TrendsAug 13, 2025
Cristiano Ronaldo Proposes With Gigantic Oval-Cut DiamondModel Georgina Rodríguez received a rock of an engagement ring, with her diamond estimated to be 35 carats, experts say.
EditorsOct 25, 2018
8 Takeaways from a Panel on Gemstone Cutting
Senior Editor Brecken Branstrator shares quotes and insights gleaned from experts during a discussion at the Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference.
When responsible sourcing conversations arise, quite often they focus on the mining end of the supply chain.
So when I attended the recent Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference, I was pleased to listen to a panel session on an area that can often be left out of the responsible conversation even though it’s just as important: cutting.
Eric Braunwart of Columbia Gem House moderated and participants were: Brandee Dallow of the Responsible Jewellery Council; American diamond cutter Maarten de Witte; Dharmendra Tank of Indian manufacturer Heeralal Chhaganlal Tank; Patricia Mweene of Inonge Zita Zambian Gemstones, which is helping develop the country’s cutting industry; and Rachel Hill of Americut Gems, which has a cutting facility in New Jersey.
Here are just a few of the many great quotations and insights from the conversation.
On realizing the need to build the lapidary sector in Zambia
“I wanted to make jewelry with gemstones from Zambia because I knew there were gemstones from Zambia. So I’d go to Hatton Gardens (in London) and try to buy some gemstones from Zambia for my jewelry. And when I saw the prices there, I thought something was absolutely wrong. No. Everything was fine. Just looking at those prices, I thought, well, if these stones are coming from Zambia and we have a gem cutting school in Zambia, why are we not getting a bit of these profits?”
-- Patricia Mweene
On the challenges faced by Zambian gemstone cutters
“One of the key challenges has been that most of the cutters in Zambia don’t have access to machinery. If they have a machine, it’s probably an old, old machine. In Africa, generally, when you have a machine, like you have a car and it breaks down, you don’t throw it away. You repair it until you cannot repair it anymore. For some of the cutters, it’s just simple things like laps. They’re cutting stones but they can’t afford to buy laps or spare parts.”
-- Mweene
“There are a lot of challenges, but mainly it’s access to machinery and access to the market so we can sell the gemstones at a fair price and cut out all the middle men because there are way too many middle men in the supply chain, the foreign middle men as well as all the local middle men.”
-- Mweene
On similar challenges seen by cutters in Madagascar
“After the first trip (for a World Bank
project), all these cutters came to me and said, ‘Can you fill your suitcase up with laps and tweezers and diamond powder next time you come in?’ And I said, ‘Why do I have to do that? You’ve got Rio Grande’s catalog sitting right in front of you.’ And they said, ‘Our currency is not convertible. We can’t order it, so we have to go get foreign currency.’ So I said, ‘Go get foreign currency.’ And they said, ‘Well we can’t do that because the minimum amount is $2,000.’ At the time that was 10 years’ average income for anyone in Madagascar.”
-- Eric Braunwart
On obstacles in India
“The biggest problem for our cutting factories recently is a regular supply of material … I know everyone must [wonder] why India is seeing so few cutters coming up in this business. That’s the reason; there’s no stability for them. We have to find a proper supply chain that we can definitely sustain all those cutters if they want to work with us.”
-- Dharmendra Tank
On Americut’s robotic cutting technology and its role in the sector
“We are trying to produce something that is technically very precise. We’ve started implementing a certification, so to speak, by scanning the gemstones and producing a symmetry grade, which is the exact same one that they use for diamonds with the GIA. This has never been heard of and I don’t know if it could be replicated in the future either, but it certainly creates a fingerprint for the gemstone that you know it’s not from overseas.”
-- Rachel Hill
On the need to tell the story
“If you’ve been to the factories, then you know and you’ve seen probably firsthand the passion and the art of cutting. And those are stories that I think we need to add to our repertoire, whether at the retail level or any level of the supply chain, because these people who are cutting these gemstones will literally tell you that the stones speak to them and tell them how they should be cut and what these stones want to be. There’s another great value-added story that we really should add to our repertoire to help the consumer understand just how many people, and how many passionate people, are involved in our process.”
-- Brandee Dallow
“It is about stories, but it’s also about very succinct stories. It’s about stories that consumers themselves can repeat. Just because you can tell them a good story doesn’t mean it’s a story that they can tell their friends. ‘Oh I bought because I heard about this guy, I met this guy, and he does this and I wanted one and that’s why I bought this.’ That is missing in our trade to a large extent. And even more so because we are so heavily involved in technology and trading information so it becomes ‘I have this, this and this—the same as everybody else—and I can sell it to you cheaper.’ If that is the only story we have to tell people, we’re doomed.”
-- Maarten de Witte
-- Eric Braunwart
On obstacles in India
“The biggest problem for our cutting factories recently is a regular supply of material … I know everyone must [wonder] why India is seeing so few cutters coming up in this business. That’s the reason; there’s no stability for them. We have to find a proper supply chain that we can definitely sustain all those cutters if they want to work with us.”
-- Dharmendra Tank
On Americut’s robotic cutting technology and its role in the sector
“We are trying to produce something that is technically very precise. We’ve started implementing a certification, so to speak, by scanning the gemstones and producing a symmetry grade, which is the exact same one that they use for diamonds with the GIA. This has never been heard of and I don’t know if it could be replicated in the future either, but it certainly creates a fingerprint for the gemstone that you know it’s not from overseas.”
-- Rachel Hill
On the need to tell the story
“If you’ve been to the factories, then you know and you’ve seen probably firsthand the passion and the art of cutting. And those are stories that I think we need to add to our repertoire, whether at the retail level or any level of the supply chain, because these people who are cutting these gemstones will literally tell you that the stones speak to them and tell them how they should be cut and what these stones want to be. There’s another great value-added story that we really should add to our repertoire to help the consumer understand just how many people, and how many passionate people, are involved in our process.”
-- Brandee Dallow
“It is about stories, but it’s also about very succinct stories. It’s about stories that consumers themselves can repeat. Just because you can tell them a good story doesn’t mean it’s a story that they can tell their friends. ‘Oh I bought because I heard about this guy, I met this guy, and he does this and I wanted one and that’s why I bought this.’ That is missing in our trade to a large extent. And even more so because we are so heavily involved in technology and trading information so it becomes ‘I have this, this and this—the same as everybody else—and I can sell it to you cheaper.’ If that is the only story we have to tell people, we’re doomed.”
-- Maarten de Witte
More on Editors
The Latest
SourcingAug 13, 2025
ICA Names 2025 Board of DirectorsThe board elected 9 new directors at its recent ICA Congress in Brazil.
TrendsAug 13, 2025
Colorado Jeweler, Whiskey Maker Collab on Ring GiveawayThree winners will receive a custom ring from Honest Hands Ring Co. inlaid with a piece of history from Denver-based distillery Stranahan’s.
Brought to you by
Taking the Moment Head On: How Rio Grande Champions the Present & Future of Fine JewelryAs a leading global jewelry supplier, Rio Grande is rapidly expanding and developing new solutions to meet the needs of jewelers worldwide.
SurveysAug 13, 2025
These Are The 25 Hottest Retailers, Says NRFJD Sports and Wawa were among the fastest-growing retail companies in the U.S. last year.
Weekly QuizAug 08, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SourcingAug 13, 2025
Columbia Gem House Launches Winza Sapphires, RubiesThe new inventory, all untreated, features vibrant hues and unique bicolor combinations.
SourcingAug 12, 2025
Gemfields Sells Fabergé for $50MAcquired by a tech investor, the historic brand will continue to focus on jewelry, accessories, and timepieces.
Brought to you by
Investing in the Next Generation of Bench JewelersThe Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.
Policies & IssuesAug 12, 2025
Higher Tariff on Chinese Imports Paused for 90 Days, Trump SaysPresident Donald Trump issued an executive order extending the pause on higher tariffs to November as negotiations with China continue.
CollectionsAug 12, 2025
Jacquie Aiche’s New Collection Harnesses the Energy of the ThunderbirdThe “Thunderbird Slab” collection features a thunderbird motif as a symbol of power, protection, and boundless possibility.
ColumnistsAug 12, 2025
Creative Connecting: How to Take a Better HeadshotColumnists Jen Cullen Williams and Duvall O’Steen share tips on how to elevate your professional image.
CrimeAug 11, 2025
Man Convicted of First-Degree Murder in Death of Colorado JewelerPeter Damian Arguello, a jeweler in the Denver suburb of Wheat Ridge, was found dead inside his store in November 2023.
IndependentsAug 11, 2025
Lisa Bridge to Depart Ben Bridge JewelerThe retailer, owned by Berkshire Hathaway, is becoming part of the Berkshire Hathaway Jewelry Group with Helzberg.
Events & AwardsAug 11, 2025
Bethenny Frankel to Give Keynote at CBG’s Experience ShowThe Continental Buying Group’s 2025 Tampa Experience Show is slated for Sept. 8-10.
FinancialsAug 08, 2025
Brilliant Earth’s Q2 Sales Up 3% as Engagement Ring Sales RiseThe company raised its full-year sales guidance while noting it has not yet assessed the potential impact of the latest tariff news.
Events & AwardsAug 08, 2025
GJEPC’s Jewellers for Hope Celebrates 10 Years of FundraisingThe organization has raised more than $1.3 million for charity since its inception.
TrendsAug 08, 2025
Piece of the Week: Rahaminov Diamonds’ Bezel BangleThe brand’s latest iteration of a bezel-set diamond bangle features clean lines and a timeless design for a new modern silhouette.
WatchesAug 07, 2025
Bulova’s New Collection Honors Tony BennettThe first watch in the series commemorates his participation in the Civil Rights movement, marching from Selma to Montgomery in 1965.
Lab-GrownAug 07, 2025
Chatham Releases Catalog for Loose Lab-Grown GemstonesThe catalog contains a complete listing of all the loose gemstones in stock, as well as information about the properties of each stone.
TechnologyAug 07, 2025
Rembrandt Charms Debuts New Website, Bird CharmsThe company added a retailer dashboard to its site and three new birds to its charm collection, the cardinal, blue jay, and hummingbird.
Policies & IssuesAug 06, 2025
Tariff on India to Rise to 50%, Trump Says An additional 25 percent tariff has been added to the previously announced 25 percent.
MajorsAug 06, 2025
Claire’s Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy AgainThe jewelry and accessories retailer plans to close 18 stores as part of the proceedings.
IndependentsAug 06, 2025
Smith & Son Jewelers to Close 107-Year-Old Location Its Springfield, Massachusetts, store is set to close as owner Andrew Smith heads into retirement.
CollectionsAug 06, 2025
Zahn-Z Swims With Whales in ‘Beluga’ CollectionDesigner Hiba Husayni looked to the whale’s melon shaped-head, blowhole, and fluke for her new chunky gold offerings.
TrendsAug 06, 2025
Paola De Luca to Release Trendbook 2027+She will present the 23rd edition of the trend forecasting book at Vicenzaoro on Sept. 7.
CrimeAug 05, 2025
Report: Suspect Arrested in 1992 Murder of Miami JewelerOmar Roy, 72, was arrested in connection with the murder of jeweler Dionisio Carlos Valladares.
CollectionsAug 05, 2025
Mignon Faget Commemorates 20th Anniversary of Hurricane KatrinaThe New Orleans-based brand’s “Beyond Katrina” jewels honor the communities affected by the storm.
