Dedicated to the memory of Bill “Rockdoc” Lieberum, 1948-2007.The average consumer is often shocked to learn that only a small percentage of “independent appraisers” are unbiased and/or current on continuing education, grading systems, equipment and standards. Since there are no requirements to be a jewelry appraise...
“Appraise the Appraiser” – Help for Consumers CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST
Diamonds are a difficult item to buy in the best of circumstances. For most shoppers it’s one of the most expensive purchases of their lives and it’s aggravatingly necessary to rely on the advice of salespeople who may not have your best interest at heart when they tell you that something is a fabulous deal. The Int...
How did I get here and how do I get finished with it without going to my attorney?Are you in a situation where you made a purchase, had a piece of jewelry break, a diamond chip, a stone get lost, or some other issue with a jewelry purchase or a vendor problem? Do you feel like it’s you against the entire industry? D...
Stuck with a Problem? Has your diamond, jewelry or gemstone deal gone sour? CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST
Pricescope represents an amazing opportunity for jewelers who are willing to take the plunge but it’s a difficult step to take. Quite a few industry pros have asked for advice on how they can increase their presence here on Pricescope without coming across as either a fool, a blowhard, or an apologist. Hopefully thi...
A jewelers guide for how to get along with Pricescope. CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST
"Levels of Confidence" A pre-purchase, screening tool for the consumer. An explanation tool for the appraiser. Intended to gauge the credibility of represented color, clarity and cut grades compared to GIA or AGSL grading. Highest Confidence: SCORE = 1 The grade will exactly match GIA/AGS 65% to 70% of the time. ...
A screening tool for all diamond grading CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST
Many of us know Al Gilbertson as an esteemed cutter, gemologist and innovator. Add "mythbuster" to his titles. Mr. Gilbertson has produced a gem of a book, sure to be a page-turner for enthusiasts of "ideal" diamond cutting origins. "American Cut - The First 100 Years" documents important changes between 1850 and...
“American Cut – The First 100 Years,” by Al Gilbertson, G.G. CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST
The problem started back in 1812 when Friedrich Mos developed the Mohs scale for gemstone hardness. He took a selection of stones and used them to scratch each other. Harder stones would scratch softer ones and he organized them into a ranking from 1 – 10 with diamond being the hardest. Nothing will scratch a diamon...
What do you mean diamonds can chip?! CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST
GIA's letter to the Editor This journal article documents letters to the Editor exchanged between the GIA cut study team and the cut group who wrote an article in The Australian Gemmologist The original article from Volume 23, Number 1, January – March 2007 is not reprinted here, but a similar article was po...
Letter to the Editor of the Australian Gemmologist CLICK HERE TO VIEW POST
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