tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28182534241796061442024-02-21T07:25:26.124-08:00Cecile Raley DesignsThis blog is dedicated to the pursuit of everything jewelry and gems. As a jewelry designer with lots of connections to artisans and gem dealers in New York, I love to fill you in on the latest gem imports and ways to make pretty pieces. cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.comBlogger191125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-18221774417254883672019-07-15T10:53:00.000-07:002019-07-15T10:53:05.024-07:00New Travels Ahead: Emerald Hunting in Colombia<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 1em;">
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CecileRaleyDesigns?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=572675417"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/New_Travels_Ahead__Emerald_Hunting_in_Colombia_1_large.jpg?v=1562866139" /></a></div>
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It's summer again and I am ready to explore a new location for gems: Colombia. On Saturday July 13th, I am flying out to Bogota to meet my travel buddy Jochen from Jentsch Minerals and his friend Klaus, who also collects minerals as a hobby. Jochen lived in Colombia when he geological surveys from 1968-1970 and speaks Spanish well enough to keep us all afloat. (My Spanish is fairly non-existent, except what I picked up by osmosis from living in downtown Jersey City).</div>
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My Travel Buddy Jochen on his last trip to Colombia</div>
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Emeralds have been mined in Colombia for over 500 years but mining lore has it that the mining of emeralds in the area goes back as far as 500 B.C. In Bogota, we will pay a visit to the <a href="http://www.banrepcultural.org/bogota/museo-del-oro">Gold Museum </a>and of course the emerald market. Then we head out to the town of Villa de Leyva, an old historical town, for an overnight stay. The following morning our rented four wheel drive (much needed given the roads there) will take us to Muzo where we have arranged a mining trip via a local hotel. Muzo has lived off of emerald mining for hundreds of years, but not very many tourists go there. On a trip Jochen took last fall, however, he did manage to buy various specimens and two trapiche pieces. </div>
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I'm curious if there will be anything for me as the mining and selling of emeralds is firmly in government hands. While of course there are plenty of ways to buy, I am not convinced that there's any reason to expect that a one time buyer like me with a fairly small budget will be offered anything but regular retail prices. But we will see, and I will learn. </div>
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Here are some images of Muzo and the two trapice emerald pieces.</div>
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After a two night stay in Muzo, our adventure continues with a probably all day drive to Chivor. Here's an image of the mining regions in Colombia.</div>
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The mines in Chivor are privately owned so we probably won't get to see them, but the area is supposed to be beautiful and of course, I can't wait to follow in the footsteps of history. Chivor was the first mine to produce in the Americas, discovered by the Spanish in the 1500s, abandoned about two centuries later and the location lost until 1896, when it was rediscovered by Francisco Restrepo based on 300 year old maps. As history has it, Restrepo searched for eight years before he found the exact location.</div>
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You can read more about the history and Chivor in this very informative GIA article, <a href="https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/summer-2016-rainier-footsteps-journey-chivor-emerald-mine">"In Rainer's Footsteps: Journey to the Chivor Emerald Mine."</a></div>
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I will try to keep in touch from Colombia. Internet access is fairly smooth I am told, and I am in the same time zone as in NYC, which will help a great deal.</div>
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Looking forward to reporting back soon! We will fly out of Bogota on the 23rd, rest up in the Dominican Republic for a couple of nights, and I arrive back on the 26th.</div>
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cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0Colombia4.570868 -74.297332999999981-11.424937 -94.95162999999998 20.566673 -53.643035999999981tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-64882608900514008542019-07-08T07:38:00.000-07:002019-07-08T07:42:01.447-07:00Setting Secrets Exposed: What Happens to Your Custom Project in Setting<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 1em;">
I don't know if you have noticed but the diamond district tends to be very secretive about what happens behind all those closed doors. Try googling for articles on the diamond district, you will find that most have very little content. But for a little fun and very accurate information, try this article from the New York Times on <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/26/magazine/the-secret-slang-of-the-diamond-district.html">Diamond District Slang</a>.</div>
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Jewelers rarely if ever disclose who does their work, not even to each other. I think that's a pity because there's not only much to be learned for those not in the industry. I personally am in awe of some of the skill that is exhibited by jewelers, setters, engravers, and even polishers – who are least likely to get many kudos for their work. Each step in making these little masterpieces is the result of years of experience, and in most cases, also involves considerable financial investment, both in terms of equipment needed and risk management. </div>
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Last week I made a little video to demonstrate some of this, and provide you some insight into one of the aspects of the jewelry making process: setting. As most of you know already, Pierre Berberoglu (you'll find him on facebook if you like to make friends) has been my setter for about 7 or 8 years now. Pierre started working in the jewelry industry at 14, back in Turkey at a time when Armenians didn't have many options of what jobs to pursue. Pierre, who also owns 4 Ben and Jerry's Ice cream shops, finds the work he does both challenging and soothing. He feels in control when he's at the bench, he says. And that despite the super expensive pieces he works on, many of which require not only a steady hand but also an enormous amount of concentration.</div>
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<strong>Our Ring Models Before Setting</strong></div>
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Pierre's office can be found on the 8th floor of a well secured doorman building, and you have to be let into two doors to get in. There's a camera at the door and if he doesn't know you he will ask through the speaker who you are. If you are new, you can say who sent you or who recommended you, that might open the doors. Or not, if he deems it insecure. Pierre's safe has to protect a lot of client's projects so it's best not to deal with anyone you don't know.</div>
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<strong>Cecile Raley Designs job envelopes for custom projects</strong></div>
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<strong>Your Cecile Raley Designs custom project will travel through the diamond district in a job envelope like this, with all important information written or sketched on the envelope</strong></div>
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Pierre sits at his bench concentrating hard approximately 5-6 hours a day, the rest of the time is taken up talking to the likes of me, or dropping off and picking up a project. His huge microscope is a necessity for micro pave work, which he executes with perfection even while chatting with me. </div>
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<strong>Trays of gemstones in my safe, waiting to be set into custom jewelry</strong></div>
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In the video, we go over a few projects for clients, including one for me. I have him explain a bit about the challenges. While Pierre has been gem setting for nearly 40 years, the kinds of gems I bring are ones even he has rarely or never heard of. So for any new gem (i.e. the hauynes I started bringing three years ago) we have to discuss how it might behave under his tools. He told me once that setting paraiba melee is like setting soap bubbles. He almost doesn't use tools at all when he presses the prongs in (occasionally he uses his fingernails). I also have him set a lot of odd shapes, i.e. small pave ovals or squares, which is rarely done. </div>
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<strong>A Cecile Raley Designs custom CAD design with a pave double halo of gemstones</strong></div>
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Ethan, my other setter, who is also a bit more camera shy, so you aren't seeing him here, actually practiced setting colored gems for two years before we both felt comfortable working on my projects. Before going out on his own, Ethan set diamonds for a company that almost exclusively did micro pave for Tiffany's. While presenting it's own challenges (Tiffany's is a stickler for perfection), a setter who has set diamonds for years is usually very heavy handed and has to learn to hold back the force he uses for diamonds. This can result in a lot of breakage at first. And keep in mind that almost every setter in the US sets almost only diamonds. This makes what I do very much off the beaten path.</div>
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<strong>Dozens of custom projects in my Jersey City office, waiting to be taken to the NY diamond district, or just arriving back from there </strong></div>
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For a little extra entertainment, here's a short clip of Pierre discussing how he's setting a diamond tennis bracelet:</div>
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<strong>Detail of Hand Cut Scoop Down Pave by Pierre</strong></div>
cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-11738447407925831552019-06-13T13:18:00.002-07:002019-06-13T13:21:14.717-07:00Why Buy Gems at Retail Price?<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 1em;">
Once upon a time - in the not too distant past, in fact - jewelry shopping was so easy and straightforward: you would go to what they called a "storefront." This was a building with doors, and inside was a counter with a display of goods. There would be a salesperson explaining the various options and prices to you, you could take your time browsing items and seeing how they look on you, maybe get a gift wrap, and walk out with the coveted piece.</div>
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Things have changed, haven't they? Here you are, sitting on your couch with your phone, iPad, what have you, googling what you think you want (If it is what you want, you don't even know) and getting hundreds of pages with wares that make your eyes glaze over. You are wondering if those things would even suit your style, your makeup, hair, tone. And then, there it is, the item you think will work, it's not expensive, shipping from somewhere far away. Shipping is - oops, an additional $20, but the photos look pretty and the gem is a nice glowy blue.</div>
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A few weeks hence, your item arrives but it's not really what you were looking for. The ring doesn't look nice on you, and now you've done more reading you realize that you should have asked if the gem was treated. You write an email to that effect but no answer. There's tons of information on the web and you are overwhelmed, a return is time consuming and expensive.</div>
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Sound familiar? I buy a lot of stuff online myself, and I often feel exactly like that. It can be hard to shop online when you don't know what you are looking for and you can get lured in by a low price, especially when you use price as a sorting factor. To give an example, while I buy clothes online, I use either US sellers with an easy and fast return or, as in the case of my favorite Etsy vendor Xiaolizi, I first made a sample purchase, figured out what works for me from their shop, and then became a repeat buyer, not having to worry about returns because I know I am getting the goods and service I want. Xialoizi prices are a little higher than my in store price point but I get the personal attention I want from my shopping experience and way more customization options. So compared to what it would cost in Jersey City to have my own tailor, I am actually making out.</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/xiaolizi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/IMG_20190207_150445769_HDR_large.jpg?v=1560455165" /></a></div>
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<em>Yvonne at the AGTA show wearing <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/xiaolizi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Xiaolizi</a> design (Etsy vendor)</em></div>
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<strong>How do you know if an online vendor is a wholesaler?</strong></div>
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With online shopping, the wholesale retail difference is less obvious, but it is still there. Wholesalers operate with a lower markup but they require volume purchases and they can't take out much time for extra photos, and videos.</div>
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Their shops are not curated because they need to move all the product they have invested in, and in a speedy way so you find either just a selection of their goods online, or no prices, or many offered lots instead of individual items. While returns are not customary in wholesale, online return options are the law in the US (even if you are dealing with someone who is a private seller by the way), so those are available but if you are buying from overseas returns can take a long time and rather than the seller providing you with the extra help you need to make a decision, it will be up to be an informed buyer. So the likelihood of a return is increased.</div>
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Here's an example of how wholesale works in the gem show world: to exhibit at a gem show can easily cost you $10,000 plus, add to that travel, staff, and preparing/processing merchandise which can take weeks (sorting and pricing goods, getting them ready for display). If you do 10 shows a year and are a small wholesale business employing one or two people, I would estimate you will want to make at least $100,000 at a show - at an AGTA or JCK show that figure is a lot higher but this includes after show sales. (For now let's leave anything about cost of goods sold out of the equation). That means you need sales of $20,000 a day if it's five days, $2500 per hour! </div>
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So, if I come along with my $500 budget and shop for 60 minutes, they lose money, even though in my eyes $500 would suggest to me that they should at least give me an hour of their time. </div>
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It's the same with online purchases. It would be impossible for a true wholesale online merchant to spend 60 minutes on a small purchase. They are better off quickly negotiating a big sale, send you what you need for viewing and you decide without their help on what you need, send back the rest with a check for the difference. </div>
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This is the established way and it works well once you know each other and trust each other. A low markup on goods - the reason to buy wholesale of course - implies a sales process that is quick and painless and it implies repeat business. In addition, and this is important, both seller and buyer have the same level of <em>expertise</em> regarding the product, quality and current pricing, making the painful return policy unnecessary. You inspect <em>before</em> you pay and then you're done. When you shop at a wholesale show it is the same. There's no "I had a change of heart," or "my dishwasher broke," or "I did my research and this is more expensive than it should be." </div>
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<strong>What does Retail Buying do for you?</strong></div>
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Meanwhile the retail online seller like us, provides or should provide, an entirely different buying experience.</div>
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1. A retail seller does not get to assume that a buyer has the same level of expertise, making it obligatory to educate the buyer and give full disclose of what's important to the buyer (i.e. the risks of a cleaning product to kids or pets).</div>
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2. A retail seller takes out more time to help a buyer make an educated decision, possibly help with style, color, or anything else relevant when the product is online. They take the extra photos and videos needed, and answer questions promptly and completely.</div>
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3. A retail seller should provide a curated experience of well selected goods for their clientele, not overwhelm them with tons of stuff that is of interest for a different client base.</div>
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4. And most importantly, a retail seller must have a solid inspection and return policy! Repeat business is good for everyone (for the buyer too), but this means that the seller's objective should be to protect the buyer, keep her investment safe, and meet her expectations when she receives her goods, not to go for the quick "one off". </div>
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<em>Cecile Raley Designs return & exchange policy</em></div>
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Visit our shop policies section here: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CecileRaleyDesigns">https://www.etsy.com/shop/CecileRaleyDesigns</a></div>
cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-12507596030763971802019-05-23T13:15:00.001-07:002019-05-23T13:15:47.061-07:00From Venice to The Venetian: CRD Heads to Vegas<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: "Avant Garde", Avantgarde, "Century Gothic", CenturyGothic, AppleGothic, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
Still jet lagged from my recent trip to Venice, I am already packing my bags again! The Las Vegas AGTA show starts Thursday the 29<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 9.6px; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span> and guess who will be the first at the door? 😊 We are all curious to see how this year’s show will do as there’s been some reorganization. The AGTA has moved back to its earlier location, the Las Vegas Convention center, and the JCK will be at the Sands Expo and Venetian, with a new special section dedicated to colored gems and diamonds. As a result of this split between locations, some vendors have chosen to just exhibit at the JCK instead, others exhibit at both. So, we will be shuttling back and forth, checking out what’s new at both shows.</div>
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Those of you who keep a keen eye on our shop even when things are quiet (like when yours truly is overdosing on gelato while sitting in a gondola), you will have noticed the recent quick turnover of several Mahenge spinels from old stock. We’ve seen a recent and well-deserved flare up in demand for this gorgeous gem and have done some early sourcing just this week. We will feature our treasures on our site in the few days – as quickly as we can do photos and listings.</div>
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Jaimeen from Prima gems let me rummage around the older boxes amidst their Vegas packing frenzy and I’ve unearthed a few real “gems” – no pun intended. Two of the pieces I grabbed, a round and a cushion, were actually handpicked to be featured in their JCK booth with mainly has jewelry (whereas the AGTA has mainly gems and some beads) – they were in a different tray and I asked if I could have them. I also lucked out with three small tsavorites, also old stock, from Jaimeen’s private stash. “You work with those,” he said. Too nice to go to the larger wholesalers – or some such. Many of the larger companies that Prima supplies to may not (this is my view) distinguish between the nice and the superb when they manufacture jewelry. So, if my timing is right, I can get some of the true standouts from larger parcels before they move on to the manufacturers.</div>
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My Paraiba vendor also called me just before I went off to Europe because a new batch of blue glowies had arrived from Brazil and he wanted me to have first dibs. The parcel hadn’t even been processed yet; he was still doing the basic sorting into price categories. You see, these vendors have to negotiate on larger and unsorted parcels, they make a price, buy, then do the more refined grading. Sometimes these negotiations are just over the best pieces in the parcel where those need to cover costs and most of the profits, the rest is extra. So, for instance, a parcel may contain 3 paraibas in the 3-4 carat range that might be valued at $250,000. Those can be the focus of the negotiations, and the small pieces are graded more precisely later – and it’s those smaller parcels CRD tucks into. We’ve been putting these gems out slowly over the last month but also held back some, so watch for new listings of Paraiba.</div>
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Speaking of Paraiba, I also plan to stock up on some more melees. The vendor prices have gone up for those – and they were never cheap to begin with – but they said they’d hold the price for me for a little longer, unless someone comes in and makes an offer for all of it. In any case, while that stock has been selling down slowly, they have told me and I am sure it is true: there’s no additional melee being cut, so what’s left is what there is. I am going to avoid buying 1mm sizes because those ARE already higher in price, even for me, but I can get 1.3, 1.5 or 1.6 and 1.8mm pieces as long as my purchase makes a full carat. Everyone else must buy a full carat of any size they want – this is a seller’s market after all. But I often get treated more nicely, as it were, because my purchases are relatively small but consistent. Plus, I’d never ask to memo melee and they know that, nor do I pay late. The rule for a small buyer like me is to always pay small purchases immediately and do so on a consistent enough basis that the vendors can count on this income. </div>
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What else will I buy? Well not sure. I think ruby melee and emerald melee, as well as more smaller sizes is on my list. Also, I will look to get more spinel melee in different colors (some of you have already noticed that I got a pre-Vegas shipment of the platinum color and I have another light grey to be listed). I’m not sure about the calibrated Jedi’s, the largest size I can get is 2.5 and I have that, but I will be there on the first day and the vendor will probably hold some back for me if I let them know early.</div>
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Is there anything else you are interested in? Just shoot us a note, pre orders are best but we will try to respond anytime!</div>
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And let me end with a few items that are not likely to stay in the shop after our sale because they are going back to the respective owners at the end of the show. If you are eyeing any of these, please contact us, and we will re-memo them. We always value your input as to what items are currently your faves and what you’d like to see more (or less) of, even when you aren’t necessarily buying.</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/688838957/green-beryl-no-oil-beryl-nigeria-beryl?ref=listings_manager_table" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_794xN.1804266482_68y0_large.jpg?v=1558641437" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/688838957/green-beryl-no-oil-beryl-nigeria-beryl?ref=listings_manager_table" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank" title="https://www.etsy.com/listing/688838957/green-beryl-no-oil-beryl-nigeria-beryl?ref=listings_manager_table"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">8mm Trillion Green Beryl</em></a></strong></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/598773783/purple-sapphire-unheated-sapphire?ga_search_query=cushion%2Bsapphire&ref=shop_items_search_6" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_794xN.1703919474_7ryp_large.jpg?v=1558641564" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/598773783/purple-sapphire-unheated-sapphire?ga_search_query=cushion%2Bsapphire&amp;ref=shop_items_search_6" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">African Sapphire Cushion Cut</strong></em></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/695951833/238-ct-peach-sapphire-unheated-ceylon?ga_search_query=sapphire%2Bcushion&ref=shop_items_search_5" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_fullxfull.1881606787_pmzp_1_large.jpg?v=1558641573" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/695951833/238-ct-peach-sapphire-unheated-ceylon?ga_search_query=sapphire%2Bcushion&ref=shop_items_search_5" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">10x6mm Elongated Cushion 2.38 ct Peach Sapphire Unheated Ceylon Sapphire</em></strong></a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/706046925/lavender-sapphire-unheated-ceylon?ga_search_query=pear%2Bsapphire&ref=shop_items_search_1" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_fullxfull.1923939879_dr2z_large.jpg?v=1558641582" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/706046925/lavender-sapphire-unheated-ceylon?ga_search_query=pear%2Bsapphire&amp;ref=shop_items_search_1" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Lavender Sapphire, Unheated Ceylon Sapphire, 1.22 ct Pear Sapphire</strong></em></a></div>
cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-35585135139312712742019-05-09T11:30:00.000-07:002019-07-08T07:34:57.217-07:00Padparadscha – Lab Certification Roulette<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 1em;">
Guest Blog by Inken Krause, Enhoerning Jewelry<br />
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Entire book chapters and countless longish essays have been written about the ideal color of Padparadscha sapphire and the cultural history of this special color descriptor so full of romantic idealization and metaphoric meaning. Now Yvonne has asked me to edit a short guest blog (emphasis on short), so I will try to work on a more practical question.<br />
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<b>What does a sapphire look like that will, in all likelihood, be ennobled as Padparadscha by the most important American/European* gem labs?</b><br />
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Several labs, AGL among them, agreed that this 2 ct unheated Ceylon sapphire is a Padparadscha. The perfectly balanced mix of orange and pink leaves very little room for doubt.</div>
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This 2 ct Padparadscha was most likely tested for color stability by AGL, although they do not explicitly mention this on the report. I hope they will start doing this on future reports. </div>
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<b>Color -- Hue</b><br />
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Modern definitions of Padparadscha ask for a pink-orange (called type “sunrise“) or orange-pink (called type “sunset“) color. Purists tend to prefer the sunrise type. The color mixture between pink and orange should be well balanced. If either pink or orange is very weak, most labs do not grant the pad label, and any hint of brown is a deal breaker for most of them. Some labs are very strict and exclude any yellowish (not orange) or lavender-purplish (not pink) color. In my experience, the New York based AGL is rather tolerant about purplish hues, but absolutely unforgiving about brown. Of the American labs, GIA tends to be the strictest when it comes to hue (see the round stone example below).<br />
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AGL certified this 4 ct unheated Ceylon sapphire as Padparadscha, GIA disagreed and called it “pink sapphire“.</div>
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This 2 ct unheated Ceylon sapphire was certified “Pad“ by AGL, and the color is so well balanced that almost any other lab would follow. It leans slightly to the orange side, making it a sunrise Padparadscha.<br />
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This 4 ct unheated Ceylon sapphire was certified as Padparadscha by an Asian lab, but AGL (with good reason) decided it is only a ‘light purple’ fancy sapphire, although there is indeed a very slight orange modifier.<br />
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<b>Color -- Tone</b><br />
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Tone is the least critical aspect of Padparadscha color. Most labs will accept a wide range of tone (lightness/darkness), as long as the tone corresponds well to the saturation level. Higher saturation can have higher tone. A low color saturation with a high value of tone often leads to a brownish or grayish appearance of the gem. A sapphire with a strong grayish appearance will not be considered a Padparadscha by most labs.<br />
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This 2 ct unheated Ceylon sapphire was certified Padparadscha by several major labs, including AGL. It shows a slight grey modifier, but the orangey-pink color predominates in daylight.<br />
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<b>Color -- Saturation</b><br />
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Saturation is the most tricky aspect of Padparadscha certification. Almost all Western gem laboratories ask for a light (“pastel“) to medium saturation in pad sapphire. The color should be “delicate“. However, in practice, lab certification can work differently. Many labs routinely reject pink-orange/orange-pink sapphires and do not grant the desired color descriptor if they find the saturation to be too light! (Happened many times to me and my stones). However, it is very rare that they reject a sapphire as a non-pad because of too high saturation, unless there is a brownish modifier. Almost no lab can resist the beauty of an intensely to vividly saturated pink-orange/orange-pink sapphire, even if these stones do not meet their official requirements for (lower) saturation. AGL seems to be notorious for this paradox, but I have seen it on lab reports by GRS and even the highly respected Gübelin lab as well.<br />
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This 1 ct unheated Ceylon sapphire was certified by AGL as “Pale orange-pink“. Because of the “pale“ it did not pass as Padparadscha but was labeled fancy sapphire.<br />
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<b>Color -- Stability?</b><br />
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The color of a Padparadscha needs to be stable and may not fade over time and/or in the absence of UV light. Color stability in pad (and other color fancy-) sapphire is a hot topic right now and deserves another blog entry of its own. In the meantime, please feel free to read some latest research here: https://www.ssef.ch/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2018_Padparadscha_colour_stability_facette.pdf<br />
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Most of the laboratories mentioned in this text routinely do color stability tests on potential Padparadscha sapphire and do not grant the color designation if a stone does not pass. If you buy a Padparadscha these days, make sure that it comes with a reputable lab report that is not older than a year. Even the most respected laboratories did not test for Padparadscha color stability until a couple of years ago.<br />
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This 5 ct Padparadscha was tested for color stability at Lotus Gemology, although they do not explicitly mention this on the report. I hope they will start doing this on future reports.<br />
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<b>Geographic Origin?</b><br />
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For Padparadscha purists (like me) a real pad is from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) or from Burma (Myanmar). The very rare Padparadschas from Burma are incredibly beautiful. However, many mining locations produce Padparadscha sapphire, for instance Madagascar. A fair number of fancy sapphires from Madagascar do not pass the “pad test“, however, due to color stability issues. Pad-like sapphires from Umba, Tanzania, often do not get certified as Padparadscha due to brownish modifiers (or, sometimes, too much saturation).<br />
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Treatment?<br />
Again, Padparadscha purists (like me) have their own view on things and think that only an unheated pad-color sapphire is a real Padparadscha. All of the labs mentioned in this article, however, certify heated (heat-only!) sapphire as Padparadscha, too, if the color is right. None of the labs mentioned in this article will give the precious title to sapphires that have undergone Beryllium-heating or any other invasive treatment.<br />
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Three Ceylon sapphires, all unheated/untreated. The middle one shows almost perfect Padparadscha color. The one on the left does not show enough pink. The one on the right is rather high in saturation for a Padparadscha, but shows a good balance of orange and pink (all of these are available through Cecile Raley Designs).</div>
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This 1.99 ct unheated/untreated Ceylon sapphire is currently available in Yvonne‘s Etsy shop. It is of the “sunset“ type and has a good to very good chance to be certified as Padparadscha by, for instance, AGL.</div>
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* comments made in this blog entry apply, to the best knowledge of the author, to the following gem labs: AGL, C. Dunaigre, GIA, GRS, Gübelin, IGI, Lotus Gemology, SSEF; this blog article does not make any promises about lab results for your sapphire.</div>
cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7127753 -74.005972839.9423093 -75.296866299999991 41.483241299999996 -72.7150793tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-62898269238044589752019-04-22T13:19:00.001-07:002019-04-22T13:23:57.158-07:00Alternative Engagement Rings: Five Reasons to Opt Out of the Diamond Market<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 1em;">
So you may have noticed that we started a bridal section on Etsy where we are in the process of listing our gemstone rings as an alternative to the traditional diamond engagement rings (though of course you can buy them as a standard custom order as well). We thought our styles were unconventional and allowing for so many different design options that we should start carving out our own unique niche in this market.</div>
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If you’ve been following the news on the various royalties getting married and engaged, you would have noticed that sapphire(in particular the padparadscha) and also aquamarine, have become quite hot lately. Some of my own clients have enjoyed designing rings for birthstones, meaningful months or just their loved one’s favorite colors (on occasion I also get the bride to be as the client, and she designs the ring that her significant other than purchases). </div>
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Here’s Kate Middleton’s (right) and Princess Eugenie’s Padparadscha Engagement ring (left)</h3>
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Halle Berry with a Colombian Emerald </h3>
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Eva Langoria with a Ruby<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/9bbd2676856d535a19baa0787d7f86ed_large.jpg?v=1555962958" /></h3>
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<strong>So what are some special reasons for owning an alternative engagement ring? We have five for you!</strong></h2>
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<li><strong>No blood diamonds</strong>. Colored gems are much more rarely used as an alternative currency than diamonds are. While all gemstones, including diamonds, are easily smuggled due to their size, diamonds are considerably less identifiable as unique objects (they are all white and they are all diamonds), while at the same time easier to sell than colored gems. So while “blood diamonds” have gotten a lot of attention in the media, colored stones are not generally treated with the same concern. (See note below)</li>
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<li><strong>They are collector’s items</strong>. From a collector’s perspective, you can own an engagement ring that is totally one of a kind and can thus be quite valuable compared to diamonds (which have a terrible resale value, especially when they come out of engagement rings – for obvious reasons). They can be worn by kids and grand kids and not look like they are wearing someone else’s engagement ring.</li>
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<li><strong>Color to suit the occasion</strong>. As mentioned above, you can design a colored gemstone engagement ring around a birthstone combination (his and hers for instance, or his and his, hers and hers), around a meaningful color (the color of the ocean where you first met or where you plan to propose) or just a color that goes with most of your clothes.</li>
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<li><strong>Interesting cuts</strong>. While it’s true that you can buy diamonds in almost every cut, when it comes to very special shapes, like the hexagons that are so in style right now, you’d have to be Croesus to buy a clean white diamond specially cut as a hexagon. Most of those cuts – kites, hex’s fan shapes, are sold in the diamond market only as sidestones or they are cut from lower quality material.</li>
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<li><strong>Price</strong>. This brings me to the last point. While you can of course own a very <em>very</em> expensive colored stone, it’s also possible to get a lot more gem for your money if you avoid diamonds. A one carat standard diamond will set you back by give or take $6000. A sapphire will cost $1000-1500. A Paraiba may cost $3000 (or more), a ruby if certified Burmese unheated will cost the same. And colored gem prices are determined by rarity among other things, whereas diamonds, with the exception of natural colored diamonds, are anything but rare. In fact, as you probably know, their prices are artificially inflated. </li>
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Here are some design inspirations for you as you consider your diamond alternative engagement project. </div>
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<strong><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_794xN.1847050600_906h_large.jpg?v=1555963116" /></strong></div>
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<strong><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/699028253/trillion-flower-gatsby-ring-engagement?ref=shop_home_active_1&amp;frs=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gatsby Engagement Ring</a> </strong></h3>
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<strong><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_794xN.1891677391_s6t7_large.jpg?v=1555963170" /></strong></div>
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<strong><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/698358413/rose-gold-tourbillon-ring-mahenge-spinel?ref=shop_home_active_25&frs=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Rose gold Tourbillon ring</span></a></strong></h3>
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3 stone Hexagon Ring</h3>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/532999115/oval-sunflower-ring-engagement-ring?ref=shop_home_active_3&frs=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_fullxfull.1695949786_2f38_large.jpg?v=1555963305" /></a></h1>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/532999115/oval-sunflower-ring-engagement-ring?ref=shop_home_active_3&frs=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Oval Sunflower Engagement Ring</a></h3>
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<strong><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_fullxfull.1617463033_l0aj_49484084-caa9-4c6e-8fc0-f26856de3f8f_large.jpg?v=1555963365" /></strong></div>
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<strong><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/239223625/edwardian-ring-engagement-ring-diamond?ref=shop_home_active_2&amp;frs=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Edwardian Engagement Ring</a></strong></h3>
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A note on “<strong>blood diamonds</strong>:” Note that the Kimberly process does not speak to how workers are treated in the diamond business, it only provides a system of warranties that are intended to ensure that the diamonds were not used to fund wars (or mined in a war zone). This is another blog entry!</div>
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Link to Kimberly process: <a href="https://www.kimberleyprocess.com/en/what-kp">https://www.kimberleyprocess.com/en/what-kp</a></div>
cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-23376375018550463702019-04-11T12:56:00.001-07:002019-04-11T12:56:21.450-07:00Hunting for "Diamonds" in Herkimer<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 1em;">
I assume you've heard of the Herkimer diamond? It's actually quartz and but nicknamed "diamond" because of its shape: double terminated (meaning with two points) and with 18 natural facets. It was discovered in Herkimer County, NY. The currently open mines are "Ace of Spades" <a href="https://www.herkimerdiamond.com/">https://www.herkimerdiamond.com/</a> and "Crystal Grove" <a href="https://www.crystalgrove.com/">https://www.crystalgrove.com/</a></div>
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I'd been wanting to go for some time and so this year when my travel buddy Jochen Hintze from Jentsch Minerals came to exhibit at the Edison Gem show, we decided to tack a short trip onto his stay and headed for St. Johnsville, NY on Monday April 8 for a two night stay on an organic farm (because why just stay in a hotel….right?). I admit it was a bit chill with just a wood stove, no hot water and 35 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Who says I have to have all my adventures in Africa anyway?</div>
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After a relaxing evening (interrupted by trying to make the wood stove work) with local beer, home- made chili, several games of Ludo, and a chill morning brightened up by fresh farmed eggs cooked on a camping cooker, we headed out for Herkimer. The Ace of Spades mine is located close to the center of town, and right behind the main building, for $10 a day, you can hit rocks with a rented hammer (they can be rented for $1). The diamonds are hiding in little cavities inside, sometimes loose (these are called floaters) and sometimes attached to the host rock. Whatever you find, you get to keep. We found three attached to host rock (no floaters) - in about two hours - and only with some guidance about which rocks to split open. So our treasure consisted in a find of about $2-3. </div>
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At around lunch it started to pour so we ended up spending quite some time in the quaint shop. We found out that in order to have a real bounty, you need to have the owners open up a larger pocket for you - they apparently know where those are, they will bulldoze the area and then split open the pocket in your presence. If the pocket doesn't contain anything interesting, they will open up another. But if it is too valuable, they keep it and give you another instead. This decision is at the sole discretion of the owners, and the fun sets you back by $1700. But to be fair, living off a mine like this isn't exactly easy and the owners say clearly that the activity of opening up a pocket is supposed to be for family entertainment, not for profit by expert miners or geologists. So this isn't something we will undertake. But we got some nice video for you of the hard work this kind of mining requires, and of course I also bought a few crystals and some faceted stones for you to purchase. </div>
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I realize you can buy those directly elsewhere for less, so I am marking them up very low and you get the benefit of me having hand-picked each stone for cutting, excluding the included and brownish materials, making sure there's no window and no abrasion in the girdles (several gems had those) and picking gems that are easily settable in my designs. </div>
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Here are some photos, if you'd like one of the more included crystals just let me know, it's yours free (shipping is free with any purchase or $3.50). If you want me to get it drilled and made into a pendant, I'll have to charge something though.</div>
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The inclusions, by the way, are.... you guessed it (not): asphalt. Petroleum, in other words, or unrefined oil.</div>
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Jochen was actually very happy that instead of finding crystals, he found asphalt in host rock instead. I have a lot of asphalt already, outside the house, mixed with gravel and flattened for driving, no host rock of course, but I still passed! That's ok, I got my Herkimer "diamonds" instead.</div>
cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-5828817264695143672019-03-28T09:52:00.000-07:002019-03-28T09:52:03.152-07:00New Season, New Items, and We Welcome Your Contributions<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 1em;">
So with the spring season under way, we’ve been busy developing new pretties, mainly for your fingers, but also for your neck and ears so you can be all “decked out” in Cecile Raley Designs. 😊</div>
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As you know – or maybe you don’t but now you will: we work hard to make our designs adaptable so that you can choose more than just the metal and gems. Our new models come engraved and unengraved, with sidestone options, and some even leave room for different gem sizes and shapes. I’ve quoted prices here in 14K gold so please let us know if you’re interested in 18K, silver, platinum silver or platinum. </div>
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<strong>Let’s start with FINGERS.</strong></div>
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You’ve already met this model for a 10x8mm oval, originally made for Christine. She has a crown style setting and takes up to 1.8mm sidestones, 5 on each side. She can’t be made without sidestones as those holes are pre drilled. I’ve just started on a custom order in rose gold with Morganite and orange spinel. </div>
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<em>10X8 Oval ring $640 in 14 Kt Gold</em></div>
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Our other finger coverage model, developed for Nicole, takes a 7 – 7.3mm round in the center, which can be a cabochon or a faceted stone. The sidestones are 2x1mm baguettes (which will have to be diamonds for the most part) and 1.7-1.8mm rounds. The sidestones are required here as well as the holes are pre drilled in the model, and the sizes are fairly tight. </div>
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<em>7mm Hexagon ring $900 in 14 Kt Gold</em></div>
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For an art nouveau style, I’ve just released our tourbillon ring, developed with us by Roberta. The name comes from the original style from the early 1920s. It takes a 5-5.5mm center (when the gem is larger the center sits higher - I develop all models with long prongs so they can be cut to size). The model is engraved, 1.5mm sidestones are optional, but if chosen we recommend at least 10 to complete the inner swirl. My first model is set with a hexagon gem just to show you an additional option. Millgrain is optional also. Engraved: $430, Sidestones: $540</div>
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<em>5mm Tourbillon ring, $390 in 14 Kt Gold Engraved<br />and with 10 1.5mm sidestones, $470</em></div>
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The Edwardian model with scoops was developed with Roberta as well. The scoops are mainly there to make for a very pretty sideview of the ring, which is why we had it fully engraved on the center setting, shoulders and sides. The inner part of the scoop could be matted, which would look especially nice in yellow gold. The 6-6.5mm center can be round, square (no corners until I speak to the setter and ask if he can cut the corners into a vee), or cushion. Very slightly ovalish or rectangular shapes can be accommodated by opening up the prongs. I recommend East West in those cases. For sidestones the options are (a) none or (b) 3 on each side, 1.5-2mm graduated or smaller. Millgrain is optional. I have not experimented with tapered baguette sidestones but that’s a possibility. (Can you imagine trying to put all this into a table?). </div>
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<em>6mm Edwardian Scoop Ring, $400 in 14 kt gold engraved</em><br /><em>$500 with sidestones</em></div>
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<em>Elongated Baguette Ring with Kites, $640 in 14KT Gold</em></div>
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Now, the last few newbies are all for marquis stones, developed by yours truly - a ring, pendant, and earrings. Why marquis you may ask? Because in many of the rare gems I deal with, particularly Paraiba, marquis are cheaper and more available. The trick is to make them look nice so that they can be utilized. </div>
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My ring model – called the “bat ring” until you guys provide me with a name for it – takes a 7x3.5mm center – I can also go slightly smaller but not more than .5mm in each direction. The ring is being engraved right now, but I can also add in sidestones (2x2mm and 2x1.5mm). </div>
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<em>7x3.5mm Marquis "Bat Ring" $400 in 14 kt gold engraved</em><br /><em>$500 with 6 Sidestones</em></div>
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<strong>And last but not least for EARS and NECK.</strong></div>
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We have a multi-adaptable marquis style, for a slightly larger than 7x3.5mm marquis, but I am working on making sure it can take smaller stones also. This style can be used for earrings (we made a left and a right) and a necklace. It can be engraved or with either just a top gem in the fan (1.5-1.8mm ish) or sidestones (1.3mm). </div>
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<em>7x3.5mm Marquis: Earrings engraved: $670, Earrings with sidestones: $830, Pendant engraved: $350, Pendant with sidestones: $440.</em></div>
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<strong>FUTURE PLANS</strong></div>
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Another marquis ring (a bypass ring) is in the works, as is a ring for a 7x6mm oval with a halo made from tiny 3x2mm ovals and 4x3mm pears. This model is for my kornerupine of this size but it will be available for you as well of course.</div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/mq_crossover_ring_grow_large.jpg?v=1553784967" /></div>
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<strong>Marquis Bipass Ring</strong></div>
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<strong>New Layout for 7x6 Oval</strong></div>
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Let me also mention our DESIGN CONTEST</div>
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We are so confident you can inspire us! There has been a popular demand for more statement pieces, help us design a new layout for our next ring or pendant setting. Rules are simple:</div>
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1) Use the medium of choice (i.e pencil, paint, pen, CAD or any drawing software)</div>
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2) Must use an 8x6mm oval center stone</div>
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3) Be as creative as you like!</div>
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4) Get’em in before our April 8th deadline at cecileraleydesigns@gmail.com</div>
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One design per contestant. Winner will win their design in sterling silver! .</div>
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Any further ideas, suggestions? We welcome your contributions!</div>
cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-86415847327044422082019-03-14T11:55:00.001-07:002019-03-14T11:55:12.321-07:00What’s up with all these “new” Emeralds: Emerald Origins Revisited<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 1em;">
As you may know, emerald is one of my favorite gems. So, it should be somewhat surprising that I have so few in my shop. I can source them, I just can’t photograph them. I just made an engagement ring for someone in the UK and I took some of my best photos for the buyer. Still, his comment to me about the ring when he received it, was “so much more sparkly than in the pictures,” and that the “colors were really vibrant”. </div>
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Well, with three “new” emerald origins for me to play with, I am going to have to work on my photography skills. I must show you how gorgeous these greenies are. Note: no emerald origin is “new”, they were always in the ground, but the three origins I am talking about, Panjshir, Russian and Ethiopian, have only recently appeared (and reappeared) on the market.</div>
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<em>From left to right: Colombian,Afghanistan, Afghanistan & Russian Emerald</em></div>
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<em><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/thumbnail_IMG-20170810-WA0000_large.jpg?v=1552588005" /></em></div>
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<em>In photo: Panjshir Emeralds</em></div>
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Panjshir Emeralds: these lighter minty green emeralds are mined in the Panjshir Valley in Afghanistan, and improved political relations have made these available in slightly larger quantities. My personal favorite, these gems are extremely vibrant and often cleaner than their counterparts. This website here has some fascinating videos of the mining process in Panjshir. We have some completely untreated material available in very limited quantity, and we can source more material if oil is ok.</div>
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8sX9cYMA2zM" width="560"></iframe></div>
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Russian Emeralds: these pretties are also lighter, or less saturated, in color, with a touch bluer than the Panjshir and certainly more blue than Colombian emeralds. They are mined in the Ural Mountains, Siberia, and I had never seen any on the market until this year in Tucson although mining there started in the 1830s. I can get limited quantity of un-oiled materials. Here’s a very informative article about history and properties of Russian emerald: <a href="http://www.lotusgemology.com/index.php/library/articles/298-emeralds-from-russia-a-closer-look">http://www.lotusgemology.com/index.php/library/articles/298-emeralds-from-russia-a-closer-look</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/687470097/emerald-russian-emerald-round-green?ref=shop_home_active_19" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_794xN.1845982903_e0ig_large.jpg?v=1552588142" /></a></div>
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<em>In photo: Russian Emerald (Listing <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/687470097/emerald-russian-emerald-round-green?ref=shop_home_active_19" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">HERE</a>)</em></div>
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Ethiopian: this find really is new. The Seba Boru district, the area where these emeralds were found, is located about 300 miles south of the capital, Addis Abeba, fairly close to Kenya’s northern border. It started producing mostly commercial grade material in 2016. In contrast to Colombian emeralds, don’t fluoresce, so the color looks very consistent in daylight and in fluorescent lighting. Here’s an article from GIA about Ethiopian emeralds: <a href="https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/spring-2017-gemnews-new-discovery-emeralds-ethiopia">https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/spring-2017-gemnews-new-discovery-emeralds-ethiopia</a>. GIA describes these emeralds as similar in appearance to Brazilian and Zambian material, so not quite as grassy green as the Colombian Muzo emeralds. </div>
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And what about the traditional sources of emerald? I would say that what most people regard as the typical emerald color amounts to medium quality Brazilian material: it’s a dark forest green (in part created by blackish inclusions, whereas the inclusions of Colombian material are more typically white). I personally don’t like that material as much. I gravitate towards “glowy” gems in general, my favorites are the warm glowy colors of the medium green Colombian material, or the finest quality Panshir, which is almost neon in color.</div>
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To find out more about Colombian emeralds, you’ll have to wait a bit until yours truly goes to Colombia this summer. Right now, the trip is planned for late July, and I hope to visit both the famous Muzo and Chivor mining towns. </div>
cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-57036596526860146092019-02-21T10:50:00.001-08:002019-02-21T10:50:18.520-08:00Tucson: The Aftermath<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 1em;">
Initially, it looked like our office had been bombed by dozens of small gem jars, miniature plastic bags holding valuable gems, loupes, tweezers, camera equipment, invoices, and of course shipping envelopes and boxes, as Karen tried to make her way through the myriad of delayed shipments because the inventory was with me, or with Debbie who came back last week, or Brinks. </div>
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As we dig ourselves out from under Etsy orders and a few inches of unexpected snow, we have come to the conclusion that this trip has been a nice success, both in terms of sales and purchases. It will take us weeks to list all the pretties we have brought back: parcels of sapphire melee in different shapes (much of which has already sold), spinel melee, small alexandrite and small demantoids. In particular, we picked up shapes for some of our models for which it's hard to find the right gems.</div>
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<em>Mixed Sapphires</em></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/669017316/ruby-15mm-ruby-burmese-ruby-heated-ruby?ref=shop_home_active_10&crt=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_1967_medium.JPG?v=1550772208" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/669017316/ruby-15mm-ruby-burmese-ruby-heated-ruby?ref=shop_home_active_10&crt=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>1.5mm Ruby Melee</em></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/669304652/blue-grey-melee-spinel-25mm-spinel?ref=shop_home_active_8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_1992_medium.JPG?v=1550772223" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/669304652/blue-grey-melee-spinel-25mm-spinel?ref=shop_home_active_8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>2.5mm Blue-Grey Melee Spinel</em></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/683142603/yellow-sapphire-madagascar-sapphire-oval?ref=shop_home_active_14" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" height="232" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_fullxfull.1827785343_hnho_large.jpg?v=1550772580" width="398" /></a></h1>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/683142603/yellow-sapphire-madagascar-sapphire-oval?ref=shop_home_active_14" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>4x3mm Yellow Sapphire, Madagascar Sapphire</em></a></div>
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We also brought back a lot of slightly bigger sapphires: blue and purple and pink matched pairs, purple and lavender singles; as well as blue green tourmalines as per popular request, more larger spinel from Vietnam (from a new source) and several unoiled Afghani and Russian emeralds that have this awesome minty blue green glow.</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/682039367/emerald-russian-emerald-round-green?ref=shop_home_active_21" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_fullxfull.1786031418_55yg_3d62c4dd-ac52-4cdc-baf2-97c9c39b217e_medium.jpg?v=1550772773" /></a></h1>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/682039367/emerald-russian-emerald-round-green?ref=shop_home_active_21" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">3.6 Russian Round Emeralds </a></div>
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<em></em><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/667715168/vietnamese-spinel-spinel-pair-elongated?ref=shop_home_active_25" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_fullxfull.1773710308_o85m_medium.jpg?v=1550772921" /></a></h1>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/667715168/vietnamese-spinel-spinel-pair-elongated?ref=shop_home_active_25" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>5x7mm Vietnamese Lavender Spinel</em></a></div>
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I also scored a number of Australian opals, both boulder and black ones, that many of you have seen on Instagram and Facebook. Here are some of them:</div>
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<em>Australian Black Opal</em></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/670286262/australian-black-opal-black-and-white?ref=shop_home_active_6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Australian_Boulder_Opal_Diamond_Beads_Paraiba_Cabochon_medium.JPG?v=1550772300" /></a></div>
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<em><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/670286262/australian-black-opal-black-and-white?ref=shop_home_active_6" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mixed Opals</a>, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/667166676/paraiba-tourmaline-cabochon-35mm-paraiba?ref=shop_home_active_28" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Paraibas </a>& Diamond beads</em></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/681016383/paraiba-tourmaline-paraiba-cabochon?ref=shop_home_active_27" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Australian_boulder_opal_paraiba_1_medium.JPG?v=1550772295" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/681016383/paraiba-tourmaline-paraiba-cabochon?ref=shop_home_active_27" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Paraiba and Opal</em></a></div>
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As those of you who have seen my little videos know, there's no more benitoite on the market, or hardly any! I have two suppliers for those and both were sold out before the show even started. This has actually prompted me to plan next year's trip differently: I will be flying in 3 days before the AGTA show starts. Many of the other shows, among them the 22nd Street show, the Pueblo show, the JOGS show and the Inn Suites show actually start before AGTA and GJX and some of the good stuff can sell out. In fact, I lucked out with my opals because I bought smaller pieces. Had I been interested in the larger ones from my Aussie vendors, I would have been out of luck. This time I visited all those shows after GJX and AGTA, next year I will hit them before.</div>
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In a forthcoming interview with Jaimeen Shah from Prima Gems (forthcoming when we get the rather longish video off of his phone and onto my drive), you will learn that there's some new and very gorgeous sphene, and more Montana sapphire available. There will also be an update on the Mahenge spinel situation but more about that later.</div>
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I also owe you the latest on the constantly changing paraiba market. As it happened, I had two calls for matched pairs, a 6mm round and a cushion set (the client actually wanted a match to one of the ones I have in the shop but that's always close to impossible). So I kept an eye out, which I always do, for anyone, at any show, who has paraiba. What I found this year however is that that the market had shrunk considerably. The Brazilians that used to have two large booths now have only one small one, and many other vendors who had only small stuff asked astronomical prices. Essentially double and triple compared to what I have been paying. Needless to say I couldn't fill either order, the rounds I didn't find at all, and the cushions were too expensive for the client.</div>
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As a result, on the last day of the show I negotiated a couple of deals for paraibas to be purchased in the next couple of months which I can pay off over time. So it's not a memo where I can give back what I don't use, but a purchase with "terms" as they call it. Those goods will arrive next week or the week after and I will be showing them and listing them slowly or upon request as I'm not in a huge rush to sell what I can't replace.</div>
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Related to this, I did memo a string of tumbled Brazilian paraiba beads which I may or may not keep. I would actually like to find out if theirs interest in them before I commit because the price tag is expectedly high.The average price will come to $30-$40 per bead. Any morsel of paraiba, sadly, commands a high asking price these days, and the sellers were only willing to part with the beads because they had not yet been able to move them.</div>
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Finally, I made another purchase of a gemstone that will be paid up over time. It's a gem that I had considered buying for about 8 months and I finally pulled the trigger after getting feedback from other vendors. I'm not yet sure that gem will be available for immediate resale. I need to love it for a while first. But then again I am a gem seller and in the long run, I have to be willing to part with anything.</div>
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More about that some other time...</div>
cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-8646008404905670922019-01-31T10:46:00.001-08:002019-01-31T10:47:27.558-08:00Tucson is ON: Where we are going and what we are buying<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: "Avant Garde", Avantgarde, "Century Gothic", CenturyGothic, AppleGothic, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
By the time this blog is up, the final countdown is on. Monday the 3<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 9.6px; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">rd</span> we are leaving for our <span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1809672?euid=5a261186-7431-fc25-ec87-e06fe9a80ee0&guests=1&adults=1" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #2b2b2b; text-decoration-line: none;">Urban Oasis</a></span>, our beloved AirBNB in Tucson. Peter is a super host; we will be welcomed with fresh fruit, a bottle of wine, and of course, by the resident dogs that live on Peter’s property across the yard.</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Santa Catalina Mountains in Tucson Arizona</em></div>
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It’s only a five minute drive to the shows and the two-hour time difference will allow us to rise and shine early. We are lucky to have VIB-Status with the AGTA show, so we will get daily free breakfast and lunch. Thank you to Jaimeen, Dudley, Vinod and all the other vendors who have recommended us. Congrats also to Jaimeen (Shah, Prima Gems) for having become an AGTA board member as of January 2019.</div>
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Our very first stop at the show will be Dudley Blauwet’s booth. Despite being in the back corner, his large area is usually raided within the first 15 minutes, with everyone looking for the best sapphires. Luckily, Dudley has grown fond of us – we try to be VERY well-behaved buyers, always paying on time, never just putting a ton of gem jars on a tray to have them “held” and never to return, or begging for extra items on memo (yes it all happens). In my now somewhat veteran opinion, Dudley has the largest collection of unheated Ceylon sapphires in the United States, among many other things: blue green tourmaline from Afghanistan, Burmese spinel, and the kornerupine that I have always managed to get (now pretty much sold out). I write Dudley a list of what interests me before I get there, and he usually points me in the right direction so I can find my way amidst the oodles of enticing gem jars. If any of you have not – yet – gotten the sapphire of your dreams, let us know! Dudley does not do any retail, he has no website and isn’t planning on one, and he won’t entertain sending photos to retail buyers directly, so you must pick a retail business to work through.</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Dudley Blauwet’s booth</em></div>
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Our next stop will most likely be the GJX, if we don’t get held up somehow (oh gosh, that happens so easily!). I want to say hi to my emerald supplier Vinod Kotahwala, and Barker and Co, another company with pretty tourmalines and, as of late, spinel.</div>
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At the GJX I have to quickly say hi to Sergey and give him back the large demantoids from my website. And since last time someone else bought a lot of the demantoid melee right out from under me, I want to get to those and at least set some aside. I have also pretty much sold out of my smaller stock (3-4mm), which I guess is still more affordable, and so I would like to replenish that if possible. I also love unusual cuts, but that’s tough to hope for in a demantoid. Maybe I’ll get lucky!</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/667743329/demantoid-demantoid-gem-demandoid-round?ga_search_query=demantoid&ref=shop_items_search_10" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_fullxfull.1720078044_8o41_large.jpg?v=1548957305" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">2.9 mm matched pair Demantoid</em></div>
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And then I have to get started on the lavender sapphire melee, and ruby melee, and maybe 3mm lavender sapphire, match up sets and suites in anything from 1.5-4mm if possible. That’s super hard work, but it has to be done. Even jewelers buy these from me because, as one of them said, “we’d rather pay for your time because we know how long this takes.” They’re not kidding.</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">3mm Lavender Sapphire</em></div>
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I also have in mind two more stops for lavender gems, one is from Vietnam, though I don’t have a lot of hope that there’s material there. I can try though, and I want to be the first if there’s something good (so I’m not giving that spot away). Same with the benitoites and a couple more Paraiba sources in addition to my New York one.</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Paraiba Tourmalines </em></div>
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I’m also going to stop at Nomads as well as Prima gems for their gorgeous green gems, in particular, blue green tourmalines, but possibly also mint garnet and tsavorite (though these have not sold well in my shop). Maybe Jaimeen still has his old parcels of Mahenge spinels that he used to let me play with. He also got some more lovely sphenes (very lemony), chrysoberyl, and a huge selection of Montana sapphires with pretty blue green colors. </div>
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Another item I have put on my list is more color change gems, not just garnet but also alexandrite. While expensive, melee sizes up to 3mm are swingable for the most part. Again, however, it’s a matter of sitting down and very carefully selecting out of larger parcels which match in size and shape but not in saturation or strength of color shift. So, this, too, can take hours. </div>
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Too bad that day one isn’t two days long! By the first day my head is usually spinning out of control and I have a hard time sleeping. Meanwhile Debbie is usually exhausted after a mere 10 hours of helping me and being in touch with clients at the same time, so she sleeps like a baby. Lucky Deb – and thank you in advance for coming with me, putting up with me and my spinning head, and being my right and left hand.</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Debbie and I starting our day at last years gem show</em></div>
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(P.S. I am also a foodie, not just a gem addict, and I will try to share with you some of the best spots to eat this time – you may not know this, but Tucson has some amazing food, not just Mexican but all kinds.)</div>
cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-60615503695970073152019-01-14T08:32:00.000-08:002019-01-14T08:32:40.021-08:00What's Ahead for 2019?<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: "Avant Garde", Avantgarde, "Century Gothic", CenturyGothic, AppleGothic, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
Our Newly Minted American Gem Trade Membership, and YES, CRD’s Ten Year Anniversary Bash</div>
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I hope all of you had a fun and/or restful holiday season. I spent mine doing what retailers do, getting a lot of last-minute orders out, doing my own holiday shopping and decorating in between. Then I went to spend Christmas with my dad and mom in Germany, did some rock climbing with my sister, racked up weight watchers’ points eating dad’s cookies and singed my new sweater blowing up new year’s fireworks. Now it’s time to shed the holiday pounds and get cracking on the new year! Already on the calendar is the Tucson show which is less than a month away and I have to figure out what I need, what I want, and how to strike a balance between the two.</div>
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A spring cleaning of the stock shelves of “Sophie,” our faithful 600-pound steel guardian of gems, reveals old Madagascar and Tanzania goods from as much as two years ago: unlisted beryl and aquamarine, goshenite and Mahenge garnet. This is a good thing because at least aquamarine is going up in price. All mine are unheated which is even better! There are other gems I still need to list, like color change garnets and Madagascar sapphires. We plan on one more winter cleaning in the form of a steep flash sale just before Tucson, and then it’s “in with the new.”</div>
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I’m really thrilled that this year we are going there as AGTA members, and can sport the logo on all of our listings as well – something we started just a short few months ago. This is a big deal. The American Gem Trade Association has worked hard in the last couple of years to raise public awareness of gemstone treatments and enhancements. While the law on disclosure of the latter is always slow, the AGTA is proud to have implemented a self-monitoring system whereby all its members obligate themselves to full disclosure. </div>
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Why does this matter? Because treatment can affect both pricing and durability of a gem. For example, a ruby purchased from an overseas vendor may be glass filled but if the seller doesn’t disclose this, the buyer is up a creek, especially if she’s not protected by Etsy or PayPal Buyer protection. The buyer will have overpaid, the gem cannot undergo certain cleaning processes because it will lose its color, and the chances of a full refund are limited, especially, and this is important, because the gem IS a ruby and as such the vendor did not lie, even if he or she did not fully disclose!</div>
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Buying within the US, and especially buying from an AGTA vendor, a retail buyer enjoys much greater safety. The AGTA carefully vets each new member. It takes several months to process a new membership, which is not automatic but the result of a vote, and requires several references of both AGTA members and non-members. To be an AGTA member, you have to be a US based business and have been active for at least two years. </div>
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From what I am able to gather, we are actually the only vetted AGTA member selling on Etsy (if there are others, they are not making this public). We would be eternally grateful if you help us spread this news!</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">We are happy to send you informational brochures on gems and gemstone enhancements from the<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> </span><a href="https://agta.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">American Gem Trade Association</a> for free! Request one now via email: cecileraleydesigns@gmail.com</em></div>
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In Tucson, we will be visiting several shows in addition to the AGTA: GJX, 22<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 9.6px; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">nd</span> street show, Inn Suites and more. We are starting to take orders already, please let us know if you are interested in anything in particular.</div>
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In other news – and more about this in future blogs – CRD is going to be 10 years old this year. Our Etsy shop was established in August of 2009. I had my first sale in October of 2009 – a beaded necklace - and I started selling loose gems in 2011. We’re still thinking about how to celebrate this. Obviously, we will have a sale, but we do that anyway! We want to have an event, probably in October, so stay tuned, AND let us know if you think you’d like to be part of it. We are happy to entertain suggestions about how to make this a national, no, INTERNATIONAL event, since so many of you are actually overseas. Cecile Raley Designs has been blessed with an amazing number of repeat clients, some of them going back to as early as 2011, when our shop really started to take off. </div>
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Until next time, and Happy New Year to you all!</div>
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Yvonne, Debbie, Karen, and Joanne</div>
cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-80061497179686290272018-12-06T09:42:00.001-08:002018-12-06T09:52:17.587-08:00Our Own Christmas Story<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 1em;">
In the spirit of this season of giving, we would like to dedicate this blog to our friends in Madagascar, Tanzania and Kenya and express our gratitude for the support and hospitality they have offered us. They have opened their doors and their hearts, freely sharing what they have in spite of their less fortunate circumstances. My life has changed forever as a result of meeting them.</div>
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<strong>Our Family in Madagascar</strong></div>
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About 15 years ago, my travel partner Jochen Hintze from Jentsch Minerals decided on the adventure of traveling to Antsirabe, Madagascar in the hope of finding interesting minerals. In the local gem market, he stumbled upon a then just over 20-year-old Ando Antoniania and her little daughter Maria whom she was trying to support by selling gem crystals, cabochons and ornamental rocks. Their friendship flourished over the years, and in 2016 Jochen brought me with him for the first time. Ando now has three children, and Maria has two. They live on a little property made possible by consistent gem trading with Jochen, they now have running water and electricity, and last year, with the help of a small loan from Cecile Raley Designs, Ando was able to buy a cutting wheel and hire some help to mine and cut the calcite on her family's land.</div>
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A happy reunion in 2018, a big hug from Ando, and a relaxed smile from Jochen.</div>
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Her cousin Gael is our driver, his father owns one of the few cars in the extended family. Gael has a degree in computer science, but unfortunately, there are few to no jobs available in computing, so he's trying to figure out what else he can do.</div>
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Gael and Yvonne</div>
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When we come to visit, we are always surrounded by the entire family - brothers, sisters and cousins. Someone is by our side to translate, keep track of our purchases, make sure all transactions go smoothly and take us wherever we need to go. </div>
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Ando and Maria (right and second right) watching over our transactions in Antsirabe.</div>
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<strong>Our Family in Tanzania</strong></div>
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In Arusha, our thanks go to Wilson Laizer - aka Moustache - and his family. His cousin Benuel is our driver and.00000 the van we use belongs to extended family as well. Moustache has been a broker in Arusha for a couple of decades, but with the new government no longer allowing any export of gemstone rough, they've been experiencing hard times. Despite this, his family invited us to dinner at their house and cooked for us, and Moustache, who belongs to the tribe of the Masai, took us to Masai country for local barbecue. Moustache translates for us into Swahili and the Masai language from morning til night and accompanies us on every trip. </div>
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Moustache (far right) and some of his Masai friends taking us out to Goat Barbeque</div>
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To show our thanks, Cecile Raley Designs has decided to sponsor the college education of Moustache's 18-year old daughter Brenda, who now studies finance at the University in Dar El Salaam. </div>
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<strong>My friend Doreen in Kenya</strong></div>
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While not directly connected to the gem trade, I sort of 'adopted' Doreen nearly 20 years ago when she was still in high school and trying to figure out how to pay for her education. Her aunt, a Catholic sister that belongs to the Franciscan order, was a student of mine at Felician University, and it is through her that my then department met her family. When I visited Arusha in 2016, I invited Doreen to come and stay with me in the hotel. The bus ride from Nairobi is only about five hours, and this was Doreen's first trip abroad in her life. Doreen and I frequently talk on email or WhatsApp. She is now the sole provider for her son Immanuel, but thanks to her college education she has a job that pays for the basics. Cecile Raley Designs sponsors the nanny that is needed to keep Doreen employed. Thank you, Doreen, for the lovely dinner you prepared for us during our all too brief visit to Nairobi. I will come back as soon as finances allow.</div>
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Doreen and Immanuel (left)</div>
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<span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><span data-mce-style="color: #38761d; text-decoration: underline;" style="color: #38761d;">Happy Holidays to all :)</span></span></h1>
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cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-75129623890221657562018-11-19T11:05:00.000-08:002018-11-19T11:05:44.630-08:00Sparkle the Holiday with a Gift<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: "Avant Garde", Avantgarde, "Century Gothic", CenturyGothic, AppleGothic, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Yes, it is that time again. Are you ready for the holidays? Our Thanksgiving sale starts this weekend with 10% off the entire shop. From Tuesday the 20th to Friday the 23rd, we have a special treat with 25% off all of our wedding jewelry! Our specials section will be resurrected for Cyber Monday with extra surprises. </em></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Calendars:</em></strong><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> our 2018 calendars are ready and already shipping. They will come to you upon request, or with any purchase over $200. All of our VIP’s will receive one, as well as a little thank you gift from us for being such loyal supporters. The theme this year: travel.</em></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_0843_large.JPG?v=1542139408" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></em></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Free jewelry cloths and other tidbits are still being sent out with each new purchase; we are also now including informational brochures on gems and gemstone enhancements from the <a href="https://agta.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">American Gem Trade Association</a>.</em></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> </em><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_0888_large.JPG?v=1542139447" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></em></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Gift Certificates:</em></strong><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> these can be purchased again in my Etsy shop this year.</em></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/MASTER_Redeemable_GC_DIGITAL_copy_7298e939-e27c-4cd4-95ba-9cb2c152175d_large.jpg?v=1542139494" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></em></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">And here are some gift ideas from our shop under $200:</em></h2>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Gold chains: </em></strong><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> We stock those for the holidays and offer them in 16, 18 and 20 inches whenever possible. Our green gold chains go with yellow gold, and I especially recommend any of our two-toned chains. </em></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> </em><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Beaded necklaces:</em></strong><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> They have been selling very fast lately but we have been restocking. Prices are $90-$195. </em></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"></em><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/655753749/beaded-necklace-briolette-necklace?" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_0273_6c544444-7baf-42f4-8d09-34fa74d7b9f6_large.jpg?v=1542139738" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/655753749/beaded-necklace-briolette-necklace?" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Mandarin Garnet, Sapphire, Imperial Topaz, Carnelian and Grossular Garnet Beaded Necklace</a></em></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/594983323/beaded-sapphire-carnelian-kyanite-chrome" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_1140xN.1479451687_abeh_large.jpg?v=1542298666" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></em></a></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/594983323/beaded-sapphire-carnelian-kyanite-chrome" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Beaded Sapphire, Carnelian, Kyanite, Chrome Diopside, Spessartite with Sterling Silver and Free Earrings</a></em></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/643395897/beaded-tourmaline-necklace-free-earrings?ref=shop_home_active_11&frs=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_1140xN.1617827722_ewzf_large.jpg?v=1542299048" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></em></a></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/643395897/beaded-tourmaline-necklace-free-earrings?ref=shop_home_active_11&frs=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Beaded Tourmaline 20 Inch Beaded October Birthstone Necklace</a></em></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Earring jackets:</em></strong><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> Our flower petal jackets are only $45 and now come in a larger size for $50.</em></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/jackets_large.jpg?v=1542140321" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></em></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Stud earrings:</em></strong><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> Our star studs make a cute holiday gift.</em></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_1140xN.1694038183_jmdw_large.jpg?v=1542140372" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></em></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Gems</em></strong><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">: Give the special gift of a gem (maybe a birthstone) that the recipient can set to suit their own style.</em></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/birthstone-chart3_large.jpg?v=1542299634" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></em></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Check out our Gemstone sections below in our Etsy shop </em></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CecileRaleyDesigns/items?ref=listing-shop-header-item-count&section_id=6694258" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Gemstones Single</em></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CecileRaleyDesigns/items?ref=listing-shop-header-item-count&section_id=23574243" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Gemstone Pairs</em></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CecileRaleyDesigns/items?ref=listing-shop-header-item-count&section_id=23586288" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Gemstone Melee- 3mm and under</em></a></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Shipping:</em></strong><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> We’ve actually upgraded our shipping policy, we are now shipping all finished jewelry and custom orders for free domestically, and starting on the 15</em><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 9.6px; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span></em><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> of December until Christmas, all packages will go out priority. The last day to safely order for priority shipping is Wednesday, December 19</em><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 9.6px; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span></em><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">. But we are happy to do overnight shipping until Friday the 21 st upon request. If you are ordering an item that needs sizing or any other modification, we can ship it first and you can have sizing or modifications done after the holidays. Other than that, anything in the shop is ready to ship on the same or next day.</em></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/45707972_1998230260223716_3511342820558372864_o_large.jpg?v=1542140582" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></em></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Returns: just a reminder that our return period is two weeks. Thankfully, we have very few returns, but we do understand that the holidays can be an exception. So if you are not sure about a gift, make sure you let the recipient know that a return or exchange is not a problem.</em></div>
cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-72409888890682506562018-11-19T11:04:00.000-08:002018-11-19T11:04:03.005-08:00Custom Inspirations - Earrings<header class="section-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c3c3c; display: table; font-family: "Avant Garde", Avantgarde, "Century Gothic", CenturyGothic, AppleGothic, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px; width: 656px;"><div class="section-header--left" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: table-cell; margin-bottom: 0px; vertical-align: middle;">
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Do you realize that, as a retail business, I am already getting holiday advice email from our industry? Etsy, Manta, and even FedEx are sending around fact sheets on how to prepare for holiday business, or how to boost it. For my own part I’ve never had a ton of it, probably because most of you are shopping for yourselves. So maybe then I need to think differently – i.e. propose some ways in which you can get others to find you the perfect gift from my shop, either with a gift card or with starting early by planning a custom project to wear on Christmas or New Year's.</div>
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When I think of treating myself with jewelry, my own first thought is not a ring or a pendant but earrings. I have more earrings than anything else in my personal collection. I wear a Diamond pendant all the time, and rotate between 4 or 5 rings, the rest are earrings. Dangly earrings mostly, though I occasionally wear a kite with a Diamond in my second hole. I should probably branch out to a single Hauyne or a small square Burma Spinel!</div>
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Custom earrings can be an expensive item in my shop since you are making two of everything. On the other hand, there are some fun ways of <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">reducing</strong> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">cost</strong>:</div>
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0.4em;">Use interchangeable leverbacks, which come in silver, white gold and yellow gold.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0.4em;">Use <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/598221679/14-kt-gold-diamond-hoops-gold-hoop?ref=shop_home_active_14" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" title="diamond huggies">Diamond huggies</a> or plain gold hoops instead of leverbacks.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0.4em;">Dangle a gem from a short chain behind a post.</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 0.4em;">Make one component at a time, i.e. a pear gemstone dangle first, then have another component lazered on top at a different point. In fact I often change my earrings around by adding another part or switching from leverbacks to posts.</li>
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Here are some ways in which I have made my own earring collection more varied:</div>
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In these Red Mahenge Spinel, Burma Spinel and Diamond Earrings I used the leverback itself as part of the design and added the Victorian flower component as part of the mechanism.</div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_0029_large.JPG?v=1539734707" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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In these Purple Garnet, Color Change Garnet and Zircon earrings I used my favorite oval leverbacks, my trillium connector part but no channel wire. Rather, I used a five-prong pear setting which provides a lot of light for the center gem. The basket is really low set on these and it's strongly tapered so there's no interference in the back. These come in oval also and in emerald cut.</div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_0036_large.JPG?v=1539734871" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_0034_2ba995b6-1224-40d8-9bb6-8d0a1362fed8_large.JPG?v=1539734857" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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These 6mm Tanzanite cushions are set with tips up and down as danglies, and I soldered a tiny round Diamond on the bottom for extra interest. These are among my everyday favorites. My four prong floral settings are perfect for this design.</div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_0050_large.JPG?v=1539735029" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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In These Vietnamese Spinel and Paraiba Drops I used Purple Tanzanites in Pearl Cups as the top post instead of leverbacks.</div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_0024_large.JPG?v=1539792889" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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I rarely use yellow gold but these colors called for it. Peachy Mahenge Spinel and Chrysoberyl in channel wire - for the Mahenge Spinel I used an 8 prong pearl setting which is fairly low set. It comes in round only, 14 kt yellow and white gold.</div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_0045_large.JPG?v=1539735038" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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Here's another variation on the dangly - Seafoam Green Tourmaline baguettes with handmade prong settings that run almost no interference with the gem. Directly soldered on top are Purple Garnets in low set bezels, and dangling above my prize: two 4x3mm oval Paraiba Tourmalines. I made a matching necklace for this.</div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_0068_e871cb44-0960-4e29-af2a-49abc9063d7e_large.JPG?v=1539735229" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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And finally, my most prized set, Red Mahenge Spinel, Pink Burmese Spinel, and oodles of Diamonds set in my Penelope style. With Diamond leverbacks (available upon request). Who could resist?</div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_0062_large.JPG?v=1539735221" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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And here, finally, are some inspirations for custom creations for some of you:</div>
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Red Garnet, Mahenge Spinel and Mandarin Garnet:</div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/3283_large.jpg?v=1539736415" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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Burma Spinel and Paraiba with a Chain Component</div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/2619_large.jpg?v=1539736410" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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Aquamarine and Yellow Sapphire, the Aqua setting is hand fabricated</div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/2183_large.jpg?v=1539736402" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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Mahenge Spinel and Diamond</div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/353_large.jpg?v=1539736396" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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Tanzanite Cabochons, Tanzanite Faceted, Paraiba, Diamond </div>
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cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-49335479881668469082018-11-19T11:00:00.001-08:002018-11-19T11:00:09.819-08:00Finding New Minerals in Kongwa<header class="section-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c3c3c; display: table; font-family: "Avant Garde", Avantgarde, "Century Gothic", CenturyGothic, AppleGothic, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px; width: 656px;"><div class="section-header--left" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: table-cell; margin-bottom: 0px; vertical-align: middle;">
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So this is going to be a longer story, and it starts a few billion years ago. As my geologist friends tell me, when you have a flat plateau and there’s a hill on it, you have two possible explanations. Either there’s a young volcano on the plateau – where the word “young” has to be taken within a certain context - or there’s very hard rock underneath, rock that refused to erode over the last few million years. In either case, if you are a geologist, this is interesting. Fast forward to the late 1950s when a few British geologists found this interesting as well and decided to prospect one such hill: Mautia hill in southern Tanzania. Said geologists blew holes into the hill and took samples. The dumps created by the excavation were clearly visible via satellite – or rather, the satellite images show blotchy impressions indicating possible talc schist. The geologists wrote some articles about the minerals. Initially they thought they found something called glaucophane, but later this was identified as a new mineral called yoderite.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Mautia Hill</strong></div>
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These old articles caught the interest of Jochen's friend Gunnar Faerber, a burly East German carpenter turned geologist who has a business selling rare minerals. Gunnar proposed to Jochen to make an expedition to prospect the hill, and that was the story behind this trip, which I got to join.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Driving to Kongwa</strong></div>
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We started towards Kongwa early morning together with Gunnar’s son Eric, Moustache – nicknamed because of his mustache but whose actual name is Wilson, and of course the driver, Benuel, in a minivan borrowed from Benuel’s family. The closest “actual town” near Mautia hill is “Kongwa,” located about 50 miles southeast of the capital of Tanzania, Dodoma. So Dodoma was our first destination, and “praise the Lord” the road to Dodoma was paved two years ago. So there was no “Tanzania massage” as Moustache tends to put it – the shiatsu on your behind which starts to really hurt after about 15 minutes on a dirt road when your lower back tends to be fed up. </div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Baobab Landscape</strong></div>
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Sadly, while the road is paved, it is a single lane highway (one lane in each direction) and you can only go 100 km/hr, so about 70 mph, if that. And since in Africa towns are built right near the highway for better access to bus transportation, you have to slow down to 35 mph every few miles. We also got stopped for speeding (about 5 miles over the limit), the fine was about $12, a lot of money for a Tanzanian (he’s been reimbursed by me since). There were police stops every few miles, sometimes they would wave us through, sometimes we had to stop. Sometimes they’d ask for your license, sometimes they’d want to know where you are going. There were new speed bumps absolutely everywhere in the towns. Maybe the government is trying to make money, or maybe they are just trying to make the roads safer now that there are more roads. Many chickens and probably not just chickens have lost their lives now that one can drive faster – on a dirt road car accidents are just about impossible because you can’t go fast enough. Unless you can’t navigate them and end up in a ditch. This is why we always have a local driver. </div>
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Our drive took us past the turn to Manyara national park just south of the escarpment where the continent is drifting apart due to tectonic plate movement (no worries, it’s a slow process), past the Tarangire national park and then slowly turning south to Dodoma. The first part of the drive took us through flat land, then through a lush forested mountainous region with banana plantations and wild growing rice, and finally through 100 miles of wide open land with baobab trees. Since it was winter, the baobabs didn’t have leaves, which made the area look very deserted.</div>
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By about 4 p.m. we finally got to Dodoma; we turned west to the (also paved) road towards Dar Al Salaam for another 75 minutes, then headed south towards Kongwa. That road turned out to be partly paved as well, with much construction still under way. In fact it was kind of funny seeing gas stations along the way and then a few miles of dirt road, then paved road again with gas stations. I wondered how they managed to get the gas to those gas stations, not to mention the building materials to put it there in the first place. </div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Kongwa Guest House</strong></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Near Kongwa</strong></div>
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The town of Kongwa turned out to be a very sorry looking place, there were no hotels and just one small guest house for local travelers. There were no restaurants either, just some huts where we could buy water, beer, white bread and cookies. Luckily, next to the guest house there was a kind of “kitchen,” manned by Muslim women who cooked the traditional Swahili food. Dinner cost $2 a person, on offer that night was rice and ugali (a mush made from white corn), banana in sauce with meat, red beans, a spinach kind of thing and cooked okra. We picked up a case of beer only to find out that we could not drink it there – Muslim rule. “Hakuna matata” – no problem. We behaved.</div>
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While we were eating, Moustache tried to find out if there was any local person in charge of the area. We had been strongly advised not to do any kind of digging for minerals on our own. Someone told us there were arrests made recently. Tanzanian prison is nothing fun, even U.S. prisons are a luxury hotel in comparison. Jochen related the story of once being inside a police station and seeing prisoners beaten bloody, lying on the floor only semi-conscious. “Prisoners don’t receive food in the prisons,” he said, “they have to be fed by their families or try to get food through a prison mate.” So we decided to just go and look and not take anything, and also to enlist the company of a local who knew the local laws. </div>
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After dinner, it was time to turn in for the night in our guest house. “Guest house” is a name given by the locals for places to stay for the locals. Not really for Wazungu – white people – or at least not for this Mzungu (singular for white person)! There were a total of five rooms, one of which was already taken by another traveler. One room went to Gunnar, one to Eric (16 – had to have his own room!), one to Moustache and Benuel to share, which left one room for Jochen and I. Each room had one full size bed. Ugh. The rooms were tiny, electric was turned on only for us, one naked lightbulb in each room equipped with a glaringly white light energy saver lightbulb. Running water was promised but never turned on. There was a bathroom in each room, but only the size of a toilet (3x6 feet) with the “toilet” at the end of it – a hole in the ground with a “tread” on either side, and no shower. In lieu of the running water, there was a plastic tub full of water with a little bucket for flushing or washing. The floors were bare but tiled, in the corner a table and an old TV, a mosquito net over the bed, two small pillows, one blanket. I asked for another pillow: “Amna” – don’t have. The most common word in Tanzania. This is also a typical response when you order from a menu in a restaurant. A second blanket? Another “amna.”</div>
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Well, having two beers on the porch before helped. And the shot of whiskey. I was out like a light. Apparently, I stole the blanket during the night and wrapped myself in it 360 degrees, forcing Jochen to put his jeans back on because he was cold. Sorry Jochen. </div>
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At 7 a.m. there was a loud knock on the door. It was Gunnar, fully dressed, ready to go. Totally hot to get to <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">our</em> hill, right now! But: we were supposed to wait for tea which meant waiting for the fire to be hot. And for some chapati, a pancake made from corn flour. (Tasty actually.) And we had to wait for “the guy” as Moustache called him, the local in charge, who was supposed to come with us. Someone from the local tribe, the Gogo. So Gunnar had to wait.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Gunnar Raring to Go</strong></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Eric Not so Much</strong></div>
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Well the guy from the Gogo was a no show, and Gunnar grew increasingly impatient, so we decided “hell with it” and go to our hill without a local guide. Meanwhile, enough time had passed by for the fire to get hot so we could enjoy the chai and chapati, together with a package of toast. Eggs? Marmalade? “Amna.”</div>
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So off we went at about 8 a.m. Gunnar’s GPS, it turned out, was malfunctioning but we had the satellite printouts and my phone was loading satellite maps as well. So we figured out which dirt road it was, drove down that road for about 10 miles, then found another dirt road toward Mautia hill. The road wound past several villages of 5-6 clay huts each, some zebu cows, children herding goats, and we gathered a lot of stares on behalf of the Gogo tribe. The roads we took were meant for carts, not cars (once when we got lost we were able to see our own tracks from earlier in the day to find our way). We can only speculate when the last car had passed through that area, if ever there was one. The surrounding area was quite beautiful, lots of open space with baobab trees, juicy red earth, dried up sunflower and maize fields. Mountains in the distance, and views over a vast and far landscape. </div>
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After another half hour or so we finally reached one side of the hill. The van barely made it up the road, we thought once or twice that we had to get out of the vehicle so it could manage the next ditch but Benuel was used to that kind of driving. At the bottom of the hill, where the white dirt clearly indicated the previous digging, we parked. We changed into working clothes – shoes that cover the ankles for stability, thick jeans or any other pants that don’t rip easily, head cover for sun, hammer, chisel. The area was totally deserted, all we saw were some shepherds in the far distance, but once we climbed up a little and then descended into the pits, we were not visible to anyone.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">At the bottom of Mautia Hill</strong></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Mautia Hill</strong></div>
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Maybe it was due to the lack of local interest in us – the arrival of Wazungu in a village normally makes cell phones ring across the entire region – or maybe it was due to the fact that there was nobody near Mautia hill when we were digging; in any case, less than a few minutes into our supposed “looking only” expedition, Gunnar and Jochen got the better of themselves and started collecting rocks. First they filled ziplock bags, then the ziplock bags wandered into sandbags, bag after bag. The bottom of the hill took us past deposits of talc schist with deposits of quartz, kyanite and the expected yoderite or what looked like it, dark violet crystals on black host rock. After further prospecting, they also found quartz colored by piemontite.</div>
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After a couple hours of prospecting, and a nice nap on the back seat of the car on my part, Gunnar and Jochen seemed satisfied with their discoveries and we headed back. On the way, we noticed more white piles of rock on the other side of the path, indicating another pit. But it was too late in the day to explore it. We were tired, hungry and full of dirt and sand. Given the satellite image, we believed ourselves to be near a tarmac road so once we got down from the hill, we instructed Benuel not to turn in the direction of Kongwa. We also thought it better not to be seen back in town with all of our bags of rocks. </div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Gunnar and Jochen Prospecting</strong></div>
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Well, things didn’t go as planned. Moustache had expected us to return to Kongwa and had consequently left his and Benuel’s bags in the guest house. Initially we had expected the same as we didn’t think that the prospecting would go this quickly, but we had nonetheless packed our bags in the morning and put them into the back. The guest house had also been reserved, dinner ordered, and we didn’t have the phone number of the owner. So – we had to risk going back.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Piemontite</strong></div>
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Thankfully, back in Kongwa things went smoothly. Nobody seemed to be interested in finding out why we were there. There were no officials, no police, just a disappointed guest house owner because we cancelled our reservation. We did pay for Moustache’s and Benuels room (the damage: $6.50), had some food at the neighboring kitchen (more rice, beans, ugali, etc.) and democratically decided to return to Dodoma to look for more comfortable accommodations. I have to say “democratically”, not “mutually” because Jochen was against, Gunnar, Eric and I were for returning to Dodoma. Jochen’s idea turned out to be the better one. As is typical for democratic systems, the “masses” don’t always know what’s best. The drive back to Dodoma took us almost 2 hours with traffic, as we got stuck behind a lot of trucks on the way. The first hotel we stopped at, probably the best in Dodoma, was not accommodating – they didn’t have any rooms left. We had no choice but to look for another. As a result, we got lost in Dodoma while I was desperately trying to download hotel options with crappy internet. We finally ended up at the New Dodoma hotel at $65 a night with breakfast, fairly tiny and run down rooms but there was fast wifi, a pretty courtyard, regular toilets and showers with warm water!</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Dodoma Hotel</strong></div>
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While the warm shower was certainly worth it for me, two precious hours had been lost. And since we had considered going to the Winza region the next day, which is much closer to Kongwa than Dodoma, two more hours would be lost going back the next day. The other disadvantage: staying in Kongwa, or near Winza in Mpwapwa, would have meant that Moustache could have spread the word among local brokers that some Wazungu were in the region who wanted to buy stuff. The arrival of Wazungu wanting to make purchases usually spreads like wildfire, but not necessarily at a fast pace. Arriving closer to lunch, by contrast, meant we would not enough time to spread the word and not enough time go get good minerals. </div>
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So, after a dinner of chicken, tomato and pepper salad (Jochen ordered tomato salad and I ordered Katchumber but we both got the same thing), grilled goat and “chipsy” (French Fries), and some locally produced wine we hatched a plan B: head to Winza to at least investigate a little and then return to Mautia hill and prospect the second pit if there was time. Plan B also didn’t go as planned, this time it was my fault because I sat up front to navigate and missed the turnoff. In my defense, we were all engaged in a slightly heated discussion about the value of a short stop in Mwpapwa and I wasn’t paying attention. So the decision kind of made itself because after we finished arguing we had already reached the turnoff to Kongwa. So that’s where we went (luckily as it turns out). First we spent another hour at the already investigated pit, during which Jochen explored the top and collected 80 pounds of stuff to analyze, while Gunnar explored yellow orangy glimmer with a pink colored mineral (Jochen thinks it’s biotite, Gunnar says it isn’t) and green kyanite in quartz, probably colored by chromium as opposed to iron manganate. </div>
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The rest of the afternoon was spent at the second pit. This pit turned out to be quite a bit larger than the first, with oodles of the quartz piemontite of varying shades of peach, pink, and burgundy and quartz containing a black mysterious mineral. I wandered around shooting some video and promptly got stuck in a bush full of burr. It took considerable time removing those sticky little buggers. In general, I found the prospecting somewhat challenging. There are bushes armed with nearly two inch pointy pins that can punch a tire (and did punch ours as we found out the next day). And other bushes aptly termed “wait a little” (subiri kidogo) in Swahili because once you get stuck, the more you pull, the more you get caught. The rocks in the pit were so full of talc that you couldn’t get a proper hold with your boots and were constantly in danger of slithering down into the pit 10 feet below. I opted out of too much climbing in the area and as the guys worked their way along the side wall of the pit, instead I walked the longer way through the bush and a dried up sunflower field to the other side. </div>
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Eventually I got fed up with trekking through fields and climbing rocks. I went back to the car where Eric was watching a movie in the back seat and Benuel was resting under a tree, occasionally talking to friends on the phone. (Some things are the same everywhere.) I took out my laptop and started writing. Just as we were starting to think it should be time to return, Moustache emerged from the rocks and passed on the message that we were to drive around the pit to the other side so that Gunnar’s sand bags could be carried downhill, not uphill. According to the satellite, there was another path on that side. </div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Click below for second video of us prospecting Mautia Hill</strong></div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ip7Kr1dWhNrePh2date1KGTCmTRln87N" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Prospecting Mautia Hill, Part II">https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ip7Kr1dWhNrePh2date1KGTCmTRln87N</a></div>
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Satellites can be incorrect sometimes. Like this time. There was no road, at least not all the way. Benuel braved a sunflower field and then we gave up. He got out of the car and walked the rest of the way. Jochen, who had joined us already, stayed behind with Eric and me, and after what seemed like half an hour, Benuel emerged with a heavy bag, followed by Moustache and Gunnar with two more bags each. We packed up the trunk and headed back, all the while musing over the now pressing question about how to get all this back to Arusha once the bags were joined by our luggage, and then the even more pressing question of what to do after that. </div>
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After passing through the closest village, we turned right instead of heading back to Kongwa because the day before we had seen trucks driving in the distance at a good speed, so we surmised a tarmac road somewhere back there which should accelerate the journey. And tarmac there was, not more than 2 miles away from the hill: the very tarmac road from which we had turned off miles earlier to take the much more arduous road through Kongwa. Duh.</div>
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By sundown we had reached our hotel. Again, we were full of dust and dirt. We showered and headed for dinner. I ordered “Indian” food, which turned out to be another misnomer. Don’t get me wrong, it was excellent. Lamb, or rather, mutton, in a kind of sauce with mixed vegetables and salad. It just wasn’t Indian. Two kittens came to request part of the meal, they were probably the best kept kittens in the region, living outside in comfortable climate, protected from the wilderness by the courtyard, and fed daily by tourists. </div>
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The next and final morning in the not so impressive capital of Tanzania presented us with another challenge. Getting the van loaded. The challenge was two faced. Getting everything and all of us into the van, and unloading and reloading minerals right in front of the hotel guard. A small amount of “posho” (pocket money) did the trick and the guard watched us load with a big smile on his face.</div>
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We were off to an early start back to Arusha, or so we thought. For the first time while driving us in the entire week, Benuel got lost. All of a sudden the paved road ended and we were on a dirt road instead of the highway. We were lost for a good 30 minutes – Benuel acted like he was taking a shortcut but it wasn’t very long before I figured out that he had engaged in what prejudice clearly identifies as male behavior: getting lost, not admitting it and not asking for the way. I blew my stack. “That PISSES me off,” I said rather loudly in a serious “don’t xxxx with me” voice. Everyone in the car got nice and quiet. I pulled out my cell, checked google maps, found the blue dot, and Eric typed in Arusha. Seconds later, the friendly American lady who lives inside my phone told us where to go. Moustache and Benuel were impressed, the rest of us relieved. We found our way, found a gas station, and found a puncture in the tire, caused by the previously mentioned long thorn. One of the thorns that Benuel so carefully tried to avoid when we picked up Gunnar on the other side of the hill. But Africans know what to do about that sort of thing. The tire got plugged – from the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">outside</em>, not the inside. And it worked.</div>
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So, and hour later, we were back on the road to Arusha. On our 7 hour trip, we consumed copious amounts of Ndizi, banana, one of the few things you can get everywhere on the road. The peels were to go out the window but not in town as I figured out after Moustache screamed “no” when I almost tossed the banana peels in front of a policeman who was planted to stop suspicious characters. Generally the trip proved uneventful. We asked Benuel not to speed because we didn’t think getting stopped and getting the car searched was such a hot idea. The highlight of the trip in reverse was two guys on a motorcycle with two live goats in between them. The highlight was short, but admittedly extremely amusing to us Wazungu. </div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">It's a WHAT?</strong></div>
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On Monday, the problems of transport was being resolved. As we found out through, well, someone, goods are leaving Tanzania constantly. For instance, Longido is located just 20 miles away from the Kenyan border… People have to survive. Business is slower than usual because via this classified venue (that we tried to know as little as possible about), not as much can be achieved but stuff appears to be happening behind closed doors on a daily basis. Everyone seemed to know it, too.</div>
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Monday afternoon was spent in part at Moustache’s house. His wife cooked Swahili food for us – chicken (kuku), chipsy (Fries – very popular here), salad. According to custom, a bowl and a small pitcher were handed around for us to wash our hands before eating. Most Masai eat with their hands. We were all given forks (not a knife though) but we decided that eating chicken and fries with a fork was more cumbersome than helpful.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Moustache's House</strong></div>
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Moustache’s house was surprisingly nice given what else I had seen. It had running water, indoor plumbing (albeit the “squat down” kind), a dining and living area with a small fridge, a kind of kitchen (very small) and two bedrooms. Like most accommodations for locals, it was located on an unpaved road, or perhaps path, because it was so narrow the car couldn’t drive all the way. The unpaved roads are not well kept in the areas of the less wealthy, so the ride is extremely bumpy. The house was located amidst banana trees however, with a small brook nearby, and it was quite peaceful there. Jochen and Gunnar were sorting through their rocks from Mautia hill, and I was talking to Moustache about his daughter’s future. She just turned 19 and got into college in Dar es Salaam. Tuition is going to be $1000 a year, which is far too steep for the family. So I am going to try to find her some sponsors. </div>
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Our goodbye dinner was an invitation by Moustache and two of his broker friends to the local Barbecue area - where the Masai eat we were told – for BBQ goat (nyama choma). Down another dirt road we went at the outskirts of town, all the white people in the car wondering if we were going to want to eat this food. But at the end of the rather longish and again bumpy drive we reached a street full of smoke, one open charcoal barbecue next to another, piled with meat, bananas and potatoes – but mostly meat. Behind the barbecue stands there were raw goat legs and ribs lined up on butcher’s hooks dangling from wire. Behind that, plastic chairs and tables. The meat was served cut up on large tin plates that were set in the center of the table, and with a red dipping sauce. There were no individual plates, no utensils, no napkins. We were offered the customary bowl to wash our hands, and then we got to dig in. We consumed 4 large piles of extremely tender and juicy goat until our bellies were bursting. Moustache prevented me from eating salad because he was worried it wasn’t properly washed, but the meat, chipsy and bananas were all well cooked through so we were told not to worry.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">BBQ in Arusha</strong></div>
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The last and final challenge of our trip home, aside from the arduous trip itself (flight from Arusha to Nairobi, Nairobi to Amsterdam, overnight layover, then Amsterdam to Newark), was to get our gem “tins” from customs. This required a boarding pass, so we had to check in, then go to customs for pickup, repack our suitcases, and then back out of customs and again to check in to check the luggage. This slightly unusual maneuver requires a bit of posho and the customs official wasn’t sufficiently happy with the amount offered (25 Euro), but he didn’t pull any of the usual stunts: i.e. – “we don’t have the key to the room where it’s stored,” “nobody is in the office right now,” “there’s a typo somewhere,” etc. My business class ticket to Nairobi was downgraded in the computer to coach, nobody knew why, and nobody knew how to change it, but it didn’t matter for the 45 minute hopper flight past Kilimanjaro across the border. “This is Africa.” </div>
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cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-50071513882749343962018-11-19T10:50:00.000-08:002018-11-19T10:50:34.117-08:00Visiting Kenya and Tanzania<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: "Avant Garde", Avantgarde, "Century Gothic", CenturyGothic, AppleGothic, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
Kenya</div>
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Our next destination after Madagascar was Nairobi, Kenya, where I planned a long overdue reunion with my friend Doreen. Doreen Kawira is the niece of a Franciscan sister whom I met during my teaching days at Felician University. Sr. Francesca, as she was called, was born in Meru Kenya and belonged to the <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Nazareth Sisters of Annunciation congregation. She </span>was sent to study at Felician through her sister institution in Kenya. She took one of my classes and we quickly made friends. When she graduated, Sr. Francesca confided in me that when she came to the United States, she had hoped to find a sponsor for her nieces Doreen and Purity to go to secretarial school. She wanted her nieces to learn a trade, like typing and letter writing, and have the opportunity to practice on a computer – which was far too expensive for the family to purchase. The Franciscan sisters at Felician College were not very interested in this, and neither were any lay Franciscans in the community. So my department decided to sponsor her nieces, and with combined forces we paid for Doreen’s and Purity’s secretarial school. Over time I became personal friends with Doreen via email and Facebook, and Doreen eventually told me her dreams for a bachelor’s degree, something she could of course never afford to pay for with her secretarial job (and college loans don’t really exist in Kenya). I decided, not having kids of my own and therefore no college bills, that this is how I could pay it forward. </div>
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<img alt="Doreen and Immanuel" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Photo_from_Cecile_Raley_8c0d5efb-cda2-4ec9-a28b-f447beb4cd73_large.jpg?v=1536157540" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Doreen and Immanuel (left)</strong></div>
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Doreen completed her bachelor’s degree in 2016 and that year, I met her in person for the first time. Now Doreen is the mother of a little boy called Immanuel whom she is raising on her own (yes, childcare or parental responsibility laws are not really known in Kenya). I really wanted to meet little <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Immanuel</span>, and of course I wanted to see Doreen again.</div>
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<img alt="Immanuel" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Photo_from_Cecile_Raley_bf47d303-769c-40fc-9351-df312fde4cef_large.jpg?v=1536155721" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; float: none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Little Immanuel Playing</strong></div>
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Doreen now works for Mount Kenya University in Nairobi (the largest private university in Kenya), and she lives in a small apartment about an hour’s bus ride away during rush hour. She works from 9 to 6 p.m so she’s hired a live in nanny with whom she shares the living room (her apartment is about 200 square feet). She and <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Immanuel </span>share the bedroom. Water is turned on twice a week, so the rest of the time, they have to store it for washing and such. With paying for the nanny and food, there’s not much left for anything else. So I had bought some children’s clothes for <span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Immanuel</span>, and a colorful box of plastic cubes to play with. Almost the entire family came to see me, including Sr. Francesca as well as Purity whom I had never met before. They had cooked a big meal for us: a banana potato mash, rice, chicken stew, chicken soup, and vegetables.</div>
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It was a pity for me, because something I ate on the plane didn’t agree with me and I barely managed a bite. I almost threw up on the plane (one of the worst things I can imagine at least as far as throwing up is concerned, which isn’t high on my list!). Maybe it was something I ate before but in any case, I felt like crap. I ate a little bit even though I shouldn’t have and got even sicker. By the time it was 11 I was practically passing out and Doreen found us a local hotel for us to go to, and her next door neighbor who drives a taxi for a living took us there. </div>
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The drive to the hotel near the University of Nairobi took us past a number of brightly lit billboards selling luxury items that very few people could afford (like beauty products, makeup, even cars). I found this strange because here in America, you wouldn’t advertise to such a small social group – it makes much more sense to pitch to the middle class. So who buys those beauty products and those cars other than a select few I asked myself? For most, these billboards must just represent a life that they can scarcely imagine. Even Doreen remarked that riding in an airplane was something they regarded as only being for the rich. She said they’d point to the sky and go “that’s how rich people travel.”</div>
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The hotel was another example of an unimaginable life to most Kenyans. By our standards, the hotel was slightly above a motel 6 with a hotel entrance, but it was located inside a walled complex with a guard, guardhouse and gate. The price was $100 a night, which was a reduced rate that Doreen was able to get us through her connection to the university. Even by US standards, this wasn’t so cheap, but for Doreen it would represent a week’s pay.</div>
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At 4:30 a.m. we got up to make the flight to Entebbe Uganda (layover) and then Kia (Arusha, Tanzania). I was totally dead in the morning, with not enough sleep and a sick tummy. The cab driver ended up over charging us (asked for $100 USD for the two rides the day before and the ride to the airport). But I was too sick to argue. I slept in the lounge on two ottomans, I slept through the first plane ride (where I almost got sick again), I slept in the airport at Entebbe which is newly built (very small) but where they still couldn’t print boarding passes (we got handwritten ones). I slept through the next flight as well. Then I felt better. After another long wait for business visas and a long discussion at the custom’s office where we needed to have our Madagascar gems held due to export restrictions in Tanzania (a catastrophe at the moment about which I will talk later), we finally got picked up by our arranged ride to the Mount Meru hotel. We reached the hotel in 30 minutes, I went straight to bed and crashed for 12 hrs....</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Handwritten Boarding Pass</strong></div>
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<img alt="Mount Meru hotel" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/IMG_20180731_162603118_HDR_medium.jpg?v=1536156571" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /> <img alt="Mount Meru hotel" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/IMG_20180731_162516453_HDR_medium.jpg?v=1536156561" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /> <img alt="Mount Meru hotel" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/IMG_20180731_162440887_HDR_medium.jpg?v=1536156577" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /> <img alt="Mount Meru hotel" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/IMG_20180731_123842498_medium.jpg?v=1536156556" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /> <img alt="Mount Meru hotel" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/IMG_20180731_115006173_medium.jpg?v=1536156540" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Images of Mount Meru Hotel in Arusha</strong></div>
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Current Trade Issues</div>
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On the first full day in Arusha, we had morning coffee with some of the master dealers to get caught up on the current export situation, which has changed drastically since last year. In July of 2017, the new mining act was established, which made all exports of rough gemstone material illegal. The act was not signed until November of 2017, so when Jochen was here last fall he was still able to export. The new mining act supposedly excludes all mineral specimens (because they are not facet rough) but apparently the government does not have sufficiently educated staff to tell the difference. They have hired professors of geology but these lack the practical experience, and while the mining office lab has asked the help of several of the more educated gem dealers, they have not offered to pay. Hence, they have not received their much needed education.</div>
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And what is the reason for such strong restrictions? Apparently Thailand exports over 4 times as much Tanzanite as Tanzania, which indicates that mineral rough is exported and cut elsewhere – and elsewhere is also where most of the profit is made. The Tanzanian government hopes to have the gems cut in Tanzania so that it can increase its own profit margin. </div>
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And profit margin there is: First, there is the revenue gained by hiring cutters and employing local workers, but second, faceted stones fetch more money than rough stones, even if one figures the loss of the weight after cutting into the comparison. </div>
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The problem is, however, that there are not enough cutters available in Tanzania to cut everything. One master dealer explained to us that he is cutting 60% fewer gems than before (mind you this particular master dealer has 11 cutters all of which are Sri Lankan, not Tanzanian – most cutters aren’t local and it takes years to become a good cutter). This particular master dealer said that this is still enough revenue for him, but he has also stopped buying new material, and this creates a problem for the miners and smaller brokers. Many of the local miners, who tend to profit the least in any case, have stopped trying to find new materials (and have also therefore stopped making money). Overall it is estimated that the gem trade is down by 90%. As a result, many small brokers and the miners are in financial trouble, and so are the families they support. Jochen and I actually sent some money to our broker back in April because he could not feed his family. His daughter, who just finished high school, wants to attend University but he does not know how to help her. University is $1000 a year, and that is probably 5x a monthly salary for him. I’m hoping that I can find them a sponsor, as I have sponsored Doreen.</div>
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Given the new mining act the government loses revenue of course, they make far more money from tourism, so for now, despite many meetings between the master dealers and the president, the government is holding steadfast and nobody knows when the situation will change. The hope is it will change soon but the election cycle is 5 years and most presidents are elected twice, which puts the time frame for change at 7 years from now. One person we spoke to is thinking of closing down, two others are thinking of relocating to Kenya, which would simply deprive the Tanzanian government of the gem trade revenue on a permanent basis.</div>
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From what the master dealers told us, – the main sources of Tanzanian Tsavorite, the Mererani mines (also pronounced “Merelani”) now have a wall built around them which is guarded by the Tanzanian army who controls every person and package going out. Tanzanite block C, the largest producing area of Tanzanite, is closed. Block A is inactive anyway (it has been for some time), and B and D are for small scale mining, yielding smaller production. </div>
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Generally however, from what I have observed, the current government, and perhaps the previous, are doing a lot for the country. Many of the main roads are getting paved, thus making transportation much easier. Arusha now has 10 traffic lights, up from 3 from my last trip, and in Dordoma, the capital, new buildings are springing up everywhere. So from my outside perspective, it is not all bad, but as is the case with most governments, not everything may be entirely thought through. Since the lack of infrastructure is one of the main reasons why African countries have such trouble improving revenue and participating in international trade, building roads should bring a lot of changes to the country. The Arusha airport is still in need of an overhaul, but the roads are helping a great deal. If you saw some of the unpaved streets over here which are barely good enough for an ox cart, it is easy to understand why essentials like water, food, and gasoline cannot easily be brought to the villages.</div>
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More about Tanzania, the Longido mines, and my own purchases in my next blog!</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Here are some of my ruby purchases! The Small Oval and Pear Shape are AGL Certified already.</strong></div>
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cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-75746574619486294672018-09-17T11:56:00.001-07:002018-09-17T11:56:05.228-07:00Gem Buying in Tanzania: Rubies Rubies Rubies<div class="rte" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: "Avant Garde", Avantgarde, "Century Gothic", CenturyGothic, AppleGothic, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
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As promised, let me tell you about the gems I saw, or didn't see, in Tanzania: on my second day, I spent rather a lot of time inside the little gem and jewelry shop owned by one of the few Tanzania retailers, a Greek immigrant named "Reno", born in Kenya. The shop is right inside the Mount Meru hotel. After sipping some excellent Greek coffee in his office and discussing current politics and Trade issues with Reno, his daughter Despina showed me their entire stock, where I was allowed to pick at wholesale prices. </div>
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As you know, I am by now more seasoned at buying gems, and I no longer jump at anything unusual at first sight. Nevertheless, the old ruby stock Reno had in his trays peaqued my interest. There were mainly cabochons, but also several faceted pieces that I loved. The cabochons were certified unheated by Despina's lab in Arusha, and so were the faceted gems. By the time this blog entry appears, I have already had AGL recertify two of the cabochons, and I am waiting on the rest. Getting (certified) unheated ruby material these days is tough going, and the Kenya material that I got is pretty rare. </div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">John Saul Ruby</strong></div>
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In General, from what Reno told me, not many people right now are acquiring new stock, Reno included. But that makes it equally interesting. I saw a few super strongly saturated Mandarin garnets, of which I bought two (one is since sold), but I passed on unheated pink and purple Tanzanite. All of it is also older material, and maybe I should have bought it, but I thought the ruby was still more unusual. I also sourced a small parcel of unheated sapphires, a peach colored one as well as purples and a pink purple, all of which have the liner silk so typical of material from the Mozambique belt (most likely they are from Garba Tula Kenya). I also got a pair of Mahenge spinel that is super saturated that I am quite happy with. My export was facilitated via Bimal, the uncle of Jaimeen Shaw, owner of Prima Gems USA. Bimal had us over for some amazing Cardamon tea and cookies, he still ships a lot to the US but only larger goods, not gemstone melee. And he stocks almost nothing. Like everyone else, he's waiting for the situation to either improve or fall apart entirely.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Kenya Sapphire</strong></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Faceted Ruby</strong></div>
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While selecting my gems, I chatted with Despina, who provided another perspective on life in Tanzania. Born in Kenya to Reno and his Greek wife whose name I don’t know, she led a childhood of luxury for Africa. She went to a Greek school, got a college education, and speaks fluent Swahili, English and Greek. But she never felt like Africa was her home. Despina hopes to go back to Greece where she spent almost two decades of her adult life. Back in Tanzania now for 4 years, she says she would leave tomorrow, “as I am” she said. Just with the clothes on her back and her little 8 year old daughter Emma. “I want to live somewhere where my windows do not have to have bars, she said.” “Where I can go anywhere, and just walk, not have to drive, not have to worry about security.” And Kenya is now worse than Tanzania she said, especially Nairobi. It used to be the other way around when she was young. She feels European, not African, and of course Greece is one of the most beautiful places on earth, so I couldn't blame her. And as much as I enjoy the visits, I could not live in Tanzania either. The “rich” (consider it the upper middle class in the US and Europe), live in protected compounds, and white people have difficulty moving about freely because they stand a higher chance of being robbed. They belong to no tribe and thus have no tribal protection. I look at Tanzania and I see the United States' future, hopefully a far away future, where there is virtually no real middle class, just poor, very poor and well off, with the latter being the top of the pyramid and in need of protection because of the scarcity of resources. Some day we will have scarcity of resources as well, if we keep multiplying as we have. The middle class is already getting squeezed and I do not forsee it getting better. But I digress….</div>
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Ruby Zoisite and Expedition to Longido</div>
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On our second day in Arusha, we focused on ruby, in particular, ruby in zoisite, not for cutting but for carving. Jochen had a request from a German buyer for several hundred kilograms so he had to see what’s around and make a deal for material to be held here until hopefully the export of specimen rough including this ruby zoisite will resume. He had one offer from one of the Master Dealers - Tony Frisby, aka the “doctor” because he has a Ph.D. to look at something at Tony’s property. Tony, a white Kenyan in his 60s with short shaven hair and a mumble, has been dealing in Tanzania for decades. We took a cab to hi son's house in Arusha to look at large lumps of ruby in a huge pile in the yard. Tony now resides in Arusha downtown with his “young wife” as he explained – this is his 9<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 9.6px; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</span> one. Tony converted to Muslim so he could marry more than one. He’s divorced from some, not others. Interesting character.</div>
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Jochen got a pretty low price for the ruby – possibly because of the export problems. But he decided to pursue one more lead in Mundarara (not far away from the town of Longido) about an hour north-west of Arusha. So we headed there, we were driven by one of the guys interested in making the deal. I found that in Tanzania it was often very unclear who actually owns the material or who is negotiating for it (or if more than one person owns stuff). </div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Longido Region</strong></div>
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<img alt="On our way to Longido" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/on_the_way_to_longido_medium.jpg?v=1536162130" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /> <img alt="On our way to Longido" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/on_the_way_to_longido_2_medium.jpg?v=1536162153" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /> <img alt="On our way to Longido" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/on_the_way_to_longido_3_medium.jpg?v=1536162169" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Mundarara</strong></div>
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We turned off the tarmac road (the paved road) just past Longido onto a dirt road which we followed for about another hour (25 miles or so) to the actual place where the ruby zoisite was mined – Mundarara. Jochen noticed that in the years since he’s last been here, there had been a lot of change for the better: a lot of nicer houses had been built – brick houses with actual roofs, larger in size – and the mining area itself was closed off properly. There were a lot of new buildings and many of the original huts were empty. Of course it was still on an unpaved dirt road and from our perspective it looked extremely poor, but it wasn't what it was for the people a few years ago. So the money that was made from selling the ruby was actually going back to the town itself which was extremely nice to see! Anything and everything was being sifted through, old pits close and new ones open at a high pace.</div>
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For Jochen to make a transaction with anyone here, we first had to make ourselves known to the person in charge, possibly the chief of the area. We drove to the end of town and Moustache our broker, a Masai who was well known among the locals for his connections to dealers in Arusha, figured out who we need to clear our presence with. As we waited, consuming copious bananas and fresh pineapple, several people pointed at my cell phone to be photographed. I did that not realizing they were hoping for money. Duh. I had no Tanzanian shillings on me so I couldn’t pay but the issue wasn’t pressed. This was a good thing. I felt kind of guilty. Generally though we were asked not to take photos until we talked to the person in charge. The mining areas are fiercely protected. I took some secret video though with my cell phone.</div>
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After some time, possibly close to an hour, of waiting around, a guy appeared, shook hands with us and said everything was all good and we could proceed. So we went to a property where the ruby was piled up (imagine a construction site about 30x10 feet) and Jochen stomped around on it looking at various pieces. He decided it was good enough and so negotiations could commence. No actual trade was facilitated at the time however. </div>
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cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-57494981371474961692018-08-16T12:42:00.001-07:002018-08-16T12:42:57.278-07:00Travels to Antsirabe and Local Gem Buying (Part II)<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 1em;">
After a 4:30 a.m. morning rise (for which neither of our alarms rang but Jochen appeared to have an internal clock), we made our way to the ferry terminal for the 6 a.m. ferry to the mainland town of Anify. The ferry was big enough for exactly two cars, and it went as fast as a turtle. So it took us two hours to reach Anify which was perhaps a distance of 10km. But it allowed for a beautiful morning view of the sunrise and a nice nap on the backseat of the 4-wheel Toyota with the “tuk tuk” of the ferry engine and the slight waves lulling me to sleep. Upon arrival we bought some (non Dunkin) donuts, freshly made from rice flour and soaked in sugar syrup. Beats Dunkin any day – not that anyone over here had ever heard of Dunkin Donuts, or any other chain for that matter, including McDonald’s. So lovely...</div>
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Here in Madagascar, street food is available in abundance. Not everyone here cooks for themselves because it’s quite a bit of work to start a charcoal fire, mix fresh dough and cut and wash vegetables at 5 a.m. Refrigerators are a rarity in Madagascar and so is running water. This is why just before sunrise, when the day begins, people cook rice and meats, make their rice cakes in shallow pans, fry sweet donuts and vegetable or meat pakoras, which they offer on the street in little booths, together with bananas and fresh cut salads of cucumber, cabbage, tomato and carrot.</div>
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The first part of our treck took about ten hours, first leading tropical forest with cocoa and ylang-ylang plants, then through open areas past half dried up rivers (since it’s winter here and dry season). Just after dark at around 7 p.m. we reached our stop for the night, a tiny town called "Ambordromamy." Gael stopped on the side of the street and asked a local about a hotel for the Vasahy, the whites. After chatting with the local for a bit, he arrived at two options for where to stay. One was more of a hotel meant for Vasahy travelers, the other more of a spot for Malagasy. We were advised however to stay at the latter. The reason: there are Dahalo, a bandid tribe, in the countryside and when whites stay in the nice(r) hotel sometimes one of their lookouts makes a cell phone call when they leave to organize an armed highway robbery. It is especially dangerous when you leave before sunrise. So we heeded the advice and stayed in the not so nice place (but I think the nicer place wouldn’t have been much nicer). And we didn’t leave before sunrise either.</div>
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<strong>The Streets and our Hotel in Ambordromamy Madagascar</strong></div>
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<img alt="Ambordromamy" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Ambordromamy_medium.jpg?v=1534342100" /> <img alt="Ambordromamy" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Ambordromamy2_medium.jpg?v=1534342119" /> <img alt="Ambordromamy Hotel" height="322" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Ambordromamyhotel_medium.jpg?v=1534342137" width="485" /></div>
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Once at the hotel, the owner proudly showed us that he had availability of a shower across the yard (one shower for the entire guest house which had perhaps five or six rooms). There was “kind of” a shower – a narrow room with a sink and a pipe leading up a wall, a fixture at the end of a pipe and a lever to turn on the water. When I tried it, however, it didn’t work. A closer look revealed a blue plastic barrel next to the shower with a little bucket in it and a sign in French which said something like “one barrel per person only." Once my brain had fired up and I had absorbed what a "shower" would therefore entail, I was also able to reason that the water would not be hot. It was wet, that is all. So I skipped the shower. The toilet “stall” was across the yard also. Another barrel next to the seat indicated the flushing method. Lighting was provided by the lantern in my back pack. The door was to be barricaded with a broom, the high gate was locked at night. Gael slept in the car to protect the luggage. Well, it was a short night anyway, sleep assured with a beer and a couple of shots of whisky from the bottle secured in Duty-free at Nairobi. At daybreak around 6 a.m., we had nice filling street food breakfast (banana fried in sweet dough, fresh rice cakes, nescafe with sweetened condensed milk since regular milk doesn’t last). I took a long and restful morning nap in the back of the car once we hit the road.</div>
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<strong>Breakfast in Ambordromamy</strong></div>
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The first part of the drive ahead of us was about five hours, back to the capital Tana, so we could stop at the hotel Mirandav, where the rest of our luggage had been stowed as a courtesy of the owner, who has known Jochen for many years. </div>
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The drive slowly lead uphill through a more mountainous region and into more dry lands. At one point during the drive, I saw Jochen throw his plastic water bottle out of the window and went “tsk” to chastise him for littering. I should have known better than to make that accusation. What I hadn’t fully processed was that just seconds before, a little boy who saw Jochen drinking the water called out to him “rembourser” – reuse. So Jochen tossed him the bottle. In the poor countryside, plastic bottles are of great value. They can be refilled with water from the local wells, they can be used as funnels, who knows what else. They are especially valuable when they still have a cap. After that realization, we tossed all our empty bottles out the window; of which there were many because we were advised not to drink the local water. Since there are little villages all along the single lane, the “highway,” you always see people walking along on the side, either on the paved road, or in the red dirt. They pick up anything you toss. It is the perfect recycling (in fact I did not see a single garbage dump anywhere here). But it is also a sign of the immense poverty that exists in Madagascar. Most people are barefoot, many have ripped clothes, you see people pushing bikes so old and rusty that they are only good for carrying water bottles or jugs, and you see many many women balancing huge loads of various stuff on their head, walking for miles and miles every day bringing things back from town or from the fields. Kids on the road often pointed to us, calling out “Vasahy” – white person. While there were some cars on the road, and many trucks, most do not have white people in them.</div>
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<strong>North-East Madagascar</strong></div>
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We reached Tana just a little bit before noon and stopped again at “Chez Maman” for pork chops and duck, excellently spiced grilled vegetables, and madeleines, all again for under $10 for three of us. Food is quite impressive in Madagascar, and very fresh. You only need to worry about things like fish or mayonnaise sitting in the sun too long, or shrimp hanging out on the boat before being delivered. So that’s why you best eat things well cooked and cooked right before consumption. I had many fresh salads in Madagascar however, they just looked too appetizing. And many of the open kitchens work hard to keep things clean and well washed, which belies the dusty and sometimes dirty looking context. Pots and pans are old because they cost money, and they get black from the charcoal cooking. Most cups and plates are made from aluminum. You only see glassware in restaurants for Vasahy.</div>
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After picking up our luggage, we started our drive to the final destination of Antsirabe, the city of gem trade and the stop for us for five nights. Other than the fact that we got slowed down trying to pass dozens of large trucks and taxi-bus’ filled to the brim with people and luggage piled on their roofs, we traveled with just one incident to report. There was seemingly dead or injured body lying in the street, partially covered by tarp, and bringing traffic on the opposite side to a dead halt. He was illuminated by the headlights of the truck trying to get past. Nobody appeared to get out and help. We drove past slowly. Gael explained that since it was after dark, it might be a trap so nobody wants to risk stopping. Plus there’s not really any police or ambulance to call. This reminded me of a story Jochen once related to me: many years ago, on one of his car trips through Africa, Jochen gave a ride to a young women in labor who was clearly in distress. He dropped her at a hospital a couple hours away. Without his help, the woman may have died. Out in the middle of nowhere, help to the injured is not an available convenience.</div>
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<strong>Houses and a Rice Terrace North of Antsirabe</strong></div>
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We finally arrived at the Green Park Hotel in Antsirabe a little after 7 p.m. only to find out that our rooms were not ready because either Jochen, or the owner of the hotel, or Ando had confused the dates. So we were given other huts (each room at Green Park is actually a little brick hut), smaller than the ones booked, and though they have running water, it was cold on that day. The water is warmed by the sun on the roof and it had been an overcast day – or maybe the hot water was just out for the day. I didn’t brace the shower until the next morning, and it was the fastest shower ever! </div>
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<strong>Green Park Hotel and a Pousse Pousse Outside the Hotel</strong></div>
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We started buying gems almost immediately the next morning after breakfast. Ando had organized wooden table and some chairs, right outside the hotel on a meadow. Brokers were already waiting in a kind of line, chatting with one another, then unpacking their wares on the table once it was their turn.</div>
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I was shown quite a bit of interesting material. I haggled over a small lot of 6mm cushion mandarin garnets from Mahaiza for quite a bit. The initial price offered, which is always “a discuter”, was very high in my opinion. Since I didn’t have too much equipment with me, I was careful in my choice. But bright orange garnets are a fairly safe buy, they are unlikely to be anything else. I also purchased two small parcels of color change garnets, a little bit of rhodolite garnet and two matched pairs of sanidine (a Feldspar), a bigger lot blue and teal blue sapphires between .8 and 2 carats from Diego and Ambatondrazaka, as well as a little bit of pink tourmaline (rounds only). I eye balled some green tourmaline but found it muddy in color, nothing special. I was actually shown a lot of tourmaline but nothing really stood out. Since I try to do a little bit of business with each broker and not everyone shows you useful stuff, I bought just a very small bit.</div>
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Grandidiarite, one of the 10 rarest minerals on earth, turned out to be widely available because there was a big find a few months or year ago. I guess it won’t make that list anymore in the near future, given how much there is. The price had dropped accordingly and as it sometimes goes in this trade, those who bought at the high got caught with their pants down, including our friend Ando (a sad story that needs to be covered in the next blog). Grandidierite is just not pretty enough to fetch high prices except for rarity, even the nicer blue colors. And having made the mistake before of buying what I thought was grandidiarite which turned out to be muddy aqua, I only got two cabochons which I can test at home – and of which I am fairly sure they are what they are supposed to be (update: both cabochons have since been tested and are indeed grandidiarite). I also risked small funds on two tiny local emeralds which will need to be tested. We saw a beautiful piece of faceted bottle glass which someone tried to sell for about $800 as an emerald. I kind of knew it was fake just looking at it, the microscope did the rest. (I saw a bigger piece around a carat which I didn’t think is fake but the initial asking price was fairly high and I just wasn’t going to risk it). </div>
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<strong>Gem Buying in Antsirabe</strong></div>
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I also examined a pretty ruby oval with bubbles under magnification which indicated it was glass filled. I did get a couple of tiny pieces of ruby that looked more promising (but too small to test on location), but I didn’t spend much just to be on the safe side.</div>
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There was one lot of peach pink supposedly Malaya garnet and some rather similar looking zircon – a gem with a peachy yellowish tint (the ones in Tanzania are more peachy, here most Zircon is more yellow). I bought some of both for telling apart back at home, the lines of people to show us things were long and it was very important to us to give everyone a chance because you never know how long they travelled. Also, the gem trade in Madagascar is in it’s infancy (or maybe “childhood”) compared to Arusha. While minerals have been available here to buy for some decades, it’s the huge sapphire finds of the past few years that have put it on the map, and the other discoveries are just following. The difficult travel conditions, and the lack of easily available large funds are slowing the development. The law forbids non-Malagasy to enter mining regions, the lack of security makes it unadvisable. Some locations can only be accessed with a 2-5 day foot march, which few non-locals are willing to subject themselves to.</div>
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The gem brokers in Madagascar are an interesting bunch. They are 90% female, and they borrow their wares from various “proprietaries.” They come armed with a price list (though they usually have an excellent memory for numbers and don’t need it), then start negotiating with a high asking price or ask you to make an initial offer for discussion. No price is fixed, ever. The brokers live off the commission so the higher the prices we pay, the better for them. Whenever my idea of price and theirs was just too far apart, I would explain that middle price is impossible. My exception for that were stones from Maria or Ando, whom I want to support. In their case, I would to figure out an honest price but slightly on the higher side. I would also try to explain what my clients like or what I can sell, but that often fell on deaf ears because the need to make money simply has priority. There is an urgent need here to earn some sort of a living and for these small brokers there isn’t a big clientele, which is why I sometimes overpaid. The downside to that is that money ran out faster. All deals are cash based, credit cards don’t exist except in the expensive hotels and even there they prefer the credit card just to hold the reservation (even at the Vanila spa, which was $150 a night, we ended up paying cash). </div>
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Once everyone is through and first choices are made, the women return the gems they borrowed and get others from different people or from their supplies. Often the result is that you see the same stuff presented by different brokers. But I have a good memory too. Not always for prices, but I rarely forget a gem that I have seen before.</div>
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More about gem buying next time...</div>
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Below are some of the gems I brought back from Madagascar and that will soon be in the shop. I have set up a section on Etsy for Africa Gems, all of which will be discounted durig the sale.</div>
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<strong>Unheated Sapphires (Tested)</strong></div>
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<strong>Mandarin Garnet</strong></div>
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<strong>Chrysoberyl</strong></div>
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<strong>Color Change Garnet, Strong Change but not pictured</strong></div>
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<strong>Sphene</strong></div>
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<strong>Sanidine, a Feldspar</strong></div>
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<strong>Grandidierite Cabochons (Tested)</strong></div>
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cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-46975996476474437572018-08-09T10:47:00.000-07:002018-08-09T10:47:13.633-07:00Madagascar – A New Trip, New Experiences, New Gems (Part I)<div style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 15.6933px; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
The first destination on my most recent trip to Madagascar was the Island of Nosy Be, slightly to the northwest of Madagascar and very close to the coast. Before starting my gem buying, I allowed myself a few relaxing days under palm trees. On my eight-hour night flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi I met up with my travel buddy Jochen Hintze from Jentsch Minerals. We had so much to catch up on during the flight that I missed out on a bit of sleep. Luckily the Business Class Lounge in Nairobi has some couches, where I ended up crashing for three and a half of our six-hour stopover (it was supposed to be just five hours but “that is Africa” as you hear many Africans say). <u></u><u></u></div>
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We arrived in Antananarivo (called “Tana”), the capital of Madagascar, on the following day, Wednesday at 4 p.m. Tana is by far the largest city in Madagascar. It lies in the central plateau, about 1500 meters above sea level and has a very mild climate. As you fly over the 3000 mile island from the West, you will see hundreds of miles of a nearly uninhabited red mountainous region – deforested in the 1500 years since Indo-Malayans first populated the island. Your landing approach takes you over the more lush region of the central highlands with many rice paddies and rivers turned red from the earth surrounding it.</div>
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<strong>Aerial Shots of The Red Island, Madagascar</strong></div>
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As soon as we got past the temperature and health check for yellow fever, completed our visa application and made it past the police stop, we saw Ando, Jochen’s longtime broker friend, and her daughter Maria, waiving to us from the queue. After many welcoming hugs, we took a taxi straight to hotel Mirandav, a small and private hotel not far from the airport. At the hotel, we were greeted by another familiar face, Mamavelo, one of the brokers from Antsirabe and part of Ando’s extensive family. Mamavelo had taken the local taxi-bus up to Tana to get the very first opportunity to show goods to Jochen, and Ando and Maria had brought some stuff for me – time is always too short and all prices have to be individually negotiated. Ando does a great job announcing our arrival to dozens of dealers, letting them know what we are interested in and arranging the meetings. So we spent our first two hours fresh off the plane looking at gems at a table in front of my room, shaded by palm trees; just until past nightfall at 6 p.m., when even the battery operated lantern I brought didn’t yield enough information any more. I saw several new sapphire parcels of blue-green, blue and pink shades, some nice rich dark but included aqua, a parcel of Malaya garnet ovals, as well as sphene, chrysoberyl and a lot of demantoid for me to mull over. I was too tired to make any decisions but I set aside what I liked for Ando to talk to the “proprietaries” about more realistic prices than the first quotes, which are traditionally way too high.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<strong>Reunion with Ando Antoniania, our Broker</strong></div>
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<img alt="Happy Reunion with Ando" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Happy_reunion_with_Ando_medium.jpg?v=1533740681" /> <img alt="Happy Reunion with Ando" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Happy_reunion_with_Ando2_medium.jpg?v=1533740687" /></div>
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For dinner, we went to a restaurant for Tana locals – Chez Maman - and where we were indeed the only white faces. I had some excellent salads, beef tongue with French fries, and the local beer, THB – Three Horses Beer. For the four of us, dinner and drinks came to just under $10. I tried to take some video, it was funny sitting at such a noisy street with cars honking at each other, buyers and sellers of who knows what arguing, tables tightly packed, and feeling completely out of place, just not in a bad way. </div>
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After we got back to the Mirandav and finished rearranging our suitcases so that some of them could stay at the hotel (the local airline doesn’t allow 2 pieces of luggage so one had to stay behind), I was out like a light.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<strong>Hotel Mirandav, Ivato (Near Antanarivo)</strong></div>
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At 5 a.m., the alarm rang again so we could start the next leg of our flight. The flight to Nosy Be was scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Just as we were about to leave, at 6 a.m., there was a knock on the door. It was another broker from Antsirabe; her name is Gitte, just like my aunt, and who had taken the bus up to see us before our flight was leaving, not realizing we had an early morning flight. Jochen didn’t want her to feel bad so he let her unpack her wares right on the bed amidst the packed luggage in the dark. But we just didn’t have time (or light for that matter). Gitte was really disappointed. It’s a five hour ride on a crappy taxi bus from Antsirabe. (Luckily we were able to buy some stuff from her at a later point in the trip).</div>
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We made it to the airport at around 6:15 a.m., and already there was a long line for “Air Maybe” – the local nickname for Air Madagascar. Air Madagascar has earned this nickname for its high unreliability. Maybe it goes somewhere, and maybe not, maybe it flies on time, and maybe not. For instance, when there’s no fuel or there aren’t enough passengers booked, it doesn’t take off. Ticket prices are equally unreliable and depend on fuel costs as well as the number of passengers booked – tickets for flights within Madagascar are usually quite expensive, but despite all these disadvantages, it is a far better way to get around than driving long distances on poor and only partially paved roads!</div>
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Well, we lucked out. We weren’t on time or anything – there was not enough personnel to check us in quickly. But we did leave. Only not to Nosy Be! Literally just before takeoff the pilot announced that we were making another stop, just north of Nosy Be on the mainland, at the town of Diego Suarez / Antsiranana (that’s the former French name and the later Malagasy name). Back in the day this area was considered a hideout for Portuguese pirates. It doesn’t look very exciting there now though. <u></u><u></u></div>
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The reason, apparently, for our stop was to drop off some cargo. Another plane had engine trouble so our plane took its cargo over to Diego. None of the passengers even raised an eyebrow about the change in plans. A local Frenchman said to us “c’est normal.” So we accepted it as normal, enjoyed the view from above, and tried not to be phased by the two hour delay (late takeoff, extra hour on the plane, and a short stay in Diego where we had to all leave the plane only to sit in a tiny arrival hall with nothing in it but chairs, and then get back on).<u></u><u></u></div>
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<strong>Aerial Shots of Diego, Madagascar and Nosy Mitsio</strong></div>
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<img alt="Diego from above" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Diego_from_above_medium.jpg?v=1533741683" /> <img alt="the Madagascan Islands from Above Nosy Mitsio" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/the_Madagascan_Islands_from_Above_Nosy_Mitsio_medium.jpg?v=1533741715" /> </div>
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At the airport we were met by our driver for the stay, Ando’s cousin Gael who’s father owns the Toyota Jeep we had rented, and who had made the entire two day trip by car. Gael had decided to use the occasion to visit some friends of his who live on the island. The original plan had been for Gael to pick us up at the end of the stay in Nosy Be, but he’s a fun companion and we were glad to have the car. Gael turned 30 this year, he is well educated by Madagascan standards with a degree in computer science, he’s funny, very curious about things and and enjoys driving Jochen around during his gem buying tours. I had already met Gael on my last trip, and we had a lot of interesting discussions comparing our lives.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<strong>Gael and Yvonne</strong></div>
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<img alt="Selfie of Gael and I in Lokobe Park" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/GaelandYvonneLokobe_medium.jpg?v=1533742830" style="float: none;" /></div>
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The Island, as best as I can describe it, is a small slice of paradise. I had never been anywhere so tranquil and peaceful. From my reading, I ascertained that Nosy Be has over 40,000 inhabitants but it doesn’t feel at all crowded. And according to Gael’s observations, it has more white people than anywhere else in Madagascar in one place. I should qualify this remark: by my standards there were very few white people here, perhaps 1 in 100. Nosy Be probably also has the largest number of rich people in Madagascar, with perhaps the exception of Tana. The rich on Nosy Be are mostly French tourists I presume, but at our hotel – <a href="http://vanila-hotel.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Vanila Hotel and Spa">the Vanila Hotel and Spa</a> - there were people from all over: Belgium, the Netherlands, Croatia, and a group of rich Malagasy. Generally the hotel did not seem very occupied for this August, which is not only vacation time all over the world, but winter in Madagascar with very mild days (85-90 degrees, not humid, about 70 at night). The hotel itself was fantastic: rooms were large and airy and equipped with AC and flat screen tv’s (an absolute rarity in Madagascar); the mattress made of memory foam and the food, which was largely French with some local influences, very good (think French brasserie with an Asian flair). The prawns and shrimp had very unique taste, nothing like the Thai stuff we usually get in the US, and the desserts (sadly for my waistline) were absolutely excellent. Every Saturday there is a big buffet with local Malagasy food, i.e. roasted red snapper and coconut chicken curry. And banana dessert wrapped in banana leaves, in addition to cheesecake, fresh fruits and crème caramel. For breakfast, lunch and dinner, you could order fresh pressed juices, tuck into a nice size buffet and get fresh made omelettes and French pastries. </div>
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<strong>Images of the Vanila Hotel and Spa in Nosy Be</strong></div>
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<img alt="Our dining area in the Vanila Hotel" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Our_dining_area_in_the_Vanila_Hotel_medium.jpg?v=1533742936" /> <img alt="Delicious Food" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Delicious_Food_medium.jpg?v=1533742930" /> <img alt="The View from Vanila hotel" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/The_View_from_Vanila_hotel_medium.jpg?v=1533742950" /> <img alt="Vanila Hotel" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Vanila_Hotel_1_medium.jpg?v=1533742966" /> <img alt="Vanila Hotel" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Vanila_Hotel_medium.jpg?v=1533742957" /> <img alt="Vanila Hotel" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Vanila_Hotel_2_medium.jpg?v=1533742971" /> <img alt="Vanila Hotel" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Sundown_at_Vanila_hotel_medium.jpg?v=1533742943" /></div>
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But for me, so far, the highlight of this trip was an entirely unexpected one: I learned scuba diving! I came here expecting to do some snorkeling but Jochen convinced me to try the sport with him. Nosy Be is well known for its coral reefs located just off shore, boasting a wide variety of marine life. It turned out that there was a diving school right next door, run by a French marine biologist and his wife, Alain Benoit and Nathalie. They used to live in the Comores but according to Alain, who was our diving teacher for the duration, the coral reefs there are dying from pollution and so they relocated. Alain is also an excellent photographer by trade (see his photos <a href="http://www.sakalav-diving.com/%3Cwbr%20/%3EGB-photography.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Alain's Photos">here</a>)</div>
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Unfortunately the money Alain earned through photography and writing was not sufficient, which is one reason why they founded the <a href="http://www.sakalav-diving.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sakalav Diving School">Sakalov Diving School</a>. The couple also operates an <a href="http://www.case-sakalava.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sakalava BnB">Air BnB</a> and they offer other excursions to familiarize travelers with the local flora and fauna. Alain related to us that he had co-authored an article about one of the coral reefs near Nosy-Be, explaining the extinction it faces and how to help prevent it, yet nobody seemed interested in publishing it. My own feeling is that magazines all over the world are flooded with articles about how we are managing to kill the planet.</div>
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<img alt="Nosy Be Marine Life" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Nosy_Be_Marine_Life_medium.jpg?v=1533743318" /> <img alt="Nosy Be Marine Life" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Nosy_Be_Marine_Life_2_medium.jpg?v=1533743313" /></div>
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But let’s get back to the more uplifting (or perhaps downlifting) subject of diving. I was actually a bit scared to be dependent upon a tube for breathing. You have to first get used to breathing through your mouth, and the sound of the regulator was very loud and unnerving to me. Add to that the thought that your “breathing tube” could easily pop out of your mouth if you don’t remember it’s vital importance while staring at colorful fish. But we didn’t dive very deep and there was no decompression needed – so if you panic you can just swim back up. In addition to that, I bit on my mouthpiece quite hard, so much so that I was concerned about leaving toothmarks. </div>
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<strong>Yvonne Diving near Nosy Sakatia</strong></div>
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<img alt="Me diving" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/yvonne_medium.jpg?v=1533743680" /></div>
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Our first dive took us to an exploratory six meters, the second to about 12 – a fact that I was blissfully unaware of until Alain told us at the end of the day. On day two we went down to 15 meters, and we saw a baby seahorse nesting in the wall of one of the reefs. On the final day I got my diving certificate which meant, of course, that I had to go to a diving depth of 18 meters, but not for very long. </div>
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I didn’t find it very hard to dive, but it was a little tricky to regulate your buoyancy, and my ears didn’t like the water pressure so I had to go down very slowly (imagine going up and down in an elevator very fast, you have to swallow hard or hold your nose and breathe out hard to “pop your ears”. Before each dive we got to practice some safety procedures, most of which would not likely be needed on these kinds of dives, but I appreciated them just the same. It felt quite weird taking my mouth tube out under water, letting it go and then finding it again and putting it back – or swimming over to Jochen and grabbing his backup regulator to simulate a regulator or air failure on my part. For getting a certificate, all these exercises are required. Ugh. <u></u><u></u></div>
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Weirdly enough, I never panicked during any of the dives, somehow I thought at first I’d want to go back up but then I got distracted by all those “fishes” and coral, sea cucumbers, star fish, lion fish and I don’t know what else – or yes a mantis shrimp, a very colorful animal. Some of the star fish and corals literally seemed like they “glow in the dark.” It’s a funny experience because even though you easily see it in photos online, you can’t imagine how colorful it is “down there.” And how surreal the entire experience is. In the end, I am very glad I did this and hope to do it again to see what else is hiding down there.<u></u><u></u></div>
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Gael, who had never been on a boat (and had only once been to a beach before, a year or so ago together with Jochen and his sister) came with us on our first day, and he was so delighted by the experience that we decided to sponsor a dive for him on the second day. Gael didn’t know how to swim but he bravely jumped into the shallower waters with some flippers borrowed from Nathalie. He told us later that when he saw Jochen and me paddling around in the water he thought to himself” “this can’t be that hard.” Nathalie explained that you don’t need to know how to swim in order to dive. There are just restrictions about the amount of time you can stay under (20 minutes) and how deep you can go (I believe it’s around 3 meters but it might be a bit more). Gael absolutely loved it – the experience of a lifetime he said. He even got a little diving baptism certificate! </div>
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On a sidenote: diving in Nosy Be is very cheap, about $85 for a day which includes two dives with the required rest in between and which lasts about 5 hours in total. The certificate, with the test at the end and a diving log book cost me $405.</div>
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The second highlight of our Nosy Be trip was a visit to Lemuria, a little natural park on the South East side of the island. The park houses over 25 different species of lemurs. They are so cute – I wanted to take one with me. The lemurs are tamed by park rangers. New arrivals are fenced in at first until they get used to humans. Jochen and I got to feed the lemurs with banana smeared on our open palms. One cannot pet them however. Apparently they might bite if you touch their tails because that’s their “rudder” and very important to their ability to climb and jump.</div>
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Our guide, a very exuberant young Malgash who was super excited to practice German, talked through just about all of my recordings which would otherwise have a very idyllic background of rustling trees and “chatting” lemurs. Next year they will have some big cruise ships arriving. Hopefully they don’t destroy everything.<u></u><u></u></div>
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<strong>Helle Ville, Nosy Be</strong></div>
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<img alt="The Streets in Helle Ville Nosy Be" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/the_Streets_in_Helle_Ville_Nosy_Be_medium.jpg?v=1533743766" /></div>
<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6z8W3Gr7oRs" style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;" width="560"></iframe><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"></span><br />
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In my next blog, read about my travels to the gem capital of Madagascar, Antsirabe…</div>
cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-37942155065595082332018-07-03T09:17:00.000-07:002018-07-03T11:06:02.168-07:00Africa Revisited - A New Trip<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 1em;">
I can't believe it came upon me so fast. This coming Monday I am leaving on my second trip to Africa. I will be revisiting some of the places of last time and adding a couple new ones. And of course, I will be looking for gems!</div>
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My trip starts in Newark Airport via United, with a one-day layover in Amsterdam on the 10th. My Kenya Airways flight to Nairobi doesn't leave until 8 p.m., so I get to spend the day in the international terminal. Luckily Schiphol airport has a funky "hourly hotel" called <a href="https://www.yotel.com/en/hotels/amsterdam-schiphol-hotel">Yotel</a>, where you can sleep in a little 20 square foot cabin for a few hours. </div>
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My travel companion, as last time, will be Jochen Hintze from <a href="https://www.jentsch-mineralien.com/">Jentsch Mineralien</a>. Jochen is a well connected Africa veteran - his first trip to Africa was about 50 years ago when he hitchhiked to Morocco as a teenager. Jochen has traveled almost the entire African continent and has crossed the Sahara desert six times so I feel safe in his hands.</div>
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Jochen is flying in from Germany so we are going to meet on the flight to Nairobi - assuming his flight from Hannover is on time! After another five hour layover in Nairobi on the 11th, we get on another plane to Antananarivo Madagascar. And after YET another layover of about a day, which we will be spending at the same hotel as last time, a well protected simple little complex just outside of town, we will attempt to take Air Madagascar to the island of <strong><a href="https://www.lonelyplanet.com/madagascar/northern-madagascar/nosy-be">Nosy Be</a>. </strong> </div>
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Attempt? Yes. Go to google and search for <strong>Air <a href="https://www.onetravel.com/booknow/flights/v6/airlines/air-madagascar?fpaffiliate=Google&fpsub=zirMzdzgzsczr&utm_term=airlines&gclid=Cj0KCQjwvezZBRDkARIsADKQyPm5D-JPawDYwAwC1E8VCxyvrW06GXPIApg-D45cZSHCGK72MKDdvt4aAm4lEALw_wcB">Madagascar</a> </strong>reviews. You'll see what I'm talking about. Air Madagascar is the only airline in Madagascar and sometimes it flies, sometimes not. When there's no fuel, that is. Or some other issue that you will never find out about. </div>
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Read some reviews below:</div>
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<em>"WORST AIRLINE! BUT one does not have a choice to use Air Madagascar when travelling around Madagascar. Among the locals, the airline company has been nicknamed Air Maybe..." 2 star review</em> <em>"The thing is, if you want to fly from Tana to Nosy Comba, there are not so much other options than flying with air Madagascar. The short flights are very expensive because they have the (corrupt) alone right to fly on some routes. They just do what they want and take their time...." 2 star review</em></blockquote>
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The flight to the island Nosy Be is only an hour, but if you go by car and take the ferry you need two days. Nosy Be has a number of "luxury" hotels as well as standard hotels starting at $10 an hour, going up to about $200. We are going the "luxury" route which is still way less money than a good hotel in the Carribean. The Vanila<strong><a href="http://vanila-hotel.com/"><strong> Spa hotel</strong> </a></strong>costs about $150 a night. The website looks stunning to my somewhat simpler tastes so I can't wait to see what I will really think when I get to this nearly "off the grid" location. (Try booking a flight to Nosy be through a site like Travelocity - Air Madagascar doesn't even exist on there). </div>
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Assuming we will make it to Nosy Be, we will stay there about four days and then get picked up by our friends, Irene (Andou) and her relative Gael with his father's vehicle, on Sunday, take the ferry back to Madagascar proper, and continue on a 2 day drive down to the<strong> <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g316107-d1026701-Reviews-Hotel_Green_Park-Antsirabe_Antananarivo_Province.html">Green</a> park hotel</strong> in Antsirabe. We will spend a few days there looking at gems and if it goes as it did last time, sellers will line up for us early in the morning and stay until sundown, or sleep in the street or a very cheap hotel (our hotel is on the expensive side for the area, about $15 a night - but very safe and very pretty). </div>
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Here's a video from our previous stay in Antsirabe, 2 years ago.</div>
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On Sunday the 23rd we head to back to Antanarivo and from there to Nairobi where I get to see Doreen Kawira and her little baby son who will be one year old this summer. I sponsored Doreen's college education and I met her for the first time 2 years ago. Now I help her raise her son (she's a single mom, a state of affairs not very unusual in Africa, sadly). Doreen also works full time at the University of Nairobi and with the help of Cecile Raley Designs and the money we have raised, it will stay that way and she can afford the nanny every month, who costs about $100 (25% of her salary). Donations for Doreen, by the way, are very welcome. <strong>GoFundMe Campaign</strong> <a href="https://cecile-raley-designs.myshopify.com/admin/blogs/88584643/articles/gf.me/u/jmg7u7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Doreen's GoFundMe Campaign">gf.me/u/jmg7u7</a></div>
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I will stay with Doreen in her apartment for one day and then we are off to Arusha, Tanzania via Precision Air (don't trust the name lol). We stay in Arusha another 9 days or so, this time at the <strong><a href="http://www.mountmeruhotel.co.tz/">Mount </a>Meru Hotel,</strong> and we plan a 5 day trip to an area called Kongwa, to look for some rare crystals that I know nothing about. We will be joined there by a German friend of Jochens. </div>
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If all goes safely, I will be back on a plane to Amsterdam on August 1st, and arrive in Newark on the 2nd after another 1 day stay in Amsterdam. I plan to do some gem shopping in Arusha as well, mostly with Jaimeen's (Prima Gems) uncle as well as our Greek friend Reno who owns a shop there. Perhaps I will also buy from the locals, this part is always the big adventure and you never know what you're gonna get. </div>
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I will try to keep you posted throughout the trip, but mostly through small tidbits of information - the internet in most places in Africa is very slow so uploading anything but text is very difficult. But I will try, and I will most certainly try to return home in one piece!</div>
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Please read some of my previous blog entries about Africa here: </div>
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<a href="https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/tanzania-part-iii-my-trip-to-mines" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/tanzania-part-iii-my-trip-to-mines</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/my-trip-to-tanzania-safari-in-africa" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/my-trip-to-tanzania-safari-in-africa</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/my-trip-to-tanzania-part-ii_52" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/my-trip-to-tanzania-part-ii_52</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/my-trip-to-tanzania" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/my-trip-to-tanzania</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/madagascar-part-3-more-gem-buying-and" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/madagascar-part-3-more-gem-buying-and</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/my-trip-to-madagascar-famadihana" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/my-trip-to-madagascar-famadihana</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/my-trip-to-madagascar-part-one" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/my-trip-to-madagascar-part-one</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/yvonne-goes-to-africa" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/yvonne-goes-to-africa</a></div>
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cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-44901916115532810192018-07-03T09:07:00.001-07:002018-07-03T09:07:24.740-07:00Padparadscha Sapphire – What’s the Story?<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: "Avant Garde", Avantgarde, "Century Gothic", CenturyGothic, AppleGothic, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
Every since Britain’s Princess Eugenie has been sporting a Padparadscha sapphire engagement ring valued at over $130,000, these lotus flower colored beauties have been all the rage. Industry prices have actually risen as a result. In terms of color, purists claim that a Padparadscha should combine peach-pink and orange tones, ideally mixed evenly (no color zones), and have light to medium saturation. But exactly how that looks is a point of contention. The ideal comparison is the Lotus flower which it is named after. Given the huge variation in both color and saturation of actual lotus flowers, it might be fair to say that this reference is more romantic than it is helpful.</div>
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Originally “pads” were mined primarily in Sri Lanka, and this is why “purists” still consider only a specimen with the famed Ceylon origin to be a true Padparadscha. Nowadays, however, gems from other regions with the same color characteristics, for instance from Madagascar or Tanzania, can be deemed a “pad” as well. Some gem dealers will refer to those as “African Padparadscha” but one should not rely on the nomenclature being exact. In any case, it is still true that a Padparadscha sapphire from Sri Lanka will command a premium in price, even if the color quality is the same as a comparable stone from Africa. Whether this is justified or not, the take-home message from this is: if a seller is asking an additional premium for the Ceylon origin of a Padparadscha sapphire, one should only pay the extra if the alleged origin is backed up by an origin report of a reputable lab (GIA, AGL, ...). </div>
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Traditionally only an unheated sapphire is eligible to be considered a “pad” but that has since changed s well. Heating may turn an originally only very faintly peachy colored sapphire into a “pad.” This should not command a premium in terms of price, however. As to the nomenclature (is it a pad or not), I would probably stay away from the term, to be on the safe side.</div>
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GIA has a very interesting article on the historical development and currently use definitions of the term Padparadscha sapphire, which you can look at here: <a href="https://www.gia.edu/doc/Padparadscha-What-s-in-a-Name.pdf" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;">https://www.gia.edu/doc/Padparadscha-What-s-in-a-Name.pdf</a></div>
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According to the report, written by Robert Cownsingshield, no reliable laboratory criteria can be established to standardize the term Padparadscha – at least not one that all labs would agree on. However that said, a color description can be given that will be used as a comparison base for color. Here’s what Cownsingshield says about that:</div>
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It is GIA's opinion that this color range should be limited to light to medium tones of pinkish orange to orange-pink hues. Lacking delicacy, the dark brownish orange or even medium brownish orange tones of corundum from East Africa would not qualify under this definition. Deep orangy red sapphires, likewise, would not qualify as fitting the term padparadscha.</div>
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This definition is best applied by comparing to what the lab considers samples of the right color. Unfortunately, some laboratories are much stricter in their application than others. The strictest US lab is probably AGL at present. </div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Candidates for the Padparadscha Label from our Collection - All Sri Lanka Origin, the rightmost stone is heated</em>.</div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_0203_large.JPG?v=1529523526" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">1.03 Ct. Sri Lankan Sapphire, 6.4 x 5.7mm, no heat Link <a href="https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/here" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank" title="https://www.etsy.com/listing/608471354/peach-pink-sapphire-ceylon-peach-pink?ref=shop_home_active_2">here</a></em></div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_0211_large.JPG?v=1529523537" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">1.56 Ct. Sri Lankan Sapphire, 7.5 x 5.7mm, heated, labeled "Pad" despite </em>heat<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">.</em> </div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"> Oval Padparadscha Sapphire, Unheated, 6.67 x 5.36mm. Link <a href="https://www.cecileraleydesigns.com/blogs/cecile-raley-designs/here" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank" title="https://www.etsy.com/listing/606275134/padparadscha-sapphire-ceylon-peach-pink?ref=listings_manager_grid">here </a></em></div>
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Now, it would be expensive both for sellers and buyers alike to have every single possibly qualifying sapphire evaluated by AGL. So it is often left to gem dealers to decide how to classify their purchases, which is why it is so important for a buyer to find a reliable and also knowledgeable source for their sapphires when it comes to the less valuable pieces (probably at a price over 1K, a declaration of “pad” should probably be verified by AGL. My own source, as many of you know, is Dudley Blauwet, who has extensive industry experience and sources all his sapphires directly. Here’s what Dudley has to say about the way he distinguishes a pad from a peach pink sapphire: </div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx8eDQ4Px1A&t=1s" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Dudley Blauwet talks about Padparadscha">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx8eDQ4Px1A&t=1s</a></div>
cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-13265328103975393952018-05-24T11:38:00.002-07:002018-05-24T11:38:57.052-07:00Emeralds Revisited – New Arrivals, New Origins and A Word about Treatment<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 1em;">
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I haven’t talked about <strong>emeralds</strong> for some time and with the <span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://agta.org/welcome/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Las Vegas Gem Show</a></span> coming up I should do so, as I plan to focus a little more on this somewhat neglected stock item of mine. You will see more of the May birthstone listed this June - belated as is somewhat typical of me when it comes to birthdays.</div>
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So, let’s start with origins.</div>
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<strong>Colombia</strong>: my absolute favorite, always. They have the grassiest green color of all the greens, not minty, ranging from light to dark greens, with the medium warmish tones being the nicest. The lighter colors (often just termed “green beryl”) are more affordable but also need to be cleaner than the darker or they don’t look good. Supplies in Colombia, from what I understand, are actually pretty good, but well in the hands of the Colombian government and gems are being trickled out to keep the market tight. My source for these is Vinod Kotahwala, as previously disclosed, an AGTA member and wholesaler who has had connections to Colombia since the 1960s and his supplies are steady. </div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_0145_large.JPG?v=1527170950" /><br /><em>Light Green Colombian Emerald</em></div>
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<strong>Afghanistan</strong>: these have a very bright and happy green, very open color and don’t come in darker tones as far as I know. I can get these in small sizes only - those supplies are hard to get and they are very expensive at more than $1000/ct for even very small stuff. The good news is that I know a supplier who has a small amount of untreated ones – Dudley Blauwet. They come in small rounds and, some princess cuts. </div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_0025_large.JPG?v=1527170961" /><em>Afghanistan Emerald Princess Cut</em></div>
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<strong>Zambia</strong>: Zambian emeralds have more of a minty green tone and they are not as warm as Colombian emeralds. They are also a little cheaper. I saw a really well cut parcel of lighter round stones this week that I was eyeing for a custom project which has since fizzled. It was going to involve Paraiba, yum. I have photos here of the project with lighter and darker Colombian emeralds. I could purchase some of these if anyone’s interested; sizes ranged from 4-5mm, prices were $700/carat. However, these are more heavily oiled (this is as far as I go with treatment).</div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/IMG_20180522_143939750_large.jpg?v=1527174595" /><br /><em>Zambian Emeralds</em></div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_0072_large.JPG?v=1527171061" /><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/DSC_0075_large.JPG?v=1527171109" /></div>
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<strong>Brazil</strong>: these are my least favorite in color because they are darker green and the inclusions are often darker piques as opposed to the whispy white feathers in Colombian material. However, these have the most typical emerald color seen on the commercial market. When I first started my Etsy business in 2009, clients on the internet were less informed than they are now and many didn’t want the Colombian color because it didn’t look like emerald, although fortunately, that’s changed now. Generally, I don’t buy Brazilian material but I certainly can upon request. It is cheaper than Colombian by about 1/3.</div>
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<strong>Treatment:</strong> there are two treatments on the market for cut stones that are employed to various degrees - Oil and Opticon.</div>
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<em>Oil</em>: traditionally Cedarwood oil was used, now it is often baby oil. Baby oil is a petroleum product and is therefore synthetic (sorry little babies) so that’s why sometimes lab reports are coming out as saying that emeralds have synthetic or modern treatment. For an acceptable treatment – in my opinion – the oil should not contain dye, and it should be lightly used – an AGL classification of “faint” or “insignificant” is ideal in my opinion. If I do go with a heavier use of oil I will disclose this and you’ll see either “lightly oiled” or “heavily oiled” in my description. The Zambian emeralds I saw had heavier oil. As to which oil is used, that is not something I can easily discern. Light oil is often used for safe storage as well, and almost all emeralds will show at least some residue. The most prized emeralds in terms of value should show minimal oil treatment in a lab report.</div>
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<em>Opticon</em>: this is a plastic polymer resin that is injected into the gem. It is permanent, unlike oil, but it can yellow with age. I never buy opticon treated emeralds, because I try to avoid treatment whenever possible. But it’s very common, it’s always disclosed (at least with AGTA members where it’s the rule) and if you are looking at any emeralds where you are not sure just ask. </div>
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Here’s a link to emerald treatments from IGS (International Gem Society) I thought was pretty good: <span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://www.gemsociety.org/article/just-ask-jeff-are-all-emeralds-treated-and-what-is-your-opinion/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.gemsociety.org/article/just-ask-jeff-are-all-emeralds-treated-and-what-is-your-opinion/</a></span></div>
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For a more technical discussion, go to GIA for this article: <span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/winter-1999-classifying-emerald-clarity-mcclure" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.gia.edu/gems-gemology/winter-1999-classifying-emerald-clarity-mcclure</a></span></div>
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Naturally, we currently stock some emeralds in the shop.</div>
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We have a lovely pair <span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/608593739/colombian-emerald-35mm-emerald-round?ga_search_query=emeralds&ref=shop_items_search_13" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Emerald pair">here</a></span></div>
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and some jewelry <span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/492357619/white-gold-ring-with-emerald-and?ga_search_query=emeralds&ref=shop_items_search_17" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="emerald ring">here</a></span></div>
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<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_fullxfull.1130367291_3onz_large.jpg?v=1527186818" /></span></div>
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and <span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/529811871/rose-gold-fan-earrings-drop-earrings?ga_search_query=emeralds&ref=shop_items_search_10" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="emerald earrings">here</a></span></div>
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<span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_fullxfull.1196941810_2om0_large.jpg?v=1527186822" /></span></div>
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And what about the little red sister of emerald, Bixbite? Stay tuned for listings and social media during our upcoming SALE.</div>
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cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-55576387809484927592018-05-10T13:42:00.002-07:002018-05-10T13:42:57.518-07:00LAS VEGAS – A New Trip, New Adventure, Last Chance to Snag Our Loaner Gems<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: "Avant Garde", Avantgarde, "Century Gothic", CenturyGothic, AppleGothic, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
It’s that time again! In a little less than 3 weeks I’m leaving on my trip to the <a href="https://10times.com/agta-gem-fair" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" title="AGTA">AGTA </a>and <a href="http://lasvegas.jckonline.com/Show-Info/About-JCK-Las-Vegas/?utm_source=cmv3-google&utm_campaign=PPC-Attendee-reg-02-26-2018&utm_medium=ppc-search&utm_term=ppc2" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" title="JCK">JCK</a> Shows in Las Vegas for more gem sourcing. As always, I am happy to take pre-orders for gems so please email us if you are interested!</div>
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What's New this Year: </div>
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I’ve set up an appointment with Sergey, my <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Russian</strong> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">demantoid</strong> connection, who will be exhibiting at JCK. He’s bringing more smaller sizes of demantoids for me this time, especially 2mm and 2.5mm, and I’ve also requested some in the 4mm range as that seems to be what most of what you guys are interested in. But I’m also switching out larger pieces I had on memo.</div>
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Same with Dudley Blauwet, my contact for <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Ceylon</strong> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">sapphire</strong> and <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Burma spinel</strong>. Expect some fresh inventory there, and please do tell me what you are interested in so I know what to source. <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Kornerupines</strong> are not likely to be refreshed, I’m going to have to make do with what I have here as there’s no new material on the market. Last time I checked with Steve from New Era Gems in April, all the rough had been sold. I know one supplier that still has some but I will only get them on request as everyone is holding on to what is left, now that interest in this rare gem has gone up.</div>
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Regarding <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">spinels</strong>, I still have Vietnamese and Burmese materials that I held back from the last trip and you’ll see these put up on sale starting Memorial Day weekend.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Emeralds</strong>: I have neglected those a bit as of late, and plan on stocking up! There will definitely be Colombian materials, and if I can manage, some of the bright green Afghani gems too!</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Tourmaline</strong>: A new shipment of <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Namibian</strong> materials has arrived with my supplier already, you will see some of those in the shop soon...</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Benitoite</strong>: With the renewed interest I am seeing in my shop, I am gunning for more slightly larger pieces as well as more melee sizes.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Red</strong> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Beryl</strong>: Haven’t had those lately but some untreated melee sizes are coming up.</div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Paraiba</strong>: Again, a new shipment is expected and I have an appointment already, but this shipment is very small. However, I am still holding back some stock acquired earlier. So for now there is still stuff, just not as much as before. </div>
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Lastly, there’s been an interest in more <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">precision</strong> <strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">cuts</strong> lately, and you will definitely see those in the shop. </div>
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Now, one other thing that’s important. As you probably know, some of our inventory is on memo – on loan, that is, from other suppliers. That material gets switched out periodically, suppliers want back what doesn’t sell, and there’s no point in it sitting in my shop. So what I thought I would do this time is supply you with the list of these for you to decide if you’d like any before they go “back home”. Gems are on sale till Sunday and then once again starting memorial day. There will be a flash sale in the meantime on some older inventory, but not on anything on this list.</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/594221452/sapphire-rounds-blue-sapphire-unheated?ga_search_query=sapphire&amp;ref=shop_items_search_19" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sapphire matched pair: </a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/594221452/sapphire-rounds-blue-sapphire-unheated?ga_search_query=sapphire&amp;ref=shop_items_search_19" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/sapphire_39d9c06b-5a3e-48f3-91bb-785976a1b733_large.png?v=1525976583" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; float: none; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/558622654/ceylon-sapphire-unheated-sapphire-purple?ga_search_query=sapphire&ref=shop_items_search_34" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sapphire pears</a>: </div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/558622654/ceylon-sapphire-unheated-sapphire-purple?ga_search_query=sapphire&ref=shop_items_search_34" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/sapphire_pear_large.jpg?v=1525975631" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/577857459/ceylon-sapphire-unheated-sapphire-purple?ref=listings_manager_grid" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">and </a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/577857459/ceylon-sapphire-unheated-sapphire-purple?ref=listings_manager_grid" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/sapphire_pear_2_large.jpg?v=1525976968" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/547568828/ceylon-sapphire-unheated-sapphire-blue?ga_search_query=sapphire&amp;ref=shop_items_search_76" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">and this one: </a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/547568828/ceylon-sapphire-unheated-sapphire-blue?ga_search_query=sapphire&amp;ref=shop_items_search_76" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/sapphire_pear_3_large.jpg?v=1525977195" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/572425427/purple-sapphire-ceylon-sapphire-oval?ref=listings_manager_grid" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sapphire oval:</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/572425427/purple-sapphire-ceylon-sapphire-oval?ref=listings_manager_grid" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/sapphire_oval_large.jpg?v=1525976648" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/557806155/color-change-sapphire-5mm-ceylon?ga_search_query=sapphire&amp;ref=shop_items_search_86" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Sapphire round:</a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/557806155/color-change-sapphire-5mm-ceylon?ga_search_query=sapphire&amp;ref=shop_items_search_86" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/sapphire_round_large.jpg?v=1525975991" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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and <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/539529939/color-change-sapphires-5mm-ceylon?ga_search_query=sapphire+round+5mm&ref=shop_items_search_5" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Round Pair</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/539529939/color-change-sapphires-5mm-ceylon?ga_search_query=sapphire+round+5mm&ref=shop_items_search_5" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/sapphire_pair_large.jpg?v=1525976048" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/542313771/aquamarine-matched-baguette-vietnam-no?ga_search_query=aquamarine&ref=shop_items_search_8" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Aquamarine baguette matched pairs:</a> and </div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/542313771/aquamarine-matched-baguette-vietnam-no?ga_search_query=aquamarine&ref=shop_items_search_8" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/aquamarine_large.png?v=1525974826" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/510631376/aquamarine-matched-baguette-vietnam-no?ga_search_query=baguette&amp;ref=shop_items_search_4" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">This aquamarine pair</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/510631376/aquamarine-matched-baguette-vietnam-no?ga_search_query=baguette&amp;ref=shop_items_search_4" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/aqua_pair_large.jpg?v=1525976890" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/561797621/tourmaline-round-mint-green-mint-green?ga_search_query=tourmaline&amp;ref=shop_items_search_86" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Mint tourmaline round:</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/561797621/tourmaline-round-mint-green-mint-green?ga_search_query=tourmaline&amp;ref=shop_items_search_86" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Mint_large.jpg?v=1525976524" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/539524569/oval-cobalt-spinel-cobalt-spinel-cobalt?ga_search_query=cobalt+spinel&amp;ref=shop_items_search_2" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank" title="Cobalt Spinel Oval">Cobalt spinel oval: </a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/539524569/oval-cobalt-spinel-cobalt-spinel-cobalt?ga_search_query=cobalt+spinel&amp;ref=shop_items_search_2" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/cobalt_large.jpg?v=1525975867" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/592585658/ceylon-sapphire-oval-ceylon-sapphire-62?ga_search_query=pink+sapphire&amp;ref=shop_items_search_8" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Pink sapphire oval: </a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/592585658/ceylon-sapphire-oval-ceylon-sapphire-62?ga_search_query=pink+sapphire&amp;ref=shop_items_search_8" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/pink_sapphire_large.jpg?v=1525975915" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/273478040/lagoon-color-tourmaline-aascher-cut-2?ga_search_query=lagoon+tourmaline&amp;ref=shop_items_search_1" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Lagoon tourmaline: </a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/273478040/lagoon-color-tourmaline-aascher-cut-2?ga_search_query=lagoon+tourmaline&amp;ref=shop_items_search_1" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/lagoon_tourmaline_large.jpg?v=1525975874" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/397929737/hot-pink-tourmaline-elongated-pear-shape?ga_search_query=pink+tourmaline&ref=shop_items_search_26" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Pink tourmaline pear:</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/397929737/hot-pink-tourmaline-elongated-pear-shape?ga_search_query=pink+tourmaline&ref=shop_items_search_26" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/pink_tourmaline_large.png?v=1525974741" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/588844631/lagoon-color-tourmaline-emerald-cut?ref=listings_manager_grid" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Green tourmaline emerald cut:</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/588844631/lagoon-color-tourmaline-emerald-cut?ref=listings_manager_grid" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/Lagoon_Tourmaline_2_large.jpg?v=1525976450" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/599511661/demantoid-demantoid-gem-demantoid-round?ref=listings_manager_grid" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Demantoid pear suite:</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/599511661/demantoid-demantoid-gem-demantoid-round?ref=listings_manager_grid" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/demantoid_2_large.png?v=1525974647" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/589948146/demantoid-garnet-demantoid-gem-demantoid?ga_search_query=demantoid&amp;ref=shop_items_search_10" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Demantoid round: </a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/589948146/demantoid-garnet-demantoid-gem-demantoid?ga_search_query=demantoid&amp;ref=shop_items_search_10" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/demantoid_4_large.jpg?v=1525975998" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/594432708/russian-demantoid-demantoid-gem?ga_search_query=demantoid&amp;ref=shop_items_search_4" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Demantoid pear: </a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/594432708/russian-demantoid-demantoid-gem?ga_search_query=demantoid&amp;ref=shop_items_search_4" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/demantoid_large.png?v=1525974633" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/595485825/demantoid-garnet-demantoid-gem-demandoid?ga_search_query=demantoid&amp;ref=shop_items_search_196" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Demantoid cushion: </a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/595485825/demantoid-garnet-demantoid-gem-demandoid?ga_search_query=demantoid&amp;ref=shop_items_search_196" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/demantoid3_large.png?v=1525975285" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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Enjoy and stay tuned on our social media channel for news and videos!</div>
cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818253424179606144.post-37010772581045071092018-05-10T13:41:00.002-07:002018-05-10T13:41:54.062-07:00What is Retail and Wholesale Pricing – Really? An Unofficial Opinion<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3c3c3c; font-family: "Avant Garde", Avantgarde, "Century Gothic", CenturyGothic, AppleGothic, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 15px;">
You must have asked yourself this question as well. What (on earth) does it mean when someone tells you that their pricing is wholesale, or retail for that matter? Technically, “wholesale” pricing just means the price charged to a wholesaler (from a manufacturer, for instance), and “retail” pricing means the price charged to retail clients (for example, from a wholesaler). But how much is that?</div>
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When you consult web resources for various markup formulas, you will see that how much more you should charge is somewhat subjective. Aside from your production and overhead costs – which can be high if you own a brick and mortar shop - and your expected earnings you also have to look at the competition for your product. As a result, some companies double their total costs, some companies triple them. In the wholesale industry, a markup of twice the total cost is a good average. By contrast, if you are a well established and highly regarded retail outfit, like Cartier or Tiffany’s, you can charge even more than triple – though don’t forget that those companies also offer an exceptional sales experience as well as exceptional and reliable products with a good resale value. When you are the “iddy biddy” neighborhood store or Etsy seller, your markup <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">has to be </em>lower. My jewelry markup is about 2.5 times the production cost, not including overheads or what I pay my assistants (so closer to x2 if that’s figured in). Sometimes it’s less, sometimes a little more. Luckily, I don’t have a brick and mortar store to maintain, so my overhead costs are lower – and I do pass these savings on to the buyer. My production costs are higher however since I do small volume and production is in the United States.</div>
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How does markup work in the gem trade? Here’s what I have learned in the past almost 10 years in gem and bead buying. </div>
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Wholesalers, by which I am going to mean gem dealers and members of the trade such as the ones that vend at AGTA, GJX and other gem shows, or those who work via internet and phone only, have less than a double markup on average. Unless their gems are specialty cut or one of a kind, your average run of the mill stuff is priced closer to 30-50% up, at least for parcels. For individual gems it can be more since that requires processing (boxing, measuring, making labels, etc). It’s not necessarily much higher, however.</div>
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<a href="http://userblogs.ganoksin.com/gemshows/2015/06/06/gemshows-gem-mineral-shows-june-2015/" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/100_3508_large.JPG?v=1524162769" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Shot of our friends @primagems at the AGTA Wholesale Show in Vegas. Photo taken from Ganoksin Blog </em></div>
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Retailers, by contrast, have to figure in more customer service such as photos, internet listings, as well as one on one service. And since they are more likely to sell one stone at a time, they have to figure those costs in for each stone, not for a parcel or larger amount. Most of my buyers purchase one stone at a time, a pair, or a few small stones, from my shop – they never buy parcels. That means that I need to process gems by the piece (pretty much), doing measurements and photos for every single stone. At a wholesale show, when I buy from parcels, I do this work as the buyer, not the seller, and I can also buy (and often do) a bunch of gems from the same parcel, which are then weighed and priced together. That is more work for me, but less work for the seller, hence the lower markup. </div>
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In short, the difference between wholesale and retail has more to do with the quantity of gems purchased and the labor provided for that quantity. It is less a matter of formula – even less of a matter of whether or not a buyer has tax ID. So when I get a query for a “wholesale” price from a jeweler who wants to get one stone under $100, I am far less likely to provide a discount than I would be for a loyal retail client who has spent thousands in my shop but who is not a wholesaler or jeweler. By the same token, if a retail buyer travels overseas to a gem mining location but intends to only buy a couple of gems , and will only make one purchase, that individual is just as unlikely to get a wholesale price overseas as they would be here. In fact, they are more likely to be ripped off due to inexperience and due to the fact that many less developed countries have no buyer protection.</div>
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Prices for gems are also strongly determined by supply and demand. Real estate is the best example for a comparison. The same house, brick for brick, or plank by plank, can cost $50,000 in location A and $500,000 in location B, where the value of the parts is insignificant as a factor in the price difference. Rather, it is that nobody wants to live in location A and everybody wants to live in location B. And when supply of housing is not unlimited (it seldom is), prices go up. In order to determine if one pays too much for a house, or in order to determine what an asking price should be, one studies not the house in isolation but the house compared to other houses like it in the same market.</div>
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/pricing-tiers-light-blue_large.png?v=1524162440" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">A fun illustration showing the wholesale (large quantity) vs. retail (small quantity) dynamics </em></div>
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It is the same in the gem industry. For some gems, supply really is nearly unlimited (i.e. Brazilian amethyst, white topaz). In those areas prices might just be determined by labor and other overhead costs. For any gem where supply is not unlimited but there is a demand – so exempting rare gems that nobody wants to buy – the price very much depends on how many similar gems there are and how these are priced. In short, gem dealers study the competition for their gems and will price according to what the market will bear. Often that is not as much as one hopes, but at times, it is also rather shockingly high. <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/539524569/oval-cobalt-spinel-cobalt-spinel-cobalt?ref=listing_published_alert" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;">Cobalt spinel</strong></a> is a case in point. For some rare gems, there is just sufficient demand but almost no supply that the price is just about only a matter between what the seller wants and what the buyer will pay. Large Benitoite is a good example.</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/539524569/oval-cobalt-spinel-cobalt-spinel-cobalt?ref=listing_published_alert" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;"><img alt="" src="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1139/4488/files/il_fullxfull.1228777462_q0sj_large.jpg?v=1524162560" style="border: 0px none; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%;" /></a></div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/539524569/oval-cobalt-spinel-cobalt-spinel-cobalt?ref=listing_published_alert" style="background: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #050505; text-decoration-line: none;">Cobalt Spinel </a></strong>from our Etsy shop</em></div>
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Also, prices can fluctuate when an area is mined out but demand is still high (i.e. Mahenge spinel, Mahenge Malaya garnet). Or prices can jump up fast when demand goes up and then level out when it is discovered that supply is not that bad (this is often the case with sapphire). Sometimes prices start out low, then demand increases suddenly and the prices jump drastically, then the market is saturated and prices drop back down (I believe that Grandidierite is an example – I am going to verify this on my next trip to Africa). Sometimes there are government restrictions, civil unrest, a change of government etc, and all this will affect pricing, which can end up being quite volatile when we are looking at small amounts. Current examples are a recent shift in government in Tanzania, export issues in Mogok (affecting ruby and spinel) and export problems with Russia (affecting demantoid).</div>
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What should you take away from this? When you shop, study prices on the internet, as best you can, look at gems in person at gem shows or wherever opportunity presents itself, but also work with someone you trust – we all have to do that, not just you as retail buyers but also us in wholesale because you can’t always test everything, and large amounts of money and product have to change hands safely. In the final analysis however, for me it is easiest to work with an educated customer for a smooth and easy transaction. “The more you know…” as they say on TV.</div>
cecile raley designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12455910333612595892noreply@blogger.com0