State of the Colored Gemstone Market: All Together Now?

[PinkDiamond]

Here's another insightful and extensive article from National Jeweler's, ''State of the Majors", that covers a lot of points the labs would have to come together on to harmonize lab reports from various labs that I hope you'll find helpful, and useful when ordering or looking at lab reports.

State of the Colored Gemstone Market: All Together Now?
By Brecken Branstrator
brecken.branstrator@nationaljeweler.com
November 5, 2018

A shot from inside the Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (Danat), which opened in late 2017

"Given today’s savvy and information-hungry consumers, it’s no surprise that laboratory reports—once mostly the domain of diamonds—are becoming increasingly common for colored gemstones, especially high-end goods. Shoppers are looking for third parties to confirm what a seller is telling them and validate the factors influencing a gemstone’s price.

As the importance of lab reports for colored gemstones has grown, so too has the level of information included.

Many labs now offer origin determination and color designations beyond the standard color grades, employing terms like “pigeon’s blood” and “royal blue.”

Like with everything else in the trade, there are myriad opinions about colored gemstone reports, including whether or not to include origin and color nomenclature at all.

Regardless, it seems that colored stone reports are not only here to stay but will continue to grow in importance. So the trade has to come together to figure out what role reports should play, and how to get labs on the same page with information that is clearly, accurately and consistently communicated to dealers, retailers and consumers. Some experts wonder if that’s even possible.

“Today, laboratory reports perform an essential role in the marketplace, and I see their use growing rather than diminishing,” says Kenneth Scarratt, CEO of the Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (Danat). “But there will come a breakpoint whereby reports shall be required to be in line with a yet-to-be-determined international standard, rather than today’s ‘preferred branding’ options.”

The Lab Gap

Origin determination started with the Gübelin Gem Lab in Switzerland in the early 1950s, when Eduard Gübelin became the first person to start disclosing it on reports.

In the decades since, ... "
https://www.nationaljeweler.com/diamond ... gether-now

[SwordfishMining]

I see an opportunity for an American Lab to make a deal with the American Mines for Provenances just like there is an open slot for appraisers.