an exemplary employee – loyalty, honesty, respect and attention to detail – at GIA’s 2009 mini Jewelry Career Fair held in Las Vegas. He said demonstrating them is critical to establishing yourself as a standout candidate, especially in a competitive job market.

These are his father’s top 10 tips:

1. Love Mondays. You may not know what your passion is now, but if you care about your work, you may gain passion for it.

2. Sweat the small stuff. You may not be able to control the economy, a lawsuit or losing a major account. But you can control how many paper clips you order if you care about that.

3. Tell the truth. There are no white lies, only white liars. The check is never in the mail. The late piece is never at the polisher. An employee never has a "stomach virus" - you just need a day. Honesty is the ultimate independence.

4. Be willing to do anything. There is no task beneath you, and on an interview profess that. It will mean more than any line item on your resume.

5. Be loyal. Loyalty is a prized commodity. Let your boss know at every opportunity that you have his/her back.

6. Embrace mistakes. Accepting blame allows you to learn to do things differently, and gives you the opportunity to grow. Employers hate every minute someone spends explaining how someone else screwed up.

7. Take risks. Every success you attain can be associated with a frightening risk. We need to take calculated risks, and never believe the only way to do things is the way we've been doing them forever.

8. Respect others. No one has more value because they have more wealth, or is above or below you because of cultural differences. Treat everyone the same until they give you reason not to. Getting along with others is important both for company harmony and increasing the performance of those around you.

9. Give back. It's not all about you. If you don't have money, you can give time, and if you have money, give both.

10. Stand up for your beliefs. Don't wait for a popular consensus that you can agree with or tell an interviewer what you think they want to hear. Let them know at the end of the day you're still a team player, willing to get behind the group decision. Source: GIA @topic:10


Title: Marie Antoinette’s Jewels: ‘How Can You Put a Price on Such History?’ Abstract: A natural pearl drop with a diamond bow that belonged to Marie Antoinette brought $36 million at Sotheby’s Nov 14 auction. The oval cut diamond was added later. Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s

As the French Revolution engulfed the nation in 1791, the uneasy arrangement that allowed French King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette to remain on the throne began to unravel, and the royal family prepared to flee into exile.

In March, Marie Antoinette entrusted her favorite jewels to a loyal retainer, Count Mercy Argentau, who packed them into a wooden chest and spirited them to Brussels for safe keeping. By the end of June, King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were imprisoned and her jewels – natural pearls and diamonds – were on a tortuous journey from Brussels to Austria and finally Parma in northern Italy where they would remain for over two centuries. Until 2018.

Ten of those pieces belonging to the French queen, along with 90 other jewels from the Bourbon-Parma royal family, brought astounding prices at Sotheby’s Nov. 14 Geneva auction. Valued at $7 million before the sale, the extraordinary history and provenance of the collection sent bids soaring to a total of $53 million.

Daniela Mascetti, deputy chairman of Sotheby’s Jewelry Europe and senior international specialist, said it was one of the most important royal jewelry collections ever to appear in the market. “Every piece is imbued with history,” she said. “They offer captivating insight into the lives of their owners going back hundreds of years.”

“No one knew of this collection’s existence for a century or more, apart from the family. [They] contacted us 10 years ago about selling the collection, but we had to do much research on every piece before any of them could be put up for sale.”

- Olivier Wagner, senior specialist at Sotheby’s

The signature piece (lot 100) was Marie Antoinette’s natural pearl and diamond drop pendant featuring a slightly baroque drop pearl (15.90 x 18.35 x 25.85 mm) probably from the Persian Gulf, attached below a diamond-set bow with an oval cut diamond of about 5 carats. According to a 1907 inventory of the collection, the pendant was a parure originally suspended from a three-strand pearl necklace owned by Marie Antoinette, but offered separately at this auction.

David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby’s international jewelry division, began the auction of the pendant at 900,000 Swiss francs. Bidding proceeded methodically up to 6.5 million francs, then quickly escalated past 30 million to the final bid of 32 million, where he brought the hammer down to the applause of the room. The winner, noted as a private European buyer, paid a total price of 36 million francs ($36.1 million), after the auction house commission. (At the time of the auction, the U.S. dollar and Swiss franc were nearly equal.)

A three-strand natural pearl necklace owned by Marie Antoinette brought a winning bid of more than $1.9 million at the Sotheby’s auction. Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s

The three-strand necklace the pendant had been attached to (lot 97) started at 160,000 francs, half the pre-sale estimate. Again, bidding proceeded slowly until the 1 million franc mark, when it picked up and quickly reached 1.9 million francs when Bennett lowered his hammer.

One of the most personal items in the collection was a small ring containing a lock of Marie Antoinette’s hair, with her initials MA in small rose cut diamonds. The pre-sale estimate of 8,000-10,000 Swiss francs was surpassed within a few seconds of the opening and escalated rapidly to over 447,000 francs before closing. Also, a ring with a miniature portrait of Marie Antoinette in profile framed by small, round-cut diamonds, sold for 250,000 francs against a pre-sale estimate of 8,000 to 10,000 francs.

The 10 pieces from Marie Antoinette’s collection sold for 43.1 million francs, against a pre-sale estimate of 1.6 million francs.

A week before the sale, Mascetti explained that the estimates were based on the values of the pieces without their history. “How can you put a price on such history? It’s impossible to have a true estimate,” she noted with a shrug.

Although the jewels were centuries old, there was no doubt about their provenance, said Olivier Wagner, senior specialist in the auction house’s Geneva branch. The collection was in the hands of an Italian family, descendants of the Parma-Bourbon royal houses, which had branches in France, Spain, Austria. Sotheby’s spent a full decade tracing the lineage of each of the 100 lots in the auction.

“No one knew of this collection’s existence for a century or more, apart from the family,” he said. “The family contacted us 10 years ago about selling the collection, but we had to do much research on every piece before any of them could be put up for sale.” The family kept extensive paperwork in the form of inventories and bequests but some pieces had been altered or broken up completely with the diamonds being set into newer jewels.

This monogrammed diamond ring contains a woven lock of Marie Antoinette’s hair and brought more than $447,000. Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s

The research was often difficult and complex because of the complicated lineage of European royal families, and tracing the paths of gems after the pieces had been altered, Wagner explained

The signature piece, the $36 million parure natural pearl and diamond pendant, for example, went to her eldest and only surviving daughter, Marie Therese’ (1778-1851), who was imprisoned with her other family members on Aug. 13, 1792. During her three years of captivity, her father, Louis XVI was executed Jan. 21, 1793, and her mother, Marie Antoinette was led to the guillotine on Oct. 16, 1793.

Marie Therese was released from prison in December of 1795, just as she turned 17 years old, and was taken to Vienna. While she lived in other European capitals through much of her life, her jewels, including those she inherited from her mother, remained on deposit in the Imperial Treasury of Vienna.

After she died in 1851, she left one-third of her jewels, including the pendant, to her niece, Louise de Bourbon-Parma the Duchess of Parma, in what is now Italy. The will stated that her jewelry collection would be divided between her nieces and nephew: Louise, Marie Therese and Henri.

At that time, Italy was in upheaval with the armies of King Victor Emmanuel battling to form the various principalities into a unified nation, causing Louise de Bourbon-Parma to flee to Venice with the collection of jewels. After Louise died in 1864, the jewels were passed to her children, then through their descendants, until 1907 when Prince Elie de Bourbon-Parma ordered a full inventory, including photographs of each piece. By this time, an approximately five carat oval cut diamond had been attached to the top of Marie Antoinette’s pearl pendant and the collection had grown considerably from pieces belonging to other branches of the family.

These other pieces also sold well above their pre-sale estimates:

A fleur de lis diamond tiara, which by Vienna jeweler Hubner created in 1912 from diamonds that belonged to Charles X of France (1757-1836), sold for 975,000 francs, about double its pre-sale estimate.
A diamond and emerald badge of the Order of the Saint-Esprit, which belonged to Louis-Antoine de Bourbon (1775-1844), Duc of Angouleme, realized a price of 1.6 million francs against a pre-sale estimate of 100,000 to 150,000 francs.
A ruby and diamond bow brooch, given by Archduke Frederic of Austria (1856-1936) to his daughter Anne Marie in 1909, realized 375,000 francs against a pre-sale estimate of 200,000 to 300,000 francs.
A 2.44 ct Fancy orangy pink diamond, owned by the Archduke, graded by GIA, sold for 579,000 francs, four times its pre-sale estimate.

Coincidentally, a 24.04 ct Fancy yellow diamond named the Moon of Baroda, which had been in the collection of Marie Therese of Vienna (1717-1780), went up for auction at Christie's in Hong Kong on Nov 27. Marilyn Monroe wore this diamond when she was publicizing the film “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” It sold for $1.3 million, almost double its pre-sale estimate.

Why did the owner want to sell this historic collection?

“It’s a question Sotheby’s never asks its clients. We feel it’s an intrusion,” Mascetti explained. “Usually they volunteer this information only when selling their pieces for charity.”

As the will of Marie Antoinette’s daughter stated, the majority of the queen’s jewels went to other members of this extended family, so there is the enticing possibility that additional treasures may reach the market.

Of the possibility that Sotheby’s may be planning another sale in the future, Mascetti smiled and replied: “We cannot say.” Source: GIA @topic:11


Title: Impregnated Amazonite Abstract: Figure 1. In this high-quality translucent amazonite bracelet, the average bead diameter is 12 mm. Photo by Kevin Schumacher.

A type of high-quality translucent blue amazonite feldspar (figure 1) has recently appeared in the jewelry market. Its vivid blue color and unusually high translucency are rarely seen in untreated mineral specimens and rough materials. A rough piece of this material and five beads with different quality grades were obtained for detailed examination at GIA’s Carlsbad laboratory.

To induce the blue-green color in amazonite (KAlSi3O8), the potassium feldspar must contain structurally bound water in addition to lead, and then undergo irradiation (A.M. Hofmeister and G.R. Rossman, “A spectroscopic study of irradiation coloring of amazonite: structurally hydrous, Pb-bearing feldspar,” American Mineralogist, Vol. 70, 1985, pp. 794–804).

FTIR spectroscopy revealed resin impregnation. A thin section cut from the middle of the rough (top of figure 2) was prepared to investigate the depth of impregnation and the origin of the vivid blue color. By performing FTIR in the middle of the section, we confirmed that the impregnation completely penetrated the material. Chemical analysis was obtained with a Thermo Fisher iCAP Q ICP-MS coupled with a New Wave Research UP-213 nm laser ablation unit. A line of 27 ablation spots crossed the whole section. Analysis revealed a microcline feldspar composition with a very minor albite component (figure 2). Pb concentration was irregularly distributed from one rim to the other, eliminating the possibility of Pb diffusion treatment (figure 2, violet data set). The concentration range of Pb was 11.7–44.6 ppma, or 120–432 ppmw. Albite portions contained higher Sr (red data set) and no Rb (blue data set) or Cs (green data set). In contrast, microcline portions contained higher Rb and Cs, and almost no Sr.

Figure 2. The amazonite’s concentration vs. position profile revealed that it was mainly composed of microcline with minor albite. Spots laser-ablated from albite regions contain higher Sr and no Rb and Cs, while spots laser-ablated from microcline regions contain higher Rb and Cs and almost no Sr. The Pb concentration profile is irregularly distributed across the entire thin section (center image, field of view 19.27 mm). Photomicrograph by Jonathan Muyal.
To test their chemical stability, the five beads were immersed in water, reagent alcohol, and then acetone for an hour apiece (figure 3, B–D). The quality of the beads increases gradually from left to right in figure 3. Neither water nor reagent alcohol affected the beads’ appearance (figure 3, B–C). Many whitish fractures became evident on the surface of the smallest, third-largest, and largest beads after immersion in acetone for an hour (figure 3D). Their transparency diminished significantly, and they took on an unsightly mottled appearance. In contrast, the second-smallest and second-largest beads seemed largely unaffected. After 24 hours of immersion in acetone, more whitish fractures became visible in the smallest, third-largest, and largest beads, revealing the true quality of the original material used for impregnation (figure 3E). Very minor whitish fractures were observed in the highest-quality bead (figure 3E, far right). During normal wear, consumers should avoid exposure to solvents that contain large portions of acetone, such as nail polish remover.

Figure 3. Amazonite beads without any post-treatment (A) and after immersion in water for an hour (B), reagent alcohol for an hour (C), acetone for an hour (D), and acetone for 24 hours (E). In all five rows, the bead quality increases gradually from left to right. Photos by Kevin Schumacher. Source: GIA @topic:12


Title: More is More: The Artistry of Tony Duquette and Hutton Wilkinson Abstract: "Pond Scum" Courtesy of a Private Collector and Mona Lee Nesseth. "Super Nova" Courtesy of a Private Collector.

Tony Duquette and Hutton Wilkinson count as two of the most inventive jewelry designers in recent memory.

Duquette first found fame creating costumes and sets for musicals during the Golden Age of Hollywood. He and Wilkinson, his longtime business partner and design collaborator, also designed for theater and dance productions, as well as the homes of their private clients.

Duquette brought that same design sensibility to the jewelry he created for his mother, aunts, wife, and later, private clients. He was famed for using anything that helped him capture the quality he was seeking: what he found in the streets, in the attic, in the desert, in the garden, and in the sea.

"Petal Dance" earrings are made of pink tourmaline (approx. 16 ct.) carved yellow-green tourmaline (approx. 64 ct.), and set in 18K gold. Courtesy of a Private Collector and Mona Lee Nesseth.

He had a life-long fascination with jewelry and bright, shiny things.
Hutton Wilkinson

"Barriera Corallina" is made of coral, cultured pearl, peridot, and 18K gold. Courtesy of a Private Collector.
Wilkinson and Duquette officially became business partners in 1994. Although Duquette passed away in 1999 at the age of 85, Wilkinson continues to create pieces for the Tony Duquette Collection using their favorite materials: malachite, pearls, emerald, and coral.

Wilkinson has since devoted much of his time to the design of unique jeweled creations under the Tony Duquette trademark. His work has been worn by Raquel Welch, Faye Dunaway, Sharon Stone, Liza Minnelli, Ellen Burstyn, Mandy Moore, Drew Barrymore, and Reese Witherspoon, to name a few.

Wilkinson also authored three books about Tony Duquette – his design philosophy, creative process, and jewelry.

Fashion designer John Galliano wrote in the forward to More is More, the second volume written by Wilkinson about Duquette, “Tony Duquette had the eye, lived the dream, created the ultimate setting. He mixed glamour with the glittering social scene like others would hang decorations on a Christmas tree. He applied these baubles of beauty to real life in his designs, and later in his jewelry line, and made everything beautiful.”

Duquette created his early jewelry pieces at the same time he was designing ballroom scenes, fashion, and dream sequences for MGM studios, 20th Century Fox, and Universal Studios. His film work included The Ziegfeld Follies, starring Fred Astaire and Lucille Bremer; Lovely to Look At, with Zsa Zsa Gabor; and To Catch a Thief, with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly. Legendary directors Vincent Minnelli and Alfred Hitchcock sought out the freelance designer for his ability to bring his bold, fantastical creations to their sets.

He won a Tony award for Best Costume for the original Broadway production of Camelot and was the first and only American to be honored with a one-man show at the Louvre in Paris. Another highlight of Duquette’s career was creating a commissioned necklace of citrine, tourmaline, and cultured mabe pearls for the Duchess of Windsor.

"Mariposa" is made of amethyst, rock crystal quartz, kunzite, diamond, enamel, and 18K gold. Courtesy of The Anthony & Elizabeth Duquette Foundation for the Living Arts.

"Sunburst Monstrance" votive cross brooch/pendant is made of rhodochrosite, cultured pearl, enamel, and 18K gold. Courtesy of The Anthony & Elizabeth Duquette Foundation for the Living Arts.

Duquette presented her with an 18K gold wreath of vines and flowers and she wore the necklace often, according to Wilkinson. By wearing it to evening events – even though most wore platinum at the time – she started the trend of wearing gold jewelry after five o’clock.

"Floral Wreath" is made of citrine, tourmanline, cultured mabe pearl, and 14K gold. Designed for the Duchess of Windsor. Courtesy of The Anthony & Elizabeth Duquette Foundation for the Living Arts.

If it's not fabulous, it's meaningless.
Hutton Wilkinson

More is More, an exhibit of Duquette’s and Wilkinson’s masterpieces, is on display at GIA’s Museum from Oct. 10, 2013 through March 2014 at GIA in Carlsbad, CA. If you are planning a visit to Carlsbad, schedule a tour to see the exhibit yourself. Contact Guest Services at 800-421-7250 ext 4116, or 760-603-4116 (if outside the U.S. or Canada). Source: GIA @topic:6


Title: GIA Resources Give Retailers an Edge in Customer Education Abstract: Jivan Yeramian, right, custom jewelry designer and owner of Jivan Collection, says he frequently uses brochures and other resources from the Retailer Support Program when meeting with clients. Photo Courtesy of Jivan Collection.

Hand in hand, a couple opens the door and walks into a jewelry store. The sparkle in their eyes is as bright as the gems in the display case they approach.  It’s clear they are serious – about each other and the jewelry.
The engagement ring – or other special occasion jewelry – buying process is one that jewelry retailers see every day in stores around the world
For many consumers, the experience is exciting, magical and breathtaking, but it can also be overwhelming. This gives retailers an opportunity to guide their customers through the process by sharing knowledge about beautiful diamonds and colored gems so they are informed and confident in their purchase.
GIA's Retailer Support Program provides retailers with the tools to do just that. It offers a variety of resources – many available at no cost – so retailers can easily share and explain information about diamonds, gemstones and GIA reports with their customers. Since its 2007 inception, thousands of retailers have joined. The number of participating retailers has grown steadily, increasing by 30 percent in 2017 alone.
“The Retailer Support Program makes it easy for retailers around the world to educate consumers and their staff on the 4Cs of diamond quality and the value of a grading report, as well as the quality factors of sapphire, ruby, emerald, pearl and many other beautiful gems,” says Tali Nay, GIA Retailer Support Program manager.
Nay, a GIA Graduate Gemologist, says the program supports GIA’s public-benefit mission by helping ensure that consumers who purchase diamonds and gemstones are knowledgeable and confident.
Retailer Lookup: Connecting Consumers and Retailers
The program includes GIA’s Retailer Lookup, a free listing service for any retailer who offers GIA-graded diamonds or has GIA-trained employees. The Retailer Lookup lets consumers search for retailers by city or postal code and provides them with addresses, store hours and directions to registered stores.

Retailers are quick to recognize the Retailer Lookup’s ability to drive traffic to their stores.

“The Retailer Lookup is a valuable tool – it has opened up our customer network and helped us connect with those looking for a jeweler with our high standards, focus on quality and transparency,” said Jonathan Goldberg, president and CEO of Kimberfire in Toronto, Canada. “We are very excited about the potential for this tool to help us reach new customers and grow our brand.”

Consumer interest in the tool has increased dramatically in the last few years.

“So far in 2018, we’ve seen a 60 percent increase in the number of consumers using the Retailer Lookup to find retailers, which demonstrates the appeal of GIA reports and expertise,” Nay says.

Studio Jewelers, which has been in business for more than 25 years, uses GIA’s interactive 4Cs download on its website and in store. “We cast it from our website to a 55-inch flat screen TV on our showroom… people respond to it very well,” says Dan Claesson, master jeweler. Photo courtesy Studio Jewelers
Counter Tools for Retailers Around the World
Available in English, Simplified Chinese and Japanese, the retailer.GIA.edu website houses a collection of resources, including point-of-sale materials – such as counter cards, signage and brochures – and digital downloads. All printed materials can be ordered online, some in up to 18 different languages, and delivered directly to the store, with free global shipping for a limited time.

The GIA counter cards and brochures are a great “quick reference” for sales staff, says Dan Claesson, master jeweler at Studio Jewelers in Lakeland, Florida.

They make it easy to explain the 4Cs, says Jivan Yeramian, custom jewelry designer and owner of Jivan Collection in Montreal, Canada.

“The most beneficial tools (for us) are definitely the counter display tools – the diamond sorting pad and the 4Cs counter display,” he says. “As someone who has worked mostly behind a jeweler’s bench in an atelier, the GIA tools definitely helped me earn more credibility and it also provided me with knowledge. Both of these things now help me with sales.

“Being able to better describe my work is very helpful when it comes to marketing (my business).”
Interactive Customer Education Online and In Store
Many consumers start their shopping online and the Retailer Support Program’s digital resources help retailers educate consumers behind the counter and on the screen. Free videos, images, logos, training modules and interactive digital downloads are available for use in the retailer’s advertising, websites and social media pages.

“In our store and our website, we use the interactive 4Cs tool,” says Claesson of Studio Jewelers. In addition to offering an informative, educational experience to help customers learn about the 4Cs of diamond quality, Claesson says it’s also a great tool for training staff. “They do not hesitate to use it to educate customers because it is hard to make a mistake selling a GIA-graded diamond and using GIA's tools.”

GIA's Retailer Support Program makes it easy for retailers to educate consumers about diamonds, gemstones and GIA reports with a variety of digital and print resources. MarBill Diamonds and Jewelry uses this pearl brochure and “The Passion of Colored Gemstones,” a colored stone reference book, to help educate customers at its store in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania. Photo courtesy of MarBill Diamonds and Jewelry.
Colored Gems and Pearls: A Rainbow of Colorful Resources
When it comes to colored gemstones and pearls, there are distinct quality factors for consumers to learn. The Retailer Support Program includes brochures, counter tools and other downloads to address many of the common questions customers have about colored gems – and can also inspire them with the rich and varied hues that can be found.

“We’ve done a lot recently to expand our portfolio of tools and resources that focus on colored stones,” Nay says. “On the digital end, we launched a series of free birthstone images that can be used on retailer websites to promote seasonal sales. And our new 48-page book, “The Passion of Colored Gemstones,” features lore, quality factors, and geographical source information for 18 of the most popular colored gemstones. It’s a beautiful book that retailers are using for everything from in-store reference to customer giveaways.”

Linda Horrell, owner of MarBill Diamonds and Jewelry in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, says they have recently been using the new colored stone books the most. She says customers of the independent, family owned store – which has been in business for 54 years – really love the book.

“The newest colored stone books are always on our colored stone showcase and are given to our customers on almost a daily basis,” she says. “It gives me the opportunity to talk to and educate the consumer who is interested in color.”

Horrell says that MarBill hands out the GemKids Posters to local children who are interested in rocks and gems. “I also refer them to the GemKids website,” she says.

The 4Cs Interactive Counter Tool helps educate customers about the 4Cs of diamond quality and includes sliders that can be moved to show where a particular diamond’s quality characteristics fall on their respective scales. Expanded 4Cs definitions are on the back side of the display.
Helping Retailers Help Consumers
For many retailers, offering education on diamonds and colored gems helps customers feel assured and gives them the added confidence to make the purchase. And with the expanding portfolio of retailer materials – including the newest addition, the 4Cs Interactive Counter Tool – there is always something new for retailers to try out.

“We sell more GIA-graded diamonds because of the confidence instilled in the customer and our staff,” Claesson says. Source: GIA @topic:10


Title: Katzenbach Designs Honored with Two AGTA Awards in Two Years Abstract: Derek Katzenbach’s award-winning, 18K kaleidoscope features 71.74 carats of Maine tourmaline and 66.05 carats of Maine quartz between three separate lenses. Gifted to GIA by a private donor in memory of Nicholas Scott Golden, University of Maine Geology student. Photo by Brian Moghadam Photograhy/AGTA. Courtesy of Derek Katzenbach

There’s one question that keeps award-winning jeweler and gem cutter Derek Katzenbach motivated to “push the boundaries” of his own skills: “How did you do that?”

Katzenbach, a GIA GJG, asks it of the artists he admires, and he hopes his designs can pique a similar curiosity.

Katzenbach’s work has earned the New Jersey native two honors from the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) in the last two years. In 2016, he won “Best Use of Color” in the Summer AGTA Spectrum Awards for a bicolor tourmaline ring created for a client, and in 2017, he took home first place honors in the Spectrum Awards’ “Objects of Art” category for his “Colors of Maine” gemstone kaleidoscope.

The recognition is exciting and humbling for Katzenbach, who owns Katzenbach Designs, a studio in the mountains of Maine that specializes in locally sourced tourmaline, precision faceting, fantasy-cut gemstones and custom-designed jewelry.

“My philosophy when designing a piece is to follow what the stone tells you,” Katzenbach says. “The best pieces come from taking risks throughout the process – it’s the only way to develop your own style and see what will work.”

Katzenbach cut this colorful, 38.04-ct Bolivian ametrine with an original design. Courtesy of Derek Katzenbach
Katzenbach, who counts artists like Dalan Hargrave, Ryan Joseph Anderson and Richard Homer among his inspirations, did not set out to become an artist or jeweler. He first moved to Maine to study marine biology, and though the subject had been a laser-focus for him since elementary school, something “didn’t click” once he began his studies.

During that time, Katzenbach visited a local gem show.

“I spent a week’s pay in about an hour, then went to the ATM and did it again,” he says. “I had zero experience buying, setting or designing stones. But I was officially addicted, and I didn’t know what had hit me.”

That summer, Katzenbach worked at a store that sold a variety of gifts, from knives to locally made jewelry. His boss showed him how to set stones in pre-notched settings, and Katzenbach began to introduce himself to others in the field who could help him navigate this newfound interest.

Derek Katzenbach, GJG, created this 12-ct, fantasy-cut stone from Colorado topaz rough. Courtesy of Derek Katzenbach
One jeweler in town connected him with local bench jeweler Addison Saunders, who became a mentor and friend. He took lessons with her for a year, learning foundational skills such as soldering and basic settings, before moving across the state. Ron Gelinas, the owner of Farmington’s Mainestone Jewelry, told Katzenbach that though he wasn’t hiring, he would show him some repair skills on Saturdays. The two struck up a friendship as Gelinas taught him how to do chain repairs and resizing.

Eventually the holidays arrived, and Gelinas offered Katzenbach his first job in the gem and jewelry industry. Katzenbach was elated, and soon began to ask Saunders and Gelinas where he could pursue further knowledge and skills. “I felt it was incredibly important to be educated properly,” he says. “They both pushed me to go to the best school in the world, GIA.”

He arrived at the Institute’s Carlsbad World Headquarters in 2005 and immersed himself in gemology and benchwork studies. Katzenbach says the instructors “went above and beyond” and he took advantage of every opportunity to learn.

“I was extremely driven,” he says. “I spent most of my spare time checking out books and instructional DVDs from the library. The amount of knowledge that sits in that building is staggering, and motivation was everywhere. Walking the halls, you see incredible displays of jewelry, minerals and faceted stones.”

This 1,452-ct, trillion-cut smoky quartz, mined at Maine’s Mount Mica, earned Katzenbach the record for the largest faceted gemstone ever cut from Maine. The gem is as big as the palm of a hand. Courtesy of Derek Katzenbach
Katzenbach passed the 20-stone exam for his GG diploma on the first try, and said that as much as he had to work, it almost felt “effortless.”

Returning to work at Mainestone after his 2006 graduation, Katzenbach was able to utilize his skills immediately as he worked on repairs, appraisals, stone cutting and custom work.

“It was the holidays – the busiest time of year for jewelers – and I was able to handle every project I was given with ease because of my GIA experience,” he says.

After a year, he began to travel around the state, selling Maine tourmaline to other jewelers. That experience, he says, opened the door to starting his own business in 2010.

“My career has been all over the place, and I try to do a bit of everything,” Katzenbach says. He wants to work on perfecting his engraving techniques, using the skills Hargrave showed him to carve larger sculptures. He also continues to create custom designs, such as the award-winning tourmaline ring.

This matched bi-color tourmaline suite, including an AGTA Spectrum award-winning ring, was designed by GIA alumnus Derek Katzenbach and recently gifted to GIA by a private donor in memory of Nicholas Scott Golden, University of Maine Geology student to the Institute by a private donor. The 14K white gold pieces, featuring tourmalines from California’s Himalaya Mine, also feature yellow diamonds, tsavorites, and rubellite. Photo by Orasa Weldon/GIA
The client who purchased that ring also commissioned a matching pendant necklace and earrings, and recently gifted the entire suite to GIA.

“Having that suite donated to GIA makes that award mean even more,” he says. “GIA was the starting point for so much knowledge and hard work. I’m so happy to see pieces of jewelry like that being preserved, shown to students, and kept in the place that gave me the knowledge to do such fine work.”

Derek Katzenbach, GJG, is an award-winning jeweler and gem cutter who studied at GIA’s world headquarters in Carlsbad in 2005 and 2006. His advice for current students? “Utilize the library,” he says. “The Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library and Information Center is world-class, and you will most likely never again have the opportunity to access so much knowledge about our trade, right in front of you.”  Courtesy of Derek Katzenbach
And though he’s created award-winning designs and one-of-a-kind pieces for clients, Katzenbach’s favorite piece of jewelry is his own hammered gold wedding ring, made of gold nuggets from a nearby river that he melted down. Katzenbach, who lives in Farmington with his wife, Laura, and their children, Kyran and Scarlett, knows that piece may be hard to top, but looks forward to what lies ahead.

“The best part of my job is looking for the next big project,” he says. And whatever that project is, Katzenbach says if his designs inspire curiosity, he knows he’s doing something right.

“It means I’m on the right track.” Source: GIA @topic:9


Title: 2018 Tucson Events Encourage Alumni to Connect with GIA – and Each Other Abstract: From left: Anna Barinova, Olga Galant, Marion Kurochkina and Patrick Dreher pose with a special representation of Richard. T. Liddicoat at the 2018 Party at the GIA Gem Mine in Tucson recently.

More than 400 alumni and guests from 15 countries gathered for the 2018 Party at the GIA Gem Mine in Tucson recently to re-connect with former classmates, meet new industry friends, and perhaps even establish a new business relationship.

This year, it was also an opportunity to celebrate what would have been the 100 birthday of Richard T. Liddicoat, the world-renowned gemologist, statesman for the gem and jewelry industry and beloved second president of GIA. Photos, mementos and videos highlighting Liddicoat’s life and legacy were on display at the event and Susan Jacques, president and CEO of GIA, paid tribute to his contributions to GIA and gemology.

Liddicoat served as an instructor, president and chairman of the board of GIA for more than 60 years. He and his colleagues established the universal standards for evaluating the quality of diamonds – the 4Cs of diamond quality and the International Diamond Grading system for D-to-Z diamonds – and he was editor-in-chief of Gems & Gemology for more than 50 years.

Liddicoat was also the guiding force, along with GIA veteran Robert Ernest, behind the creation of the GIA Alumni Association in 1982. They recognized the benefit of organizing GIA graduates around the world to encourage and promote education, news and business networks that support integrity and knowledge in the gem and jewelry industry. Today, the organization is more than 120,000 members strong with 70 chapters around the world.

“Some of you may have personally known or met Mr. Liddicoat and remember your encounters with him with a smile,” Jacques said. “He had a way of making you feel like you were the most important person to him in that moment. Mr. Liddicoat relished time spent with students, graduates and those who shared his passion for gemology around the globe.”

Susan Jacques, president and CEO of GIA and Larry French, chief officer of North American strategies for the Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation, with Catherine Zheng grand prize winner of the 2017 Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design.
The event was also an opportunity to display the original design renderings of the finalists of the first-ever Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design. Catherine Zheng, a real estate broker who studied jewelry design in Carlsbad, was shocked and thrilled when Jacques that she was the grand prize winner.

Jacques then kicked off the always exciting and competitive live auction, led by GIA alumni Joseph DuMouchelle and Lindy Adducci, of DuMouchelle Auctions, who volunteer their professional services each year. All proceeds from the event support the Alumni Endowment Fund. This year’s event raised more than $40,000 from event tickets and the silent and live auctions. More than 70 items, including loose gemstones and pearls, designer jewelry, mineral specimens, equipment, books and more were available to bid on.

 “A special thank you to all of our auction contributors, supporters, event volunteers and attendees,” said Kate Donovan, manager of global alumni relations. “We look forward to seeing you all next year.”

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Alumni Leadership Breakfast
GIA Alumni Association chapter leaders and senior GIA executives also gathered in Tucson for a breakfast meeting that included interactive dialog between alumni volunteer ambassadors and GIA executives who presented and shared GIA’s commitment to support alumni worldwide with programs and expanded benefits.

More than 40 leaders from 15 chapters attended, along with GIA executives Susan Jacques, president and chief executive officer; Bev Hori, senior vice president of education and chief learning officer; Duncan Pay, newly appointed chief academic officer; Jennifer Wilson, senior vice president and executive counsel; Seung-Hae Moon, managing director of Asia Pacific; Robert Weldon, director of the Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library and Information Center; Susan Schindelar, vice president of global marketing; and Stephen Morisseau, director of corporate communications.

More than 40 leaders from 15 chapters attended gathered in Tucson for a breakfast meeting with GIA executives to discuss alumni programs and activities. Photo by Anna Cournoyer/GIA
Kate Donovan, manager of global alumni relations, welcomed the attendees and thanked all of the global alumni leaders (and chapters) for their work throughout the year to support local graduates, students, the industry and the public.

Jacques expressed her enthusiasm for the Alumni Association and assured the group of GIA’s commitment to support chapter initiatives by providing relevant resources. She provided an update on GIA services and spoke about Symposium, encouraging the group to sign up. She also urged the group to actively reach out to new alumni and invite them to participate in local chapter activities.
GIA Exhibits and Displays
GIA representatives were available at several booths and displays throughout the Tucson shows. GIA’s main booth at the AGTA show offered information on On-Campus and Distance Education; scholarships; laboratory services; and instruments.

The renderings of the 12 finalists for the first ever Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation Award for Excellence in Jewelry Design were also available to view. The competition was open to individuals who successfully completed a 2017 Jewelry Design course at any GIA campus worldwide. The winner was announced at the alumni party.
Tucson Gem and Mineral Show
The GIA museum showcased Liddicoatite tourmaline’s unrivaled variety of colors and intricate zonation. Liddicoatite was recognized as a new mineral species in 1977, named in honor of Richard T. Liddicoat (1918–2001), then president of GIA, in recognition of his enormous contribution to gemological knowledge and professionalism.

The Richard T. Liddicoat Library and Information Center displayed an exhibit that explored the history of crystallography through rare books, mineral specimens. Source: GIA @topic:10


Title: Italian Designer Forges Her Own Path in Bangkok Abstract: Giuliana Loglisci, GG, left, with a client during a 2017 Lucy G. Jewelry special event in Bangkok, the city where she completed her GIA studies and founded her business. “Bangkok is the perfect place for my company,” she says. Photo by Bharamee Thamrongmas © Giuliana Loglisci

The famous caves of Matera, Italy were carved into limestone thousands of years ago, and in 1899, the ancient city welcomed a high-end jewelry boutique called Gioielleria Loglisci dal 1899 to its streets.
Giulianna “Lucy” Loglisci, GIA GG, grew up in that historic store, which was founded by her father’s side of the family. She was an early jewelry lover and considers it a privilege to have grown up in an idyllic hometown “surrounded by diamonds, gemstones and specialty jewelry” as the family’s chain of stores expanded to multiple cities.

Giuliana Loglisci’s holiday job as a teenager was in sales at the family store, Gioielleria Loglisci dal 1899. The store, founded more than a century ago in the ancient cave city of Matera, Italy, now sells her designs. Photo by Franco Antodaro © Giuliana Loglisci
Loglisci worked at the Matera store as a teenager during the bustling Christmas seasons, but eventually moved to London in to gain additional experience with an Italian jeweler in England. Her parents recommended that she attend GIA, so Loglisci began to take diamond classes at the Institute’s London campus.
“I enrolled in GIA with the purpose of going back to work in my family business,” she says. “But while studying, I realized that if you really want to, you have the opportunity to do much more. That’s when I started dreaming of opening my own company.”
She also began thinking of where that company should be, and decided there was no place better than Bangkok, Thailand – both to finish her Graduate Gemologist diploma at GIA’s campus there, and to launch her own business.
“I was attracted to this new world where I had never been before, and to discover a new culture that was completely different from Europe,” Loglisci says. “Bangkok is known to be the heart of the colored gemstone business, so the idea to study and actually practice what I was learning while there was very appealing.”
Loglisci found that the Bangkok campus’ location offered invaluable practical experience along with her studies.

The new “Fruit Cocktail” collection from Lucy G. Jewelry features rings made in 9kt white gold with diamonds and colored stones including rubies; blue, pink, yellow and orange sapphires; tsavorite garnets; amethysts; Paraíba tourmalines. Photo © Giuliana Loglisci
“One of the best experiences I had was in the Colored Stones course, when GIA organized a trip to Chanthamburi, a ‘crazy’ gem market in Thailand about three hours’ drive from Bangkok,” she says. “We visited a sapphire mine first, then the market. I was shocked at some of the selling methods! Colored gemstones were sold on small, sometimes even broken, tables in the street, or in offices without doors.”
The hard work of earning her GG was no problem for Loglisci, who says each late night of studying was worth it.
“The GIA experience was great for me,” she says. “I met a lot of extraordinary people, and the courses I took gave me a foundation to enter a fascinating and complex business.”
After graduation, Loglisci interviewed with and got with a job working in operations, trade shows, sales and design with a Bangkok-based gem company at BaselWorld in 2015. She worked there for a year and is glad for the experience, but developing her own brand was still the bigger dream.

“Thanks to my GIA diploma, along with the practical experience I gained afterward, I’m able to understand what I am buying,” says Giuliana Loglisci, pictured wearing several of her Lucy G. Jewelry designs. “I have to buy many carats of diamonds and gemstones every day, and because of GIA, I know how to distinguish between them, understand their quality and work properly with the needed tools.” Photo by Mahyar Qajar © Giuliana Loglisci
“I wanted to create something on my own, with my style and creativity,” she says. “I decided to stay in Bangkok, because conditions to open and run a business here are completely different than in Europe. There are more possibilities and it is easier, from the company organization to the manufacturing.”
She launched Lucy G. Jewelry, focusing on pieces made from diamonds and colored stones in 9k gold. Her first collection, I Colori Della Frutta (“The Colors of the Fruits”), is “a bright and refreshing collection” based on the idea of mixing and matching earrings, rings, bracelets and necklaces from the line. Clients can lean into an “easy, fresh” style, or one that’s more sophisticated or even eccentric.
Her jewelry pieces can include rubies; blue, pink, yellow or orange sapphires; amethysts; tsavorites; Paraiba tourmalines; or black and colorless diamonds - or any combination of these gems.
“I want clients to be able to personalize jewelry so it ‘fits’ them,” Loglisci says.

These white gold earrings from Lucy G. Jewelry feature diamonds and orange sapphire center stones. Photo by Arjuna Irsutti © Giuliana Loglisci
Several jewelry stores in nine cities across Italy are already selling Lucy G. Jewelry, including her first client, Gioielleria Loglisci dal 1899. Though her parents were anxious about Loglisci starting her own line – and wanted her to return home – her determination won them over.
“I truly believed in myself and what I was doing, so they accepted that and began selling my products in their shop,” she says. “The more they sold it, the more they liked it. They believed in me and I will be forever thankful, because everything is better when you know you’re not alone.” Loglisci is also grateful for her GIA training as she prepares for further growth.
“GIA gave me excellent knowledge about diamonds and colored stones,” she says. “Thanks to my GIA diploma, along with the practical experience I gained afterward, I’m able to understand what I am buying. I have to buy many carats of diamonds and gemstones every day, and because of GIA, I know how to distinguish between them, understand their quality and work properly with the needed tools.
“I love what I do, and love seeing positive reactions from my clients. I’ve realized my dream, but will never settle – this is just the beginning.” Source: GIA @topic:11


Title: Jeweled Butterflies Welcome Spring Abstract: The butterfly has enchanted jewelry designers for centuries because of its breathtaking beauty. There’s also another reason this “flying flower” has transfixed the imagination. The butterfly is a universal symbol of transformation.

Consider how the humble caterpillar wraps itself in a cocoon. After about ten days, the butterfly emerges, the once-earthbound dweller now free to fly from leaf to leaf.

The spectacular metamorphosis of the butterfly has long been a symbol of our potential for growth. We all strive to reach greater heights, and the butterfly speaks of our yearning to soar in the direction of our dreams.

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Now that you know why the butterfly charms, let’s soar across the centuries and admire some of these bejeweled beauties.

Spring Eternal, an 18K yellow gold butterfly brooch by award-winning designer Paula Crevoshay, has a whimsical, dainty quality. Delicate lacework mirrors the papery wings of a real butterfly. Pink and yellow sapphires dot the butterfly’s wings, adding splashes of color. The pearl that is the body of the butterfly and the moonstone eyes evoke shimmering moonlight.

	Photo courtesy Paula Crevoshay
Buzz Gray and Bernadine Johnston, the creators of this complex brooch, are famous for selecting and cutting unusual gemstones. Their masterful handiwork and gemstone selection makes this butterfly take flight.

The vivid orange spessartine that is the body stands in sharp contrast to its delicate enamel wings, giving it a luminous glow. Black accents on the wings fall in symmetrical patterns, which are exceptionally difficult to create. These are some of the little details that make this a masterpiece.

Orange spessartine garnets from the Little Three Mine in Ramona, California, brighten this brooch, along with colorless diamonds and green tsavorite garnets from Kenya.

	Photo courtesy Buzz Gray and Bernadine Johnston
Diamond cutting methods were rudimentary when this antique piece (circa 1850) was made, but notice how the stones in the wings are graduated in size, starting as small flecks at the base and growing to larger rose-cut ones at the tips. This accomplishment would have been quite a challenge 250-plus years ago, and shows the craftsmanship of the designer.

Another nice embellishment is the scalloped edges of the wings, which give the butterfly a lifelike appearance. The brooch was probably worn with pearls or ribbons, or as a hairpiece.

	Photo courtesy Neil Lane Collection
This exquisite butterfly is particularly lifelike. Two rose-cut diamonds at the tip of the wings imitate the camouflage patterns of real butterflies.

Brilliant magenta and cobalt-blue sapphires that are the wings make for spectacular contrasts, and reveal exceptional micro-pavé work. The blackened gold antennae is a soothing counterpoint to the clash of colors.

	Gift of Dr. Gary R. and Barbara E. Hansen
A beautifully cut peridot is the body of this luminous butterfly. The asymmetrical patterns in the wings are reminiscent of Art Nouveau jewelry; the intricate metal work evokes veins.

One novel quality about this piece is that the wings are on springs (called En Tremblant), so they move with the wearer. An impressive and difficult design feat, En Tremblant makes the butterfly more than a static creation, but a piece that flutters as if it is alive.

En Tremblant was first introduced in the late 18th century in hair ornaments and became fashionable in diamond jewelry in the mid-19th century.

	Photo courtesy Buzz Gray and Bernadine Johnston Source: GIA @topic:6


Title: US Retailers Continue to Cite ‘Challenging’ Environment, Synthetic Melee Detected Abstract: Good demand for diamond jewelry at the March Hong Kong Gem and Jewellery Show helped buoy industry sentiment. Photo by Russell Shor/GIA

	U.S. employment figures continue to rise along with the stock market – and other economic indicators remain strong – but Signet Group’s latest lower results continue to point to a “challenging” retail environment. Signet is the largest jewelry chain in the U.S. and other large retail jewelers are seeing sales decline as well.

	So, what are the issues here?

	Signet’s CEO Mark Light spoke of weakening traffic in shopping malls, where nearly all of its stores are located, and a move to “omnichannel” retailing, which includes physical stores, online shopping and mobile phone/tablet buying. Signet’s online sales are down as well, however, and Blue Nile, which is expected to report later this month, may show stagnant or a decline in sales.

	Signet’s Kay/Jared division sales declined 4% while transactions declined 11%. Its Zale division fell 2.5% while e-commerce sales fell 1.6% all for the fourth quarter, which ended Jan. 25.

	Economists, both liberal and conservative, recognize that the decline in middle class purchasing power is directly affecting some consumer products – and jewelry is one of those categories. This trend is accelerating, they note, because millennials are making less money than the previous generation at this point in their lives. In jewelry, retailers serving the top end of the market generally have kept their numbers up and brands like Pandora are seeing large sales increases in the lower end. This is what drove the 3.8% increase in overall jewelry sales for 2016 that the U.S. Department of Commerce reported.

	In addition, diamond producers and other segments of the industry are trying to develop marketing campaigns designed to appeal to a millennial audience, which is besieged by competitive products and experience-oriented (travel, dining) opportunities, with incomes that have not kept pace.

	A fairly positive Hong Kong show this month lifted the spirits of the diamond trade and helped keep prices firm for most categories of polished stones. While there was some downtrading and discounting, Chinese retailers have reported demand improving after a long slump.

	De Beers remains optimistic and its $545 million February cycle (sight) saw prices slightly higher on average with few deferrals. Its January sale of $727 million was the highest in several years. Alrosa sold $390 million worth of rough and $12 million in polished during the same period, saying “demand appears to be stable.”

	Both DeBeers and Alrosa noted that the results of the Hong Kong Show give reasons for optimism.

	The upcoming Baselworld Fair should provide a bellwether for the luxury market; the early June JCK Show in Las Vegas will be a good indicator of the U.S. market.

	SYNTHETIC MELEE

	GIA’s lab in Mumbai flagged more than 100 synthetic melee diamonds in a parcel of 323 stones in early March, which brought home trade concerns that parcels of melee that normally do not go through grading labs could contain synthetic stones.

	The GIA Melee Analysis Service, which provides an automated analysis to identify possible synthetic and treated diamonds in melee-sized parcels, found 101 chemical vapor deposition (CVD) melee diamonds in the parcel, which averaged 0.14 and 0.15 ct. stones.

	Dr. Wuyi Wang, GIA director of research and development, said that the Melee Analysis Service launched in December has regularly identified small numbers of synthetics mixed into parcels. This, however, is the first time that such a large percentage of man-made material was identified.

The Jonker No. 5 diamond – to be auctioned by Christie’s on May 30 – is a key part of a legendary collection of diamonds from the world famous 726 carats Jonker rough, discovered by Jacob Jonker in 1934. Photo courtesy of Christie’s Images

	AUCTIONS

	Christie’s will auction the 25.27 ct Jonker V in Hong Kong on May 30. It is the fifth largest diamond from a piece of rough that made headlines when it was found 93 years ago.

	The 1934 discovery of a 726-carat diamond in South Africa by an artisanal miner named Jacob Jonker made world headlines that followed the diamond to New York, where it was purchased by Harry Winston. Winston entrusted the job of cutting it to the master diamond cutter Lazare Kaplan, who studied the diamond for several months before attempting to cleave it, according to a 1936 article in National Geographic Magazine.

	At the moment when Kaplan was about to strike the first blow, he noticed a slight bend in a surface crack that told him his calculations were wrong. After recalculating, he successfully cleaved the diamond into 13 stones – including the 25.27 ct diamond that Christie’s will auction.

	The D, VVS1 diamond, graded by GIA, is a rectangular cut and is conservatively estimated to sell for between $2.2 million and $3 million. Source: GIA @topic:8


Title: Durability of a Broken Glass-Filled Ruby Abstract: Figure 1. Left: The two pieces of a glass-filled ruby were combined to demonstrate its appearance before breaking. Center and right: The two pieces that broke during the setting process. Photos by Lai Tai-An Gem Lab.

	It is no secret that corundum is subjected to heating and fracture-filling treatments to alter its color and improve its clarity in order to increase the market value. Heat treatment in particular has become common practice and is generally accepted in the market, provided it is fully disclosed. The trade and end consumer are more concerned about the term “residue,” what it means, and how it affects the stone. Many heat-treated stones are easy to detect with magnification, and a recent case submitted to the Lai Tai-An Gem Laboratory involving a broken ruby revealed how heat treatment applied to rubies can influence durability.

	The client claimed that the ruby in question (figure 1) was broken into two pieces by a goldsmith who only applied standard pressure on the claws when setting the stone in a piece of jewelry. The ease with which the stone broke under these normal conditions caused the jeweler to submit the piece for examination.

	The original ruby measured 8.2 × 5.7 × 4.1 mm and weighed 2.08 ct, while the two pieces weighed 1.10 ct and 0.98 ct after the damage. Identical refractive index readings of 1.762–1.770 were obtained and a specific gravity of 4.00 was determined on each piece. Further observation under long-wave UV light revealed a weak red reaction, and Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectra were indicative of ruby. The stone’s natural origin was proved when extensive twinning, white acicular inclusions, and parting planes were observed through a gemological microscope. Some white flaky glass residues (figure 2) were also seen on broken surfaces, and numerous tiny gas bubbles were observed within some fractures. Flattened filler was also visible within the partially healed fractures (figure 3). When analyzed with a Micro-XRF M4 Tornado Bruker spectrometer, the filling material showed significant silica content.

	Figure 2. Visible white flaky "residue" seen on broken surfaces of the ruby. Photo by Lai Tai-An Gem Lab; field of view 4.25 mm.

	Figure 3. Areas of whitish filler were noted within some surface-reaching fractures. Photo by Lai Tai-An Gem Lab; field of view 4.8 mm.

	DiamondView observations revealed that the residue within some fractures was more opaque (figure 4), confirming the existence of glass filler. While the application of heat treatment together with glass filler usually improves a ruby’s clarity, some fractures may not heal completely. Since the starting material is often of low quality, the industry and consumers should be alert to the potential risk of damaging stones during the mounting process. Careful inspection of any stone prior to setting is recommended.

	Figure 4. These images show the appearance of the white silica glass filler residue on some fracture surfaces under normal lighting conditions (visible light, left) and as opaque dark areas against the bright red ruby reaction in the DiamondView (right). Photos by Lai Tai-An Gem Lab. Source: GIA @topic:3


Title: Book Review: Precious Cufflinks: From Pablo Picasso to James Bond Abstract: Walter Grasser, Franz Hemmerle, and Duke Alexander von Württemberg, hardcover, 112 pp., publ. by Hirmer Publishers, Munich, 2016, $49.95.

	Engaged by the 18th century popularization of wearing birthstones as totems of good fortune and protection, it has taken a decade to search for gemstones and designs to complete my “Cufflinks of the Month” club. Therefore, I looked forward to this new work with great anticipation.

	From its title, Precious Cufflinks: From Pablo Picasso to James Bond by Walter Grasser, Franz Hemmerle and Duke Alexander von Württemberg promised to be a pictorial delight and an interesting scholarly work. Written in German and English, the book follows a timeline of gentlemen’s adornment from the l700s to the present day. Regrettably, the cynics were proved correct when they say promises were meant to be broken.

	The title is a tease in that publicity stills of Picasso and Daniel Craig as James Bond were placed in the book solely because both men were wearing shirts requiring cufflinks. I was expecting scholarly references to Picasso’s artistry or references by Ian Fleming to this unique aspect of gentlemen’s jewelry, but my hopes were all for naught. While the book’s stated purpose was to be a chronicle of German artistry pertaining to cufflinks, it is nothing more than a hardcover trade magazine. Advertisements from noted German jewelry firms are found at the end of the book. This would explain why so many examples of modern-day cufflinks were attributable to the advertisers. In their respective sections, the authors would reveal a bit of trivia or make a generalized statement regarding the historical aspect of certain styles or themes of cufflinks. However, these were just fleeting references, whereas cufflinks aficionados, jewelry designers, or readers with a definitive interest in jewelry history would expect stronger documentation or at the least more to support what was written.

	Depicting cufflinks throughout the 19th and 20th centuries was accomplished through artful photography. Beautiful colored gemstones, exacting enamel work, and clever examples of thematic artistry associated with gentlemen of leisure are displayed so as to allow close up inspection.  One pair of note, of German origin, depicted game birds engraved and painted on rock crystal quartz. A more modern pair from 1960 featured deer teeth as a hunting trophy.  Sadly, careful gemological descriptions were lacking. More often than not, no references to the fineness of the metals used were given. Egregious use of misnomers for gemstones were glaringly apparent, such as referring to nephrite as “Russian Jade.”

	Had the promise of the premise of exploration of artistry in German jewelry for gentlemen been better fulfilled through more in-depth analysis and explanation of the major artists of the time, this book would have been an important addition to any jewelry library. It is, however, a pleasant book to look through, and useful for gleaning a very few nuggets of information. Source: GIA @topic:6


Title: Alum Leads Family Store to ‘Luxury Retailer of the Year’ Accolades Abstract: “Don’t be afraid to try new things and keep tabs on other small business success stories, whether they are in your industry or not,” says Sean Dunn, GG. Dunn helped lead his family’s store to increased growth – and industry acclaim – by embracing e-commerce at a time when few independent retailer jewelers were doing so. Photo courtesy J.R. Dunn Jewelers

	Sean Dunn could have played it safe in the early 2000s, when his family’s luxury retail jewelry store was struggling with online strategy just “like everyone else.” Instead, he launched into relatively unknown territory for an independent store at the time: e-commerce.

	Dunn, vice president of Florida’s J.R. Dunn Jewelers, watched the store’s website flounder even though he was hearing industry murmurs of department stores finding success with online jewelry sales.

	“It dawned on me that I needed to hire somebody with actual experience to run our website,” he says. Numerous interviews brought “polite” candidates who praised the company’s website and said they could do “more of the same.”

	Dunn says that, finally, one applicant was direct: “She said, ‘You have a pretty website – what but does it do?’”

	He hired her, and in just over a month, J.R. Dunn released a fully functional e-commerce site: jrdunn.com.

	“One of our first sales within weeks of launch was a $4,000 pair of Roberto Coin diamond hoop earrings to a new client in North Carolina,” he says. “That’s when my love of e-commerce was born.”

	The industry began taking notice of the company’s success, and in 2015, JCK named J.R. Dunn its “Luxury Retailer of the Year” for “redesigning retail.”

	“We were one of the very first independents to go full speed ahead deploying our e-commerce site,” says Dunn, a GIA Graduate Gemologist (GG). “But we could never have imagined receiving an award for it more than a decade later!”

 When J.R. Dunn founders James Robert and Ann Marie Dunn (center) found out that their new jewelry store was burglarized while the couple was in between insurance policy coverage in the early 1970s, the couple went door-to-door explaining the situation and paid for each customer’s lost items out of their own pockets. “It was a tough but valuable lesson to always face the music, make good on your word and treat people how you would want to be treated,” says Sean Dunn, pictured (second from left) with his family. “My parents did just that, and their business blossomed from their misfortune – it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.” Photo courtesy J.R. Dunn Jewelers

	The “we” is Dunn’s family – including his parents and J.R. Dunn founders, James Robert and Ann Marie Dunn, and his maternal uncle, award-winning designer Robert Pelliccia – all of whom work for the store.

	“We all have areas of the business we are passionate about, and that energy is contagious,” he says.

	The family gets “really excited” when Pelliccia (who has won 16 design awards, including three De Beers Diamonds Today awards, one Buyer’s Choice Award from Modern Jeweler, and 12 American Gem Trade Association Spectrum awards) previews a new design.

	James Robert and Ann Marie Dunn, who founded the company in Hanover, Massachusetts in 1969 before moving to southeast Florida a few years later, always had zeal for the jewelry industry. James Robert Dunn even took gemology classes at GIA in New York during his time off from a job at IBM, learning under the tutelage of GIA legends, such as Bert Krashes and Robert Crowningshield.

	But for their son, jewelry wasn’t a given.

	“Mom and Dad really eased me into it,” says Dunn, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from the University of Florida. “After college, I saw my buddies going to career fairs and not finding many jobs they loved, and my dad said, ‘Why don’t you take your surfboard and drive across the country to California and learn about diamonds and gemstones and see how you like it?’”

 “There are always challenges and opportunities,” says Sean Dunn, a GIA GG and avid surfer. “The sooner you jump on both, usually the better the outcome.” Photo courtesy J.R. Dunn Jewelers

	Dunn agreed, and “ended up loving the entire experience” as a GG student at GIA’s former Santa Monica campus and headquarters.

	“It was amazing to meet so many interesting people from all over the world, and learn not only about gems, but other cultures as well,” he says. “The instructors were very passionate about the curriculum, and that helped inspire me.”

	Dunn heard GIA was having a Jewelry Career Fair right about the time he was graduating in 1996 and called his father for advice on what to do.

	“He quipped, ‘Get yourself a job!’” Dunn says.

	Dunn took his directive and interviewed with companies from Sotheby’s to Robbins Bros. He accepted an offer from Ben Bridge Jewelers to work for the South Coast Plaza store in Costa Mesa, California.

	Dunn calls his time at GIA and Ben Bridge as “terrific” and essential.

	“GIA provided a great foundation,” he says. “Not only does a GIA education give you the confidence and knowledge necessary to believe in yourself, it gives you tremendous credibility with clients and industry peers.”

 J.R. Dunn Jewelers’ brick-and-mortar location is an 8,000-sq. ft. luxury retail store in Lighthouse Point, Florida. Photo courtesy J.R. Dunn Jewelers

	Dunn returned to South Florida in 1997 and has served as vice president of J.R. Dunn ever since. He touches aspects of the business from marketing to management, but says no day is typical.

	“My single most important responsibility is to make sure our clients are happy and to address any areas where we may fall short in a swift and meaningful way,” Dunn says. “And I love being surrounded by a passionate team that’s pulling for the same goals. I thrive on new ideas, whether they’re mine or not, and I love the opportunity to put them into play.” Source: GIA @topic:8


Title: Amber Care and Cleaning Guide Abstract: The red and green dyes in this bracelet’s amber pieces can fade over time.

Hardness and toughness
Gem and mineral hardness is measured on the Mohs scale. The numbers are based on the relative ease or difficulty with which one mineral can be scratched by another. But the Mohs scale is deceptive. The steps between the minerals are not evenly spaced. For example, diamond is only one number away, but it’s many times harder than gems in the corundum family.

Amber is soft compared to gem minerals and many other organics. It falls between 2 and 2.5 on the Mohs scale. Amber also has poor toughness, so care must be taken when wearing amber not to scratch and damage it.

	At Mohs 2 to 2.5, amber is a soft gem and care must be taken not to scratch it.
Stability
Amber burns at relatively low temperatures. With prolonged exposure to light it might darken, and it can be damaged by chemicals.

Cleaning
The only safe way to clean amber is with warm, soapy water. Be sure to use a mild soap.

Treatment and durability considerations
The dyes used to color amber are not stable and can change or fade under certain circumstances. Source: GIA @topic:13


Title: Alexandrite Care and Cleaning Guide Abstract: Alexandrite is a beautiful, rare, and durable gemstone. - © GIA & Tino Hammid, courtesy Simon Watt, Watt Gems

Hardness and toughness
Gem and mineral hardness is measured on the Mohs scale. The numbers are based on the relative ease or difficulty with which one mineral can be scratched by another. But the Mohs scale is deceptive. The steps between the minerals are not evenly spaced. For example, diamond is only one number away, but it’s many times harder than gems in the corundum family.

Alexandrite is relatively hard—8.5 on the Mohs scale. It has excellent toughness and no cleavage, which is a tendency to break when struck. This makes it a good choice for rings and other mountings subject to daily wear.

	Alexandrite ranks 8.5 on the Mohs hardness scale.
Stability
Alexandrite is stable under normal wearing conditions, which means it’s resistant to the effects of heat, light, and common chemicals.

Cleaning
Warm, soapy water is always safe for cleaning alexandrite. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are usually safe.

Treatment and durability considerations
Alexandrites are usually not treated, although they might have fractures.  Fracture-filled gemstones should only be cleaned with warm, soapy water. Source: GIA @topic:3