Gemstone Expeditions Announces Summer 2019 Tour Dates

Gemstone Expeditions, a company that organizes visits to the gem world’s most exotic locales, has announced its tour dates and destinations through summer 2019. The upcoming tours are as follows:

Africa: Kenya and Tanzania, July 6–13. Visits to Mt. Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro Crater, the Serengeti, and wildlife sanctuaries. Gemstone highlights include tanzanite, tsavorite, spinel, ruby.

Brazil, August 11–17. Visits to Ouro Preto, Governador Valadares, Minas Gerais, and Teófilo Otoni. Gemstone highlights include emerald, precious topaz, tourmaline, and aquamarine.

Sri Lanka, August 21–28. Visits to Ratnapura, Elahera, and Colombo. Gemstone highlights include sapphire, cat’s eye, moonstone, and spinel.

For more information on booking your travel, visit gemstoneexpeditions.com.

Frederick Goldman Announces New Offering, Jewelry Solutions Group

Jewelry manufacturer Frederick Goldman has announced the opening of its Jewelry Solutions Group, a program that offers customers its core products and private label jewelry with one-week delivery. The program emphasizes custom and configured engagement rings, with capabilities for allowing the use of mined as well as lab-grown diamonds.

“We found that the market has a need for fast on-demand solutions that are not typically offered by suppliers,” said chief executive officer Jonathan Goldman in a statement. “Our Jewelry Solutions Group has an array of services: design, manufacturing, and the ability to drop-ship directly to the consumer. We offer a turn-key solution that is a tremendous benefit to our customers.”

The company also announced a new jewelry manufacturing facility in Mexico, a vertically integrated, full-service factory. Within the large property, the company has a luxury bridal cell for use of mind diamonds  and a separate facility for the handling of lab-grown diamonds. Both are reported to use recycled and responsibly sourced raw materials and are free of tariffs.

For more information, visit b2b.fgoldman.com.

GSI Courses Conducted for Fred Meyer Jewelers

Gemological Science International (GSI) recently conducted a two-day Diamond Essentials course for Fred Meyer Jewelers, a division of Kroger Co. The training program, which was held at GSI’s training facilities in New York City, offered executives and associates of Fred Meyer Jewelers insight on new developments in diamond treatments, lab-grown diamonds, and simulants.

The course, which is offered to top management of retail chains worldwide, is meant to provide retailers the opportunity to learn new information about diamonds and interact with gemological experts. Those taking the course were given a refresher on diamond basics—like grading and identification—while examining color and clarity, treated stones, HTHP and CVD lab-grown diamonds, simulants, and more.

“Gemological Science International understands our retail needs and created a course tailored to our team, providing a helpful review of the basics of diamonds, industry changes, and the latest technological developments that impact us as a retailer,” said Peter Engel, president of Fred Meyer Jewelers, in a statement.

For more information on the courses, visit gemscience.net, and fredmeyerjewelers.com.

Greenland Ruby Mine Adds U.S. Greenlandic Diplomat

As the newly appointed U.S. Greenlandic Affairs Officer, one of Sung Choi’s first official duties was to tour Greenland’s only corundum mine. His is the first diplomatic presence in the country since 1953, as the United States looks to strengthen ties with the mineral-rich island.

The delegation to the Aappaluttoq mine was led by Hayley Henning, vice president of sales and marketing for Greenland Ruby, this last month. “Greenland Ruby was delighted to show Greenlandic Affairs Officer Choi our state-of-the-art mine and processing plant, which adheres to the strictest environmental laws and regulations,” said Henning in a statement. “He indicated that increased business between the U.S. and Greenland was extremely important to his mission.”

In efforts to combat the climate change that is affecting Greenland—threatening its polar bear population, though experts say access to the island’s raw materials will be more possible due to melting ice—Greenland Ruby has founded the Pink Polar Bear Foundation, supporting international polar research.

For more information, visit greenlandruby.gl.

Top: Tsavorite from the Baraka Mine in Tanzania (photo courtesy of Gem Expeditions)

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