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Our Approach
Our approach to the industry is part of what sets us apart from standard wholesalers operating in the market. We have strived to model our business in a manner that supports and encourages growth within the Australian jewellery industry.
Unlike some wholesalers who claim not to deal with the public we strictly deal with industry only. Jewellers and other members of the trade may deal with us openly and honestly without fear of us selling direct to any of their clients.
Our prices are set so that the industry in Australia no longer needs to look offshore to maximise the value they get from their money. A problem area within Australia is that those with the spending capacity to buy extensive amounts of gemstones look to other countries for value in the market. We strive to remain competitive on an international scale to ensure the continued presence of top quality stones accessible here on a national scale. We see this as a necessity in keeping the industry sustainable within Australia.
We believe in an open, honest and friendly approach with all of our clients. This includes affording time to accommodate and better educate our clients. It also means understanding each company’s personal needs, which are often dependant on size or areas of specialisation.
All material within our inventory is purchased ethically and responsibly. Often we can guarantee not only country of origin, but the particular mine that our material has come from.
We hope, that with your help we will usher in a new, better approach to supplying the industry with coloured gemstones.
Services
Our main service is the distribution of loose coloured gemstones and opals. We have one of the largest ranges in Australia and offer everything from calibrated smaller sizes to large centre stones. But we also offer a range of services to the industry that go above and beyond what you would expect from your run-of-the-mill gemstone merchant.
Perhaps the main thing that sets us apart is our range of cutting. We offer in-house cutting from two master cutters who work exclusively for The Gemstone Trading Company. This allows us to cut to customised sizes either from our selection of rough material or to recut larger faceted stones that are deemed suitable by the client. This is what separates our gemstones from the sea of commercial cutting that floods the industry. Carat weight maximisation is sacrificed in favour of the optimum cutting angles necessary to bring out the brilliance in each individual stone.
Our cutting service extends itself to cabochons. In fact we have a whole range of rough material ready to be cabbed to specified sizes. We can also reshape your own stock to fit into ready-made settings that you may have available. Our family used to focus on opal, so cabbing is something that comes quite naturally to us.
If that is not enough we can open up jamb peg cutting offshore which focuses on speed and cost instead of precision. This allows cheaper materials to be cut to custom sizes or for recuts of stones within your own inventory. This service is only open to established clients.
We also have photography services available. As you know gemstone and jewellery photography is extremely hard to get right and often takesyears of careful experimentation and persistence to perfect. Luckily for you we have been at it for some time and can produce wonderful photographs to use in any manner you please.
Gemstone identification is something we can generally offer for free if it is not too troublesome. Fortunately for the client, it satisfies our curiosity to have a range of different gemstones pass under our noses! Our accredited gemologists have access to an in-house lab complete with microscope, refractometer, spectrometer, polariscope, Chelsea filter and a specific gravity machine.
Support
We are aware that perception lends itself to value. To this end, the more your customers understand about coloured gemstones the more willing they will be to consider these gemstones in the context of jewellery and ultimately buy. We promise to make ourselves available to educate our clients so that in turn they may better represent the coloured gemstones they are trying to sell. Any questions as to the individual properties of gemstones within our stock or within the scope of potential stock are welcomed and will be dealt with immediately at the point of contact or as soon as possible.
If ever there arose a problem where a client was not happy with our service we promise to evaluate each situation on its individual merits. We will explore all options and will consider discounts, refunds or exchanges as a means of maintaining and nurturing each relationship.
A brief history
The Gemstone Trading Company is a culmination of three generations of opal miners, cutters, wholesalers and jewellery manufacturers. We begun in modest circumstances in 1954 when Attilio Castile founded his company right here in Sydney. Attilio focused primarily on manufacturing, producing a wide range of jewellery and findings. He also was one of the first gem cutters in Australia and one of the only ones who cut using a lathe.
Unfortunately overseas production provided stiff competition in the manufacturing field and the 2nd generation found a need to diversify the operation. We began to incorporate distribution of loose gemstones (predominately Australian) as a revenue stream. Additionally to maintaining manufacturing operations we started cutting a larger volume of rough and producing doublets, triplets and treating Andamookan Matrix and Concrete. Opals became the largest income producer of this generation and we are still to this day heavily involved in the Australian opal scene. We even retain property in Andamooka (South Australian Opal Fields).
Now, over 60 years later, we no longer manufacture jewellery but have instead chosen to focus on the mining, processing and distribution of gemstones. Our new branding lets us capitalise on our vast selection of rough and faceted material and most importantly allows us to explore and further our natural love for gemstones. We have opened up international avenues that allow us to stay current with market movements in price and to help provide services that have not been afforded to the Australian market. Our knowledge base is extensive with two qualified gemologists, two master cutters and a dedicated buyer who selects both rough and faceted gemstones on an international scale.