Gem & Jewelry POCKET GUIDE A traveler’s guide to buying diamonds, colored gems, pearls, gold and platinum jewelry Renée Newman International Jewelry Publications Los Angeles Copyright © 2015 by International Jewelry Publications First published 2001 Revised & reprinted 2003 Revised & reprinted 2005 Revised & reprinted 2006 Revised & reprinted 2007 Revised 2015 (First digital edition) All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used, reproduced, or transmitted in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the publisher except in the case of brief quotations used in critical reviews and articles. This publication is sold with the understanding that the publisher and author are not engaged in rendering legal, financial, or other professional services. All inquiries should be directed to: International Jewelry Publications P.O. Box 13384, Los Angeles, CA 90013-0384 USA (Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with inquiry). The Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data for the print version is available from the Library of Congress ISBN: 978-0-929975-30-6 (print) ISBN: 978-0-929975-49-8 (E-book) Cover photo: Jewelry and gems from Cynthia Renée, Inc; photo: John Parrish. Cover background photo: Dean Lange. Title page photo: Ruby, sapphire, emerald, diamonds and pearls. Rings and photo from Jye Luxury Collection. Contents Acknowledgments 1/Colored Stone Price Factors in a Nutshell Why the 4 C’s isn’t an Adequate Pricing System Price Factors Explained 2/Gemstone Treatments Gem Treatments Why Some Treatments are More Accepted than Others Precautions to Take When Buying Expensive Gems 3/Synthetic & Imitation Gems Deceptive Practices 4/Colored Gemstones Alexandrite & Cat’s-eye (Chrysoberyl) Amethyst & Other Quartz Gems Ammolite Chalcedony Emerald, Aquamarine & Other Beryls Garnet Iolite Jade (Jadeite & Nephrite) Kunzite (Spodumene) Lapis Lazuli Malachite Moonstone & Some Other Feldspars Opal Peridot Ruby & Sapphire (Corundum) Spinel Tanzanite (Zoisite) Topaz Tourmaline (a group of mineral species) Turquoise Zircon 5/Diamonds Diamond Price Factors in a Nutshell 6/Gems from Living Organisms Pearl Price Factors in a Nutshell Amber Coral Ivory 7/Gold, Platinum, Palladium & Silver Other Jewelry Metal Terms 8/Jewelry Craftsmanship Mountings Settings 9/Notable Gem Sources Africa Asia Europe Near & Middle East North America South America South Pacific 10/Euphemisms, Marketing Terms & Misnomers Trade Euphemisms Translated into Clear English Misnomers 11/Having Jewelry Custom Made 12/Choosing a Jeweler How to Determine if a Seller is Knowledgeable and Candid 13/Making the Purchase General Guidelines Credit Cards Versus Debit Cards When Problems Arise 14/Choosing an Appraiser How to Find a Qualified Independent Appraiser Qualifications to Look For Appraisal Fees What Does the Insurance Appraisal Include? 15/Gem Lab Documents How Lab Reports are Sometimes Misused Tips on Using Lab Reports 16/Customs Common Regulations Duty-free Goods and Exemptions U.S. Duty Rates on Jewelry and Gems Tips on Avoiding Hassles with Customs Websites for Customs Regulations Index Other Books by Renée Newman Acknowledgments I’d like to express my appreciation to the following people for their contribution to the Gem & Jewelry Pocket Guide: Dean & Lois Lange. They gave me the idea of writing a pocket guide for travelers. Ernie and Regina Goldberger of the Josam Diamond Trading Corporation. This book could never have been written without the experience and knowledge I gained from working with them. Eve Alfillé, C. R. Beesley, Michael Fleming, Pete Flusser, Josh Hall, Richard Hughes, James Joliff, Don Kay, Doug Kato, Jack Liu, Dean & Lois Lange, Beryl Kirk, Jurgen Maerz, Jeff Mason, Don Palmieri, Sindi Schloss, Kathrin Schoenke, Robert Shapiro, Nancy Stacy, John White and Cara Williams. They’ve made valuable suggestions, corrections and comments regarding the portions of the book they examined. Carrie G Fine Gems, Peggy Croft, Ernie & Regina Goldberger, King Plutarco, Danny & Ronny Levy, Overland Gems, Andrew Sarosi, Timeless Gem Designs, Varna Platinum. Their stones or jewelry have been used for some of the photos. AGIL, AGL, A & Z Pearls, AIGS, Eve Alfillé, Robert Bentley, Barbara Berk, Martha Borzoni, Hassan Bounkit, Katy Briscoe, Evan Caplan, Loretta Castoro, Coast-to-Coast Rarestones, Columbia Gem House, Commercial Mineral Co, Sara Commers, Paula Crevoshay, Cynthia Renée Inc., Thomas Dailing, Desert Sun Mining, Different Seasons Jewelry, DMS Co., Gary Dulac, Roy Rudolph Duran, John Dyer, Earthstone Co., Lisa Elser, Claudia Endler, Finer Jewelry, Fire Agate Art Studio, GGTL, GIA, Dave Gibson, Mark Grunland, Gubelin, Cary Harris, Alexandra Hart, Vincent Hawley, Barbara Heinrich, Lou Hernandez, Hubert, Jade by Nikolai, Jye Luxury Collection, Lore Kiefert, King’s Ransom, Korite Intl, Joe Landau, Lang Antique & Estate Jewelry, Gail Levine, Jack Liu, Mark Henry Jewelry, Mason-Kay, Mayer & Watt, Fred Mouawad, Pearce Jewelers, Omi Privé, Pala Intl, Guy Pushee, Quadamas, Linda Quinn, Todd Reed, Repousse Jewelry, Whitney Robinson, Mark Sadovsky, Mark Schneider, Sherris Cottier-Shank, SSEF, Stone Group Labs, Studio Jewelers, Suna Bros, Three Graces Antique Jewelry, Varna Platinum, Stephen Vincent, Tatyana Vyalkin, Leslie Weinberg, Jeff White, Larry Woods, Zaffiro, and Clay Zava. Photos or lab reports from them have been reproduced in this book. Louise Harris Berlin, the editor. Thanks to her, this book is easier for consumers to read and understand. My sincere thanks to all of these contributors for their help. 1/Colored Stone Price Factors in a Nutshell The following factors can affect the prices of colored gems: Color Cut quality (proportions and finish) Stone shape and cutting style Carat weight or stone size Clarity (degree to which a stone is free from flaws) Transparency (degree to which a stone is clear, hazy, cloudy or opaque) Treatment status (untreated or treated? type and extent of the treatment) Distinctness of phenomena if present (e.g., stars, cat’s-eyes, alexandrite’s color change, opal’s play-of-color) The pricing of colored gems is also determined by market factors such as demand, form of payment, buyer’s credit rating, amount purchased and competitors’ prices. Sometimes you can find the same dealer selling a stone of higher quality for less than one of lower quality. This is because the rough for the higher quality stone may have cost less. Or, the rate of currency exchange could have been more favorable at the time the dealer purchased it. Therefore, you should not assume that higher price necessarily means higher quality. Conversely, lower price is not necessarily indicative of a deal.