Heart of Stone Studio Blog

Inside the GIA

    In terms of learning about stones, there's no better place to go than GIA. The Gemological Institute of America sits high on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean above the town of Carlsbad, California. If you've ever purchased a diamond ring that was GIA certified, this is where your stone was inspected and graded. Most of the world's great gems pass through the doors of this place, emerging with papers that settle once and for all, their value.

    But there's a school here, too, a real college, with classrooms, courses, grades, and a diploma that is one of the most sought-after documents in the jewelry industry: certification as a graduate GIA gemologist. It means that the holder is a trained specialist who knows about diamonds, colored stones, CAD (computer jewelry design), and many of the different facets of running a jewelry business. Every jewelry store would love to have a certified gemologist on the staff--they're the people who are trained to pick out the best gemstones and can tell if they're real or synthetic. A GIA-trained gemologist can tell you if that purple stone in your great-grandmother's ring is a genuine amethyst or a piece of glass. They can inspect and grade diamonds and give you a realist estimate of their value. And they can come up with custom designs for jewelry, as well.

     GIA-certified gemologists are in demand in the retail end of the industry, something to think about if you love jewelry and are considering a new career. If you have a business mind, GIA offers a degree in jewelry business management. Or you can specialize in the manufacturing end, or even study to become a professional bench jeweler--the person who sits at the back of the shop, building and repairing jewelry, and setting stones.

       Training to become a gemologist is not a cheap or easy shortcut, however. Depending on whether you go full or part-time, the program can take three or more years and costs as much as a college education. And the classes are not easy--you really have to work. It's not just playing with sparkling baubles.

    However, it is possible to take courses at the GIA without signing up for their full program. The Institute offers intensive, week-long courses on diamond grading and colored stone identification, and I took both of these. It was a great experience which I highly recommend to anyone who is seriously interested in gems.

    GIA has branch campuses around the country and the world, but Carlsbad is its home. Due to its multi-functionality, GIA Carlsbad looks like a cross between a fancy corporate headquarters--and Fort Knox. Unlike a college campus, you can't just drive in, park, and walk around. The first time my husband and I came there, we were shocked to find that we couldn't even drive into the parking lot without a special pass. Guards were posted at each of the lot entrances. But it makes sense--hundreds of millions of dollars worth of gems pass through the doors of the GIA labs (which take up half the property) to be tested by staff gemologists and issued the famous GIA certificates. So security is tight.

    When you actually register for a course, however, they're going to be expecting you. Still, after you clear the parking lot and make it into the very impressive lobby, you still have to check in and get a badge which you must wear at all times. Bythe time I made it through all of those hoops, I was really curious about what went on inside the GIA, which I will talk more about in my next post.

   

Gem shows as learning labs

   Perhaps the most important thing about shopping for gems is being informed. There is so much junk out there cleverly disguised as valuable material, that you need to have a "good eye" to pick out only the best. You need to be trained in what to look for, so that you can recognize quality and avoid being fooled.

  The problem is: How to get educated. First let me say that this type of education has a price, and one way or the other, you're going to have to pay it. Possible routes include:

• buying and reading books on how to identify and purchase gemstones
• "apprenticing" yourself to a more knowledgeable person
• taking gem identification courses
• going to gem shows

  All routes involve making mistakes. I don't think there is anyone anywhere who has purchased gems who, when they got home and examined things more closely, didn't have the following mixed reaction:

• a) "I really got a GREAT deal on these!"
• b) "Wow, this really was expensive but so worth it"
• c) "Boy, did I get taken on this!"

We all want to maximize a, keep b under control, and minimize c.  And that only comes with experience.

   Surprisingly, going to gem shows can be very educational. Think of it: Say you want to learn about pearls. I would estimate, conservatively, that I personally saw at least several hundred thousand pearls at the Tucson show. Most were in strands, so many strands that they formed continuous foot-high mounds atop eight-foot-long tables in pearl dealers' booths. Other pearls were so expensive they were sold one at a time.  They sat in little rows inside the jewelry cases. Still others were in fabulous finished necklaces, with diamond-encrusted gemstone pendants.

  The pearls at the Tucson shows came in all colors, from dyed greens, through satiny whites, to the great oriental blacks, purple-blacks, green-blacks and deep golds. Under the same roof, you could buy a costume pearl strand for $10, and several booths over, you could buy a Tahitian pearl strand for $10,000.

    You can turn this bounty into a learning experience. First, I would suggest reading up on your subject, be it freshwater pearls, or Tahitian pearls, or just pearls in general. Learn the basic terms by which pearls are graded so that you come across as someone who's really interested, not just a gawker.

   Then scope out the booths carrying the items you want to learn about and stop by when the dealers are not busy. It's not fair to take up a dealer's time if you're not planning to buy and there is someone else at the booth who does. However, if things are slow at that moment and the dealer seems to be staring off into space, you can approach. (The best time for this kind of educational conversation might be in the late afternoon, when the show is winding down for the day. Don't try this on opening day or when the booth is crowded with buyers. I would suggest starting at the more modestly-priced pearls, or the smaller dealers, to begin with. You might get the brush-off from the more exclusive dealers).

    Start off by admiring their wares. Ask if they could show you a strand/pearl, and when they do, ask them to tell you about it. Where is it from? Is the color natural? What is the shape? Start asking good questions to show you've got some background knowledge. If you make/design your own jewelry, it's OK to tell them. That shows that someday you might become a customer, if not that day.

   One thing that I always do is ask the dealer to pick out the finest pearl or strand from among the selection he puts in front of me.  Then I ask him/her to tell me why they picked it, while I look at their choice. This really helps me to actually see what the books are talking about when they discuss luster and color. I try to learn as much as I can in a few minutes, and the instant someone else approaches the booth, I thank the dealer, and leave (unless, of course, I'm planning to buy something). Before I walk off though, I always ask for that dealer's card, and make a notation on the back--It will help me find that dealer again if I plan to buy from him in the future.

    Then I take that knowledge I've acquired and start looking at other pearls in other booths. If you do this, you will begin to notice how much the quality and price varies from dealer to dealer. After a couple of days of looking at pearls, I start getting a better idea of what is quality and value, and what's not. I also will be gathering cards from the dealers whose pearls impress me.

    After you've gone to a few shows and actually purchased some pearls, you'll know enough to be able to stop at a booth, compliment the exhibitor on his pearls and actually begin to engage in the type of conversation that professionals do. But even if you're at a gem show for a weekend, I guarantee that you can still pick up a lot of firsthand information about pearls by using this approach.

   The same is true of gemstones. Say you've read about some of the more uncommon gems such as paraiba tourmalines (which are a natural neon aqua color), or demantoid garnets, or color-change alexandrites--A gem show is the ideal place where you can see the real thing close up. Again, pick a smaller dealer who might not be busy and strike up a conversation about his stones. Make sure you've read enough to be able to either make an informed comment or ask a good question, and usually that's enough to get the dealer started talking.

   The third area that gem shows are excellent learning labs for is if you're interested in expanding your understanding about cuts. Master gem cutters come to these shows, and again, if they're not busy, they love showing off their work. While you're admiring it, you will soon realize that you're viewing some of the most unusual and spectacular gems in the world, as well as seeing some truly unique and artistic cutting styles. Many of these gems are actually affordable, and well worth the investment.

    The key is to begin to really look, and listen. It's amazing how much you'll learn. And when you actually buy, make sure it's from a dealer whom you have come to admire and trust. That's the best way to ensure that you get top quality for your money.  

Highlight of the Tucson Show

    Well, I've been back from the Tucson show and am recovering from not just walking eight hours a day for five days, but also from bending over jewelry cases, staring at stones, and standing and talking with dealers. Such an experience uses a tremendous amount of mental and emotional energy, while at the same time, killing your back, neck and shoulders.

    But it was a good experience overall.  After a few days of doing such shows, the booths filled with sparkling gemstones and diamond-encrusted jewelry, the motel rooms stacked with mineral flats, the tables laden with piles of pearl strands, the racks of sterling and beaded necklaces, the water-filled pans of opals--all blend into a blur. But here and there, the faces of people stand out and become ingrained in my memory.

    Perhaps the highlight moment came when I walked into the Ida-Oberstein room at the Hotel Arizona. Ida-Oberstein is a group of German dealers who traditionally show their wares together. I had just planned to walk through, but my eye was caught by the first booth I saw. It was filled with the work of Bernd and Tom Munsteiner.

     For those of you who know fine art jewelry, the Munsteiners reign as perhaps the most famous art-gem cutters in the world. Their work is instantly recognizable: Instead of the usual symmetrical faceting on the top and bottom of a gemstone, the Munsteiners often leave the top of the gem smooth and do most of their carving from the back.  The usual star-shaped facets are replaced by an abstract design of lines, angles, even curves that explode across the back of the gem and are magnified by the polished front. Each gem is unique. If you are not familiar with their work, I urge you to stop by this web page which has a great writeup and pictures: http://www.khulsey.com/jewelry/atelier_munsteiner.html

     The Munsteiners are a family of cutters, and the man who pioneered this whole type of cutting was the father, Bernd Munsteiner. His sons followed him into the business, and the work I was viewing in the booth was primarily the work of son Tom. Bernd's work is the most famous; he has been named "the Picasso of gemcutters."

    So it's easy to see why I was immediately riveted. The cases held magnificent loose stones, as well as gems set into jewelry. The finished jewelry was simple and elegant in design, so as to focus attention on the stone, not compete with it. (I later learned that much of the jewelry is designed by Tom's wife. To go to their website, which has a huge number of photos of their work, click: http://www.munsteiner-cut.de/english.html)

    Everything other thought dropped out of my head as I peered into the case, drinking in the stones. I had seen jewelry by Bernd Munsteiner in Carmel, CA, at the Ladyfingers gallery, as well as some huge crystal carvings at the Exposures Gallery in Sedona, AZ, but I had never seen such an extensive collection as the one in this booth. There was someone standing inside the booth, but I didn't even look up at them. I was too entranced by the stones.

    Having taken in the jewels in the front of the booth, I went over to the side case to view those pieces. The person behind the case said, "May I help you?"  Gaze still riveted on the stones, I answered, "I just had to come look at the Munsteiner's work. It is so beautiful, it's like going to a museum. Like all great art, it feeds the soul, you know?" Finally I looked up at the man staffing the booth, and then at his nametag, and realized I was talking to none other than Bernd Munsteiner himself!

    I was floored. Mr. Munsteiner's English was impeccable, and he was very gracious, answering my questions and taking stones out of his booth to show me as we talked. He currently is semi-retired, but keeps a hand in the business, "helping out," as he modestly terms it. He told me that he started out learning gem cutting from his father, as his father had learned from his father before him. He learned the geology of gemstones, as well as the traditional ways of cutting them.

   "You were the pioneer in this new type of cutting," I observed. "How did you break away from the traditional way of doing things?" He replied demurely that he had a dream, and followed it. "How did you create your designs?" I asked. He said, "I know the crystal; I follow the crystal; the crystal tells me what I can do." This I took to mean that he understood the crystallography, the internal structure, of each type of gemstone with which he worked, and that determined the types of cuts he could make.

    When I told him how much I admired his work for its orginality, he replied, "There are no new designs. All designs originate in Nature. Nature is the great designer."

    All told, we spent about ten precious minutes together as he showed off his son Tom's recent work, including a huge round rutilated quartz pendant that included fine lines cut into the back to highlight and complement the bold grouping of red rutiles, as well as sandblasted portions that expanded the design. I walked away from the booth with my spirit refreshed and enriched. That was the highlight of my time at the Tucson show.

report from the show

    Reporting Live from the Tuscon Gem Show:  I noticed it first when waiting in line at AGTA...Last year there was a big crowd standing and waiting a half-hour before the show opened. This year, I was just one of a handful of early birds. A crowd did form in the minutes before opening, but it seemed smaller than last year. Then, looking around GJX and Riverpark Inn the afternoon of opening day, I was surprised that I could navigate my way through down relatively open aisles. Opening day attendance for these shows seems to be down this year, at least from my point of view.

        Today the G&LW show opens at the Holidome, so we'll see if there are packed aisles there. I heard someone mention that people might be waiting to come to Tucson until all the shows are opened so they can see them all in a short period of time, but I don't know about that. Another person said they've stayed for two weeks and they still haven't hit all the shows. Hard to tell about the big picture. But some of my favorite small wholesale dealers aren't here---They've built a base of customers who order throughout the year, so they feel it's no longer necessary to shell out the big bucks for a booth rental in Tucson. Other dealers have gambled big that Tucson will bring them customers, enough to rent booths at more than one venue.

    More than one buyer has decided to stay home. Motels routinely jack up their prices for the show, and paying $130 a night for a room is considered a bargain. Marriott's Starr Pass resort was advertising a show special rate of about $260 a night for its rooms. Stay five or more nights, include airfare if you're out of state, plus meals (including a $7 turkey sub sandwich at one of the venues), and things add up quickly.

     Hmm...Maybe it's smarter to stay at home and buy off the website of people like me!