b'TODAYS POTATOESFiveGuysBurgersandFriesisahamburgerchainfound throughoutthecountry.WhilewaitingformyFiveGuys hamburger to be hand crafted, I noticed the sign that proudly proclaimed where the potatoes for that day were from. Todays Potatoes were from Rexburg, ID. Even the name of the farmBy Abe Sherman was reported! can certainly tell the stories of how gemstones are sourced throughout the world and, depending on where the gems are from, they will likely appear different and have vastly different values in some cases. Gemstones should provide far more interesting stories than the spuds at Five Guys. Gemstones are not only more valuable, but some would argue even tastier than French fries! But are wedoingthemjusticewithouttellingtheiroriginstories? The thing is, you dont need to know where any individual gemstone is from, but that they occur throughout the natural world. Personally, I think it would add value to them were your customers aware of the far reaches of the earth where they are discovered and the journey they go on before they come to you. Sapphires occur in every color. Quartz occurs in every color. Garnet is actually a group of a half dozen different species thatFIVE GUYSoccur in every colorthis is really good stuff! Garnets are found So what? Why would Five Guys take the trouble to tell us whereall over the world, including America, Asia, Africa, Brazil and their potatoes are from? In a word, marketing. Marketing, afterRussiadont you think your customers would love to know all, is all about story telling. Five Guys is telling a story whichthat? There is so much material written about gemstones, theirshouldleadustoimmediatelythinkthattheirFrenchfriessources, varieties and colors, along with thousands of imagesare cut from those Rexburg, ID spuds as needed, signifyingyou can get your hands on that it would be the easiest series freshness that isnt possible from other burger chains that useof stories to tell, right in your showcases, among the gems, for (yuck) frozen french fries. Still, it begs the question So, whatsfree! Ask one of your employees to do the research and find the that got to do with us?images and short stories to share with your customers, I think they might enjoy it. Between AGS & GIA there are libraries of Dont we have the same opportunity? Telling a compellingmaterial you can get your hands on today.story is what establishes a personal connection between your customer and what youre selling: not to mention making forThe Farm to Table story is being told every day in restaurants richer conversations and added value. How many of you arethroughout the country. How about our own version of Farm to telling vastly more interesting stories about your gemstones,Table? How about our own version of Todays Potatoes? inside your showcases, to create the same visceral experience thatFiveGuysintendstoinitiatewiththeirsimplesign Todays Potatoes I recognize that most of the time you cannot know for sure where most of the gemstones you own were mined. Although anyonewhobuysloosegemstonesknowsthedifferencesAbe ShermanbetweenThai,AustralianandCeylon(SriLanka)sapphiresCEO, BIG - Buyers Intelligence Groupasanexample.OrthatsometourmalinesarefromMaine, others are Brazilian, and others are from Africa. However, you 44 | The Jewelry Business Magazine'