Author Archives: dcgiaorg

Denise Nelson was insightful and informative in her sharing pictures from her visit to many European Museums. A European Vacation, or a business trip? Since it was used  in preparation for this talk, that makes it a tax write-off in … Continue reading →

Mr. Luchsinger’s presentation provided an insightful and fascinating look at Van Cleef & Arpels. Van Cleef & Arpels (VCA) is a family love story between Alfred & Estelle. Founded in 1906 by Alfred Van Cleef and his brothers-in-law Charles and Julien … Continue reading →

On the evening of June 6th, Dr. Stefanie Walker gave us a wonderful talk about the sumptuous jewels of Renaissance Bavaria. She is an accomplished woman: a certified goldsmith (she did her apprenticeship in Germany), a distinguished curator (heading a … Continue reading →

Ms. Joyce Jonas’s presentation ventured into the glitter of high society life from the late 1800s onward through the window afforded by American heiresses and their jewelry. As empires crumbled, wealthy americans were able to buy the jewels of European … Continue reading →

Mr. Lewand’s presentation explored buying jewelry over the counter as a common practice today As the industry changes from gold as the metal of choice, gold has become too expensive, to Silver and alternative metals. As the silver bead fad fades … Continue reading →

The March 15th DCGIA meeting allowed members to hear from Izzy Heller, originally from South Africa near Capetown, Izzy became a jeweler and author after he moved to America in 1980. Izzy said, “In my former life in South Africa, … Continue reading →

Since the Tucson Gem show is a “must-view” event, DCGIA devotes each February meeting to a “Tucson Report” where Chapter members who attended could exhibit items they purchased for “show and tell” and could discuss prices, new trends, and impressions with … Continue reading →

Ed Lewand provided an insightful discussion exploring the issues surrounding the offering and use of appraisals by jewelers in and through their stores.  Starting from the fundamental question of whether jewelers should make appraisals available as a service to their … Continue reading →

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health: The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow. Crunchy numbers A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. … Continue reading →