December 6-8—COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA: Wholesale and retail show; Gem Faire Inc; OC Fair & Event Center, 88 Fair Dr; Fri. 12-6, Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5; $7 weekend pass; Fine jewelry, precious & semi-precious gemstones, millions of beads, crystals, gold & silver, pearls, minerals, fashion accessories & much more at manufacturer’s prices. Jewelry repair & cleaning while you shop.
Welcome to the GemologyOnline.com Forum
A non-profit Forum for the exchange of gemological ideas
It is currently Fri Dec 06, 2024 3:50 am

All times are UTC - 4 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 10 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Agta Takes a stand on synthetic gems
PostPosted: Thu Apr 11, 2024 11:56 am 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm
Posts: 21670
Location: San Francisco
Lotus Gemology wrote:
The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) has recently amended its trade rules for lab-grown, man-made, and/or synthetic gems. Starting in 2025, no exhibitors may display synthetic stones at any AGTA show.

This move was made to ensure that there is no confusion for buyers when attending AGTA shows. AGTA dealers are still allowed to sell properly disclosed synthetics outside of the shows.

At Lotus Gemology, we support this commitment to promote clear disclosure and to support the colored gemstone trade.

As part of our own commitment to disclosure, our reports come in three different colors to separate natural, treated, and synthetic gems.


READ FULL ARTICLE HERE which includes Lotus Gemology's pricing for their lab reports. Their prices are beyond reasonable!


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Agta Takes a stand on synthetic gems
PostPosted: Thu Apr 11, 2024 12:01 pm 
Offline
Moderator
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2012 9:31 pm
Posts: 4058
Location: North Carolina
AGTA has never had many lab gems (aside from Chatham who stopped doing shows st all way back). Many customers like or prefer lab gems and that is a growing trend--AGTA has no influence over that, how they choose to respond is up to them.
That said, I wonder how this affects the Somewhere in the Rainbow collection. Will their displays of artistically cut lab gems also be given the heave ho?

_________________
Rough and cut classic and exotic synthetic gems:https://store.turtleshoard.com


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Agta Takes a stand on synthetic gems
PostPosted: Thu Apr 11, 2024 1:11 pm 
Offline
Valued Contributor

Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2007 10:03 pm
Posts: 360
Location: San Diego
I wonder how they intend to enforce the new policy and how it will apply to stones such as hydrothermal Amethyst/Citrine that are rarely if ever disclosed.

I saw a rather dramatic article was posted by ISG on the topic, but am not sure if it warrants such a strong reaction. I can't imagine many of the AGTA vendors will be affected by the new policy.

_________________
Paul Mattlin
Senior Manager, Online Education Division

* My posts are my own and do not reflect the opinions or policies of my employer


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Agta Takes a stand on synthetic gems
PostPosted: Thu Apr 11, 2024 6:18 pm 
Offline
Gold Member

Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 2:18 am
Posts: 1572
On top of all the other issues, I wonder how far behind the identification technology is from the creation technology. We only know what we know. The example of quartz is one example where the cost of detection is not worth the value difference in the stones.

I have a feeling that this may be driven by lab diamonds gaining such a strong presence and acceptance in the market. I have always said that this acceptance will cross over into the colored stone market sooner rather than later. There have been a lot of dealers at AGTA showing Lab Diamonds in recent years. Combine this with the fact that not all lab diamonds are successfully separated from mined stones these days and you can easily see the threat to the industry.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Agta Takes a stand on synthetic gems
PostPosted: Sat Apr 13, 2024 4:38 pm 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm
Posts: 21670
Location: San Francisco
Sidebar. Demand for synthetics.
The colored gemstone demand for synthetics is close to non-existant for retail consumers, in my experience.
But, I can easily attest to the fact that 60%+ of my current diamond appraisals are LG.

Re: synthetic quartz varieties: I'd like to hear Dick Hughes opinion


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Agta Takes a stand on synthetic gems
PostPosted: Sat Apr 13, 2024 10:01 pm 
Offline
Moderator
User avatar

Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2012 9:31 pm
Posts: 4058
Location: North Carolina
My entire career right now is lab colored stones of various kinds. The interest is definitely there and growing, no doubt boosted by all the coverage and acceptance lab diamonds have gotten. A lot of customers seem to be ready for other, weirder types once they get over the hump with diamonds. But of course being online helps a ton in finding them.

_________________
Rough and cut classic and exotic synthetic gems:https://store.turtleshoard.com


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Agta Takes a stand on synthetic gems
PostPosted: Sat Apr 13, 2024 10:17 pm 
Offline
Gold Member

Joined: Mon May 26, 2014 9:42 pm
Posts: 1045
I have noticed in malls that jewelers have lots of synthetic colored stones, and then poor quality natural stones for much more. I have always thought they were trying to get customers to buy the synthetics, where they had more profit.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Agta Takes a stand on synthetic gems
PostPosted: Sun Apr 14, 2024 11:53 am 
Offline
Gold Member

Joined: Thu May 12, 2016 2:18 am
Posts: 1572
Certain lab processes like flux growth methods for growing colored stones produce very nice stones. Combine these types of stones with the right cutting style and you have very convincing gemstones at a reasonable cost.

One of my students just cut a flux grown Emerald in the way I am talking about. He took it down to the local Jewelers Building to be mounted. Everyone there called it as a natural stone including some G.G.s and a well known gem dealer.

I just took a Lab grown Diamond down to the building so I could check it against a variety of detection machines in use by the industry. It passed as natural on all of them except one. That gave conflicting results depending on whether the stone was face up of down. That sort of makes sense because there was a problem with the gas during the growing process. It is CVD grown. This stone also was issued a natural diamond report by one of the best labs in the World. I know it was lab because it was grown in a lab I am a partner in. We have more stones like this. When we get a stone like this we put them in the safe and don't sell them at all. It would easily trade for a high price with the report, but I know the report is in error so would disclose the real origin. Even so, I am guessing that somewhere down the line it would be sold as natural. I am not sure some other dealers would be so cautious in protecting the industry and public from such things. Just too much money in selling them as naturals.

The problems with lab gems is real and is going to get even more real.

This month on Cable television there is a documentary called "Nothing Lasts Forever" that examines the effect the lab grown diamonds are having on the industry. I believe it is on ShowTime, but can probably be seen on one of the pay per view services as well. I recommend watching it. It is well done, and eye opening.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Agta Takes a stand on synthetic gems
PostPosted: Thu May 30, 2024 3:58 pm 
Offline
Active Member
User avatar

Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2020 10:16 pm
Posts: 93
Location: Canada
Stephen Challener wrote:
My entire career right now is lab colored stones of various kinds. The interest is definitely there and growing, no doubt boosted by all the coverage and acceptance lab diamonds have gotten. A lot of customers seem to be ready for other, weirder types once they get over the hump with diamonds. But of course being online helps a ton in finding them.


I would tend to agree here. I've been getting a varied amount of synthetic and real stones coming through and I've been seeing more interest in the synthetics lately with the acceptance of the diamonds in our area. Even a couple years ago when synthetic diamonds weren't being carried by the "mall jewellery store" we had a larger push for natural stones but now that the synthetic diamonds are being marketed more the coloured stones here have followed.

dchallener wrote:
I have noticed in malls that jewelers have lots of synthetic colored stones, and then poor quality natural stones for much more. I have always thought they were trying to get customers to buy the synthetics, where they had more profit.


I would agree with this as well but here at least it's probably partly also what is available en masse. The jewellery stores in the mall here are all part of the chain jewellery stores (think Zales/Peoples) and they are usually buying for all their stores so I would suspect there is a much larger quantity of stones available at lower quality than higher quality. Synthetics are plentiful and look nice so they would usually show them beside the heavily included naturals. They might carry a branded high quality natural stone line, something like LeVian, but most of their stock is "commercial grade".

_________________
FCGmA, Owner.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
 Post subject: Re: Agta Takes a stand on synthetic gems
PostPosted: Mon Aug 26, 2024 10:02 am 
Offline
Established Member

Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2024 9:49 am
Posts: 11
S. Rautiainen wrote:
Stephen Challener wrote:
My entire career right now is lab colored stones of various kinds. The interest is definitely there and growing, no doubt boosted by all the coverage and acceptance lab diamonds have gotten. A lot of customers seem to be ready for other, weirder types once they get over the hump with diamonds. But of course being online helps a ton in finding them.


I would tend to agree here. I've been getting a varied amount of synthetic and real stones coming through and I've been seeing more interest in the synthetics lately with the acceptance of the diamonds in our area. Even a couple years ago when synthetic diamonds weren't being carried by the "mall jewellery store" we had a larger push for natural stones but now that the synthetic diamonds are being marketed more the coloured stones here have followed.

dchallener wrote:
I have noticed in malls that jewelers have lots of synthetic colored stones, and then poor quality natural stones for much more. I have always thought they were trying to get customers to buy the synthetics, where they had more profit.


I would agree with this as well but here at least it's probably partly also what is available en masse. The jewellery stores in the mall here are all part of the chain jewellery stores (think Zales/Peoples) and they are usually buying for all their stores so I would suspect there is a much larger quantity of stones available at lower quality than higher quality. Synthetics are plentiful and look nice so they would usually show them beside the heavily included naturals. They might carry a branded high quality natural stone line, something like LeVian, but most of their stock is "commercial grade".



Yes, I agree with this. The abundance of lower quality stones likely drives availability and demand in chain stores.


Top
 Profile  
Reply with quote  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 10 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 4 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
Gemology Style ported to phpBB3 by Christian Bullock