Designers love that somethin’ somethin’
British designer Stephen Webster has been having a love affair with zultanite almost since it made its presence known in the market about six years ago. His personal attraction to the Turkish stone whose delicate kiwi colour transforms into soft cocoa in different lighting is its ability to complement his original creations. “I’m particularly interested in the phenomenon of colour-change stones. It’s compelling to be able to offer my customers a gem that has a point of difference in the marketplace.”
On our side of the pond, designer Erica Courtney finds that colour-change gemstones not only fit her business model of glamorous jewellery, but also reflect her customer’s personality. “I usually try to focus on what’s most important to my customer and [design] unique jewellery pieces that will make them feel sexy, gorgeous, and beautiful. My clients love to be dazzled by exotic gemstones and jewellery because they truly love owning something new, especially if the gem embodies a unique characteristic. Zultanite’s colour-change is quite spectacular because one stone is never exactly like the other. My clients get a thrill when I take them outside in the natural sunlight to show them the colour-change.” Courtney finds the demographic for zultanite is broad. “It’s just one of those fortunate stones that appeals to all age groups and different types of women.”
Forecasting colour-change
The rarity aspect of phenomenal gems adds to their desirability and fortifies their high price tag. Yet, it also creates a challenge for merchants who are scouring quality goods for discerning customers.
Alex Barcados, co-owner of C.D. Barcados in Toronto, knows something about selling gemstones with optical effects. The company trades in alexandrite—including the cat’ eye variety—colour-change sapphire (blue-purple), and colour-change garnets. He says consumers are seeking out phenomenal gems. “When we get a request from a store for alexandrite, the customer has come in looking specifically for it. If they’ve been searching for a while, they realize it’s rare. It is hard to source consistent colour-change material, which also limits its appeal and usability in jewellery,” he points out. Colour-change stones in limited supply reflect this scarcity in their pricing. “We have noticed greater demand for all coloured gemstones recently, but also an increased demand for more unique gems, including colour-change stones. People are open to colour-change gemstones, but are limited by their rarity.”
The meager supply of colour-change stones builds consumer interest for these rare beauties. And it’s the gorgeous two-colours-in-one gem that keeps them coming back for more.
Diana Jarrett is an award-winning trade journalist and graduate gemmologist (GG). A registered master valuer, Jarrett is a popular conference and trade show lecturer. She writes a syndicated column called “The Story Behind the Stone” for the Southern Jewelry News and Mid-American Jewelry News and is also a writer for magazines such as Life in Naples, New York Mineralogical Club Bulletin, and the gem trade blog, Color-n-Ice.
