Deborah has over 30 years of experience in Journalism and is a regular columnist for MJSA Journal and Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist and a frequent contributor to Rapaport Diamond Report. Her experience includes writing for many jewelry publications, including JCK and Instore Magazine. Her byline also has appeared in consumer publication Condé Nast Traveler and newspapers including The York Dispatch, York, PA. Her personal site can be found here.
- Deborah Yonick -October 24, 2022
LAB GROWN VS NATURAL DIAMOND: ONE HAS RESALE VALUE, THE OTHER DOES NOT
Demand for lab-grown diamonds has rapidly risen in the past five years, as consumers drawn to the idea of getting a bigger, better quality diamond for their budget are buying into a product that has the same chemical and optical properties as a natural diamond.
Claims by lab-grown diamond producers and sellers suggest that a diamond is a diamond no matter its origin — implying that lab-made and naturally occurring diamonds are equal in all respects, including market value. What many consumers don't know is that if they decide to sell a lab-grown diamond back into the market, they will likely get virtually nothing in return.
THE RESALE REALITY
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
Diamond market analyst Paul Zimnisky, founder of Diamond Analytics, wrote that the essential thing setting a natural diamond apart from its lab-created counterpart is that it's a non-renewable resource. "The supply of natural diamonds is limited by nature and
- Deborah Yonick -October 24, 2022
GOT ANTIQUE JEWELRY WORTH SOMETHING? HERE'S HOW TO SELL IT!
Perhaps you have inherited or obtained antique or period jewelry that doesn't suit your style and hasn't seen the light of day, taking up space in your jewelry box.
It may be worth more than you think, certainly worth your time to assess its value and how you might sell it, giving it new life to a collector who would love it.
It's important to understand some of the jargon and what it means when discussing "antique," "estate," "vintage," and "period" jewelry. In the secondhand market estate jewelry means pre-owned, whether it's five years old or 105. Jewelry historian Anna M. Miller, author of the book, "The Buyer's Guide to Affordable Antique Jewelry," considers "vintage" another term for pre-owned or estate. Some sources classify jewelry as "vintage" after 20 years, some cite 30 years, and others say at least 50 years old.
The term antique is definitely defined as jewelry that is at least 100 years old. Period jewelry, which
- Deborah Yonick -October 24, 2022
JEWELRY DESIGNERS FIND GREAT VALUE IN RECYCLED DIAMONDS & PARTNERING WITH SUPPLIERS LIKE WHITE PINE
Jewelry designers have a lot to manage when developing their brand — whether they're new to the industry or a seasoned veteran. Creating compelling designs and building customer engagement demand their full attention. For designers who aren't generational in the traditionally family-run diamond and jewelry industry, finding vendors willing to work with you from the start can be a real challenge.
New York City jewelry designer Lauren Goodmay experienced exactly that when she began building her brand, Good May Come, which launched in February and is available online and at Studio Mega in Soho. "If you're not a generational jeweler, I think it's hard to get places to take you seriously, especially when you're starting off." She was delighted to find White Pine Wholesale as one of her first vendors. "I was looking for a supplier that could provide me with ethically sourced natural diamonds. You
- Deborah Yonick -August 08, 2022
Key Insights for Buying & Selling Estate Jewelry
Jewelers who buy and sell estate jewelry provide relationship-building customer service, as well as an additional profit center for their business.
Offering estate jewelry services can attract both existing and new customers. They can sell unwanted items they don’t know what to do with, support recycling, shop styles from different eras; and take advantage of price savings, sometimes 30% to 40% less than new products.
In addition to offering value to consumers, buying and selling estate jewelry can be profitable for jewelers, establishing them as the full-service jewelry expert in their community.
Partner with Trusted Suppliers
There are several ways jewelers can provide estate jewelry services to their customers. Experts in the field advocate that those interested in getting into or expanding their business in this category to partner with a finite group of suppliers who have deep knowledge of and buying expertise in the
- Deborah Yonick -August 08, 2022
Why Outsourcing Certain Diamond & Jewelry Jobs Makes Good Business Sense for Jewelers
Outsourcing always makes good business sense for companies, both big and small. Generally speaking, outsourcing improves efficiency, reduces costs, and allows companies to focus on their core business.
Not only does contracting out specific tasks save time and money, resulting in lower overhead and staff labor costs, it also allows businesses to tap high-caliber talent for project-specific work. Outsourcing allows a business to expand its team temporarily and strengthen areas of expertise as needed.
Outsourcing empowers jewelers to benefit from the latest technology by leveraging the equipment and expertise of trusted production partners who do these tasks regularly, without jewelers having to make those capital investments.
Farming out specific skilled tasks also eliminates the need for time-consuming training in-house, ensures the work is done correctly, and helps businesses achieve their primary
- Deborah Yonick -May 12, 2022
Test Recycled Diamonds, Offer As Design Option & Extension Of The Estate Case
Over the past couple of years fashion-minded shoppers have placed an even bigger emphasis on sustainability, with fine jewelry topping their wish lists. In particular, recycled diamonds are becoming increasingly important for jewelers, as the global diamond-mining yield continues to diminish, reports Women’s Wear Daily (WWD) in August 2021.
The popularity of recycled diamonds has increased dramatically since the pandemic, with many engagement ring shoppers asking for recycled stones. Jay Moncada, owner of Perpetuum Jewels, told WWD that before the pandemic four out of 10 engagement ring shoppers inquired about recycled diamonds, and now that number is closer to seven.
Jeweler Jean Prounis of Prounis Jewelry told WWD that 100% of her custom engagement ring clients have requested recycled stones. “These diamonds are being reset over and over. It’s nice to work with what already exists — it also goes to show
- Deborah Yonick -May 12, 2022
THE PRE-OWNED JEWELRY MARKET IS BOOMING — JEWELERS SHOULD GET THEIR SHARE
Luxury goods are made to last — and the trend for purchasing pre-owned fine jewelry and watches has been on a sustained rise. Driven by growth in online sales, shifting consumer preferences, and rising concern about sustainability among younger buyers, the secondary market for hard luxury is expanding rapidly. These trends were well underway before COVID-19, but the pandemic and the economic slowdown it created have accelerated them significantly.
A MARKET WORTH OVER $22 BILLION AND GROWING
THE BCG FINDINGS
Published in September 2020, the Boston Consulting Group's report on the hard luxury market found the secondhand market for watches and pre-owned/estate jewelry is worth over $22 billion worldwide — growing at 8% annually, significantly faster than the luxury industry overall.
CONSUMER INTENT
In a BCG survey of 12,000 luxury consumers from 10 countries, 62% said they would consider buying a secondhand luxury item
- Deborah Yonick -May 02, 2022
GOOD AS NEW: OVERCOMING RECYCLED DIAMONDS' INFERIORITY COMPLEX
Diamond is the hardest mineral on the planet — so it's no wonder it's regarded as the ideal product for recycling. Because of its strength and durability, diamond can be used more than once without any trace of wear. Recycled diamonds offer the perfect story of sustainability, averting the need to mine or grow a new diamond while maintaining natural diamond's "forever" promise as a precious, finite gemstone.
Yet the perception exists that recycled, reclaimed, or repurposed products may not be of superior quality. Many jewelers, designers, and small manufacturers have never seriously considered recycled diamonds — assuming what's available on the market is of inferior cut and quality to newly manufactured stones. What they may not know is that the bulk of reclaimed diamonds (about 75%) are re-manufactured to modern cut specifications. The goods are, literally, as good as new.
THE WHITE PINE RECYCLING PROCESS
White Pine Wholesale
- Deborah Yonick -April 04, 2022
What’s Driving Rising Prices for Small Diamonds in 2022?
High demand for diamonds throughout 2021, coupled with less natural diamonds being produced and manufactured, is causing the rise in diamond prices that is impacting retail in 2022.
The increase in prices is driven by strong demand for jewelry in the United States and China, set against limited supply, as diamond mining and cutting remain low, finds recent research by the market intelligence platform, IndexBox.
Natural diamond prices are increasing dramatically because of the high demand and limited supply that is due to the fixed number of diamond manufacturers and the cost of manufacturing. Some areas of diamond supply are becoming increasingly more difficult to source, mostly smaller sizes in commercial quality, particularly melee (less than 0.20 in carat weight).
But perhaps recycled natural diamonds are best positioned to be a reliable and profitable source for savvy jewelers and designers to incorporate in their business
- Deborah Yonick -March 24, 2022
RECYCLED DIAMONDS VS LAB-GROWN: WHICH ARE MORE SUSTAINABLE?
The lab-grown diamond category has exploded on the consumer market over the past decade, positioning itself as an eco-friendly, sustainable alternative to natural diamonds. But are lab-grown diamonds truly a more sustainable option than recycled natural diamonds? The answer may surprise you.
THE HIDDEN ENERGY COST OF LAB-GROWN DIAMONDS
Lab-grown diamond producers market their products as less harmful to the environment than mining — pointing to reduced water use, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and no earth disruption. Yet they speak little of the enormous energy required to grow diamonds in the first place.
THE PRODUCTION PROCESSES
Diamonds are grown in factories using High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) or Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) processes. Both require uninterrupted power sources for production cycles that can take anywhere from 30 minutes to several weeks.
STAGGERING ENERGY USE
The most efficient diamond growers use