John Dyer gemstones, an industry perscpective at the Tuscon trade show. A lot of what we do in the fine jewelry industry revolves around gemstones. Gemstones bring the color, the allure, the sparkle. Different metals are matched and molded to create a truly compatible and beautiful end product that lets the stone do the talking.
But, finished gemstone jewelry doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, gemstones pass multiple hands before they end up on your neck, finger, wrist or ears. Stone rough is cut precisely and carefully to be made into gemstones that are ready for jewelry. These loose stones are then inspected thoroughly and hand-picked out of parcels that may contain thousands of one type of stone. At Josephs, there’s nothing we love more than to hand-select spectacular gems we believe will make amazing jewelry. Or, the feeling we get when we find that perfect stone! I guess you could say we’re gem nerds around here.
One of the biggest gemstone trade shows is in Tucson, Arizona every February. It’s a fun and exciting event that showcases some of the best gemstone jewelry out there. We decided to catch up with John Dyer, a world-famous gemstone cutter who has won 41 cutting awards, about his experience at this year’s gem show and what he has been focusing on for 2015.
1) What rough were you buying this year? Were you on the lookout for anything in particular?
Our main focus on rough buying of late has been sapphire in all its wonderful colors and also ruby (since they are a red sapphire!).
2) Overall, what gemstones should we expect to see more of (or less of) in 2015?
The reason we have been buying mainly sapphire is because the sales of colored gemstone engagement rings are booming. Sapphire and ruby are one of the best choices for an engagement ring due to their hardness, durability and also the fact that they are well known already. Other alternative gems, such as chrysoberyl, are also getting attention in this market for their beauty, durability and lower price but sapphire is still the most sought after gem after diamonds for engagement rings.
3) What is your favorite part about being in the gemstone business?
My favorite part of the gemstone business is the art of creating the most beautiful gem possible out of each piece of rough. Other parts have their charm too, such as hunting for the best rough and trying to get it for a somewhat reasonable price. Or offering the sparkling finished product to jeweler clients at the shows and sharing the joy I have in the beauty of the gems with them.
All images thanks to JohnDyerGems.com.
