Feeling the winter doldrums? It’s that time of year when thoughts turn to spring break and vacation getaways. Whether your travel plans include fun in the sun or hitting the snow-packed slopes, it’s important to know that the jewelry you bring along with you needs a little extra care. Here are some helpful tips on h...
Introduction From Faceting Limits: The pavilion and bezel slopes commonly recommended for faceting are the result of trial-and-error and human judgment. This explains why references differ in their recommendations. Trial-and-error is an effective way to solve complex problems until a better way comes along, bu...
A Study of Colored Stone and Diamond Cutting Angles VIEW POST
Has the GIA’s cut grading system for round brilliant diamonds made lower cut grades redundant? (left) Polish lines seen through the table - (right) Actual lines on the pavilion girdle facetImages courtesy of the Russian Gemmological Centerclick here to see a larger version In 2006 the Gemological Institute of...
In the second installment of his two-part feature, John Pollard moves away from China’s tremendous retail potential and examines the country’s diamond grading industry. There are many gemological labs in China. Among them is the National Gemstone Testing Center (NGTC). This is a body with great presence and pow...
China on the Rise: Exploding Economy with a Fantastic Future (Part Two) VIEW POST
I am often asked by clients, friends and family about how gemstones are faceted. I designed this photo pictorial to illustrate to the steps of the gemstone cutting process. The gemstone I selected for this first pictorial was a 13.3ct piece of rhodolite garnet from Africa. Due to the shape of the rough, I chose an o...
Mainland China’s incredible growth and potential is a melodious counterpoint to the songs of worldwide woe in our industry, as John Pollard discusses in the first of a two-part report. China. The name evokes powerful images. Yet the west has little direct exposure to this millennia-old culture. News of growth a...
China on the Rise: Exploding Economy with a Fantastic Future (Part One) VIEW POST
Any statement of value must contain the elements of what something is worth, to whom, when and under what circumstances. An unexplained number is at best useless, and quite possibly misleading. That’s just fundamental to the concept of value and nearly every discussion of value ends up with someone talking about ‘...
I had an interesting conversation with my daughter when she was home for Christmas this last December. She had been talking with one of her friends who thought it strange that a jeweler had wanted to charge her for polishing her ring, a service she had always received for free before. Cissy, my daughter, said tha...
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