DIAMOND CUTTING AND CHARGES
Diamond cutting is a highly specialized form of lapidary work using accurate equipment but depending upon the skill of the cutters for satisfactory final results. The cutting trade tends to cluster its shops in only a few places in the world where the necessary talented workmen, equipment suppliers, and suitable rough are […]

RESALE VALUES AND PROFIT MARGINS
Closely connected with the discussion above are resale values and the profit margins of the dealers who sold the gems. These must be discussed together since one depends upon the other. Only the naive person could believe that a $500 diamond bought today can be sold for the same price tomorrow. […]

INVESTMENT VALUES OF GEMS
Cut gems, especially diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and others equally vvaluable, are often considered to be “good” investments. It is true that a large amount of money can be placed in a few top-quality gems, and  if the need should arise, they can be more easily transported and disposed  of than bulkier items […]

INVESTMENT VALUES OF GEMS
Cut gems, especially diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and others equally vvaluable, are often considered to be “good” investments. It is true that a large amount of money can be placed in a few top-quality gems, and  if the need should arise, they can be more easily transported and disposed  of than bulkier items […]

DIAMOND MARKETING
While there is considerable give-and-take in the entire colored-stone marketing process, such is not the case with the diamond whose fate is closely regulated from mining to cutting. About 85 per cent of the world’s production of diamonds is controlled by the De Beers Syndicate which began its remarkable career many decades ago in […]

SALE OF CUT GEMS
Cut gems may be obtained from domestic professional lapidaries or imported from abroad already cut. The choice depends on cost and the cutting quality desired. If small gems are required as “side” stones or for pave work, it probably pays to import them already cut because labor charges abroad -are enough less […]

DISPOSITION OF ROUGH GEMSTONES IN THE UNITED STATES
Gemstones are today imported by a number of small to large dealers, some acting as retailers, some as wholesalers, and others principally to supply their own cutting establishments. To assure themselves of quality, most importers make periodic trips to the gem-producing countries, sight¬ing the various lots offered for […]

EXPORT PROBLEMS
It would be exceedingly naive for any inexperienced individual to travel to a gem-producing country such as Brazil, Burma, Thailand, Mada¬gascar, or Ceylon and expect to bring back quantities of rough or cut gems at bargain prices. First of all, the local experts are fully aware of values, some of them having been born […]

EXPORT PROBLEMS
It would be exceedingly naive for any inexperienced individual to travel to a gem-producing country such as Brazil, Burma, Thailand, Mada¬gascar, or Ceylon and expect to bring back quantities of rough or cut gems at bargain prices. First of all, the local experts are fully aware of values, some of them having been born […]

COBBING AND TESTING
When time permits, the field buyer turns his attention to the pile of “doubtful” material mentioned above. This contains crystals and frag¬ments of potential gem material which needs to be separated from waste. A typical example may be a large quartz crystal in which smoky quartz alternates with citrine, with the latter of […]