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Trade War Affects Jewelry Lovers

elizat

Ideal_Rock
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Mar 23, 2013
Messages
3,999
The tariff is usually just passed on to the consumer. I'd imagine that prices will rise as a result of the tariff that is passed on as increased cost.
 

T L

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Gold prices are skyrocketing, so prices are going up regardless.
 

voce

Ideal_Rock
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May 13, 2018
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5,161
Omg, poor jewellers. They'll be seeing less business in this economy.
 

T L

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Omg, poor jewellers. They'll be seeing less business in this economy.
Diamond prices should come down with the proliferation of synthetics, especially non disclosed synthetic melee, but I doubt it.

Time to enjoy nickel free silver allloys and diamond substitutes people!!

Gold got too expensive for me when it went over $400/ounce,lol!
 

Rad_Fan

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Sep 1, 2018
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T L

Super_Ideal_Rock
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So shoulder CS prices too! :devil:
The government want to crack down on gems from volatile regions too, so that’s likely to drive up colored stone prices.
 

deorwine

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 5, 2005
Messages
348
So shoulder CS prices too! :devil:

Yeah, you can get cheap beautiful synthetic rubies and sapphires and emeralds and have been able to for years, why are the prices for the natural ones skyrocketing?? *shakes fist at prices*

But yes, this is why I don't really believe that synthetic diamonds will drive the price down for natural ones. There will always be people who want the natural kind.
 

Rad_Fan

Ideal_Rock
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Also with the current Kashmir saga...
 

T L

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Yeah, you can get cheap beautiful synthetic rubies and sapphires and emeralds and have been able to for years, why are the prices for the natural ones skyrocketing?? *shakes fist at prices*

But yes, this is why I don't really believe that synthetic diamonds will drive the price down for natural ones. There will always be people who want the natural kind.


It’s typically more difficult to detect synthetic diamond than other synthetic gems. Most have to be laser inscribed. While most gemologists can easily determine a synthetic ruby, emerald or sapphire, a very special and advanced piece of equipment I believe is used to detect synthetic diamond. Often the laser inscription is removed and the diamond is put into the marketplace, which is rife with these stones being sold as natural. GIA owns the equipment to detect synthetics, so a GIA report is a good idea.

Synthetic diamonds are also becoming more popular due to conflict stone awareness.

Both the flood of fraudulent practices and conflict free awareness are apparently hurting the natural diamond market. Prices should also come down because small white diamonds are as common as gravel, but they don’t. I love diamonds, but I’ve been personally buying settings with white diamond simulants like zircon as of late because I rather spend the money on the center stone than the setting, and I want to know where my diamonds come from. Small high quality white zircon, cz or moissanite are much less expensive, and in melee sizes, one would be hard pressed to tell the difference. However for some it must always be diamonds, and that’s a fine personal choice that I completely understand.
 
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voce

Ideal_Rock
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May 13, 2018
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5,161
I would think this would help B&M jewelers here in the USA.
Tariffs does help jewelers who produce the jewelry here, but for those B&M stores that import from China, they won't be price competitive anymore.

By "this economy" I primarily meant a potential recession. I don't know how many regular folks will want to splurge on jewelry if they are concerned about a recession.
 

PrecisionGem

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Jul 27, 2004
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2,016
The jewelers I know, and sell to, make everything themselves in house, so they are not buying anything from China. As far as the economy, my understanding is that in the US it’s really strong. A potential recession talk in the US speculation gearing up for the election to try to strengthen ones position.
So if a US jeweler did sell imported jewelry from China, and their costs went up 10% that would make the real jewelers who are actually making something rather than just reselling, more competitive.

We try to support local independent businesses as much a possible, and try to buy Made in America as much as possible at our house.
 

deorwine

Shiny_Rock
Joined
May 5, 2005
Messages
348
It’s typically more difficult to detect synthetic diamond than other synthetic gems. Most have to be laser inscribed. While most gemologists can easily determine a synthetic ruby, emerald or sapphire, a very special and advanced piece of equipment I believe is used to detect synthetic diamond. Often the laser inscription is removed and the diamond is put into the marketplace, which is rife with these stones being sold as natural. GIA owns the equipment to detect synthetics, so a GIA report is a good idea.

Synthetic diamonds are also becoming more popular due to conflict stone awareness.

Both the flood of fraudulent practices and conflict free awareness are apparently hurting the natural diamond market. Prices should also come down because small white diamonds are as common as gravel, but they don’t. I love diamonds, but I’ve been personally buying settings with white diamond simulants like zircon as of late because I rather spend the money on the center stone than the setting, and I want to know where my diamonds come from. Small high quality white zircon, cz or moissanite are much less expensive, and in melee sizes, one would be hard pressed to tell the difference. However for some it must always be diamonds, and that’s a fine personal choice that I completely understand.

One could say similar things about the myriad of treatments for colored stones. Some can be detected easily by gemologists, but some need special equipment, and in any case unless one trusts the gemologist in question one would prefer to have a known lab cert -- that is the case for colored stones as well.

I wonder if something similar will happen for diamond as has happened for colored stones, a division in the market: natural, untreated, lab-certified stones will hold steady or even go up in price because people who like natural stones will be willing to pay more for knowing they've got the Real Natural Thing. But at the same time it will be tough in the lower part of the market and people ripped off thinking they got a deal when they actually got a synthetic.

But yeah, there's the whole conflict diamonds thing and the oversupply of diamonds thing. So like you say, that could swing it the other way. So yes, I could be totally wrong about this :) And also I guess my vague understanding is that colored stone prices are rising partially because of much greater demand in Asia, which is of course a third entirely different factor.
 
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