If you've sourced gemstones through overseas wholesalers, you already know the experience — photos that don't match reality, no recourse when something's wrong, minimums that don't work for your scale. This is the trade case for working with a local gem dealer instead: custom cuts, no minimums, full-spectrum sourcing, and what the overseas market isn't telling you.

Alexandrite is one of the rarest gemstones in the world — and one of the most misunderstood. The answer to its extraordinary price lies in a combination of geological scarcity, a color change phenomenon no other stone can replicate, and a grading standard that eliminates most material before it reaches the market. A trade guide for jewelers and designers.