“Gembridge members can trade with trust at every stage of the transaction,” says Nick Marrett, CEO of Gembridge, the pioneering coloured gemstone and jewellery trading platform, now in the final phase of testing ahead of its official launch in early 2021.
Nick will join Gembridge Chairman Tony Brooke and Mark Taylor, Gembridge Chief Experience Officer, in a Jewellery Outlook webinar about their “Pioneering digital platform for coloured gemstone trading,” including a live demonstration.
Please watch the replay of the Gembridge webinar on Jewellery Outlook via this link:
Founding members Tony, Nick and Mark tell Jewellery Outlook Editor David Brough how Gembridge is driving the digital transformation of the coloured gemstone trading market in this interview:
What is Gembridge?
Gembridge is a regulated marketplace that unlocks the true value of certified gemstones, pearls and jewellery for a verified community of passionate buyers, sellers and consignees.
By managing counterparty risks and internationally screening all members, Gembridge enables industry professionals to Trade With Trust™. Sellers get paid in a timely manner and buyers receive exactly what they paid for.
By capturing the TRUE NATURE™ of gemstones, Gembridge pushes the boundaries of telling a gemstone’s story — from its physical attributes to its provenance and history.
Gembridge is currently in its final phase of testing, with 50 verified pioneer clients listing and transacting ahead of the official launch in early 2021.
An array of quality gemstones and jewellery has already been listed, including a 9 ct Mozambique ruby from Sant, a 23 ct sapphire from Crown Color, a 5 ct Mozambique ruby ring from Diamrusa, and a pair of Colombian emeralds weighing 6.49 carats from KGK.
Gembridge will initially serve only the wholesale B2B market, with plans to launch B2C and C2C areas soon.
Why is Gembridge needed?
Some US$1 trillion of gemstones, pearls and jewellery are trapped in industry and consumer hands due to the absence of a trusted secondary market.
In addition, digital adoption has been slow and the pandemic has not only restricted travel, but also badly disrupted supply chains.
The importance of remote purchasing and digital transformation is growing exponentially. Gembridge’s regulated marketplace de-risks international transactions, opening up new opportunities by giving people the confidence to trade higher value precious stones with greater frequency in the Gembridge community.
Today, most industry professionals only trade with a handful of trusted clients via countless fragmented networks. The answer is a global digital marketplace where verified members can TRADE WITH TRUST™.
The next generation of wholesalers, raised in a digital era of instant gratification, have also welcomed the ease, efficiency and immediacy of trading on Gembridge.
Gembridge will lead the digital transformation of the certified coloured gemstone, pearls and jewellery trade by providing a marketplace for verified members to buy, sell and consign, via a secure and insured door-to-door service.
Gembridge is licensed to trade by Singapore’s Ministry of Law in cooperation with the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which is leading regulatory reforms across 200 countries.
What sets Gembridge apart?
“Today we only trade with a handful of people we know. Now imagine trading with that same trust -– with people all over the world. That is what Gembridge can do for us all,” says Elke Berr, Berr and Partners, also a Gembridge Ambassador.
Along with the confidence that TRADE WITH TRUST™ brings, the ability to view the TRUE NATURE™ of a gem without physically holding it is a key differentiating factor.
Gembridge has attracted the top people in the industry, from the management team to the Ambassadors, other collaborators, and their pioneer members. This group of experts have been working together to realise the vision of Gembridge for a number of years.
A member of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), Gembridge also champions responsible sourcing and supply chain management, as well as sustainable business practices.
Designed from the ground up by digital transformation specialists, the Gembridge platform facilitates seamless trading, based on detailed listings with expert reviews.
On Gembridge, members can have their own virtual shopfronts — or fully integrate Gembridge listings into their existing digital presence.
Members can also share specific Requirements with the Gembridge community, who will endeavour to source exactly what they need.
How does Gembridge work?
Sellers provide a completed Listing Form, description of the article and its certificate.
Photos and videos are captured with Gembridge’s proprietary imaging system at Global Hubs in Bangkok, Geneva and the Middle East, with several others due to be launched in the coming months.
Imagery includes Eye-view, a natural view of what the naked eye would see, and Loupe-view, at 10x magnification, to replicate a loupe. A 360° video provides a clear, rotating view of the article’s dimensions and proportions, while a Review video provides an expert opinion of what cannot be seen or truly appreciated remotely. The Gembridge team then creates a listing that captures the TRUE NATURE™ of each gem.
Buyers and sellers can transact directly from the Showcase, or with a Secure Viewing Room option, via Brink’s, in capitals around the world.
Sellers can also consign to other Gembridge members for 3-6 months. This requires additional declarations from Consignors and Consignees for verification and insurance.
Before shipping to the buyer, Gembridge ensures that every purchase matches its certificate through a Shipping Verification process — unique to Gembridge — for absolute peace of mind.
Payment is released and the transaction is complete.
Interested parties can pre-register for the launch of Gembridge in early 2021.
After completing the member verification process, they will join an exclusive membership with industry players, view listings in the Gembridge Showcase and buy articles from pioneer clients. At launch, they can create their own listings to sell and consign. Pre-registration is at: https://gembridge.com/register/.
