Articles by this author

Labs grading mistakes are a diamantaires favorite topic of conversation; are mistakes myths or reality? We aim to find out.

If major labs give the same diamond 2 or more grade differences, this is more than a borderline difference of opinion. We want your help to find examples (like this one).

At the start of 2006 GIA began, for the first time ever, issuing cut grades for round colorless diamonds. Evidence suggests this system, that was meant to help, could actually disadvantage many retailers and consumers.

The article concludes with photos and proportion data of 15 stones given as examples of 5 Categories of cut quality. The Categories are presented as the ‘foundation’ of an eventual grading system, but a vague qualification is added; they may not be the basis of the final grades. It seems their foundation is incomplete which means that this analysis of it must also be incomplete.

With the implementation of new technologies current diamond polishing costs are about $35 per carat. Diamond grading reports run to $127 per carat. Does this seem a little strange to you?

Today consumers enjoy a host of free rating services for wine, hotel, restaurants, B&B’s, cars, camera’s and individual retailers etc. All are easily compared for quality and cost.

My wife Drena left a week before me (with Vanessa) and visited some of our joint suppliers in ArezzoItaly, 100km south of Florence. Most unfair that she gets to go and that it seems I will not visit Europe this year; Italy is my favorite place to be, but they did some buying for me, so cant complain too much. I arrived in Vegas a day before on the morning of Tuesday the 31^st May and visited Jim Caudill the head of the American Gem Society's (AGS) new Advanced Instruments Division (AGS.AID).