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Listen to this articleManahan is a graduate gemologist who spends her days surrounded by diamonds and other gemstones at A.L.David in Gettysburg. There, fellow gemologist David Olmsted designs earrings, rings, bracelets and pendants based on customers’ visions.
“Our customer is someone who understands the difference between an average piece of jewelry and a fine piece of jewelry,” Manahan said. “They appreciate the quality of what we produce.”
Olmsted started A.L.David in New England in 1985. It opened on Carlisle Street in Gettysburg in October 2014, but the gemologists often find themselves on the road taking products and consultations directly to customers.
“A lot of our clients are busy business owners, so we’ll make appointments to go to them,” Manahan said.
A.L.David also hosts gemstone events in which guests who receive invitations can explore 100 gemstones and talk to stone cutters. They can sample wine and hors d’oeuvres while evaluating less-common stones such as diaspore and sapphires in colors other than blue. The stones typically range in price from $500 to $50,000.
Customers who purchase gemstones at the designated events schedule a design appointment with Olmsted, who starts with a hand-drawn sketch that he then re-creates in three dimensions in a computer program. Customers can review the design at all stages, including by email.
“It gives them an actual visual of what it’s really going to look like when finished,” Manahan said.
The professionals at the gemstone events are leaders in their field, and many have ties to prominent museums, Manahan said.
“They are all very educated. They have a lot of stories about where they get the stones,” she said.
For more information, call 800-253-6801.
