It’s no secret that the Covid pandemic has affected everyone all around the world, and in different ways. To get an idea of how one industry figure in Switzerland confronted this crisis, we spoke with Elke Berr, a recognized expert in the gemstone field and accomplished jewelry designer.

The crystal-clear laughter echoed through the phone-it was good to hear that her energy level and optimism were still evident even during these unprecedented times. Elke Berr’s tone turned serious, however, as she described how she was able to muster the stamina and find the resources necessary to face this crisis, which began for her in March 2020.

“I can’t say that these last 18 months have been easy,” comments the gem expert and designer, who co-founded Berr & Partner with her husband in 1986, followed by the launch in 2003 of her eponymous jewelry company. She came to the gem industry as a teenager, and by the time she was 17, she was already deep in the mines in Sri Lanka to buy her first stones. “I learned very early on that our work has to be irreproachable, that we use unfailing discretion to carve out a place in this industry and maintain it.”

How then, did she maintain her place during Covid? “We had long-planned events in Kazakhstan and then in Palm Beach, Florida where we were going to showcase my latest pieces and meet our customers. We had worked very long months preparing for these special events but suddenly we found ourselves stranded in Switzerland. For the frequent traveler that I am, it was very hard.”

With travel then out of the question, how did Elke interact with her customers? “In Switzerland, we were luckier than most, because the country did not completely close in on itself as did some other nations. I was thus able to keep my team safe and working because they could telecommute,” she explains. “We also were able to get some shortterm work, as well as a loan to increase our cash flow and tide us over. Still, the impact of the pandemic was extremely strong.”

Since Berr’s workshops could stay open, this meant that the new collection would be ready for the Fall. Also, she maintained personal contact with her clients during this period, and so was able to produce custom and one-off pieces that account for nearly 60% of production.

Because of her established network and our long-term loyal customers, the designer was able to have some pieces ready for Cannes, which went ahead despite the pandemic.

“A bright spot for us at Cannes was that some pieces were worn by actress Frédérique Bel on the Red Carpet, and were on display at the Croisette,” she smiles.

While many companies increased their social media and embraced other online promotion during the lockdown, Berr was more cautious. “These are great tools, and I have seen interesting experiences,” she muses, “but I’m not necessarily comfortable with this type of thing myself. Having said that, however, we are beginning to expand our online presence. I want to take my time to ensure that it is a good fit for us. It’s important to have the brand message be coherent in all ways.”

In one of the first steps on her digital journey, Elke Berr joined the Gembridge initiative and was recently appointed as its ambassador for Switzerland. “This platform won me over with its goals and very strict framework. Quality and high standards, along with trust, are necessary in the gem business. I was also convinced by the principles of traceability. My experience of getting stones as close as possible to the extraction source is reinforced by the necessity of providing clear information to the buyer. Transparency makes all the difference in a period such as we are all going through.”

Berr goes on to add, “the current era has demonstrated that everyone must be adaptable and flexible when it comes to digital sales; understandably, customers are more focused on making their purchases with trusted third parties whose reputation and ethics are well established.”

On a more personal level, Berr notes that the demands on spirituality have increased, not just for her but for many of her colleagues. “During these traumatic times, I have been looking more inward, to be more in tune with my emotions,” she comments. “Although our lives were turned upside down because of the pandemic, we are all still looking for stability.”

She concludes that “showing humility and imagination seem to be the most important things when it comes to adapting to this crisis.”

Images are courtesy of Berr and Partner.

• Colombia – New Realities in the Emerald Industry
• Digital Developments in the Face of Viral Disruptions
• East Africa – Mining and Rough Supply
• The Unmasking of Beatrice Matiash
• A Thriving Jadeite Garden

The post Adapting to the Covid Crisis – Elke Berr appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

For millennia, from antiquity to the present, emeralds have fascinated humankind. The luscious green gem is found in many countries around the world, but emeralds from Colombia occupy an especially prized place in the gem and jewelry world. Even when faced with Covid, the nation’s emerald industry has continued to build customer confidence, improve logistics and increase social investment.

Although only about 20%-25% of the world’s emeralds come from this South American nation, they represent nearly 50% by value because of the 20%-30% premium they command. The deposits are found in two main areas in central Colombia, each created during a different period in geological history. Consequently, gems from each zone exhibit different types of mineralization and slightly different colors.

Over the last decade or so, the Colombian government has joined forces with the emerald industry to improve the sector and ensure best practices, including sustainability, transparency and corporate social responsibility (CSR), all while helping meet the
needs of small-scale miners. It also encourages foreign investors who bring state-of-the-art technology and financing for largescale gemstone mining in the region, and who can help improve the daily community life in the mining regions.

Yet no one could have predicted what befell the industry in early 2020. After the Tucson show in February 2020, everything changed—dramatically and swiftly—for our entire emerald community, as it did for the country as a whole. Faced with the worst pandemic of our generation, we were forced to find ways to be resilient and keep businesses alive.

The Colombian government quickly understood that mining industries bring cash to the economy. Thus, from the beginning, it allowed them to work uninterrupted. This was easier said than done, however, as it was almost impossible to open fully because Covid was spreading. As a result, most work continued but at a slow pace from March to July. In 2020, exports of faceted emeralds fell by 69%, while exports of rough gems fell by 54%.

Along with the pandemic’s impact, new challenges arose, mainly for improving logistics, export procedures and digital communications. In terms of logistics, New York became the main hub for Colombian emeralds as we started using more companies working in the transport of high-value goods, such as Ferrari and Malca. We basically sent the stones door-to-door, in escrow.

For communications, the government transformed all export procedures into digital formats, from mining reviews to customs documents. Using Zoom and other digital media, this brought more efficiency to the entire process.

The industry also took measures to protect our people, which meant using 100% of the money of the National Emerald Fund, which is derived from the 1% tax on exports. These funds were used to provide resources to artisanal miners and monies to the local ESE (local health institutions) in each of the 16 localities encompassing the emerald area. With over US$400,000 from the Emerald Fund and over other US$500,000 from the private sector, we provided food, money and health supplies to the people in the mining communities.

In 2021, although we still were very affected by the consequences of the Covid pandemic, we have seen demand for emeralds skyrocket. Sales in the first four months of the year outpaced those for the whole of 2020. We are seeing more and more customers coming every week to Colombia, as things are slowly returning to normal.

The pandemic taught us to build trust, confidence and create better logistics. And, while person-to-person transactions were the mainstream of our business earlier, we can, with the right tools, still conduct business, even if by Zoom.

Below is an example of how one of the major mining companies faced the pandemic. According to Gabbi Harvey, Head of Business Development at Muzo. “The Health, Social and Economic Emergency status was declared by the central government in March 2020 and it allowed partial mining operations. Our Puerto Arturo mine never shut down completely, as we went into a ‘care and maintenance’ status with limited staffing. Bio-sanitary stations, including underground, were also put into place with a very strong prevention and education program to avoid Covid-19 contamination. For months into 2020, the mine was free of Covid, but a small and controlled outbreak happened in early 2021. Production was minimal until December 2020, when we slowly increased operations until going back to work in January 2021.”

Harvey goes on to say, “Today, a strong reduction of employees coming in and out of the mine was instituted, and we still require a mandatory Covid-19 test for entry. The Muzo Companies joined the Colombian government’s private vaccination program with around 500 workers getting their vaccine at company expense. Some elder family members of employees also benefited. Today, production numbers have increased both in quantity and quality of emeralds and our staff numbers are again in the thousand range as production gets back to normal.”

So, what has helped us get through this crisis? Resilience! Throughout the entire Colombian emerald industry, we have seen, and continue to see, examples of toughness and resilience in our people, working together to overcome hardship during these very complicated times, to again have Colombian emeralds front and center on the world emerald stage.

(Photos are courtesy of the author unless otherwise indicated.)

• Living Life Dangerously
• Color-full Magnificence at the World’s Major Auctions
• The Unmasking of Beatrice Matiash
• Emerald – Modern Gemmology
• Sri Lanka – Holding Strong

The post Colombia – New Realities in the Emerald Industry appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

The power of the color RED! Traditionally and since antiquity red stones such as garnets and rubies were thought to give protection, provide good health and have disease preventing properties. Red symbolized courage, love and especially passion. These three descriptions certainly apply to the most modern of gem species, rhodochrosite.

The stunning traffic-light red gem called rhodochrosite is a manganese carbonate renowned for its exceptional crystalline mineral specimens. Although it was often dubbed a collector’s stone—difficult to cut with its lower hardness of 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale and perfect cleavage—it has risen to prominence through the discoveries of both exceptional specimens and gem materials. The story of rhodochrosite has a human element in terms of friendship, endeavor, and the allure of discovery.

Although found in many localities, including Peru, Argentina, China and Brazil, it was the sporadic finds in Colorado (USA) at the beginning of the 20th century along with the incredible discovery in the 1970s at the N’Chwaning I Mine in Cape Province (South Africa) that put this mineral on the map. At N’Chwaning, miners sank a shaft through the largest known land-based manganese deposit consisting of coarse crystalline, massively textured black sooty recrystallized hematite and manganese oxide. It went through a zone of numerous pockets up to one meter across and lined with the most stunning crystals.

Miners scrambled for what they could collect, with reports of many specimens being destroyed or worked through. Now often cited as one of the greatest mineral discoveries of all time, this zone provided some of the world’s finest specimens of the species, including some beautiful gems cut from the material. Today, the rare surviving mineral specimens from this find are highly revered among collectors; the Snail owned by Bill Larson of Pala Gems International is regarded and celebrated as one of the finest mineral specimens ever discovered.

Interest was piqued, and collectors turned their attention to other localities. When we talk of rhodochrosite today, the words Sweet Home Mine immediately spring to mind; the name could not be more apt for those who have worked there. This old silver mine, discovered in 1873 at an incredible elevation of 3,444, lies at the base of Mount Bross (4,321m) in the Rocky Mountains. Old miners drove an 800 meter tunnel straight into the core of the mountain to intersect the silver vein system and, although this didn’t quite produce the silver bonanza anticipated, it was the sporadic remarkable finds of red rhodochrosite crystals that were both saved and sold to keep the mine open. The mine became famous among collectors with many specimens gracing museums and private collections worldwide.

In 1967, however, miners encountered a pocket that produced truly breathtaking examples. The best piece from this pocket was the Alma Queen, a 10cm on edge group of cherryred rhombohedral crystals that now takes pride of place at the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences. After this find, the Sweet Home Mine closed as a silver mine.

As mineral collecting gained huge momentum through the late 1970s – 1980s, the desire and demand for spectacular rhodochrosite specimens reached a new high. Bryan (President and Founder of Collector’s Edge) and Kathryn Lees of Golden, Colorado brought together a group of investors and friends and leased the mine in 1991, while Bryan purchased the mine in 1998.

In 1991, Sweet Home opened as a rhodochrosite mine in hopeful anticipation that dreams would be realized. During the following years, pockets of spectacular specimens were revealed as mining progressed, ultimately changing the face of the species and its use as a gemstone forever.

On 21 September 1992, the most incredible pocket of rhombohedral crystals was discovered. It measured some 4 x 3 feet, but only 2-6 inches wide. Some areas were completely covered with red crystals so breathtaking and valuable that it was aptly named the Good Luck Pocket. Over the years, other amazing pockets were encountered and given names such as Cash Flow, Good Luck, Millennium, Graham, Museum, Rainbow, etc. Even today, when talking to the lucky few who mined them, you can see and feel the passion, the delight of discovery and the emotions of such encounters. Specimens were striking. The richness of color and size were remarkable. The bright red crystals sparkled amidst the overall mining environmental grayness, and each pocket was unique with its own character.

From fragmentary material, a considerable amount of rough that could be faceted was available. Indeed, rhodochrosite from Sweet Home is remarkably pure MnCO₃, with little substitution of iron into its structure. Iron is a known culprit for diminishing the color, so the purity of rhodochrosite here gives the most vibrant color saturation. Alongside freedom from inclusions and excellent clarity, it results in producing remarkable specimens and material for gemstones up to great sizes for the species.

In the end, following extensive exploration, all target zones had been developed and in 2004, the mine was closed. Sealed, with dumps removed, the ground contoured and reseeded. But, as with many great adventures, work continued to better understand the nature of the porphyry intrusion hosting the deposit and how it controlled rhodochrosite deposition. Through years of continued sampling and geological study, it was determined that the zones of the 1990s continued upward through the mountain with a high probability of further pockets, accessible by putting in a tunnel 200 feet above the old Sweet Home portal.

Much work was undertaken in terms of contracts, permits, surveys, investors, and sourcing of equipment. Eventually, in the summer of 2016 with a rekindling of old friendships and the excitement of the previous years, a start was made on the new portal dubbed the Detroit City Portal of the Sweet Home Mine. This tunnel’s first target was to go 430 feet into Mt Bross and intersect the upward dip of the old Main Vein of the old Sweet Home Mine sitting below. This drive proved right on target, intersecting a point only seven feet from its planned target based on the earlier survey work.

By the end of 2018, another tunnel was created, left and right from the main, and upward workings were created called “raises” and “stopes.” As the workings expanded, several small pockets, including a spectacular one, were discovered in June 2020. Mining can often be a frustrating process with many variables and factors that may halt a mine’s progress. It was never anticipated that one of these variables would take the form of a global pandemic.

It has been a tumultuous year of upheaval. The Detroit City Project was fortunate to be able to operate in 2020. After three months of lockdown, mining operations continued using Covid safety protocols. It is a testament to their thoroughness that no one from the mine contracted Covid. But now, as we head into hopefully brighter days, the future looks exciting.

The hunt is on for the remarkable spectacular pockets like the Good Luck from the 1990s. Talking with Bryan Lees, his passion shines through, in that every day he and his team are fortunate to be able to dig for these remarkable crystal and gem treasures. Indeed, during the lockdown, the continuing work of the mine provided much hope, not only for those mining, but also for the many excited friends who reflected on their own thoughts related to the circumstances of the pandemic.

By July 2021, new tunnels have already reached areas intersected with diamond drilling and show signs of red. There are several more areas to explore in and around the main tunnel, providing hope and anticipation for years to come. Not only do we welcome the discovery of spectacular new specimens, but with new cutting techniques and growing artistic jewelry innovation, it’s an exciting time to see what endeavors will showcase rhodochrosite’s exceptional color properties. The rising popularity of this once collector’s gemstone is assured. Red’s alliance with vigor, courage and life itself has never been more important than now.

• Gems – Pierres Précieuses
• Industry Upheavals – The Big Picture
• North America – Digging for Gems in Southern California
• Colombia – New Realities in the Emerald Industry
• The Unmasking of Beatrice Matiash

The post Rhodochrosite – The Power of Red appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

Australia is renowned for its deposits of opal and sapphire, which are mined predominantly by small mining operations—typically family businesses and small partnerships. Despite their size, they are generally well-equipped operations requiring significant capital investments and high operating and maintenance costs. How has Covid affected the supply chain?

Australia is renowned for its deposits of opal and sapphire which are mined predominantly by small mining operations, typically family businesses and small partnerships. Despite their size, they are generally well-equipped operations requiring significant capital investments and high operating and maintenance costs.

The current pandemic has had a considerable effect on the entire supply chain of these gems. All of the mining fields have felt the absence of international buyers who cannot visit due to the closure of Australia’s borders. Local buyers have also experienced access issues due to the sudden and frequent closure of internal state borders.

Since the Tucson 2020 show, most international trade shows have been cancelled, postponed or reverted temporarily to a smaller local version of their former configurations. With Australian borders closed and severe restrictions on travel being applied globally, dealers have been unable to display and sell their stock in the major markets. All of this has resulted in a major slowdown in the supply of Australian gemstones. The exception seems to be the demand generated through internet providers.

Opal Mining Fields

The South Australian opal fields of Coober Pedy, Andamooka and Mintabie have all experienced considerable downturns. Most miners have continued mining operations in addition to drilling and prospecting for new claims and areas. Justin Freytag, President of the Coober Pedy Miners Association, is confident that a 50 sq. km. area near the existing mining fields is highly prospective and the Association is working with Government to have the area designated as an opal prospecting area. The next steps would involve conducting large-scale resistivity monitoring, GPS plotting and mapping. Other miners in the region continue to work their mining claims knowing that production will be snapped up by buyers when Covid-19 is behind us.

In the remote town of Andamooka, the slowdown has impacted some of the town amenities which service some 163 registered opal miners. The supermarket, fuel outlets and hotel have all closed making life a little more difficult for the small community. The township of Mintabie located on Aboriginal land was closed down on 1 January 2020 by the State Government. All residents and businesses were ordered to vacate their leased premises and properties so that the native titleholders could reclaim the area. A small number of opal miners continued their mining operations remotely, but in July 2021 were forced to leave the area. Visits were restricted to prevent Covid 19 spreading to the susceptible remote Aboriginal communities.

At the Lightning Ridge opal fields, famous for producing the highly sought after Black Opal, there are some 3,120 mining claims. Sebastian Deisenberger, President of the Lightning Ridge Miners Association, estimated a production drop of more than 60% based on stones being presented to their pricing advisory service. The lack of buyers has slowed the sale of higher-end stones, while internet sellers are snapping up the low to medium quality.

Australian Boulder opal is mined in the state of Queensland. The effects of Covid-19 have been part of the reason for the reduction in productivity. The Queensland Boulder Opal Association (QBOA) has been working on resolutions that will allow a better flow of access to ground for existing and new miners and a more cost effective model for holding mining tenures. They would like to see the reduction of the term of an exploration permit making mining applicants use it or lose it within the allocated time frame. They are also asking for an increase in the allowable number of prescribed mining claims one applicant can hold.

In other news from this region, the QBOA made a decision that it will try to purchase unallocated state land inside the Opalton reserve, with the aim of building a major Information & Visitor Centre at Opalton to showcase and preserve its history. This would be an important tourist attraction for the region.

For the second year running the Lightning Ridge Opal festival was cancelled and rescheduled for July 2022. Similarly, the Australian Opal Exhibition at the Gold Coast scheduled for August 2021 was also cancelled for the second year running. These events are important showcases for opal production and valuable trade buying opportunities have been lost. Opal shows at Winton and Yowah went ahead, but were severely impacted by the temporary closures of internal state borders locking down around two thirds of the nation.

Sapphire Mining Fields

Sapphire mining in Australia first commenced in the 1890s and since then the areas around Anakie, Glen Innes and Inverell have produced more sapphire than any other location in the world. The deposits are located in tertiary volcanics, basalts and
pyroclastics. These alluvial deposits are found using open cut and shallow underground mining techniques. The soils are washed in rotating trommels with high pressure water jets. The gravels are then separated with vibrating sieves and pulsating jigs.

Production peaked in the late 1980s and it is estimated that today it has fallen to around 10% of the peak. Recent acquisitions might see a significant increase in production. The production to date has come from two larger scale miners and a handful of smaller operations. Recently, Fura Gems Inc. announced that it had bought two sapphire mining operations, Capricorn and Great Northern. They now have almost 20 sq. km. of mining area and a further 110 sq. km. with exploration licenses. We should anticipate that Fura will develop and improve these mining operations and then promote and market Australian Sapphire very heavily once the effects of Covid-19 have passed.

Australian sapphire expert Terry Coldham reports that the major issue for production and sales is the effect of the Covid-19 restrictions on the processors in Chantaburi, Thailand. As a result, some miners are now treating and cutting their own production. These delays and the lack of tradeshows around the world have severely slowed cut stones reaching the market place. Coldham says that these issues have come at a time when demand for Australian Sapphire exhibiting teal blue, green/blue, yellow, green and multicolored or parti colors has never been stronger.

• An Explosion of Color
• East Africa – Mining and Rough Supply
• North America – The Ethically Sourced Sapphires of Rock Creek, Montana
• The Larimar King Has Passed
• Trade Shows

The post Australia – Colored Gemstone Mining and Supply appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, it is the one that’s the most adaptable to change.

Charles Darwin

Since time immemorial, the art and science of acquiring a gem or a piece of jewelry has been about training the eye to look for quality, examining the craftmanship, and experiencing the magic of the jewel. The pandemic brought that to a grinding halt. According to various media sources, during the global lockdown in 2020, over three billion people were confined to their homes. Unable to access the real world, they started living online. Mobile applications, videotelephony and online chat services became essential tools.

With postponement of trade shows turning into full-blown cancellations, many in the industry found time to reorganize their inventory, revamp that crusty old website or open an Instagram account. But digitization was not just about staying connected or visible, generating revenue was key. Many online solutions mushroomed. A year later, a few seem to be gaining ground.

DIGITAL SALES PLATFORMS
(in alphabetical order)

Gembridge

After successfully selling their global digital advertising firm, technologist Mark Taylor and digital entrepreneur Nick Marrett were taking a much-deserved break when they met Tony Brooke, a seasoned professional with 40 years of experience, from mine to market in the colored gemstone industry. That first meeting in 2018 gave birth to Gembridge a year later.

Launched in July 2020, with Brooke as Chairman, Gembridge offers universal access to high quality stones for a community of buyers, sellers and consignees, currently around 550 in 50 countries. Membership is free and trading is supported by a door-to-door service that is secure and insured.

The Gembridge community is fully verified and peer reviewed. During a transaction, Gembridge collects payment upfront and can issue Verification Reports that match sold stones to their listings before shipping. Each transaction via Gembridge attracts a commission, which serves as revenue for the platform.

Sharing his experience, John Ball, Managing Director of the large jewelry manufacturer Brown & Newirth, explains, “We supply jewelry to over 400 retailers across the United Kingdom. While the bulk of our collection features diamonds, under our bespoke service, we offer clients special gemstones, traditionally sourced from our trusted dealer network. Recently, we received an enquiry for a significant green sapphire. After exhausting our conventional sources, we contacted Gembridge. Within days our team received two options, and we were successfully able to select one, resulting in a delighted customer. The ease of the search functionality on the platform and the professional setup was refreshing. Based on this experience, next time we have a gemstone requirement, Gembridge will be the default option instead of the last resort.”

As the platform gained ground, jewelry and gem expert Helen Molesworth joined in December 2020 as Head of Business Development. There are 15 Gembridge Ambassadors, industry experts, who represent key trading markets and support members through Gembridge Hubs.

As explained by Marrett, who leads Gembridge as CEO, all members must agree to the Gembridge Charter to ensure the highest ethical trading standards, and a comprehensive disclosure and listing policy that standardizes cataloguing, listing descriptions and acceptable treatments.

Gembridge is a commercial member of the World Jewellery Council (CIBJO), International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA), and the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC). It is regulated by Singapore’s Ministry of Law for purposes of antimoney laundering and countering the financing of terrorism.

A more personalized platform update has been released for Gembridge’s trade members and the company has also launched a service aimed at consumers.

GemCloud

After spending several years working in the colored gemstone business in Madagascar and Mozambique, Philippe Ressigeac teamed up with Mariaveronica Favoroso and Noah Severs to create the GemCloud Group. Favoroso brought her business management and luxury experience, while Severs delved into his domain knowledge of jewelry manufacturing and technology. Together with other experts, they created a comprehensive suite of tools, designed to support the colored gemstone industry in its digital transformation.

Their first product, a robust inventory management system called GemCloud. As per Ressigeac, GemCloud was the first platform (established April 2019) to focus in detail on the requirements of colored gem manufacturers and merchants. Users can upload their inventory, attach images and videos to each item, quickly navigate a vast repository, split and merge parcels, and track each stone from rough to finish.

Customers can also raise invoices, keep an eye on pending payments via accounting tools, and manage their businesses through detailed reports. The software includes sales support aids such as interactive quotes, and multi-level pricing for different customers.

GemCloud Group offers multiple sales tools to its customers: gemstone traders and mining companies can sell their gemstones via their online (B2B) marketplace. The company can also connect clients with GemCloud powered marketplaces (through their white label service) that, according to their team, will allow merchants to sell while they sleep.

Customers can build their own ecommerce website using the software. For example, mining company Greenland Ruby has built their business-to-business sales platform, called RubyCloud, using the GemCloud operating system. When lockdowns and travel restrictions started, being on GemCloud enabled Greenland Ruby to fast track the development of their virtual showroom, providing customers a seamless, user-friendly buying experience. A convenient solution, supported by high-resolution visuals, empowered Greenland Ruby to institute new consignment policies governed by their strict track-and-trace regulations. Their customers are given 14 days to inspect and approve their purchase or return the goods for a full refund.

Jewelers Circle

Heavily dependent on in-person inspections to mitigate the risk of fraud and ascertain value, the antique and vintage jewelry segment came to a standstill last year due to trade show cancellations and travel restrictions. Subsequently, senior industry players from the International Antique Jewellery Association (IAJA) banded together to develop a B2B marketplace named Jewelers Circle.

The founders realized that speed was of the essence and opted to launch with basic functionality, introducing new features every quarter as momentum increased. Membership is restricted to known merchants and firms, providing confidence to buyers and sellers. Since the founders are also active participants, Jewelers Circle operates as a private network, and transactions attract zero commissions.

Visitor subscribers (professionals such as retailers that are using the platform for sourcing only) pay one dollar for membership. Exhibitor members can create virtual stores on the platform to show their inventory, like a booth in a physical exhibition. The platform offers search capabilities either by dealer name, category, era (Art Deco, Art Nouveau), material, to name a few.

Members can also access regularly updated educational content. Besides jewelry, other verticals within the Circle include gemstones, timepieces, objects, and diamonds.

A year later, Jewelers Circle has 500 users, of which 200 are exhibitors who, as of July 2021, started paying $3,000 per annum or $300 per month as subscription fees. Interestingly, 10% of the revenue received will be set aside for distribution to loyal members.

Jewelezon

India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry estimates that the market size of the country’s gem and jewelry sector will reach US$100 billion by 2025. Before Covid, the region’s voracious appetite was quenched via trade exhibitions where buyers and sellers converged to examine, negotiate, learn, and transact.

Worried about potential conflict with their industry customers, many manufacturers felt uncomfortable with social platforms such as Instagram and concerned that creating a B2B online inventory of stock would require time and investment. It was in this mercurial environment that Dhananjay Kapoor created an app called Jewelezon, positioning it as a closed-circuit social networking space for verified players from the jewelry industry.

Kapoor explains, “We adopted a systematic approach and got certified as a start-up by the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India. Our app enabled gem and jewelry manufacturers, exporters, importers, and retailers in India (and beyond) to view jewelry collections virtually from any hand-held device as they would have done in a physical show.”

With a user base of 900+ verified members (and growing), Jewelezon has been a lifesaver for jewelry manufacturers and retailers. The application is available for free download on the Google play store and iOS store.

Virtu Gems

Moving from the world of merchants to artisanal miners, we arrive at the doorstep of Virtu Gems. With the cancellation of the Africa Gem Exhibition and Conference (AGEC), originally scheduled for October 1-3, 2020, artisanal miners approached the organizers seeking an alternative route to market.

This led US-based jewelry designers Susan Wheeler, Jessica Hudson, and Kenya-based artisanal mining advocate Monica Gichuhi to create Virtu Gems: an online platform that offers gemstones direct from verified artisanal miners working in Malawi, Zambia, and Kenya.

The platform also features four gem cutters based in Africa who are responsible for the facetted gems on virtugems.com. Their online shop offers rough and cut gemstones, as well as mineral specimens that they market as healing crystals, and a separate category for gemstones sold by women.

Virtu Gems is housed as a project under The Responsible Jewelry Transformative, a non-profit established by co-founder Susan Wheeler.

ONLINE AUCTIONS

One of the first slices of positive news in April 2020 were results from auction houses Christie’s and Sotheby’s. Leveraging their experience in online auctions, both were swift in reacting to lockdowns in 2020 by introducing new digital tools and a more interactive online experience.

According to Sotheby’s, their investments in technology broadened their universe of buyers and transformed their engagement style: a proprietary online bidding platform, livestreamed auctions, an immersive digital catalogue, interactive media, online appraisals, live chat, virtual galleries, and other rich content formats. New digital tools with innovative multichannel business models increased Sotheby’s reach globally and maximized flexibility for its customers. Participants in the online auctions in 2020 came from 100 countries, with 44% of bidders new to Sotheby’s (up 13% from the previous year). Further, 30% of participants in online sales were aged under 40.

Over at Christie’s, we saw a similar result. Its release of 2021 sales figures showed a 13% increase in the first half of the year, when compared with pre-pandemic results during the same period. Leading the charge were Asian buyers representing 39% of total sales value (followed by EMEA at 33% and the Americas at 28%). Not surprising, considering Asia Pacific is one of the fastest growing regions for mobile internet users, and home to over half of total global subscribers—2.8 billion in 2019, slated to reach 3 billion by 2025, according to the GSM Association.

Auction houses weren’t alone in their reliance on digital solutions. Mining companies such as Belmont Emeralds from Brazil and Gemfields from Africa also switched to online bidding from their previous in-person auction models.

Belmont opted to work with the Bonas Group; the largest independent diamond and colored stone tender house that offers a comprehensive suite of services including sorting and valuation of run-of-mine production, marketing, and sales via their proprietary online bidding platform. Tim Denning from the Bonas Group explains, “Belmont’s clients could view the mine’s production safely and securely at the tender facility of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) following their strict Covid protocols.” Once bidders viewed the lots on offer, they could (at their convenience) go online and place their bids before the deadline.

For Gemfields, things were more complicated. 93% of total group revenue for Gemfields pre-Covid was via in-person auctions of its emeralds from Zambia and rubies from Mozambique. Almost all auctions were conducted in Singapore, a convenient destination for its customers from India and Thailand.

But in March 2020, due to Covid, Singapore closed its borders, effectively turning off Gemfields’ revenue tap. Although its product team had been working on an online auction platform, they were eight to ten months away from launch. As lockdowns led to mine closures in Africa, completing the online platform’s development became a priority for Gemfields.

In Q4 2020, the company conducted a series of mini-emerald auctions, with in-person viewings in multiple locations. The bidding took place via its new online platform (customized by BidGemmer), permitting customers from various jurisdictions to participate in a sealed-bid process. Adrian Banks, Gemfields’ Managing Director of Product & Sales explains, “We had over forty participants in our first online auction, a great turnout. It was encouraging to see that every single one of our Jaipur-based customers were comfortable to bid online, something we had previously thought would be a challenge.” Encouraged by the success of the mini-auctions in 2020, full-scale emerald and ruby online auctions were conducted by Gemfields in March and April of 2021. These generated revenues of US$31.4 million from the emerald auction and US$58.9 million from the ruby auction (the third-highest auction result to date).

But how much did digitalization influence bidding? Pre-Covid, bidders at the Gemfields ruby auction would move from one booth to the next to examine the schedules. Now, the Gemfields team brought them requested ruby schedules. Most preferred this as it enabled a better understanding of the material (thanks to simultaneous comparisons and extra time), but they lost the opportunity to observe their competitors and gather market intelligence, such as the frequency of visits to a particular booth by specific bidders.

ONLINE EDUCATION & NETWORKING

The pandemic also resulted in the democratization of content, contacts, and an inclusive approach to education. The first platform the gem and jewelry community turned towards to stay connected, visible and engaged with potential customers was Instagram.

Influencers, journalists, and storytellers started conducting Insta-LIVE broadcasts interviewing designers, as well as gem and vintage jewelry merchants who welcomed virtual audiences into their never-seen-before ateliers.

According to advisory firm KEPIOS, social media users grew, in 2020, at the fastest rate in three years to 4.2 billion. The first tranche of broadcasts created a ripple effect activating other avenues that enabled miners, manufactures, dealers, and gem and jewelry lovers to stay intellectually and spiritually stimulated.

While Instagram provided an opportunity to interact, and be edu-tained, Zoom created more structured learning opportunities. The pandemic removed the velvet ropes as experts worldwide started sharing their immense knowledge via presentations and detailed discussions that previously would only be accessible via closed-door industry conferences or courses.

De Beers unlocked its diamond courses along with the worldrenowned SSEF removing the fees for their colored gemstone online classes. The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO), and L’ÉCOLE School of Jewelry Arts in Paris have been regularly hosting free educational presentations. YouTube became a virtual library as organizers generously made the content freely available for posterity.

Lurking in the shadows was a sense of mortality, which prompted others like field gemologist Vincent Pardieu to interview senior veterans documenting their experiences. This resulted in two precious interviews with Jean Claude Michelou (gem merchant, former editor of InColor, and treasured member of the community) before his tragic passing due to Covid-related causes in April 2021.

The first platform the gem and jewelry community turned towards, to stay connected, visible and engaged with potential customers was Instagram.

Unable to meet, social community clubs such as New Yorkbased Gem X went virtual, creating a series of online jewelry presentations cleverly titled GEMFLIX. The digital move transformed Gem X into a worldwide network beyond the expectations of founders Lin Jamison and Heidi Garnett. In a short period, the newcomers swiftly built a loyal community of experts and enthusiasts, a feat that may have traditionally taken years. GemX generate revenue from subscription and event fees and have raised over US$32,000 for charity.

Digitalization of educational content continued with the launch of the Understanding Jewellery (UJ) platform by senior industry players David Bennett and Daniela Mascetti, based on 40 years of their work as Worldwide Chairman and European Chairman respectively of Sotheby’s Jewellery Division. Named after the international bestselling book by the founders, which many consider a jewelry bible, the website offers subscription-based access to the wealth of knowledge contained within the cerebral vaults of David and Daniela. For those looking for a deeper dive, structured online courses are available, led by the founders via real-time virtual classes.

Stretching the literary experience beyond the digital realm, Bennett and Mascetti have also curated travel experiences to Burgundy, Paris, London and Jaipur. Under Discover & Collect, they present their selection of rare and highly collectable jewels and gemstones.

As the world recalibrated, it magnified the desire to buy and source responsibly. Gem dealers and jewelers increasingly started receiving requests from customers asking about a stone’s provenance. Some opted for self-assessment tools and industry-aided attestations; others picked up the pace to complete their membership of more formal organizations such as the Responsible Jewelry Council (RJC).

In April 2021, members of the Coloured Gemstones Working Group (Gemfields, LVMH, Chopard, Tiffany & Co, Swarovski, Richemont, MUZO mining company, and Kering) launched the Gemstones and Jewelry Community Platform: an initiative to provide free resources and tools to allow members to learn more about key sustainability areas and implement best practices within their business. Sharing his thoughts on the platform as a new member, Australian jewelry designer Alexander Wilson explains, “The pandemic provided me the time I needed to create an online presence for my business and increase my Insta activity. The digital outreach brought new customers but also new questions I felt I couldn’t answer. The CGJCP platform has been fantastic for me to learn more about sustainability, responsible sourcing, and related topics. In a world where we can endlessly google topics and opinions, it is reassuring to have so much information to work through in one place without any fees.”

As industry stakeholders navigate the new normal, they lean on previously overlooked and new digital tools. Given the complexities surrounding colored gemstones, travel and in-person experiences will always hold considerable value. But digitalization is disrupting and recalibrating the very nature of the industry, causing fundamental changes from which there will be no coming back.

Photos are courtesy of the company mentioned.

• Breaking Boundaries – Astaguru
• Education in Gemology
• Industry Upheavals – The Big Picture
• The November Auctions
• East Africa – Mining and Rough Supply

The post Digital Developments in the Face of Viral Disruptions appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

Since the pandemic, we have seen a seismic shift in the way our world does business. But it’s not the first time our industry has hit hard times, or experienced consequential changes. Within the current context of Covid, it’s an apt time to examine the driving forces that have created other massive industry shifts, not only in recent years, but over our lifetimes.

Finds – New Discoveries

One-if not the greatest-game changer our industry has ever experienced in the last hundred years has been the incredible number of extraordinary discoveries, both in terms of new deposits, and also new species of gemstones. For the large part and most recently, these have been unearthed in Africa, quite clearly the Cradle of Gemstones as much as of Mankind. The year 1967 was a spectacular time, with the discovery of the new species of both tanzanite and tsavorite in East Africa, while new finds of long-known varieties would add significant supply to already established gem markets. Emeralds, already known in Zambia since the 1920s, were in commercial production by the 1970s. Sapphires saw one of the greatest gem rushes of our generation in the 1990s in Madagascar. Rubies, first found in Tanzania in the 1900s, were discovered in Mozambique in 2008, which within five years would become the world’s largest ruby producer. Add tourmalines, spinels and garnets to the mix, and it’s clear that this shift in the supply chain has changed the front-end of our industry enormously.

Finds – New Technologies

It’s not only about what the earth has to offer, but also what we can make of it. Human interaction with gems, such as cutting and treating, has moved markets massively for millennia, while the synthesis of some stones has affected their natural counterparts noticeably. With the culturing of pearls and the commercial production of flame fusion ruby in the 1920s, both natural pearl and ruby markets saw a crash, which would of course rebound from strength to strength in the decades to follow. The introduction but weak disclosure of polymer-type clarity enhancements in emeralds had a similar effect in the 1990s, proving the importance of transparency (no pun intended) for the end consumer. More recently, the introduction of lead-glass filling for rubies supplied a specific tranche of the market without destabilizing the rest through better communication. Testing has removed some uncertainties, buoying individual markets. Since the 1950s, origin determination by microscopy created a brand for certain countries. Most recently, the age dating of sapphires with mass spectroscopy looks to be a game changer in origin determination, separating Madagascar from Kashmir, for example, should the inclusions be ready and willing.

Finance – Politics and Economics

If there’s one major global factor which will always automatically affect our market, it’s finance. With a price per carat benchmarking system, it’s intuitive that our products, although emotive and beautiful, have a relationship to commodities. When the American stock market crashed in 1929, pre-empted by a London crash merely weeks before, so too did gem prices across the board, together with many other asset classes. This generation, the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008 and the subprime mortgage crisis created the largest Dow Jones drop since September 11, 2001: another event with global financial and human implications. The result in 2008 was huge cross-sector knock-on effects, particularly in the luxury industry: by the following year even auction prices had hit the floor. Inversely, the auctions reported a swathe of world record gem prices in 2015/16, a recovery partly pushed up by the influence of China on gem purchasing: another more recent global economic and political shift.

Fashion – Marketing and Sales

Once a relatively innocuous concept in the bigger picture of global gem sales, today marketing has morphed into a major driving factor behind the growth of several sectors. Most famously, when De Beers publicized the tagline ‘A Diamond Is Forever’ in 1947, diamond engagement rings became the must-have for every young bride, creating a previously inexistent demand through a global ad campaign. Slow to catch up, colored stones have only seen a more holistic approach to industry-wide promotion in the 21st century, with the appearance of large-scale producers controlling more mining areas than before, and following in De Beers’ footsteps in attempting to promote-and control-the supply chain. With the concurrent trend of a natural consumer demand for color and individuality, this has set the spark of the single greatest overall rise in the colored gem market in just the last decade. And it feels like this is just the beginning.

Ecology – Climate Change and Pandemics

It is clear that the main market changes we have experienced throughout history are all part of a bigger picture of supply and demand, with major shifts caused by all the key economic factors, which could affect any industry, including new discoveries, technical developments, fashion trends, wider economics and indeed natural disasters. But not in living memory have we experienced the effects of the latter category on such an enormous scale. Typhoons shutting down Hong Kong shows, floods closing Sri Lankan mines, even tsunamis wrecking countries and continent. But never a single event so large as to take over the world. They say in evolutionary psychology that human behaviour is driven by the four ‘f’s – fighting, fleeing, feeding and reproduction. In the case of our industry, we have seen the most seismic shifts created by another 3 ‘F’s: Finds, Finance and Fashion. I leave it up to you to name a fourth for global pandemics.

• Colombia – New Realities in the Emerald Industry
• Color Predictions for a Bright Future
• Digital Developments in the Face of Viral Disruptions
• East Africa – Mining and Rough Supply
• The Lapidary Revolution

The post Industry Upheavals – The Big Picture appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

Jean Claude Michelou was a fearless, one-of-a-kind adventurer and pioneer in the high-stakes world of colored gems. Be it working in the turbulent Colombian emerald trade or braving guerrilla warfare in Afghanistan, he helped change the game regarding ethics, sustainability, and education in the colored stone industry.

Jean Claude Michelou and I first met in 2007 in Dubai at the ICA Congress and got better acquainted during the following mine tour in East Africa. I had been invited to go on this trip by then ICA Executive Director Barbara Wheat to cover the event as Editor-in-Chief of an international jewelry magazine covering global trends in jewelry and gems. Little did I know at the time that I would be asked, some months later, to take over as Managing Editor of InColor, working for Barbara and Jean Claude, while continuing in my other position.

Over the years working with Jean Claude—JC for short—and our many hours of discussions, it was clear that his life’s trajectory was unlike that of most people, even those who travel the world in the gem trade. Thus, this article is intended to honor his memory, his work with InColor, and to explain a bit about this remarkable and sometimes complex individual and his journey—a journey that helped change and reform the global gem industry as well as the people whom he met and inspired along the way.

The following is a brief glance at his story, told through the words of his family and some of his many close friends…

Ahmad Shah Massoud, known as the Lion of Panjshir, was a powerful guerrilla commander during the Afghan resistance against the Soviet occupation (December 1979 to February 1989). In the 1990s, Massoud led the government’s military wing against rival militias and then, following the rise of the Taliban, he led the primary opposition against its regime. The one area of Afghanistan that never fell to the Soviets nor to the Taliban was the Panjshir Valley (until 2021).

Surrounded by the rugged Hindu Kush mountains, this area has been known for centuries for its beautiful gemstones and, despite the wars, conflicts, and other dangers, a few gem dealers ventured there to seek its treasures. Massoud sought out one of these individuals, a man who was known for his emerald expertise—Jean Claude Michelou.

In 1991, accompanied by his good friend and mentor, a Belgian national named Roger [last name withheld], Jean Claude left for Afghanistan. But there was no easy way to get to there. Eventually, they ended up on a Red Cross/journalist flight from Paris. Kabul was by no means safe, and bombs could be heard exploding near the hotel. After arrival, they were taken to the Panjshir Valley by associates of Massoud, where they met the larger-than-life Lion.

JC commented about this visit: “We all got along fine. I was shown a lot of emeralds, visited the mines, and discussed with Massoud how we could do business together, despite the dangerous situation in Afghanistan.” The two men stayed a month in the country, grew a beard, and dressed like the locals, staying in the homes of some of the welcoming people of Panjshir.

Jean Claude said that he really enjoyed the trip to the Panjshir Valley, calling it an “epic” experience despite the evident risks.

So how did a business-educated Frenchman end up in such a dangerous place during those perilous times? Let’s go back a bit.

Jean Claude Michelou was born 7 October 1948 in Vanves, a small commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris. His father and grandfather were butchers, but as a young man, he was uninterested in following in their footsteps. After graduation from the lycée (high school) at age 15, he attended business school in Paris (the ECCIP) before leaving for London at age 18.

“My father really enjoyed his life in London and quickly learned English,” comments his daughter, Zoe Michelou. “To support himself, he worked in restaurants and bars. He had many female friends and enjoyed the nightlife. He even played guitar and was part of a band.” It was not all fun and games, though. On a serious side, he studied at the London College of International Business, earning a Master’s Degree.

Called back to do military service in France, Jean Claude opted instead to do civilian service in Mexico. While there, he learned Spanish and taught economics and business at the University of Mexico. He married a Mexican-Lebanese woman and ended up staying seven years. Her parents wanted him to quit teaching and join the family’s clothing manufacturing business, but he declined. This ultimately led to a divorce.

JC then took a job with the sporting goods brand, Spalding. After a year, he was promoted to Regional Director for South America and sent to Brazil, Chile, and Peru. It was on one of his Brazilian trips that he met Roger, who was in the emerald business. Roger became a mentor and one of his closest friends, like a brother.

“My father was intrigued by the stones, and Roger taught him how to buy and sell,” adds Zoe. Starting small, but losing money at first, Jean Claude persevered. Not long after, he began trading Brazilian gems in Europe and the U.S., and did so well that he quit Spalding.

JC then moved to the Dominican Republic for business and, on a trip to Colombia, he met and fell in love with a Colombian woman. The two returned to Santo Domingo, before later moving back to Colombia permanently in 1977.

Colombia – Home for 36 Years

Once in Colombia, JC wanted to buy and sell Colombian emeralds, but at that time, however, it was not so easy. To make ends meet, he went into the restaurant business for several years to make enough money to start. It wasn’t long after that he met Victor Carranza, the so-called Emerald Czar, one of the most powerful players on the Colombian emerald scene. Carranza helped him buy larger parcels on consignment to sell abroad. Jean Claude traveled to the mines nearly every weekend to obtain rough, and business was flourishing. Some of his best clients were the Korean and Japanese dealers who came to Bogota in the 1980s.

“I met Jean Claude in the late 1980s through a mutual friend,” recalls Ricardo Mazalan, an AP photojournalist from Argentina, who was there for a soccer tournament and, like JC, ended up staying. “I remember the first time I went to his large home in the traditional La Candelaria neighborhood, a few blocks from the main square. He had purchased two houses, renovated them, and combined the two into one beautiful traditional home.”

Mazalan traveled with Jean Claude throughout Colombia. “I visited the Muzo and Cosquez mines with him at least four times, and we also traveled around the country to learn about its culture and its people. Jean Claude loved Colombia, especially the mountains in the south. He was well known in the expat community and became the go-to contact for foreigners looking to purchase emeralds or do other business in Colombia. He was very street-wise and knew how to help people deal safely in a business that was, at that time, rife with danger.”

Another close friend was Gilles Trequesser, a Reuters correspondent for Latin America in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s who often stayed at JC’s home during his trips to Colombia. They met in 1986 and Trequesser quickly became part of the expat gang that often congregated at the large La Candelaria home. “JC was a great source of information to us journalists, who covered the Colombian scene during this difficult decade. We also knew what we could report and what was off-the-record in terms of some of the major personalities in the emerald business and beyond.”

A Reuters photojournalist covering the world story, which Colombia had become in the 1980s, was Zoraida Diaz, who met JC through her close friends Trequesser and Mazalan. “My memories of Colombia are incomplete without Jean Claude Michelou. His beautiful Spanish-colonial house was a magnet for those of us— photographers, journalists, artists, emerald enthusiasts, and even diplomats—who needed an oasis from the mayhem of the 1980s and early 1990s. His parties were legendary, as was his zest for life and friendship.” Diaz even recalls an image of Jean Claude with his record player, acting as the DJ for his weekend gatherings.

Diaz also reported on emeralds and met Victor Carranza, who gave her rare approval to visit and photograph his mines in Quipama (Muzo). During these trips, she took pictures of the many guaqueros—artisanal miners who searched for emeralds in the rivers and in the tailings from the large mines. She also recalls the danger for journalists and those involved in the emerald trade. “On the lower floors of the Reuters building were many emerald dealers, and one day, a guy was shot right in the elevator. Those were scary times, but Jean Claude knew his way around, had lots of drive, and survived the times.” She adds that the last time she saw him was in Paris in 2011, when she took this photo of him and Trequesser.

A gemstone dealer, who became part of JC’s extended family (and Zoe’s godfather), and kept in close contact over the years, was Francesco Salvia, from Italy. “One of my friends arranged for me to meet Jean Claude in Colombia to purchase emeralds,” he reminisces. “He kindly met me at the airport in Bogota, and at baggage claim, there was a gun fight right in front of us. Then, later at his office, there was another gun battle in the square. This unsettling introduction was only the beginning of many times during those tumultuous years that I felt unsafe in Colombia.”

Salvia stayed at JC’s home on many of his trips to Colombia and remembers fondly the good times enjoyed by local friends and expats alike. “While the week was all serious work, the weekends became a great party. JC loved music, all kinds, especially jazz and rock ‘n roll.” Salvia also introduced Jean Claude to colored gemstone traders in Thailand, after which JC began selling colored gems in addition to emeralds.

Because of JC’s reputation as the go-to person for information on Colombia’s emerald scene, he was approached by several TV and film producers. In 1988, he was featured in the documentary, L’Émeraud de Colombie by noted French filmmaker Patrick Voillot. That same year, a major French television channel, TF1, featured him in a four-part series on Colombian emeralds entitled La Fièvre Verte on its magazine-format show 52 sur la Une.

Interestingly, the series ends with him removing a pistol from his pocket when he arrives home after work. Other videos also show him carrying a holstered gun, even when greeting people in his office—further testament to the times during the 1980s and early 1990s, as well as a reaction to having been robbed on several occasions. “We all wore guns,” he would say. “It was normal, then.”

La Fievre Verte brought more than added fame to Jean Claude. A woman who had worked for the press agent for the film, Audrey Dauman, returned a year later with her cousin Nathalie Noymiss on vacation. Salvia explains, “Audrey became my girlfriend, while Jean Claude fell in love with and married her cousin. The wedding was a civil ceremony at the French Embassy, with a nice reception in the evening.” (JC’s marriage to his Colombian wife lasted for about eight years, after which they divorced.)

Reminiscing about those unforgettable years, Nathalie says that Jean Claude showed her and Audrey around Colombia for nearly a month in 1989. “At that time, there were no tourists because of all the risks, but JC knew how to get places. We had a wonderful time.” She also “fell in love with Colombia.” Some months later, on a trip to France, Jean Claude met up with Nathalie again and, in 1990, she returned to Colombia to marry him.

In 1991, following the end of the emerald wars of the 1980s, the situation began to normalize in Colombia and, over time, much of the drama of that era became but a memory.

JC’s business grew as did his reputation for being the man to see for emeralds. He was also a big advocate for Colombia, and continued to help people wanting to trade there.

To return to 1991, where we started this narrative, JC made the first of two trips to Afghanistan, returning just before the birth of his and Nathalie’s only child, Zoe, in October. He and Massoud discussed how the Afghans could do business with Europe and other parts of the world and made some contacts for them.

JC took the Panjshir emeralds back to Colombia where he showed them to Carranza. While appreciating their beauty and similarity to Colombian stones, the Emerald Czar was firm that JC should not sell them in Colombia. Heeding the warning, JC took the green gems to Asia and Europe, where he bought rubies, sapphires, and other stones, and brought them back to Colombia.

Zoe notes that, on her father’s second trip to Afghanistan in 1993, he sold the Panjshir emeralds through dealers in France who had buyers on the Place Vendôme. “That trip was much shorter than the first,” recalls Nathalie. “He became quite sick with a bacterial infection and returned early. “It took three months for him to recover.” [The 1993 meeting with Massoud was noted in Jean-Christophe Notin’s book La Guerre de l’Ombre des Français en Afghanistan: 1979-2011, along with comments from JC about the estimated production and sales of emeralds from the region.]

During the 1990s, Jean Claude encouraged his wife, who was a trained surgical nurse, to try her hand at jewelry design, using the stones he sourced from around the world. Earning a G.G. from GIA and an equivalent certificate from Canada, Nathalie became a gem expert and a successful designer in her own right, selling under her maiden name.

“In 1994, tragedy struck,” laments Nathalie. Their good friend and mentor, Roger, was tortured and killed in Brazil during a robbery of his gemstones. “This brutal slaying and its mysterious circumstances had such a profound effect on Jean Claude that he seriously considered leaving the gem business.” In time, though, he slowly recovered from the shock and decided to keep going.

A different kind of shock came in 2000. “JC had a heart attack,” explains Nathalie, adding that they returned to Paris for treatment, and began a period of travel between Colombia and France. Eventually, the marriage faltered, and he and Nathalie divorced in 2005. “He had earlier sold the lovely home in La Candelaria in 2003, something we both regretted,” she adds.

In 2009, because of more serious health reasons, JC moved permanently back to Paris, although he returned to Colombia often in addition to travel to Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Africa, and Asia. That year, he reminisced that he “spent only 65 days at home, the rest on flights and in hotels.”

Aside from business, Jean Claude visited Colombia often to spend time with his three children who were there, Nathalie, Vanessa, and Yannick, with whom he maintained a very close relationship. Zoe also accompanied him on these trips, and the four children are still all very close to each other, even though they now live on four separate continents.

The eldest daughter, also named Nathalie, was born in Santo Domingo. She recalls that JC was very attentive to his children, even after the divorce from her mother. “He taught me about music and regaled us with the many adventures he had during his amazing travels. He was a free spirit, spontaneous, and he loved Colombia.”

Vanessa, the second daughter says that even after JC left for Europe, “he always had a warm place in his heart for Colombia. As we were growing up, he wanted to be in our lives, even though we did not live together.” The family had reunions in both Colombia and in France over the years. “We were planning another when Covid hit. His passing hit me very hard. I am still not over it. It is just so sad, as he was starting a new chapter of his life in Thailand.”

JC’s son Yannick noted that he worked hard, but his children came first. “When I was young, I had some heart issues, and my father took me to France where the doctors at the hospital saved my life.” Even when he was 7 or 8 years old, Yannick knew that his father was someone important as people would approach him on the street. “They wanted to show him their emeralds and get his opinion about something or other,” he recalls. “We did not always agree on things, but he was always there for us.”

His daughter Nathalie adds that her father’s favorite place was the beautiful high desert called Páramo de las Papas, near the town of San Agustin in the southern part of Colombia. It is there that he wanted his ashes to be scattered and where his four children will carry out his last wishes.

International Participation

Guillermo Galvis, President of Colombia’s Emerald Exporters Association, has known Jean Claude for more than two decades. “Jean Claude became friends with everyone in the emerald industry. From his start as a dealer, he went on to help the sector open up internationally. He not only brought in buyers, but he promoted Colombian emeralds overseas and helped develop a gem lab. He co-founded the First Emerald Congress in 1998, bringing in global players. He was truly a bridge to the world, always thinking about the next step.”

Years later, JC was again instrumental in helping Galvis organize the World Emerald Symposiums in 2015 and 2018, “and he had even started working on the next one,” sighs Galvis. Among the speakers, JC brought in representatives from the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation (OECD) and the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), in keeping with his determination to put the global emerald industry on a path to corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability. “JC was one of our compadres. With his passing, we feel like we’ve lost one of our own,” laments Galvis.

[As a side detail… During the 2018 World Emerald Symposium, Jean Claude celebrated his 70th birthday and his daughter Nathalie organized a party at a friend’s lovely home in his old La Candelaria neighborhood. All of us invitees had a wonderful time and got to meet Nathalie and some of his Colombian friends.]

In 1983, a group of gem traders created the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA), to address the challenges facing the gem industry and improve communication within the trade. Feeling that this organization could elevate the sector, JC joined in 1986, and was the Ambassador to Colombia for many years. Taking an even more active role, he served as Vice President, first under Joe Menzie, ICA President from 2003 to 2007, and then under successive presidents, as well as a board member for 18 years. “Jean Claude was a close friend and often controversial, but pushed what he thought was best,” comments Menzie. “At the end of the day, he earned a lot of respect for getting things done. He didn’t just talk the talk. He walked the walk.”

During his tenure, Menzie implemented a strategy to bring the ICA Ambassadors into the conversation talking about their specific markets and how this information could benefit the trade.

Barbara Wheat, former ICA Executive Director, recalls this era. “JC and I contracted Ya’akov Almor and his company to create the ICA Gazette to spread this information.” Later, drawing on her publishing experience, Barbara worked with him and Jean Claude to transform the Gazette into InColor, in keeping with the ICA’s mission of promoting colored gems. JC also served as Chairman of the Communications Committee for several years.

Menzie adds that “JC advocated—often with opposition—for members of ICA to be aware of social issues. He often fought with the Board of Directors to get money for worthwhile projects.”

“Jean Claude was the conscience of ICA,” states Bryan Pavlik, a close friend for more than a quarter century. “He was always there to give advice, or help, or say when things weren’t right.”

“For the past few years, I have worked continuously with JC on a couple of projects,” says Ioannis Alexandris, CEO of Gemolithos and current Chairman of the ICA Communications Committee.

“He had a strong personality and a sharp mind, and was never afraid to give his opinion. We all know about his expertise in the gem industry, but we should also know that he was ahead of his time in spirit and vision, which resulted in him trying to eliminate some dusty and antiquated rules and attitudes,” adds Alexandris.

“In the early 2000s, the World Bank had meetings in Washington DC about conflict diamonds and issues involving colored gemstone mining,” continues Menzie. “Jean Claude and I went to these meetings, along with other stakeholders, to give our opinions.” Afterwards, both men consulted with the World Bank on concerns relating to sustainability, ethics, education, and child labor. The goal was to develop programs to address these issues. “JC soon became the go-to person for advising on solutions.”

In addition to working with Jean Claude in ICA, Pavlik also participated in various international initiatives with him, notably his World Bank projects in Nigeria. “Helping develop the mining sector in Nigeria was one of JC’s major activities for several years under the auspices of the World Bank,” adds Pavlik. “Just as Covid hit in 2020, he was planning another trip to the area.”

One of the people familiar with his work was Nigerian jewelry designer and advocate for the African jewelry industry, Amina Okpukpara. “I met JC several years ago because of a 2007 report he did on the Nigerian gem sector, which was shared with me by a Ministry of Mines director who also gave me his contact info. We developed a mentor-friend relationship. JC understood the African gemstone terrain and encouraged me in my various endeavors that could positively impact the African gemstone industry.”

Jean Claude’s dedication to improving the global gemstone industry extended to other international projects, such as consulting with the UN’s Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and the OECD, among others, according to Stephan Reif, a gem dealer and close friend. JC even arranged for the ICA leadership to be invited to OECD meetings.

On the non-governmental side, Jean Claude served on the advisory board for the University of Delaware’s Gemstones and Sustainable Development Knowledge Hub and advised other groups on supply-chain concerns. In 2019, JC was also appointed to RJC’s Standards Committee because of his advocacy for ethics in the industry.

Many invitations also came JC’s way to visit private mining and cutting operations, pearl farms, and other exotic places related to the gem and jewelry world. He often traveled to them with Catherine Munier, his companion for the last six years.

“I met Jean Claude in 2014 and could not have imagined, at the time, of all the places around the world that I would be traveling to with him,” says Catherine Munier. “From navigating canals in France to visiting peridot mines and Apaches in Arizona, from the gem markets of Beruwala in Sri Lanka to the Pink City of Jaipur, from the shows in China and Hong Kong to the pearl farms in Mexico, there was never a dull moment.”

She continues that “Jean Claude was always curious and adventurous. We shared the same love of wine, food, museums and, of course, music.” Catherine moved with him to Bangkok in 2018, and was with him when they both caught Covid. She was unable to see him in his last moments or even attend the memorial service held at the Bangkok hospital because she was being treated in a separate section. She understandably laments the all-too-short time they spent together. His passing has indeed left a hole in her heart.

InColor – ICA’s Flagship

InColor was indeed one of JC’s favorite achievements. He felt it was a magazine “that went beyond being an association magazine to be a vehicle of information for the trade and even the public,” as he often said. To learn about his relationship to the magazine—how it evolved and the struggles he faced to keep it going—the very informative interview conducted by Vincent Pardieu and Justin Prim on 5 March 2021 is available on Field Gemology’s YouTube channel:

Known for his gem expeditions around the world, Pardieu recalls that he met JC in 2005 while working for the AIGS lab in Bangkok. “We became immediate friends. He had a lot of information about what was going on in the trade, knew many contacts, and encouraged me to go into the field. It was around this time that InColor was started, which provided great insight into the industry with writers who offered different perspectives.”

InColor was different from other magazines in that it offered a balance between mining, gemology, jewelry design, book reviews and more. JC brought in a variety of contributors. Among them was journalist and blogger, Richa Goyal Sikri. “Since JC’s passing, I have stopped myself on numerous occasions from picking up the phone and sending him a text. I still can’t believe he’s gone. He leaves behind an incredible body of work, which I know will continue to educate and inspire us and future generations.”

Another contributor was French gemologist and blogger Marie Chabrol. “I met Jean-Claude first by phone in 2007 and then in person some years later at the gem gathering Gemmologie à Poil, held in the small French town of Poil. When he asked me to write something for InColor, I thought it to be a really big challenge, but I am grateful that he pushed me to go out of my comfort zone.”

Poil was the meeting point for many gemologists and enthusiasts in Europe. Marie-Laure Cassius-Duranton recalls spending time with JC and Catherine at the gathering. “Every year, we all stayed in the same hotel and breakfast was a special occasion when we listened to Jean Claude for hours talking about the industry. He had exceptional energy, enthusiasm, intelligence, and generosity. I’m grateful for having had the opportunity to write for InColor. I was aware of his health problems, but he was so full of life that he seemed invincible.”

In 2017, Jean Claude co-founded Imperial Colors with daughter Zoe, who had moved to Thailand in 2013. He moved to Bangkok in 2018. “It was good to be in Bangkok. It is the natural place to be for gemstones,” JC explained.

JC and Zoe frequently traveled to Pakistan and partnered with a mine in Swat to bring emeralds to Bangkok for cutting. They also organized a cutting facility in Sri Lanka, where they trained ten people to cut the rough they received in Bangkok. “He was not just a father but a mentor. I loved traveling with him and will always remember the numerous adventures we had on our trips. He was passionate and lived life to the fullest, not fearing anything. He always tried to find solutions and make things right in his own way.” Zoe is indeed carrying on his legacy in the gemstone business.

In 2020, Jean Claude decided to retire from InColor after 15 years as Editor. But he did not retire from the world of gemstones. He continued his activities with international agencies, with Imperial Colors, and was working on an emerald book with Gaston Giuliani, a Colombian emerald expert (and frequent InColor contributor).

For Giuliani’s second book Émeraudes, tout un Monde, “Jean Claude wrote his final article on the emeralds of Pakistan, just before passing away,” Guiliani says with great sadness. “JC was serious, organized, passionate, and irreproachable in his business as well as in his friendships. He was a man of the field, a veritable adventurer of the modern age, always ready to help others.”

These sentiments are echoed by Pascale Savigny, the ICA Ambassador to France, “JC was never stingy with his good advice, his kindness, and his generosity. I was happy to share some good times with him, and these memories will remain with me forever.”

While Jean Claude may have lived dangerously, there was one danger that he could not avoid. He passed away 3 May 2021 in a Bangkok hospital from Covid-related causes, while Zoe was stuck in quarantine after quickly returning to Thailand from overseas. JC’s good friend Prida Tiasuwan, owner of Pranda, kept in constant contact with her and the doctors. After his passing, Tiasuwan presided over the memorial service at the hospital.

As Wilson Yuen, a former ICA President, remarked: “Jean Claude was a great friend and there are no words to describe his loyal contributions to the gem industry and to InColor. He truly deserves a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award.”

[The last contact I had with Jean Claude was just before he was transferred to intensive care. His spirit was optimistic, so it was a terrible shock to learn of his passing. The sad news traveled quickly. Posts flooded in on social media and hundreds of people around the world sent condolences to his family.]

Jean Claude Michelou was indeed a fearless, one-of-a-kind adventurer and pioneer in the gem industry. He will be missed.

• ICA President Clement Sabbagh Pays Tribute to Jean Claude Michelou
• Colombia – New Realities in the Emerald Industry
• About InColor Magazine
• Gems – Pierres Précieuses
• The Unmasking of Beatrice Matiash

The post Living Life Dangerously appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

Knowing Jeffrey Post personally and having been to the back room of the Smithsonian Gem Hall, when I heard of this book being available, I knew it would be a must-have for my library. I was not disappointed and the praises that appear here are deserving of this work.

This beautiful book is filled with some of the most magnificent gems in the collection and what is so fascinating is that each tells a story—how it got there, who donated it and when, even the mystery that surrounds many of the gems and jewelry featured. Some mysteries were solved over the years and others remain for you to ponder its past history to current existence.

The book begins with a brief introduction of the Story of a Gem. The reader is grabbed from the opening paragraph where Post tells the story of how a gem goes from mineral to cut gemstone, and then gains value, a story, history, provenance, curses, romance, and more. A tease of some of the stories to follow in the book are mentioned like the fact that the Napoleon Diamond Necklace was sold by swindlers and the Austrian Archduke was tried for the crime in New York. The short opening sets the stage for the beauty and stories about to unfold in the pages that follow.

The next chapter, “A Storied Collection,” begins with the legacy of Marjorie Merriweather Post, of the famous Post cereal family. Jeffrey Post is not related but tells the story of how he wondered as a little boy if he were related to the family of the cereal on his breakfast table. He never thought that one day he would be curator of the collection that contained so many items from Ms. Post herself. In the 1960s, she began donating and convincing other friends to do the same over the years. She was a true force in building the collection, and between her generosity and the acquisition of the famous Hope Diamond donated by Harry Winston in 1958, the Smithsonian ranks as the premier collection of gems and jewelry in the world.

This chapter then tells the tales of 40 items, mostly jewelry, some gemstones, that are among the favorites of the author and the visitors. The photos are exquisite and the stories are fascinating. This is history retold. The gems and jewelry came from royalty, celebrities, socialites, and “ordinary” folks, as he states. But they all gave generously for the good of the museum. Some of the collection includes pieces such as the Marie Antoinette Diamond Earrings, the Post Emerald Necklace, the Napoleon Diamond Necklace, the Maximilian Emerald, and the Star of Bombay, bequest of Mary Pickford in 1980. There are several more recent acquisitions, too, such as the Carmen Lucia Ruby in 2004, the Whitney Alexandrite in 2009, and the incredible Dom Pedro aquamarine, an obelisk carved crystal by Bernd Munsteiner in 2011.

Following the collection, the next chapter is A Dozen Notable Gems. Here, as the introduction states, are some of the diverse earth’s minerals, many are the finest known, or world-record holders, or minerals rarely cut as gems, or simply because they are beautiful. Though some are set in jewelry, Post selects these for the rare qualities of the gem, not so much for the jewelry they are mounted in, though also beautiful.

Next up is Gem Families, a chapter that offers a little gemology presented to interest the novice, followed by more exquisite photos of the collection. Here, the sections of this chapter are by the gemological species, starting with notable diamonds, and then corundum, beryl, tourmaline, spinel, topaz, and more. Each has a simple, short explanation on the gemological and mineralogical properties of gem families.

I admired how Post could sum up a gem in one paragraph as he did for so many: spinel in one paragraph noting the history and gem properties! Brilliantly done. The photo captions give us additional details such as the sources of the famous spinels in the collection.

As if you weren’t completely satisfied by now, Post saves the best for the last. The last chapter is simply titled “The Hope Diamond.” There have now been more than 200 million visitors to see the Hope. I have heard Post lecture on the Hope Diamond before and, yet, this was like experiencing it all for the first time again. You may know the story, but to see it once more in the detail that he provides regarding the history, the legends, the mystery solved, and the final product, is a fitting end to the book. The final text is a dedicated page to the myth, Is the Hope Diamond Cursed? and the final photograph is the Hope Diamond itself with an inset of the diamond in actual size.

This book has something for everyone, be it a historical antique jewelry item or a modern gem crystal. To the experienced gemologist, it is a confirmation of what we know in its full glory to enjoy. To the non-industry reader, this will have many jaw-dropping moments and will make them add the Smithsonian to their must-see list or remind them to visit again. You just cannot get tired of an exhibition like this.

• Emerald – Modern Gemmology
• An Explosion of Color
• The November Auctions
• Breaking Boundaries – Astaguru
• Gems – Pierres Précieuses

The post The Smithsonian National Gem Collection – Unearthed appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

The book Emerald: Modern Gemmology is the first one to take a comprehensive look at emerald since the 1981 publication of Sinkankas’ Emerald & Other Beryls. Several fine volumes have been published in the interim: Ronald Ringsrud’s love letter, Emerald: A Passionate Guide (2009); Peretti & Falise, Magnificent Green: Emeralds of Pakistan, edited by Kazmi and Snee (1989); and Kris Lane’s excellent historical study of Colombian emerald, The Colour of Paradise (2010). Other than Kasmi and Snee, a highly technical work, the other books mentioned could be termed extended monographs on emeralds from a single source—Colombia.

Emerald: Modern Gemmology takes a comprehensive gemological look at emerald from twelve countries: Afghanistan, Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and China. These are all important sources. All have either produced commercial quantities of emerald during the past several decades or have the potential to do so in the future.

In his Foreword, Professor Schwarz points out that the main job of the modern gemological laboratory is to determine country of origin. Given the many thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands, dollars riding on a laboratory cert, the ability of a lab to get it right is a game played for very high stakes. The main thrust of the book is devoted to a discussion of the criteria necessary to
make an accurate determination of geographic origin. Another of the laboratory’s important jobs, the determination of the presence, type, and degree of artificial treatments—a particular thorny issue—is, unfortunately, not part of the discussion.

The book is primarily aimed at the professional gemologist. The authors distinguish between the traditional and the modern approach. Country of origin determination began with the work of Professor Eduard Gübelin in the 1950s and focused almost exclusively on inclusion study. This, Professor Schwarz calls the traditional method. Since then, the issue has become decidedly more complex.

In Chapter I, the authors begin by breaking down the modern approach to gathering the necessary gemological information into six steps or criteria: Chemical Fingerprinting, Internal Features (which remains the single most important study), Spectral Fingerprinting, Vibrational Fingerprinting, Isotopic Fingerprinting, and Physical-Optical Characteristics. The first four chapters provide a detailed overview of these six steps. The following twelve chapters discuss these criteria as they apply to deposits country by country.

I found the discussion of chemical fingerprinting in Chapter I of particular interest. The chemical trace elements found within a particular stone are reflective of the geological environment of the stone’s formation. Thus, the relative concentrations of these elements are extremely important factors in geographic origin determination. The authors discuss the various geological environments and provide graphs showing how the relative concentrations of elements necessary for origin determination, such as chromium, vanadium, and cesium, overlap in gems from various locations.

The section of isotopic fingerprinting will be of particular interest to historians and archaeogemologists. An article published in 2000 in Science magazine caused a minor sensation when measurement of the oxygen isotope in emeralds, with proven ancient pedigrees, demonstrated that one “Old Mine” emerald—thought to be of Colombian origin—was actually a Swat Valley gem, proving that this valley was an active mining area much earlier than previously thought. A very useful figure in Chapter I breaks down the relative oxygen isotope composition of emerald from historically important sources including the old Egyptian and Austrian mining areas.

The discussion of internal features, the traditional approach to origin determination, is discussed, in detail, in Chapter II. Inclusion study remains the most important single criterion and this discussion takes up by far the most space in the book. The text is enhanced by numerous color photomicrographs illustrating the various features discussed.

Chapter III, Geological-Genetic Considerations, discusses timescales of the formation of emerald types based on a scheme developed in 2019 (Giuliani et al.). This section is sumptuously illustrated with excellent photographs of mines and geological strata.

Chapter IV, Geographic Origin Determination, discusses its possibilities, methods and limitations.

Each of the later chapters draws a detailed portrait of emeralds from one of the twelve countries. The authors systematically cover the six evaluation criteria in each chapter. Each begins with a onepage history of the deposit plus a lovely graphic of the location along with cartoons outlining the geology of the mining area. The last section of each is a photographic gallery of inclusions specific to the area.

The inclusion gallery photography, by Theodore Rozet and Martial Curti, is particularly well done. The images are sharp and well-focused and very useful for origin determination in the lab or in the field. Both photographic technology and color reproduction in print have made several leaps forward in recent years and those improvements are readily apparent in this beautifully produced volume.

The book includes an extensive bibliography, which suffers somewhat from the failure to list all references by primary author. The lack of both an assertion of copyright as well as a publication date are minor annoyances.

Sumptuously produced, Emerald: Modern Gemmology is an extremely important book. Reviewers typically say that a book is a “must have.” In this case, the words are not mere hyperbole. It is an essential volume for every serious gemologist. The book has been produced in a limited-edition of just 1000 copies. It would be advisable, therefore, to place your order immediately.

• Colombia – New Realities in the Emerald Industry
• About InColor Magazine
• InColor Online
• The Smithsonian National Gem Collection – Unearthed
• East Africa – Mining and Rough Supply

The post Emerald – Modern Gemmology appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

A promising tool to help develop gem-producing areas led to the creation of an award-winning documentary.

For some years now, many people in the gem industry have tried to improve the lives of local communities near gem producing areas. Among the most popular types of projects involved those designed to increase the knowledge of gem miners and their families so they could better understand the potential of the gems they were producing.

Several other projects provided tools and training to extract and cut the gems. Donating cutting machines and/or setting up lapidary offices helped change these communities.

In places such as Madagascar, I witnessed, in 2005, a gem cutting center and a gemology school being set up with significant support from the World Bank. With regular trips to Madagascar afterwards, some changes in the Malagasy gem trading industry were evident. Cutting at local gem shops improved, as many young Malagasy (and a few foreigners) received training. Still, though, after 15 years, the gem industry in Madagascar has not changed all that much. With few exceptions, it is still dominated by foreign buyers (mostly from Sri Lanka, Thailand, and West Africa) coming to purchase rough.

Over the years, I regularly met several people who studied gem cutting at the IGM. They stated that, despite the useful knowledge they had acquired, they were struggling. The reason was simple. Madagascar was not really on the map for people buying faceted gemstones. Only foreign buyers looking for rough were coming. Because the foreigners had good markets back home, they could pay better prices in Madagascar than local cutters. As a result, local cutters struggled to get good rough and good prices for their products, and most stopped cutting and changed businesses.

If the industry really wanted to help local mining communities, it had to find something more efficient than merely setting up gem-cutting centers or distributing books about gemology.

Having traveled regularly to gem-producing areas around the world for the past 20 years, it was clear to me that good intentions were not enough. If the industry really wanted to help local mining communities, it had to find something more efficient than merely setting up gem-cutting centers or distributing books about gemology. After few visits to Vietnam and Myanmar, I realized that gem paintings could be a very efficient tool to help local industries.

Since 2005, in the ruby mines near Yen The in the Luc Yen district of Vietnam, the miners collected not only colorful transparent gem material but also everything else. One day I asked: Who was buying this low-quality material? One of the miners replied, “I sell the material to people doing gem paintings.” And at a good price? I asked. “Well, they don’t pay much but what I get is enough to keep mining,” was the answer.

That day, with that simple answer, it was obvious that gem paintings were the backbone of the gem industry in North Vietnam. Thanks to this handicraft, local small-scale miners receive the daily income they need to cover their mining expenses, allowing them to sometimes find gems that are large, colorful, and transparent enough to be faceted.

Visiting the Mogok gem area in Myanmar in 2014, it was surprising to see how much it had changed since my last visit in 2004. While good stones were difficult to find, the small-stone and low-quality stone markets were very active.

Such a change from the past, when nearly everything that was not a fine ruby was rejected since there was no market for it. What were the changes? Gem paintings were the main new endeavors. Since their introduction in Mogok, more than 50 family gem-painting factories were working.

It was obvious that gem paintings were the backbone of the gem industry in North Vietnam.

In the past, the Burmese believed that it was unlucky to crush low-quality gems because of the spirits that inhabited them. Now, they are beginning to think differently. Like in Vietnam, gem painters provided a good market for the people who collected stones from the reject piles of the large mining operations. In Mogok, the Kanase people did this work, and with the arrival of gem painting, the kanase were busier than ever. They collected all types of material, which they sorted at home and sold everything unsuitable for cutting to the numerous gem painting operations in town.

The great attraction of gem painting compared to lapidary work is that gem painters don’t need foreign buyers in order to have a successful business. Although gem painters were selling some of their products to tourists, most of the companies (in Myanmar and Vietnam) were selling their paintings in the local market. Some motifs were religious (from simple Islamic or Chinese calligraphy to complicated portraits), while others were landscapes, historical or nationalistic illustrations such as propaganda posters, or portraits of Ho Chi Minh. Gem paintings can be used to decorate homes, hotels, official and religious buildings, and of course, can be sold as souvenirs to visiting tourists or exported to foreign markets.

Gem paintings are, however, not that new. The author first saw a few in 2002 while working for Mr. Henry Ho in Bangkok. He said that his family introduced gem paintings into Thailand in the 1980s after a visit to Jaipur, India. But they remained quite anecdotal in Thailand despite a few incredible factories such as Than Thong Art. Why? I wondered.

I learned that the likely reason for the boom in Vietnamese and Burmese gem paintings is because they were introduced in the gem producing areas rather than in the main cities. Being close to the mines makes it easy for the painters to get cheap rough to crush in order to make the powders they need. Because low-quality rough is easily available, the technique can spread rapidly, with families following other families who had created profitable businesses.

The benefits of gem painting went beyond the painters. Miners were able to get a regular income from the low-quality stones, thus allowing them to continue searching for quality gems. This in turn, allowed for more mining and thus the discovery of more quality and even exceptional gems. Jobs were created all around, thus helping to eliminate poverty.

Over the years, impressed by an industry that produced beautiful objects, the author regularly talked about gem paintings to industry friends, as well as showing them to people accompanying him on trips to Vietnam or Mogok.

It’s easy to imagine the benefits of introducing gem painting to other producing areas such as Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Afghanistan and even Greenland. Yet, when bringing it up to the corporate types, the reply is the same: “It sounds great, but can you provide us with documentation to support this interesting idea?” Alas, this information was scarce.

In 2018, while planning a visit to Vietnam to collect reference samples for the DANAT Lab, I invited my old friend Philippe Brunot—the author of Follow the Zebra, a documentary about small-scale miners in East Africa—to come along, and make a 20-minute documentary about gem paintings. We interviewed people in Thailand and Vietnam and completed the documentary on time for the 2019 ICA Congress in Bangkok.

Thanks to gem painting, small-scale miners get the needed daily income to cover mining expenses, allowing themto perhaps find gems that are large, colorful, and transparent enough to be faceted.

Called Gem Painting, it was presented as an illustration of the author’s talk about how the industry can help develop gem-producing areas. It was well received by industry members, and to give even more exposure to this beautiful handicraft, we entered the film in several festivals. It won the award for the Best Short Documentary at the Paris Film Festival in 2021.

Hopefully, this award will help raise the awareness about this wonderful technique and how it can be a promising tool to help develop gem-producing areas around the world.

Gem Painting is available for viewing on Youtube on the Field Gemology channel.

• East Africa – Mining and Rough Supply
• The Unmasking of Beatrice Matiash
• Industry Upheavals – The Big Picture
• The Lapidary Revolution
• Trade Shows

The post Gem Painting – Where Art Meets Nature appeared first on Incolor Magazine.