The Gem Lab Podcast

 Today’s consumers are more informed than ever—and in the world of jewelry retail, that changes everything. In this episode, we explore why gem education is no longer a “nice to have,” but a critical driver of sales, trust, and long-term customer relationships. From understanding treatments and sourcing to confidently communicating value, we unpack how knowledgeable sales teams don’t just sell more—they sell smarter. If you’ve ever wondered what truly separates top-performing stores from the rest, this conversation might just change the way you think about training. 

Everyone stumbles. It’s how we pick ourselves up that defines us. Mistakes are stepping stones, not stumbling blocks. Failure is not your enemy; it’s your secret weapon. Learn from it, grow from it. Don’t repeat mistakes, and avoid the pitfalls others have conquered. Learn from others’ errors, too, and you’ll save yourself a lot of time and trouble. Keep the faith, stay persistent, and you’ll find success. You possess the power to overcome obstacles.

This podcast is about hundreds of counsellors volunteering their time free of charge to help our communities cope with day-to-day challenges through Hope House Counselling Centre in Cape Town. Online counselling is also available to anywhere in the world. The cost is a donation of only R150 and if you can't afford it then it's free. The founder Judy Strickland who founded Hope House 20 years ago wanted counselling available to everyone, rich and poor. www.hopehouse.org.za 

Those in authority who rant and rave for hours because a mistake has been made may be ‘servicing their own frustration’, but they’re harming those on the receiving end of their tirades. Breaking someone’s spirit will never bring out the best in anyone. Some of us get lambasted in the ‘nicest possible way,’ only realizing hours later that we were being told we messed up badly.

Mahatma Gandhi said it best: “Freedom isn’t worth having if it doesn’t include the freedom to make mistakes.”  

A hand shake in the diamond industry has been the way of sealing a deal for many years. It is known as Mazal u Bracha. Sadly some people in our industry don't keep their word, commit to taking a gemstone and then going back on their word. This is unacceptable in the gem and jewellery industry. 

It is essential that all artificially treated stones are disclosed to customers. Failure to disclose a treatment can be considered a misrepresentation by law. 

Last last couple of years have been difficult for bossiness and we need to change if  what we are doing isn't working. 

This podcast is about grading diamonds and coloured stones. 

The gem testing labs in SA should be extremely busy but alas, we battle to stay afloat. Worse, we continue to see loads of gemstones sold as something they’re not.

As I have mentioned before, in a survey done some years ago, 80% of gemstones passing through our lab were synthetic, artificially treated, or imitations. In other words, they had been sold fraudulently.

Overseas labs charge a lot of money to have stones checked, which enables them to afford the equipment needed to do the job efficiently. That, in turn, assists the trade to buy and sell with confidence.

For example, a 27.19ct blue sapphire was brought into our lab and the client, quite correctly, wanted to know what the origin was and if there was any evidence of heat treatment. We, at The Gem Lab, performed our usual exacting evaluation, concluded that the stone was Sri Lankan, and it had not been heat-treated.

This stone was going on auction for between $120 000 - $150 000. My fee was R350, but it took the client six months to pay. To sell the stone in the US, a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) report was required. It didn’t surprise us one bit that the GIA delivered the same evaluation as we had provided. The fee, however, was R12200 and AGL (American Gemological Laboratory) was going to charge R14000.

Sad but True
Going back some years when GEMSA (Gemmological Association of South Africa) was up and running, they would run monthly workshops, sharing knowledge and even going to the trouble of getting expert guest speakers from the local university to give a talk. This was so poorly attended that they had to close the association.

During COVID lockdown, we were offering zoom sessions on various subjects, free of charge. It was such a poor show that we stopped it. Our sole purpose, born of our own passion and purpose, is to assist the trade, offer education programs, run courses, but very few want it. 

When I moved back to Durban from JHB in 1989, I was asked to open a branch in Durban. We put on a full cheese and wine evening, with an audio-visual presentation on how to identify some of the most common fakes. I personally went around to the jewellers inviting them and their staff to this free evening with the intention of opening a branch in Durban. One person arrived! 

Recently I was thinking of opening GEMSA up again, so I sent out a poll on a Facebook group to see who would be interested. As only a few responded, so once again I realized it is going to be a total waste of time and effort.
 

This is a call from the wilderness, asking you to help us to help you sell with confidence. I state unmitigatedly, that I have dedicated myself to helping this industry for over 30 years not just because it is in my nature to help people, but I am passionate about gemmology and seeing our industry thrive. The people we have helped have blossomed and that is the only reward I need to make this all worthwhile. 

We, at The Gem Lab, have an inexhaustible amount of passion and dedication, but we need you to help us help you.

Johannesburg and Cape Town, you have this facility on your doorstep, support us, please? Durban, I am afraid you lost your lab due to the lack of support. But for those in KZN who need us, we are only a courier away.
 

This week we have three students writing their Gem-A exams in South Africa. I have personally met these three ladies and they are the most awesome beautiful, dedicated people you could ever meet.

They are your future gemmologists and believe me studying for the Gem-A Diploma takes many hours of study and dedication. I would hate to see South Africa lose them due to the lack of support from the industry that needs gemmologists now more than ever before.

“Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfilment of their goals rather than all the other distractions that life presents to them.” - Jack Canfield

Are you seeing the truth of the above words? Many people are focused on obstacles or the past. Do you notice that they are like hamsters on a spinning wheel - busy, but going nowhere? Getting up-close-and-personal, I boldly ask; where is your focus right now? On the obstacles - ‘the trees’ - worrying so much about hitting the target that you wind up missing it?

We are witnessing more and more how the world around us is changing. How are you changing? How is your enterprise adapting? I acknowledge that we have lost some customers, possibly due to them still trying to sell off the stock they bought over a year ago before Covid. One client that I have known for many years has stopped sending us work without a word being said. A simple phone call or response to an email would have been appreciated, but nothing.

So the question remains, where is your focus? Worrying about the business you have lost, on the way things were, or the lack of communication from someone you have done business with for many years? Any of the foregoing will take a lot of unnecessary energy, which could be better spent on aiming for your target. 

To connect or for more information, articles and content visit www.gemlab.co.za, you can connect with Jeremy on social media as well:

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