The first watch in the series commemorates his participation in the Civil Rights movement, marching from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.
Live From Tucson: 9 Colored Gemstone Market Updates
Experts run down the list of stones finding new life in the market and reveal which gemstone is the current darling of the trade.

Tucson, Ariz.—Every year, Tucson serves as the perfect backdrop for a market update from Gemworld International on current events, trends and other topics in the colored gemstone sector.
This year, President Richard Drucker and Vice President Stuart Robertson talked about pricing trends, and which stones are enjoying renewed popularity, among other topics.
Here are nine takeaways from their session held Thursday at the AGTA GemFair jewelry trade show.
1. Here’s what is happening in sapphires.
When it comes to the popular gem, blue still leads sales.
Most production of the corundum is now coming from Madagascar, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Ethiopia, Drucker said.
He said prices for heated material have come down due to oversupply—as mechanized mining puts so much more material in the market—while unheated material is scarce and demand is high, so prices have risen.
2. There’s some old stock coming into the market.
Though aquamarine has always been a staple, one thing Gemworld has noticed, Robertson said, is that for the first time in a long time, old mined material is coming out of the safes and into the market, putting more expensive pieces into play.
He said they expect to see more of that, especially since the supply of good rough leveled off last year along with a dip in some prices; these rare, high-quality stones “resist all that,” he said, so it’s an opportune time to bring them out.
They also are seeing some of the same with rubellite tourmaline.
3. Spinel is having its day.
There’s been plenty of chatter around spinel the past few years, so it’s not surprising Robertson said sales of the gemstone have been strong recently, especially when it comes to unusual colors like gunmetal gray, which offer a unique look at an affordable price point.
This follows the trend, he said, of unusual stones—special stones within an already known variety—gaining in popularity.
Much of this is coming from younger designers who are looking for something different.
4. Australian opals are the benchmark.
One of the main drivers for the opal market over the years has been that the Ethiopian material expanded the base and the knowledge of opal, Robertson said.
But as the stability of the material became a concern, Australia re-emerged as the “benchmark for quality” in opals.
He added that they’re seeing more in the U.S. shows and prices for the gemstones have risen again.
5.
There aren’t a lot of Burmese rubies on the market anymore, and prices for the larger, finer stones have skyrocketed.
Where they are seeing strength in the market is for East African rubies.
Prices for the heated rubies, Robertson said, have gone down because there’s so much supply. Ruby used to account for only about 20 percent of the corundum category, but that’s gotten closer to 50 percent or more in recent years.
“The demand is probably not going to support the level of production coming into the marketplace out of Mozambique and other places in the last few years,” he said.
Mozambique is, in fact, the dominant producer of ruby today, but where prices had gone up dramatically, they’ve started softening within the last few years as the market makes a correction.
6. And here’s what’s happening in popular greens.
Tsavorite prices also have come down, so Gemworld expects it to be one of the stronger sellers in green, and in garnets in general.
However, there’s not a lot of production now, especially as Tanzania continues to more closely regulate its mining sector.
The emerald market, meanwhile, has seen a fair amount of change.
While the Ethiopian material offered a lot of promise, Robertson said it was difficult to figure out its positioning in the marketplace.
Now, the main source seems to be Zambia, where production is good and yields decent green stones.
The issue that really continues to affect the emerald marketplace, he said, is enhancements.
“Every time there is some understanding of enhancements at the retail level and with the consumers, the producers start coming up with new narrative or new nomenclature, and it really confuses things,” Robertson said.
7. Garnets are currently the “trade darling.”
More designers are using garnets, especially in alternate colors like the purples that have popped up recently. And even though prices have risen, garnets continue to offer affordable color alternatives to a number of gems.
Robertson said they expect garnets to have a strong run this year.
8. Zircons offer similar advantages.
There’s more interest in zircon again because of its affordability, according to Gemworld, and that interest is extending beyond blue to include the earth tones.
9. Some labs have changed their alexandrite labeling.
According to Drucker, some labs are now listing any color-change chrysoberyl as alexandrite, which is
confusing some dealers when it comes to pricing.
The Latest

The catalog contains a complete listing of all the loose gemstones in stock, as well as information about the properties of each stone.

The company added a retailer dashboard to its site and three new birds to its charm collection, the cardinal, blue jay, and hummingbird.

As a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.

An additional 25 percent tariff has been added to the previously announced 25 percent.


The jewelry and accessories retailer plans to close 18 stores as part of the proceedings.

Its Springfield, Massachusetts, store is set to close as owner Andrew Smith heads into retirement.

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

Designer Hiba Husayni looked to the whale’s melon shaped-head, blowhole, and fluke for her new chunky gold offerings.

She will present the 23rd edition of the trend forecasting book at Vicenzaoro on Sept. 7.

Omar Roy, 72, was arrested in connection with the murder of jeweler Dionisio Carlos Valladares.

The New Orleans-based brand’s “Beyond Katrina” jewels honor the communities affected by the storm.

Lilian Raji explains why joining an affiliate network is essential for brands seeking placements in U.S. consumer publications.

As summer winds down, celebrate the sunny disposition of the month’s birthstones: peridot and spinel.

Moshe Haimoff, a social media personality and 47th Street retailer, was robbed of $559,000 worth of jewelry by men in construction outfits.

Xavier Dibbrell brings more than a decade of experience to the role.

The addition of Yoakum, who will lead Kay and Peoples, was one of three executive appointments Signet announced Thursday.

The insurance company’s previous president and CEO, Scott Murphy, has split his role and will continue as CEO.

The nearly six-month pause of operations at its Kagem emerald mine earlier this year impacted the miner’s first-half results.

The necklace uses spinel drops to immortalize the moment Aphrodite’s tears mixed with her lover Adonis’ blood after he was fatally wounded.

The diamond miner and marketer warned last week that it expected to be in the red after significantly cutting prices in Q2.

Jewelers of America’s 35th annual design contest recognized creativity, artistry, style, and excellence.

Tratner succeeds Andie Weinman, who will begin stepping back from the buying group’s day-to-day operations.

The president made the announcement via Truth Social Wednesday, adding that India also will face a penalty for its dealings with Russia.

The luxury titan’s star brand Gucci continued to struggle amid a "tough" environment.

Its opening marks the completion of the retailer’s new 11,000-square-foot store in the Texas capital.

Respondents shared concerns about tariffs and commentary on the “Big Beautiful Bill.”