AZGem Gems
December, 2006
 
The World's Most Useful
Gem & Jewelry Monthly Newsletter
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.
The December Birthstone Is
Tanzanite or Blue Topaz
The December birthstone is tanzanite, or blue topaz... or
even turquoise. Yes, the list seems to just keep growing for the December birthstones.
This month we complete our
series on birthstones that provide answers to questions like...
"What
if I don't like the color of my birthstone?"
"What if I can't afford my birthstone?"
The short answers to the above questions are... you're stuck
with blue and you can afford one. Not everyone can afford tanzanite,
but everyone can afford a blue topaz like the one pictured here.
Because the December birthstone is tanzanite, or blue topaz... or
even turquoise, December babies have a lot of choice in the price of their
birthstone. They even have choices among shades of blue... and even blue-violet
in tanzanite.
How did December come to have so many choices for
birthstones? Marketing!
 Tanzanite is a relatively recent addition, since it wasn't
even discovered until the 1960's. Since then, tanzanite has enjoyed explosive
popularity. Tanzanite now ranks as one of the most purchased... and most
expensive colored gems available today, especially in the color intensity
shown here..
Tanzanite has a hardness rating of between 6 and 7, a
little low for everyday wear in a ring.
|
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Click on the box...
and have Google start putting money in your bank account! |
Tanzanite is named after the country of
Tanzania, in East Africa. This beautiful gem is mined in only one place in the
whole world, a small (20 square kilometer) area,
practically in the shadow of Mt. Kilimanjaro. (That gives me a
reason to include the great photo above from out tanzanite rough supplier.)If you're looking for tanzanite,
email me and let me know what size,
shape and quality you're looking for. Where was I? Oh yes, marketing...
selling jewelry. It's the reason the jewelry industry promotes the
concept of birthstones. And that's not a bad thing because birthstones are
fun.
Fifty years or so ago, turquoise was the December birthstone. Because
turquoise is an opaque stone, blue zircon was an acceptable
substitute.
And then blue topaz became widely available. Blue topaz has some
characteristics that quickly made this gem a real favorite, and not just
with December babies:
- Several beautiful shades of blue
- Gorgeous luster, a real shining gem
- Hardness (8) and toughness
- Very reasonable prices
We have a wide selection of blue topaz. Use the link above to
email your inquiries.
Because the December birthstone is tanzanite, or blue topaz... or
even turquoise, December babies can choose among several shades of blue in
turquoise and topaz... and even blue-violet in tanzanite. Prices range
from a few dollars per carat for turquoise to a little more for
topaz to thousands per carat for top quality tanzanite.
A Google search for the keyword phrase loose tanzanite, or blue topaz
jewelry returns a number of listings and ads for vendors
that will show you market prices.
Gem Industry News...
Cyber
Monday
Here is part of a recent press release from comScore.com.
CYBER
MONDAY E-COMMERCE SPENDING BEATS FORECAST; CLIMBS 25 PERCENT VERSUS LAST
YEAR TO $608 MILLION, ACCORDING TO COMSCORE NETWORKS
300,000 Visitors Flock to Shop.org's CyberMonday.com
RESTON, Va., November 29, 2006 – comScore Networks, a
leader in measuring the digital age, today released data on consumer
online non-travel (retail) spending at U.S. sites for Cyber Monday and
the 2006 holiday season to date. Cyber Monday, which marks the first
major spike in online holiday spending as people returned to work after
the Thanksgiving weekend, saw slightly higher than expected gains. Cyber
Monday sales totaled $608 million, up 26 percent versus the same day
last year. During the first 27 days of November this year, total online
retail spending reached $9.48 billion, marking a 24-percent increase
versus the corresponding days in 2005.
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Tucson
Shows On The Horizon
The world's largest gathering of colored stone industry players
will happen in Tucson in just two short months. If you're going to be
there, you should be making room reservations immediately.
Jewelry
Dealers
 Are you
building inventory? Christmas is coming fast.
It's easier to sell a piece of jewelry than a loose stone and a
mounting from a catalog.
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Shoppers are planning to spend
more for the holidays
The average American consumer plans to spend $791 this holiday
season, up from $738 last year, according to a recent National Retail
Federation survey. In addition, shoppers are expected to take advantage
of sales and discounts during the holiday season to spend an additional
$100 on themselves.
You can get a share of this spending!
Because you offer quality, service, and great prices, you have an
advantage over retail stores.
I urge you to reach out to your customers now!
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JCK Las Vegas
The 2007 edition of theJCK Show - Las Vegas will be held in two
locations: The Sands Expo and Convention Center/The Venetian Hotel
Resort & Casino and, for the first time, the Las Vegas Convention
Center.
This show is for jewelry store operators, and is a huge show held in
early June of each year. Maybe this year JCK will enter the 21st century
and admit internet jewelry retailers.
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New Site
Want to buy gemstone rough from Madagascar? We go
around the world for you! http://madagascar-gems.com/
Jewelry
Dealers Program
Do you enjoy jewelry and gems?
Do you enjoy talking with friends and co-workers?
Take a look at our great
Jewelry
Dealers Program.
Carolyn Doyle
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