Policies & IssuesJul 24, 2026
New Trump Tariffs: What They Mean for Jewelry The new sweeping slate of tariffs impacts 60 countries, including India, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, and the United Arab Emirates.
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
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
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
TrendsJul 24, 2026
Amanda’s Style File: Ode to ‘The Odyssey’From coin pendants to diamond shields, these old world-inspired jewels are the perfect accessory for an epic journey.
TrendsJul 24, 2026
Courtney Leidy’s Silk Cord Pendants Center Unexpected Pairings Our Piece of the Week pairs a checkerboard-cut amethyst with an ivy green silk cord.
Brought to you by
Wedding Band Trends 2026: Personalization Takes Center StageColored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.
PodcastsJul 23, 2026
Episode 7: Reinhold Jewelers on the Power of RelationshipsMildred Marcano Abrams and Yael Reinhold join the podcast to talk community connections, holiday plans, and preserving Reinhold’s legacy.
Weekly QuizJul 23, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
SourcingJul 23, 2026
De Beers’ Production Jumps 88 Percent in Q2 Production also was up in the first half of 2026 but is expected to “substantially” decrease in H2 as two key mines undergo maintenance.
CollectionsJul 23, 2026
Silvia Furmanovich’s New Collection Travels Back to the 1920s“Art Deco” fuses ancestral techniques, rare materials, and modern perspectives as a tribute to the optimism and curiosity of the movement.
Brought to you by
Building the Future of Jewelry Retail: DCA Expands Education, Leadership Development, and Workforce SolutionsDCA is preparing the next generation of professionals by supporting workforce development, leadership growth, and career advancement.
IndependentsJul 23, 2026
Sissy's Log Cabin Opens Casino StoreThe jeweler’s newest store is inside Arkansas’ Saracen Casino Resort.
WatchesJul 23, 2026
Movado Inks Licensing Deal With Kate Spade New YorkThe watch company will design, manufacture, and distribute Kate Spade New York watches.
Policies & IssuesJul 22, 2026
Trump to Put 50% Tariff on Canadian Goods The higher tax is set to go into effect in August and will apply to loose polished diamonds as well as precious and base metals jewelry.
CollectionsJul 22, 2026
Monica Rich Kosann’s High Jewelry Is FruitfulThe “Enchanted Garden” series features a cherry, lemon, and pear that each hold a little secret inside.
IndependentsJul 22, 2026
Liljenquist Beckstead Opens Rolex New BoutiqueIt’s located in Tysons Galleria, an upscale shopping center in the Washington, D.C., metro area.
Events & AwardsJul 22, 2026
NY Now Returns in August Under New OwnershipThe show, recently acquired by Rockview Management Group, will be held at New York City’s Javits Center from Aug. 2-4.
ColumnistsJul 21, 2026
Sherry Smith: Shattering the Illusion of the ‘Either/Or’ Diamond MarketSmith offers retailers guidance on creating an environment where natural and lab-grown diamonds can both thrive.
Events & AwardsJul 21, 2026
Apollo Funds Completes Emerald AcquisitionFormer Emerald President and CEO Hervé Sedky has transitioned to the role of senior advisor.
CollectionsJul 21, 2026
Graff’s New Butterfly High Jewelry Brooches MetamorphosizeThe 12-piece capsule collection transforms from brooches to pendants.
SourcingJul 21, 2026
Anglo Reportedly Selects Gareth Penny’s Consortium as Top Bidder for De BeersA Botswana government official told lawmakers Anglo has selected The Global Diamond Consortium, an entity chaired by Penny, to buy De Beers.
Policies & IssuesJul 20, 2026
Tariffs on Brazil to Increase But Rough Gemstones ExemptThe new tariff, imposed after a Trump administration study, is 25 percent and will stack on top of existing tariffs.
CollectionsJul 20, 2026
Vhernier Transforms ‘Freccia’ Collection Into High JewelryThe collection from 2014 has been reinterpreted into high jewelry with its signature triangular-shaped elements.
MajorsJul 20, 2026
Krista Collins Walters Promoted to Publisher of InstoreShe will also take on the role of vice president of jewelry for SmartWork Media, a newly created position.
Events & AwardsJul 20, 2026
TJS Accepting Speaker Proposals for 2027 EventOrganizers are looking for presentations on topics like manufacturing, technology and research, bench work, gemstones, and sustainability.
CollectionsJul 17, 2026
HOWL Taps Shailene Woodley for ‘Home Sweet Home’ CampaignWoodley is seen in the campaign wearing our Piece of the Week, the “Frida” collar featuring 13 pieces of hand-carved Venetian glass.
SourcingJul 17, 2026
U.K. Woman Pays £5 for £15K Diamond Ring at Car Boot SaleA WeBuyVintage jewelry expert uncovered how much the flea market find was actually worth.
SourcingJul 17, 2026
Diamond Dealer Jeff Pancis Pens MemoirThe founder of natural colored diamond wholesaler Pancis Gems shares stories from his five decades in the industry.
Events & AwardsJul 17, 2026
Gem Awards Opens 2027 Nomination PeriodSubmissions for the milestone 25th annual Gem Awards will be accepted across three categories from now through July 31.
SourcingJul 16, 2026
Ekati to Close, Leaving Canada With One Diamond Mine The diamond mine, which opened nearly 30 years ago in Canada’s Northwest Territories, is expected to shut down by mid-August.
