Lost wax casting
Lost wax casting meets the computer age. A fair fraction of the jewelry you see is made by lost wax casting. An original is made of wax, that’s encased in a plasterlike material known as investment. After it sets up … Continued
Welo Opals
Welo opals. It’s really pretty unusual for a major new gemstone to appear on the market. I only remember a couple in 40 years of this business. Tanzanite comes to mind. Cheap Chinese pearls is another. It’s easy to forget … Continued
Why Gemprint?
Why Gemprint? Gemprint is a system for tracking individual diamonds. You may have seen them featured on CSI or Law&Order. Their depictions aren’t entirely accurate, as tends to be the case with TV shows, but they get the concept right. … Continued
WHY AREN’T SYNTHETIC DIAMONDS CHEAPER?
WHY AREN’T SYNTHETIC DIAMONDS CHEAPER? I get questions about this often and thought I would present something of an answer. I wrote this several years ago for Pricescope.com. I’ll start with a common misunderstanding. Simulants are a different thing, and … Continued
Antique synthetics
Antique synthetics. Synthetic gems have become a major talking point in the jewelry business thanks to some new production methods in the growing of diamonds, but synthetics have been around since the 1870s. Really. We’ve had antique synthetics for decades. … Continued
Quality control
Quality control One of the key reasons to get an independent appraisal on a new item is quality control. Sure, you’ve got a GIA report with a bunch of the relevant data, and you’ve got a good idea of the … Continued
Is it a good time to buy diamonds?
Is it a good time to buy diamonds? I rarely make predictions like this, but I’m going to take a flyer. Yes, boys and girls, it’s a good time to buy diamonds. Demand for diamonds continues to rise, especially … Continued
Financing jewelry
Financing jewelry It is almost always a bad idea to use credit to purchase jewelry. So much so that I hate to be writing a tutorial on the subject. Most people who are considering buying jewelry on time are young … Continued