The world truly is becoming a smaller place so much so that Russia is becoming more accessible, at least on the Internet. Learn more about one of the country's better information websites.

With the end of the Cold War and the advent of the Internet, Russia has opened itself to the world. This new accessibility includes information and news concerning the country's gem and jewelry industry, thanks to the Russian Jewellery Network's website. Russia plays a vital role in the global gem trade, as the country is a significant producer of diamonds, platinum, and demantoid garnets to name just a few of its natural resources.


The website's homepage makes it obvious the Russian Jewellery Network's website is definitely more substance than style as it contains fairly standard information in an unflattering format. The main problem with the homepage design is the stuff that makes this a great information and reference website isn't easily found, forcing users to rely on the "Map Site" section.

The important information offered at the bottom of the website's homepage is hyperlinked to the web sites of the Russian Jewellery Network's partners. These links provide support to the website, and its contents.

Before jumping in to the information listed in the Map Site, it's a good idea to take a look at what the organization thinks is its most valuable content in the "News," "Trading Centre," "Members," and "Organizations" sections.

Starting with the "News" section, users can access reports in the "Current News" area. The good news is, it offers solid articles on a variety of Russia's industry sectors just a few clicks away, with frequent updates. The bad news is, there's only a handful of stories and an unimpressive archive system, listing stories only by month.

To round out the "News" section other important information is on offer, such as local and world trade shows, precious metal prices, and the organization's "Information Bulletin," which consists of very short news stories in headline style, which are no longer than two sentences on average.

As with any user-friendly news section, a database helps for speedy searches utilizing a variety of criteria. Unfortunately the "News" section and the "Trading Centre" do not have database functions. Considering the "Trading Centre" is under construction, one hopes that this section's completion is a database away. A database function would certainly benefit the functionality of the website's "News" area. The "Organizations" section, which has a database, demonstrates that the Russian Jewellery Network is prepared to provide one.

The "Members" section offers detailed information on how to become a member of the Russian Jewellery Network. The list of existing members is very beneficial, as it provides inroads into otherwise hard to reach, or difficult to find, Russian trade magazines, labs, jewelry designers, manufacturers and information services.

Reaching the pearls of wisdom here begins with a simple click on the "Map Site" link at the top of the homepage located in the upper left-hand corner, near the main information menu options. The "Map Site" section is another area powered by a database function, which is always welcome when surfing large information websites.

Here, the numerous beneficial information sections contained in this website are readily displayed and are more easily navigated. The main feature this website has going for it is hard to find content from Russia's gem and jewelry industry. For now, the website won't get points for looks and ease of navigation. That said, content is king, and the organization's website deserves accolades on presenting information in plain and easy to read formats from this once remote and mysterious corner of the world.