In this episode, I share my interview with Sophie Simon, founder and CEO of Tsubaa Gems. Sophie’s a master at colored gemstones, and her passion for them shines and sparkles. She’s also extremely experienced in many different facets of the jewelry industry.

For 14 years, Sophie worked in Paris and London as a colored gemstone grader, a diamond grader, a contemporary jewelry production and workshop assistant, an employee in a large mineral specimens gallery, a high-jewelry sales assistant, and a brand quality control assistant before she embarked on her gemology diploma adventure in 2015. Throughout all her roles, she loved discovering so many different varieties and shades of color and wanted to become an expert in gemology.

In her business Tsubaa, she wants her gemstones to be for everyone, for the high-end designer or jewelry student. She holds a large variety of specimens and qualities, so everyone can find something. She loves sourcing special orders and discovering new designs and collections.

In an email exchange after the interview, she said, “No matter how rich you are, you deserve a gem for yourself and to make jewels for others. I live and breathe with gems and jewelry, I am inseparable from them.”

In this episode, we chat about Sophie’s amazing and eye-opening experiences in the world of gemstone sourcing. She shares details about the forces impacting today’s gemstone producers as well as the importance of transparency in the supply chain. She also talks about why she’s so passionate about supporting women in the gem and jewelry industries.

Links mentioned in this episode:
Sparkle Award: https://sparkleaward.com
Catbird TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@catbird.nyc
Jenny Bird TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jennybird
Transcript: https://joyjoya.com/interview-with-sophie-simon-gemologist-and-colored-gem-trader/
Tsubaa Gems: https://en.tsubaagems.com/