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Last October, we attended the International Association of Colored Gemstones’ biannual congress. We had the opportunity to learn a lot about coloured stones and, as always, we want to share with you as much information as possible.
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Before the congress, our Sri Lankan business partners welcomed us and over 3 days we had the chance to examine more than 1000 stones in order to select the most beautiful ones for you.
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Following our visit to Colombo we met several of our Bangkok suppliers.
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Here is a short preview of the stones we brought back with us!
Blue sapphires, between 1 and 3 ct
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Sapphires in fancy colours: peach, gray, green, lavender, and two-toned parti sapphires
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Asscher cut sapphires in every colour
Pairs of champagne and pink zircons, 7 mm and more
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Also, we have just received a new batch of freshly cut Montana sapphires in fancy shapes.
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The website collection will be updated by mid-December. Follow us on Instagram for early pictures@ pierres.de.charme
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Social media
We learned a lot about social media and digital marketing at a panel discussion moderated by Ben Smithee.
Panel participants were Amadeo Scognamiglio @amedeokingofcameos, Richa Goyal Sikri @richagoyalsikri, Benjamin Guttery @thirdcoastgems, SarranYoukongdee @saranofficial.
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Change in consumer attitude towards technology
Because of today's technology consumers are no longer as passive as they were, no matter where they are or how old they are. Smart phones, apps, search engines like Google make research extremely easy. The consumer's mindset has shifted from "I'm going to buy what you have" to "I'm going to buy what I want", and he or she will keep on searching until they find what they want, right from the comfort of their home.
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How many times have you dealt with a customer showing you a Pinterest board or Instagram photos with exactly what they are looking for?
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The industry has never been so accessible
Thanks to the Internet, customers can also learn all about gemstones and other raw materials such as gold or silver and become "experts" very quickly. Sometimes their sources are reliable but sometimes they’re not! Anyone working on the floor should actually be more knowledgeable than their customers in order to know how to provide the right information. It is the best way to establish trust.
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Gemstones of the World is a very good book written by Walter Schumann, and it should be read or kept handy for anyone working with stones. It also makes a nice Christmas gift for an employee! Having staff trained in gemmology inevitably adds value to your store.
Our website offers a lot of information on most of gemstones used in jewellery! http://pierresdecharme.com/en/learn-more-about-gemstones
See our offers
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Tips for a good Instagram profile
We wrote down some tips to help you create an interesting Instagram profile.
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Instagram is a fantastic platform to tell a story. It is easy to use and extremely visual. With hashtags you can quickly find inspiration.
Be original! The most popular profiles are also the most authentic. Show jewellery in various contexts, reveal "behind the scene" pictures and videos. With the permission of your customers, tell their stories.
Picture on the right : Olga from Loft Bijoux
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Avoid pictures on white background or taken directly from your website. Instagram is your business card and it allows customer to visit your website in no time. Take advantage of this to share your brand image and anything else that makes you unique.
Stay constant. Publish content and share your creations and products as often as possible.
Some interesting pages related to coloured stones: @gemfields @muzoemeralds @thirdcoastgems @gemexplorer @mineralien @smithsoniannmnh
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Synthetic diamonds vs coloured stones
It is difficult nowadays to avoid the subject of manmade or lab-grown diamonds at a conference on the natural gemstones industry.
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Each year there are more than 3 million brides around the world. Young people want to express themselves. We are seeing more and more demand for unique shapes and colours.
80% of the coloured stones come from artisanal mining and the resulting money is redistributed directly to the community. Most of these gemstones are more ethical than lab-grown diamonds.
Picture on the left : A "guaquero" (a small scale unlicensed miner in Colombia) working near the Muzo mine in Colombia - Picture by Vincent Pardieu
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Natural gemstones originate from the Earth, as do wood, water, natural fibers, etc. When buying clothes, what do you prioritize? Natural or synthetic fibers? If you had to redo your floor, what would you use? Jewels are lasting and beautiful objects that tell a story.
Coloured gemstones retain or increase in value over time while lab-grown diamonds are relatively new on the market and remain expensive. If you offer to your customer the choice between a natural 2ct ruby and a 2ct synthetic diamond, the answer is quite obvious.
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In 2020 we will visit Western Canada in October only. We feel like visiting twice a year can create pressure to buy, which can be very unpleasant. However, we will continue to answer you daily with photos and any information that you request. We send stones on consignment with great pleasure.
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Please note that we have experienced problems and unusual delays with Canada Post in the past weeks. We encourage you to use Fedex for any priority shipment.
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Pierres de Charme 620 Cathcart street, #310 Montreal, Québec, H3B 1M1
Opening hours : Monday to friday 9h to 12h and 1h to 5h pm or by appointment
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