I remember the first time I walked into the Tucson Gem Show. I was completely blown away by the size of the show. There were literally hundreds of stone vendors across mutiple locations selling some of the most spectacular gems I have ever seen.
After getting over the initial shock, the first question that popped into my mind was how I could possibly know who to buy from. Who could I trust?
The first thing I had to do was to understand my personal values when it comes to sourcing. While cut, color and uniqueness are important factors for me when I am choosing a stone, there’s one factor that ranks above everything else when it comes to sourcing gems and that’s whether or not that gem was responsibly mined and cut.
The business of gem mining and cutting is incredibly complicated and opaque. Reliable information about where a diamond or gemstone came out of the ground is very difficult to come by, which makes it challenging to know for sure if a particular gem was mined and cut in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.
I prioritize sourcing gems that are traceable from mine-to-market. Montana sapphires are a great choice for traceability. In recent years, I have also enjoyed sourcing from Moyo Gems, responsible miner-to-market gemstone collaboration in East Africa. When it comes to diamonds, I love looking at stones from Canada & Australia. And, I am always on the look-out for antique or post-consumer diamonds & gemstones. Why pull new gems from the ground when we already have millions of carats of stones in circulation?
Over the years, I have worked to narrow my pool of vendors to a select few who share my values when it comes to responsible sourcing. These are vendors who I trust to:
Provide me with accurate information on a gem’s origin & treatments and to be honest with me when they can’t provide that information with certainty.
Operate their own businesses with honesty and integrity.
Provide fair and transparent pricing that is aligned with the overall market.
I count my vendors as friends. We have built a relationship of mutual trust and respect over years of doing business together. We meet up at gem shows and conferences. We text each other on birthdays and holidays. I feel good spending my dollars (and by extension, your dollars!) with them.
To put it plainly, I don’t buy gems from just anyone and I don’t buy just any gem, even if it means having to put down a stunner of a stone.
When you purchase a gem from Stórica, we are committed to sharing with you everything we know about that gem’s journey from mine to market so that you can be proud to wear a piece of jewelry that reflects not only your personality, but your values as well.
