Everyone stumbles. It’s how we pick ourselves up that defines us. Mistakes are stepping stones, not stumbling blocks. Failure is not your enemy; it’s your secret weapon. Learn from it, grow from it. Don’t repeat mistakes, and avoid the pitfalls...

This podcast is about hundreds of counsellors volunteering their time free of charge to help our communities cope with day-to-day challenges through Hope House Counselling Centre in Cape Town. Online counselling is also available to anywhere in...

Those in authority who rant and rave for hours because a mistake has been made may be ‘servicing their own frustration’, but they’re harming those on the receiving end of their tirades. Breaking someone’s spirit will never bring out the best in...

A hand shake in the diamond industry has been the way of sealing a deal for many years. It is known as Mazal u Bracha. Sadly some people in our industry don't keep their word, commit to taking a gemstone and then going back on their word. This ...

It is essential that all artificially treated stones are disclosed to customers. Failure to disclose a treatment can be considered a misrepresentation by law. 

Last last couple of years have been difficult for bossiness and we need to change if  what we are doing isn't working. 

This podcast is about grading diamonds and coloured stones. 

Have a Heart for GemmologyThe gem testing labs in SA should be extremely busy but alas, we battle to stay afloat. Worse, we continue to see loads of gemstones sold as something they’re not.As I have mentioned before, in a s...

“Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the...

Without question, your quality jewellery items are as precious to you as the Crown Jewels are to England. With so many stories out there about people being swindled and blindsided to their huge disappointment, trustworthy valuation is critical....

Running a gem testing lab is not a money-making business. Most won’t give us a passing thought till there is a need for a precious or semi-precious stone appraisal. Well put is the saying from ‘Oh, my bad… I forgot I only exist when you nee...

“As long as greed is stronger than compassion, there will always be suffering” Rusty Eric Greed is a global disease that continues to cost people dearly, and one that has – sadly - been around since the beginning of time. T...

“There’s no reward without work, no victory without effort, no battle won without risk.”The risk versus reward debate is familiar to us all. From dabbling in the stock market to choosing a life partner, the premise is the same. ...

Gem Alert – Misrepresentation!We have come across several colour-changing synthetic sapphires doing the rounds that are being sold as alexandrite. These synthetics have been around since 1902 so people are being told they are alex...

“What simple action could you take today to produce a new momentum toward success in your life?” ~ Tony Robbins There are so many parts in a steam train and every single one of them must work together with the other parts in ...

Please DON’T EVER buy a diamond set in jewellery without a report from a reputable lab that has graded the stone out of the setting. Stones are graded in the setting, and the colour of the metal can affect the colour of the stone ...

I have forwarded Peter Carruthers email below. Peter has inspired me for many years and offers priceless advise on running a small business. He, like many of us has been through hard times and even lost his business many years ago. Since then h...

Gemology is the science dealing with natural and artificial gemstone materials dating back to the 19th Century. It is a geoscience and a branch of mineralogy. The first qualifications were initiated when the National Association of ...

February 2021 feels a little anti-climactic don’t you think?  2020 is, thankfully, behind us. The holiday season is over, and we’ve taken the decorations down. Our collective New Year’s hangovers have abated.   So...

 “Isn't it wonderful to be alive? You know, you can forget all about it. Then suddenly you remember and think of all the things you can do. I am alive. How wonderful!” ~ Sophia Loren. Are you living or merely existing?&nbs...

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...

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 sto...

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 t...

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 customer...