October 30, 2009
Boo!
It’s the day before Halloween and all kinds of scary things are out and about. Here in Nevada, the schools are out for Nevada Day – an interesting holiday with convenient timing. All the kiddies can get ready to trick or treat tomorrow night.
Wouldn’t it be fun to trick or treat at a jewelry store? Instead of candy, the treats would be gemstones? I’d dress in costume for that… Have a fun weekend. Dii
October 29, 2009
Go-To Person
I receive many inquiries on the American Gem Society web site from individuals about their jewelry. Some just want to know what it is – or what quality it is – and what it’s worth. I don’t get pictures – and even if I did, I still couldn’t answer their questions.
Perhaps they’re afraid to go to a store and ask a professional, but that’s where I send them. A true professional would NEVER evaluate or value an item they cannot see.
Did I just use the word, NEVER? A word I don’t like to use because there are always exceptions? The exception here would be called a hypothetical appraisal – and these are commonly done only when the item is GONE – not available to see.
A true professional will able to answer these questions and care. These questions are important – especially to the individual who’s asking them. The Go-To Person for jewelry is the American Gem Society titleholder – a true professional. …Dii
October 28, 2009
Signed – Not Sealed, Delivered
There are few guarantees in life – but there is a guarantee of quality available with your diamond. Yesterday, I wrote that the AGSL documents (and others) provide no guarantee of the diamond’s grade – they are merely educated opinions.
However, when you shop with an American Gem Society member who holds a title of Registered Jeweler, Certified Gemologist, or Certified Gemologist Appraiser, you can receive a Certificate and guarantee. It’s called a Diamond Quality® Certificate and only an AGS titleholder can sign the document. This signature means the store and the AGS Laboratories stands behind the grading of your diamond.
Guarantees are comforting – brilliant diamonds at a good value… priceless! …Dii
October 27, 2009
Diamond Papers
With all the various laboratory reports on diamonds, the word, “cert” is commonly used to describe the document. However, the word, cert – short for certificate – would indicate that the laboratory is certifying the information. Not so! When you read the “fine print”, you find there is no guarantee. The information is merely an educated opinion.
Therefore, the experience and the reputation of the laboratory are very important! In the industry, the American Gem Society Laboratories and the GIA reports are the most respected. The price associated with a diamond that has the AGSL report will probably be more than diamonds graded at other laboratories (when weights and grades for color and clarity are similar). This isn’t because of higher grading costs – it’s directly related to the grading accuracy and the information provided on cut.
The AGS Laboratories is best known for grading the cut of a diamond. The AGS Ideal® cut diamond is one of the most beautiful diamonds because of its cut quality. When you want the best sparkle, you need the best light return and performance. And the quality of the laboratory grading means accuracy for you. Still want a guarantee? Tomorrow I’ll tell you how to get one! …Dii
October 26, 2009
Turn Back the Clock
Next weekend, for those of you who are on DST, you’ll need to remember to turn back the hands of time. I can always remember the direction with that ditty, “Spring forward, Fall back”.
If you could turn back time in buying diamonds, you’d find a much different world. No internet (of course), and very few diamond “certs”. The jeweler needed to know the 4Cs of the diamond – cut, color, clarity, and carat weight – in order to make good purchases and offer good value to his or her customers.
Does the jeweler of today need to know anything about diamonds and diamond grading? Doesn’t the “cert” take care of all the details and allow the jeweler to pick and choose and sell much easier with greater accuracy?
I say, “NO”! Just because the diamond has been graded by an independent laboratory, it doesn’t mean the diamond grader was accurate; and just because the diamond grader is accurate, it doesn’t mean the “cert” matches the diamond; and just because the “cert” matches the diamond, it doesn’t mean the diamond’s beautiful OR a good value. It’s more important than ever for the jeweler to know diamonds – and it’s more important than ever for you to know a knowledgeable and ethical jeweler. …Dii
October 23, 2009
The Colors of the Weekend
It’s Friday and everyone likes to think about the weekend ahead. Stress can be high during the week, but don’t let it creep into your personal time. When you feel a bit pushed and pulled, look at something green. That can be difficult here in the desert, but emeralds are green and known to be very soothing – a true stress reliever!
In preparation for a fun weekend, get into the mood by looking at or wearing something red – like a ruby! Red is exciting and rubies can really put you in a festive – or feisty – mood!
If you want to just relax this weekend, surround yourself in blue – or surround your finger with a blue sapphire! Blue is a sign of security and peace. Peace out… Dii
October 22, 2009
Frightening Tales
There are a number of books with stories of gemstone lore. Here are a few that seem appropriate to the season:
Diamonds drive away the terror of the night; Emerald protects you from evil spirits; and Amethyst protects you against bad dreams.
You may not buy into these tall tales; however, it does make for good conversation at your next get-together around the cauldron! …Dii
October 21, 2009
Boo! Halloween
Coutesy scareyou.com
Many people are thinking of Halloween – getting a pumpkin and getting scared at the local Haunted House or Fright Zone. I find it interesting how we love to dress up as something ghoulish or foolish and then party through the treats. According to Halloween history, this began about 2000 years ago when the Celts celebrated the end of summer, burning bonfires and dressing in costume to avoid being recognized by the returning ghosts!
Later in history, parades with citizens in costumes included the poor begging for food (ultimately, trick or treating?). Bobbing for apples is still part of the fun, but did you know that the winner indicated who would be the first to marry?
Stories are fun – and gems have stories too. More tomorrow… Dii
October 20, 2009
Visitation Rights
Beginning October 23, you can visit a fabulous display of gems at Chicago’s Field Museum. Included in the exhibit is the 128.54 carat fancy yellow Tiffany Diamond – made more famous by Audrey Hepburn in the movie, Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
The press release mentions there are over 800 items to view – and you can go any day except Christmas day. The exhibit continues through most of March 2010. Chicago residents get a discount! Read more about this at www.fieldmuseum.org
October 19, 2009
Here We Gold Again!
There’s a renewed interest in selling gold – after all, the price went over $1000 an ounce!! But, that doesn’t mean you need to be less cautious. I just read on Friday that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Cash4Gold. Seems as though some people feel they did not receive a fair price or in some instances, shipped their items to Cash4Gold and were told their jewelry never arrived.
If you have some gold to sell – and I confess, I’ve found some useless gold I’d like cash for – I recommend going to a reputable jeweler who will give you a fair amount. Have the jewelry weighed so that you can see the result on the scale. This weight could be in grams (gr) or in pennyweights (dwt).
But don’t expect the weight to be multiplied by the current price of gold. Your gold is probably NOT 24 karat! Remember, 14 karat is only 14/24 gold. Then, the gold must be refined, and the jeweler pays a fee for this service. If you want to “do the math” and you know the weight of your gold, either in grams or pennyweights, you can google “calculate gold scrap” and there are websites with free “calculators” which allow you to estimate the value. The formulas are also in a past blog post from May14.
When you decide to sell, be sure to get three estimates before choosing the best offer. …Dii
