Multiple times every year Bluestone Trading Company breaks the horrible news to a jeweler who bought a stone they thought was a genuine diamond: they had mistakenly purchased moissanite or CZ. This costly mistake should not happen to you or your staff. And, in a down-turned economy, it is more important than ever to arm your staff with the education needed to detect moissanite, CZ, lab grown and enhanced diamonds.
Bluestone Trading wants your store to succeed, and believes that education is the key. This is why they have launched a free virtual diamond workshop with hands-on training to help your team on everything from diamond fundamentals to identifying clarity enhancements and simulant diamonds.
The words “virtual” and “hands-on” aren’t typically used to describe the same event, but Bluestone knows that diamond education needs to be taught with physical samples: thus, they overnight their fundamentals toolkit, including moissanite, CZ, enhanced, and lab grown diamond samples to your store. Then they virtually meet with you to teach you what to look for and answer any questions you have.
COVID forced businesses across the world to either slow down or screech to a halt. While business never completely halted, Bluestone Trading took the shutdown as an opportunity to take a step back and analyze business, find ways to improve, and most importantly: find ways to help the industry.
Bluestone improved their educational resources, launched a recycled diamonds initiative, and started the Bounce Back with Bluestone campaign. The Bounce Back with Bluestone campaign is centered around programs and benefits that stores can use when working with Bluestone to bounce back from the economic downturn. These include no-cost memo services, expert advice, free overnight shipping, top dollar offers, same-day payment, and entire store buyouts.
As part of bouncing back, Bluestone re-structured their hands-on diamond labs so that social distancing is not an issue, and samples can be passed from one person to another. They also created individualized diamond fundamental booklets so that each participant can move forward at their own pace and keep the booklet as a reference for OTC buying.
The 20-page book includes carat weight calculation guides for loose and mounted diamonds of all shapes and sizes, references to use when grading diamonds by color, guides for lab reports, and much more.
Topics covered within the class include:
- The Four Cs: Cut, Color, Clarity and Carat Weight
- Diamond Certificates
- Moissanite
- Cubic Zirconia
- Filled Diamonds
- Drilled Diamonds
- Lab-Grown Diamonds
- Market Trends
If you don’t see a topic that you or your staff need on this list, let them know and they can develop it for you.
The lab can also be supplemented with the resources in the knowledge center at Bluestone-Trading.com. Clicking “Knowledge” in the top-right menu on the homepage to find a suite of tools developed for the retail jeweler, including:
Carat Weight Calculator: The free carat weight calculator takes the work out of calculating the carat weight of loose and mounted stones. Input three easy measurements and you will not only be given the carat weight, but also the length to width ratio. This ratio is important when approximating the value of diamonds, especially with fancy shapes.
Virtual Clarity Chart: The virtual clarity booklet is ideal to use when training employees to gauge clarity grades. Complete with a GIA report and video of a diamond of every clarity grade, your employees can use it as a benchmark example.
Clarity Grading Booklet: For those that prefer a physical reference, there is a clarity grading booklet on the website. This booklet maps out possible combinations of inclusions such as feathers, clouds, pinpoints, and knots, that may be found in each clarity grade. This is available for free to anyone who visits the website and can be downloaded and printed for use at any point.
Color Grading Trays: Never run out of diamond color grading trays again. Give Bluestone a call for free trays. Bluestone has sourced the best paper to accurately display diamond color and to hold up to regular use. As an alternative, check the website for a printable PDF and folding directions. Be sure to print on plain white printing paper, and remember to replace your trays often.
To schedule your personalized diamond fundamentals class, call or text Bluestone Trading at 440-442-7280, email Hello@Bluestone-Trading.com, or call toll-free at 888-800-BLUE.
