As I turned the calendar over from December 2020 to January 2021, I did so with a sense of relief. I’m sure many of you feel the same.

But really, what has changed?

Yes, there is the symbolic distance between the old year and the new year, but our lives remain exactly as they were 24 short hours ago. Chances are, many of us feel uncertain and anxious about the future. It’s only natural after the year we’ve endured.  But I feel strongly that the only way to move forward is by harnessing the incredible (and largely untapped) potential of our minds. Einstein once said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Are we guilty of that?

Survival depends on change, and if what we did last year wasn’t working for us, then it makes sense to change it. Change is hard. It’s uncomfortable. Many of us do what we have always done and managed to get by, and thereby avoided having to make sweeping changes in our lives. But what happens when our situation gets so bad that moving out of our comfort zone is the only choice we have? Ask yourself: How far do I need to fall, how uncomfortable and desperate do I need to be, before I am willing to make some necessary changes in my life?

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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Coloured gemstones are can be incredibly complex to evaluate and understand. 

It’s with this in mind that Gübelin chose to launch their own gemstone grading system known as Gübelin Points. This rating service takes into account a stone’s beauty, rarity, and attractiveness and refers to the three domains as quality, rarity, and salience. They feel that this system provides a better orientation for collectors when they are looking for new pieces and helps to simplify the buying process. Until the end of 2021, this service will cost you CHF100 (R2,520.00) irrespective of species.

Certainly, buyers and sellers in this industry want to go about their business with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that their investments are the real deal. 

Considering the above, we’d like to share a few poorly kept secrets with you:

• The Gem Lab has been rating coloured stones using the ICSL grading system for over 30 years. 
• This system takes into account all the characteristics of the gemstone which directly relates to price, based on the final grade of the stone. 
• This result is presented in percentages and plain English.
• Once we have the final grade, the stone’s rarity is considered by the price guides. We have found that gemguide.com offers the most consistency with prices and takes into account rarity and origin.
• Our fee structure takes the species into account otherwise the grading can outprice the gemstones worth.

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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Avoiding sales blunders can be tricky, especially when your staff are not equipped with the knowledge they need to sell well. 

Simply that we need to be trained at our job, and we need to constantly work on our skills and knowledge to be effective.

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I don’t believe that the “customer is always right” – and certainly not in today’s world where we all need to be careful that we’re not getting manipulated by self-serving opportunists. I also believe that there are a growing number of customers who are simply impossible to please. 

However, I do believe that if we use our discretion and treat the customer as if they are right, then we have found a powerful tool to diffuse a potentially bad situation while retaining genuine clients.

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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It’s been such a pleasure interacting with you recently; not only regarding the complexities and definitions of gemstones but also about business wisdom which keeps the cogs turning. In many ways, it’s the minutia of your day to day operation which can make or break your business in the long term. Let me give you a couple of examples.

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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"The moral of the story is, respect everyone, you never know who you are attending to and they could just help pay your salary." In this podcast episode Jeremy shares two life lessons when it comes to how you treat people, and especially your customers. 

Listen on your favourite podcast channel and connect on social media or email [email protected]. 

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Visit www.gemlab.co.za for more resources, information and content. 

Years ago, when I was doing basic military training, I found myself on kitchen duty and in front of me was a massive barrel of potatoes that needed to be peeled. As you can imagine, my first thought was extremely negative!

But then I thought, well, I am on army time and not my own, so it doesn’t actually matter how long it takes to peel this mountain of potatoes. So, I took my time and started peeling one at a time, and before I knew it, they were all done. (It was really quite therapeutic!)

I learnt so much from that demonstration, and it has helped me enormously in business today. I have made it a practice to get the task done right now to the best of my ability and the end result will speak for itself.

Listen to the podcast for my tips to a new way of doing business!

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So, what's the real difference between a synthetic moissanite and a diamond? Take a listen at the podcast episode today to find out!

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Should I sell synthetics?

Obviously, the choice is yours. However, in my opinion, there is no reason not to include synthetics in your jewellery range. I feel that in the present climate, we should certainly open our minds to ways of selling an affordable range of products which serve to increase turnover.

Since COVID-19, those forward-thinking people who branched out and started online sales are very glad that they did.

It doesn’t mean, though, that you can’t still offer clients your special brand of jewellery, after all, Christmas is approaching and before we know it, we’ll be in 2021.

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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