{"id":42,"date":"2012-01-29T22:39:47","date_gmt":"2012-01-29T22:39:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/userblogs.ganoksin.com\/antoinettematlins\/?p=42"},"modified":"2012-02-01T03:27:33","modified_gmt":"2012-02-01T03:27:33","slug":"failure-of-57000-carat-emerald-to-sell-is-no-surprise-but-arrest-of-owner-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/userblogs.ganoksin.com\/antoinettematlins\/2012\/01\/29\/failure-of-57000-carat-emerald-to-sell-is-no-surprise-but-arrest-of-owner-is\/","title":{"rendered":"Failure of 57,000 Carat \u201cEmerald\u201d To Sell Is No Surprise … But Arrest of Owner IS"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since I was focusing on the workshops and lectures I\u2019d be giving in Tucson, as well as the searches I\u2019d be doing for my own clients, I could only think back to the “world’s largest sapphire” that was on exhibition in Tucson some years ago, a rock that was bought in Tucson for some very nominal sum, then subsequently the focus of the media and \u201cvalued\u201d at over a million dollars! Needless to say, it got a lot of publicity, but that\u2019s all. I don\u2019t know what happened to it, but hopefully it was crushed and used for driveway gravel!<\/p>\n

Now we find a similar story with the world\u2019s largest \u2018emerald\u2019 \u2013 weighing in at 57,000 carats. Even in photos, knowledgeable people could see there was a lot wrong, and claims were dubious at best.\u00a0 Doubt arose immediately as to whether or not the stone is even green (evidence of dye can actually be seen in images that are circulating), but that\u2019s not the only problem; it is also semi-opaque, has little if any brilliance, and lots of surface reaching cracks are readily noticeable. In a word, it\u2019s ugly. In short, it\u2019s not a \u201cgem.\u201d Here again, the only thing one can say is that it\u2019s heavy; hence the name with which it was dubbed by many gemologists and serious collectors: the emerald doorstop (<\/em>which would be an excellent use for it as long as it didn\u2019t stand in any puddles into which the green dye might be released and stain the floor)!<\/p>\n

But I digress. Now, back to the \u201clate-breaking news\u201d that was sent courtesy of Montreal-based gemologist Claude Lamarre (which he read about in the Canadian newspaper, Vancouver Sun)– <\/em><\/p>\n

The 57,000 carat emerald failed to find a buyer and<\/strong> its owner has been arrested in connection with multiple counts of fraud that have occurred in Ontario, Canada\u201d!<\/strong><\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n

For the full story, follow the ink: http:\/\/www.vancouversun.com\/World+largest+emerald+fails+find+buyer+Kelowna+auction\/6067839\/story.html<\/a><\/p>\n

I was thrilled to get the news. But it also struck me how sad it is that the unknowing public \u2013 including the media \u2013 can be so easily exploited into thinking such material is actually a \u201cgem.\u201d\u00a0 When even the media can be duped into publicizing such a stunt, it underscores how few \u2013 and this includes people even in the jewelry field \u2013 understand that just because a stone is identified as “emerald,” “ruby,” “sapphire,” and so on, does not<\/em> mean the stone is a gem!<\/p>\n

First and foremost, to be a “gem” it must be beautiful, it must be a quality that is rare (here is where such things as natural color, differences in specific hue\/ transparency\/clarity, etc cannot be ignored), and it must be durable enough to stand the test of time. This huge emerald–assuming it’s even one piece and not multiple pieces held together by green-tinted glass–is not beautiful, the quality is exceptionally low, and it has so many surface reaching cracks that it could hardly be called “durable.”<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve also heard a lot of comments surrounding this latest story about how \u2018stupid\u2019 the consumer is. Frankly, this makes me angry.\u00a0 What are you <\/em>doing to help educate the your customers or the public in general about why such this “emerald” — and all the others — are not \u201cgems\u201d?\u00a0 Have you actually engaged your customers in a discussion of this news-making emerald?<\/p>\n

If I were a retailer, I\u2019d have already printed out copies of the images of the emerald itself, and now, the recent newspaper article about the crook behind it; I’d place them in a highly visible place within the store, and I\u2019d be starting a conversation with every customer who comes through the door! I’d use it as an educational opportunity \u2013 an example of why it does NOT qualify as a valuable gem, and then explain what separates a \u201cdoorstop\u201d or \u201cdriveway gravel\u201d from a real gem. We need to do more to help the public\u00a0 understand that it is differences in quality<\/em> that account for differences in beauty\u2026.and for differences in price.<\/p>\n

It would be refreshing if the media would actually do a follow up on this story and use it as a way to educate their viewers\/readers\/listeners so that they won\u2019t be duped the next time one of these rocks surfaces.\u00a0 Speaking of which, now I\u2019m off to Tucson, and the largest gem show in the world, where opportunity…\u00a0 and opportunists .<\/em>.. abound!<\/em><\/p>\n

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