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Actually June is a bit of a greedy month in that rather than just having one birthstone it actually has three! The Pearl, the Alexandrite and Moonstone, so anyone who is born in this month is in luck as they can choose which gem they prefer, or have all three – and change as the mood suits! The Pearl has been used in Europe as a birthstone for over 1000 years to symbolise loyalty, faithfulness and friendship, it was held in very high esteem by ancient Egyptians, Persians and Hindus. Early Chinese myths told of pearls falling from the sky when dragons fought. And Greek legend says that pearls were the tears of the gods. The Greeks also gave pearls if the wedding took place in June to promote marital

Do you know what your birthstone is? For that matter, do you even care? Well for those of us in the Jewellery trade sit up and take note, the sale and desirability of Birthstones are once again on the rise. For anyone who was born in May they are in luck, because, oh what a lovely month May is! It’s the start of spring, the grass is beginning to grow and there are leaves on the trees, everywhere you look is glowing vibrant green. All this makes May the perfect month for the beautiful birthstone Emerald; the ancient symbol or rebirth and eternal spring. ref: EW134 1.63 ct Green Octagon 7.70 x 6.22 x 4.82 mm More Info ref: 2.29EM121 2.29 ct Green Baguette 10.03 x 6.0 x 4.2 mm

I wrote this blog 2 years ago, I find it as relevant today as it was then. Please let me know if your business is suffering from “the Amazon Effect” and how you are dealing with it. Death of the Family Jeweller and Other Nonsense Some might say that the family jeweller is a dying breed because the Internet is killing off business on the high street – Nonsense! There’s always lots of talk about “the Amazon Effect” where many business are worrying that they just can’t compete. And to be honest if you are just selling the same indistinguishable generic products that can be found all over the highstreet, then no you probably can’t compete, at least not on price. If you’re a family jeweller, perhaps with an old

This weeks Milan fashion week showed a fabulous range of styles that could be complemented by any number of coloured gemstones. So we have taken the opportunity to look at some of the lines and paired them up with the gem stone that we feel would suit each style best! Dolce & Gabbana led with tweed black and white herringbone suits. These could as easily be paired with either black or white diamonds, or in a deco setting using both. I think however to really hit the season’s trend, either grey diamond slices or roughly cut grey diamonds should be used, which would really set them off. Missoni’s light and airy style would work well with so many stones fromcontrasting Mandarin Garnet, to very complimentary Sky blue Ceylon sapphires. I

To all our friends We wish you a wonderful holiday season. May 2013 be filled with Health Happiness and Prosperity. I would like to thank all of you who we have had the pleasure of working with over the last year. Best wishes Richard and everyone at International Gemstones and TheGemBank.com

On the show this week Vanessa Burkitt is joined by Richard Haruni, Gem dealer and Director at The Gem Bank. Also on the show is this weeks Jewellery and Fashion Highlights and a competition to give you the chance to get your hands on tickets to go to an extraordinary event that Catherine Jones is hosting showcasing platinum jewellery. Download “Star Radio’s Jewellery & Fashion Show – May 7th 2012″ (26.54 MB, 19:19)

It’s a tough old business world out there, especially in light of recent news that we could be about to hit a double dip recession. So you might be asking yourself what you can do to make your business stand out in these difficult times where everybody is clamouring for business in an ever decreasing market. As you already know Vision and Goal setting is crucial to a successful business and this month I have been talking predominantly about Unique Selling Propositions – USP. When anybody starts their own venture they have a vision that their business is going to be unique and the service or product that they are offering is going to be far superior than what is being offered by the competition. And that may be true,

When you’re a star studded celebrity walking down the red carpet on your way into the Oscars, you are already aware that the world is watching. As the press surrounds you screaming “what are you wearing?” you already know that the actual winning of an Oscar is only part the fun. 2012 was no different. And as every girl knows, even the most stunning gown would never be complete without accessorising with the latest jewellery designs

Every business needs goals. Jewellery and creative businesses also need goals, but for some reason we don’t understand that. Our businesses are not the same as everyone else’s, so why should we run them like businesses. Because they’ll fail otherwise. Set some goals and move your business forward.

Many businesses right now are breathing a sigh of relief that the big Christmas dash is out of the way and most are already starting to look forward and plan for next Christmas, and who could blame them, after all the Yule season is where alot of businesses make the bulk of their money. But does this have to be the case? For example Valentines Day is almost upon us, and even though we are currently living through an economic decline, Valentines sales still remain high. Statistics over the past few years say demand in the U.K for products this season is getting higher and higher especially for diamonds, with coloured diamonds also becoming more and more in vogue. In fact according to the American Express Spending & Saving Tracker