Columbia Gem House Now Selling Brazilian Alexandrite Melee
Columbia Gem House has added calibrated Brazilian alexandrite melee (pictured) to its online gemstone inventory, offering the rare natural material in 1–2 mm sizes. Brazilian alexandrite is prized for its dramatic color-change effect, from green in daylight to reddish purple under incandescent light.
“Natural alexandrite has been sought after by collectors and designers for decades, but finding calibrated, diamond-cut melee with documented provenance and consistent grading is incredibly rare,” said Eric Braunwart, president of Columbia Gem House, in a statement. “By making this material available online, we’re giving designers access to an extraordinary gemstone with the transparency and reliability they’re asking for.”
Each parcel is sorted for consistency and is accompanied by grading information, to help designers source the material for custom and production jewelry, said Columbia Gem House. Larger Brazilian alexandrites and stones of other origins are available upon request.
New Firm Invites Jewelers to Host Estate Buying Events
Stratus Estate Buyers, a new company specializing in buying events hosted by independent jewelry retailers, enters the market with a team that has over 45 years of estate buying experience combined, led by founder Justin VanMatre, former chief revenue officer of National Rarities.
Stratus works with retailers to hold turnkey, three-day in-store events focused on purchasing fine jewelry, gold, silver, diamonds, luxury watches, coins, designer handbags, and other valuables.
In a press release, Stratus said the events are designed to drive store traffic but require minimal effort from retail partners, as Stratus handles event marketing, staffing, customer outreach, and post-event reporting. The company has already scheduled buying events in multiple states.
Uneek Jewelry Certified by Responsible Jewellery Council
As Uneek Jewelry celebrates its 30th anniversary, the Los Angeles–based brand has earned certification from the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) for a commitment to ethical, social, and environmental standards throughout its operations. Uneek also recently scored a perfect 100% on a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) audit.
“At Uneek Jewelry, these principles are not simply benchmarks—they are foundational to our identity and embedded in every single piece we create,” said president Benjamin Javaheri. “Celebrating our 30th anniversary alongside achieving official RJC certification and a perfect GMP audit score marks a meaningful evolution of our standards.”
![Stuller New Homepage]( "Stuller New Homepage")
Stuller Unveils Redesigned Homepage
Stuller Unveils Redesigned HomepageStuller has redesigned the homepage on its website, introducing a new layout (pictured) intended to make it easier for jewelry professionals to discover products, curated collections, educational resources, and business tools.
The webpage’s modular design also allows the company to more readily highlight new products, seasonal offerings, promotions, and industry content.
“Many customers visit our website looking for a specific product, but there’s so much more to Stuller,” said Morgan Waters, vice president of marketing, in a statement. “The new homepage helps customers find inspiration and connect with the tools, education, and business solutions that support their business.”
(Photo courtesy of Columbia Gem House)
