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Gem & Jewelry Industry

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

The Origin of my Sapphire, and News on Pricing

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
A few weeks ago I told you about the 1 carat sapphire I got through the internet.  I finally got it back and I got an answer.  Generally, with a sapphire, you can approximate origin by color.  The more vibrant and dark colors are usually African, the very dark blackish blues are Thai.  But the teal colors now often come from Africa as well, no longer just Australia.  Sri Lankan stones, by... Continue reading
Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

Why I Don’t Like Setting Customer’s Stones

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
I often get asked by customers if I would be willing to set their stones.  These days, I mostly turn them down.  And I find that many other Etsyans do the same.  You may find this strange, but for the jeweler, there really are only downsides.

For me, the first set of issues arises because I’ve not actually seen the stone.  I rarely make my own settings, so I have to rely on what’s commercially...
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Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

Casting

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
Questions about casting are starting to come up more often, as I am increasingly moving toward custom orders these days.  So let me dispel the mystery.

When you cast something, you replicate it, you make a copy so to speak, in any metal the casting service offers.  Mine offers just about every metal on the planet, including anti-tarnish (argentium) silver and bronze, and they are green certified,...
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Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

Bargaining: When and When Not

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
It happens mostly at craft shows, though sometimes on Etsy as well.  “Can you do a little better than that?” or “Will you have any sales coming up soon?” are some polite attempts at getting me to come down from a price that didn’t work in a sufficient markup for a discount in the first place. 

I also see it when I shop for gems on 47thstreet, though the bargaining techniques of experienced gem...
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Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

Can You Live off Etsy?

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
Everyone in my craft group has an Etsy shop, one is even an Etsy co-founder.  Some have been in the Indie craft scene for over a decade.  But everyone is a hobbyist.  At one of our recent meetings, someone asked if you could actually make a living with an Etsy shop.  There are no studies on this, so we all took our best guess: unlikely.

I could not stop thinking about this.  I have an active...
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Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

Jewelers Prefer Prongs. You Don’t.

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
Why don’t you like prongs?  I so wish you did!  Deep down, this is what I want to say whenever I get a new custom order for bezel set gems.  But I hear you.  It just looks so nice, and it’s a very protective for the stone, too.  So if we’re going to bezel set your stone, there are some things you need to know.

First of all, let’s talk about why jewelers prefer prongs.  For one, prongs can better...
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Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

Ceylon Gems from Germany

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
As some of you know, I was just on vacation, taking a break from research, my Etsy shop, and my gems.  Or so I thought, until my aunt suggested I take a trip to Idar-Oberstein.  This small and sleepy town, located in a valley in the middle of nowhere (insofar as that’s possible in Germany), turned out to be the European Taj Mahal of gems.  Had I not pulled myself together, the effect on my wallet... Continue reading
Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

Trading with Gems

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
Sometimes I can be a ditz.  It took me a while to figure this out: among many other things, 47th Street is a commodities exchange for gems and diamonds.  This only occurred to me after one of the gemstone dealers I know, who was set up at his booth at a local show, said to me “if you see any great gem deals around here, let me know.”  “Why do they buy from each other?” I wondered.  “Aren’t they... Continue reading
Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

Broken Stones and Custom Orders

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
Many of you have heard it from me: “ok, I’ll do this custom order for you, but the gem may break.  In which case, you can pick an alternative or your money back.” 

Setters don’t like custom orders.  They know if they break the stone, you don’t make any money, and your customer might get mad at you.  But they still put their time into it.  So did you, plus materials.  You’ll try to re-use those, of...
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Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley

Gem Certificates: When and When Not

Yvonne Raley
Written by Yvonne Raley
Last week I got asked again if I provide gem certificates with my stones.  Customers want to know this periodically, so let me share my thoughts on this.
Who certifies gems?  There are several recognized gemological labs in the U.S. The best known is GIA, and their main gem of expertise is diamond, but they also certify colored stones.  Other known labs are: American Gemological Laboratory (AGL),...
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Recent posts
Inside the Rising Market for Colored Gems May 21, 2026
Who Pays for My Broken Stone? The Risks and Realities of Gemstone Setting Jan 15, 2026
Let the Games Begin: How to Buy Gems Cheaply in a Bargain Culture Sep 25, 2025
Lab Grown Gems: The Ups and Downs... Jul 31, 2025
The Unofficial JCK Report: Prepping for the Tariff Hikes Jun 19, 2025