Jewelry Training : How to Use the Loup

1. Hold the loupe close to your eye. The loupe needs to be 1 inch (2 5cm) away from your eye for it to focus at 10x magnification

2. Keep both eyes open. You can focus much better with both eyes open; closing an eye strains your eye muscles and will result in not being able to see details Keeping both eyes open is also important for loss prevention. Closing one eye leaves you vulnerable.

3. Hold the item close to the loupe. Keep the loupe near your eye and move the item close to the loupe until the item is in focus.

4. Brace the hand holding the loupe. Make sure your hands are touching each other to provide stability and avoid shaking, which will keep the item in focus.

5. Keep your head up.

Face forward and don’t bend your head over. Keeping your head up will allow light to enter the item so you can see more details; bending over blocks light and makes it harder to see.

August Birthstones

Spinel, Peridot, Sardonyx

Ring in $55,304 in Jewelry Sales for July!!

Jewelry Home Run Spotlight

Congratulations to TEAM ORLANDO 5 $8,844 diamond sale with $7,044 Net Profit!

Congratulations to Eric DeAnda Market with $11,000 in melee sales; which is an average of $2,200 Profit per store!

The name “Spinel” comes from the Latin word spina, which means thorn, in reference to the shape of spinel crystals This second August birthstone comes in a variety of colors: intense red, vibrant pink, orange, purple, violet, blue and bluish green. For centuries, spinel was mistaken for other gemstones. Some of history’s most famous “rubies” have turned out to be this August birthstone. The approximately 170ct Black Prince’s “ruby,” for example, was owned by a succession of Moorish and Spanish kings before Edward, Prince of Wales received the stone in 1367 as payment for winning a battle.

Peridot is the yellowish green variety of the mineral olivine. The word “peridot” comes from the Arabic faridat, meaning gem. It appeared in priests’ jewelry as early as the second century BC and later in the chalices and churches of medieval Europe. Throughout history, peridot has often been confused with other gems such as topaz and emerald. The Shrine of the Three Holy Kings in Germany’s Cologne Cathedral is decorated with 200 carats of gems that were believed to be emeralds but are, in fact, peridot. Some historians even speculate that Cleopatra’s famous emerald collection may have been comprised of peridot.

Sardonyx is the most ancient of the August birthstones and is a combination of two types of chalcedony: sard and onyx. Bands of brownish red to brown to dark orange sard alternate with typically white or black layers of onyx. In ancient times, sardonyx was a popular stone for Roman seals and signet rings, as hot wax would not stick to it. Sardonyx is believed to be one of the stones in the High Priest’s breastplate, as referred to in the Old Testament, and represents the strength of spiritual life Roman soldiers wore sardonyx rings with the image of Mars carved on them for protection in battle Today, this August birthstone is associated with courage, happiness and clear communication, bringing stability to marriage and partnerships

Management Camp is coming to Kingston, Jamaica in August!

Kingston 1

Shakira Scott (Lead SA)

Andrine Brown (Assistant Manager)

Kingston 2

Nyoka Blake (Store Manager)

Portmore

Kamel Whyte (Store Manager)

Christina Plummer

Montego Bay

Jhonell Jennings

May Pen

Georgia Graham (Assistant Manager)

Shavet Stone (Lead SA)

Mandeville

Aldronie Desdunes (Assistant Manager)

Ramsey - Smart Dollar - Financial Wellness Program

We have completed our first Ramsey – Smart Dollar Program and it was a success! We are ready to schedule next round of this 3-day, course. This program is a great way to learn how to budget your money and make your money work for you.

This is a FREE course to our team members, and you will be paid for the time you attend The goal of this program is to teach our team members budgeting techniques and how to reach your long-term financial goals.

The dates for the course are August 23 and Sept 19 & 21. Each day is 8 hours and will be held at Orlando 1 store.

If you are interested, please respond to smartdollar@smg.inc to sign up.