Southern Jewelry News
  • Featured
    • All
    • Featured
    • Featured Retailers
    • Retailer Roundtable
    • Sponsored Content
    • Supplier Spotlight
    CG Creations – in a league of their own
    Hubbell Proctor Designs: The Experience Is Key
    C.D. Peacock to open luxury watch and jewelry store next spring
    Hubbell Proctor Designs: The Experience Is Key
    Shefi continues expansion of bridal lines, fashion
    Why do diamond mines close?
    Why do diamond mines close?
  • Latest News
    • All
    • COVID-19
    • Furry Friends
    • Industry Awards
    • Industry Events
    • NRF
    • On The Move
    • Other News
    • Tradeshow News
    • Video
    • What's New
    VDB is first to launch JBT’s inaugural API
    GIA announces release of latest issue of Gems & Gemology
    IDCA honors Ben Bridge Jewelers, Savji Dholakia, Brilliant Earth and others at its Annual Awards Night
    Get-Diamonds Silent Auction to feature exclusive and special priced diamonds
  • Podcast
  • Columnists
    10 Cybersecurity Questions small and medium businesses should ask in 2022
    Motivating your sales staff
    IAS Training’s Keys to Effective Communication – Part III
    Kate’s star-studded style. What will the next trend be?
    Motivating your sales staff
    IAS Training’s Keys to Effective Communication – Part II
    Retailing in a post-PC world
    Motivating your sales staff
    IAS Training’s Keys to Communication
    The Retailer’s Perspective: With great power comes great fails
    The Retailer’s Perspective: I don’t want to be an expert anymore
    Sales Tips by Aleah: Everything is Sales
  • Classifieds
  • Subscriptions
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Print Subscription
No Result
View All Result
Southern Jewelry News
  • Featured
    • All
    • Featured
    • Featured Retailers
    • Retailer Roundtable
    • Sponsored Content
    • Supplier Spotlight
    CG Creations – in a league of their own
    Hubbell Proctor Designs: The Experience Is Key
    C.D. Peacock to open luxury watch and jewelry store next spring
    Hubbell Proctor Designs: The Experience Is Key
    Shefi continues expansion of bridal lines, fashion
    Why do diamond mines close?
    Why do diamond mines close?
  • Latest News
    • All
    • COVID-19
    • Furry Friends
    • Industry Awards
    • Industry Events
    • NRF
    • On The Move
    • Other News
    • Tradeshow News
    • Video
    • What's New
    VDB is first to launch JBT’s inaugural API
    GIA announces release of latest issue of Gems & Gemology
    IDCA honors Ben Bridge Jewelers, Savji Dholakia, Brilliant Earth and others at its Annual Awards Night
    Get-Diamonds Silent Auction to feature exclusive and special priced diamonds
  • Podcast
  • Columnists
    10 Cybersecurity Questions small and medium businesses should ask in 2022
    Motivating your sales staff
    IAS Training’s Keys to Effective Communication – Part III
    Kate’s star-studded style. What will the next trend be?
    Motivating your sales staff
    IAS Training’s Keys to Effective Communication – Part II
    Retailing in a post-PC world
    Motivating your sales staff
    IAS Training’s Keys to Communication
    The Retailer’s Perspective: With great power comes great fails
    The Retailer’s Perspective: I don’t want to be an expert anymore
    Sales Tips by Aleah: Everything is Sales
  • Classifieds
  • Subscriptions
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Print Subscription
No Result
View All Result
Southern Jewelry News
No Result
View All Result
Home Columnists

The Story Behind the Stone: Tucson treasures

Diana Jarrett GG, RMV by Diana Jarrett GG, RMV
April 1, 2009
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A slow show – yes, a sign of the times, to be sure. Tucson’s many gem and mineral shows bore the evidence of a jittery state of affairs, not just here in the US, but worldwide. This is after all a global bazaar. Rare often unpronounceable gems were still there. Top end eye popping couture jewels still shimmered in their cases. Dinosaur eggs and T-Rex skulls still made their way to the outlying shows circumnavigating the big daddies at the Convention Center (AGTA GemFair) and the white tents (GJX) set up across the road.

Scary economy notwithstanding, it seemed to bear little weight on the creative genius of the designers who did attend. And attendees sailed relentlessly up and down the aisles on task to find something new – and they did just that if they went to the booths I visited.

American Pearl Company’s Lagniappe cultured pearls were a big hit – as they should be. These hefty free form pearls are the freshwater equivalent of authentic saltwater keshi pearls, which are collected rabidly for their rich heavy nacre through and through.

Jade lovers thrilled at Heyden Stone, Inc. purple jade. The story of its discovery is as exotic as the idea of natural (no enhancements whatsoever) purple jade itself. This material hails from the deserts of Turkey. How’d they stumble on that? It’s a natural beauty.

Arunashi turned heads with their daring collection of ultra modern jewels. Round brilliant cut stones are set pavilion side out on globe-like pendant earrings set in dramatic blackened rhodium over 18kt gold. Truly arresting.
Designer Sarah Graham took metalsmithing to new heights by showing her 18kt gold and blackened steel collection in the Designers Pavilion at the AGTA GemFair. Young and edgy, of course, but Graham shows off her expertise as a metalsmith in the details of her line. Serious jewelry lovers take note.

Philip Zahm’s collection at the Centurion Jewelry expo showed us a thing or two about beautifully tailored jewelry designs pumped up with bolder proportions paired with intensely colored gemstones. A perfect fit for cognoscenti who take their fun seriously.

Lucoral of Taiwan brought calibrated cameos in volume this year for the manufacturer or designer who wants to jump on this hot trend and fold carved shells into their collection. Beija Flor Gems of Hawaii had some cherry specimens of transparent rhodochrocite.

There were much more wonderful finds at the shows of course. If you went, you saw the goods. If you didn’t, this should get your creative wheels turning.

Graduate Gemologist and Registered Master Valuer Diana Jarrett is also a member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA). She’s a frequent lecturer at conferences and trade shows. Jarrett serves as Colored Stone Editor for Rapaport Diamond Report; with other works regularly appearing in trade and consumer publications. Contact her at info@dianajarrett.com or visit her website: www.dianajarrett.com.

 

Jarrett-Arunashi-April

Diamonds and Tsavorite garnets are reverse set in blackened Rhodium over 18kt gold. Image courtesy of Arunashi.

Jarrett-Ringus-AprilFrom designer Helen Ringus for Eurocraft Jewelry, a whimsical band playing on Lagniappe cultured pearl clouds. Image courtesy of American Pearl Company.

Jarrett-Zahm-April
Trio of playful yet elegant “Margarita” rings featuring spinel, spessartite garnet and blue-green tourmaline set in 18kt white gold. Ruby, fancy sapphire, garnet and tanzanite complete the gallery’s design while adding additional vivid color to the overall look. Image courtesy of Mark R. Davis.

 

Diana Jarrett GG, RMV

Diana Jarrett GG, RMV

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

Related Posts

10 Cybersecurity Questions small and medium businesses should ask in 2022

June 27, 2022
Motivating your sales staff

IAS Training’s Keys to Effective Communication – Part III

June 22, 2022

Kate’s star-studded style. What will the next trend be?

June 20, 2022
Motivating your sales staff

IAS Training’s Keys to Effective Communication – Part II

June 15, 2022

Latest News

On The Move

VDB is first to launch JBT’s inaugural API

June 27, 2022
Columnists

10 Cybersecurity Questions small and medium businesses should ask in 2022

June 27, 2022
What's New

GIA announces release of latest issue of Gems & Gemology

June 27, 2022

Other News

IDCA honors Ben Bridge Jewelers, Savji Dholakia, Brilliant Earth and others at its Annual Awards Night

Get-Diamonds Silent Auction to feature exclusive and special priced diamonds

WDC President notes positive shift to reforming the KP at 2022 Intersessional Meeting

Gemvision introduces MatrixGold® 3

IAS Training’s Keys to Effective Communication – Part III

Gem-A spotlights gemstone research with latest edition of The Journal of Gemmology

Southern Jewelry News

© 2022 Southern Jewelry News.

Additional Information

  • About
  • 2022 Trade Shows
  • Media Kit
  • Contact

Get Social with Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Featured Articles
    • Featured
    • Featured Retailers
    • Retailer Roundtable
    • Supplier Spotlight
    • Sponsored Content
  • Latest News
    • What’s New
    • Industry Events
    • Tradeshow News
    • On The Move
    • Other News
    • Furry Friends
  • Columnists
  • Classifieds
  • Subscriptions
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Print Subscription

© 2022 Southern Jewelry News.