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Monday, September 29, 2014
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Wink Headed to Vegas for JCK Jewelry show
I leave Wednesday afternoon for the big Vegas Jewelry show and will be doing at least daily updates for you on what is going on there.
There will be reports about what is going on in the industry and hopefully some interviews with some of the movers and shakers there.
Wink
There will be reports about what is going on in the industry and hopefully some interviews with some of the movers and shakers there.
Wink
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Diamond Price Bubble
National Jeweler online published this editorial recently. I thought it interesting enough to share in light of the economy and people not thinking that diamonds are selling during these times.
Obviously they are:
Moscow--The head of Russian diamond mining giant Alrosa told Bloomberg Television that diamond prices are climbing faster than expected and could create a price bubble, just as they did prior to the financial crisis in 2008.
In a recent interview, Fyodor Andreev said the Russian diamond miner increased its rough prices by 5 percent at the end of 2010, and prices are up another 10 percent just a few months into 2011. In total, rough prices are now 8 percent higher than they were before the economic crisis hit in the fall of 2008, he said. (Bolding mine as I think this is crucial!)
He told Bloomberg that continually climbing rough prices, which sometimes top prices of polished gems, are a “dangerous signal” that the market will see another price bubble.
News of rising rough diamond prices--as well as an increase in polished prices--have been creating a buzz in the industry for a few months due to increased demand from both emerging markets, such as China and India, and recovering markets, such as the United States.
Last month, IDEX Online reported that De Beers rough distribution arm, the Diamond Trading Co. (DTC) increased prices at least 4 to 8 percent at its latest sight. And earlier this month, IDEX Online reported that polished diamond prices had recovered to near pre-economic crisis levels.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Title string for the blog here...
The following conversation took place on a new diamond discussion board www.diamonddiscussion.com I think it has a lot of merit and deserves consideration. It surely is worth repeating and with the permission of the participants I share it with you.
January 27, 2011 2:44:54 PM MST
Buried in one of C.'s comment was the priceless phrase "lets face it (diamonds) are a luxury purchase that nobody really "needs".
Hmmm... I think this is worthy of a side-bar.
Is it possible that personal adornment is a human "need"? Why do even the most "primitive" cultures adorn themselves?
Hmmm... I think this is worthy of a side-bar.
Is it possible that personal adornment is a human "need"? Why do even the most "primitive" cultures adorn themselves?
I am convinced that there is an ongoing struggle within us all between our sense of community and sense of self. We want to belong, yet we want to set ourselves apart.
Aren't these two "needs" part of the essential and existential whole?
Put another way... a wise man named Orly Solomon once made the following statement:
If you wear jewelry you'll look better. If you look better, you'll feel better. If you feel better, you'll be healthier. If you are healthier, you'll live longer. So, if you wear jewelry, you'll live longer.
January 28, 2011 5:37:33 AM PST
Maarten de Witte said:
Aren't these two "needs" part of the essential and existential whole?
Put another way... a wise man named Orly Solomon once made the following statement:
If you wear jewelry you'll look better. If you look better, you'll feel better. If you feel better, you'll be healthier. If you are healthier, you'll live longer. So, if you wear jewelry, you'll live longer
We could even change that statement:
If you wear jewelry, you will feel better. Hence, you will perform better, thus you will make more money. So, if you wear jewelry, it will pay itself.Live long
January 28, 2011 3:22:22 PM PST
*feverishly copies these statements and sends them in email to her husband*
Saturday, January 08, 2011
I love Custom Work
A friend of mine, David Geller, is a consultant to the jewelry trade. Here is an excerpt from a letter than he sent out this morning that I think is very appropriate to share with you.
Why? Because it reflects the thinking of so many in my trade and David points out where it conflicts with your wishes as consumers.
Why you shouldn't hate Custom Work
There is a website for bench/crafts people that I participate in every week. (neme removed)
Every day their blog has 30-50 posts from members from how to make jewelry, find or make tools and complaints like every other jeweler will do when sitting down with another jewelers friend.
2. You don’t have the patience or selling skills to take in custom work.
3. You under price it and there fore once you know in your mind “OMG! From this minute on I’m now losing money or working for free or working for a really small per hour wage” you then think, "I hate this”.
a. Take classes and learn the areas of custom you need complete your skill set.
b. Hire others who have skills you don’t (I did this as I’m not a good wax carver).
c. Job out the work to others who can do the things you can’t do. There is absolutely no reason to want to say “Oh, we don’t send anything out, it’s all done in house.” That’s silly. The customer has said “I want what I want”. So your job is “Get’r done”.
David goes on to say a lot more that is not relevant to my thoughts here.
As many of you know, my skills are in my head. I rely on other's hands to do the work. That could be why I think David is so brilliant in his suggestion that we hire others to do what we do not like to do, or that we do not do well.
If you are working with a jeweler to have something special done, you may want to have a talk with him/her to determine what their feelings are about custom work. If you find you are working with a jeweler who has the mindset of, "I hate custom work!" then perhaps you should keep looking.
Wink
Why? Because it reflects the thinking of so many in my trade and David points out where it conflicts with your wishes as consumers.
Why you shouldn't hate Custom Work
There is a website for bench/crafts people that I participate in every week. (neme removed)
Every day their blog has 30-50 posts from members from how to make jewelry, find or make tools and complaints like every other jeweler will do when sitting down with another jewelers friend.
Recently there was a heavy discussion about “I Hate Custom Work”. I thought you might be interested in the post I made there today.
---------------Post Starts Here-----------
After reading many of the responses I’ve seen a common theme here. The people who dislike custom have 3 main reasons why they don’t like doing custom work. They may have a single reason why they hate it and some (they may not know it) have more than one.
COMMON THEMES WHY YOU HATE CUSTOM:
1. You don’t have the skills to do custom.2. You don’t have the patience or selling skills to take in custom work.
3. You under price it and there fore once you know in your mind “OMG! From this minute on I’m now losing money or working for free or working for a really small per hour wage” you then think, "I hate this”.
SKILLS:
The only things you can do to alleviate this is:a. Take classes and learn the areas of custom you need complete your skill set.
b. Hire others who have skills you don’t (I did this as I’m not a good wax carver).
c. Job out the work to others who can do the things you can’t do. There is absolutely no reason to want to say “Oh, we don’t send anything out, it’s all done in house.” That’s silly. The customer has said “I want what I want”. So your job is “Get’r done”.
David goes on to say a lot more that is not relevant to my thoughts here.
As many of you know, my skills are in my head. I rely on other's hands to do the work. That could be why I think David is so brilliant in his suggestion that we hire others to do what we do not like to do, or that we do not do well.
If you are working with a jeweler to have something special done, you may want to have a talk with him/her to determine what their feelings are about custom work. If you find you are working with a jeweler who has the mindset of, "I hate custom work!" then perhaps you should keep looking.
Wink
Friday, January 07, 2011
The camera as a tool
I had a long discussion with a client this morning about why when he brought in a diamond it looked different than what it had looked like in the camera. (He actually liked it better, which was a good thing, but he wanted to know why.)
I did a video some months ago that demonstrated a couple of things nicely for him, so I thought I would share it with you.
Enjoy!
Wink
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Debeers to end advertising in the United States
This article was published recently by IDEX. http://www.idexonline.com/portal_FullEditorial.asp It talks breifly about the problems that DeBeers is having steering itself through these difficult times and the fact that it will no longer be spending two hundred million dollars per year advertising in the United States.
Who will take the lead now? Will anyone step up, or will diamonds be gradually allowed to fade from the public consciousness? (I am betting this will NOT happen.)
Wink
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Friday, September 10, 2010
From here to Infinity: Complete
Every time I watch this video I am amazed again at its openess in such a private world as the diamond cutting world.
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Pre owned diamonds
There is an interesting conversation going on over at Pricescope right now about how to tell if a stone is pre-owned. While this is not an issue with me, I realize that to many people it is, so here is just one of the exchanges happening there.
Wink
Beacon wrote: "If the cert were over two years old, I would assume the diamond had been owned before. This would not deter me, UNLESS the stone were a super high clarity, like vs1 or higher. In that case I would want a more recent cert to make sure there had been no damage during the time after the first certification. If lower clarity, then a careful inspection should be enuf to determine if the rating is still right."
This was my response:
Rather than assume, why not ask? I just sold a stone with a cert more than two years old that had never been sold before. It was just unusual enough that it stayed in inventory for some time.
For those instances when we take a stone in trade, the first thing that happens to it is that it is repapered to make sure that it is not damaged in any way from when it was papered before. I can certainly appreciate that some will not want a stone that was previously owned for any reason, and the best way for them to know this is to be sure to ask. I have the great fortune to work with a company that tracks each diamond from rough to finished, so it is easy for me to check.
Many dealers however are getting diamonds from a wholesaler and often the wholesaler himself will not know whether or not the diamond has been previously owned. Just because a diamond is coming directly from a wholesaler does not assure you of a previously unowned diamond.
Wink
Wink
Beacon wrote: "If the cert were over two years old, I would assume the diamond had been owned before. This would not deter me, UNLESS the stone were a super high clarity, like vs1 or higher. In that case I would want a more recent cert to make sure there had been no damage during the time after the first certification. If lower clarity, then a careful inspection should be enuf to determine if the rating is still right."
This was my response:
Rather than assume, why not ask? I just sold a stone with a cert more than two years old that had never been sold before. It was just unusual enough that it stayed in inventory for some time.
For those instances when we take a stone in trade, the first thing that happens to it is that it is repapered to make sure that it is not damaged in any way from when it was papered before. I can certainly appreciate that some will not want a stone that was previously owned for any reason, and the best way for them to know this is to be sure to ask. I have the great fortune to work with a company that tracks each diamond from rough to finished, so it is easy for me to check.
Many dealers however are getting diamonds from a wholesaler and often the wholesaler himself will not know whether or not the diamond has been previously owned. Just because a diamond is coming directly from a wholesaler does not assure you of a previously unowned diamond.
Wink
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action | Video on TED.com
I do not normally post other people's videos, especially non jewelry videos on my jewelry blog, but this is so thought provoking that I am going to do just that.
If you have ever wondered why some people follow leaders and how to be a better leader, here is something to contemplate.
Monday, April 19, 2010
From here to Infinity
Infinity Diamonds just released this incredible video. As a proud vendor of Infinity diamonds I wanted to share it with you.
Wink
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Paul Slegers of Infinity Diamonds on Consistency
In a discussion on Pricescope today Paul Slegers of Infinity Diamonds responded with the following post that I thought worthy of being posted separately.
I am a vendor of Infinity Diamonds and this is the type of reason why I enjoy working with Paul.
Going back to the original topic of Sara, I think that Sara and others are only touching part of the positive aspects of consistency.
In order to understand this, you need to think with a different mindset. Most contributors here are used to thinking about the product and the product only, where I think that processes are most important. Some of these processes involve the choice of retailers selling a line, and the level of service that they provide (Sara touched this aspect also), but also the production-process which delivers the final product is extremely important.
Here on Pricescope and on other consumer-forums before that, I have learned important aspects of product. Some of these aspects are the choice of the lab-report, the need for photographs of the actual stone, the ideal-scope, the hearts-and-arrows, later on also of the ASET, and the disclosure of maximum information about the stone, available at all times.
What many do not realise, is that all these features of the product do not define the product. They describe certain aspects of the product, with great tools, but all these tools have their limitations. In our attempts to educate people, we have a lot of tools to cover, but we often forget to emphasize the limitations of each tool. As such, the mistaken idea arises that the combination of these tools accurately describe the diamond.
The reality is different however. If a stone passes the test of a tool, it indicates that the stone is better than a certain minimum-level. For example, if a stone has an Ideal cut-grade by AGS, this only means that the stone has passed the minimum-level chosen by AGS to describe the stone as Ideal. Within that grade, there are still a number of variations.
Also, if a stone passes the minimum standards of H&A, this is not complete information, since the crispness of the H&A-pattern is an important differentiator between stones, but is not part of the minimum standards of H&A. From my side, I have not only learned from these minimum-levels of information on PS, but I combine this with the experience and common sense of generations of the best diamond-cutters in the world. This is necessary, because science has not yet completely cracked the formula that makes a diamond work. As such, I do not have objective data to prove what works, but I guess that I do have the experience to make it work.
In this regard, we are proud that we did not have to change our formula when AGS and GIA introduced new cut-grades, and the ongoing scintillation-studies by AGS will also have no effect on our formula. What I am trying to say in a complicated way, is that our formula for cutting our diamonds is ahead of its time, where the majority of cutters is only adapting (constantly) to newly arising needs.
Back to process.
In our operation, we spend a lot of energy in the particulars of the cutting-process. This approach is totally different to one of product-quality-control. In the latter, one compares the final product (or at a sub-step in production) with a quality-level that needs to be achieved. The result is that everything that passes the minimally needed quality-level passes, since it is good enough. In our approach, I may have been influenced by my father, who used to be working at Ford Motor Company, where he was part of a quality-improvement-team. This team introduced the then new Japanese quality-improvement-methods into Ford's manufacturing process, and, there, I learned that quality is not a matter of checking it afterwards only, it is much more a matter of adapting production-processes so that quality is an automatic result.
It is our attention to the process that creates our Infinity-brand with diamonds that dazzle consumers and that our retailers are proud to carry. I am often surprised how some consumers describe certain unique aspects of our stones. I know that these aspects are a result of our process and they can only be observed in real-life, as the currently available tools cannot show these.Actually, that is why I think that consistency is important. Our consistent process guarantees a product that also delivers benefits beyond the abilities of the current cut-assessment-tools.
Live long,
Paul SlegersInfinity Diamondswww.CraftedByInfinity.com
I found this fascinating and I hope you enjoyed it also. You can read the entire thread on Pricescope by clicking on the title. As always, the discussions there are lively!
Wink
I am a vendor of Infinity Diamonds and this is the type of reason why I enjoy working with Paul.
Going back to the original topic of Sara, I think that Sara and others are only touching part of the positive aspects of consistency.
In order to understand this, you need to think with a different mindset. Most contributors here are used to thinking about the product and the product only, where I think that processes are most important. Some of these processes involve the choice of retailers selling a line, and the level of service that they provide (Sara touched this aspect also), but also the production-process which delivers the final product is extremely important.
Here on Pricescope and on other consumer-forums before that, I have learned important aspects of product. Some of these aspects are the choice of the lab-report, the need for photographs of the actual stone, the ideal-scope, the hearts-and-arrows, later on also of the ASET, and the disclosure of maximum information about the stone, available at all times.
What many do not realise, is that all these features of the product do not define the product. They describe certain aspects of the product, with great tools, but all these tools have their limitations. In our attempts to educate people, we have a lot of tools to cover, but we often forget to emphasize the limitations of each tool. As such, the mistaken idea arises that the combination of these tools accurately describe the diamond.
The reality is different however. If a stone passes the test of a tool, it indicates that the stone is better than a certain minimum-level. For example, if a stone has an Ideal cut-grade by AGS, this only means that the stone has passed the minimum-level chosen by AGS to describe the stone as Ideal. Within that grade, there are still a number of variations.
Also, if a stone passes the minimum standards of H&A, this is not complete information, since the crispness of the H&A-pattern is an important differentiator between stones, but is not part of the minimum standards of H&A. From my side, I have not only learned from these minimum-levels of information on PS, but I combine this with the experience and common sense of generations of the best diamond-cutters in the world. This is necessary, because science has not yet completely cracked the formula that makes a diamond work. As such, I do not have objective data to prove what works, but I guess that I do have the experience to make it work.
In this regard, we are proud that we did not have to change our formula when AGS and GIA introduced new cut-grades, and the ongoing scintillation-studies by AGS will also have no effect on our formula. What I am trying to say in a complicated way, is that our formula for cutting our diamonds is ahead of its time, where the majority of cutters is only adapting (constantly) to newly arising needs.
Back to process.
In our operation, we spend a lot of energy in the particulars of the cutting-process. This approach is totally different to one of product-quality-control. In the latter, one compares the final product (or at a sub-step in production) with a quality-level that needs to be achieved. The result is that everything that passes the minimally needed quality-level passes, since it is good enough. In our approach, I may have been influenced by my father, who used to be working at Ford Motor Company, where he was part of a quality-improvement-team. This team introduced the then new Japanese quality-improvement-methods into Ford's manufacturing process, and, there, I learned that quality is not a matter of checking it afterwards only, it is much more a matter of adapting production-processes so that quality is an automatic result.
It is our attention to the process that creates our Infinity-brand with diamonds that dazzle consumers and that our retailers are proud to carry. I am often surprised how some consumers describe certain unique aspects of our stones. I know that these aspects are a result of our process and they can only be observed in real-life, as the currently available tools cannot show these.Actually, that is why I think that consistency is important. Our consistent process guarantees a product that also delivers benefits beyond the abilities of the current cut-assessment-tools.
Live long,
Paul SlegersInfinity Diamondswww.CraftedByInfinity.com
I found this fascinating and I hope you enjoyed it also. You can read the entire thread on Pricescope by clicking on the title. As always, the discussions there are lively!
Wink
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Facebook | Justice for Campbell Bridges
I received this from a friend of mine, Jacques Vorhees, former owner of Polygon. I met Campbell many many years ago and was sad to learn of his death. I would want this passed on even had I not known him.
Wink
Facebook Justice for Campbell Bridges: "Campbell Bridges, discoverer of Tsavorite and renowned gemologist was murdered on August 11th, 2009. He was ambushed and killed by known claim jumpers and bandits on his mining concession in Tsavo. Many of the killers names are known by his son, Bruce Bridges, by their first and last names; yet the Kenyan government has been providing little support in apprehending the criminals involved. The Kenyan media is stonewalling the media coverage locally and attempting to bury the story. We need to rally people together to promote this story in major media outlets and demand a US led investigation, since Campbell was a US citizen. We want the criminals that perpetrated this brought to Justice so that his family can find peace.
Please sign our petition here - http://www.thepetitionsite.com/130/justice-for-campbell-bridges
Thank you,
Karl Channell"
Wink
Facebook Justice for Campbell Bridges: "Campbell Bridges, discoverer of Tsavorite and renowned gemologist was murdered on August 11th, 2009. He was ambushed and killed by known claim jumpers and bandits on his mining concession in Tsavo. Many of the killers names are known by his son, Bruce Bridges, by their first and last names; yet the Kenyan government has been providing little support in apprehending the criminals involved. The Kenyan media is stonewalling the media coverage locally and attempting to bury the story. We need to rally people together to promote this story in major media outlets and demand a US led investigation, since Campbell was a US citizen. We want the criminals that perpetrated this brought to Justice so that his family can find peace.
Please sign our petition here - http://www.thepetitionsite.com/130/justice-for-campbell-bridges
Thank you,
Karl Channell"
Friday, August 14, 2009
Gem Trace
A friend of mine is about to open a really cool service. Gemtrace.
Here is a copy of the text on his front page.
What is GemTrace
GemTrace creates a correlation between the diamond registry numbers laser inscribed on the girdle edge of diamonds with their registered owners. Until now it was not possible to identify the owner of a diamond or colored gem by the lab report number which is routinely inscribed on the girdle edge of many diamonds.
By registering your laser inscribed diamond with GemTrace you increase the odds of your diamond being returned to you in the event that it is recovered by a law enforcement agency. Our database of registered diamonds may be searched by law enforcement agencies, retail jewelers, pawn shops and the public without cost.
In the event that a search is conducted and a diamond is identified as being registered in our database, the diamond will be identified as existing in our database and the person or agency who initiated the search may contact us to arrange for return of the diamond to the registered owner. The identity and personal information of registered owners is not released, we act as the intermediary agent to expedite the return of the recovered diamond, colored gem, or jewelry item.
Until now it was not possible for a law enforcement agency to quickly identify the registered owner of a diamond based on the inscription of a lab report number on the girdle edge of a diamond. The lab report number inscribed along the girdle edge of a diamond was merely intended to provide a correlation between the diamond and the diamond grading report which was issued for it. GemTrace makes it possible to quickly identify the registered owner of a laser inscribed diamond. Register your laser inscribed diamond with GemTrace today!
I really hope that this takes off for him, I believe that it provides an incredibly useful service for diamond owners.
Wink
Here is a copy of the text on his front page.
What is GemTrace
GemTrace creates a correlation between the diamond registry numbers laser inscribed on the girdle edge of diamonds with their registered owners. Until now it was not possible to identify the owner of a diamond or colored gem by the lab report number which is routinely inscribed on the girdle edge of many diamonds.
By registering your laser inscribed diamond with GemTrace you increase the odds of your diamond being returned to you in the event that it is recovered by a law enforcement agency. Our database of registered diamonds may be searched by law enforcement agencies, retail jewelers, pawn shops and the public without cost.
In the event that a search is conducted and a diamond is identified as being registered in our database, the diamond will be identified as existing in our database and the person or agency who initiated the search may contact us to arrange for return of the diamond to the registered owner. The identity and personal information of registered owners is not released, we act as the intermediary agent to expedite the return of the recovered diamond, colored gem, or jewelry item.
Until now it was not possible for a law enforcement agency to quickly identify the registered owner of a diamond based on the inscription of a lab report number on the girdle edge of a diamond. The lab report number inscribed along the girdle edge of a diamond was merely intended to provide a correlation between the diamond and the diamond grading report which was issued for it. GemTrace makes it possible to quickly identify the registered owner of a laser inscribed diamond. Register your laser inscribed diamond with GemTrace today!
I really hope that this takes off for him, I believe that it provides an incredibly useful service for diamond owners.
Wink
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Facebook | HighPerformanceDiamonds
Facebook HighPerformanceDiamonds: "HighPerformanceDiamonds We had our first client come in and order a pendant and earring set from her gems purchased at the Judith Whitehead round table. I am very excited to see how these look mounted. It turns out that one of Judiths friends who sets a LOT of her gems lives thirty miles from me in a city called Caldwell, Idaho.
You can see some of her wonderful work at http://lisettethierry.com/."
When I have time I will post a picture of the gems and the drawings that Lisette did.
You can see some of her wonderful work at http://lisettethierry.com/."
When I have time I will post a picture of the gems and the drawings that Lisette did.
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