I am a graduate gemologist of 30 years. But in the beginning, because of my love of science, I studied aircraft electronics at Cleveland’s Aviation High, excelling in what was then a male-dominated field. But I also deeply appreciated beauty – and like many women, I’ve always been drawn to shiny things.
Gemology became the perfect marriage of my right-brain creativity and left-brain logic. Nothing excites me more than placing a gemstone under a microscope to examine its growth lines, inclusions, and the tiny, unique clues that make each stone a natural wonder.
Last month a client brought in a striking necklace – literally a showpiece: a one-of-a-kind statement piece by H. Stern, once featured on a global promotional tour. Her mother purchased it decades ago for $7,000, and she naturally assumed it would be worth far more today.
The necklace featured over 100 carats of glowing Brazilian citrine. While undeniably beautiful, citrine – even in top color – is a type of yellow quartz that is relatively abundant in the marketplace. Though H. Stern is known for using the finest materials and exceptional craftsmanship, the intrinsic value of the materials told a different story, even though it had gold worth less than $2,000.
This piece is a classic case where artistic merit and brand pedigree clash with market realities. The original $7,000 retail price decades ago may have been fair for its time, and today a similar piece might retail for five times that. But finding a buyer willing to pay anywhere near that amount proved difficult – especially for such a bold piece that suits only a very specific kind of wearer.
After visits to multiple buyers who offered little more than scrap value, we were able to achieve $8,000 – and our client was thrilled. This experience underscores a hard truth in our industry: beauty does not always equal marketability, and retail value is seldom recovered – especially with more common gems, no matter how stunning they may be.
