--A National Jeweler Article by Lauren McLemore (June 12, 2024)
"As prices of "The Big Three" skyrocket, supply dwindles, and focus on sustainability grows, an age of open-mindedness is dawning..."
Since the pandemic, Colored Gemstones have increased in popularity as well as in pricing. As sources and species of gemstones start to dwindle as mining localities open and close,
and the public seeks these gemstones, it becomes the the Rule of Supply and Demand. Over the past 45 years in the gemstone trade and traveling to various countries to be as close to the
source and cutting facilities as possible, it has been difficult to keep prices down for not only for the trade but also for the public. Over all these years, our sales have seen far more public and so-called
retail sales compared to the trade which includes jewelery stores, goldsmiths, other wholesalers, etc. Of course, we have stopped exhibiting to the public at shows and have also stopped traveling in general and
only infrequently visit stores. Cold calling on stores/goldsmiths is difficult because we are anything but the standard everyday gemstone dealer that walks into a store to offer gems in calibrated sizes and in common
species - we are dealers in Fine Quality Faceted Gemstones which are typically going to be found in exclusive or higher end stores, goldsmith and galleries. It is hard to be excited about gemstones that every single store
has in inventory; the same pieces or similar pieces can be seen in most stores and very few deal in distinctive jewelry. Custom Designs or Custom Jewelery for some stores that advertise this, aren't in the same category as
expected, where they can design unique pieces, cast them up in precious metal using All That Glitters gemstones, creating a one-of-a-kind unique piece. Their idea of Custom Designs/Jewelry is a brand name manufacturer, creating a line
of jewelry in inexpensive large gemstones suchs as lighter colored Amethyst, Citrine, Blue Topaz and the like, and they make them by the thousands and what happens once again, is you have that ring/design in thousands of stores
across not only the United States, but the world! So in general, we have to be very chosy in those store that we do visit to introduce ourselves and show some of our unique beautiful well cut gemstones. Thirty years ago, there
was a store in the Boston area that we would like to have had as clients, and for about three years, we would visit the store and attempt to talk to the owner, but we were always turned away. After a few years, got to show him one stone
and was invited to show others - he apologized three times and said "I'm Sorry - But I Didn't Know You Had Items Like This". Also, the CEO and President of Shreve, Crump and Lowe in Boston was urged to meet with us after recommendations from
her goldsmith and others who had seen some of our gemstones. We were a hit with her because as she said, her clientele couldn't visit other stores to price shop on our items because no other stores would have similar material!
If we are in an area and do decide to visit a store, it can be a quick visit as within one minute in looking at what is in the cases, we know whether they have the everyday common jewelry found in every store or are a store that knows and enjoys fine color!
All this being said, COLOR IS HERE. The Demand is out there; Prices have Gone Up and Will Continue to Rise. We haven't touched our pricing in general since purchased or faceted gemstones form our rough have entered our inventory. We have given up on keeping
track of our Published Gemstones on other websites, in books and magazines, as there are too many numerous cases to keep creating text/images every time one of our gemstones is published.
Buy Color Now - Color is Only Going Up...(AND Our Pricing hasn't been changed since our purchases and their original postings on our website!! Our Prices on Gemstones were a Buy back then and a Steal Now!!)
---L. Allen Brown, Owner of All That Glitters
Read More in This Months Article:
(Though this was written in 2024, expect pricing of fine material to continue to increase)
State of Colored Stones
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All That Glitters Monthly Special
