How do you describe color when ordering a gemstone over the phone? And what color will you get when your order is filled? The colored gem industry needs a good—and, most importantly, universally accepted—color communications tool. There are a few color systems in use, such as GIA’s GemSet and Howard Rubin’s GemDialogue, but none are universally accepted by the trade. Stuller wants its new Gemewizard to be the first.

Stuller Inc., based in Lafayette, La., manufactures and distributes gold and platinum jewelry components and a line of finished jewelry. It also sells loose diamonds and gemstones, supplying small round stones in sizes that fit its jewelry. Over the past 14 years it has expanded the gemstone product line to more than 17,000 different stone types, shapes, sizes, and qualities. To maintain its “just-in-time” operation, the company created a computer program that could identify a gemstone fast. Now Stuller is making the program available to the industry.

Claiming that its new computer program will “revolutionize gemstone color communication,” Stuller introduced Gemewizard at AGTA’s Tucson GemFair to a standing-room-only crowd. And that color communication won’t just be between dealers, or between dealers and jewelers, Stuller says, but “from the consumer all the way through the pipeline.” That’s a tall order, which some attending laboratory gemologists questioned, even after seeing a nearly flawless demonstration.

The Gemewizard software system is actually a communication, pricing, and inventory tool for all loose gems. It incorporates elements such as the properties and lore of each stone type as well as quality and color descriptions. It also includes a tool for immediate distribution from Stuller, or from your own supplier.

Color communication is the key to getting the right product in stock for your customer. To that end, Gemewizard is akin to an overhauled, computerized GIA GemSet—a book of plastic round brilliant gemstone replicas for comparing colors, in 31 hues with six variable tones and saturations. That’s helpful, since GIA’s well-established verbal descriptions of hue, tone, and saturation will be familiar to the trade.

Stuller was quick to state that GIA’s system is currently the most important with regard to accepted nomenclature but noted that the book is cumbersome, plastics never look quite like gems and tend to fade, and the number of samples is limited. Gemewizard uses 36 hues, five more than GIA’s system. After factoring in tone and saturation, that translates into 1,296 master colors. Multiplying that by the 15 styles of cutting (e.g., round brilliant, emerald cut, pear shape, etc.) produces 19,440 masters. The program can jump from one page to another, showing on one screen all the close comparisons to the hue, tone, saturation, and shape a user is trying to find.

At the Tucson demonstration, Dr. Ilene Reinitz, research gemologist with GIA’s Gem Trade Laboratory, raised the issue of the subtle—and sometimes not-so-subtle—color differences among computer monitors. Stuller countered by showing six computers side-by-side, and all of the screen colors looked close enough for retailing purposes.

Matt Stuller, chairman and CEO of Stuller, noted that most new monitors provide fairly accurate colors. In addition, Stuller will help jewelers purchase new computer systems to ensure good results. In fact, they’ve contracted with Dell Corp. to provide select desktop and notebook configurations at a 10% discount.

Stuller says Gemewizard also provides “virtual inventory” as well as current sales-related pricing. If the customer or retailer has a particular gemstone preference, they can view the color range available for that gemstone. (The program has been built to show only the colors that are consistent with a particular gem material.)

Conversely, if the customer or retailer has a particular color preference, they can view a palette of assorted gemstones available in that color. The program also features a comprehensive search-and-inventory system for diamonds, along with many other bells and whistles for pricing and inventory as well as for embellishing sales presentations.

The system costs $695 (plus a required six-month maintenance agreement fee), but for a limited time Stuller is offering a free 30-day trial with a purchase price of $495 and a maintenance fee of $39 per month (regularly $49 per month). The required six-month maintenance agreement provides Stuller customers with program updates, color palette updates, access to daily price and inventory information from Stuller displayed at the jeweler’s custom markup, and online ordering

For more information about Gemewizard, contact Stuller at (800) 877-7777 or visit www.stuller.com.