Tucson 2013: Gemstone classics and exotics entice buyers

by charlene_voisin | May 1, 2013 9:00 am

By Diana Jarrett

[1]

Every Tucson GemFair develops its distinct persona, evolving from a fusion of economics, supply, new finds, and a marketing behemoth that fuels demand. This year was no different, with exhibitors characterizing the mood as upbeat and confident, and retailers looking to pick up old favourites and lesser-knowns alike.

Douglas K. Hucker, American Gem Trade Association’s (AGTA’s) chief executive officer (CEO), says the 29th annual Spectrum Awards mirrored the interest designers are currently placing on coloured stones. “We’ve seen trends for high-quality ruby, sapphire, and emerald in traditional settings,” he pointed out. “For instance, (one of the awards went to) a 13-carat Burmese cabochon ruby; that’s a strong commitment to tradition.” But surprisingly on the other end of the spectrum, he said “drusy has found favour with designers who sell to the organic jewellery consumer.”

Coloured stone expert, Richard Drucker of GemWorld International, says emeralds are doing well, although other classic coloured stones received mixed reviews. While fancy sapphires are trending, he cautioned that ruby has taken a hit, given a proliferation of glass-filled material being sold without disclosure. However, Tucson customers buy at all price points, and Drucker says he found other sweet spots, too. “A few interesting gems were introduced to customers this year like agate, zircon, iolite, sphene, and scapolite. All are affordable.”

Omi Gem’s director of marketing, Natalie Weisiger, sees classic stones like ruby and sapphire being top sellers. “And with strong consumer demand, it’s also becoming more difficult to find quality matching rubies and fine sapphire rounds,” she adds.

This year’s colour burst was due in part to diamond price hikes and supply shortages in the magic sizes like half, three-quarter, and one carats used for bridal jewellery. The result is coloured stones are being combined with one another, rather than accented with diamonds. Drucker adds, “With the higher price of diamonds, many gemstones are being used as alternates for centres. The traditional diamond centre is not always the case anymore.”

Colour confidence

[2]

Diamonds are fine, says Best Bargains CEO, Anita Agrawal, but they’re not everything to jewellery collectors. The Toronto-based company exports Canadian-made value-priced jewellery to more than 30 countries, so it’s a keen tracker of emerging trends that favour adding three to five different coloured stones on a single item. This year, some of their most popular sellers were large carat-sized, all-gemstone dangle earrings. Multicoloured gemstone jewellery actually broadens their utility with collectors who can find at least one colour from the piece to match the clothing they’ll wear.

Similarly, perennial couture exhibitor Paula Crevoshay brought bold-sized rings, as well as dramatically proportioned earrings and pendants, all colour-on-colour. An early adapter of incorporating analogous colours in a single piece, Crevoshay’s lavish use of gemstones in her collection reflects her painterly background and the use of colour to assist with the impression of an item’s dimension. One of her offerings, a flower-motif pendant, placed amethyst, kunzite, purple sapphire, and ruby on a single piece in an arrangement that lent a realistic sense of depth and perspective to it.

When the economic mood brightens, buyers usually venture back into high-ticket precious stones, knowing their tony customers are eager to collect again.

Weisiger explains, “We’ve found recently that fine sapphire and quality alexandrite are doing very well. There has definitely been an increase in higher-end sales for coloured stone designs, as people seem to be searching out both rarity and quality.”

[3]

Red carpet watchers have witnessed a definite shuffle away from diamond-draped celebrities. Daring designers now turn out bold couture jewels in exotics like chrysoprase or labradorite, stones with which the general population is not familiar. “Coloured gemstones have been gaining popularity in the media for quite a while and it seems like consumer demand for colour is finally catching up. We feel the demand for bright and fun colour will remain strong throughout the coming years,” Weisiger predicts.

At Tucson, Omi has been a consistent source of rare stones like alexandrite. “Since there is not much new fine alexandrite being produced, consumers are drawn to invest in this stone now,” Weisiger says. “Motivation for retailer purchase is driven by customer demand.” And most retailers came looking for specific sizes and shapes to accommodate the design their customer wanted.

The big buzz

Although not a new type of adornment, big cuffs produced in a wild mix of metals, stones, and designs dominated the show in the finished goods department. When the economy tanked, people wore subdued fashion, with unassertive accessories. This year, it’s a new deal and a new feel. Vendors flaunted dazzling cuffs with price tags climbing into the six figures. These audacious pieces demand attention, infusing the wearer with confidence and a nuance of power.

Designer Loretta Castoro witnessed the highly competitive spirit with wide cuffs amongst other exhibitors. After inspecting her cuffs, some manufacturers wondered aloud how she could have constructed hers so large, she reports. Nevertheless, customers were buying important pricier gold cuffs from her, even overtaking her silver collection.

Todd Reed’s signature style of organic gem-encrusted jewels included exciting cuffs in bodacious proportions, but never cliché. He shares his own take on what makes them must-haves now. “Cuffs are dramatic and strong. The scale can be large, so larger designs are more accepted. I think a woman’s forearms are very sexy, the wrist, too. A cuff is a fabulous statement piece for any woman.”

The same thing, but different

[4]

Girls like pearls and Tucson sells plenty of them. The tricky part is giving pearl fans a reason to keep collecting. So purveyors scour the ends of the earth looking for new sources and varieties of these bi-valve beauties.

Jack Lynch, owner of Sea Hunt Pearls in San Francisco, treks the pearl quest. “I hand-picked through a large group of beautiful 15- to 18-mm bead-nucleated baroques that I found on my last trip. These had incredible lustre in colours I have never seen before.” But stocking these treasures in quantity isn’t easy. “The main issue affecting the markets is on the supply side, and this is in all areas of the pearl-producing world, especially with freshwater and Tahitian pearls.”

Exotic Japanese freshwater Kasumiga pearls have stirred worship-like devotion amongst fans, making pearl farmers scramble to develop something similar or even better. Sea Hunt’s bead-nucleated Chinese version of the striking freshwater pearl disappeared quickly at the top of the show. The most prominent distinguishing feature from their Japanese counterpart is their skin—the nacre appears noticeably textured with a metallic lustre. Pre-show buzz about the untreated ‘fireball’ pearls was also warranted. The deep-toned 15-mm orbs with green-gold overtones inspired delightful possibilities for one-off designers.

Who needs what where?

Nikki Makepeace, sales manager for Jade West, tells Jewellery Business, “The popularity of Canadian jade at the Tucson show was driven mainly by the demands of Asian clients, and primarily the Chinese, who want high-quality nephrite for jewellery purposes.” The soaring demand affects pricing and supply, she reports. “We have seen a ten-fold increase in the price of fine nephrite jade products over the past five years and demand remains extremely strong.” A decade back, Makepeace says it was nearly impossible to find Canadian jade jewellery for sale in China. “Now it’s found throughout major jewellery shopping areas of Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.” She found that savvy Chinese tourists travelling to North America are anxious to buy Canadian jade at the source. Makepeace points out that “over half of our Tucson sales were to customers wanting to offer jade to Chinese clients.”

[5]

U.S.-based retailer Jewelry Television (JTV) sources unusual and underexploited gemstones at Tucson annually that fit into its business model as a reseller of exotics and hard-to-find stones. Jay Boyle has been scouting gems for JTV at the show for more than a decade. He observed that prices for more widely known stones like blue sapphire, tourmaline, and tanzanite have stayed strong in light of diminishing supply and rising demand from emerging regions.

So how’d it go?

With pricey goods vying for a place of pride amongst vendors, pairing a good story with a piece added the right amount of cachet. Castoro’s ‘Big Kiss’ ruby lips ring spoke to buyers in different ways depending on their age group. One customer saw it as homage to Dali, another reminisced over vintage Rolling Stones, while others just loved a big kiss.

A strong showing at GemFair bodes well for the selling season ahead. Confidence among retailers in their buying hopefully foretells brisk sales at the counter. With the Vegas shows upon us, all eyes will be on retailer traffic and the strength of Christmas orders.

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.

Source URL: https://www.jewellerybusiness.com/features/tucson-2013-gemstone-classics-and-exotics-entice-buyers/

---