Pass
the Padparadscha, Please: Gem-Enchanted Evenings at Nancy’s
Every couple of months,
New Jersey jeweler Nancy Schuring holds after-hours wine-tasting and gem education
evenings in her store. She calls these evening affairs “Geminars.”
Customers call them fabulous.
by Nancy Schuring, Devon
Fine Jewelry, Wyckoff, NJ
Awareness and education open the door to desire. How can you want something
you’ve never seen or knew existed?
Feeling the palette-power of a luscious peach-colored Spinel or the soothing
coolness of a fine Tanzanite for the first time can have a profound effect. I
know. It happens all the time in my store!
Gems are beauty that can be touched and worn. And, as a bonus, there is a
fascinating body of knowledge, lore, and science that adds to the thrill of making
their acquaintance.
That is why I hold Geminars---seminars on gems—in my store. These evening
events immerse attendees in our huge selection of loose gems which are displayed
in individual clear plastic boxes which customers can pick up and examine closely.
Humans have five senses. Just looking at a gem isn’t enough. Being able
to actually hold it is crucial to fully connecting and falling in love with it.
Of course, facts are also important. But don’t you want to know about something
more when it takes your mind and sense captive?
In my Geminars I give about an hour presentation to our seated audience on
the latest news in the gem world, passing around examples and rough specimens,
followed by Q & A.
Feature Attraction Gems
On the evening of July 25th, I will be staging the latest in our series of Geminars.
As I’ve done at past events, there will be a feature-attraction gem. This
time, noted gem expert Jim Fiebig will be sharing his passion about the haunting
Turkish gem, Zultanite. With a hardness of 7, Zultanite is durable enough for
use in rings. Making the stone even more appealing is the fact that it is pleiochroic,
meaning multi-colored. Shades can include green, gold and a delicate pink/orange,
depending on the type of light.
 My
customers love to hear about new gems. Over the years, I’ve introduced them
to Paraiba tourmaline, tanzanite, and a number of known gems in unusual colors.
In the process, we’ve turned customers into collectors of colored gemstones.
That's the reason why Devon has invested a great deal of time and energy in teaching
our customers about the wonders of colored gemstones. As the saying goes, “A
knowledgeable consumer is our best customer.”
A good Geminar program taps into some fundamental human realities. Jewelry—and
adornment—have been part of the human experience virtually since Homo Sapiens
evolved. Neolithic grave sites have been found where the remains were adorned
with necklaces of pebbles.
It is human nature to collect. Children demonstrate this in the way they first
start gathering shells on a beach or picking up pretty pebbles. Things of beauty
have an eternal appeal to the mind's emotional centers. Gemstones also attract
the mind’s intellectual side, with many people fascinated by the composition,
properties and history of gemstones. With all this in mind, it is important to
design a Geminar that touches customers on many different levels.
Recipe For Success
Here are five considerations to make sure Geminars are as effective as possible:
- The emotional appeal of gems is the strongest one. I’ve noticed
that women usually “get it” more than men. No surprise here---the
majority of sales in many stores are to women, not only for women.
Female self-purchasers are our most important customer category. Over my years
I've found that while women are usually very thoughtful about purchases, the heart
usually overrules the head. So, when it comes to content in my programs, we never
forget romance and beauty.
- Don't neglect the intellect. Having pitched appeals to emotion, I
must also mention the importance of appeals to the mind. Few things are more fascinating
than the facts behind gemstones. Giving people essential information helps build
trust. Customers really appreciate jewelers who are willing to share their knowledge,
and informed consumers will stick around. I explain mineral species as “families”
with related members that have different “personalities” or colors.
For example, the Corundum Family has siblings Ruby and Sapphire---essentially
the same “genes” but different.
- Find a speaker who is passionate about the subject. Whenever possible,
this speaker should be you. Your customers look up to you as the jewelry expert.
It is so worth your effort to become the one with the facts, stories, and technical
knowledge. I know because a large part of my business is centered on colored gemstones.
We offer our customers more than 80 gem materials. This may seem overwhelming;
so start with a few. Knowledge is cumulative and acquiring it should be fun. I
don’t think you would have gotten into this business if you didn't find
it exciting and worth spending a significant portion of your time learning. Customers
will sense your passion! If you're not comfortable speaking in front of groups
you can do a number of things. Connect with a local organization like Toastmasters,
a group of people who get together and have fun doing public speaking, where you
can see how much fun motivating and energizing a group of people can be. Start
with a few people to get your poise. Or you can find an expert. Check around for
mineral societies, many of whose members are amazingly well-informed and articulate
about the world of minerals and gemstones. Representatives of many product lines
are often available to talk about not just their goods but about minerals in general,
and there's a good chance you can bring one of those in as well.
- Don’t forget the four Cs. Here is my version of the Four Cs
for Colored Gemstones:
Color. Far and away my #1 consideration in colored gems! When I
buy a gem, it must have great color. Washed out or browned out colors do
not make it into the Devon selection. It is much easier to sell gorgeous color.
I believe that rich, pure color massages our eyes and is actually nourishing to
the brain.
Cut. A good cut unleashes the beauty of colored gems. Many colored
stones today are being cut in unique and fascinating ways. I see many gems with
huge, dead windows in the center. Stay away from these regardless of price, only
sell quality. Beautiful and unusual gems will earn compliments from everyone your
customer shows off her new gem to, making her eager for more.
Clarity. Many colored gem species should not be expected to reach
the clarity levels we are used to in diamonds. Pink tourmalines and emeralds,
for example, are rarely inclusion-free. Most sapphires and rubies contain silk
and feathers that would make a diamantaire tremble. You have to know which gems
have inevitable inclusions and be able to explain this to your customer.
Carat weight. While size matters, sometimes small is all there is.
Knowing the correct weight and size expectations to engender in customers for
each species you sell is important and can spare customers disappointment. That’s
because there are many gemstones that rarely occur in large sizes. Demantoid garnet,
a recently rediscovered rich green member of the garnet family, is usually found
in less than 1 carat sizes. Knowing gem essentials sets you and your business
apart.
- Do your marketing. We usually send out colorful postcards to our full
list of customers and put ads in the local newspapers. We’re happy if 30
or 40 people show up. Most times we get a mix of our collectors and some new faces.
Over 300 colored gems arranged by gem type are displayed, always on a white background.
We offer a courtesy 10% off on all colored gems. We run the sale for two weeks.
You should also get in touch with the local media. Many publications that won’t
cover sales will definitely cover interesting educational and informational events.
Now is the time to re-look at the colored gemstones in your store. Buy a gem
book and learn some interesting facts about what you already have in your showcase.
Share that knowledge with your staff and customers. Stir up some excitement. Add
a few new finds. Learn some more. Then stand back and watch your sales and profits
increase!
If you have any questions, contact Nancy at devonfinejewelry@aol.com
Nancy Schuring is the founder and owner of Devon Fine
Jewelry, Wyckoff, NJ If you’d like to get in touch with Jim Fiebig, he can
be contacted at jimfiebig@yahoo.com, or 269.929.6032.
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