Cold weather during the first two days of the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) GemFair in Tucson, Arizona, was one of the reasons Afshin Hackman had one of his all-time best shows. “The number-one and number-two enemies of the Tucson shows are hiking and golfing, but it was too cold for either, so people shopped,” quipped the partner at Intercolor, a purveyor of fine-quality gems like sapphires and Mozambique rubies.
Sales were indeed robust at the show, which ran from February 2 to 7. Some of the selling trends were holdovers from last year (think blue — Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year — as well as colored-sapphire centers in engagement rings, and rare and unusual gems). Other themes were a nod to socially responsible products and the emerging makers who insist on buying them. Here are the top takeaways from this year’s winter Tucson trade shows.
1. Blue is big
From lapis lazuli to iolite, the color blue remains a hit in jewelry. Omi Privé’s Manos Phoundalakis talked about high demand for blue zircon, Paraiba-type tourmaline, indicolite, moonstones, opals, and the occasional dumortierite.
“People want denim and sky-blue colors,” he explained regarding sales at both AGTA and the Centurion show. Centurion took place in nearby Phoenix at the end of January.
Kimberly Collins of the eponymous colored-gem dealer sold a lot of aquamarine at AGTA, as well as teal-hued sapphires. Ditto for Hackman, who sold 19 of the latter, having brought 20 to the show. “Finding blue-green — teal — sapphire is like finding a needle in a haystack,” he said at press time from Bangkok, Thailand, where he was shopping for more.
And pricing was high for the rare cobalt-blue spinel, noted Mike Money of gem dealer John Buechner. “It’s an aggressive process to acquire the material.”
AGTA CEO Doug Hucker agreed. “It just doesn’t exist anymore,” he said. “If people have it, they are reluctant to sell it.”
Finally, traditional blue sapphires are still moving well. Both Money at AGTA and Jeffrey Post of Gem Platinum, who exhibited at The Select Show in Tucson on February 2 and 3, had no trouble finding new homes for theirs. In fact, blue sapphire sales had been a constant for both leading up to the Arizona fairs.
2. Many-hued sapphires rule bridal
Multicolored sapphires were the stars of the shows. Kambiz Sabouri of stone dealer Gem 2000 sold specimens in shades from teal to peach to violet — a wide spectrum largely earmarked for engagement rings. Prices for teals and purples were higher because of low availability and strong demand, but that didn’t deter shoppers from buying them. “People used to come and take notes, but this year, sales are consistent — more people are ready to buy,” he explained.
Collins, Hucker, and Laurie Watt of Mayer & Watt saw this momentum as well. Collins sold three padparadschas during the show and also saw demand for teals. “Lots of these are sold for the alternative bridal market,” she noted.
Meanwhile, Watt found buyers for Sri Lankan-sourced sapphires at prices that were “firm but not too much higher than last year,” she said.
Few know the significance of fancy-shaped and colored sapphires better than Eric Braunwart of Columbia Gem House. The seasoned ethical-stone dealer estimates that 80% of the round sapphires he sells are for wedding rings. And it’s not just eye-clean goods that his buyers are after. “Shoppers want inclusions, bi-colors, and geometric cuts like hexagons,” he reported at the show. “These kinds of colored stones are used in the production of 75% of the young designers I sell to.”
Rose cuts, too, are trending for their affordability and understated vibe. Even high-end manufacturer Suna Bros., renowned for timeless platinum and Big Three looks, had rose cuts on hand at The Select Show for youthful appeal.
3. Rare gems continue to please
Despite the ongoing strength of sapphire and spinel, dealers spoke of demand for rarer gems like imperial topaz and Paraiba tourmaline, among others. An exotic cinnamon-color zircon with a halo of brown sapphires was on offer at Suna Bros., while Omi Privé had alexandrite options in loose and finished jewelry. Also fun from Omi were cat’s-eye alexandrite and chrysoberyl, and red and purple spinel. “We had a run on purple!” exclaimed Phoundalakis.
Watt saw an increase in requests for zoisite at AGTA — due in part to demand for neutral-tone gems like gray spinel and sapphires — as well as garnets of all colors, including Malaya color-change garnets. “Important buyers are here and looking to spend,” she noted.
In pearls, Fran Mastoloni of Mastoloni said his shoppers were snapping up unusual finished pieces and strands with multiple colors. “Quality was their first priority, then price,” he reported.
Nor did sales disappoint for Aziz Basalely at Eliko Pearl, a specialist in exotic pearls such as the mosaic-set South Sea numbers known as Maki-e, and hard-to-find oversized metallic freshwaters. Of the 200-plus Maki-e pearls he brought to the show, three-quarters sold.
4. Progress on ethical practices
After years of investing time, energy and goodwill, champions of socially responsible jewelry practices are seeing their efforts go beyond buzzwords into actual progress and accountability.
Since 1976, Braunwart has been seeking out, vetting and then assisting miners of gems like ruby from Malawi, where his purchases have helped fund schools and health clinics. His niche in Fair Trade gems is starting to flourish thanks to his repeated insistence on transparent practices and his longstanding commitment to caring for the people and places behind the gems.
This year, Braunwart participated in both the AGTA show and the premiere of the US Ethical Gem Fair, which took place from February 3 to 6 at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Tucson. The event’s organizers were members of the Ethical Gemstone Suppliers Group, which aims to provide traceable stones and support artisanal miners through fair pay, safety, and sound environmental practices. The Ethical Gem Fair has been a fixture in the United Kingdom for three years, and so popular that some of the people behind it decided to bring it stateside.
Brian Charles Cook of Nature’s Geometry — a purveyor of Brazilian Paraiba tourmaline and rutilated quartz since 1989 — was one of seven total vendors exhibiting at the US fair. His daughter Quendi, who works with him and his wife Kendra Grace at the company, has been coming to the Tucson shows since adolescence. Quendi Cook recalled a time when Nature’s Geometry was a vendor at the Gems & Jewelry Exchange (GJX) show and got lost in a big mix of stone dealers with different agendas. In fact, many attendees find the Tucson shopping experience overwhelming, so an intimate show full of dealers that share the same goals was appealing: The atmosphere at the US Ethical Gem Fair enabled participants to have meaningful conversations and sales.
“It was like the Erewhon of gem shows,” she explained, referring to an organic grocery chain in California. “You didn’t have to worry about checking labels.”
While the debut affair did not have specific ethical criteria for participation, such guidelines are in the works for next year and will resemble those of the Ethical Metalsmiths — for instance, making an effort to improve the circumstances at mine sources by teaching skills like stonecutting and organic farming, which can sustain communities long after mines have ceased production.
5. Young people want sustainability
Research shows that the younger generation is seeking products with positive backstories, and anecdotal evidence from the fairs bore that out.
Braunwart said 70% of his customers were under 35, which was clear from a look at the shoppers frequenting his AGTA booth. “We have almost no traditional retail clients,” he stated. “It’s all young people who must have the ethical narrative we offer.”
Quendi Cook, who is 37, wasn’t surprised. She sells both loose gems with her parents and finished designs under her own Quore line, and she knows firsthand that today’s shoppers want to feel confident about the stones they buy. “The younger generations hold people accountable,” she said. “Our biggest challenge is keeping up with the demand of having things done the right way.”
Her parents agree: Her mother believes today’s more educated consumers are helping push forward positive agendas for the sometimes disenfranchised members of mining communities, while her father is pleased to see continued investment and care at sources. “This is giving more relevance to our product,” he said.
Images: Pantone; Omi PriveArticle from the Rapaport Magazine - April 2020. To subscribe click here.