Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
Signed in as:
filler@godaddy.com
The word CABOCHON in the gem business is often used wrongly, to the point that some people miss the actual meaning of it especially here in Tanzania. If you are in the gem business make sure you use this word correctly.
The word CABOCHON explains the cutting style of a gemstone not the quality of the gemstone as many think. You will find that some miners and even gem sellers use this word to define the quality of the gemstone.
In the Gem cutting, there are styles which are famous, we will take a look at few of them.
1. Facet
Is a gem cutting style with many sides well cut and polished. The gem has to be transparent in order to cut as a facet. E.g. Diamond, Ruby, Sapphire or any other transparent gem. Below is facet image.
2. Cabochon
Cabochon is a smooth rounded polished gem has a domed top with a flat or curved base. Below are cabochon images. The good example is chalcedony, chrysoprase, coral or opal
Why some gemstones must cut in a Cabochon style?
§ Some gems appear more presentable when cutting them cabochon. There are some stones in order for them to shine the gem cutter must cut the cabochon style, e.g. Moonstone, opal, Star Ruby, Star Sapphire, Sunstone. ruby zoisite, ruby fuchsite,
§ The second reason is when the stone has visible inclusions, so to improve the value of the stone, it must be cut in the 'cabochon’ style.
§ Some of the gemstones are “opaque”, they do not allow the light to penetrate e.g. malachite, agate, coral, ruby zoisite, ruby fuchsite, amazonite, aventurine and feldspar
3. Carving
This is another style of gem cutting, where as a gemstone is cut to design a desired figure or shape. E.g. map figure, car figure, animal figure etc. The good example is ruby zoisite.
I hope that you have understood the meaning of word “CABOCHON”. Let me remind you once again, it is a cutting style and not the quality of the gemstone.
Not every gemstone, you can sell at a big lump sum amount. There are some gemstones that to make big money, you must sell many kg even tons.
When I say lump sum, I mean US$ 100,000 and above per piece of the gemstone.
You can’t sell gems such as citrine, red garnet weighing 1 - 10 grams for US$1,000 to US$100,000 per piece. Below are some of the gemstones that can command big prices;
1. Diamonds
2. Rubies
3. Sapphires
4. Emeralds
5. Spinals
6. Tsavorite garnets
From the above mentioned gemstones, if you can manage to get piece weighing between 5-10 grams per piece. You are very much assured to make big sales of between US$ 1,000 to US$ 1000,000. But sometimes it may depend on the color.
If you may observe in auctions such as Christie's Auctions, you will discover that it is the same gemstones that I mentioned above that command big prices.
Here are some examples of big sales at Christie's Auctions;
Ruby Ring
8.26ct
Cushion shaped
Sold at Sotheby for US$ 8.6 million
Sapphire Ring
27.54ct
Step cut
Sold at Sotheby for US$ 5.9 million
Burmese Ruby
29.62ct
Oval cut
Sold at Sotheby for
US$7,338,462.HongKong April 2014
Burmese Ruby
6.04ct
Sold at Christie HongKong for
US$3,331,380 May 2012
Kashmir Sapphire
27.54ct
Step cut
Sold for US$ 5,984,474
We are in the information age, whereby you can buy many thing without any geographical hindrance. There are couple of things you should take note of while buying gemstones online. This will help avoiding of one to be conned.
Buying from b2b (business to business)
It’s good to identify the website you want to buy gemstones from if it is b2b or individual companies. In b2b, some companies or individuals advertize their products and people either visit or shop online. These websites are not concerned with the quality of the products advertised. It is the responsibility of the seller to produce sufficient information of the products. That is to say if you are buying from b2b make sure you are satisfied with the product before buying it. Some of the b2b websites are; “Alibaba” ,”Amazon”, “ebay”.
Individual companies or a person
These are companies or individuals that you can see b2b websites on the internet. But sometimes reaching them is the bit difficult, and even if you manage to find them the assurance of them is very little. Why? Because you are not sure whether you buying from peson or company.
Understand Gem Terminology
In order to avoid loss while buying the gemstones, it’s good you understand the gem terminologies or the gem language. Such as cabochon cut, opeque , v1v2 , translucent or treated. There are so many gem terminologies or languages, your assignment is to understand the language used on displayed gem before purchasing it especially online, where you can’t ask questions.
Don’t be carried away by the picture displayed, rather get the details provided. If you do not know the language used, go and find out first the meaning before you buy. One may ask, where can I get such information on gemology? There are so many institutions across the world such as GIA which can provide such information, but you can also visit some website for meaning such as “www.google.com”.
Physical Location
Make sure the company you visit on web has a physical location address in case of anything you can easily follow up. Precaution!do not purchase online from the company you do not sure of whereabouts its location or base. You can find such provide phone number and email address only no physical address attached to it.
Make sure the company you want to deal with provides a company email, because some websites have the contacts without providing their company emails. Be wise do not fall on such traps. The company should put the visible company email for the customers to access easily for both purchase and enquiry.
Phone number
Also the company should provide a phone number, for customers to reach them out for clarifications.
Photos of company or staff
The company should put the picture of either staff team (management), C.E.O, or business owner etc., this is very important for it gives the assurance to customer.
Legal Documents
This is another way of getting legal information of the company from the authority of the legal documents provider. It could be the ministry, revenue authority, licensing authority, gemstone boards etc.
Payment Modes
Know the payment mode used by the company and see if it’s convenient for you before purchasing. For instance not every country use “PayPal”, check the one provided if can help you buy.
Shipping
Since gemstones are precious, you won’t give the postal address for delivery. Use courier companies to deliver your parcel such as; DHL, EMS, FEDEX, UPS, it is easy to follow up on them. You get to know the movement of your parcel from one point to another.
Return Policy
Get to know if the company has a “return policy”. In some countries the return policy is difficult to implement. For instance here in Tanzania, you have to pay for every gem you export as well as import, even if the gemstone exported is return for one reason or another, you will have to pay for it again. Make terms of agreement when the gemstones sent to you are contrary to what you ordered, on return policy issue.
Advantages of Ordering Gemstones Online
First of all you save transportation money which could be used to go where the gemstones are. Instead the US$1000 that you could have used for air ticket can buy a gemstone instead.
Likewise the money that could be used to board a hotel during your stay on particular country, can also purchase the gemstone up to a US$500 for a five day hotel pay.
I therefore recommend you buy online once you know the procedure of buying online.
Nowadays we have a mix-up concerning the color change gemstones, multicolor gemstones and bicolor gemstones. Especially when handling the rough gemstones.
Characteristics Of Change Color Gemstones
It shows two colors while it does not have two colors.
The second color can be seen while you use an incandescent light.
For instance the gemstone will change from green to red once is put under the incandescent light.
Source Of Light
For you to see the color change on the gemstone you must have two types of light sources. That is “fluorescent light” and “incandescent light”.
Fluorescent light
This one can be obtained by getting fluorescent bulb and even the sunlight can do the work just as good as the fluorescent bulb.
Incandescent light
This can be obtained by using an incandescent lamp which has incandescent bulb or candle.
How to see the Color Change in Gemstones?
The principals are the same, even if it is a synthetic sapphire. The same principals are applicable for all gemstones. Just take a gemstone that shows the color change, then put it under the fluorescent lamp, take for instance sapphire. To see the second color, take the same gemstone put it under the incandescent lamp.
Then you will see the second color.
By this procedure the sapphire which appeared green under fluorescent light will change to red under incandescent light. And once taken away from the incandescent light, it will return to green again.
Contradiction
The multicolor gemstones are not the change color gemstones, such as tourmalines is the multicolor and not the change color. Especially sapphire gotten from Tanga region here in Tanzania has more than one color. And this does not make this type of sapphire to be the change color, famously known as “Umba sapphire”.
The amazing thing is the colors can be seen while under the fluorescent lamp only, this confirms to you that it’s a multicolored sapphire or a bicolored sapphire NOT change color.
Here are some color change gemstones
Sapphires
Spinels
Garnets
Alexandrites
Take note since you are in the gemstone field, it is good you have those two types of torch or lamp. That is fluorescent lamp/torch and incandescent lamp/torch.
A blind purchase is a purchase made without adequate knowledge on the product you are buying. This kind of purchase sometimes can be on the both sides, the buyer and the seller.
If you are a customer and you want to buy jewelry from a jewelry store, make sure you have enough knowledge on what you want to buy. If you think you are not sure of what you buy, ask the seller about the gem or jewelry you intend to buy, may be a ring, earrings, necklace etc.
It’s good to have enough information on the product, such as in which occasions the item can be worn. Or what kind of chemicals or solutions were used to process the product, to know how to treat while cleansing it. Is it water only used to wash? or is there any special chemical to wash it or cleanse it.
And if you are a jewelry retailer used this opportunity to explain your products to your customers, such as which ring to put on in which occasion or in daily routine.
There is a wrong belief about gemstones, to the point that many people are afraid to do gemstone business or learn about gemstone. We will be looking for some reasons why is it so.
Powers of darkness
Many have connected the gemstone business with the powers of darkness. Many have been forced to believe that for one to do the gemstone business successfully, one must do some rituals to appease some spirits. Some who own mines have been made to believe that, for the mine to produce they must sacrifice to some spirits. And if you take a closer look, you will discover these rituals and sacrifices are not that fundamental. Just follow the principals to get the business done profitably
If a mine collapse, check if the safety regulatory protocol was followed during the mining process. If you use equipment either of poor quality or less effective, be rest assured the digging will take a long time before you get any minerals, or the tunnel has gone a long distance.
Also if you dig for a long time without getting anything, it is very possible you have missed the rock targeted. We have discovered that, here in Tanzania foreigners come to do mining business and getting gemstones without even using the powers of darkness (rituals and sacrifices) one thing you will note about these foreign miners is, they come with modern equipment and good experts in the mining industry.
Simply because gemstones are mined from underground, so some people conclude that they are demonic. Let me ask about petroleum products such as diesel or petrol we use in our cars, are they demonic? because they extract petrol under the sea thousands of meters below sea level, yet we use it in our cars unquestionable. Therefore gemstone is just as good as any other product; the best we can do is to learn about it.
Fear of Frauds & Swindling
Many believe that gemstone business is full of Fraud and Swindling, in either selling or buying. Now the issue of Fraud & Swindling is found in many areas of business not in gemstones only, and I can’t deny the fact that it does exist. What is important is that get enough information about the gemstone business, as well as the gemstones products. Not every red stone is a ruby, not every blue stone from Umba is a blue sapphire. It could be a blue scapolite or lolite.
Get the knowledge of gemstone and the use of proper tools for identification or you can use a professional to help you, they could be a dealers, lab technicians, and gemologists.
Fear of Robbery
Some have been made to believe that once you have the gemstones at home, you can be invaded with armed robbers. These concepts are irrelevant when it comes to business. What you are supposed to do is to take necessary security measures in order to avoid attracting thieves and robbers. And during business transactions just take all the precautions necessary.
In finishing, I would like to say that the three misconceptions I have mentioned are irrelevant. These gemstones are the same that God created in the times of Adam, they have not changed. Look around you, are there gemstones? go and learn from those who have succeeded in this business, how did they do it to reach where they are today.
Before we go into the difference let us first look at the definition terms.
Blemish is an irregularity that is confined to the surface of a polished gemstone, while Inclusion is enclosed within the gemstone or reaches the surface from the interior.
In other words inclusion is an irregularity in the gemstone, sometimes within the gemstone or sometimes starting from the surface going to the inner part of the gemstone. Most of the time when gemstone has an inclusion, it is not easy to remove it. If you try to remove it by force you will end up reducing the weight of a gemstone.
And blemish is an irregularity on the surface of a gemstone, which means is easy to remove during gem cutting.
Some of the blemish occurs during the gem movement. Gemstone blemish can also happen after cutting if there is a poor handling. It is advisable to pack well to avoid scratches which can lead to blemish, so pack well and differently.
But one uniqueness about inclusion is, it can help identify the gemstone if is natural or synthetic.
When it comes to identify gemstones, you must know your motive. Whether a natural or synthetic, neither cut is or rough gemstones sometimes they confuse when it comes to distinction. For instance a blue sapphire looks very much like a tanzanite, or pink spinal looks like pink tourmaline. Like brown zircon and brown citrine. And because of that you need gemstone tools to identify and differentiate them.
It is also advisable
-to do at least three different tests to have the right identification.
-Also you must have adequate knowledge and know how to use the gemstone tools.
- Absence of proper use of gemstone tools, or not having adequate knowledge on gemstones can lead to wrong results.
Reasons for Gemstones identification
Let us look at the essence of gemstone identification, and what you should know
Is it natural or synthetic?
Is it treated or not?
Is it simulant or not?
What is the type of the particular gemstone?
Things to considering when identification gemstones
Color
Color is one of the properties used in identifying a gemstone. Some of them by looking at their colors you can easily identify them. For example, the colors on the opal gemstones are different from the color on the agate gemstones. Some of the gemstones can be identified by the combinations of their colors. Such as amethyst and citrine becoming ametrine. In other case when we look at the gemstone and discovering that it’s a sapphire red in color, then we call it ruby.
Let us look at another example, how the color can distinguish a gemstone from another. When Beryl is blue in color, we call it “aquamarine”, simply because it is blue in color. When Beryl is yellow in color we call it “heliodor”, if it is green we call it “emerald” but it’s the same Beryl gemstone.
I hope you have seen how helpful the color is in the identification exercise.
Hardness
This is another property in gemstone identification; you can distinguish between one gemstone from another by its hardness. When a blue sapphire is put together with a tanzanite, they look very much alike. But hardness can distinguish them; the hardness of sapphire is 9 while the hardness of tanzanite is around 6 to 7. This can be done by using gemstone testing tools. Please take note, do not use hardness test to distinguish between the natural and the synthetic gem,because both of them have the same hardness.
Refraction Index
What is RI? It is a ratio of light speed in the air to the light speed in a medium. We have a single reflection(SR) and a double reflection(DR). The instrument used here is called Refractometer. Through this instrument you can know whether the stone is SR or DR. even when the gemstone is unknown to you, by using Refractometer you can identify it. Gemstone Refractive Index is like human fingerprint and RI is most useful method in identifying gemstones.
Specific Gravity
This test is also very helpful especially to unknown gemstones, and in this whole exercise there is what is known as “specific gravity testing set” which have normal scale. But the scalemust be “legal for trade scale”.
For “Gemstone identification”, you either get qualified personnel or go for training on gemstone identification.
Your eye
Your eyes are tool number one in gem identification. Some may not agree with this truth. You can’t identify any gem without using human eyes. Your eyes can bring good result in rough gemstones.
There are other tools you must have them in gemstone identification like
Gemstones is a subject just as good as any other subject, such as IT, agriculture etc. And it’s good if you are in gemstone business or you are planning to do gemstone business to know the terminology used in this business. Otherwise you may be a stranger in the gemstone market.
Here, I would like to show you some of the gemstone terminologies frequently used. You will not learn them in one day or one week, it may take few months or years to master them.
Below is a list of some of the gem terminologies, but it is your responsibility to find out their meaning of each.
1) Treatment
2) Treated
3) Heated
4) Blemish
5) Inclusions
6) Stimulant
7) Eye clean
8) Loup clean
9) Phenomenon
10) Synthetic gem
11) Transparent
12) Translucent
13) Opaque
14) Fancy color
15) Fancy cut
16) Melee
17) Cabochon
18) Manmade gemstone
19) Lab created
20) Lab grown
Let us look what is the meaning of this word among the gemstone terminologies. Simulant is a natural or manmade material that resembles a gemstone. Simulant gemstones can be natural, for instance diamond simulants can be either natural or manmade.
And they don’t have any of the natural diamond chemical composition, crystal structure or properties.
What happens is, simulants resemble or we can say looks like. Here is a good example,if you have a cut pink spinel and sold it as a pink sapphire. Here you have sold a simulant sapphire and not a spinel, whether you know it or no.
Another example is when you have a purple scapolite you can sell it as a tanzanite, whether you know it or no even if you are selling natural stones. Here you are selling a simulant tanzanite, in a simple language you have sold something that resembles.
That’s why it’s advisable to use more than one type of gem tools for identification, because it’s easy to confuse and mix up between the gemstones or take them to a gem lab for further identification tests .
So be very careful with the cut and the polished gemstones. Not every pink gemstone is a sapphire or a spinel or a tourmaline, make a thorough research before buying any gemstone or take it to the gem lab.
How to Detect a Simulant
There are two categories in gemstones, which are diamonds and colored stones. it depends on which category you are in or in both.
a. Use a diamond tester
You can use a diamond tester, which is specifically for testing diamonds that provides a quick, easy and reliable thermal conductivity measurement on a mounted or lose diamond. It is also known as “thermal tester”
b. Use other gem tools
c. Lastly is to send gem to lab gem for more identification
These are gemstones that made in lab, but they consist of
like the natural gemstone.
In the trade or in websites you may hear names like these
All the names above are talk about synthetic gemstones
Selling a synthetic gemstone is not a problem; all you need to do is to inform the buyer that what you are selling is not a natural gemstone but a synthetic gemstone.
Another thing that should be considered as a seller is that, when you are selling say ruby which is synthetic, then you should call it synthetic ruby. Whenever you are selling synthetic gemstone, you should always remember to call it synthetic gemstone. For instance,if it is a lab made sapphire, call it synthetic sapphire likewise if is a manmade spinel call it synthetic spinel.
How to identify if a gemstone is natural or synthetic?
1. Send your gemstone to thegem lab. Nowadays technology has advanced some of gemstones you cannot identify them easily; therefore it is important to take them to a gemologist who has modern tools for the job.
2. By using microscope you can identify the gemstone whether is natural or synthetic, by looking for Inclusions that can help separate natural or synthetic gemstones.
3. The loupe is kind of magnifier like microscope but this is most convenient, affordable around USD 10 you can buy it, small and portable. You can carry a loupe in your pocket or purse, or wear it on a chain around your neck. You can detect synthetic or natural gemstones by using a loupe for checking the inclusions that stone has. But a word of caution this is for the experienced in using loupe, when used by someone with an experienced eye, a loupe is very accurate and It takes practice to handle and use a loupe effectively. If you don’t know how to use loupe please go and learn how to use it.
Two types of Loupes
a) Hand loupes
Hand loupes are held in one hand for viewing the stones
b) Eye loupes
Eye loupes are either held in the eye socket or attached to eyeglasses.
Most gemologists, gem professionals, industry organizations, and government agencies agree that 10X magnification is the standard for using. 10X means that the item being viewed is magnified ten times. It’s sometimes called 10-power.
10X is the standard for gemstone using, loupes are available in a variety of magnificationsfrom 4X to 30X. Make sure you use loupe that its minimum magnifications is 10x
The word transparent in English explains the allowing of light passage from one end to another end. The same way in gemstones, transparency is the allowing of light from one side of the gemstone to another end of the gemstone.
In the gemstone transparency there are three major terminologies used or words used. Failure to know the three can make you see something else on the web, and once it reaches you, it will look different from the way you saw it on the web. It is not that you have been cheated but you did not know the terminology used.
These terminologies are;
§ Transparent
§ Translucent
§ Opaque
These words can be found frequently used in the websites that sell gemstones, and it is good to know what they mean otherwise you will receive gem quality from website that you don’t expect it.
§ Transparent gems
These are the gemstones that have the ability to allow light to pass through. A good example is a glass the way it allows the light to pass through from one end to another end. Facet cut is more applicable if gem is transparent and in market can command high prices. If you see in the website or seller says the stone is transparent that means the light can penetrate from one site to another side of the stone.
Take note here, the stones can be transparent and same time can have visible inclusions. So transparent gem and gems that have inclusions knowing that there are different two things
§ Translucent gems
These have a way of spreading light (light diffusion), light goes in the gemstone but is not allowed to pass the other end. To know and identify this kind you must be skilled or else go for courses on how to identify translucent gemstones.
§ Opaque gems
These don’t allow light to pass through to the other end of the gemstone. Is like a piece of wood.
A good example are
So when you come across a sapphire or a ruby called opaque sapphire or opaque ruby, then you should know this one does not allow light to penetrate by any means. Gem cutters prefer to cut cabochon style if gem is opaque.
Being great in the gemstone business is very possible, here I am targeting a turnover of US$1,000,000 in your business. In this article we call it great. No one can mock you when your turnover per year is US$ 1,000,000.
There is no course you can attend and pass, then become automatically great. Neither is there any collage that teaches a person to be great in gemstone business. Likewise there is no collage that teaches a person to be great in gemstone business in his respective country. If you want to be a rich person or a president, you must learn from the former businessmen or former presidents, the same with gemstone. Being great you have to learn from the ones that succeeded in being great.
I will share three things and if you apply them by practicing them you can be a millionaire or a billionaire.
1. Gem Knowledge
This is one of the factors that can make you great in gem business, and this knowledge can be easily obtained. You can learn from gemological institutions or even from the websites which give gemstone knowledge.
My advice is for you to learn from the gemological institution, is good in order to get a good sequence. By doing so, you will know which one to start with and which one to end up with. This gem knowledge is not something to be ignored, because it will be hard for you to be a successful great businessman. Not knowing the gemstone knowledge in this current world is very dangerous. Because there are so many gem terminologies which you must know about, for you to succeed in the Gem World Market.
Nowadays is very easy to learn, you do not need to travel afar, you can learn “online” for instance from GIA institute for various courses.
2. Business Knowledge
For you to be great in gem business, you must have enough knowledge on how to do it locally and internationally. Learning about gem courses alone is not enough; you must have the techniques on running the business. Get to know the current business statutes, also you must be online, you must also know the transactions that are user friendly.
The good thing about business knowledge is that; it can be obtained by attending courses or through books on business. The cheapest way to get this knowledge is through book, which of course can be obtained easily and at a reasonable price in many local bookstores.
3. Wealth Knowledge
Here is where the greatest challenge is, because this one cannot be obtained in many institutions.
There are two ways on which you can obtain this knowledge.
(i) By reading the books of success and prosperity
(ii) Learning from those who have succeeded in this business.
Many who are in mining business cannot give a clear explanation on what kind of products they are actually dealing with. Please note, gemstones neither diamonds are not precious metals. Even if you are selling copper ore, know for sure it is not a precious metal. Not every metal is a precious metal, be reminded we are talking about precious metals not just any metal.
Precious metals are metals that are of great value and used in the jewelry business.
There are 3 precious metals in jewelry industry
We also have some that can be used in jewelry business but are not precious rather they are called
Base Metal. These are;
The words above are kind of a compound word they carry different meaning depending on the use. For instance you cannot say “I am selling fancy gemstones “,
You have to clarify by saying; “I am selling fancy colorgemstones” or “I am selling fancy cut gemstones”.
In diamonds the word fancy color is used more than cut or shape style. Fancy colored diamonds are Diamonds that exhibit yellow or brown color beyond the Z range, or that exhibit any other color.
Fancy cuts or fancy shapes are any cutting style apart from “round out”. See below some of Fancy Shapes
· Arch
· Cushion
· Heart
· Marquise
· Oval
· Pear
· Rectangle
· Square
In this article when we say expert, we are talking of anyone that has succeeded in gem business more than you. Many do not learn from those who have succeeded in their respective fields or career. This is a great challenge especially in this generation. Instead of envying the successful person, the best way to be like him/her is to learn from that person.
May I ask you, how many people you know have succeeded in gemstone business that you are learning from? How many gem stores or jewelry stores that have succeeded than you, and you are learning from?
Some may say reaching such people is not easy, some may say these kinds of people are not in our country. These are just excuses; you do not have to go overseas simply go to different websites and learn. Also you can read their biographies online or in gem magazine.
It is good to learn from those who have gone ahead of you and succeeded, no institution can teach you everything. Just humble yourself and accept the fact you need to learn from them.
Gemstone treatment is not a new thing in gemstone business, the essence is to improve the “appearance, durability or value” of the gemstone. We can say gemstone treatment is any human controlled process that has the purpose to improve the appearance, durability or the value of the gemstone.
Take note here, cutting and polished of the gemstone is human controlled process, but is not treatment process.
It is also good to know different types of treatments, simply because gemstones differ in treatment due to their nature. Some of the gemstones cannot be treated at all or we can say the scientists have not yet discovered the method of treat them. That is to say treatment is very important, for instance it’s common to treat Tanzanite by heat. By doing so, you may get blue or violet colors seen clearly, which will make it more attractive.
Types of Gemstone Treatments
1. Bleaching
2. Cavity Filling
3. Colorless Impregnation
4. Dyeing 6
5. Fracture Filling
6. Heat Treatment
7. Irradiation
8. Lattice Diffusion
9. Sugar and Smoke Treatments
10. Surface Modification
Disclosure
Transparency or integrity is very fundamental when selling treated gemstones, let the buyer know that you are selling treated gemstones.
These two lights are very important in gemstone identification.
Fluorescent Light
This is a normal light like sunlight and can be obtained by getting a lamp with fluorescent bulb.
Incandescent Light
This light is most needed in color change gemstones. This can be obtained by getting a torch or a lamp which has incandescent bulb. A good example is a candle light; it has the features and characteristics of incandescent light.
For you to see the color change in gemstones you must have an incandescent light. You can see the second color once applied on the gemstone. If the sapphire is green, once the incandescent light is applied it will change to pink or red.
In business another word for this incandescent light is “worm light”.
In world history you cannot mention three countries that produce gemstones greatly without mentioning Tanzania. I will show some cities that shook the world.
1. Mahengein Morogoro region has been famous since 2007, for production of red and pink spinels with the best quality which resembled with the ones from Burma and Brazil.
2. Tunduruis in the region of Ruvuma, this city began to be known in the early 1990s. By the virtue of great deposits of sapphires, rubies, alexandrites, chrysoberyl. The uniqueness of this city is that, its gemstones are found on the river. In other word known as “alluvial deposits”.
3. Winzais another area in the region of Dodoma also famous in sapphires and rubies, whereby some of their sapphires are bicolored and some are multicolored. That is why most of the rubies from that place if not tested well can be mistaken for a pink sapphire.
4. Mereraniis in a Manyara region not far from city of Arusha. It is about 60km distance from Arusha and 20km from Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA). This is a unique area because of the ONLY place where TANZANITES are found in the whole world.
5. Umba or Umba Valley in the Tanga region is also not left behind in the production of sapphires. The uniqueness of the sapphires that found in this area is; they contain different colors like blue, brown, pink, yellow, green, purple, color change and many more.
6. Matombo is another mining ground in the region of Morogoro; this town has become known in recent years around 2010. This town has a very good quality of ruby which can be compared to the ruby from Mozambique. Here to get a ruby weighing from 1-4 gram per piece is not a strange thing. I have been seen several different productions of rubies, but the ones from Matombo have a good quality for sure. They are very clear as much to match with red garnet, and sometimes you may think it’s a synthetic. By the virtue of its good quality, it stands to be unique.
7. Sumbawanga in the Rukwa region is about 1000km from the City of Dar es salaam, is known by its great deposits of Emeralds which can be stand as the quality of Emeralds from Zambia, Brazil and Columbia.
8. Ruangwain Lindi region is greatly known by the production of Tsavorite garnets, you can’t mention tsavorite garnet without mentioning the town of Ruangwa. Other minerals that can be found in the nearby area of Namungo is gold. Some of gemstones that can be found in this place are rhodolite, color change garnet, hessonite, spessartile, zircon, topaz, apatite, and red garnet.
9. Shinyanga region in general is famous for diamond deposits, is 1500km by road from Dar es salaam. This city has been known for great diamond mining since 1940s up to this time the production continues.
Before we go any further, let us look at the definition terms of the word “trapiche”. It is a Spanish word meaning a wheel used in a sugar mill or a rude mill for grinding ores or minerals. This wheel resembles very much with a car wheel, likewise this type of a ruby with a combination of small sections which bring about a wheel shape.
In Trapiche Ruby
This type of ruby has six sections all together. You don’t need a light source to see all of them. The parts of this ruby can be seen well.
In Star Ruby
This ruby has six different rays which can be visible very clearly once the light source is applied. And once the Ruby displays these rays, this act of display we call it “Asterism”.
But it is also good to know that, there are some gemstones have a “trapiche” features such as
Sapphire
Emerald
Tourmaline
Garnet
Sources of Trapiche Rubies
Burma
Guinea
Sierra Leone
Tanzania
Brazil
Colombia
Take Note Trapiche Ruby can also display “asterism”, although it is very rare.
Padparadscha Sapphire is a Sapphire which has “Pinkish Orange” color, it is an ancient name with a meaning of “Lotus Flower”.
The color of this type of a Sapphire is still a big debate, but the one known so far is “pinkish orange”. The biggest market for this sapphire is in Japan. Most of reputed labs are in Japan. Once they check them and approve, it is accepted everywhere.
Is Padparadscha a Ruby or Sapphire?
Many years ago, Padparadscha was grouped as a Ruby. But for ruby to be a ruby it has to be red, or dominated with red color for corundum in order to be considered as a ruby.
Characteristics of Padparadscha Sapphire
§ It is a scarce commodity compared to “fine sapphire” which has its origin in Kashmir or Burmese Ruby.
§ It is a high priced commodity because is high demand and scarcity.
§ This type of sapphire is found in Madagascar, Sri Lanka and Tanzania.
By these reasons below, sapphire will not be considered as a padparadscha
§ If the stone has any color modification other than pinkish orange, the stone is not considered as padparadscha.
§ If the stone has been treated by lattice diffusion. This treatment is when a layer of color is diffused into the sapphire body by chemicals.
§ If the sapphire has been treated by irradiation.
§ If the sapphire has been dyed, coated, sputtered, painted or varnished
Note that both heated and unheated sapphires are termed as Padparadscha.
Umba sapphirehas gained it fame by the reason of displaying many different colors. The name Umba is the name of a river, but these sapphires do not come from the river. That is to say Umba mines are primary deposits.
Umba sapphires are found in a small village of Kigwasi and just 25 kilometers away there is another famous village known as “Kalalani”. Both of these small but famous towns are located in the coastal region of Tanga, which is 300 kilometers from the great city of Dar es salaam. It is estimated about 115 kilometer distance from Tanga to Kigwasi, where the junction that branches to Kigwasi is along the Tanga-Mombasa road just 15 kilometers from Tanga.
The main activity in this town is mining and very little agriculture, and before reaching Kigwasi town you pass through two well known small towns of Maramba and Daruni.
Sapphire Mining Operations History
It is estimated that the sapphire mining activities in this village of Kigwasi started in the 1950s, and at that time Tanzania formally Tanganyika was under the British Colonial Rule.
There was a settler who was in the Sisal Plantations in those days; this man was well known as Mr. George Papaeliopoulos. Mr. Papaeliopoulos started mining activities between 1950 up to 1972. By 1972, this man left the country as well as the mining business.
Even though 1950-1972 may seem to be long ago, but this man had equipment which we consider modern in those days for sapphire mining. And this he did because the business was growing very well for Mr. George. In addition to that, Mr. George had his own “air strip” which was more than one including the one that was in Kigwasi.
In those days, sapphires ware everywhere in Kigwasi to an extent you hardly go 1 meter before you get some. The only thing that was a concern was “sorting” them. Up to 2010 no one has gone more than 10 deep to get sapphires, most of them got hold of sapphires at 1 meter up to 3 meters digging.
Kigwasi produces sapphires of different colors such as;
Black,
Blue,
Brown,
Orange,
Yellow,
White and many more.
Apart from sapphires, there are;
§ Red Garnets,
§ Rhodolites,
§ Rubes
§ Tsavorite Garnets,
§ Zircons
§ Tourmalines
They have been a big misconception concerning gemstones especially from the Christians. Most of them think that gemstone business has to do with powers of darkness.
God Himself crated these gemstones for the sake of His own children, now when you carefully read the Bible you will see that.
The Bible makes it very clear that the gemstone business started way back, even before Jesus was born. So we will be looking what the scriptures are saying and how many times gemstone business has been mentioned in the Bible.
Diamond 4 times
“And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.”
Exodus 28:18
“And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.”
Exodus 39:11
Jeremiah 17:1
Ezekiel 28:13
Sapphire 12 times we only pick 4 out of them
“And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in hisclearness.”
Exodus 24:10
Isaiah 54:11
“O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, andnot comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.”
Emerald 6 times we will pick only 4
Exodus 28:18
Exodus 39:11
Ezekiel 28:13
Revelation 4:3
Topaz 5 times we will take 2
Exodus 28:17
“The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.”
Job 28:19
Amethyst 3 times we take just 2
“And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.”
Exodus 28:19
Revelation 21:20
Above we have just seen some of the gemstones mentioned in the Bible.
If you are a Christian and you are in the Gemstone business or you are planning or thinking to do, don’t hesitate going ahead and do it because it is not sin neither is it illegal if done through the right channels. The good news is this you will do this business and still be holy.
And once again be reminded that all these gemstones, God did not create them for Satan and his demons, but for the saints. And remember in the book of Genesis we are to rule and have dominion over all that is in this planet. That means you cannot rule some and leave some.
Also the New Jerusalem is made of more than ten different types of gemstones. Just think about it if God can use gemstones as a building material, what makes you think the gemstone business will keep you away from God’s presence?
In conclusion, gemstone will profit you when you do by applying the business principals.
Bangkok Gem & Jewelry Fair (BGJF) is one of the largest Gem fairs in the world. But being among the greatest or biggest Gem fair, it does not guarantee you for a big sales. There are some fundamental steps to be taken even if you may seem to be minor. I attended 57th exhibition for five days, and I was privileged to speak with some exhibitors. Some said there was no much sales in that particular fair, it was then I noted some of the things they lacked of which I am about to share with you. For you to get maximum result you need to put in into practices for what I am going to share?
1 Customer Reception
Welcome any customer that comes to your “booth”. I saw this as one of the item missing in 2016 BGJF last February. Never under estimate a customer by appearance. Remember this is an international gem fair with more than 30,000 visitors coming from different parts of the world. The fact that you see them in the fair ground is because they have come for the fair. The customer may need a gem, or a jewel, or even equipment and you cannot tell it by your very eyes.
Remember, in fair like this people come for jewelry, gemstones or equipment not for clothes, shoes or cars. They have come especially for Gems and Jewel business. And this is a very potential area to meet some serious sellers and buyers; I saw this as a challenge because some booths I entered and was not welcomed.
2 Customer Care
Once customers come, it is not time to talk with your fellow or chat with your Smartphone but welcome any customer who enters your booth. This article is out of my personal experiences at the fair. I still have enough memories of what I saw. Once a customer steps into your booth, it is not the time to chat with your Smartphone. You know a customer is a person who has feelings too, just like any other person.
Some will come with very little knowledge, what they need is to be given the right information. By doing so you can make a customer buying something they never planned before. This can only be achieved through customer caring.
3 You need Brochures or flyers all the time of the Fair
What surprised me is that some of the booths did not have flyers even brochures. Where will the customer get adequate information about your products? Because some of the customers, after the fair that is when they go through the flyers or brochures one after the other. Please take responsibility on handbills such as flyers or brochures, not every customer has time for whatsApp.
4 Business card
Business card is also another means of informing a customer on your contacts, such as website, email address, physical address, postal address, and phone numbers. Since most people use whatsApp, many have neglected the use of business cards. Everyone who is serious in business of gem and jewelry industry must have business card that will provide relevant information such as mentioned above which includes a phone number starting with a country code as well as a company website.
Some have been complaining that they don’t make more sales, while neglecting some of these crucial items. Once the exhibition ends, how will the customer know on where to find your products or where is your Gem & Jewelry store located. Don’t think the customers will know your stores are located along Silom Road without tell them or give any written contact
I have also discovered some come with these business cards but not sufficient enough to the last day of the exhibition. By the time the exhibition enters in 4th day the flyers, brochures or business cards are finished. This is an indication of poor planning or lack of preparation.
During the fair I visited one booth that was selling golden chains for necklaces in rollers. One of the exhibitors a Thai Sister welcomed me and explained very well about all their products with the aid of a brochure. At the end of a good illustration I asked for the brochure which was about a hundred pages, she said she can’t give because it was the last copy. Then she recommended me to visit their website for all the details, just think about going through a hundred pages in website? Will you be able to read all the details and download? I hope you have got my point.
5 Company website
This is also very important and very useful in gem and jewelry business. When your business is on the website, it simply means you are worldwide shop. A customer in any part of the world can visit your website, and obtain all the necessary information about your products even when you are asleep,
Being great in the gemstone business is very possible, here I am targeting a turnover of US$1,000,000 in your business. In this article we call it great. No one can mock you when your turnover per year is US$ 1,000,000.
There is no course you can attend and pass, then become automatically great. Neither is there any collage that teaches a person to be great in gemstone business. Likewise there is no collage that teaches a person to be great in gemstone business in his respective country. If you want to be a rich person or a president, you must learn from the former businessmen or former presidents, the same with gemstone. Being great you have to learn from the ones that succeeded in being great.
I will share three things and if you apply them by practicing them you can be a millionaire or a billionaire.
1. Gem Knowledge
This is one of the factors that can make you great in gem business, and this knowledge can be easily obtained. You can learn from gemological institutions or even from the websites which give gemstone knowledge.
My advice is for you to learn from the gemological institution, is good in order to get a good sequence. By doing so, you will know which one to start with and which one to end up with. This gem knowledge is not something to be ignored, because it will be hard for you to be a successful great businessman. Not knowing the gemstone knowledge in this current world is very dangerous. Because there are so many gem terminologies which you must know about, for you to succeed in the Gem World Market.
Nowadays is very easy to learn, you do not need to travel afar, you can learn “online” for instance from GIA institute for various courses.
2. Business Knowledge
For you to be great in gem business, you must have enough knowledge on how to do it locally and internationally. Learning about gem courses alone is not enough; you must have the techniques on running the business. Get to know the current business statutes, also you must be online, you must also know the transactions that are user friendly.
The good thing about business knowledge is that; it can be obtained by attending courses or through books on business. The cheapest way to get this knowledge is through book, which of course can be obtained easily and at a reasonable price in many local bookstores.
3. Wealth Knowledge
Here is where the greatest challenge is, because this one cannot be obtained in many institutions.
There are two ways on which you can obtain this knowledge.
(i) By reading the books of success and prosperity
(ii) Learning from those who have succeeded in this business.
Many who are in mining business cannot give a clear explanation on what kind of products they are actually dealing with. Please note, gemstones neither diamonds are not precious metals. Even if you are selling copper ore, know for sure it is not a precious metal. Not every metal is a precious metal, be reminded we are talking about precious metals not just any metal.
Precious metals are metals that are of great value and used in the jewelry business.
There are 3 precious metals in jewelry industry
We also have some that can be used in jewelry business but are not precious rather they are called
Base Metal. These are;
The words above are kind of a compound word they carry different meaning depending on the use. For instance you cannot say “I am selling fancy gemstones “,
You have to clarify by saying; “I am selling fancy colorgemstones” or “I am selling fancy cut gemstones”.
In diamonds the word fancy color is used more than cut or shape style. Fancy colored diamonds are Diamonds that exhibit yellow or brown color beyond the Z range, or that exhibit any other color.
Fancy cuts or fancy shapes are any cutting style apart from “round out”. See below some of Fancy Shapes
· Arch
· Cushion
· Heart
· Marquise
· Oval
· Pear
· Rectangle
· Square
In this article when we say expert, we are talking of anyone that has succeeded in gem business more than you. Many do not learn from those who have succeeded in their respective fields or career. This is a great challenge especially in this generation. Instead of envying the successful person, the best way to be like him/her is to learn from that person.
May I ask you, how many people you know have succeeded in gemstone business that you are learning from? How many gem stores or jewelry stores that have succeeded than you, and you are learning from?
Some may say reaching such people is not easy, some may say these kinds of people are not in our country. These are just excuses; you do not have to go overseas simply go to different websites and learn. Also you can read their biographies online or in gem magazine.
It is good to learn from those who have gone ahead of you and succeeded, no institution can teach you everything. Just humble yourself and accept the fact you need to learn from them.
Gemstone treatment is not a new thing in gemstone business, the essence is to improve the “appearance, durability or value” of the gemstone. We can say gemstone treatment is any human controlled process that has the purpose to improve the appearance, durability or the value of the gemstone.
Take note here, cutting and polished of the gemstone is human controlled process, but is not treatment process.
It is also good to know different types of treatments, simply because gemstones differ in treatment due to their nature. Some of the gemstones cannot be treated at all or we can say the scientists have not yet discovered the method of treat them. That is to say treatment is very important, for instance it’s common to treat Tanzanite by heat. By doing so, you may get blue or violet colors seen clearly, which will make it more attractive.
Types of Gemstone Treatments
1. Bleaching
2. Cavity Filling
3. Colorless Impregnation
4. Dyeing 6
5. Fracture Filling
6. Heat Treatment
7. Irradiation
8. Lattice Diffusion
9. Sugar and Smoke Treatments
10. Surface Modification
Disclosure
Transparency or integrity is very fundamental when selling treated gemstones, let the buyer know that you are selling treated gemstones.
These two lights are very important in gemstone identification.
Fluorescent Light
This is a normal light like sunlight and can be obtained by getting a lamp with fluorescent bulb.
Incandescent Light
This light is most needed in color change gemstones. This can be obtained by getting a torch or a lamp which has incandescent bulb. A good example is a candle light; it has the features and characteristics of incandescent light.
For you to see the color change in gemstones you must have an incandescent light. You can see the second color once applied on the gemstone. If the sapphire is green, once the incandescent light is applied it will change to pink or red.
In business another word for this incandescent light is “worm light”.
In world history you cannot mention three countries that produce gemstones greatly without mentioning Tanzania. I will show some cities that shook the world.
1. Mahengein Morogoro region has been famous since 2007, for production of red and pink spinels with the best quality which resembled with the ones from Burma and Brazil.
2. Tunduruis in the region of Ruvuma, this city began to be known in the early 1990s. By the virtue of great deposits of sapphires, rubies, alexandrites, chrysoberyl. The uniqueness of this city is that, its gemstones are found on the river. In other word known as “alluvial deposits”.
3. Winzais another area in the region of Dodoma also famous in sapphires and rubies, whereby some of their sapphires are bicolored and some are multicolored. That is why most of the rubies from that place if not tested well can be mistaken for a pink sapphire.
4. Mereraniis in a Manyara region not far from city of Arusha. It is about 60km distance from Arusha and 20km from Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA). This is a unique area because of the ONLY place where TANZANITES are found in the whole world.
5. Umba or Umba Valley in the Tanga region is also not left behind in the production of sapphires. The uniqueness of the sapphires that found in this area is; they contain different colors like blue, brown, pink, yellow, green, purple, color change and many more.
6. Matombo is another mining ground in the region of Morogoro; this town has become known in recent years around 2010. This town has a very good quality of ruby which can be compared to the ruby from Mozambique. Here to get a ruby weighing from 1-4 gram per piece is not a strange thing. I have been seen several different productions of rubies, but the ones from Matombo have a good quality for sure. They are very clear as much to match with red garnet, and sometimes you may think it’s a synthetic. By the virtue of its good quality, it stands to be unique.
7. Sumbawanga in the Rukwa region is about 1000km from the City of Dar es salaam, is known by its great deposits of Emeralds which can be stand as the quality of Emeralds from Zambia, Brazil and Columbia.
8. Ruangwain Lindi region is greatly known by the production of Tsavorite garnets, you can’t mention tsavorite garnet without mentioning the town of Ruangwa. Other minerals that can be found in the nearby area of Namungo is gold. Some of gemstones that can be found in this place are rhodolite, color change garnet, hessonite, spessartile, zircon, topaz, apatite, and red garnet.
9. Shinyanga region in general is famous for diamond deposits, is 1500km by road from Dar es salaam. This city has been known for great diamond mining since 1940s up to this time the production continues.
Before we go any further, let us look at the definition terms of the word “trapiche”. It is a Spanish word meaning a wheel used in a sugar mill or a rude mill for grinding ores or minerals. This wheel resembles very much with a car wheel, likewise this type of a ruby with a combination of small sections which bring about a wheel shape.
In Trapiche Ruby
This type of ruby has six sections all together. You don’t need a light source to see all of them. The parts of this ruby can be seen well.
In Star Ruby
This ruby has six different rays which can be visible very clearly once the light source is applied. And once the Ruby displays these rays, this act of display we call it “Asterism”.
But it is also good to know that, there are some gemstones have a “trapiche” features such as
Sapphire
Emerald
Tourmaline
Garnet
Sources of Trapiche Rubies
Burma
Guinea
Sierra Leone
Tanzania
Brazil
Colombia
Take Note Trapiche Ruby can also display “asterism”, although it is very rare.
Padparadscha Sapphire is a Sapphire which has “Pinkish Orange” color, it is an ancient name with a meaning of “Lotus Flower”.
The color of this type of a Sapphire is still a big debate, but the one known so far is “pinkish orange”. The biggest market for this sapphire is in Japan. Most of reputed labs are in Japan. Once they check them and approve, it is accepted everywhere.
Is Padparadscha a Ruby or Sapphire?
Many years ago, Padparadscha was grouped as a Ruby. But for ruby to be a ruby it has to be red, or dominated with red color for corundum in order to be considered as a ruby.
Characteristics of Padparadscha Sapphire
§ It is a scarce commodity compared to “fine sapphire” which has its origin in Kashmir or Burmese Ruby.
§ It is a high priced commodity because is high demand and scarcity.
§ This type of sapphire is found in Madagascar, Sri Lanka and Tanzania.
By these reasons below, sapphire will not be considered as a padparadscha
§ If the stone has any color modification other than pinkish orange, the stone is not considered as padparadscha.
§ If the stone has been treated by lattice diffusion. This treatment is when a layer of color is diffused into the sapphire body by chemicals.
§ If the sapphire has been treated by irradiation.
§ If the sapphire has been dyed, coated, sputtered, painted or varnished
Note that both heated and unheated sapphires are termed as Padparadscha.
Umba sapphirehas gained it fame by the reason of displaying many different colors. The name Umba is the name of a river, but these sapphires do not come from the river. That is to say Umba mines are primary deposits.
Umba sapphires are found in a small village of Kigwasi and just 25 kilometers away there is another famous village known as “Kalalani”. Both of these small but famous towns are located in the coastal region of Tanga, which is 300 kilometers from the great city of Dar es salaam. It is estimated about 115 kilometer distance from Tanga to Kigwasi, where the junction that branches to Kigwasi is along the Tanga-Mombasa road just 15 kilometers from Tanga.
The main activity in this town is mining and very little agriculture, and before reaching Kigwasi town you pass through two well known small towns of Maramba and Daruni.
Sapphire Mining Operations History
It is estimated that the sapphire mining activities in this village of Kigwasi started in the 1950s, and at that time Tanzania formally Tanganyika was under the British Colonial Rule.
There was a settler who was in the Sisal Plantations in those days; this man was well known as Mr. George Papaeliopoulos. Mr. Papaeliopoulos started mining activities between 1950 up to 1972. By 1972, this man left the country as well as the mining business.
Even though 1950-1972 may seem to be long ago, but this man had equipment which we consider modern in those days for sapphire mining. And this he did because the business was growing very well for Mr. George. In addition to that, Mr. George had his own “air strip” which was more than one including the one that was in Kigwasi.
In those days, sapphires ware everywhere in Kigwasi to an extent you hardly go 1 meter before you get some. The only thing that was a concern was “sorting” them. Up to 2010 no one has gone more than 10 deep to get sapphires, most of them got hold of sapphires at 1 meter up to 3 meters digging.
Kigwasi produces sapphires of different colors such as;
Black,
Blue,
Brown,
Orange,
Yellow,
White and many more.
Apart from sapphires, there are;
§ Red Garnets,
§ Rhodolites,
§ Rubes
§ Tsavorite Garnets,
§ Zircons
§ Tourmalines
They have been a big misconception concerning gemstones especially from the Christians. Most of them think that gemstone business has to do with powers of darkness.
God Himself crated these gemstones for the sake of His own children, now when you carefully read the Bible you will see that.
The Bible makes it very clear that the gemstone business started way back, even before Jesus was born. So we will be looking what the scriptures are saying and how many times gemstone business has been mentioned in the Bible.
Diamond 4 times
“And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.”
Exodus 28:18
“And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.”
Exodus 39:11
Jeremiah 17:1
Ezekiel 28:13
Sapphire 12 times we only pick 4 out of them
“And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in hisclearness.”
Exodus 24:10
Isaiah 54:11
“O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, andnot comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.”
Emerald 6 times we will pick only 4
Exodus 28:18
Exodus 39:11
Ezekiel 28:13
Revelation 4:3
Topaz 5 times we will take 2
Exodus 28:17
“The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold.”
Job 28:19
Amethyst 3 times we take just 2
“And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.”
Exodus 28:19
Revelation 21:20
Above we have just seen some of the gemstones mentioned in the Bible.
If you are a Christian and you are in the Gemstone business or you are planning or thinking to do, don’t hesitate going ahead and do it because it is not sin neither is it illegal if done through the right channels. The good news is this you will do this business and still be holy.
And once again be reminded that all these gemstones, God did not create them for Satan and his demons, but for the saints. And remember in the book of Genesis we are to rule and have dominion over all that is in this planet. That means you cannot rule some and leave some.
Also the New Jerusalem is made of more than ten different types of gemstones. Just think about it if God can use gemstones as a building material, what makes you think the gemstone business will keep you away from God’s presence?
In conclusion, gemstone will profit you when you do by applying the business principals.
Bangkok Gem & Jewelry Fair (BGJF) is one of the largest Gem fairs in the world. But being among the greatest or biggest Gem fair, it does not guarantee you for a big sales. There are some fundamental steps to be taken even if you may seem to be minor. I attended 57th exhibition for five days, and I was privileged to speak with some exhibitors. Some said there was no much sales in that particular fair, it was then I noted some of the things they lacked of which I am about to share with you. For you to get maximum result you need to put in into practices for what I am going to share?
1 Customer Reception
Welcome any customer that comes to your “booth”. I saw this as one of the item missing in 2016 BGJF last February. Never under estimate a customer by appearance. Remember this is an international gem fair with more than 30,000 visitors coming from different parts of the world. The fact that you see them in the fair ground is because they have come for the fair. The customer may need a gem, or a jewel, or even equipment and you cannot tell it by your very eyes.
Remember, in fair like this people come for jewelry, gemstones or equipment not for clothes, shoes or cars. They have come especially for Gems and Jewel business. And this is a very potential area to meet some serious sellers and buyers; I saw this as a challenge because some booths I entered and was not welcomed.
2 Customer Care
Once customers come, it is not time to talk with your fellow or chat with your Smartphone but welcome any customer who enters your booth. This article is out of my personal experiences at the fair. I still have enough memories of what I saw. Once a customer steps into your booth, it is not the time to chat with your Smartphone. You know a customer is a person who has feelings too, just like any other person.
Some will come with very little knowledge, what they need is to be given the right information. By doing so you can make a customer buying something they never planned before. This can only be achieved through customer caring.
3 You need Brochures or flyers all the time of the Fair
What surprised me is that some of the booths did not have flyers even brochures. Where will the customer get adequate information about your products? Because some of the customers, after the fair that is when they go through the flyers or brochures one after the other. Please take responsibility on handbills such as flyers or brochures, not every customer has time for whatsApp.
4 Business card
Business card is also another means of informing a customer on your contacts, such as website, email address, physical address, postal address, and phone numbers. Since most people use whatsApp, many have neglected the use of business cards. Everyone who is serious in business of gem and jewelry industry must have business card that will provide relevant information such as mentioned above which includes a phone number starting with a country code as well as a company website.
Some have been complaining that they don’t make more sales, while neglecting some of these crucial items. Once the exhibition ends, how will the customer know on where to find your products or where is your Gem & Jewelry store located. Don’t think the customers will know your stores are located along Silom Road without tell them or give any written contact
I have also discovered some come with these business cards but not sufficient enough to the last day of the exhibition. By the time the exhibition enters in 4th day the flyers, brochures or business cards are finished. This is an indication of poor planning or lack of preparation.
During the fair I visited one booth that was selling golden chains for necklaces in rollers. One of the exhibitors a Thai Sister welcomed me and explained very well about all their products with the aid of a brochure. At the end of a good illustration I asked for the brochure which was about a hundred pages, she said she can’t give because it was the last copy. Then she recommended me to visit their website for all the details, just think about going through a hundred pages in website? Will you be able to read all the details and download? I hope you have got my point.
5 Company website
This is also very important and very useful in gem and jewelry business. When your business is on the website, it simply means you are worldwide shop. A customer in any part of the world can visit your website, and obtain all the necessary information about your products even when you are asleep,
If you have just opened this article, I suggest you read part 1 as well for clarification. Some of the tips mentioned in this article may seem to be too simple not to be taken seriously or even neglected. During the Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair 57THExhibition, I was privileged to speak with some exhibitors on what is their observations concerning the fair. Many were complaining of not getting many customers, and due to that they were preparing themselves to go to the next fair which was to take place in Hong Kong.
The issue was not to go to Hong Kong but to find out what needs to be improved in order to make more sales. Please take note of these tips and make sure you put them into practice.
1. WhatsApp access
Whatsapp access is another vital tool for communicating with customers throughout the world, the world has advanced from landline phones to cellular phones and makes communication much easier. With WhatsApp application you can communication with anyone in any part of the world as long as you have internet access. It is more useful than just sending your personal pictures, once a customer steps into your booth; ask for a business card from him/her or a cell number. Then after the fair, you can send the customer the pictures of your products via WhatsApp media. If you make a good use of this application you can still make a good sell even after the fair.
2. Booth Number
Booth Number is to be remembered when preparing your flyers or business cards for the fair. For instance in the 57th BGJF there were more than 3,000 booths, this sometimes becomes difficult for a customer to remember the location of the booth. It may happen that a customer has a one or days two of doing the shopping, that means there will be no time to waste looking for one booth he saw a day before. Remember to put a booth number on all your flyers, brochures and business cards.
3. Price tag
Price tag should be put upon all your products on display. This is one of the things I encountered at the BGJF 57th fair. Let me give you this simple example, if you visit a website looking for cell phones. You go to the first website and see good cell phones but no price tagged to them, then you decide to move to the next one and you find the prices are tagged to each phone. Which one of these two websites will you spend time? Obviously the second one with price tags on the products. This is one of the challenges I saw during Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair. Remember this is a five day gem fair, a customer will not have time to ask for price in every booth with no price tag on the goods. Make sure all your products have a price tag attached, whether in US$ or in local currency (baht). It will make easy for a customer to make quick and good decision on what to buy.
4. If possible sell you gemstones on either lot, parcel or in piece
You may not agree with me about this idea but keep in mind about the time factor of the fair, just five days there is no time to waste for the customer. When I say to sell by lot or parcel even in piece, some people may say they will not get a profit. No, you will get a profit while saving time for a customer. The time you will use to get a scale then converting the price from US$ to local currency or the other way round.
Take for instance, you have 4 carats of sapphire, and the price per carat is US$ 1,000. There is no need to say my price is US$1,000 per carat, you just say “ this sapphire has 4 carats and its price is US$4,000”. It will make things easy for the customers coming into your booth for quick decision making. You also do the same if you want to sell in lot or parcel form.
Sample
Lot/Parcel No MGE1
Pieces 84
Carats 21carats
Total Price US$ 1200/
I hope this is clear to you.
5. Try to get a little knowledge on what you are selling
Many who sell at the Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair have nothing to explain to the customer simply because they have no knowledge on what they sell.
I walked into one booth and I met one exhibitor who was selling plenty of sapphires, and I asked him a question. “Are these sapphires treated?” He answered “all these are heated only but not treated”. It was then I discovered that this exhibitor did not know what he was talking about. Heating a gemstone is part of treatment.
To get a basic knowledge is very important; you can get them through Gem books or by visiting different Gemological Institutes which offer online training all over the world.
6. Aim to make more sales after the fair.
I tried to speak with some exhibitors, and most of them seem to be complaining that they did not sell much during the fair. This is because they aimed to sell during the fair only, for those five days but not after the fair. What is important is to take contacts of the customers that come across your booth for further communication. Do not wait for them to give you their contacts, welcome them then explain your products to them and ask for a business card or cell number that supports whatsApp or email address.
I am too sure this article has given you light to some extent, what is most needed is to put them into action. If you collected contacts from your customers, it is now time to make a follow up by reminding them you met during the Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair. From there now you can remind them about your products.
In this article I would like to give some hints on how to attend this fair, whether you are a visitor, buyer or exhibitor.
Why Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair?
It is because is among the big gem and jewelry fair in the world. My desire is for the Tanzanians who are intending to sell gems at this fair to be well prepared. This fair holds twice annually, in February and in September. I will share some vital information which will help you getting to Thailand where this is taking place.
Main Requirements
1. Passport- It has to be an international passport, valid at least 6 months ahead with space or pages to stick a visa.
2. Visa-This is a permit to enter Thailand and is obtained at the Royal Thai Embassy which is in Nairobi Kenya. It is a one week process and you are to choose whether to get a single entry visa, or a double entry visa or a multiple entry visa in order to enter Thailand.
3. Vaccination Card- This is for health approval at the airport is obtainable at the government hospitals (district or regional). Get it before early to avoid inconvenience at the airport.
4. Air Ticket- This is means of transportation to take you to Thailand, there are many airline companies you make a choice. Such as Ethiopian, Emirates, Kenya Airways Qatar. Note here do not purchase a ticket before getting a visa, rather make a booking first.
Business Visa Requirements from the Royal Thai Embassy in Nairobi Kenya
In order to get Thai Visa you must comply the details below, failure to do so you may send your passport by DHL to Nairobi and missing the Visa which can lead to more cost to send missing documents.
1. Company Details
These are details that identify your business which includes; company registration certificate ( from the ministry of energy and natural resources), company license certificate, Tax Identification Number (TIN) certificate from the Revenue Authority.
2. Application Fee
This is the money you pay for the visa you desire it is about US$100 or less depending on the kind of visa you will require, whether single entry, double entry or multiple entry. For current information about application fee please contact Thai Embassy in Nairobi
3. Passport size pictures
You need two colored passport size pictures.
4. Hotel Booking Details
This is the accommodation details when you get to Thailand, you can check on websites to know and make a reservation/booking. Take the hotel particular details.
5. Company or Personal Bank Statement
Some people afraid when they hear or see word “bank statement”. This can be obtained from your bank branch where you have an account like CRDB, NMB, Mkombozi. It is for your financial status i.e. if you are going you need at least TShs 5,000,000/ or US$ 2,500/ for two weeks. Make sure your bank statement shows around TShs 5,000,000/ or US$ 2,500, but if it shows below around TShs 1,000,000/ or US$ 500 you can miss the visa
6. Your Passport
Your original passport will be required for visa which will be attached with your documents. Please note your passport will be sent to the embassy in Nairobi Kenya but you will have to pay DHL for your passport to be transported back to Tanzania from Kenya. Both going and return export passport charges you have to pay.
7. Visa Application Form
This is to have your details as well as the details of your intention to visit Thailand and the kind of visa required.
8. Ticket Booking
This will show the flight details such as the airline. Please let me remind you again, do not buy an airline ticket before you get a visa. Get a visa first then go for the ticket.
The above are few tips, please visit visa information before travel because some regulations change time to time especially COVID 19 Restrictions.
This article is very important to all those who would like to avoid losses in gemstone business. Basically there are so many factors or avenues that can cause losses in gemstone business, and in this article we will be looking at the major ones that can help reduce up to 90% of losses.
1. Avoid Synthetic Gemstones
If you are not careful, synthetic gemstones can cause you big loss which cannot be explained. In some of my previous articles I explained a little bit what a “synthetic gemstone” is. It is a lab made gemstone with the same characteristics of a natural gemstone, such as “crystal structure”, “chemical composition”just like a natural gemstone.
2. Avoid Simulant Gemstones
This one can be natural or synthetic gemstone but for more details about stimulant gems you can check my previous articles. For instance; if you sold a pink gemstone to the customer and you think that was sapphire. But as he took it for a test and result showed that it was a spinel, in reality you have sold a pink spinel and not a pink sapphire, whether you know it or not, you have sold a simulant sapphire.
3. Avoid Imitation Gemstones
Imitation gemstone is neither natural nor synthetic gemstone, but it is a material that “looks like gemstone”. If you sell this imitation gemstone then later on a customer discovers it was not natural, you get yourself in trouble to an extent of compensation. You will enter into unnecessary expenses as well as losing a customer.
4. Don’t Judge a Stone By Sight
Another means of avoiding losses is, never estimate a gemstone by its look or by sight, whether it is natural or synthetic. Judging a gemstone by sight needs a lot of experience, especially if you want to know whether it’s a simulant or imitation, but if it is synthetic you need gemological tools to know or distinguish it from a natural sapphire. The best way is to use gemological tools or sending them to the gem lab testing.
5. Don’t Assume to be Natural because it comes from a “Mine Areas”
This is another crucial area you need to be very careful. It happened to me one day I sent my gem cutter to the sapphire mining area to buy two pieces of sapphires. He bought them, mind you this person has five years’ experience in gemstone cutting. He brought them from Umba in Tanga region where the sapphire deposits are.
After processing them I sent the two pieces to China and the client took them along with him to USA. In getting to USA he tested them and to my surprise they were synthetic which I sold for US$7000. And the customer had already paid a down payment, you can imagine the kind of loss I encountered. That was in 2015, I believed every gemstone that comes from the mine areas is natural but I never knew the middle men were smarter than me. So don’t make the same mistake. You know some brokers take synthetic gemstones and sending them to the mine areas because they believe everyone sees stones in mine areas are natural. Be careful.
6. Don’t depend totally on the Gem Cutters Explanation
Personally I do few things
i) during the cutting it must prove all the characteristics of a natural gemstone.
ii) I test them before and after cutting
iii) Sometimes Gem cutter cannot recognize if gem is natural or synthetic so I test
iv) Sometimes Gem cutter cannot recognize if gem is treated or not so I test
v) Sometimes Gem cutter cannot recognize gem varieties like pink tourmaline, pink spinel so I test
Now what exactly should be done to Avoid Loss?
§ Take your gem to the Gem Lab for testing, this is one of the best way
§ Look for a private Gemologist for testing your gemstones if there is no gem lab in your neighborhood.
§ Make sure your gemstone goes for at least 3 different tests, this will give you assurance on the gem you expect to sell and avoid loss.
In this article I am not talking about religion, whether you are a Christian or a Muslim or a Hindu or any other religion. All I want you to know is, is there any relationship between gemstones and powers of darkness? and I will use one religious book for clarification.
The people that I want to address including Gem dealers, Gem brokers and Miners, is it a must to do some rituals before start your business?
Miners
Most of them have been taught or instructed to do some rituals in order to get gemstones from the mine. If you ask them this is what they will tell “sometimes the mine collapses so we need to do these rituals so that the mine will not collapse during the mining operations. With such a case what is needed is to observe all the safety requirements for the mine not to collapse.
Some will say “we must do the rituals so that we get the gemstones early enough without taking much time and much digging.” Some have been made to believe because gemstones come from the ground they are demonic. This one too needs a technical procedure with proper instruments to where to actually go. But let me ask you a question, how come fuel that is petrol or diesel is also extracted from the ground are they also demonic?
If you can look for a bible and read the below verse of scripture you will notice different types of gemstones have been mentioned.
Ezek 28:13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone [was] thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. (KJV)
Remember gemstones have nothing to do with the powers of darkness, but all you need is proper mining equipment and follow safety procedures.
Is it possible to do gem business with integrity?
The answer is yes. Let us start by looking what does the word integrity means? Integrity means, to do business in honest, loyalty, truth, and transparency without cheating or lying. Today there is a lot of cheating in gem business especially in Africa, and causing the gem business to be difficult especially when you do “on line business”.
Many have the money and they want to buy gemstones, but the problem is a trustworthy person on the selling side. Will they be able to sell what the display on the website? This is where the issue of integrity comes in. if you are doing online gem business you must operate on integrity for your business to grow. If you are loyal once you get an order, make sure your customer gets the correct material on time, this will make the customer to trust you and order more gemstones.
Avoid the following
Do not cheat your customer through falsehood
Make sure you tell the customer the truth about your products, if you are selling synthetic gems say so. If you are selling a pink tourmaline say it is a pink tourmaline and not pink spinel or sapphire simply because are sold easily.
Do not change figures
The problem of changing figures is sometimes end to end problem, both the seller and the buyer. Both parties can agree to change figures for the sake of dodging taxes, the one that is being cheated here is called the Government. Let me give you a little illustration, in your website you are displaying item MGE 7 is US$ 10,000/=. After the bargaining you agree to sell for US$ 8,000/=, and the buyer asks you to write an invoice of US$ 2,000/= for him to pay little import duty.
Both the seller and the buyer have cheated your governments by reducing the actual price to dodge tax, the seller loyalty fee of US$ 8000 not US$ 2000 and the buyer the import duty of US$ 2000 instead of US$ 8000/.
It is possible some Government Mine Officer can overcharge you instead of US$ 8,000/ you are charged US$12,000/ as loyalties, all I can say is make sure you are clean on your side.
Do not cheat the Government
Make sure you run your business in a correct and transparent way. If you are doing any kind of cheating, stop it. Note that the government is a silent partner in your business, if the government will not offer you the export permit you won’t export your goods.
Do not cheat your shareholders and stakeholders
Make sure you give a correct information to revenue authorities, gem laboratory, courier. Please provide a correct “Gem Report”.
The issue of integrity does not need over emphasizing, but with it you can make your gem business run in loyalty and eventually grow to billions.
As a jewelry business owner avoid using technical terms to customers. Here I am not talking to gemstone sellers.
When a customer comes to your jewelry store for the purpose of buying jewelry, the best you can do is asking what exactly the customer wants. Then provide with jewelry that has a gem that can stand sunlight and chemical such as toilet soap.
If the jewelry you are selling is fade easily, you don’t have to explain about “tone, hue or saturation”. Just say this gem has not been treated or treated. Remember you are selling jewelry, all you need to do is use a “word picture” for a customer to understand.
If you are selling a jewelry with “phenomenal stone, the best you can do is to show the customer the drama of the gem. No need to give details of the gem composition, or why the sapphire changes color. If you are selling a blue sapphire you don’t have to say that this stone has iron and titanium. Be reminded you are selling jewelry no need to give “gemological terminologies” , just say blue color is one of the attractive colors and is a business color.
You can use Trade Terms
Sometime you may come across a customer who knows what he is looking for. “ I need a ring with pink gemstone, which I will be wearing more often” your answer should be “we have ‘fancy colored sapphire’ or ‘fancy colored diamond’
Use of City or Country names
You can use the name of a country or a city to explain the durability of the gemstone, for instance;
§ Colombian emerald
§ Umba sapphire
§ Burma ruby
§ Winza ruby
§ Mozambique ruby
§ Sapphire from Tunduru
§ Mahenge spinel
Precaution, do not give details of a city or country if you are not sure where the gemstone comes from (origin). Remember in gemstone and jewelry business integrity is very important for sustain customers.
Lapidary covers the practices of cutting and polishing gems plus knowledge of the properties of the most common gemstones used in the jewelry industry.
Lapidary office is very important especially when you want your business to grow. If you get an order of 2000 carats per week, it will cost you a lot for not having your own cutting office. You will spend a lot of money to cut them, by hiring a private cutter or going to the gem cutting offices which of them have a lot of cutting and polishing gems. In this article I will be explaining about an office where you will be cutting and polishing gemstones. And also we will see what the requirements are.
Faceting Machine
This is non-negotiable, you must have it in your office. There are different types of faceting machines, facetron, ultratec, indian machines and thai machines. These are just some brands, you need to be watchful the voltage required in your area that is 110v ac or 220v ac. It is advisable to use an auto-voltage regulator (stabilizer) in case of power fluctuation.
Cabochon Machine
This one is needed to gemstones which do not need facets due to their nature, such as Moonstone and Sunstone. This does not restrict you from faceting these type of gemstones, but by doing so they will lose their attraction.
Sawing Machine
This machine is needful when you want to divide a gemstone into pieces.
Caliper
This instrument is for measuring size, length, width, height. It is also good to have a digital metric caliper for accuracy.
Gem Cutter
This is not a machine, but a qualified person who will handle all the cutting and the polishing of the gemstones professionally known as Lapidary in the gemological term. He /She must be competent enough to do the job well and avoid errors such re-cut.
Scale
This is another crucial tool for measuring weight of a gemstone, this must be a Legal for Trade scale which is authorized for such trade with a brand of Legal for Trade on it. Also the scale must be inspected annually by the authorized organization with certificate offered after inspection.
Burner
It is also needed for treating
Loupe
This too is useful even though you may get some gemstones that do not need a loupe. The loupe is the most convenient and affordable magnifier used for gem grading. It is small and portable. You can carry a loupe in your pocket or wear it on a chain around your neck. And, when used by gem cutter with an experienced eye, a loupe is very accurate. Loupes come in two varieties: hand loupes and eye loupes.
Hand loupes
Hand loupes are held in one hand for viewing the stone.
Eye loupes
Eye loupes are either held in the eye socket or attached to eyeglasses. It takes practice to handle and use a loupe effectively. But loupes are efficient so you must have them in your office.
Dop Sticks
These usually come with the faceting machines, but it is good to have many of them to help you handle many gemstones at the same time. Most of faceting machines come with 15 dop sticks so if you have 50 rough stones it will be difficult to handle them for little time
Wax
This is needed for sticking a stone to a dop-stick
In this article I would like to share on how to start a diamond business and not how diamonds are formed. The diamond business did not start 100 years ago, but more than 2,000BC. By so saying it is an ancient business in the gemstone industry. There are several magazines and websites that tell about “current wealthy people” such as Laurent Graff and Lev Levier who are billionaires. Each one of them has more than US$ 1 billion from the diamond business. And this is an indicator that diamond business is doing well in the gemstone business, whereby turn many into millionaires.
Please take note or may I say precaution, the diamond business needs a high level of concentration and follow up every step of the way. From exploration, mining, sorting, cutting and polishing until it get to the market. It is not a business you do and become rich over a week, neither it is a business you can do without any knowledge of how from the mine to the market.
Here are the fundamental things to start diamond business
Capital
This business requires sufficient money as a capital, this is not a business to try. You can come across a piece of a diamond with 5 carats and each carat is worth of US$ 25,000 which means you will need US$ 125,000 for that one piece of diamond. I can’t tell exactly how much you will need as a capital, but it has to be enough.
Loupe
This is a tool as a broker or a dealer must have it. It is a small magnifying lens used for diamond grading. It is small and portable. You can carry a loupe in your pocket or wear it on a chain around your neck. And, when used by someone with an experienced eye, a loupe is very accurate. Loupes come in two varieties: hand loupes and eye loupes. Hand loupes are held in one hand for viewing the stone. Eye loupes are either held in the eye socket or attached to eyeglasses. According to international standard, 10X is the standard for diamond grading,
Loupes are available in a variety of magnifications from 4X to 30X. You’ll find many loupes in use in the gem tools stores, where most diamonds are loupe graded. It takes practice to handle and use a loupe effectively. But loupes are efficient: An experienced grader or buyer can use a loupe to work through a large number of stones in a very short time. ”, if you do not know how to use it you better learn before you get ‘’wrong results”.
Diamond tester
This is another potent tool you should have, this one will help you distinguish between diamond, stimulant or colored stones. Before having it you must have enough knowledge of how to use
Carat Scale
You need to have a scale that can weigh the small size of diamonds. Most of the diamonds come from under gram so you need to have carat scale. Secondly, your scale must be the “Legal for Trade” use.
Diamond lab
You need to test your diamonds especially for reputed labs. Also you may have your own private or in house gemologist for testing job
Kimberly Certificate
This is a regulation formed in 2003, which shows how diamond transfer from one nation to another. This certificate shows the movement of diamonds and do not support” civil conflicts or terrorism”. It is important when you are in diamond business to know how this regulation operates.
Diamond Knowledge
I will not advise you to enter into diamond business without having adequate knowledge on diamonds, this will help you to avoid losses. Not every gemstone that comes from Shinyanga is a diamond, even white zircon looks like diamond. There are many institutes that teach about diamonds across the world, such as
Gemological Institute of America (GIA) – USA www.gia.edu
The Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand - Thailand www.git.or.th
Lapidary Training Centre- Tanzania- www.noreen.ch
Getting knowledge is very crucial and there is no shortcut on it. Don’t say “I have an idea” or “I have a capital” you must have enough knowledge even if you are planning to hire someone to do the job for you otherwise you will be easily deceived.
Diamond Manifest
This is a document containing diamond details, which consists of size, color, number of stones, clarity details and total carats of a whole or all diamonds. Even though it does not a particular flow, but it has enough details about diamonds.
You need a diamond courier
You must know what mode of transportation to move your diamonds from one nation to another. Diamonds need more security otherwise it will or may not reach its destination. There are some companies that transport diamonds such as Brinks, Malca, Amit and others.
Where are the diamond markets?
You must know where the big markets of diamonds are located, in some countries like Israel Belgium, Hong Kong, USA or Thailand, there are big diamond markets. What is required is for you to know their locations, contact person, how to get the diamonds to the market in a safety environment.
it. That is its mode of operation.
Sieve set
This is for so
rting diamonds of small sizes, most of the diamonds are small in sizes up to wheat or rice grain size the ones that are less than 2.10mm. If the piece is bigger than 2.10mm it won’t fit in a sieve. What you need to know is how many plates are in a sieve and of what size what makes a “set of sieve”.
As I talk about the growth, I hope it is not a new thing but many people do not understand that there is growth in business as it is in the human being and plants. Let’s take an example of the growth of a baby (Infant). Once a baby is born she or he must undergo the process of growth to become an adult. A new born baby does not start to walk immediately after being born. He or She has to go through the process of development.
It is an abnormal for a child of one month old to start crawling and walking. Please, I want spiritual people to understand me very well, despite of taking the Holy Communion or Anointing oil, you can’t change the process of growth. Let me ask you a question, can a pregnant woman go to delivery after the laying of hands with the pregnancy of one month? She has to undergo the process of growth for baby to born to the fullness.
You must know that growth in gem business goes from phases. Let’s say in the first month of your business you may not have even a single customer then the next month two customers and after six months you decide to quit in that business thinking that it does not profit you. Meanwhile your business needs time to grow. While you are working hard, your business growth is in phases.
Making Sales
Making sales is a major factor to measure your business if it is growing or not. But warning for you who is doing the gem business and expecting getting customers in two weeks. When you waited for three months and there was no customer come then you thought that your business was not growing. “NO”
May be the business is new, many people don’t know yet. It is very true that sales is one among the indicators that shows the growth of your company If is growing or not.
At the beginning of your business don’t pay attention much in sales in order to measure the growth of your business, make sure you take record of several things apart from sales like the number of people that come in your company daily, the number of calls or emails received daily. By doing so you will be able to know if you are growing or not.
Stagnation
There is a stagnation side in your business. But the major thing is having a good records of your business and doing evaluation monthly to know if it is growing or not. Stagnation in gem business is a problem that you have to know the source of it.
Slowing in Growth
Slow growth is still a problem in a gem business and there are many reasons that make the business not to grow. What is important is to ask yourself why is your business growing too slow? Could be the location? or the product itself?. That question has to be answered by you.
I hope you have been enlightened in growth process of gem business. That is a process and not a thing of one day. And if you don’t know that process of growth takes time, then you can quit your business or give up.
Praying and fasting can accelerate the growth but not in one day. This is because there are a lot of things you have to learn and can’t learn them in one day. As you know that our God is God of order even though he had the ability of creating the whole world in one day but he did not do that.
Just think that in one day God opens the doors to your company and in one day he brings one thousand customers and you just started the business under one week. You will not know any complains of your customers, you won’t know the shortcomings of your products. At least start with 4 customers then 10, then 40, you continue growing until you reach one thousand people that will be the process of growth.
The meaning of “start small”
Start small means start from where you are or start with what you have. Great things or great people did not start great or above but they started very small and growing gradually. In Gem business start from where you are whether you are an agent or your company is proprietorship or limited. Majority of people don’t like to start from where they are, they are waiting to get huge amount of money as the result, they keep waiting and the days are going.
Please start from where you are. Only the pride people who do not want to start from where they are. If you want to be a great in diamond business and you don’t have the capital then start by selling red garnet, sunstone, or citrine. If you continue doing so within the period of short time you will start getting new ideas or meeting with different people.
Let me narrate you how did I started my company, in 2010 December I registered my company from BRELA and I called it “Moreshine Gemstone Enterprises”. After registration I told myself that I will apply for gem dealer license when I get enough money. But in 2011 around December again I travelled to Shinyanga region to explore the diamond sources. I visited to Kahama Mineral Office, then I went to Shinyanga town I met with different government officers. I told them my idea of starting export diamonds but I didn’t have my own license and I was thinking of using of someone else license. That mine officer told me that I will be just bearer of Diamond but no one will know that I am doing the diamond business.
From there I told myself once I return back to Dar es Salaam I will register my own company as “Sole trader” and I will get my own gem dealer license. By February 2012 I had already gotten my two license of Diamonds and Colored Stones. Surprisingly, the same week I got my first order of Tanzanite worthy of US$ 5,600 to export to Ireland. Hence I made a record of my own of export gemstone to abroad without my company being limited.
Start small but never remain where you are for a long time.
It is true that you started small but you have to make the progress. And this progress you can see it within five months. As you know when a baby reaches three months and starts the fourth one you can start seeing changes. If your business is five months old and there no tangible change, then there is a problem somewhere. I am saying in five months you must seeing changes but also you must have kept a good records of everything that is going on in your company. Keep records of the phone number inquiries, emails, the number of people coming to your office and evaluating them.
Start small but think Big.
There is no problem in starting small and think big. The problem is for those who don’t want to start small or start from where they are or start with what they have. When you start small gradually you will become big. There are people with the ideas of having a business jet for gem business but they don’t want to start from where they are. And you’ll find that they don’t have even the gemstones license and they have been in business of gem for many years more than ten years. You can tell me that you want to become great in gem business and you don’t have even a broker license and you have been there for more than ten years.
Signs of stagnation
In gem business every year must be better than the previous year. If the first year you had the sales of 5000 USD and the next year you sell 5000 USD, you have to realize that your business has been stagnated know that there is no progress and if you are not carefully , you will start going backward.
All in all, never forget this principle of start small, never afraid, never shy.
In this article we shall look at one among the gemstones that is found in group of garnet which is known as “Malaya Garnet”. Let’s start by looking at the names that are mostly used in the market places.
§ Malaya Garnet
§ Malaia Garnet
§ Umbalite Garnet
§ Imperial Garnet
From the above there all these names have the same meaning. Probably you have seen them in different places or countries that they use both four names. Take note here, in Europe “Malaya Garnet” they call it Umbalite Garnet. You don’t need to start wondering after hearing this name in this particular part of Europe or in different websites.
Its history
Malaya garnet is a relatively new member of the garnet group. For the first time it appeared in the 1960s, mixed in with parcels of rhodolite garnets from the Umba River Valley of of Tanga region in Tanzania. But Malaya Garnet encountered with great opposition in the market because was an unfamiliar gem material.
The word malaya actually comes from Swahili language, where it means "prostitute". Local miners gave it this name because when the gem was first discovered local dealers wouldn't buy it because it didn't fit any of the known garnet varieties and occuring in a variety of unique and interesting colors including pinkish-orange, reddish-orange and yellowish orange. For example, you can get the garnet from Umba deposits, some of them with the color brown or brown yellow or brown pink or brown purple. So Malalya Garnet is not like Rhodolite, Spessartite, Red garnet, Hessonite not even green garnet but it starts with the brown color mixed with other colours
Gemological Report eventually proved Malaya garnet to be a chemical mixture of two garnets: pyrope and spessartite. Its color is from light to dark pinkish, reddish, or yellowish orange.
Color Change Phenomenon
Some of Malaya garnet can display color change phenomenon. For example in daylight or fluorescent light a Malaya garnet may appear blue green while under incandescent light it changes color to pink red. Other stones, like sapphire, spinel, and Alexandrite, can show color change. In fact Malaya garnet color change can easily be mistaken for alexandrite.
Price
The price and value of Malaya Garnet vary according to the size and quality of the gem. Color, clarity and the degree of color change are all important factors in valuing top grade Malaya Garnet. Malaya garnet is one of the more expensive garnets. It’s usually available in various fancy shapes. Along with the other garnets, it’s a US birthstone for January.
Gemological Properties
Variety: Garnet
Crystallography: Isometric.
Refractive Index: 1.74–1.78
Colors: Various shades of red, red-orange, orange, brownish orange, yellowish orange, peach, and pink.
Luster: Vitreous.
Polish Luster: Vitreous.
Fracture: Conchoidal
Hardness: 7-7.5
Specific Gravity: 3.75-4.00
Birefringence: None.
Cleavage: None
Dispersion: 0.022-0.027
Transparency: Transparent to opaque.
Phenomena: Color change.
Birthstone: January
Chemical Formula: A3B2Si3O12. A = Mn, Mg, Fe. B = Al, Fe, V, Cr.
Pleochroism : None.
Optics: Isotropic. Some specimens may show anomalous birefringence.
Etymology: From the Swahili word malaya, meaning “out of the family” or “prostitute.”
Occurrence: Alluvial deposits
Inclusions: Rutile, pyrite, or apatite needles.
Sources
Tanzania, Kenya, Madagascar
Care and Cleaning
Ultrasonic cleaning - Usually safe
Steam cleaning - Never
Warm, soapy water - safe
Alternatives
Almandite
Carnelian
Citrine
Sapphire
Spessartite garnet
Spinel
Topaz
Tourmaline
When you talk about spinel sources in the world, there is no way you can skip to mention mahenge deposits in Tanzania. If you don’t mention it then you intend to hide the whole truth about spinel sources in the world. Always give somebody what he deserves’.
Mahenge Spinel is one among gemstone that was popular from the year of 2000s due to its quality and color. One may ask this spinel comes from Mahenge only in this world? the answer is no. There are countries like Mozambique, Burma and many of them that provide Spinel, but the Mahenge spinel has been the best due to its color and clarity especially red and pink spinel.
Even Tanzania there are different areas that produce spinel like Winza, Tunduru but the Mahenge spinel has got more attraction.
Which Color is Marketable?
Red vivid or pink vivid color is the color that makes spinel to be sold in high prices than other colors. Spinel has almost all the colors. Recently red or pink spinel from 5 to 15 carats can be sold from US$ 5,000 to US$100,000 USD
Gem Identities and Geometry of Rough
Mineral: spinel
Chemistry: MgAl2O4
Color: Various color like red, blue, green, brown, black, gray, lilac, purple, orange, rose, nearly colorless.
Inclusions: minute octahedral or negative crystals, alone or in fingerprint pattern; included crystals, iron oxide staining.
Refractive index: 1.718
Birefringence: none
Specific gravity: 3.60
Mohs Hardness: 8
Phenomena: Asterism, color change
Birthstone: August
Care and Cleaning
Spinel gem is a tough gem due to its “Hardness”. Hence making spinel jewelry to be used all the time in the jewelry industry. Spinel can be used in any kind of jewelry be it neckless, pendant, earrings or rings.
When it comes to care and cleaning of spinel, device like ‘Ultrasonic or Steam cleaner can be used without any doubt at any time.
Types of Spinel colors found in Mahenge
Pink – is found at Epanko
Red – is found at Epanko
Purple – is found at Kituti
Rhodolite color – is found different places.
Approximate Road Distance
Dar es salaam to Mahenge via Morogoro road
Morogoro town -197km
Mikumi Junction - 319km
River Ruaha – 355km
Ifakara – 430km
Mahenge – 500km
Mahenge to Dar es salaam via Msata Bagamoyo Road.
Mlimani – 10km
Lupiro – 41km
Kilombero Bridge – 64km
Ifakara – 70km
Kiberege – 106km
Mang’ula – 120km
Msolwa – 133km
Kidatu – 140km
River Ruaha – 145km
Mikumi Junction – 180km
Morogoro Town – 300km
Msata Junction – 422km
Bagamoyo – 185km
Dar City Centre – 550km
Deposits
The Spinel that mine in Mahenge is found in two different types, Alluvial Deposits and Primary Deposits
Primary Deposits
What do we mean by saying primary deposits, it means is the gemstone from the rocks or from primary source. For example at Epanko area where big amount of spinals are produced from there spinel are being mined from the rocks. For you to mine spinel you need to use gun powder and other tools or mining equipment due to the spinel rocks are very tough.
Alluvial Deposit
There are some gemstones which are found in the rivers and they are brought up by waters for many years ago from the rocks of primary sources. There are other areas which produce it from beside water of rivers and streams, example of Epanko area it has both the primary deposits and alluvial deposits.
Most of Spinels that is found in this area of alluvial deposit are good with no crack and sometimes might be big size from 4 to 12 grams per piece.
36 some of features cause Jewelry to be sold over USD 1 Million
1. Jewelry must has diamond
2. Natural gems
3. Untreated gems
4. Jewelry must has one of these stones ruby, sapphire or emerald
5. Good color
6. Precious metals gold, silver or platinum
7. Single stone or set of stones should be above 3 carats
First of all you save transportation money which could be used to go where the gemstones are. Instead the US$1000 that you could have used for air ticket can buy a gemstone instead.
Likewise the money that could be used to board a hotel during your stay on particular country, can also purchase the gemstone up to a US$500 for a five day hotel pay.
I therefore recommend you buy online once you know the procedure of buying online.
Copyright © 2024 Moreshine Gemstone - All Rights Reserved.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.