International News
US Watch and jewelry sales remain steady in March, overall increase of 0.4 percent
US Watch and jewelry sales remained steady in March, with a slight overall increase of 0.4 per cent, according to the latest US Department of Commerce figures. Jewelry sales rose slightly, while
Watch and jewelry sales in the US remained steady in March, with a slight overall increase of 0.4 per cent, according to the latest US Department of Commerce figures. Jewelry sales rose slightly, while watch sales dipped, as consumers opted for higher-priced items, but bought fewer of them.
In February overall sales increased by just 0.2 per cent and in January they fell by 1.0 per cent
The US government’s BEA (Bureau of Economic Analysis) reported a 0.7 per cent increase in consumer spending in March, the biggest increase for two years, but said it was largely driven by a rush to buy cars before US reciprocal tariffs forced prices up.
Watch and jewelry sales have been characterized by very modest increases in recent months, following on from a year of sustained growth – 10 per cent or more in some months – as shown below.
Reciprocal US tariffs – announced in April, then paused until July – will almost certainly hit sales, as producers forced to either absorb the costs or pass them on to consumers.
International News
Paraiba Tourmalines Deposit Discovered In Ethiopia
SSEF Said Trace-Element Data From The Suspected Ethiopian Material Overlaps Considerably With Stones From Established Localities, Particularly Brazil
The Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF) has received credible reports indicating the discovery of a new deposit of copper-bearing tourmalines, known in the trade as Paraíba tourmalines, in Ethiopia.
The development coincides with the submission of several stones whose geographic origin proved difficult to determine using existing methods. Preliminary analyses suggest some may originate from Ethiopia.
Since their discovery in Brazil in the late 1980s, Paraíba tourmalines have been prized for their vivid “neon” blue and bluish-green colours caused by copper within their crystal structure. Additional deposits were later found in Nigeria and Mozambique, with the latter becoming a major source.
SSEF said trace-element data from the suspected Ethiopian material overlaps considerably with stones from established localities, particularly Brazil, making origin determination challenging. The institute is conducting further research to characterise the new material and refine methods for distinguishing it from copper-bearing tourmalines from other sources.
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