Gem & Jewelry Industry

Written by Yvonne Raley

Jewelers Prefer Prongs. You Don’t.

Aug 23, 2011

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...

Written by Yvonne Raley

Ceylon Gems from Germany

Jul 10, 2011

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

Written by Yvonne Raley

Trading with Gems

Jun 21, 2011

Written by Yvonne Raley

Sometimes I can be a ditz. It took me a while to figure this out: among many other things, 47^th 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

Written by Yvonne Raley

Broken Stones and Custom Orders

Jun 05, 2011

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...

Written by Yvonne Raley

Gem Certificates: When and When Not

May 04, 2011

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),...

Written by Yvonne Raley

All Sales are Final: How to Save When Buying Gems

Apr 17, 2011

Written by Yvonne Raley

The wholesale price of any particular gem can vary drastically – as much as, I kid you not, 90% - depending on the context in which it is bought. But: is extremely hard to get super low prices on gems, and unless you live in the right place, know the right people, and are willing to do a lot of hard work, it is simply not possible. While I do manage to get gems at very good prices most of the...

Written by Yvonne Raley

This Ring in Your Size: A Note on Ring Resizing

Mar 19, 2011

Written by Yvonne Raley

Every time I get an Etsy order that says in the note to seller something like: “please change the size to ….,” my heart sinks. I need you to feel my pain.

Adding to, or subtracting metal from an existing design requires cutting and soldering. To size a ring, you have to cut it open with a saw and then either take out metal or add to it. Then you close the seam with a torch and solder, pickle it...

Written by Yvonne Raley

Bead vs. Gem: What is the Difference?

Feb 16, 2011

Written by Yvonne Raley

When I first started to play around with gemstone beads, I was really confused. I didn’t know you could buy the genuine article – peridot, amethyst, ruby – in bead form. I thought all beads were glass or plastic or what have you. The second thing I wondered is why the beads were so cheap. “Cheap” here is relative, but when you see, let’s say, aquamarine jewelry in a jewelry store, it might...

Written by Yvonne Raley

The Ten Things I Learned in 2010

Dec 27, 2010

Written by Yvonne Raley

It is snowing outside, and the wind is howling. So long as you don’t look down at the cars, Jersey City feels a tiny bit like a Winter Wonderland. The year is drawing to a close. This is when we reflect on what was good, or bad, about the year that has gone by, and make New Year’s resolutions. I’m not the reflective type, however, not in that sense anyway, and I make resolutions whenever they...

Written by Yvonne Raley

Holiday Rush in the Diamond District?

Dec 16, 2010

Written by Yvonne Raley

There’s certainly a noticeable change in the diamond district these days. But not all of it is for the better. As my tie bar orders are going through the roof (I thought I was selling jewelry, but ok), I found myself having to rush into the city on short notice to get more wire. A great opportunity, I thought, because there are some other things I could get done the same day. It’s now or...

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Posts & Pages

Gem & Jewelry Industry

Jewelers Prefer Prongs. You Don’t.

Ceylon Gems from Germany

Trading with Gems

Broken Stones and Custom Orders

Gem Certificates: When and When Not

All Sales are Final: How to Save When Buying Gems

This Ring in Your Size: A Note on Ring Resizing

Bead vs. Gem: What is the Difference?

The Ten Things I Learned in 2010

Holiday Rush in the Diamond District?