I either have antibodies already, or I am the luckiest person on earth, having traveled to Germany 7x since Covid started, having to test incessantly to get into my mom’s home, always coming up negative.  I was in Colombia, Denver twice for gem shows, and in Tucson in April.  Yes, I am very careful, I am triple immunized, and one of the most tested people outside the health care industry, but still!  Last week one of my closest friends got Omicron (3x immunized) and several of my more distant ones did too - all independently of one another. 

Hence, I say this with a great deal of caution: in two weeks I am going to the Tucson gem shows - not to one, but to several super spreader events.  I am going to self-test every single day both for myself and for the sake of everyone else that I am going to see.  

But I SO want to go, even if I have to hole up in the hotel every night and get room service.  I am really hoping to meet some of my long missed vendors from Bangkok – four in total – all of which are going to be there if they don’t test positive beforehand.  My budget is small but my appetite for gems is high, especially for multi colored and blue sapphire melee, emerald melee, benitoite, and spinel. 

I am also on the lookout for specialty cuts.  The ones in the lower price range often sell out quickly.  Two years ago I saw some lovely zircon hexagons and long kites, but when I went back to GJX on day two to get more, they had all gone.  Also, while I can get sapphire melee shipped from Thailand, the reason MY stock of blues, purples and greens, even yellows is always so well matched is because I do this myself at the show and it takes hours, yielding only small batches.  I cannot get anything matched down that well when it’s shipped to me.  Nobody in NY has these melees, at least not for the prices I get them for in Tucson.

Of course, I am also curious about what vendors are managing to bring.  Vietnam is still difficult to access, so my favorite location for spinel, other than Burma, is not likely to have much of interest.  I have asked around for cobalt spinel, but so far, no luck.

Madagascar, as a source, remains problematic as well.  I had hoped to get my shipment this winter, but the Mining Office, which provides the export documents, remains closed.  A large Sri Lankan smuggling operation was outed late last fall, which led to arrests of Madagascan custom’s officers, several people from the Mining Office as well as the director of the Ilakaka mine.  The director of the Mining Office, meanwhile, has vanished without a trace, and a new one is being trained.  Until that’s sorted, they are not reopening.  This means, in turn, that there will be zero exports of gemstone rough, faceted gems, and collectors’ crystals.  Only commercial goods such as decorative and ornamental stones (i.e. tumbled calcite that you can put into a bowl on your table) are allowed as those are handled by four other local mining offices located in other towns.

Ergo: my grandidierite, color change garnets, sphene, aquamarine and a small production of a new find of gems that I am excited about is stuck.  My friends are keeping everything at their house and I know I will get it sooner or later, but if any other gemstone dealer hoped to have Madagascan material for Tucson, those hopes are dashed at this point.  It is simply too late.

Finally, I am going to switch out several sets of memo gems, which I usually do toward the end of the AGTA show, when vendors are winding down and are offering them out to me for a few months to work with.

For this reason, you’ll see a flash sale of last chance memo’d items offered at 20% before Tucson (January 26-29), and then the rest will go on sale on the 30^th of January for two weeks. I wish I could offer a steeper discount on memo gems but much of the profit of gems on memo is not ours, so there are limits to what we can do.  That said (and if you read that far), if you contact me directly you can get 25% off because I pay 5% to Etsy anyway, on top of any advertising fee should you have clicked on a Google Ad for my shop within 30 days of your purchase from me.  If I sell direct, none of that applies and I am happy to pass it on, as well as save you taxes outside the state of NJ. 

In addition to the gem sales, all jewelry (with the exception of custom) will be on sale as well.  We have never had a Valentine’s Day sale because we are always in Tucson, but now that we are selling more jewelry again, we think we should.  So it’s all gonna happen at once.  I hope you will keep us busy!

So, fingers crossed, Tucson is going to happen as planned.  If not, I certainly won’t be the only one not going... and I will find a plan B, as I always do. 

Here are a few of the "Last Chance" gems, disappearing from the shop after January 29th, but available from January 26th-29th at 20% off:

Somewhat belatedly, here’s my review from the Denver gem shows:

I arrived two days before the shows started because I was given a "Vendor Pass" so that I could get into the show at the Crowne Plaza during setup day.  This was so that I could pick gems in peace without crowding and so that I could get the best picks.  Dudley had reserved some parcels of demantoid garnet for me from his secret stash, so I was able to secure some unheated pairs and a few carats of the deep vibrant greens in 2mm rounds.  He also recut some spinel that I had gotten in Madagascar but didn’t know quite what to do with. Finally, Dudley had set aside some recut cobalt spinel but those are already sold out. Apparently, those were acquired some time ago but were very poorly cut so he had to have them reprocessed (and ended up tossing a bunch that was useless), and was able to make new parcels. 

In addition to those buys, I got more Russian emeralds along with lavender, purple and blue sapphires (the blues are mainly heated just because there’ve been requests for the popping colors). I bought a few spinels as well, some white sapphire kites (so cute — especially for earrings), and a few other odds and ends. 

I went to pay a visit to New Era Gems as well but there was not much new material. Apparently, Steve, the owner, had traveled to Thailand in February and has since been stuck there, so there are no new goods, or not very much. 

I saw one of my opal dealers and got several black opals, all cut in Australia. This, too, was the result of someone getting stuck somewhere due to COVID-19. This is my US opal guy from upstate NY, not the Aussie guy whom I have not seen since February (but who is doing well, I hear).  My US opal guy got stuck in Australia for 4 months. He essentially traveled around illegally because they were on shutdown and there were considerably high fines for traveling during the shutdown (starting at $1000 for the first offense). Along with many others, he mined illegally in small groups in the outback.  He cut his gems there as well, which he doesn’t normally do, but I gathered from his enthusiasm about getting stuck, that it was overall a very positive experience. Now his mom and dad have him back and I think they are pleased. Younger people are always up for the experience of course, and in the outback with so few others around, I guess the risk of getting caught was reasonably low.

Finally, I went to my benitoite vendor and got some newly processed material. He explained that after Tucson, when everything shut down, his rough ended up stuck in China for some time but he finally got some shipments again. He had bought his benitoite rough several years ago when the mines were still active. He works up several carats each show and parcels them out in small batches, so he doesn’t run out (since the mines are all closed now). I think that’s a smart move. Prices for those melees stay fairly constant as does supply, as very few buyers only get a few boxes every few months. The same vendor also has Rhodochrosite and he explained that the Sweet Home mines are producing a bit again after a new pocket was found. Those gems are super soft though, so I am always reluctant to buy them, but as long as I don’t have to set them for you I am happy to get more. The best way to set them is with yellow gold or platinum and then two prongs pushed down before sliding them in sideways, then bending the other two prongs gently. They are definitely not good for rings.

I have attached a video for you that I took with Dudley on my last day there.  He talks quite a bit about the state of the industry.  In Dudley’s view, there will be long term consequences for the gem industry, and many of the gem dealers and jewelers who were just hanging on might not make it.  Dudley talked about his future travel plans, his views about Tucson 2021, and at the end there is a very interesting bit about how he met his "family" in Ratnapura Sri Lanka, how he groomed them to become his suppliers, and where things stand nowadays.  Dudley talks very quickly so there are a lot of little bits in between, for instance about how he got started buying unheated gems and more.  Enjoy watching.

As advertised in our previous newsletter, we have decided that even though the Las Vegas show is cancelled, we will source some fun new product for you and have our annual Vegas sale anyway!  To be honest, we are all starting to get antsy here in the epicenter.  New York vendors are slowly going back to their offices a couple of days a week, though they do not take personal appointments.  Many of the buildings are open so that those who have rented space to operate small workshops can go in, access their safes, their machinery, and to receive/make shipments.  They have to make rent, if nothing else!  And while I very much miss physical gem shopping, I confess I am seriously “over” Vegas.  Gambling is boring to me, the food is overpriced, and its waaaay too hot! 

So, instead of Vegas shopping, I am doing it virtually, like most of you.  Overseas packages are trickling in, and my vendors are sending me emails, texts, or WhatsApp video for me to peruse.  They all know my taste, and I know their product, so I’ve arranged with a handful of them to get some brand sparkling new inventory!  Some of it will be on short term memo, some long term memo, and some of it I will purchase outright. 

As you read this blog, I have a favor to ask: if there’s anything you would like to see, tell me asap, as some of these packages are coming to me in the next few days.  As I am getting shipments for “selection” (meaning not yet memo and I pick what I want to buy), I can show you items without you needing to commit right away!  But please act fast.  Additionally, if you are getting private photos from me of gems that may get returned to the vendor, I ask for your discretion in sharing them so that if the material goes to another seller at a later point, that person does not feel undercut.  Because yes, rare goods don’t necessarily get pitched by one person so all of us sellers have to be respectful of that.  Whatever is on my website, on the other hand, is exclusive to our shop and public.

And what, you may ask, am I getting?...  Here’s an overview for you:

Paraibas: despite previous indications to the contrary, a small parcel made it from Hong Kong to NY and a subset of that parcel is arriving here shortly.  I get to make a very quick pick and then I have to turn around the parcel and ship it back so others can pick as well.  I’m getting faceted gems only as the cabochons don’t seem to be moving in my shop.  And Brazilian only, none of that overpriced Mozambique material...

Ceylon Sapphire: I hit a home run a few of weeks go with three nice bright blue rounds flying out of the shop at record speed!  So I’m getting a few more, as well as some matched pairs.  I’m keeping sizes a bit smaller so that these don’t become big ticket items for you in this ever-changing world.  I’ve asked for purples and lavenders as well, but there aren’t pairs coming, just single slightly larger gems. 

Other sapphire: I’ve asked for some Montanas and some smaller Madagascan 4x3 pear shapes.  I will see what turns up, as that package is being prepared for me now.

Tanzanite: one of my vendors has old stock of unheated material as well as some nicer rich colored blues, I’m getting a little of that and I am getting more purple garnet.

Spinel: As always, this category has to be broken up into locations, as each is unique.

• Mahenge: I’ve asked for some but I do not know what’s coming. It will be a surprise to you and me both.
• Mozambique: that’s the silky looking pink stuff, there will be some singles available.
• Burmese: there’s some melee coming my way, and I have asked for one or two bigger stones but that is still being negotiated.  I will have a few red round pairs available in the 3.5-4mm range, and some more singles in 2-3mm.
• Vietnamese, my new favorite: yes coming, possibly more single pieces.  Lilacs, lavenders, and I think down the line (later in June) a little surprise in a reasonable price category.  (Nope, I’m not giving it away!)
• Cobalt: possibly, there’s some material being recut and I am waiting to hear if and how it will make its way to the US from Bangkok (it’s in with a larger parcel of color change garnet I had bought in Madagascar that needed recutting).  Same on hauyne (the other cobalt spinel, lol).  I get approached about that stuff through various channels, so if someone has it I usually find out.  But that too is a “still in the works” thing and may not happen right now.

Emerald: my New York connection for Colombian material just sent me photos of some nice matched pairs, and a single round is waiting to be listed.  Since I can’t go to Colombia right now and probably won’t until next spring, I will stick with my previous source.  He’s always had excellent material and prices anyway.  Some Russian material is making it to me as well.  

In further news, I am still hoarding some Tucson gems that you may see online or you can request private photos: there’s a little bit of Benitoite and some more Demantoid Garnet.  I have not listed either because I will not get more until next year, most likely. 

Ok that’s all for now, folks.  To be continued!  Stay well, stay safe.