By Antoinette L Matlins & A C Bonanno
Gemstone Press
1994/1989 ISBN 0-943763-03-7
Gemstone Press writes:
Today, knowing your gems, being absolutely sure about what you are buying and selling, is essential. Major changes in the gem world—new synthetic stones, new treatments to enhance and conceal, new gems, and more stones available in every hue and tone of color—make accurate gem identification more important than ever to both buyers and sellers.
Whether you are the owner of a large retail jewelry chain or small family-run business, someone who enjoys collecting or acquiring gems for personal pleasure, or a serious investor, insufficient knowledge can be costly. It can result in a bad purchase, damage to a reputation, and, equally significant, failure to recognize an opportunity.
With minimal effort and a nominal investment in several instruments, almost anyone can venture into the world of gemology and begin to experience the thrill and fun of discovery—learning just what a particular stone really is. You can learn to separate real from imitation, one look-alike from another, dyed from natural, and so on. Sometimes just a basic knowledge of how to use a simple instrument is all that is needed to avoid an expensive mistake or recognize a profitable opportunity.
Contrary to what many people believe, it isn’t necessary to spend $100000 (or more) for elaborate gem testing equipment. For less than $200, one can begin with just three pocket instruments: the loupe, Chelsea filter, and dichroscope. Use together, these three simple, portable instruments can enable one to identify almost 85% of the colored gemstone materials encountered today as well as diamonds and most diamond look-alikes. Once you have mastered these three, you can add other instruments to help you identify the remaining gemstone material and confirm identification made with pocket instruments.
While any one of these instruments alone is unusually insufficient to make a conclusive identification, a combination of two or more will usually be enough to tell you what you really have. The key, of course, is knowing how to use them and what to look for. That’s how Gem Identification Made Easy will help you. While years of training and experience are necessary to become qualified as a professional gemologist, with practice and a little hands-on work, you will find it takes surprisingly little time before you will feel more confident about what you are buying and selling.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Gemstone Market
In my opinion the gemstone market is definitely motivated by spontaneous human reactions, ignorance, fear and greed.
Gemstone Business
Think about it. Buying and selling gemstones is an art of passing gemstones from hand to hand until it finally disappears.
To Catch A Thief Movie
Memorable quote (s) from the movie:
Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly): Doesn't it make you nervous to be in the same room with thousands of dollars worth of diamonds, and unable to touch them?
John Robie (Cary Grant): No.
Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly): Like an alcoholic outside of a bar on Election Day?
John Robie (Cary Grant): Wouldn't know the feeling.
Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly): I have a feeling that tonight you're going to see one of the Riviera's most fascinating sights. I was talking about the fireworks!
John Robie (Cary Grant): I never doubted it.
Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly): The way you looked at my necklace, I didn't know... Even in this light, I can tell where your eyes are looking. Look, John. Hold them. Diamonds... The only thing in the world you can't resist. Then tell me you don't know what I'm talking about. Ever had a better offer in your whole life? One with everything?
John Robie (Cary Grant): I've never had a crazier one.
Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly): Just as long as you're satisfied!
John Robie (Cary Grant): You know as well as I do: this necklace is imitation.
Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly): Well, I'm not.
Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly): Doesn't it make you nervous to be in the same room with thousands of dollars worth of diamonds, and unable to touch them?
John Robie (Cary Grant): No.
Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly): Like an alcoholic outside of a bar on Election Day?
John Robie (Cary Grant): Wouldn't know the feeling.
Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly): I have a feeling that tonight you're going to see one of the Riviera's most fascinating sights. I was talking about the fireworks!
John Robie (Cary Grant): I never doubted it.
Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly): The way you looked at my necklace, I didn't know... Even in this light, I can tell where your eyes are looking. Look, John. Hold them. Diamonds... The only thing in the world you can't resist. Then tell me you don't know what I'm talking about. Ever had a better offer in your whole life? One with everything?
John Robie (Cary Grant): I've never had a crazier one.
Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly): Just as long as you're satisfied!
John Robie (Cary Grant): You know as well as I do: this necklace is imitation.
Frances Stevens (Grace Kelly): Well, I'm not.
How To Buy And Sell Gems
By Benjamin Zucker
Times Books
1979 ISBN 0-8129-0903-8
Times Books writes:
Mr Zucker has used his intimate knowledge as a dealer in gems, as well as general investment counselor, to write the first book exclusively devoted to guiding the would be investor in gems.
Richly illustrating his text with photographs of gems (most of them in his own collection), Mr Zucker explains the geological origins of the various precious gems and their relative values. He offers a unique instructional guide to assessing the quality of a gem (the difference in color, for example, between a ruby from Burma and one from Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and how to judge its present and likely future worth, with precise details on past and present prices.
The owner of what may be the most valuable sapphire in the world (it is on loan to the Museum of Natural History in New York City), Mr Zucker sketches the history of gem collecting through the voyages of Marco Polo, and great collection of Iran, to the Diamond Syndicate, explaining how it first developed and how it operates today. He takes the reader on a trip through the gem mining areas of the world in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Thailand, Burma, and Colombia, and lives his narrative throughout with anecdotes both personal and legendary, about custom, cutting, faceting, and dealing.
Most practically, several portfolios are suggested for the investor with $5000 to spend and the investor who is prepared to spend $20000 to $100000. With synthetic stones appearing more frequently on the market, Mr Zucker explains their introduction and methods, offers guidelines on how to determine if a gem is synthetic or genuine, and presents the latest discoveries in gemology.
Whether for the person interested only in the beauty and lore of these stones, or the person who wishes to buy gems for investment purposes, How To Buy And Sell Gems is an indispensable guide.
Times Books
1979 ISBN 0-8129-0903-8
Times Books writes:
Mr Zucker has used his intimate knowledge as a dealer in gems, as well as general investment counselor, to write the first book exclusively devoted to guiding the would be investor in gems.
Richly illustrating his text with photographs of gems (most of them in his own collection), Mr Zucker explains the geological origins of the various precious gems and their relative values. He offers a unique instructional guide to assessing the quality of a gem (the difference in color, for example, between a ruby from Burma and one from Ceylon (Sri Lanka), and how to judge its present and likely future worth, with precise details on past and present prices.
The owner of what may be the most valuable sapphire in the world (it is on loan to the Museum of Natural History in New York City), Mr Zucker sketches the history of gem collecting through the voyages of Marco Polo, and great collection of Iran, to the Diamond Syndicate, explaining how it first developed and how it operates today. He takes the reader on a trip through the gem mining areas of the world in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Thailand, Burma, and Colombia, and lives his narrative throughout with anecdotes both personal and legendary, about custom, cutting, faceting, and dealing.
Most practically, several portfolios are suggested for the investor with $5000 to spend and the investor who is prepared to spend $20000 to $100000. With synthetic stones appearing more frequently on the market, Mr Zucker explains their introduction and methods, offers guidelines on how to determine if a gem is synthetic or genuine, and presents the latest discoveries in gemology.
Whether for the person interested only in the beauty and lore of these stones, or the person who wishes to buy gems for investment purposes, How To Buy And Sell Gems is an indispensable guide.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Understanding Gemstones
The general public has not by and large taken Understanding Gemstones 101, and those who did sit through it have probably forgotten much of what they learned.
Being There Movie
Memorable quote (s) from the movie:
President "Bobby" (Jack Warden): Mr. Gardner, do you agree with Ben, or do you think that we can stimulate growth through temporary incentives?
Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers): As long as the roots are not severed, all is well. And all will be well in the garden.
President "Bobby" (Jack Warden): In the garden.
Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers): Yes. In the garden, growth has it seasons. First comes spring and summer, but then we have fall and winter. And then we get spring and summer again.
President "Bobby" (Jack Warden): Spring and summer.
Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers): Yes.
President "Bobby" (Jack Warden): Then fall and winter.
Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers): Yes.
Benjamin Rand (Melvyn Douglas): I think what our insightful young friend is saying is that we welcome the inevitable seasons of nature, but we're upset by the seasons of our economy.
Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers): Yes! There will be growth in the spring!
Benjamin Rand (Melvyn Douglas): Hmm!
Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers): Hmm!
President "Bobby" (Jack Warden): Hmm. Well, Mr. Gardner, I must admit that is one of the most refreshing and optimistic statements I've heard in a very, very long time. I admire your good, solid sense. That's precisely what we lack on Capitol Hill.
President "Bobby" (Jack Warden): Mr. Gardner, do you agree with Ben, or do you think that we can stimulate growth through temporary incentives?
Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers): As long as the roots are not severed, all is well. And all will be well in the garden.
President "Bobby" (Jack Warden): In the garden.
Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers): Yes. In the garden, growth has it seasons. First comes spring and summer, but then we have fall and winter. And then we get spring and summer again.
President "Bobby" (Jack Warden): Spring and summer.
Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers): Yes.
President "Bobby" (Jack Warden): Then fall and winter.
Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers): Yes.
Benjamin Rand (Melvyn Douglas): I think what our insightful young friend is saying is that we welcome the inevitable seasons of nature, but we're upset by the seasons of our economy.
Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers): Yes! There will be growth in the spring!
Benjamin Rand (Melvyn Douglas): Hmm!
Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers): Hmm!
President "Bobby" (Jack Warden): Hmm. Well, Mr. Gardner, I must admit that is one of the most refreshing and optimistic statements I've heard in a very, very long time. I admire your good, solid sense. That's precisely what we lack on Capitol Hill.
The Language Of Gemstones: 1
I speak two languages: Body and English.
-Mae West
I love people and gemstones. I work with people from around the world who want to learn about gemstones and their values so that they can make a living buying or selling gemstones. In a way people are like gemstones of mixed qualities. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors and disguises. I enjoy working with them.
No two people are alike. The amazing thing about people is: they have beauty, rarity, and complex behavioral traits, but not always durable. Every person is a unique species with its own chemical, physical and emotional properties. Under proper magnification most are emotionally complex gemstones. I have yet to find a flawless or near flawless person. Most are born with inclusions, live their lives one way or the other and die, but gemstones live on.
For some time I have been noticing a strange phenomenon. Most people have attention deficit traits. They see, but don’t see; they listen, but don’t listen, and they like gemstones. They won't admit it, but they are unique. They are good pretenders. At times I get more passionate about people than gemstones because gemstones don’t talk. Really.
I also like the silence and solitude of gemstones. They are spiritual and therapeutic. People always love to talk, all the time. Correct me if I am wrong? Gemstones have a strange way of connecting with people—by its color, shape, size, flashes and a good story. Gemstones have taught me to become a keen observer so that I am able to analyze complex situations and find solutions; sort of identifying gemstones and people without instruments. It’s not perfect science, but it works.
-Mae West
I love people and gemstones. I work with people from around the world who want to learn about gemstones and their values so that they can make a living buying or selling gemstones. In a way people are like gemstones of mixed qualities. They come in all shapes, sizes, colors and disguises. I enjoy working with them.
No two people are alike. The amazing thing about people is: they have beauty, rarity, and complex behavioral traits, but not always durable. Every person is a unique species with its own chemical, physical and emotional properties. Under proper magnification most are emotionally complex gemstones. I have yet to find a flawless or near flawless person. Most are born with inclusions, live their lives one way or the other and die, but gemstones live on.
For some time I have been noticing a strange phenomenon. Most people have attention deficit traits. They see, but don’t see; they listen, but don’t listen, and they like gemstones. They won't admit it, but they are unique. They are good pretenders. At times I get more passionate about people than gemstones because gemstones don’t talk. Really.
I also like the silence and solitude of gemstones. They are spiritual and therapeutic. People always love to talk, all the time. Correct me if I am wrong? Gemstones have a strange way of connecting with people—by its color, shape, size, flashes and a good story. Gemstones have taught me to become a keen observer so that I am able to analyze complex situations and find solutions; sort of identifying gemstones and people without instruments. It’s not perfect science, but it works.
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