Written by Carolyn Doyle for customers of
The Dorado Company
and other visitors to the azgem.com website who subscribe.

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Usable Gems... and a little opinion.

Canadian Diamonds

The gem world now has another source of Canadian diamonds.

The Diavik Diamond Mines has produced and sold it's first diamonds.

The Diavik mines are located in Canada's Northwest Territories, about 300 kilometers northeast of the city of Yellowknife.

The Northwest Territories is home to large-scale gold mining as well as diamond mining and gas/oil production. I'm told the city of Yellowknife has the look and feel of a real frontier boom town.

The Etaki Diamond mine has been commercially producing diamonds in this area for about ten years, and a few other diamond mines are in various stages of development.

A diamond cutting industry is also springing up in Yellowknife

As you can imagine, the weather in the area is a real challenge! Most construction and mining equipment must be trucked in to the mines over an ice road during the harsh winter months.

Each winter the ice road is built to transport these heavy loads... and each summer it melts away.

While the roads are passable, thousands of truck loads of equipment and the next year's supply of food, fuel, and other supplies are hauled in overland.

Canada's push to become a major gem producer appears to be meeting with more and more success. 

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Industry News

The Jewelers Circular Keystone, a jewelry industry publication reports that the U.S. Congress passed legislation on April 11, 2003, regulating diamond trading. 

Illegal diamonds that finance civil wars in Africa would be banned from America under legislation that Congress approved Friday, according to wire services reports.

The House gave final approval by voice vote to the legislation, which would bring the United States under an international agreement that bans the export or import of so-called conflict diamonds. The Senate passed the bill Thursday. The bill was sent to President Bush for his approval.

The international agreement, known as the Kimberley Process, has the support of representatives of the diamond industry and human rights groups. More than 50 nations are participating in the certification process—which is intended to track each diamond from the mine to the jeweler's window and to block the trade of diamonds mined and marketed illicitly.

Traded diamonds would have to come with certification they were mined from legitimate sources.

"This is a trade issue, a consumer issue and most of all, a human rights issue," Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and Senate Finance Committee chairman, reportedly said. "This bill sends a strong message that the benefits of trade in valuable natural resources like diamonds should accrue to the legitimate governments and their people in Africa."

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Internet Business

In the February issue, I responded to a reader who is interested in starting an internet business. It seems other readers are also interested, but some don't know what to sell.

My advice is... sell your expertise. Everyone knows a lot about something, and it can be delivered electronically. That's a huge plus for your business.

And if that doesn't appeal to you, sell nothing!

No, I'm serious. It's called the affiliate business. You recommend other people's products and collect a small fee per sale.

I'm certainly not the expert on affiliate businesses, but Dr. Ken Evoy is. This guy has put thousands of people on the track to successful internet businesses.

He offers a great 200 page ebook on the subject.

The book covers the entire "how to" for the affiliate business field. It's called The Affiliate Masters Course. You can get more info on his site.

A new window will open when you click here. Just enlarge the window and scroll down to the Affiliate Masters listing in the left margin.

You can probably tell that I use and like his products.

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Jewelry Dealers

The Las Vegas Gem and Jewelry shows will be here soon. The number and quality of shows is increasing each year.

Colored Stone Magazine has show dates, locations, and exhibitor information available online.

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Mother's Day is coming!

Jewelry sells very well for Mother's Day. How's your inventory of earrings, pendants, and rings?

Now is the time to make up a few new pieces.

There's always a market when you're selling jewelry.

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Jewelry Dealers Program

Do you enjoy jewelry and gems?

Do you enjoy talking with friends and coworkers?

Take a look at our great Jewelry Dealers Program.

Carolyn Doyle

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