WELCOME to ReneeNewman.com
Besides providing details about my background and my books, this site offers consumer information on gems, jewelry, appraisers and other books. My goal is to provide consumers and jewelry professionals with unbiased, affordable information on how to buy, evaluate and appreciate gems and jewelry. But the consumer principles I stress in my gem books can also be applied to other subject areas such as health. In both cases, you should be informed, deal with competent professionals and get proper documentation.
My overall mission is to promote consumer issues, education and the arts. This has led me to expand my book topics to osteoporosis prevention. (See www.avoidboneloss.com)
What’s New with Newman?
A
revised and updated 3rd Edition of my Diamond Handbook with 178
new photographs, an expanded chapter on detecting synthetic diamonds and
a new chapter on detecting diamond imitations.
Click here
for more information.
An updated 6th Edition
of the Pearl Buying Guide with 186 new photos
and recent pearls and jewelry styles.
Click
here for more information.
A new Third edition of the Gemstone Buying Guide with 323 new color photos and additional gem species and varieties.
Click
here for more information about the Third Edition of the Gemstone
Buying Guide.
A 4th Volume of Exotic Gems featuring jade and including a chapter on abalone pearls.
Click here for more information about Exotic Gems: Volume 4
An eBook version of the Gem & Jewelry
Pocket Guide: A traveler's guide to buying diamonds, colored gems,
pearls, gold and platinum jewelry was
released on Apple I books,
Amazon Kindle, and
Barnes &
Noble Nook. It has updated
information and many new photos.
Click here for more information about the book.
Talks in 2018:
Monday, Jan 8th, 7:00 PM PowerPoint entitled "Pearls: Types, Qualities, Sources, Treatments and Jewelry Styles" for Culver City Gem & Mineral Club, in Culver City at the Veteran's Memorial Building, 4117 Overland Ave, Multi-Purpose Room.
Wednesday, January 10, 7:30 PM, PowerPoint presentation on "21st Century Jade: Why It's Prized and How It's Tested & Valued" for North Orange County Gem & Mineral Club, La Habra Community Center, 101 West La Habra Blvd, La Habra.
Monday, January 29th, Book Signing at the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers Conference at the Tucson, AZ Convention Center, Greenlee & Maricopa meeting rooms.
Thursday, February 1, 9:00 AM, PowerPoint on the “Evaluation and Pricing of Jadeite and Nephrite Jade” with Jeff Mason. Tucson Convention Center, Maricopa Room.
Thursday, February 1, 10:30 AM Book signing at the NAJA Booth G-11 in the Galleria of the Convention Center.
Wednesday, March 7, 11:00 AM, PowerPoint: “The Allure of Diamonds.” Woman’s Club of South Pasadena, 1424 Fremont Ave, South Pasadena, CA.
Tuesday, April 10, 3:30 PM, PowerPoint entitled "How the Gem Industry has Changed Since I Got my GG Diploma in 1986," GIA Education Floor, Student Commons, 50 West 47th Street, New York, NY.
Tuesday, April 10, 6:00 PM, PowerPoint entitled "Pearl Update: New Types, Fakes, Treatments and Jewelry Styles," Manhattan GIA Alumni Association, GIA Education Floor, 50 West 47th Street, New York, NY.
Wednesday, April 11, 6:30 PM, PowerPoint entitled "Pearl Update: New Types, Fakes, Treatments and Jewelry Styles," New York Mineralogical Club, Watson Hotel, 440 West 57th Street, New York, NY.
Friday, April 13, 7:30 PM, PowerPoint on “How Exotic Gems are Changing the Jewelry Industry.” Chesapeake Gem & Mineral Society at the Main Hall of the Westchester Community Center, 2414 Westchester Ave., Oella, Maryland (http://www.oella.org/).
Thursday, May 3, 7:00 PM, "21st Century Jade: Why It's Prized and How It's Tested & Valued," Washington DC, GIA Alumni Association, Holiday Inn Rosslyn, 1900 Ft. Meyer Drive, Arlington, VA.
Monday, May 7, 6:30 PM "21st Century Jade: Why It's Prized and How It's Tested & Valued." American Gem Society and Pennsylvania Delaware Valley GIA Alumni Association, Lester Martin Jewelers, 1650 Limekiln Pike, Dresher, PA.
Tuesday, May 8, 6:30 PM "How Exotic Gems are Changing the Jewelry Industry," American Gem Society North Jersey Guild. Tiff's Grill and Ale House, 231 Speedwell Avenue, Morris Plains, NJ
Saturday May 12 11:30 AM, PowerPoint: “Practical Tips on Evaluating, Selecting and Caring for Jewelry,” Palos Verdes Art Center, 5504 Crestridge Rd, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA.
Monday June 4, 6:00 PM "21st Century Jade: Why It's Prized and How It's Tested & Valued" Southern Nevada Gem & Mineral Society, Eagles Hall, 1601 E. Washington, Las Vegas, NV.
Friday, June 29, PowerPoint entitled "Pearl Update: New Types, Fakes, Treatments and Jewelry Styles," Freshman's Inc, 353 E. 500 South, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Saturday July 14, "21st Century Jade: Why It's Prized and How It's Tested & Valued." American Hatpin Society, Claim Jumper Restaurant, 18050 Brookhurst St., Fountain Valley, CA.
Friday Aug. 10, 7:00 PM "How Exotic Gems are Changing the Jewelry Industry,” Delvers Gem & Mineral Society. 14515 Blaine Ave, Bellflower, CA
Tuesday Aug. 21, 6:30 PM "How Exotic Gems are Changing the Jewelry Industry," Pasadena Lapidary Society, Pasadena Central Library, 285 E. Walnut, Pasadena, CA
Sunday Sept 16, “The Diversity of American Gems,” AGIL International Gemmological Conference. University of Hong Kong, Graduate House. Wang Gungwu Lecture Hall.
Monday, Oct 15, 6:00 PM "21st Century Jade: Why It's Prized and How It's Tested & Valued," WJA, Minneapolis, Solar Arts Building, 2nd floor, 711 15th Ave NE, Minneapolis.
Wednesday Oct 17, 6:30 PM , "21st Century Jade: Why It's Prized and How It's Tested & Valued," Midwest Jewelers' Association, Woman's Jewelry Association & GIA, Thermo Fisher Scientific, 5225 Verona Rd, Madison, WI.
Sunday, Oct 21, PowerPoint: “The Allure of Diamonds." Eve Alfillé Gallery, 623 Grove Street, Evanston, IL.
Monday, Oct 22, 5:30 PM, PowerPoint: "Pearl Update: New Types, Fakes, Treatments and Jewelry Styles," Chicago GIA Alumni Association, Jeweler's Building, 5 South Wabash, Chicago..
Thursday Nov 1, 7:30 PM “How Exotic Gems are Changing the Jewelry Industry.” Northridge Del Air Rockhounds Club, Northridge United Methodist Church, 9650 Reseda Blvd, Northridge, CA.
Friday November 9, 7:30 PM "21st Century Jade: Why It's Prized and How It's Tested & Valued." Mineralogical Society of Southern California (MSSC) Pasadena City College in the Geology Building E, Lecture Hall (Room 220), 1570 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA.
Wednesday January 16, 2019, 7:15 PM, "21st Century Jade: Why It's Prized and How It's Tested & Valued," South Orange County Gem & Mineral Society, San Clemente Community Center, 100 N. Calle Seville, San Clemente, CA.
Newman’s
Nuggets on Buying Quality Jewelry
1. When selecting jewelry, ask jewelers to rate the quality of the craftsmanship and explain their rating. Jewelers that sell well-made jewelry like the opportunity to show why their mountings and settings are better than those of competitors. Their answers will help you learn to judge quality and select a competent jeweler.
Then pull at the clasp gently to see if it comes apart
5.
Select sturdy mountings for everyday rings and bracelets. Rings
that are very thin and bracelets that can bend and dent do not last
long. Platinum mountings can normally be thinner and more delicate than
those made of gold and silver. This is because platinum is more dense
and stronger than most gold and silver alloys.
* The
identity and purity of the metal(s)
* The
identity and shape of the stones
* The
carat weight of any major stone and the total weight of any smaller
stones of each gem type.
* The
treatment status of the major stones---Are the color and clarity natural?
7.
Check to see if there’s a karat stamp or fineness mark and a
trademark on the piece. Even
though these marks aren’t necessarily a guarantee that the metal
content is as stamped, they’re an indication. If you ever decide to
resell the piece later on, these marks would be important. To accurately
compare prices you must know the gold, platinum or palladium content.
The trademark is a mark that indicates the manufacturer, importer
or seller of an item. In the
Trademarks of The Newman Gem & Jewelry Series
Loaded with detailed info on how to judge gem and jewelry quality. Since jewelry stores normally don't describe the quality of colored gems, pearls or jewelry mountings, you must learn how to judge it yourself in order to get good buys and make wise choices. My books show you how.
Well illustrated. The main points are explained with color photos and diagrams, which are linked to the text. It’s time-consuming and costly to do this, but readers appreciate the numerous high-quality illustrations showing gems unmounted as well as set in attractive jewelry with and without magnification.
Written in clear English without a lot of trade jargon and euphemisms. Cracks are called cracks or fractures, not "feathers." Fracture filling and laser drilling treatments are identified as such, rather than just referred to as clarity enhancements.
Unbiased and objective because their underlying motive is not to sell you jewelry or related services; it's to educate. Even though I used to work full-time in the gem and jewelry industry, I now make my living by writing about gems and jewelry.
Newman Gem & Jewelry Series Book Links
Diamond Ring Buying Guide, Details & Reviews
Diamond Handbook, Details & Reviews
Gemstone Buying Guide, Details & Reviews
Gem & Jewelry Pocket Guide, Details & Reviews
Pearl Buying Guide, Details & Reviews
Jewelry Handbook, Details & Reviews
Ruby, Sapphire & Emerald Buying Guide, Details & Reviews
Exotic Gems, Volume 1, Details & Reviews
Exotic Gems, Volume 2, Details & Reviews
Exotic Gems, Volume 3, Details & Reviews
Exotic Gems, Volume 4, Details & Reviews
Rare Gemstones, Details & Reviews
Gold Platinum, Palladium, Silver and Other Jewelry Metals Details & Reviews
© Copyright 2003 and 2018 by Renée Newman