sponsored by jewelers of america, the 2004 jewelers executive conference convened in march in overland park, kan., attended by nearly 200 jewelry store owners and operators from the state associations of kansas, missouri, nebraska-south dakota, and oklahoma. the two-day event featured a sponsor’s showcase and was highlighted by seminars that that included “promotional ideas that work,” “develop…

a new tradition of the united states military academy at west point, n.y., has arrived at the pease & curren refinery in warwick, r.i. the west point memorial class ring program has asked pease & curren to take the first step in turning class rings donated by the families of deceased west point alumni into rings for the graduating class of 2005.

a first-ever retrospective of the work of the master jeweler f. walter lawrence opened on march 24 at the newark museum in newark, n.j. thirty-eight pieces of lawrence’s handcrafted jewelry and silver will be on display in the museum’s contemporary craft gallery until oct. 3. born in 1864, frank walter lawrence opened his own business in new york city in 1894.

the harry oppenheimer diamond museum in ramat gan, israel, has opened a unique exhibition of gemstones and minerals, including 500 rare items gathered from 55 countries around the world. the private collection of ben-zion harel, an international gemstone dealer, and sarah harel was accumulated over a period of 30 years and will form part of the permanent collection of the museum.

the society of north american goldsmiths (snag) announced two recipients of its most recent grant awards: edinboro university of pennsylvania hosted harlan butt, who conducted a workshop on “enameling on three-dimensional forms” in april; and linda kaye-moses taught “precious metal clay” at metal’s edge studios, scottsdale, ariz.

the 2004 edition of oroarezzo, held march 27-31 in arezzo, italy, celebrated the 25th anniversary of the show. the event paid well-deserved homage to an industry that has helped elevate italy to the top of the league of jewelry manufacturers worldwide, particularly in the chain-making sector. the 1,600-plus jewelry firms in arezzo and the surrounding region account for about 31% of italy’s tota…

the international gemological institute (igi) recently launched a series of seminars addressing the issues of high-pressure, high-temperature (hpht) treatments and synthetic diamonds. the first seminar, which was organized with the gem and jewelry export promotion council of india (gjepc), was held in december 2003 in mumbai, india, with approximately 150 members of the indian diamond industry …

for anyone with a passion for jewelry, jewelry camp is akin to heaven. for five days in july, hundreds of jewelry collectors, dealers, students, and fans gather on the campus of hofstra university in hempstead, long island, n.y., to learn from some of the top jewelry experts, designers, and historians in the field.

can moissanite, a precisely calibrated hand-cut jewel, be successfully cast in place in platinum and karat gold alloys? ongoing research being conducted by industry veteran and head caster tony milad of hoover & strong, richmond, va., has shown that the procedure can be done successfully using karat gold alloys.

although the basel fair’s watch area was its usual bustling madhouse, and jewelry exhibitors from the far east were extremely busy, the jewelry design hall left much to be desired in terms of emerging trends and foot-traffic. chalk it up to either the problematic slip in dollar value this year or the fact that the fair is just two and half months after the january vicenza show, where so many ne…

retailers that responded to the global witness letter: fortunoff pampillonia tiffany & co. the signet group zale retailers that global witness says did not respond to its letter: bloomingdales, new york boone and sons, washington, d.c. bracken jewelers, santa monica, calif. bulgari, los angeles cartier, los angeles chas schwartz and sons, washington, d.

antiquorum opened its 30th year with a march 24 auction of important collector’s wristwatches, pocket watches, and clocks that brought in $4,441,196. the sale was held in new york city at the grand havana room. a number of timepieces went for double and even triple their presale estimates. the live web broadcast on www.

with apologies to charles dickens, i borrow the famous first line from a tale of two cities to begin this month’s counterpoint: “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” i refer to the state of the jewelry business and its gradual economic recovery from the slowdown that began in 2000. however, more than at any time previously, the industry faces unique and unprecedented challeng…

amazon.com—which in recent years has branched out from its bookselling business to sell other products, including apparel, sporting goods, and gourmet food—has launched a jewelry store web portal. the site (www.amazon.com/jewelry) opened april 22 to great fanfare by the seattle-based company.

policyholders of jewelers mutual insurance will get $5.1 million in dividends by aug. 31, subject to regulatory approval. it’s the largest dividend dollar amount in the company’s 91-year history. jmi, headquartered in neenah, wis., is the only u.s. insurer specializing in jewelry and jewelers, and also the nation’s largest jewelry insurer.

prestige jewelers inventory clearance shows l.l.c. (pjics) offers retail jewelers a new solution to moving old inventory—a jewelry clearance show open to the public. the inaugural show, which will feature between 50 and 100 retail jewelers from across the united states, will debut oct. 22-24, 2004, at the osceola heritage park exhibition building in kissimmee, fla.

higashi pearls & fine jewelry, lemoyne, pa., recently presented a check for $5,000 to the pennsylvania breast cancer coalition (pbcc) after a highly successful fundraising effort that began in may 2003 on mother’s day and ended in december. higashi donated a portion of the proceeds from the sale of wolf designs’ new hot pink “kelly” jewelry box to the pbcc.

the manufacturers of arezzo are best known for their production of chain, if not necessarily for innovation in the design of “value added” jewelry. but to expand their markets, gain recognition, and develop a more rounded profile among the world’s jewelry markets they have begun testing the waters with leading-edge designs and couture.

congress jewelers recently held a three-day event to celebrate the grand opening of its new naples, fla., store. entertainment included new york cabaret artists kt sullivan, mark nadler, and byron nease. the event also benefited a well-known local charity: a percentage of sales of the “sealife by congress” jewelry line as well as proceeds from a silent auction went to the conservancy of south f…

a recently released study from the research firm mintel, based in the united kingdom, reveals that jewelers—or “jewellers,” as they say across the atlantic—have a lot to learn in terms of pleasing customers. the “2004 mintel precious metal jewelry report” reveals that “the precious metal jewelry market has grown … but overall growth has been slower than the retail market and j…

jewelers’ losses to crime increased again in 2003, even though on-site criminal incidents dropped slightly and law enforcement has been more aggressive in collaring jewelry criminals, say new reports by jewelers’ security alliance and jewelers mutual insurance. on the plus side, “off-premises” losses—such as robberies of traveling retailers, salespeople, or trunk-show operators—decl…

the barbell principle i really enjoyed jennifer heebner’s “soft in the middle” article in april’s jck magazine. we have seen the growth in a number of industries start to resemble a barbell, with the jewelry sector appearing to follow the rule rather than create the exception. even as you look at the larger mass-market retailers—sterling and zale—they are putting their resources …

dr. george rossman, professor of mineralogy at the california institute of technology (caltech) in pasadena, calif., has been named this year’s recipient of the feynman prize, caltech’s most prestigious teaching honor. the award recognizes “exceptional ability, creativity, and innovation in both laboratory and classroom instruction.

in the spring of 1979, the gemological institute of america’s gem trade labs (gtl) began to see a large number of heat-treated sapphires from sri lanka. robert crowningshield, then director of gtl in new york, called heat-treating sapphires “one of the best kept commercial secrets in the jewelry industry.

mother nature simply doesn’t create enough fine gem-quality ruby or sapphire to satisfy the demands of consumers. actually, the problem has been around for centuries, and necessity being the mother of invention, the home cooking of corundum (ruby and sapphire) to improve color and clarity was reported centuries ago.

the december 2003 edition of auction market resource (amr) is now available. it features a special section dedicated to a year in review of colored and colorless diamonds sold at auction. published twice a year, amr also tracks market trends and provides gemological information. professional independent gemologists/appraisers collect data from more than 48 national and international auctio…

the colored-gemstone pricing book the guide has expanded and updated its gemstone pricing to reflect what’s new in the market. with steadily increasing requests for pricing on laboratory-grown diamonds, the guide diamonds has added pricing charts for hpht-grown synthetics in yellow, pink, and blue colors.

ever wonder how to find the important pavilion and crown main angles from measurements of pavilion depth or table size and crown height? here’s how to get those angles with the help of a couple of buttons on a $16 scientific calculator or the free windows scientific calculator accessory on your computer.

diamond dealer yehuda abraham, 76, of ambuy gem corp., recently pled guilty to charges of conducting an illegal money transfer that would have—although it was unknown to abraham—aided a terrorist plot. he faces five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. prosecutors said they would push for a three-year sentence.

the most successful single-owner jewelry sale in the united states this year was held on april 28, 2004, when the estate of the late françoise hermann was auctioned off in simulcast between the los angeles and san francisco galleries of bohnams & butterfields. hermann, a jet-setting socialite and philanthropist born in paris in 1919, purchased most of her collection prior to 1950, in …

diamond cutters and jewelry designers are paying particular attention to the age-old fashion mantra: everything old is new again. forget adding more facets or different facets to a round stone—fashionistas today aren’t looking for more brilliance. instead, their endless search for interesting looks has brought them flocking to old-school stones long ago abandoned in favor of their more fa…

piaget recently hosted an evening of “diamonds and dancing” on fisher island, fla., to benefit the contemporary ballet troupe maximum dance company. during the gala, piaget launched its magic reflections collection-flown in from switzerland specifically for the event-and donated 10% of its february sales to the dance company.

technically, the hardest substance in the world is really the birthstone for april, but every june, jck’s annual diamond focus issue examines the latest trends and developments in the diamond industry. this year’s diamond hot buttons include the long-awaited launch (maybe) of gia’s cut grade, the result of years of study and—not surprisingly—the subject of great debate.

designworks recently appointed kevin reilly vice president of sales. reilly will be responsible for expanding the distribution of the company’s luxury branded products to independent jewelers. ge commercial finance’s corporate lending division has named james hogan, senior vice president, to lead the origination function of its retail finance team.

schacter & namdar group, israel’s leading diamond exporter for more than two decades, has formed a strategic relationship with william goldberg, the internationally recognized diamond house. this venture brings together the creators of the world’s most successful diamond brands and innovative cuts: the ashoka diamond by william goldberg and the leo diamond by leo schacter.

the natural color diamond association (ncdia), a new trade organization launched earlier this year to promote natural colored diamonds, held a press conference during the baselworld fair to raise awareness of its members and goals. (see “diamond notes,” jck april 2004, p. 42.) ncdia draws members from around the world, from rough diamond producers to diamond and jewelry manufacturers and reta…

finn & reich diamonds llc recently opened locations at 2 w. 46th st. in new york city and 481 franklin st. in buffalo, n.y. specializing in loose diamonds, the company also carries a full diamond jewelry line. the principals are melvin davis & bill reich, formerly of the m.a. reich co., and gregg finn.

in april, the united arab emirates become the first arab state to open a diamond bourse, the dubai diamond exchange. the dde will be housed in dubai’s new almas tower (almas means “diamond” in arabic) and is meant to serve as a focal point for the region’s diamond trade. the bourse’s launch coincided with the two-day annual meeting of the world diamond council.

diaspark jewel is windows-based client server software that offers jewelers a comprehensive solution in accounting and manufacturing process. it’s generic and can be set up to suit specific business needs. nearly 30 companies now use diaspark jewel software, including prestige jewelry international, rosy blue fine inc.

frederick goldman, a prominent manufacturer of gold and platinum bridal jewelry, has announced the launch of a new sterling silver jewelry line geared to the fashion-conscious, self-purchasing woman. named “lyric,” the new line is a collection of sterling silver and gemstone jewelry that incorporates elements of the old “lyric” floral pattern from the artcarved bridal line manufactured by gold…

brazilian design sensation antonio bernardo recently received the red dot design award, an international honor awarded by the nordhein westfalen design center in germany. bernardo was recognized for his “expand” ring (pictured), an 18k gold plate in an expanding spiral that symbolizes an expanding universe.

abi precious metals has a new line of platinum sterling silvers. there are three compositions of the metal available: 925 ag/1% pt, 925 ag/3.5% pt, and 925 ag/5% pt. benefits of the new alloy include excellent casting performance with no firescale; rich, deep white sheen and surface finish; tarnish resistance; higher weight density; and significantly increased hardness.

jim hartstein of jewels by joseph, newport beach, calif., has been elected president of the california jewelers association (cja) for 2004. other officers elected include president-elect mike maralian, dejaun jewelers, los angeles; first vice president bob marks, rogers jewelry co., modesto; second vice president rick velayo, gleim the jeweler, palo alto; and treasurer allen kessler, kessler je…

sales for the movado group, the u.s. watchmaker whose brands include movado, concord, and newly acquired ebel, posted record results for the fiscal year ending jan. 31, including a second consecutive year of record cash flow. for fiscal 2004, net sales rose 10% to $330.2 million, and net income increased 13.

the jewelers charity fund for children hopes to raise $4 million during the jck show ~ las vegas, says executive director pattie light. this year, 13 watch companies exhibiting in the luxury swiss watch by jck show donated watches to jcf, which will either raffle or auction them off. “we got baume and mercier, bulgari, harry winston, all the great brands,” light said.

the u.s. census bureau’s 2003 statistical abstract of the united states is a hodgepodge of facts and figures about our country and its habits. below are some that might interest jewelers, but you can view the entire document online—free of charge—at www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-03.

moshe schnitzer, 82, former chairman of the israel diamond institute, was recently awarded the israel prize, israel’s highest honor, for “making a special contribution to the state of israel and israeli society”—particularly his role in turning israel into one of the world’s leading centers for diamond manufacturing.

it’s accepted wisdom that cut is as important to a stone’s appearance as the other three cs—sometimes more so. yet there is no universally accepted system for grading cut and no grade at all from the biggest lab, the gemological institute of america’s gem trade laboratory. that may change. after a decade of research, gia is coming forward with a cut grade—or something that might b…

the polished-diamond sector may be heading for a substantial “shakeout,” lazare kaplan chairman maurice tempelsman told attendees at the recent american gem society conclave in atlanta. “the correction that looms ahead may be smooth and long in coming, or it may be soon and sudden,” he said. “either way, the impact will be felt at the retail level, as [suppliers] fail, and those that survive, …

two of new york’s biggest names—leo schachter and william goldberg diamond corp.—are linking up for a joint venture. under the new agreement, goldberg will polish the bigger (three carats and up, polished) stones schachter receives from de beers’ diamond trading company. bigger stones have long been goldberg’s specialty.

george corder, co-founder of corder’s jewelry, somerset, ky., passed away on dec. 22, 2003, at golden years nursing home in monticello. he was 89. corder was one of 11 children raised on a farm in mccreary county by the late james and arbanna corder. when he was barely in his twenties, he purchased a small watch repair shop in monticello from the widow of its owner.

sometimes space dictates design. but that doesn’t mean it should limit innovation. case in point: the new orly jewellers in the carrefour laval mall in suburban montreal. carved out of a tiny, triangular space at the juncture between the original mall and a recent expansion, the orly store is a shining example of how to use what’s available to create a beautiful, efficient, secure, and inviting…

the atlanta jewelry show, held in february, enjoyed a record 11% increase in attendance, resulting in the highest attendance numbers in more than a decade. contributing to the increase was the launch of the southern jewelry travelers association (sjta) buyer loyalty program, “you buy, you fly,” which attracted many first-time buyers as well as return attendees seeking to earn delta skymiles bas…

another diamond company wants to move into mining. israel’s dgi group said it has $2 billion to acquire diamond mines. it recently made two bids to acquire canada’s ekati mine. both were rejected. dgi is headed by daniel gertler, a member of israel’s schnitzer family. rumors of a possible sale of ekati occur periodically in the industry.

underwriters for blue nile inc. have set the terms of the company’s initial public offering, which at press time was pending, at 3.74 million common shares with a price of $17.50 to $19.50 a share, according to a report by the associated press. the seattle-based company said it is selling 2 million shares, while shareholders are selling the rest, the ap reported.

the directors of the jewelers 24 karat club of southern california have selected frank dallahan, publisher of jck magazine, and dave bonaparte, vice president of the jck shows, to be the 2004 recipients of its highest honor, the excellence in service award. the award is reserved for those who have made a significant improvement in or impact on the jewelry industry.

the ohio jewelers association (oja) board of directors unanimously elected dan pugh, of pugh’s diamond jewelers, zanesville, ohio, as the new oja president for a two-year term. oja is the sponsor of the columbus jewelry show and is the largest affiliate of the ohio council of retail merchants, of which pugh is a board member.

who would have thought that so much watch news of the early 21st century would concern not quartz modules, alternative energy sources, or digitals, but rather good old-fashioned mechanical watches? that’s what’s been happening recently, and the growing popularity of mechanical watches was evident at 2004’s swiss watch fairs in basel and geneva.

the jck show ~ las vegas has selected the six designers who will make their jewelry trade show debut as “rising stars” at this june’s show. each year, “rising stars”—which is housed in the show’s design center—features selected designers who have never exhibited at a major jewelry trade event.

de beers lv, the new retail joint venture of de beers and lvmh, has appointed a former cartier chief as its new ceo. guy leymarie, 47, headed cartier from 2001 to 2002. he replaces alain lorenzo, a veteran lvmh executive who said he was leaving the post for personal reasons. lorenzo will be assigned a new position within lvmh.

what a difference a year makes! the gloom overhanging the international spring swiss watch shows—and the watch business generally in 2003—was replaced at this year’s shows by a sense of optimism, strong sales gains, and increased attendance by retailers from around the world, especially from the united states.

anya pinchuk, a two-time recipient of a manufacturing jewelers and suppliers of america (mjsa) education foundation scholarship, won the professional portion of the 13th annual american vision awards (ava) design competition. pinchuk, of bloomington, ind., was among six designers honored from among 40 entries in this year’s competition.

the southern jewelry travelers association (sjta) hosted a special presentation during the atlanta jewelry show to honor law enforcement officials who protect and serve the jewelry industry’s traveling salespeople and retailers. sjta executive vice president ralph williams led the presentation, and honoree mike callahan, an fbi special agent with the birmingham division, spoke on behalf of his …

stuller inc. has been approved for firm membership in the american gem society (ags). j.p. walrond iii, business vice president of bridal jewelry, holds the title of registered supplier, which helped qualify the company for membership. stuller inc. is one of the world’s largest jewelry sector suppliers, with 15 global locations.

the indian diamond and colorstone association will honor signet group ceo terry burman during its 20th anniversary gala, to be held on june 5 in the veronese ballroom at the venetian. burman will be presented with the group’s “retailer of the year” award.

after a year of extensive research, gia’s gem trade laboratory (gtl) has concluded that the color variation observed in a number of heat-treated blue sapphires is simply a product of the specific heating regimen used by one sri lankan lab operator, punsiri tennakoon. a gtl press release dated april 14 states, “we have found no evidence of intentional or inadvertent diffusion of elements from an…

it’s june and our friend john thomas of john thomas jewelers is getting ready to go to the jck show ~ las vegas. john’s going to look at merchandise for the upcoming holiday season. november and december are undoubtedly the busiest months of the year in the jewelry industry. john and his fellow jewelers will arrive at the show with a plan of what they need to purchase and how much they have to …

the 10th conine all-star golf classic recently raised more than $250,000 for the joe dimaggio children’s hospital foundation. proceeds from the celebrity golf event, hosted by jeff conine of the florida marlins and his wife, cindy, are earmarked for use at the “conine clubhouse,” a home-away-from-home where families stay free of charge for as long as a child is hospitalized at the hollywood fac…

since 1997, the entire jewelry industry has seen a 9.8% drop in the number of jewelry-only stores, according to jewelers board of trade statistics. jbt president dione kenyon says there has been a 10% drop since 1993, when “roughly 27,600 jewelers were in business.” contributing to the decline is the impact of new and more powerful channels of distribution, such as tv-based home shopping networ…

william spratling, a 20th-century renaissance man, was many things—architect, teacher, artist, author, collector, and pilot—but most importantly he was the man who single-handedly revived a dormant industry: silversmithing in the mexican town of taxco. spratling, a faculty member at tulane’s school of architecture, lived in a new orleans artist’s community, where he also taught sket…

diamond staffing solutions will offer free staffing consultations during the jck show ~ las vegas. the half-hour consultations will be scheduled by appointment only, and there will be limousine service between the sands convention center to a business conference location. diamond staffing solutions is a national placement service that focuses exclusively on the jewelry industry.

the world diamond council took an unusually combative stance against a recent report by nongovernmental organization global witness that called the industry’s efforts to self-police conflict diamonds “abysmal.” (see “ngo: industry flunked pop quiz,” jck may 2004, p. 30.) global witness sent investigators into more than 30 retailers of various sizes in four cities on the east and west coasts.

when jck asked the members of its retail panel to name their best-turning product, the general category “diamonds” was by far the most popular, named by 55.1% of respondents. results for more specific categories are shown in “best-turning products” chart. we also asked about frequency of top turners and average turn (see “turn rates”) and how long it takes for a non-turner to be considered a …

an excerpt from the may 19, 1886, issue of the jewelers’ weekly (a jck ancestor) reads: “among the matters discussed [at the wisconsin retail jewelers’ protective associa-tion convention] was the issuing of illustrated catalogues by certain jobbers of watches and jewelry. in the course of the discussion the secretary stated that at least nine-tenths of the complaints brought to his notice o…

kerrlab has introduced accu carve carvable injection wax. it features low shrinkage, excellent flow, and low ash content. accu carve is durable and difficult to break and does not react to body heat. kerrlab, orange, calif.; (888) 766-7650 or (714) 516-7650.

de beers is once again testing the “forevermark,” its diamond-shaped logo inscription meant to reassure consumers about the diamonds they buy. the test will take place in hong kong with a limited number of retailers and sightholders. the dtc says the mark will “guarantee your diamond is a genuine natural diamond [that] has not been altered or treated by any artificial means,” says spokeswoman l…

passione, the first independent international trade fair for personal accessories, made its debut in march with more than 23,000 trade visitors from 65 countries. held in conjunction with the international frankfurt beauty week at the frankfurt fair & exhibition centre, 161 exhibitors from 16 countries presented exclusive, high-quality original products on everything that adorns and undersc…

the premiere manufacturing jewelers and suppliers of america (mjsa) gala auction was held in february in new york city, raising nearly $22,000 for the jewelers charity fund for children and the mjsa education foundation. the live auction featured an array of items up for bid including a weekend getaway on nantucket, a three-stone diamond ring from zale corp.

african gem resources limited (afgem), a gem-mining company based in the republic of south africa, announced to its stockholders that it’s selling off all assets of the tanzanite mine in the merelani hills of tanzania and refocusing efforts to purchase shares in diamond-mining operations. in a “cautionary announcement” made jan.

pearl watchers at this year’s tucson gem shows encountered a noticeable rise in the misuse of pearl terminology, including “keshi,” “biwa,” and “natural.” in an article in the washington, d.c., gia alumni chapter newsletter and web site, gem author and photojournalist fred ward discussed the recent increase in the number of keshi pearls and strands, noting that “the logical question is: ‘what’…

in the april issue of jck’s open to buy , the image that ran with the entry for rainbow sapphire collection (866-31-rainbow) was incorrect. the correct image and caption are shown here:

ian sossen of eliazarov reuven & sons diamonds has been awarded the title of “r.s.”—registered supplier of the american gem society (ags). this appointment is made to an individual in the wholesale jewelry industry who is affiliated with an ags firm, has met a high standard of business conduct, and has completed formal and comprehensive gemological studies.

georgio damiani, vice president of the damiani group, will take over as chairman and president of damiani usa corp., assisted by teresa andrés, sales manager, who will oversee the work of newly appointed area managers. wendell figueroa ruiz will assist in the areas of advertising and public relations, and marysia lavaud will continue to manage administration, finance, and control.

the flagship u.s. store of luxury swiss watch brand audemars piguet was robbed in broad daylight march 2 by six men. four of the six robbers have since been arrested, says the company. the violent late-morning theft at the midtown new york city store occurred shortly before noon. according to a company spokesman, two robbers pretending to be customers entered the store first.

jewelers are bringing new, high-tech weapons—some borrowed from the war against terrorism—to their ongoing battle against thieves and robbers. designed to frustrate crooks and strengthen store security, some are so new that they’re just now coming on the market. “this is really space-age stuff,” says john kennedy, president of jewelers security alliance, referring to new products sh…

the new york-based design firm of alex sepkus has established a trust fund to assist an employee who was stricken with spinal meningitis last year. kinga marjai, 32, is a master bench jeweler who came to the united states from hungary seven years ago. she fell ill in june 2003, slipping into a three-month coma.

mirabelle has launched a new line, players club, featuring more than 76 pieces with gaming themes. the collection includes jewel-encrusted heart, spade, clover, and diamond necklaces; chandelier and drop earrings; and bracelets and cufflinks. handcrafted in 18k white and yellow gold, the pieces feature diamonds, rubies, and sapphires.

imagine for a moment that you’re a consumer. you’ve read the wired cover story on “cultured” diamonds. or you saw them on good morning america or a pbs show or one of the many media outlets that have done synthetics stories in the past year. you’ve heard that synthetics are just the same as natural stones.