MajorsApr 07, 2026
QVC Group’s Latest Filing Calls Its Future Into QuestionThe retailer failed to file its annual report on time and said it may issue a going concern warning.
EditorsJun 07, 2017
4 Takeaways from a Colorful Update in Vegas
Senior Editor Brecken Branstrator highlights a few points she took away from a presentation by the AGTA’s Doug Hucker at JCK Las Vegas.
According to a new MVI Marketing study of more than 1,000 American females, when visiting a jewelry store many of them think that the stores doesn’t offer enough color.
This means there’s a big opportunity for retailers to appeal to the consumers through colored gemstones.
Jumping on any chance to learn more about colored stones, I went to American Gem Trade Association CEO Doug Hucker’s education session at the JCK Las Vegas show.
Here are just a few ideas for retailers and updates on the gemstone market from the session that I thought were worth sharing.
1. Be conscious of how you’re adapting fashion and color trends to your store.
Read the consumer magazines as well as (obviously) trade. “Those magazines are talking about what your customer is doing with all the rest of her clothing and fashion, and you better have the ability to mix and match and work with those fashion choices,” Hucker said.
For example, with the color of the year, Greenery, there are a number of gems jewelers can stock to leverage that trend, from peridot and tourmaline to green garnet.
This doesn’t mean you have to buy in to the color 100 percent, but with these trends, consider not only how you can adapt them with gems, but also how you can offer a wide range of prices with those gems.
“When you think about those palettes of color that you see in Pantone, and you start saying, ‘That, to me, looks like pink coral or that looks like this,’ also be thinking, ‘What’s the top end of that color range for price, and what’s low end of color range for price?’”
2. Keep with the classics.
Consumers still want ruby, they still want sapphires, and they still want emeralds.
Along those same lines, though, the popularity of these stones has created an overall desire for their predominant colors, which means consumers might be open to similarly colored alternatives. There could be an opportunity to offer them exciting new stones.
“What is really changing today is that a woman doesn’t really want a ruby; she wants red. And she doesn’t want sapphire, she wants blue,” Hucker said.
3. Here’s what’s going on with the sourcing of the “big three.”
These days, most rubies are coming from Mozambique and Tanzania. Burma and Madagascar also are producing, but in smaller amounts.
Burmese rubies are special because they have a
higher concentration of chromium than anywhere else, and when chromium is combined with certain elements, it becomes fire-engine red, and chromium also fluoresces to sunlight.
Mozambique and Madagascar stones might not be quite as fire-engine red, and may have less of a pink suggestion, while Burmese and Ceylon rubies have a pinkish look.
All of this is to say that it’s important for retailers to understand what makes each gem special, Hucker said, and to be able to share information like this and tell the stories behind particular stones.
“The one thing that will make a customer buy a gem from you, rather than from him, is because when they ask you questions they get answers that they feel comfortable with,” he said.
Sapphire is still the most important gemstone going, Hucker said.
It has elegance, history and cache. Unlike ruby, where price goes up exponentially as the gem increases in size, prices of sapphires don’t increase so rapidly because it’s more common for them to be found in slightly larger sizes.
There has been a development on the sourcing of sapphires. A year and a half ago, there was a rush on an area in Madagascar where logging was taking place and the gems were then uncovered. It’s producing incredible material and the market is seeing larger sizes come from the country, even up to 50 carats, according to Hucker.
There’s not yet a lot of commercial-quality small goods coming from there, but they might enter the market soon.
For emeralds, meanwhile, the major source is Zambia, though Colombia still is a major producer and continues to be the most renowned.
The newest player is Ethiopia, though Hucker said he doesn’t think it’s going to impact the market considerably since other sources--especially Zambia and Colombia--are still so significant. They can be rather heavily included, and so could also be heavily treated, he added.
4. The market for fine quality is still good.
Despite a decline in the Chinese dollar and decreased spending, fine stones, especially when it comes to the big three, still are rare and command top dollar.
To appeal to the millennials, though, it’s important to provide then “inexpensive fun stuff,” Hucker said.
“Inexpensive comes with semi-precious gemstones, and fun comes with out of the ordinary.”
Don’t forget: This generation wants interesting products and products with story, which gemstones have in spades. Find the stones that competitors don’t have and get them in front of this generation of buyers.
Mozambique and Madagascar stones might not be quite as fire-engine red, and may have less of a pink suggestion, while Burmese and Ceylon rubies have a pinkish look.
All of this is to say that it’s important for retailers to understand what makes each gem special, Hucker said, and to be able to share information like this and tell the stories behind particular stones.
“The one thing that will make a customer buy a gem from you, rather than from him, is because when they ask you questions they get answers that they feel comfortable with,” he said.
Sapphire is still the most important gemstone going, Hucker said.
It has elegance, history and cache. Unlike ruby, where price goes up exponentially as the gem increases in size, prices of sapphires don’t increase so rapidly because it’s more common for them to be found in slightly larger sizes.
There has been a development on the sourcing of sapphires. A year and a half ago, there was a rush on an area in Madagascar where logging was taking place and the gems were then uncovered. It’s producing incredible material and the market is seeing larger sizes come from the country, even up to 50 carats, according to Hucker.
There’s not yet a lot of commercial-quality small goods coming from there, but they might enter the market soon.
For emeralds, meanwhile, the major source is Zambia, though Colombia still is a major producer and continues to be the most renowned.
The newest player is Ethiopia, though Hucker said he doesn’t think it’s going to impact the market considerably since other sources--especially Zambia and Colombia--are still so significant. They can be rather heavily included, and so could also be heavily treated, he added.
4. The market for fine quality is still good.
Despite a decline in the Chinese dollar and decreased spending, fine stones, especially when it comes to the big three, still are rare and command top dollar.
To appeal to the millennials, though, it’s important to provide then “inexpensive fun stuff,” Hucker said.
“Inexpensive comes with semi-precious gemstones, and fun comes with out of the ordinary.”
Don’t forget: This generation wants interesting products and products with story, which gemstones have in spades. Find the stones that competitors don’t have and get them in front of this generation of buyers.
More on Editors
The Latest
ColumnistsApr 07, 2026
Peter Smith: A Tip to the Post Office on Workplace CultureSmith recounts a recent trip to the post office that included an uncomfortable, embarrassing, and public exchange between two employees.
GradingApr 07, 2026
GIA CFO David Tearle to Retire in June John Cowley, who has more than 30 years of experience, is succeeding Tearle as the lab’s chief financial officer.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
CollectionsApr 07, 2026
Nerd Out Over Gemology Geek’s First Jewelry CollectionFounder Erica Silverglide has designed 35 colorful pieces set with fluorescing gemstones for the brand's first finished jewelry offering.
Weekly QuizApr 02, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CollectionsApr 07, 2026
Ukrainian Jewelers Highlighted In New Book“Ukrainian Jewelry | Contemporary Jewelry and Art Jewelry from Ukraine” features 33 contemporary Ukrainian designers and studios.
CollectionsApr 06, 2026
Fope’s New Jewelry Debuts Are Golden“The Golden Now” campaign celebrates the here and now with the brand’s signature styles and a selection of its new pieces.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
MajorsApr 06, 2026
Kecia Caffie, Corinne Bentzen No Longer With Signet JewelersSignet confirmed that Caffie, president of Zales and Banter, and Bentzen, who headed Blue Nile, have left the company.
CollectionsApr 06, 2026
Historian Tanzy Ward Pens Book on Black Victorians’ JewelryThe antique jewelry dealer talks about the importance of including Black Americans in jewelry history and preserving their stories.
SourcingApr 06, 2026
Gemfields Reports $51M Loss in 2025Both its mines faced challenges last year, from operational issues to disruptions in the market.
CollectionsApr 03, 2026
Taylor Swift’s ‘Elizabeth Taylor’ Video Puts Jewelry Front and CenterIconic pieces, like the Mike Todd Diamond Tiara, appear in the superstar’s new music video for her song inspired by the actress.
MajorsApr 03, 2026
Saks Global Says It Will Emerge From Bankruptcy This SummerThe luxury retailer, which went Chapter 11 in January, announced Thursday that it has secured $500 million in exit financing.
Events & AwardsApr 03, 2026
JCK Luxury, NouvelleBox Partner on New Designer BallroomThe NouvelleBox ballroom will feature independent jewelry designers, including Lene Vibe, Wyld Box Jewelry, and Kiaia Limited.
CollectionsApr 03, 2026
Buddha Mama Brings Its ‘Moon’ Locket To DallasThe one-of-a-kind locket, our Piece of the Week, opens to reveal three hidden images to keep close to your heart.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
Pandora Opens New Canadian Distribution Center Amid Tariff ConcernsThe new facility was also designed to better serve its growing customer base in Canada.
TrendsApr 02, 2026
Michelle Yeoh Fronts New Mikimoto Campaign The campaign is a tribute to the year 1893, when Kokichi Mikimoto created the world’s first cultured pearl.
GradingApr 02, 2026
GIA Debuts New Campus in TaiwanIt is the only GIA school to offer the GIA Graduate Gemologist program in Chinese.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
DCA Launches ‘Second Spark’ Workforce InitiativeThe initiative connects veterans and parents returning to the workforce with careers in jewelry retail.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
Hoover & Strong Names New National Sales RepresentativeThe wholesale manufacturer and precious metals refiner has appointed Michael Angelo as its new national sales representative.
MajorsApr 01, 2026
Foundrae Sues Pandora for Allegedly Copying Its Medallion DesignsFoundrae also accused the jewelry giant of copying its mood board style of marketing.
AuctionsApr 01, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Heads to AuctionA Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece owned by the American businessman who died on the Titanic will be offered at Freeman's Chicago.
SurveysApr 01, 2026
Consumers’ Outlook Improves Again in MarchThe Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index edged up, with optimism about the present outweighing worries about the future.
IndependentsApr 01, 2026
Zachary’s Jewelers’ Constance Polamalu to Release Children’s BookThe retailer’s Zach Bear gift comes to life in “Zach Bear and the Window Necklace,” which centers on curiosity, bravery, and helping.
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2026
AGA Opens 2026 Gemological Scholarship, Research Grant ApplicationsApplications are open for the AGA Gemological Scholarship Program through May 15, and until June 2027 for the Gemological Research Grant.
ColumnistsMar 31, 2026
Q1 Clues That Reveal Where Your Jewelry Store’s Sales Are Heading These customer behavior patterns say a lot about how successful your jewelry store is going to be this year, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Mejuri Adds Silver to ‘Puzzle’ CollectionMejuri’s popular collection of 18-karat yellow gold vermeil rings debuted in sterling silver alongside new “Puzzle” slider charms.
