MajorsOct 13, 2026
David Webb Owner Purchases Lugano JewelryThe high-end jewelry retailer was sold to private investment firm Middle West Partners and a group of longtime clients.
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
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
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
Lab-GrownOct 13, 2026
Stephanie Gottlieb Takes Lab-Grown Diamond Collection WholesaleThe jewelry designer has partnered with Sofer Jewelry to distribute her 85-piece lab-grown diamond collection.
IndependentsOct 13, 2026
Retailer Hall of Fame 2026: Sean DunnDunn, this year’s Single-Store Independent inductee, is passionate about innovation and telling the story of natural diamonds.
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionExperience gemstones with greater precision and comfort than ever before.
AuctionsOct 13, 2026
Christie's Geneva To Auction 'Bulgari Pink' DiamondThe 24-carat fancy intense pink diamond ring could fetch up to $18 million at the November sale.
Weekly QuizOct 08, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
IndependentsOct 13, 2026
Greenwich St. Jewelers’ New Candle Smells Like HomeThe “Island Jewel” candle honors New York City and Puerto Rico and raises money for the island’s water relief efforts.
TechnologyOct 13, 2026
GemFind Is a New JA Member Benefit Partner The partnership will give JA members access to preferred pricing, exclusive benefits, technology solutions, education, and resources.
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
SurveysOct 09, 2026
These Will Be the 10 Busiest Days for In-Store Shopping This Holiday SeasonStores should expect to see the most customers on Nov. 27, and Christmas week is expected to be hectic too, as Dec. 25 falls on a Friday.
CollectionsOct 09, 2026
Elisa Solomon Collabs With Serendipity 3 on ‘Frozen Hot Chocolate’ CharmThe charm, our Piece of the Week, features brown diamond frozen hot chocolate topped with white diamond whipped cream and a ruby straw.
AuctionsOct 09, 2026
8-Carat Blue Diamond Goes Unsold at UK Jewelry Auction The top lot of Elmwood’s recent fine jewelry sale in London was a 1.84-carat, D color Tiffany & Co. solitaire diamond ring.
WatchesOct 09, 2026
Movado to Sell Majority Stake in Ebel for $66.5MThe watch company agreed to sell a 95 percent interest to a group comprised of F.P. Journe, Chanel, and Swiss watch exec Pierre Jacques.
Policies & IssuesOct 08, 2026
Third Wave of IEEPA Tariff Refunds Begins This round of tariff refunds is for importers that have sued over IEEPA tariffs in the Court of International Trade and won.
CollectionsOct 08, 2026
Brent Neale’s New Collection Goes ‘Back to Basics’It revisits the brand’s most requested silhouettes, from "Pillow"-set necklaces and bracelets to "Signature"-set rings and earrings.
SourcingOct 08, 2026
Ethical Gem Fair Heads Back to BrooklynThe trade-only event includes buying opportunities as well as educational sessions on artisanal mining, the new Paraíba source, and more.
Events & AwardsOct 08, 2026
Pattons Fine Jewelry Sweeps Local Design ContestAra Chanakian, a jeweler at Pattons, took home top honors in every category at Jewelers of Louisiana’s annual jewelry design competition.
AuctionsOct 08, 2026
Reba McEntire’s Jewelry, Watches Head to Julien’s AuctionsThe live charity benefit sale in Nashville will also feature gowns, boots, and other memorabilia from the country music legend.
Supplier BulletinOct 08, 2026
Overnight Mountings’ Bridal Builder Helps Jewelers Turn Custom Design into a Hands-On Selling ExperienceSponsored by Overnight Mountings
Policies & IssuesOct 07, 2026
The Plumb Club Amplifies Its Voice as Geopolitical Pressures MountThe supplier organization recently joined JA and JVC to have more input on political issues affecting the jewelry industry.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
Blue Nile, Royal Asscher Collection Highlights Natural Diamond BeautyBlue Nile, a Signet Jewelers-owned brand, is now Royal Asscher’s exclusive licensed retailer in North America.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
4 Standout Pieces in Audemars Piguet’s First High Jewelry Collection “Royal Oak” pays homage to the brand’s most popular watch model using 18-karat gold as well as diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires.
MajorsOct 07, 2026
Empire Safe & Vault Promotes Juan Morales to CEOAs part of the transition, Joseph Nicosia has stepped into the role of COO.
SourcingOct 07, 2026
AGTA Extends Deadline for 2026 Spectrum Awards EntriesParticipants now have until Oct. 14 to complete their submissions.
CrimeOct 06, 2026
6 Charged in Connection to String of New Jersey Smash-and-GrabsThe alleged thieves used crow bars and sledgehammers to smash into jewelry stores across the state.
ColumnistsOct 06, 2026
Sherry Smith: Is the Consumer Really Trading Up?Ahead of the holidays, Smith urges jewelers to take a hard look at who’s buying jewelry, what they’re purchasing, and who’s stopped buying.
SourcingOct 06, 2026
DDG Taps Influencers for ‘My Diamond Does Good’ CampaignIn the new consumer-facing campaign, four fashion and lifestyle creators share the stories behind their natural diamond pieces.
MajorsOct 06, 2026
Frederick Goldman Names COO, CMOFGI President John Orrico is also leaving the company after more than 13 years.
