TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The gemological community from around the world gathered Wednesday for the annual Tucson Gemological Conference, hosted by the Accredited Gemologists Association.
Six leading experts in gemology shared their insights. One of the speakers, Brecken Branstator, discussed how she bridges the worlds of gemology and journalism.
Three years after graduating from UNC Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication, she landed a job as a gemstone editor for the trade publication National Jeweler.
She said the position made her realize she wanted to stay in the gem industry, so she began graduate gemology classes in 2020. Since January 2023, she has served as editor-in-chief of GemGuide, a publication and software that provides wholesale pricing and market information for gems.
"We write for everybody who's pretty much from the mining to the retailer," she said. "Most of our readers are gemologists."
Her expertise in gemology allows her to guide businesses on gemstone pricing and market trends, helping them stay ahead in a rapidly changing industry.
“It informs what I'm looking for to guide the businesses in terms of the decisions they should be making about the health of things, what the trends are, anything they might need to know that informs their businesses," she added.
For Branstator, staying informed means constant fact-checking, especially when it comes to new treatments or selling trends for gemstones.
"If somebody was to say a lot of one stone has a certain kind of treatment, you have to go check with labs," she explained.
For example, she said it’s standard for corundum—the material that makes up rubies and sapphires—to be heated.
"It's stable, it's very common and it just improves the color," she said. "So that would be the kind of thing where if you had an unheated stone, it's much more expensive because it's natural than a heated stone, even though the heat treatment is stable and perfectly acceptable."
She said a gem laboratory would need to confirm if a stone is unheated, as it significantly impacts the stone's value.
Her work also takes her across the globe, including to mines in East Africa, to understand the labor-intensive process behind gemstone extraction.
“You get to see what they go through every day, which helps me better understand the value of these stones,” Branstator said.
Wednesday's conference attracted around 150 attendees, including Derek Jackson, who appreciated hearing directly from industry experts.
“Normally, I read the articles in the magazine, so it’s nice to hear the stories behind them and learn where they get their sources,” Jackson said. “It’s a great opportunity to keep up to date on what's happening in the gem industry.”
With the gem industry constantly evolving, Branstator works hard to stay on top of the latest trends.
“Keeping up with that knowledge quick enough to make sure that I'm helping also get out all that information as well,” she said.
Through her research and reporting, Branstator helps keep the sparkle alive—both in gemstones and the stories behind them.
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Maria Staubs joined KGUN 9 as a multimedia journalist and producer in July of 2024. Her passion for writing and storytelling stems from anchoring her middle school’s news show and editing her high school’s yearbook. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication with a minor in film and media production, as well as a master's degree in mass communication. You can email Maria at maria.staubs@kgun9.com or reach out to her on X/Twitter or Instagram.
