#1.) Barbara M. Berk’s "Aquamarine Rhapsody" now in the Smithsonian

Platinum and Aquamarine Pendant Donated to the National Gem Collection

Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

Barbara M. Berk is an artist, an expert in textile techniques in metal, and a jeweler, weaving precious metals into museum quality wearable art, including brooches, necklaces, earrings and hair ornaments. Her award-winning works have been worn, displayed, placed in art museums, and now, “Aquamarine Rhapsody,” a woven platinum pendant, featuring a Sherris Cottier Shank carved aquamarine, resides at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History as part of the National Gem Collection in Washington, D.C.

Tap here to read all about the artists and the jewel.

#3.) High Inflation May Affect Real Cost of Gems

We look at Malawi, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, & Others

Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

There may be all sorts of reasons for high steady pricing of gems (supply, demand, rising costs of mining equipment, fuel, shipping, travel, manufacture, etc…), but one reason you may have left out of the equation is seen here in the global economic numbers.

According to reports by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released in April 2024, updates in current and projected rates of inflation show significant numbers in over a dozen countries, and we take a closer look at a few.

Tap here to see what inflation is predicted for several gem producing countries. It may just be eye-opening!

Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

Bernd Munsteiner, the father of the “Fantasy Cut,” died on Thursday, June 6th, surrounded by his family, his wife Hanne, daughter-in-law Jutta, and grandson, Philipp, in Stipshausen, Germany. He was 81 years old.

Brave New World

Bernd Munsteiner was the determined young gem cutter who, after graduating from the school for art & design in Pforzheim, instead of going back to cutting traditional shapes with his father, took the rough gem materials, polished a top window, and then carved polished wedges into the girdles and pavilions, creating multiple displays of light within the gem, offering the world a new vision, the art of a gem – the Fantasy Cut. After decades of accolades, and becoming a gem industry icon, this style of cutting is now appropriately called “a Munsteiner Cut.”

At first, his countrymen shunned the design. But this did not deter Munsteiner from looking to the rest of the world, where open minds could appreciate his gem art. And the rest, as they say, is history.

We spoke to Bernd's daughter-in-law Jutta, long time close friend Hans-Jürgen Henn, and Smithsonian curator Dr. Jeffrey Post about the life and legacy of Bernd Munsteiner.

Tap here for our tribute to Bernd Munsteiner

Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

It was opening day of the JCK Las Vegas show. Al Cook, the new De Beers Group chief executive officer, greeted a packed ballroom of mainly diamond wholesalers, including site-holders, some retailers, and a good number of industry notables.

Cook, at the time of this presentation, had been CEO of the De Beers Group for just 15 months. And now he was addressing a room filled with well-informed and concerned industry members. They were concerned about the economy, about falling diamond prices, about Russian sanctions, about the rising market share of synthetic diamonds, and about the sale of De Beers!

Tough Crowd

It must have been challenging for Cook to stand in front of this crowd, openly admitting that it took him 15 months to familiarize himself with De Beers and his team. Not only was this presentation important for his shareholders, it was necessary to win the room, that the attendees should set aside their concerns and know that De Beers was going to keep the global diamond industry on track. And he made this presentation all the while having a corporate take-over looming above him. A lot is riding on De Beers. The question is, can they maintain control of the market, and itself?

Tap here to read our review of what was said,

 and what was not said!

Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

GIA (Gemological Institute of America) is piloting an innovative Jewelry Report service that offers insights into the components of submitted items, including metal details, gemstone characteristics, and existing engravings. Anyone interested in the pilot program can sign up here for the waitlist.

The GIA Jewelry Report offers a comprehensive description of the submitted jewelry piece(s), including metal verification and ranges for the clarity, color, and carat weight of D-to-Z diamonds that do not have previous GIA reports for unmounted diamonds. If the diamonds have existing GIA report numbers, the specific grades will be detailed on the report with a link to GIA’s Report Check for added verification. The GIA Jewelry Report also includes details of any current markings.

Grade Ranges

We spoke with GIA about the new jewelry report, as we are especially interested in grade ranges. “For diamonds that do not have a previous GIA report, the GIA Jewelry Report will provide ranges for weight, clarity and color, as it is not possible to offer precision grading for mounted diamonds. Industry norms will be used and, in most cases, the ranges will be two grades. However, the ranges may be larger for some diamonds that are highly masked in the setting. The same is true for estimated weights.”

And there's more!

Tap here to find out more about GIA's new pilot program for grading mounted goods.

One of the Antique & Estate websites (and newsletters) we follow is the Garden of Adin, Adin Fine Antique Jewellery, located in Antwerp, Elkan Wijnberg, CEO.

Last week we received notice that Adin has added a few non-jewelry items, a few educational games, a set of greeting cards, and our personal favorite, a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle.

"Discover our expertly curated collection of luxurious card games, greeting cards, puzzles, and more, each crafted to captivate and educate. Designed to the highest standards, our selection brings the elegance of antique and vintage jewellery right into your home."

Game on!

Tap here to view all of the cool new merch from Adin!

Photomicrography: Images from Within

Images by Sammantha Maclachlan

Featured here are Trigons on the octahedral face of a yellow diamond crystal.

This is a stack of 15 images with a magnification of 120x.

Sammantha Maclachlan is an accomplished gemmologist and photomicrographer. Her attention to gemmological detail and beauty is evident within the incredible shots shown here and in the Roskin Gem News Report online magazine. We thank Sammantha for sharing her images, and welcome you to enjoy the page!

Tap Here for more Gemmological Eye-Candy from Sammantha Maclachlan! 

Rosemont, IL

August 10–12, 2024

August 11 - Sunday

Duncan Parker, FGA

• Fakes, Counterfeits, Frauds, and Misrepresentation

Deborah Finleon, GIA GG

• NAJA’s Report Writing Standards: A Usage Guide

Dave Atlas, GIA GG

• The Cost Approach: A Basic Tool

Reginald Brack

• Watching the Market: Current Trends in the Watch Industry

Stuart Robertson, GIA GG

• A Practical Approach to Building a Pricing Database During Trade Shows

• Research at the InStore Show

August 12 - Monday

Jessica DuBroc, GIA GG & Gina D’Onofrio, FGAA

• Power Search Tips: Finding and Refining the Best Comps

Vera Prather, GIA GG & Ana Wroblaski, GIA GG

• Deaccessioning a Collection: Preparing Your Client for Success

Lisa Key

• Driehaus Museum: A Jewel Box of a Museum

Steve Turner, GIA GG

• Review of Ethical Standards and Their Application in Our Daily Practices

Panelists – Raphael Boivin, Richard Drucker, GIA GG, & Thom Underwood, GIA GG

Moderators – Lance Nygaard, GIA GG, & Stuart Robertson, GIA GG

• Appraisal Software Solutions: Exploring Their Use, Benefits and Limits

Stuart Robertson, GIA GG

• Research Results

Tap here for more information about the NAJA’s 62nd Annual

Mid-Year ACE©It Education Conference

by GORDON NG

16 JUNE 2024

Vogue Singapore

As Tiffany & Co. closes another exhibition in Tokyo, the brand’s chief gemologist Victoria Reynolds opens up on the legacy of the New York jeweller.

Legacy is an interesting thing. With 187 years of history behind it, the American jeweller Tiffany & Co.— despite more easily imagining and relating it with youth—has oodles of history behind it. It’s a fact that the house is now eager to reclaim and celebrate, as evidenced by its latest project: Tiffany Wonder, an ambitious brand exhibition that recently closed at Tokyo Node in the Japanese capital city.

Tap here for a very nice interview with

Victoria Reynolds, Tiffany's Chief Gemologist.

By Choi Si-young, Lee Yoon-seo, Kim Da-sol

The Korea Herald

CRYSTALLIZATION

OF TIME



Held at the DDP (Dongdaemun Design Plaza), Art Hall 1, Conference Hall, the May-June exhibition “Crystallization of Time” by Cartier, was organized by the DDP operator Seoul Design Foundation for the landmark’s 10th anniversary.

Experience eternal moments.

The world of Cartier’s creations transcends time.

“Gemstones, born from immense periods of time, and design, inspired by natural wonders and cultures worldwide, are crystallized in Cartier’s jewelry, where exceptional craftsmanship fuses the blessings of earth and humanity. This exhibition focuses on the powerful cultural and creative dimensions of Cartier Collection and archive documents together with contemporary creations from private collections, usually not displayed for the public.” – Cartier

Tap here to know more about the Cartier exhibition.

Los Angeles, CA

May 29, 2024

The Jewelers 24 Karat Club of Southern California and its board of directors are pleased to announce that Martin Rapaport, Douglas Kazanjian, and Carl Larson will be honored at The Club’s 80th annual dinner and dance on September 28, 2024. This year’s exclusive event will be held at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, a new venue for the gala.

The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Martin Rapaport. The Excellence in Service Award will be presented to Douglas Kazanjian. And the Rising Star Award will be presented to Carl Larson.

Tap here for more about the Awards

 and the honorees!

Luxferity Magazine

Louis Vuitton's High Jewelry Collection:

Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds

Featuring a 56.23 carats, “warm champagne” color, octagonal step cut (right), the centerpiece of the collection takes its inspiration from the Eiffel Tower.

The Awakened Minds chapter echoes expansion and innovation through hypnotic settings infused with the interconnectedness of movement — a new stylized interpretation of industrialization in a masterful play of geometry and the signatures of the Maison.

At 220 unique masterpiece jewels set across 13 different themes, this is Amfitheatrof’s sixth High Jewelry Collection for the Maison and its largest Collection yet.

Tap here to see more of the LV High Jewelry Collection!

This weekend! Don’t miss the International Gem & Jewellery Exhibition Sri Lanka 2024!

“Join us for an unforgettable experience in Gem City, Ratnapura, showcasing the world’s most stunning gems and jewellery.

Secure your spot now and witness the splendor of Gem City, Ratnapura.

Step into luxury at the International Gem & Jewellery Exhibition! Make an on-site purchase of USD 100,000 or more and have your hotel stay on us. Experience the ultimate in elegance and craftsmanship at the Grand Silver Ray Hotel, Sri Lanka.

Tap here to find out more!

The 21st Australian Opal Exhibition - trade only event - will take place at the Southport Sharks events center in Queensland, Wednesday, July 31st and Thursday, August 1st.

As their promotions states, the Australian Opal Exhibition is “the world’s most elite and inclusive opal experience, showcasing the beauty of Australia’s national gemstone.”

“Do not miss the opportunity to visit the Australian Opal Exhibition where the world’s most comprehensive display of Australian Opals and opal jewellery will be for sale from New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia’s leading opal wholesalers and miners. The beauty of this exquisite gemstone cannot ever be underestimated!”

Tap here for more information!