Viva LasVegas Baby YEA!

[Rhino]

Lots of new products and technologies hitting the market. Too much to go into at this time. Next evolution of H&A's hitting too. Very interesting stuff for you fellow cut geeks. As soon as we get back and get the products/technologies I'll give ya'll the updates. Me and Leo had a chance to meet up. Here's a mug shot. I'm the hairy one.

 

[pqcollectibles]

Hey Pups!!

What a handsome pair you two are!!!

Tell Leonid and all Hello from the Forum Gang!!

 

[Rhino]

You bet PQ!




I've met up with Gary, Robin/Todd and many others within the trade. Leonid's wife is a real doll too. Very sweet person. Hella fun we're all having with the exception of worn out legs.

 

[pqcollectibles]

I bet there are some tired laigs at the Show!!

Hope you remembered your comfortable WALKING shoes!!

Say "Hi!" to Leonid's Better Half and the whole gang for us. Can't wait to see pics!!

 

[Rhino]

Gettin ready to hit the hay here but here's a great shot I took at the top of the Eiffel Tower overlooking Bellagio during a water show. One of my favorite night shots during this trip.

 

[LesleyH]

Hey Rhino:

Will be at the show today....hope we meet up.

LesleyH
www.whiteflash.com

 

[Patty]

Have fun, guys! Thanks for the pictures, Rhino.

 

[pqcollectibles]

Kewl pic, Pups. Love the ciy lights in that night shot. The fountain is beautiful and the burbs seem to trail off forever.

 

[Hest88]

Oh yes, the two of you look so handsome! Say hi to everyone!

 

[Mara]

Bitter! We were going to go this year if only to meet up with everyone in person, but the hotel prices were sky high, almost 3 times regular rack rates in some instances. There were 2-3 other conventions going on. Couldn't really justify it after the honeymoon and I'm so disappointed. BUT....There is always next year.

Excellent shots Rhino!! Hello to everyone in Vegas!

 

[hoorray]

ahhhhh...if only we consumers could get into the show. It must be like a candy store! enjoy it for us!

 

[69gm]

how fitting that your diamond conventions always ends up in las vegas. no where else does diamonds seem the most fitting.

and jealous i am, i say! completely jealous that all you guys get to hang out, talk about your passion, enjoy yourselves a little in sin city...and it's a tax write off!

seriously though, i hope you guys are all enjoying yourselves and you bring back to us some great pictures, stories and the like. the rest of us will just have to live vicariously through you guys.

take it easy guys and c'ya when you get back!

aloha!

 

[luckyhonu]

Great pictures, Rhino! I am sooooo envious...Vegas is one of my favorite places, all glitz and glam!

We miss you all here on PS!

 

[canuk-gal]

Hey:

Just in Palm Springs, I was tempted to hop a flight to Vegas and hang around the convention center--like some languid Britney Spears fan--in the hopes someone would throw me a bone (or stone rather!!) so I could get in and see the show. But, alas, it was not to be. I knew I should have stayed in my Fathers (jewellery) business, instead of getting some useless PhD....

Sharon

 

[niceice]

The show is a blast! It has been great running into everybody and getting a chance to chat and catch up in-person... Always so much more fun than on the phone or virtually.

Lots of new technology, some worthy of being picked up now and some needing a little more time to be properly developed. Cool concepts though!

It has been so nice being able to evaluate large sections of our cutter's inventories without having to ship the parcels back and forth. Of course, it has been a bit stressful on the cutters to physically watch us toss millions of dollars worth of their extremely well cut diamonds aside for "this, that or the other"... Usually the poor guys only get confused by what we reject on paper and it isn't so shocking because they're not watching us sift through the diamonds in front of them and they don't have to listen to our comments. In the booths, they hang on every word and watch our faces for a hint of any thought and then they interrogate us in hopes of better understanding our selection process. More than a few of them were seriously rubbing their temples and banging their heads on the desk by the time we were through tossing a few million dollars worth of diamonds to a pile on the side of the desk (well protected in their parcel papers which are usually tucked within the respective lab reports). We "really" wish that we could get this on video for "people" to see because it would make a great sit-com, here are all these beautiful diamonds, truly beautiful diamonds, all zero ideal cut of some sort, being passed over for the slightest of things all the while the cutters are looking on in a clear state of total disbelief. No doubt that the other internet dealers here on PS who house physical inventory are putting the cutters through the same paces because the cutters have expressed that they don't know whether they can take "it" again

The "really" interesting thing is watching the faces on the suppliers when they see "us" talking with one another in the aisle ways, it's almost too much for them to handle. "Why do you talk with each other? Don't you know that you are competitors?" seems to be a common question. Of course we know that we are competitors, but we still like each other, exchange ideas, gripes, and have a good time with each other... "That would never happen at our level" they say... Right.

New designs coming out of just about every major designer... Saw some really cool stuff at the D. Vatche and Tacori booths. OGI is releasing some pretty cool "toys" and we picked up some pretty exciting stuff for the store - sorry folks, it won't help our internet site much, but it will make our store production a lot easier and more precise, well, we suppose that will help our internet business as well... Sorry, we're actually kind of gummy... Forgive us if we're rambling, there is just so much running through our brains that we want to share with you. The show is kind of a race between suppliers for us, we run from meeting to meeting, sit down to a couple of lunches per day which are followed by at least two dinner appointments which often run late into the night only to be followed by an early wake up call to get the ball rolling again.

Feet? Oh God, our feet are shot! We can't wear tennis shoes or anything like that, it doesn't seem to look right with business attire

 

[sevens one]

I'd love to see the faces of those cutters. What a picture you've painted for us. Thanks for all the tidbits of the trip, sounds awesome.
Nan

 

[verticalhorizon]

Oh no... what's new coming from the settings people? Did I buy too soon!!

 

[luckyhonu]

Does that mean there will be more sparklies to pick from when everyone gets back from Vegas?!!!

 

[chialea]

I second that question on the settings! I want to finish picking so we can get a ring and get formally engaged already!

 

[niceice]

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On 6/7/2004 1:53:06 PM luckyhonu wrote:

Does that mean there will be more sparklies to pick from when everyone gets back from Vegas?!!!

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OH YEA! We picked up a bundle of 1.00 - 1.49 carat puppies that have been really difficult to find in the current market and it's really kind of nice because we've already had the chance to take a look at them as opposed to only seeing the paper aspects of the stones and then having them shipped in for evaluation... They still need to go through all of the in-depth scope work, but they look good so far.

Re: mountings... The designers released all sorts of new designs - kind of like at the car shows, some are already available and orders will begin to arrive at the various vendors within 4 - 6 weeks and others are proto-type designs which won't be on the market for another year or so... Looked at a lot of stuff in model form.

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

All my other photo's did not work out so well, but this one is OK

Sorry we did not meet up R&T.

B&J did a quick scamper past Leonid and I while we had a meeting with De Beers.

I spent 2 or 3 hours with the Imagem people today. Very interesting.

 

[valeria101]

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On 6/7/2004 11:59:39 PM niceice wrote:

[...] it's really kind of nice because we've already had the chance to take a look at them as opposed to only seeing the paper aspects of the stones and then having them shipped in for evaluation...

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I thought this was only the spell of online customers... Is there any corner of professional diamond buying that can dispense with those numbers ?

Counting this post... there are two repentant students on one thread... only there is no jeweler to turn to in my clan

 

[laney]

Hey, i'm curious.. what kinda security is necessary for one of those shows? Where do they store the diamonds once the floor closes??

I used to work for a company who's products were highly desirable by consumers - we always had to hire extra security for our show floor and/sales meetings at hotels. Some of it was a joke - but enevitably things would get stolen.

I CAN'T IMAGINE.. with all that precious stuff around what the security must be like!!!

Do you let any housekeeping into your hotel rooms all week?

 

[JC]

Hello all. Well, four work days after Vegas and my legs are still tired too. Na, just kidding. Jim and I got a chance to hang out with Gary H., David A., and Leonid as well as Martin Fuller at the show. We all sat down and had a wonderful meal at a very nice restaurant. I must say that I can't say enough great things about these gentleman. It was great to hang out with everyone and each were very pleasant to get to know. It was nice to finally put a face with what is written here on Pricescope as well as phone conversations from time to time. Jim and I also got to meet others in the industry from many suppliers that we work with to a few others out there in the internet business like us. No complaints either. Everyone was very gracious. Maybe I can convince Jim to post a few pictures of our trip as well. Well, good luck to all out there in Pricescope land....

 

[Nicrez]

MORE PICTURES! Let us live throught your pictures, and ooooh and ahhhh over the wonders that are Vegas, and diamonds!

Also, anything interesting gadget-wise? Also, any gemstones and new cuts or styles unveiled maybe?