The market is slowly growing, but buyers bewareNow that the holidays have come and gone, colored gemstone dealers have turned their attention toward Tucson. Among those heading to the gem shows at the beginning of February, the consensus is that they will see modest improvements in sales this year. Many dealers also feel that, at retail, the business climate is improving, albeit gradually. The slow comeback, however, continues to restrain exploration and production.That may explain why the market is still starved for new gem products—and why common materials continue to be marketed under a plethora of new brand names, raising concerns about long-term consumer confidence. In the past, many of the established gemstone brands were reinforced through their commitment to fair trade principles and quality assurances. Not so with some of the newer entries in this arena; in many cases, they ap