Gem Quiz

Once an Outcast, I Have Found Acceptance in Recent Years

Long before hybrid cars become popular, there was me.

Published

2 years ago

May 9, 2024

INSTORE Staff

Once an Outcast, I Have Found Acceptance in Recent Years

FIRST FOUND BY MINERS looking for rhodolite in East Africa in the 1960s, I was initially thought to be spessartite, but I am actually a combination of that stone and two other garnets: almandite and pyrope. That mix didn’t really excite anyone, however, and I picked up a name based on the Swahili term for “outcast” as I was discarded by the bucket load. The name has stuck though, even as collectors and jewelry designers started showing an appreciation for my navel orange beauty in the ’70s.

Who am I?

How Howes Diamond Jewelers Closed a Location — and Opened the Door to What's Next

Dan Howes grew up in his family's jewelry business, eventually taking the helm of two locations his father launched in 1964. When it came time to consolidate, he turned to Wilkerson. "It was a pretty easy decision," Howes says, citing the company's strong reputation and a friend's successful experience. Wilkerson's proven sales roadmap delivered — meeting projected financial goals and guiding the process every step of the way. "This is their profession. They have it dialed in."