Pricescope Diamond Journal - News

“The French Blue,” by Richard W. Wise, G.G.

John Pollard — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Review by John Pollard

Just imagine: A humble mapmaker’s son travels the ancient world, discovers fantastic treasures, rescues a damsel and rises to the highest levels of French aristocracy!

“The French Blue,” based on true events, recounts the remarkable voyages of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a 17th Century trader of precious gems best known for discovering the phenomenal 115 carat blue diamond which later became the Hope Diamond. The book’s author, Richard Wise, takes factual events and blends them with plausible speculation to create a long and delightful tale; rich in history, action and romance.

The Internet and Sales Tax - A Free Ride or Not?

Neil Beaty — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Most states, counties and cities in the US charge a sales tax. This is a tax imposed on their resident’s consumption of most tangible property within their borders. Along with property taxes it’s one of the primary sources of revenue for these governments and it’s used to support fire protection, police and other public services. Stores within the community routinely collect sales taxes which they then submit to the taxing authorities - but mail-order and Internet purchases from merchants elsewhere do not - and this is routinely considered an advantage to working long distance.

So -is it true that buying from an out-of-state merchant can save you the cost of paying sales taxes?

One consumer’s journey to the trade

Karl K — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This is the story of my journey to becoming a Diamond Designer.

The early years:

Looking back over the years what stands out is not so much events, but the people.
The journey starts in Nov. 2003, when I joined Pricescope after lurking for a week or so.
I had decided that I wanted to learn more about diamonds while looking for a future upgrade engagement ring for my fiancé; Wifey2b. Pricescope was where I found the best tools and resources during my quest.

Bricks & Mortar vs. E-commerce Jewelers?

Judah Gutwein — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

For as long as diamonds have been popular, retail jewelry stores have functioned as the traditional distribution channel for bringing diamonds and jewelry to the masses.

With the advent of the Internet and in 2009, consumers also have the luxury and ability to shop online for diamonds and jewelry, ranging from inexpensive trinkets to pricey diamond rings. With the click of a mouse, consumers can consummate purchases online to the tune of thousands of dollars and from the comfort of their homes and offices.

Much has been written about these two business models, emphasizing their individual strengths and weaknesses.

It is not the focus of this article to further inspect, analyze, or dissect the benefits and liabilities inherent in these business models.

Rather, in this article, I would like to suggest that beyond the shared objective of making sales, there is a common principle that binds these two models and that by adhering to this principle, both models will continue to thrive and coexist and will ultimately stand the test of time.

What is an Eye Clean Diamond?

Erika W — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

What is an Eye Clean Diamond?

There are several threads discussing the definition of “eye clean.” On the surface, it seems like a fairly straightforward concept, but what constitutes eye clean varies with both consumers and vendors. Rather than try to define the subjective, Pricescope has asked contributing vendors, appraisers, and experts to give us their company definitions of eye clean in an effort to improve communication from vendor to consumer.

They were asked to include these three factors:

1) Distance and orientation

2) Type of lighting

3) Vision type

Each vendor/appraiser/expert has a different definition, but the general consensus is:

No inclusions visible to the unaided eye when viewed from the face up position in daylight equivalent or fluorescent lighting from approximately 6-12 inches from the eye using 20/20 vision.

Beta Diamond Videos Made in a Prototype Light Box

Cut Group — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As part of the development of Next Diamond™ and to provide a consistent method to display diamonds from afar, the Cut Group has been working on a lighting box, diamond movement system and camera set ups. We would like to receive your feedback and suggestions for improvements for a standardized lighting box.

The main goal is standardize the lightings and technology for cut comparison on the Internet to give a high level of repeatability.

Video Article: The Parts and Facets of a Diamond

Jonathan Weingarten — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In this video Jonathan from Good Old Gold explains the anatomy of a Diamond.

Video Article: Paul and Lieve grading sawn rough

Wink Jones — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In this video Paul Slegers and Lieve Peters of Infinity diamonds are inspecting diamonds after the rough has been sawn into two pieces. Most of the narrative is from John Pollard as he does an excellent job of giving us an overfview of what is happening.

Blue Fluorescence in Diamonds

Garry Holloway — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Historically ‘blue white’ fluorescent top coloured (D to F on the GIA colour grading scale) diamonds were once priced around 10% more than non fluorescent diamonds. Today D to F coloured blue fluorescent diamonds are usually discounted on wholesale markets. There are two main technical reasons why fluorescent diamonds would be discounted. The diamond’s body colour may have been ‘over-graded’ or its transparency may have been impaired.

The Camera May Not Lie - But it Tells Different Truths

Wink Jones — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The purpose of this article is to show you how cameras can be a useful tool, but while they may not lie, they might often tell you different truths, and thus should not be used as the only selection tool in choosing your diamond or other gemstones.