A gem dealer's journal — ArjunaIrsuttiPhotography

AsiaLounges: I understand that you are, still to this day, the person that takes the pictures and takes care of the web site for your company. Do you believe that the period we are in, late 2020 early 2021, with COVID forcing us all to stay put that online sales are becoming the new normal? Is it, in your opinion, a viable alternative to trade shows such as the Hong Kong Gem and Jewellery show?

Hemi Englisher: Although technology today allows us to transfer images of very high quality, I still think that the personal touch, human interactions, is still prevailing. More than that, the proliferation of gem dealers on the internet is clearly bringing down the level of professionalism overall. While it is true that not every gem dealer is a gemologist, one must wonder, when reading things like  “nearly eye clean”, “assuming no heat”  or the fact that every square stone is considered to be an Asscher, whether there are any professional gem dealers left at all... That being said, whether internet and E-marketing is a threat to existing, established wholesalers, time will tell. Even as a school master of the old school, I really cannot say.

Hey Loungers,

Those of you that have been following us since the start have surely heard of Jeffery “Master” Bergman, if only for his column in our pages: Introduction to Gemology.

Jeff, besides having been a kind and caring master in the trade to our teams, has a solid 40 plus year experience in the trade under his belt and is likely to be one of the most prominent, and vocal members of our merry industry.

Jeff has been lecturing countless times for the prestigious GIA Gathering in Bangkok on a variety of topics ranging from rubies and sapphire to emeralds without ever forgetting the memorable Opal talk about two three years ago which forced titans of the opal trade to bow down and publicly acknowledge their mistakes.

All in all, Jeff does no longer need introduction yet here we are, welcoming him for a long overdue interview for a Gem Dealer’s Journal.

Jeff, the floor is yours,

Hey Loungers,

Today we’re shaking up our usual format with a reverse interview of AsiaLounges’ founder, Simon Dussart by none other than gemologist and award-winning photomicrographer Billie Hughes of Lotus Gemology.

We’ll be talking about our brand genesis, what it stands for, and what we believe in.

Hope you like it!

Hey Loungers,  Today we have a bit of a special treat for you, we present you with this unique chance to discover the world of one of the best, if not the best, gem cutter in the World.  Today we interview Victor Tuzlukov! So, without any further delays, let us get going with the interview, read on!     Victor Tuzlukov gazing at the camera with the same intensity he would gaze at his cutting table   AsiaLounges: First of all, thank you very much Victor for agreeing to answer our question today. Can you tell us a bit about...

Hey Loungers,    As you can see we have been keeping up our promise of delivering a nice and constant flow of interviews in early 2019!  Today, we interview our friend “Huckleberry” jeweller and jewellery designer at Jai 108 Presents here in Bangkok. The idea behind this interview is simply to break an enduring myth: Everything that comes from Asia isn’t cheap or mass produced! So here it comes!   Huckleberry at work for Jai 108 Presents   AsiaLounges: Hi Huck, thanks for joining us today for this interview and to help us debunk the myth of Made in Asia...