Gemstone Speed Dating
Apologies for the delay in publishing this blog, it took a while to find the very, very, very soggy camera...if you haven't heard about our mini disaster, you can read about the flood here.
On the run up to the opening of our new bricks and mortar shop, we invited award winning gemstone cutter Lisa Elser of Custom Cut Gems to present at a series of gemstone round table events. We've held these events before and they were a great success so when it came around to organising another trio, we couldn't think of anyone else we would rather have at the helm than Lisa. As an American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) Spectrum Award winner, Lisa's inventory never disappoints. And once again, she blew us and our guests away with another spectacular treasure trove consisting of hundreds and hundreds of sparkling, unique cut stones. It's not only exhilarating to pour over these scintillating sweeties but also inspiring to hear the thought provoking stories of her travels whilst sourcing the rough material, the process and mathematics behind the design and the actual techniques and timescales to create the final faceted gemstone.
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Run Down & Speed Up
For those of you who have never been to a gemstone roundtable, let me give you quick run down. Guests are seated around a large table whilst numerous gemstones are circulated. Each stone has its own information card listing carat, provenance, cut, colour, treatments and price. Guests are encouraged to take the stones out of their packets, test colours against the skin, inspect through their loupe and shape combinations on their gemstone tray. If you take a fancy to one of the stones you 'place a dib' and once everyone around the table has had the chance to view that particular stone, it comes back to you for the remainder of the event so that you can carry on lusting after it. At the end of the evening, if you simply cannot bare to part with your new love, you can purchase. On the other hand, if it was just a fleeting romance, you can simply wrap the stone back up and move on to the next.
Rules Of The Event
1. If you 'ooh' three times whilst looking at a stone, you get an automatic dib placed for you.
2. The person with the most gemstones on their tray at the end of the event, wins.
It's as easy as that.
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Awkward First Date
Lisa describes these events as "kinda like speed dating" and the gemstones themselves as "her children". Majority of people would think that speed dating, whilst the mother of a potential partner looks on, would make for an awkward first encounter...thankfully, Lisa is a very approving mother looking to cut those apron strings. Her main aim is to find a great home for her babies and she did just that.
These events provide such a memorable buying experience, they're a truly unique affair that allow you to indulge your curiosity and passion for gemstones whilst learning everything about each stone such as provenance, sourcing and faceting techniques along the way. We're definitely going to host another set of events like these in the future and will most certainly be asking Lisa back!
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Final word from our guests
Lovely ambience. I enjoyed Lisa's knowledge and appreciation of the exquisite stones.
Lots of different stones, cuts and networking.
It's interesting to see how the wholesale end of gemstone supply can be arranged.
Efficient speed to see lots of stones, relaxed selling style.
If you would like to be the first to hear about our next set of gemstone roundtable events then please sign up to our mailing list using the form below. If you have any questions about the event or wish to know more then please feel free to leave a comment or contact us via out contact page.