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Chesney’s Jewelry: 100 Years of Memories

By Wanda Freeman

As Chesney’s Jewelry in West Columbia, Texas prepares to celebrate the store’s 100th anniversary in August, owner Donna Chesney Loggins remains committed to personally running the town’s oldest continuing business.

“I’m going to stay till I drop,” says Loggins. “I still want to get dressed every day, put on my red lipstick and go downtown.”

Loggins and her sister, Tissie Chesney Schwebel, are secondgeneration stalwarts, having been born when Chesney’s original store was on the boardwalk of the town’s five-block shopping area, built in the late 1880s.

When their father, Ernest Chesney, bought the business in 1924 from his stepfather for $325 - loaned to him by a kind-hearted

doctor after the bank turned him down - he was 18, and a local oil boom was in full swing. His stepfather had pulled up stakes in Freeport to tap into the prosperous moment, and he taught Chesney the watchmaking trade while keeping three watchmakers busy around the clock serving a boom population that would reach 10,000.

In 1930, young Chesney met Virginia Brunner, and they began their married life in the same back room he had shared with his stepfather. Joining a business mostly dedicated to watchmaking and jewelry, Virginia added her own touch, offering cigarette lighters, fountain pens and pocketknivesall big sellers before and during World War II.

“My father used to say, ‘It’s a shame you have to have a war

Please see Chesney page 4

Platinum’s Presence

By Diana Jarrett

There are a few conflicting stories about platinum’s first discovery. Yet, either of its recorded dates places its discovery centuries back. Jewelry lovers have been grateful ever since.

Finding that Special Metal

Italian chemist Julius Scaliger first described the lustrous metal in 1557 found in the mines of Darién in South America. There is also evidence of early Egyptians using the metal in jewelry (whether they knew what it was or not) centuries before.

By 1750, large quantities of it were identified by the Spaniards mining for silver in Rio Pinto, Colombia. They discovered it as an impurity and named it “little silver.” News of the extraordinary metal reached Eu-

rope causing 18th century French King Louis XVI to proclaim platinum as the only precious metal fit for Royalty.

It did not catch on for widespread jewelry use until the late 19th century. Nowadays it’s considered the top-of-the-top in precious metals, superior to gold.

Van der Aa

Using the word platinum has desirable connotations, like platinum records or platinum credit cards.

It advances the perception that platinum is truly something elite.

For jewelry lovers, this metal has come to symbolize eternal qualities we admire - like eternal beauty for instance. Since it is a pure white metal it also possesses the cachet of purity which is an admirable trait for true love. Engagement rings made from platinum are considered top of the line.

Platinum for Jewelry

Its value as a jewelry metal means that platinum jewelry will always be more expensive. It is not a metal for the novice. Platinum requires a skilled and talented bench jeweler to work the dense material which is soft and heavy. These characteristics allow platinum to develop its highly

Tucson Underscores

Colored Stones’ Moment

By Deborah Yonick

Colored stones are having a moment. That’s the key takeaway for many vendors exhibiting at the leading annual fine gem and jewelry trade shows early February in Tucson, Arizona.

“Colored stones are finally having their moment,” cheers Raja Shah, owner of Color First. Attracting the most interest this year for the Tampa, Florida-based gem wholesaler were natural, unheated fancy sapphires from Madagascar in organic shapes, blue-green tourmalines, and rare UV garnets (color change and Malaya, from several locations in East Africa, with super fluorescence under UV light).

The atmosphere was upbeat and bustling with activity, particularly on the first two days the neighboring gem trade shows were open.

Traffic on the sales floor at the American Gem Trade Association GemFair at the Tucson Convention Center was up more than 6% over 2023, a record year, Kimberly Collins, AGTA board president and owner of the San Franciscobased Kimberly Collins Colored Gems shared mid show. Many jewelers had a solid Christmas and needed to restock their supply. “We sold out of every case, but teal sapphire was by far the hottest thing for us at the show.”

Spectrum Award Winning Platinum & Garnet Necklace.

Photo Mary

(L-R) Lynn Loggins, store owner Donna Chesney Loggins and Tissie Schwebel inside Chesney’s Jewelry.

Kimberly Collins Colored Gems variety of tourmalines.

cHesneY

Continued from page 3

to make money,’” Loggins recalls. During the war, because metal was rationed, he bought 400 watchbands, not anticipating that styles might change before he could sell them all.

“We still carry a lot of those items, and we still have all the china and glassware,” Loggins says. “And from the bridal busi-

and she still remembers things vividly - such as the many times she got a nickel to buy herself an ice cream, only to drop the coin between the boards. Little sister Schwebel recalls pushing the “no sale” button on the cash register, fetching a coin, and hiding it under a marble mat until the time was right. Loggins still teases her for “stealing from your own father.”

“One day there was a cattle

ness, we still have the original 1940 bridal books, so anybody who got married back then can come in and see their pattern! And out front we still have our father’s watch bench with all the original things he used to repair watches with.”

As a toddler, Loggins was known as the “boardwalk baby,”

drive that passed right in front of the boardwalk and one of the calves jumped into the store. So, we said we had a bull in the china shop,” she says.

Loggins was two years old when the family moved out of the store and into the house Schwebel was born in and lives in today.

Chesney’s Jewelry is located

SJN MAJN

Established 1988

Editor, Bill Newnam bill@southernjewelrynews.com

Publisher, Chris Smith chris@southernjewelrynews.com

Administration and classified advertising

Martha Osswald martha@southernjewelrynews.com

Staff Writers

Wanda Freeman

Paul Holewa

Dianna Jarrett

Deborah Yonick

Vice President Sales

Elesa B. Dillon elesa@southernjewelrynews.com

down the street from the original boardwalk location, in a store built in 1940. Loggins joined her mother in operating the store when her father died in 1966, and she bought it when her mother retired in 1977. Loggins’ daughterin-law, Lynn Loggins, helps in the store several times a week. Next door to Chesney’s is the pocket park where the sisters plan their celebration of 100 years in business.

“There’ll be a lemonade stand, hot dogs, a cake inside, and we’ll have a receiving book out front for people to sign. Door prizes, gift certificates. They (Lynn and Tissie) have been working on little gift bags,” Loggins says.

Schwebel says she’s having T-shirts made for family members stretching all the way down to great-great-grandchildren, and Lynn Loggins has written a letter

calling on all to come out for the festivities.

Active with the Columbia Historical Society, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Beta Sigma Phi sorority, Loggins was the first female Rotarian in West Columbia and the Rotary’s first female president. She belongs to several genealogical societies and “we know all of our ancestors.”

During the 1990s, the sisters had a band called All Keyed Up - Loggins playing chord organ, Schwebel beating the drumsand they played free shows for schools and nursing homes.

Much has changed in the jewelry business, Loggins observes.

“The bridal business has really changed a lot. The man used to go to the store and pick out a ring and surprise the woman with it when he proposed. … Now, she goes online and picks out what she wants. We’ll never have exactly what they want, so I will have to special-order a ring.”

While Chesney’s does maintain a Facebook presence, with pictures posted by Schwebel, the store has not gone the online selling route.

The store focuses on the tried-and-true mix of the traditional and newer-style gifts, anniversary and baby jewelry, sterling silver baby items, and a big Christmastime seller, Lammes Candies from Austin, Texas.

“Our secret to success is that we’re friendly and good community citizens. We get out there and make ourselves known. Everybody knows the Chesney family,” Loggins says.

“And free gift wrapping!” adds Schwebel.

Contributing Writers

Dana Ho Henning

Diana Jarrett

Larry Johnson

Chuck Koehler

Joel McFadden

George Prout

Southern Jewelry News

2006 New Garden Road - Suite 208 Greensboro, NC 27410

Phone: 336-389-1950

Fax: 336-389-1952

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email: info@southernjewelrynews.com

Any views or opinions presented in this publication are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Southern Jewelry News.

Owner Donna with customer Becky Mahurin. Chesney’s always offers free gift wrapping with purchase.

Donna Chesney Loggins outside Chesney’s Jewelry.

Donna between West Columbia, Texas Mayor Laurie Kincannon and husband Kim.

JIS Spring to unveil the must-have jewelry trends in 2024

(NORWALK, Conn.) - Get ready to discover the defining jewelry trends of 2024 at JIS Spring, happening in Miami Beach, FL, from March 17 to 19 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. With industry leading top suppliers and retailers gathered under one roof, the event promises an exclusive glimpse into the must-have pieces that will captivate jewelry enthusiasts across the globe.

In the fashion world, big names, like Vogue, InStyle, and Cosmopolitan are saying that cuffs, chunky metals, and nature–inspired designs will be all the rage in jewelry this year. At JIS Spring, jewelers can get ahead of

the game by grabbing these hot trends, it is the perfect spot for retailers to find the latest on trend styles.

More than just a jewelry event, JIS plays a significant role in shaping global jewelry trends. It fosters artistry and innovation with a cultural twist and provides a unique platform for trade professionals to gain insights into international market currents and establish connections beyond borders. The event will showcase an extensive range of fine jewelry, lab-grown products, silver, fashion designs as well as technology and supplies from leading exhibitors including BA Gold, Heera

Moti, Ken Craft, Simplex, Super Gems and more.

Adding to the global diversity of JIS Spring are this edition’s latest additions: pavilions from Italy and Türkiye. Organized by the Turkish Jewellery Exporters’ Association, retailers can expect to discover refined Turkish craftmanship in 14k and 18k gold, diamonds, and fine jewelry. The Italy pavilion boasts an extensive array of offerings, including gold, silver, diamonds, precious stones, cameos and coral highlighting the talent of Italian companies and designers.

In sync with JIS Spring’s commitment to offering retailers convenience and a wide array of products, Lauren Van Rensburg, JIS Marketing Director, emphasizes: “Our trade-only events are strategically timed to assist jewelry industry professionals in expanding their businesses and fostering stronger ties with suppliers precisely when inventory demand peaks.”

Like every JIS show, JIS Spring takes place when businesses need to replenish their inventory for key occasions such as Mother’s Day, wedding season,

graduations, and more. Additionally, buyers can choose between instant delivery for immediate stock and resale in their stores or the option to place orders for future shipment.

For those looking to be part of JIS Spring, registration is now open. Brands eager to showcase their creations on a global stage are also invited to exhibit at JIS Spring and capitalize on the business expansion opportunities awaiting them.

For more information or to register, visit JIS Spring at jisshow.com.

The Jewelry Symposium announces 2024 dates and location

Charles Frey & Company took the guesswork out of everything, they gave us projections of what our sale would do and when they started to come to fruition. It was

a great experience for us and with their expertise, resources and partnerships they’d be a great resource for any Jeweler.

Wow! I was blown away by the results. A T LANTA JE W E LRYSHOW

— John Kinney J.A. Jewelers | Farmington | NM

(TROY, Mich.) - The Jewelry Symposium (TJS), the jewelry industry’s annual international event dedicated specifically to the advancement of jewelry manufacturing technology, has announced its 2024 dates and location. The 2024 symposium will be held in Detroit, Michigan from May 18 to May 21, 2024. TJS invites highly regarded jewelry industry experts from all around the world to present cutting-edge information about jewelry manufacturing to bench jewelers, designers/manufacturers, students, retailers, and the press. Hosted at the Detroit Marriott Troy, the event will commence with a networking dinner on May 18, with presentations beginning May 19 and concluding mid-day May 21.

“Now in our second year, we are excited to continue the ground-breaking work of Santa

Fe Symposium founders Eddie Bell and Dave Schneller, with the unified goal of eliminating information-sharing barriers within our industry,” says Linus Drogs, Chairman of the Board, TJS. “This year in Detroit, we will host some exciting speakers and panels covering the very latest in jewelry-making technology. There is truly something for everyone. Whether you are a student or a veteran designer/manufacturer or even a retailer with bench jewel-

ers in your store, you are sure to find a wealth of information and inspiration at TJS 2024.”

TJS’s multi-faceted board reflects the broad spectrum of audience that the event is meant to serve. Board members Jim Binnion of James Binnion Metal Arts, John Berg, Consultant, formerly of David Yurman, Ann Cahoon of Long’s Jewelers, Chris Corti of COReGOLD Technology Consultancy, Linus Drogs of Au Enterprises, Stewart Grice of Hoover & Strong, and Jason Yakubovich of MJJ Brilliant are curating presentations on a wide array of topics for the 2024 edition, including AI, 3-D printing, jewelry forensics, watchmaking and more.

For more information on the event, visit www.thejewelrysymposium.com, or call Jessa Cast at 505-450-4452.

Select Jewelry Shows celebrating 15th Anniversary in 2024

Let’s

Select Jewelry Shows, the annual fall, trade only events, reaches a milestone this year. The 2024 Dallas show marks the 15th anniversary of the founding of Select. Select Shows cater to better manufacturers and designers, and the jewelers they serve. The 2023 Select Show in Dallas included an elegant Tower cocktail reception highlighting creations of some of the exhibitors. The 2024 anniversary event will once again host this popular event.

Select’s laser focus on security, comfort and the right mix of exhibitors have contributed to the shows’ longevity according to jeweler’s who have been attend-

ing since the early years.

Retail jewelers and their suppliers agreed the 2023 Select Jewelry Shows, in Dallas, Tysons Corner, Virginia, and the Mohegan Sun Resort, were a big success with all three shows sold out. Retailer registration for all three Select Fall shows, experienced a strong response from previous attendees and new retailers who have heard of the Select events from their suppliers.

Select Shows are “right size” regional trade events that bring fine jewelry designers and top-tier manufacturers to leading markets. Select Shows run for two days, Sunday and Monday, featuring

55 - 65 of the most popular lines and prestigious brands. Select provides the retail jeweler with comfort and security while working with suppliers in the convenience of an easily accessible show. Complimentary breakfast and lunch and a fun cocktail party are available to all attendees.

The 2024 Select Show Fall schedule includes the Ritz-Carlton in Dallas, Texas – September 8-9, the Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino in Connecticut – September 15-16 and Washington, DC at the Ritz-Carlton Downtown –September 29-30.

For more information visit www.selectjewelryshow.com.

Industry Events

Stuller’s Bench Jeweler Workshop registration now open

In-depth classes, product demonstrations, networking and more

(LAFAYETTE, La.) - Bench Jeweler Workshop, a premier event for bench jewelers, will be held at Stuller’s global headquarters in Lafayette, Louisiana, from March 22-23, 2024.

“Bench Jeweler Workshop is the ultimate experience for bench jewelers interested in keeping up with the latest technology and trends,” says Chris Leonard, director of tools. “Whether you’re a novice or expert, tailor your schedule to suit your individual interests and needs with a range of classes and product demonstrations to choose from.”

The two-day event will feature numerous classes and demos presented by Stuller and industry experts including:

• Introduction to GRS Machines

• Laser Engraving Essentials

• Applying Special Finishes

• Gem ID Tips and Tricks

• Getting Started with Permanent Jewelry

Registration is also now open for Battle of the Benches®, a series of mini challenges that test the skills of exceptional bench jewelers. It will take place on the demonstration floor and will feature three different mini challenges over the two days.

The challenges include:

• Stone Setting Challenge

• Parts & Pieces Challenge

• CAD Design Challenge

“A warm welcome awaits Stuller customers in Lafayette, where they’ll embark on an experience set to take their skills and businesses to the next level,” says Lauren Francez, director of events.

For more information on Bench Jeweler Workshop visit Stuller.com/Workshop and to register for the Battle of the Benches visit Stuller.com/BattleOfTheBenches.

How concerns of provenance may now diminish the value of used diamonds

By George Prout

As everyone now recognizes, advances in consumer acceptance of lab grown diamonds (LGD) are having a significant negative impact on both the sales as well as the value of mined diamonds. These advances are being driven by a steady reduction in LGD prices, making larger, higher clarity, higher color diamonds ever more accessible in mainstream price points. As a result, De Beers is taking negative price adjustments, India decreed a two-month

moratorium on rough diamond imports, and the entire mined supply chain is now in full retreat.

But in my view, this cannibalization is only one facet in the ongoing diminution in mined diamond value. Another is just around the corner, and its inevitable impact will serve to further depress the value of mined diamonds currently in the market.

Each year, roughly 750,000 diamond engagement rings are “repurposed” as their current owners either divorce or die, because while diamonds may be

forever, the lifespans of their owners, as well as half of all marriages, are not. And as the Baby Boom generation now faces terminal liquidation due to the unfortunate reality of actuarial tables, we will see an acceleration in this repurposing.

Where do these diamonds go? Back into the market, where they are resold without any mention of their prior history. The secondary market is actually quite robust, and there are even companies like Worthy that are now taking what was once the

realm of pawn shops, independent jewelry stores and divorce attorneys (yes, she often pays for her legal help in the divorce with her engagement ring center stone) and attempting to achieve scale. It’s a sad, but very margin friendly business, as these diamonds work their way back into the mainstream. And herein lies what I see to be a massive incipient problem.

The notion that the diamond was formed under extraordinary conditions of high pressure and high temperature deep within the

George Prout

earth billions of years ago and was then extracted from kimberlite pipes using incredible mining technology, and then cut and polished and distributed down the supply chain, finally winding up in a jewelry store near you, provides an undeniably romantic element to the appeal of the diamond in the showcase.

What’s not so romantic is the regrettable and increasingly likely probability that the diamond in the showcase was actually originally purchased by someone else, and then worn for an indeterminate period of time before re-entering the supply chain. And while changes in social norms have diminished the groom’s requirement for his bride to be a virgin, it is undeniable that his bride still wants her diamond to be one. And there’s the rub.

Forevermark was initially a potential answer to this chain of custody challenge, but De Beers allowed that admirable idea to go down unnecessarily in flames. And then GIA launched the Mine to Market program, another terrific idea that died when De Beers and GIA couldn’t come to terms with who owned what intellectual property, again snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

And now, I’ve been awaiting the global launch of “Code of Origin” for more than two years, hoping that we will finally once again have a wonderful story to tell that will protect mined diamonds as a class. But after month after month of hearing “it’s coming”, I’m starting to wonder why there’s such a lack of urgency on their part. Is this yet another example of misplaying a winning hand? Or is there also a recognition at high levels that Code of Origin is a hard pill for retailers to swallow since if you choose to promote it, how do you then sell your other diamonds? As confirmation, it’s my understanding that this objection was strongly raised 14 months ago by the buying team of one of Signet’s divisions, who loved the idea but shot it down because Code of Origin doesn’t coexist well with their other diamond programs.

It is inevitable that “new” diamonds will now become a

Please see Prout page 26

SHE WANTS A DIAMOND THAT NO OTHER WOMAN HAS EVER WORN BEFORE LET,S MAKE ONE FOR HEr

750,000 previously owned diamonds are “repurposed” each year. And while changes in social norms have diminished the groom’s requirement for his bride to be a virgin, it is undeniable that the bride still wants her diamond to be one. Let’s make her a brand new one and capture nine unique visual touchpoints that will provide her with the complete story of a diamond that was literally made just for her.

Why just sell Lab, when you can Dominate it!

For more information email us at info@surrealdiamond.com surrealdiamond.com (844) 999-7262

A look at the benefits of micro welders

By Dana Ho Henning

I started making and selling jewelry as a way to pay for my university tuition. Over the years, my wholesale business grew from finished jewelry to specializing in components. I continue to produce a small collection of sterling silver jewelry, using lost wax casting, which I sell to a handful of galleries - because I am a maker at heart.

My experience culminated into producing a collection of casting designs, Amoracast, which we wholesale to other designers and bead stores. Most of our customers are jewelry arti-

sans, who make jewelry using cold connection techniques, such as wire wrapping. An exciting small percentage of customers are silversmiths.

The advantages of beading and wire wrapping are the flipside disadvantages of casting and silversmithing, and vice versa. Wire wrapping has the benefits of being portable, low cost barrier to entry, requires very little training, is conducive to certain delicate aesthetics like chains, and is rather clean to work with. It can be done on any surface, with minimal equipment (you just need a pair of pliers and cutters); it can be mastered in under an hour, and

does not require solder, flame, pickling or special ventilation.

That said, soldering, on the other hand, brings to the table an extensive range of design possibilities unavailable to wire wrapping - most notably, bonding pieces permanently and minimally, without coiled and cumbersome wire.

The solution that bridges soldering and wire wrapping came into my life in 2017 - when I bought my first micro welder, Orion mPulse 30. This was the missing link (pun!) - the technology bringing together all the benefits of wire wrapping and soldering.

Reality check: My Orion micro welder did not perfectly replace soldering. I could not weld as securely as I could solder for thick pieces such as ring bands and castings for earrings. But what was worth the investment was how greatly the speed of my fabrication process increased. I was faster and more productive. I could now tack weld earring posts onto castings before soldering. I once calculated that I was cutting my fabrication time by as much as 30% for batches of 20 or more earrings. I also completely replaced soldering with welding for all fine chains - welding speed was increased plus much fewer

“Wilkerson is the best. They did everything they said they would do, and more. Everything was organized and detailed. They’re well-respected in the industry, and now I see why — they know how to do it.”

- Joe Cheslock

Dana Ho Henning

damaged chains from accidental melting.

Micro welding, for many people equals permanent jewelry these days. I wholesale to many permanent jewelry artists, as well as to existing jewelry store customers who have decided to start offering permanent jewelry.

Even my significant group of customers, staunchly resistant to the idea of permanent jewelry, are curious about what the welder can do for their fabrication work. The welder definitely can help their sales, too.

Because of all this interest by my customers, I create YouTube videos on jewelry making using arc pulse micro welders. Here are some jewelry pieces I have found to be best made by micro welding - better than soldering or wire wrapping:

Threader Earrings - stud post welded onto a fine chain that you pull through the piercing. It is impossible to do this with wire wrapping. Fine chains are hard to control with the flame and it is difficult to solder a cable chain onto the post without the top links being melted into a blob (trust me, I’ve tried many times). However, it takes mere seconds to weld this. I first ball the chain end slightly by zapping the top link back onto itself. Then I simply weld the tiny ball to the stud post and use chain nose pliers to smoothen the joint - if needed.

Briolette Bead Drops - for earrings or pendants. It is faster to wire wrap drop beads than to solder wire or create prong settings. However, not everyone likes the crafty look of wire wrapping. By trimming the wire ends, leaving 2mm excess, gather the wires together and weld with one zap. It takes less than 3 seconds. In general, 22ga wires use 9W power; 24ga 7W-8W; 26ga 6W-7W; 28ga 5W.

Bar Chains and Bead Connectors - in between chains. Wire wrapping is faster and safer than solder because chains can melt and stone beads can crack when exposed to high heat. Again, not everyone likes the craft look of wire wrapping. There is a slight trick to welding very fine wires,

Please see Henning page 24

FLEXIE ™

THE PERFECT FIT FOR EVERY OCCASION

“Flexie bangles have been a game-changer for our store! Our clients prefer these great bracelets over the traditional bracelets.”

- LOCHS JEWELERS

“Our customers consistently choose Flexie, making it a strong performer at our store.”

- STEVEN SINGER JEWELERS

“Flexie has always been a hit at our stores. Customers love every category, and it’s a consistent favorite in our inventory.”

- DOLAND JEWELERS

By Joel McFadden

How long can a retail business survive without making any sales? Most of you would laugh at the question as a unanimous answer runs through your thoughts of “not long!” Yet, there are such businesses that exist. A recent experience at one such store brought several questions to mind about how it was maintaining and why its sales were so nearly non-existent.

I’ve gotten to know the owners of the store. They have a deep passion for what they are doing.

The Silent Selling Tool

They love it so much that they are, and have been for a long time, using other income avenues to support their store. It is a sad truth that if they were not doing so, the store would have closed its doors a long time ago.

The sales in the store are horrible. They might go an entire week without ringing up $50 in sales. A week that $200 dollars rang up was a rare cause for excitement at the high sales. They have a beautiful store. The products are truly gorgeous works of art. There is a phenomenal amount of foot traffic in the area

and into the store. The area is a perfect location for the store. Everything looks like the business should be thriving.

I had the occasion to be doing some work there and it gave me the opportunity to be the proverbial fly on the wall. As I sat quietly off to the side, I saw and heard the owner cheerfully greet every customer who came in the door. They were attentive, polite, and cheerful. Then the self-sabotage immediately followed. Everything that caught the potential customer’s attention generated a spew of apologies

from the owner about the price. Even items marked down 50% off to as little as $5. The idle conversation from the owner was a consistent onslaught of comments apologizing for the high prices, remembering when things were more affordable, and expressing confusion over why the prices had to be marked up so high. It was depressing to even listen to and not surprising that the sales for the day were absolutely zero.

The experience reminded me, with resounding clarity, of one simple truth. If I do not value my work, craftsmanship, and the

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product that I’m selling, neither will my customer.

The individual who has walked in the door is there because something brought them in that door. Whether it is the owner or a salesperson who has greeted them, that interaction can move the person in the store to become a paying customer or out the door without a purchase.

If you don’t think the price of the item is fair, you probably won’t be able to convince a potential customer that the item is worth that price. Think about it, how likely are you to buy any product that the person selling it is standing there going on and on about how much it really is not worth the price?

Take pride in what you are selling is worth every penny of that price. Never apologize for your prices. Let me stress that further, never apologize for your prices! Build the value of items by talking about their features and benefits. Keep the conversation positive. Ask the customer what their budget is and steer them towards those items.

When you have built the value of the item up in the customer’s mind and it’s time for them to make that yes or no decision, are they going to buy it or not?

One of the most powerful and effective tools you can use is simply silence. This is the point where the price becomes the issue. Shut up and point at the price tag.

Silence is a very powerful selling tool yet so many of us (including myself) don’t use it nearly enough. I often seek to bridge that momentary pause by trying to build further on the personal connection to the customer by talking about other things not

Please see

page 26

Joel McFadden

Joel

By Chuck Koehler

Those infamous words have been spoken by the lovable TV character Ernest P. Worrell thousands and thousands of times. Ernest shot over 3,000 TV commercials, on film, most of them shot right here in Nashville, which some have claimed is a world record.

Ernest P. Worrell was the TV pitchman for Braum’s Ice Cream stores back in Texas when I was in high school and college. He also pitched car dealerships, savings and loan companies, furniture stores, gas companies, and a host of other companies and products.

Ernest P. Worrell was the brainchild of a local Nashville advertising executive named John Cherry. But, the man who actually played that character was a friend - and a customer - of mine named Jim Varney (1949-2000).

Back when I worked in the entertainment industry, I worked with John Cherry on a few proj-

ects with his advertising agency, but I never worked with Jim and/ or Ernest. Fast forward a few years, and I now own my jewelry store, and guess who comes walking in?

Jim Varney was once married to the lady that cut my hair named Janie. They were divorced at the time, but had always maintained a very good relationship and Janie still cut his hair as well. Janie’s hair salon was right across the street from my jewelry store.

Jim Varney played Ernest P. Worrell in ‘Ernest goes to Camp’, ‘Ernest Saves Christmas’, ‘Ernest Rides Again’, ‘Ernest Goes to Jail’, and many other movies in that series. Oh, he also played Jed Clampett in ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ movie. Jim was always a very popular actor around town, but then one day, all of a sudden, he was one of the biggest stars in Nashville - a town full of stars.

Pixar Animation Studios had just released a new movie that was one of the biggest movies ever released at that time. You

might remember it, it was called ‘Toy Story’. Jim Varney was the voice of Slinky Dog. Pixar was praying that ‘Toy Story’ would make between $75 and $100 million dollars over time.

It made $350,000,000 right out of the gate!

Jim had always had a very successful career, but now he was a household name along with his co-stars Tim Allen, Don Rickles and Tom Hanks. So now, let’s get to the part where there’s a jewelry tie in.

Jim, although he played a goofy character on TV, was anything but goofy in real life. He was a trained Shakespearian actor, and one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever had the pleasure to know. But, here’s something that I bet you didn’t know. Jim Varney was one of the world’s leading experts on antique and vintage time pieces.

At that time of my life, I wanted to be one of the leading vintage watch dealers in the Southeast. As it turned out, I dis-

covered I was more of a collector than I was a dealer because I never liked to sell them.

Several times a year, I’d look up and see Jim walking across the street, sporting a fresh haircut, making a beeline to my front door. I knew what was coming next, so I would just put away whatever I was working on because Jim and I were going to spend the next hour or two dealing with watches. He would look at a timepiece I had just acquired, open it up, and tell me it couldn’t be a 1942 model because they didn’t update their escape wheels until 1946. He’d say, “Look right here. See that? That’s the updated escaped wheel so it can’t be older than 1946.”

Another cool thing was he would bring in unique things he’d acquired while he was out on movie shoots all over the world. That’s the story I’m about to tell you. And it has nothing to do with watches. I just wanted you to know that one cool fact about Jim Varney. He knew more about

watches and timepieces than anyone else on the planet.

Earlier I mentioned that I’d worked with his producer on some film projects when I worked in the entertainment industry. In the movie business, there is something known as B-roll footage. Broll is the shots in a movie that are just background scenes like random people walking down a busy city sidewalk. Shooting Broll requires the crew, but a lot of times no actors are needed. B-roll days are also any filming days that are taking place that, as an actor, you don’t have any scenes and you have the day off. It was on these B-roll days that Jim went exploring.

Please see Chuck page 34

Chuck Koehler

One of the simplest ways to enhance the perceived value of a piece of jewelry in a showcase is to display it in a more “featured” manner. Rule #1 in visual merchandising is to feature what you want to sell! Bury the piece in your crowded case and you are sure to make it more difficult for

The 20-40-40 Rule

your buyer. Make it easy to seeand to buy.

One good rule of thumb that I found works is the 20-40-40 rule. Here it is:

Take the top 20% of the merchandise (i.e. the pieces you want most to sell) in a given showcase and display these nicer pieces on

individual elements. Single ring fingers, earring stands whatever, as long as there is only 1 piece of merchandise on that display. These are the best so make them look that way!

Now take the next 40% tier of merchandise and display those better pieces in trays of only a few items together. Think ring trays that hold 3 or 5 rings at most or low density earring stands. The goal here is to make these pieces appear special (better), but not as special as those top 20% (best)!

Lastly, take what pieces you have left (that bottom 40% of “good” pieces) and put them in trays of higher density. Here you can use those ring trays that hold 7 or 9 or 12, whatever you need

By Larry Johnson

to do to display your complete selection. Chances are the customer for this price point is looking for a broad selection and a tray with 12 pieces will give them that.

Step back and check out your handiwork. You’ll see that the best pieces stand out (a good thing). They look special because you have treated them as special. It will be easier to sell the features and value of these pieces because you have treated them in a manner that reflects their value.

Next you’ll see that your mid-priced goods look better. They are organized and attractively displayed. They look like an attractive alternative if I can’t afford to go upmarket to those best pieces.

Larry Johnson

And then, your lower priced goods are collected, looking good and displayed as the lower market choice. I do not feel badly when I shop this tray as all the merchandise in that tray is at a similar price point and I can just focus on choosing the right piece for me.

Apply this 20-40-40 rule in your showcases and see if you see a difference in sales and customer reactions. If you do, great, then build on the concept in all your cases and windows.

If you do not see a change, for goodness sake, then try something else!

You see, I believe there is another informal 20-40-40 rule to apply here.

About 20% of the jewelers in retail try new things and grow as a result. The next 40% of jewelers think about new strategies, agree they are needed, but do not actually try them out or take other action. The bottom 40% never consider or try new things and wonder why business is not growing the way it used to. Change is good - 100% of the time!

Call me for a free consult on how to apply this principle in your store!

Invitation: From 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, Monday afternoon, March 18, at the Atlanta Jewelry Show, I will be conducting a free seminar on Effective Jewelry Display Ideas, followed by a workshop where we will work with attendees to solve real display issues they might have in their stores. If you can, please attend and make your displays sell more!

Larry is the founder of Larry Johnson Consulting Group, a world-wide jewelry merchandising and marketing advisory firm based in Colleyville, Texas. He is the author of “The Complete Guide to Effective Jewelry Display” and a frequent speaker at jewelry events. His firm has worked with hundreds of independent retailers to improve their sales through better display merchandising. He is the holder of 6 US patents for his display products. He can be reached at Larry@LarryJohnsonConsulting. com or 817-980-2135. His website is www.LarryJohnsonConsulting.com.

Introducing The Edge’s Newest Value-Added Partner

“This collaboration introduces a range of advanced payment options for Edge users, enhancing our transaction capabilities. A key feature of this partnership is the upcoming rollout of consumer credit at the point of sale. This development aims to facilitate smoother transactions and increase sales opportunities for our clients.”

-Dick Abbott, President of The Edge

Tucson

Continued from page 3

People are recognizing and buying fine gems and jewels as family heirlooms, for engagements and weddings, and because of their fashion and personal connections finds Collins. “There’s no better time to sell colored stones and cultured pearls. We have a huge opportunity with what’s happening in diamonds. More people are looking to the gem category.”

Shah concurs that more diamond money is coming to the gem business, as the diamond industry continues to navigate through the effects lab-grown diamonds and two wars are having on the diamond market.

“Lab-grown diamonds have taken a 30% to 40% bite out of the natural diamond business,” cited Martin Rapaport, diamond business magnate and chairman of the Rapaport Group in a seminar with AGTA CEO John Ford. “Will it be sustainable, probably for certain market segments. I don’t think the impact for the high end will be. It will probably last another year in the engagement market. But for fashion jewelry it will all go to synthetics.”

Rapaport underscored that “the colored gemstone market is waking up to new opportunities for growth. The younger generations want something different, authentic and unique. The great variety offered by gemstone jew-

elry is perfect for these new consumers.”

Market Trends Shared

While the colored stone industry worked out synthetics a century ago, the biggest concern today is that gem production is nowhere close to where it was pre-pandemic, Stuart Robertson, president of Gemworld International told a full house of jewelers in a market trends presentation with Brecken Branstrator, editor in chief of the GemGuide.

While small-scale mining is returning, it is still not at capacity, as production and transportation costs continue to rise with inflation. “As expected, demand is soft for lower good to low-end goods pressuring pricing,” shared Robertson, noting that lack of production guarantees higher prices in high-end material. He said prices for fine quality stones are finding support at current levels, motivated by rarity and wealth preservation.

Shah cited prices up 30% to 50% for fine natural colored stones, 10% to 20% for commercial goods. Despite initial sticker shock, he said that jewelers were buying the best for their money.

Branstrator noted that sapphire is the top selling stone in the Western market, and a gem that offers one of the largest palettes in colors. Demand is high for no-heat sapphire, which she said is difficult to source, with the exception of small stones.

Ruby is a specialized market and has been for years, said Branstrator, with the strongest demand currently in the Chinese market. “Sophisticated buyers

“We had about 20 Montana sapphires cut right before the show in 2-to-5-carat sizes, which is large for this material,” explained Braunwart. “We also sold a lot of golden Cortez cultured pearls from Mexico; and moss agate from India is popular in everything from body jewelry to engagement rings.”

Another interesting space to watch in 2024, Branstrator shared, is bespoke cutting. “There’s a growing appreciation for independent cutters, unique cuts, and new cuts for traditional stones.” Braunwart concurs, citing strong demand for unique shapes like kite, hexagonal tablet, and reverse intaglio.

Pearl Prognosis

While Tucson is regarded as

recognize the rarity of fine ruby. In general though, ruby is now perceived as cost prohibitive. Its price structure the past decade has created the opportunity for color substitution based buying at the mid level market.”

Tourmaline and garnet are reliable sellers that offer a broad range of colors. Garnet in particular has strong name recognition and history. It also is still perceived as affordable, although garnet, like tourmaline, has seen price increases, a direct result of the marketing of sourcing practices, explained Branstrator.

Zircon is hitting the strongest appeal among young designers, Branstrator highlighted, with demand increasing among independent jewelers. She forecast that green would be an important color this year in a variety of gems like tourmaline, garnet, and peridot. She also sees a return to emerald, which is more affordable and available than its other two “Big Three” counterparts.

Kathe Braunwart, jewelry design lead for Columbia Gem House (CGH), shared that fancy greens and teals, as well as bicolor sapphires from Montana have been extremely popular for the Vancouver, Washington-based company, a leading supplier of the material.

a gemstone-focused show, pearls are very much on display. And like other categories in the fine jewelry business, pearl production has not yet rebounded to post pandemic levels, and prices are very high.

Robertson shared that the pearl market in general was the hardest hit during the pandemic. “Pearl prices are very high. Farmers lost entire cultivation cycles and production seasons. We expect it will take three to four years to fully recover.” He mentioned that Paspaley was an exception, as the major Australian South Sea pearl producer was able to make arrangements to continue cultivation on his ship during the pandemic.

Fran Mastoloni, a partner at Mastoloni Pearls in New York City described the pearl world as in turmoil. “Undeniably, pearls are hot,” he underscored, noting that every color, shape and mix is popular. “Pearls are fun to wear; both causal and formal; and the palette is endless. But there is a pearl shortage out there and COVID is only part of the problem.”

The Chinese have been buying up everything pearls - Akoya, South Sea, and Tahitian, he cited. Pearl prices are up two to three times pre-COVID levels, which

Natural unheated sapphires in organic shapes from ColorFirst.

Columbia Gem House had really big Montana sapphire. They brought over 200 1 ct. in every color and about 20 larger sizes to Tucson.

Zircon’s popularity is on the rise. Suite of cushion cut blue zircon from Kimberly Collins Colored Gems.

Gems

Continued from page 22

Mastoloni said is not sustainable. He shared that last June after the Chinese actress and influencer NiNi posted selfies adorned in beautiful pearl jewelry, the market exploded. In fact, the highly anticipated Robert Wan Tahitian pearl auction scheduled during the September Hong Kong show was cancelled right before it began after one Chinese buyer showed up, and bought everything, 30% over reserve.

Mastoloni advised jewelers to keep an eye on what’s being produced in Chinese nucleated freshwater cultured pearls. He is seeing some fantastic pearls, 14mm to 16mm in size, with absolutely clean skin.

Meeting the Source

Among her five key market trends for 2024, Branstrator noted that more designers and jewelers are traveling to the source to buy.

“The growing trend is to market or develop a gem or location,” Branstrator shared, citing as an example the Cruzeiro tourmaline mine that went mineto-market during the pandemic. Jewelers were invited to visit its operations in Minas Gerais, Brazil. She advocates firsthand experiences help to contextualize market trends and issues, and assess and vet claims.

Braunwart concurs that her increasingly younger clientele, many who are under the age of 30, come to CGH for ethically sourced material. Robertson gave a shout out to CGH as pioneers in ethical protocols specific to the gem trade, among them source

marketing and bringing attention to a gem or location like Montana sapphire and Cortez cultured pearls have done.

Cynthia Pischdotchian, Boston-based custom jeweler for Cynthia Britt, shared that while her focus for 10 years has been on bridal and diamonds, customer requests for color have been growing year after year. In addition to blue sapphire, green and peach sapphires, tsavorite garnet, black opal, and aquamarine are client favorites. Shopping the AGTA GemFair for the first time, she wanted to meet her vendors in person to fill her ever-expanding shopping list for color.

There was definitely a “doer” vibe at the show, described Ken Laughlin, sales for the Alden, New York-based United Precious Metal Refining, of his experience

exhibiting at AGTA. “We were busy meeting serious buyers. Custom jewelers were buying solder, silver wire, findings. Retailers were spending money.”

Larry Rodgers, owner of the Morro Bay, California-based Lavish Jewelry Cleaner, an exhibitor at AGTA for seven years, hails the Tucson venue ideal to meet customers that the company does not see at other trade shows. Safe for all gems and metals, Lavish foam, stick and bath cleaning products are a Tucson crowd pleaser, a gem show amenity in the bathrooms at the convention center.

Julia Pullman, marketing coordinator with Brea, Californiabased Box Brokers Group (BBG), echoed similar sentiments of a busy show and access to new and different customers. With smashand-grab thieves targeting jewel-

341.300

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ers, BBG’s new patent-pending SmartPro Display was a favorite. The magnetic display contains security clips with tracking device. Robertson describes the market as still decompressing from healthy growth during the pandemic. He reminds jewelers that competition from travel, leisure and other experience-based spending is back post pandemic. Branstrator underscores that while it takes extra work, there is added value to have a transparent supply chain.

HenninG

Continued from page 10

which I share in the videos, but it is easy to master. The result is amazing - fast, consistent and clean.

Customized Necklaces and Bracelets - and this is a big one! It is not just permanent jewelry that requires securely closed jump rings. Closing jump rings near fine chains or moving mechanisms, such as spring clasps or lever backs, is the bane of all jewelry makers. Flame can melt the chain or damage the spring mechanism, but wire wrapping is often unsightly. This is where micro welding is the superstar.

I foresee every jewelry-carrying boutique to have a micro welder on premises in the near future. The trend is multi-layering and super customization. Consumers are currently able to order online fine chains, measured to 1/4” increments, from 12” to 30” long. Boutiques usually carry 16”, 18” and 20”, perhaps with extension chains. Unusual lengths would require several days turnaround time because it would be sent out to a goldsmith.

However, this is about to change - boutiques can now offer customized lengths, made to measure to accompany any outfit or jewelry collection, in under 10 minutes.

Consumers will appreciate that level of service, the human interaction, and instant gratification in boutiques that online shopping cannot provide. Having a micro welder on premises will help bring foot traffic back to the brick and mortar fashion retail boutique.

Dana Ho Henning is the founder of Stones and Findings, a jewelry components wholesale company, specializing in charm designs and chains. She formally trained in fine arts and finance, earning an MBA from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Business. Learn more about Dana at www.stonesandfindings. com, YouTube: Stones And Findings, Instagram: @Stones And Findings.

340.236

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Diamonds are just like people, every one has its own unique personality

GN Diamond’s easy tool to quickly help explain why no two diamonds are the same can improve your closing percentages

A store owner recently shared a story of a customer who went to 3 different stores and received 3 different price quotes for the same 1.20 G SI1, triple excellent round brilliant diamond. “I don’t understand the large price fluctuations in the same exact diamond.” The store owner then asked, “Please describe your fiancé to me.” Curiously, the customer said, “Well, she is 5’5” with brown hair and brown eyes, average weight.” The store owner then retorted, “Aah,

you have just described millions of women!”

From this dialogue, the store owner could easily explain that no 2 diamonds are alike just like no 2 brown haired, brown eyed 5’5” women are the same. Each has unique characteristics that attract someone to another.

By utilizing an easy tool, offered by GN Diamond to retailers - at no charge - end consumers can easily understand why one diamond is better than another.

The inclusions are gentle or may be hidden by a prong. They are camouflaged in a facet line, etc.

“Within seconds the customer has gained knowledge as to why no two diamonds are the same and this may help reduce negotiations by as much as 50%,” says Asaf Herskovitz, GN Diamond CEO. The store owner added that an important focus in his everyday business is customer knowledge and satisfaction. This has helped his referral business twofold.

By utilizing GN Diamond’s simple tool the jewelry store owner validates with a third party science, why one diamond is better than another.

GN Diamond constantly looks for ways to help retailers sell more diamonds in a simple and time efficient manner. Call GN Diamond today at 800-7248810 for a 5 minute training and learn all the benefits they offer. You may also visit gndiamond. com or email sales@gndiamond. com.

Joel

Continued from page 14

relevant to the business or their purchase. It’s good to make those connections to the customer, just not at that moment.

United PMR unveils new 18K Pink Alloys

(ALDEN, N.Y.) - Leading metals provider United PMR has announced the launch of its latest innovations, Alloy 544M and Alloy 551. These cutting-edge alloys are designed to be the next evolution in the pink gold alloy product offering. The refined grain structure improves the mechanical and tarnish-resistant properties, and proprietary formulas result in cleaner castings and less metal loss during cleaning. This product can be rolled into sheets and plate and can be continuously cast.

“United continuously endeavors to create new alloy formulas to meet the ever evolving demands of the jewelry industry, both domestically and abroad,” said Bob Dixon, Director of New Business Development. “These new formulas showcase the intricacies of the work our team of metallurgists do on an ongoing basis to provide technical support and innovative solutions for all our customers.”

Key Features of Pink 544M & Rose Pink 551 Alloys:

• 14K-18K Pink Gold Alloy

• Specifically developed to serve the 18K Pink Gold market

• Refined grain structure for even better mechanical and tarnishresistant properties

• Proprietary deoxidizers to reduce metal-mold reactions resulting in clean castings and less metal loss during casting

• Can be rolled to plates and sheets and can be continuously cast

Availability and Pricing:

These alloys are presently available either through one of UPMR’s global distributors or directly from United PMR. With a robust technical team, UPMR is constantly evaluating the market and will continue to develop new alloys to serve their customers. UPMR’s goal remains to be the leading metals supplier to the jewelry industry.

Next up for UPMR’s innovations will be an announcement regarding new alloys for the white gold market.

For more information or to place an order visit www.UnitedPMR. com, call 800-999-3463 (FINE) or email Sales@UnitedPMR.com.

ProuT

Continued from page 10

When the customer is making that decision about if it is worth the price, that diversion conversation is just a distraction. Silence is indeed a very powerful and effective selling tool I am trying to use more often. I’ve seen firsthand where it would make a tremendous difference for some stores.

For any inquiries :

Jule For ti (Projec t Manager): +1 917 40 0 6 691

Jorge Pascual (Sales Manager): +1 78 6 287 1 03 1 info @ galinterior s com ht tps : //galinterior s com

Custom guru Joel McFadden is the owner of Joel McFadden Designs in Chapel Hill, NC. He developed pricing for custom jewelry and repairs for the IJO Prototype Store, opened a business which became a million-dollar store focusing on custom, was named MJSA’s first Mentor Jeweler, was the first director of the Council of Custom Jewelers, and is the creator of the Bench Jewelers Challenge. He is an industry writer and speaks at events. Available for CAD work, stone setting, and complete custom pieces for the trade. Contact Joel at MentorJeweler@gmail.com, 984-212-2217, JMDJewelry.com, Facebook and YouTube.

“thing”. And lab grown diamond growers who can track their production from “Lab to Market” will be positioned to benefit significantly. Indeed, I am currently launching a way of telling the unique story of the creation of individual lab grown diamonds in a Made to Order marketing initiative (thereby ensuring their “virgin” status), and I can’t imagine that I’ll be the only one for long. And once that happens, will hashtags like #nouseddiamondsforme and #thefirsttowearit be far behind?

Will your customer make a purchase when she suspects that the diamond she’s buying from you might have been worn by a prior owner whose marriage failed? I don’t think so, any more than I think she would be happy to learn that the gold used to make her mounting had a former life as someone’s teeth.

The mined diamond sup-

ply chain has failed to provide a workable solution to the problem of provenance and prior ownership. But you can bet that in the near future, key players in the LGD supply chain are going to play this “prior ownership” card by offering Diamond Provenance Reports, with a corresponding negative impact on the value of existing diamonds in the marketplace. Protect yourself and your company by having a wild card up your sleeve when that time comes.

Class Dismissed!

George Prout is a 50-year veteran in the jewelry business, having sold his first engagement ring as a 17 year-old sales associate working at Kay Jewelers in 1974. Since then he has worked for companies that rose to top three status nationally in sales volume to Independent Jewelry stores. Currently he is President of JB Bhanderi, the world’s largest CVD grower and maker of the Surreal Diamond brand. He can be reached at george@surrealdiamond.com.

A s Gal Interiors , our priority is to create impressive and functional luxur y stores that will meet the needs of our clients in ever y aspect s , our is

The Story Behind the Stone That Certain Glow

By Diana Jarrett

One of the most fascinating identifying characteristics of some gemstones is their ability to fluoresce under UV lighting. Not all gemstones exhibit this phenomenon.

Some diamonds are known to fluoresce when exposed to longwave UV waves. So when that occurs, it becomes an important

identifying marker that appears on its diamond grading report.

Usually when diamonds radiate under UV light, they glow bright blue, maybe white, and occasionally yellow. There are instances of magenta, even green fluorescence in diamonds too.

Some say fluorescence in diamonds makes them appear to be blurry. According to a GIA report, “Is Diamond Fluores-

cence Good or Bad?” however, it doesn’t do that. It can, however, make already hazy diamonds appear hazier.

In that same GIA report, the question of whether fluorescence makes lower color diamonds appear more white is addressed. “Some trade professionals think blue fluorescence enhances a diamond’s appearance, especially in diamonds with I to M color grades,” the report asserts. “Bluish fluorescence can make a faint yellowish diamond appear more colorless in UV light, which is part of natural daylight.”

It is said that about 30% of white (colorless) diamonds fluoresce when subjected to UV lighting.

Who Discovered Fluorescence?

One of the earliest people to recognize and identify fluorescence in minerals was Irish physicist and mathematician Sir George Gabriel Stokes in 1852. He went on record for noting the ability of fluorite to produce a blue glow under certain conditions and named that phenomenon fluorescence.

Why do gem minerals fluoresce?

Here’s something not all people are cognizant of. Color gemstones can also possess this ability to glow under UV long-wave light waves.

Many sources give elaborate explanations for why gemstones become luminescent which are unclear. The science and education site Geology.com offers a

more concise explanation that’s easier to understand.

“All minerals have the ability to reflect light. That is what makes them visible to the human eye. Some minerals have an interesting physical property known as ‘fluorescence.’

“These minerals have the ability to temporarily absorb a small amount of light and in

an instant later, release a small amount of light of a different wavelength. This change in wavelength causes a temporary color change of the mineral in the eye of a human observer.”

The Stones That Glow

Numerous minerals put on this phenomenal display. Here are a few which are popular as gemstones, too.

• Ruby and Sapphire

• Opal

• Chalcedony

• Apatite

• Yellow Topaz

• Kunzite

Diamonds and gemstones which fluoresce are not only intriguing, but the attribute aids with its positive identification.

It’s such a key feature that jewelers, dealers and rock-hounds may take a UV flashlight with them to observe the phenomenon in the field or on a buying trip.

Could it Get Any Better?

Most gemstones cease fluorescing when the UV light source is turned off. But some gems keep on going with an otherworldly after-glow. This separate display is called phosphorescence.

Certain diamonds can do this. The most well-known gems to display strong phosphorescence is kunzite. Top quality kunzite can exhibit a mysterious intense pink glow - or warm peach tones lasting several minutes after the UV light source has been turned off.

These gemstone anomalies are not just interesting tidbits for chatting up customers. They identify individual characteristics even within a species. By helping your customers deepen their knowledge-base of natural gems, you support their shift from being a consumer to becoming an informed collector.

Award winning trade journalist and gemologist Diana Jarrett is a Registered Master Valuer Appraiser and a member of the Association of Independent Jewellery Valuers (AIJV). She’s a popular speaker at conferences and trade shows. Jarrett writes for trade and consumer publications, online outlets, her blog: Color-n-Ice, and www.jewelrywebsitedesigners.com. Contact her at diana@dianajarrett.com, visit her website at www.dianajarrett.com, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter (Loupey).

Diana Jarrett

Variety of diamond crystals show fluorescence. Photo Clean Origin

Rough kunzite crystal fluorescence. Photo Rocks Crystals Gems

Diamonds with different intensities of fluorescence. Photo GIA-Van Pelt

Famed Hope Diamond emits a bright red phosphorescence after UV lighting. Photo Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

You spoke and we listened. We’ve been working hard to improve our delivery. We are focused on the items you need the most so we don’t have to compromise our industry leading quality and customer service.

We identified our core jewelry products and built stock of our most popular sizes and metals. We also prioritized our standard mill alloys to ensure they remain on the fast track.

popular sizes and metals. We also prioritized our standard QUICK ship

GET IT FAST

Look for the GET IT FAST icon to determine a stock versus a made to order item.

We continue to offer thousands of made to order products and 38 specialty mill alloys with longer but reliable lead times. If you don’t see something you need, we will work with you on a solution.

FASTER LEAD TIMES FOR MILL PRODUCTS

Grain, solder and wire foot pieces in standard metals ship same or next day. Other mill products in standard metals (14KW, 14KY, 18KY, 18K Royal and STR) ship in 4 business days.

JEWELRY ITEMS ARE IN STOCK

Settings and shanks in standard metals and sizes are in stock and ready to ship! Earrings and solitaires can be assembled in 5 days from stock components.

MADE TO ORDER MILL AND JEWELRY ITEMS will ship in less than 15 business days.

Let us earn back your business with our improved delivery times.

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Tell us about it and send a picture to bill@southernjewelrynews.com.

Email: contact@pickensinc.com

480 E. Paces Ferry Rd. Atlanta, GA. 30305

Howdy y’all from Bruna and Mercy, two West Texas working gals! 8-year-old Bruna (standing), and 4-year-old Mercy are both German Shepherd rescues that work at Cano’s Diamonds and Coins in San Angelo, Texas. Bruna never leaves her human William Cano’s side and Mercy is the same with her favorite human Cecilia Cano. Bruna is the vigilant and fearless alpha. Her job is to sift thru the good, the bad and the ugly. She is exceptionally good at her job as a body guard. Mercy loves on every human that walks into the store, making her the ideal greeter. Some customers want to take her home. The playful and athletic Mercy especially loves her lunch break at the park where she fully enjoys Frisbee time. Mercy loves going to work so much she whimpers with glee the whole way there. To nalize the workday, Bruna hears her favorite song, “Come and get your love” by Redbone leaping happily. The duo has been nicknamed “The Vigilante and The Ham.”

hello to

Say

Mercy! Mercy is a female, 8-year-old, Black Labrador Retriever who works at Leslie Jewelers in Searcy, Arkansas. She helps out in the store with customer relations - everyone loves to see her - and marketing; this picture of her sporting a big diamond necklace was a hit on social media. Mercy’s favorite hobby is hunting. When she’s not out looking for ducks she enjoys spending time in the store.

F-VS2

PlaTinum

Continued from page 3

desirable soft patina over time that devotees adore.

Exclusive Interview with Mary

Van der Aa

We asked award-winning jeweler-gemologist Mary Van der Aa about working with platinum. She should know. Her 2023 Spectrum “Best Use of Platinum” award went to her garnet neckpiece (see pg. 1) that spanned a decade of labor - and love.

When she began working in platinum over 12 years ago she found there was definitely a learning curve. “Well there is definitely the cost factor,” Van der Aa revealed. “When I first started

making jewelry I rarely used platinum. If an accident happens, it’s more money for you to lose. But once I became proficient, I began using it more. Now about 90% of my inventory which I produce are in platinum,” she explains.

According to Van der Aa, her customers prefer jewelry made from platinum. Noting that it lasts longer as a premium luxury metal, she finds her clients love the brightness and heft to platinum. She says, “they love its luxuriousness and that it reflects their status in life.”

When you wear a piece of platinum jewelry - you know you have it on. The “heft” that Van der Aa mentioned is a big deal with jewelry collectors. The dense metal is about 70% heavier than the same amount of 14K white gold.

Labor of Love

were surprises along the way. She intended to create the entire necklace in platinum, but discovered that the platinum was too reflective to allow the wearer to properly read a QR code stamped onto a link. “I ended up having to make the link with the QR code in 18K yellow gold,” she reports.

platinum piece might have been stronger than the pull of the magnets. “This necklace was definitely an expensive risk, and I’m so happy it paid off and came to fruition,” Van der Aa reports.

Words of Wisdom

Despite the time and difficulty of putting together her masterful necklace, she wants to push designers to go for it if they want

Her most encouraging words are a rallying cry for designers. “Don’t be afraid of platinum. There’s a lot of mystery with platinum you hear about, and I think it hinders the newbies a bit. So get good with gold and then go to platinum - you’ll feel more comfortable.”

Creating her award winning platinum and garnet necklace required patience to see it through to completion. This work, called “Garanatas: From Rough to Cut” is a two-piece necklace set with over 77 carats of garnets, and took 10 years to produce. Working on an original piece meant there

She designed the two necklaces to be held together by magnets - but could she pull this off?

“I had to consider the weight of the platinum which is a heavy dense metal. I prayed that when the piece was finished that the magnets would hold the two necklaces together,” she confessed. The weight of the heavy

to create in this sumptuous metal. “Have a separate set of tools for platinum. It is a pure metal, and you cannot use the same files and tools on platinum as you do on gold in order to prevent contamination.”

After a decade long process finalizing her winning piece, does she feel inspired to work on a complex piece again in platinum - or is it one-and-done? “This piece is 100% going to be hard to top, but don’t worry. I’m already thinking about the next one, and of course it will be in platinum.”

Rough platinum nugget. Photo United States Geological Survey

Platinum mining in South Africa. Photo Mining Tech

Award-winning jewelergemologist Mary Van der Aa.

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Continued from page 16

The later Ernest movies were almost all shot over in South Africa. They’d go over and shoot a couple of them at once over the course of a few months. On B-roll days, Jim would drive all over the countryside and visit pawn shops and vintage stores looking for cool timepieces. It was on one of these trips he found a 10 ct., oval green beryl.

I look up one day and see Jim crossing the street. Instead of bringing me timepieces, he brought me this stone and wanted a green gold mounting made for it. He wanted the green gold to be the same color as the stone. And, he had a deadline. He was booked as a guest on The Tonight

Show, promoting ‘Toy Story’, and he wanted to wear it on the show, and we had about a month to pull this off.

We came up with a simple gents single stone, bezel set design. Then we spent several days trying to get the gold the right color. I told Jim it was going to be expensive because we’d have to just keep adding pure gold and green alloy until we got it right. After a dozen or so incarnations, we finally got it.

I spent the next 10 days or so fabricating the mounting and got the ring finished with about a week to spare. It was one of the coolest - and one of the weirdest - looking rings I’d ever made. It was monochromatic. The stone and the mounting were the exact same color and blended seamless-

ly together. Jim came in to pick it up and was thrilled. His plan was to wear it on his left ring finger which would be right in front of Jay Leno’s face. He told me he was going to make it a point to constantly try to showcase it during his interview to try and get Leno to ask him about it. If it happened, he was going to give me a shout out on national TV. Then about a week later, I watch Jim’s interview on The Tonight Show. I see my ring, and I see Jim, talking with his hands as usual, and waving it in Jay Leno’s face, but Leno never says a word. Damn!

A week or two later, Jim comes strolling in and tells me the story. He said he could see Jay Leno paying attention to it. At one point in the interview, Leno says, “We’ll be right back with more from Jim Varney after a word from our sponsors.” As soon as the director yelled “clear,” Jay Leno reaches out, grabs his hand, looks at the ring, and says, “What in the heck is that thing on your hand?”

I didn’t get my shout out on The Tonight Show that night, but it was a really fun experience. During pre-production for ‘Toy Story 2’, Jim was sadly diagnosed with cancer. Pixar held up production in order to accommodate Jim’s treatment. Jim was able to voice Slinky Dog one last time. He passed away in February of 2000. To this day, I’ve never known what happened to Jim’s vast timepiece collection or that super cool ring that I made for his Tonight Show appearance.

If you get a chance, put Jim Varney into the search box on YouTube and spend some time watching the thousands and thousands of videos about my friend, Jim Varney. You won’t be disappointed.

Chuck is the owner of Anthony Jewelers in Nashville, TN. Chuck also owns CMK Co., a wholesale trade shop that specializes in custom jewelry and repair services to the jewelry industry nationwide. If you would like to contact Chuck or need a speaker or instructor for your next conference/event he can be reached at 615-354-6361, www.CMKcompany.com or send e-mail to info@ southernjewelrynews.com.

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