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Welcome to: DIAMOND NEWSLETTER Issue: 2001-10
The diamond, gems and fine jewelry information resource for clients and friends of Diamond Source of Virginia, Inc. http://www.DSOURCEVA.com (unsubscribe instructions at bottom of this newsletter) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ If you know of someone who will be getting engaged or celebrating a special event such as a anniversary, birthday, or baby's birth forward this newsletter to them so they will know where to save money on a diamond or fine jewelry! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THIS ISSUE'S TOPICS Opal: October's Birthstone Diamond Horseshoe Pendant ($100 off) Gold & Silver Buried Beneath WTC Ruins Diamond Shapes and Cut Platinum Demand for Jewelry Falls Price Calculator Famous Diamonds Bow-Tie Gem of the Day Big Ticket Items Brace for Slump Internet Marketing Tools Diamond and Jewelry Books ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ OPAL: OCTOBER'S BIRTHSTONE ========================== Among the ancients, opal was a symbol of fidelity and assurance, and in later history it became strongly associated with religious emotion and prayer. It was believed to have a strong therapeutic value for diseases of the eye, and worn as an amulet it would make the wearer immune from them as well as increase the powers of the eyes and the mind. When we describe the opal, we realize how insufficient the English language is. It is unique among the gems, displaying an array of very brilliant miniature rainbow effects, all mixed together. Its most outstanding characteristic is this unusual, intense display of many colors flashing out like mini-rainbows. This effect is created by opal's formation process, which is very different from that of other gems. Opal is composed of hydrated silica spheres. The mini- rainbows seen in most opals result from light interference created by these spheres. The arrangement of the spheres, which vary in size and pattern, is responsible for the different colors. Opal is usually cut flat or in cabochon, since there is no additional brilliance to be captured by faceting. In opals, color is everything. The more brilliant the color, the more valuable the gem. It is probably truer of opal than any other stone that the more beautiful the stone and its color, the more it will cost. One word of caution must be offered: Opals require special care because some tend to dry and crack. Avoid exposure to anything that is potentially drying. And, believe it or not, rubbing it periodically with an oil-moistened cloth--such as olive oil--will help preserve it. Do not soak it; soaking some opals for only a few hours can cause them to lose some or nearly all of their fire. DIAMOND HORSESHOE PENDANT ($100) ================================== Check out this exciting new Diamond Horseshoe Pendant, made popular by Sarah Jessica Parker on the hit show, "Sex and the City." It is a custom design made exclusively for our Diamond Source of Virginia Customers. We are able to provide this beautiful diamond and white gold pendant and chain at a fraction of the retail store prices. For photos and a detailed description, check it out at http://www.dsourceva.com/diamond_horseshoe_pendant.htm Mention you saw this notice in our newsletter and we will take $100 off our already low price published on our web site. We are offering this special for a limited time only so check it out today. This $100 discount is only available to our newsletter subscribers. GOLD & SILVER BURIED BENEATH WTC RUINS ================================================= Some 11.8 metric tons of gold worth an estimated $110 million and 30.2 million ounces of silver valued at $121 million are buried in the rubble below one of the collapsed buildings in the World Trade Center, The New York Times reported. The precious metal was stored in vaults below 4 World Trade Center, the paper said. It belongs to people or firms that trade futures contracts on the New York Mercantile Exchange. A metric ton is equal to about 2,205 pounds. The Times quoted James Newsome, acting chairman of the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, which oversees futures markets, as saying there was not much concern about the gold and silver ``because the metal is secure and because there is ample supply.'' Even if for some reason the gold can't be recovered, there's plenty of supply in the world. One company estimated the trade center hoard to be 0.3 percent of the global supply, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The precious metals are used to settle trading in futures contracts, the AP reported. Futures traders generally don't want the actual gold; instead they're buying contracts based on it to hedge or speculate. DIAMOND SHAPES AND CUT =============================== We recently updated our web site and, in particular, revised the sections on diamond shapes and diamond cut. Check out some of the unique shapes that you might not have seen before at http://www.dsourceva.com/shape.htm We also upgraded the section on cut to include a more thorough discussion of ideal cut proportions and how the definition of ideal cut varies by grading laboratory. Check this out at http://www.dsourceva.com/cut.htm PLATINUM DEMAND FOR JEWELRY FALLS ========================================== Soaring platinum prices caused jewelry demand for the metal to fall for the first time in 16 years, the Platinum 2001 survey by Johnson Matthey reports. Platinum prices that topped $600 caused price sensitivity in the low-end market, the report says. It predicts manufacturers may shift to lighter-weight designs or lower-priced white gold. Overall, jewelry demand for platinum declined by 1% last year, due to weakness in the Japanese market. In the U.S., demand for platinum jumped 15%, because of the fashion trend towards white metal jewelry. The report notes there was particularly strong growth in platinum wedding bands. Manufacturers also introduced lightweight platinum rings to meet mass-market price points. The outlook for platinum in the U.S. in 2001 is mixed, the report said. While it expects platinum to continue to make inroads in the jewelry market, it won't be at the same growth as previous years. PRICE CALCULATOR ================ Probably the most popular feature of our web site is the diamond price calculator where shoppers can input a shape, color grade, clarity grade, and carat weight to determine an estimate of our price for that type of diamond. If you haven't tried it yet, check it out at: http://www.dsourceva.com/cost.htm#calc FAMOUS DIAMONDS =============== Name The Star of Sierra Leone Weight: 968.90 carats rough Valentine's Day, 1972. A routine workday at the diamond mine in Sierra Leone. Suddenly, a company engineer and a plant security officer spot something big on the grease table (grease sticks to diamonds and is used to separate diamonds from ore). At first, neither man could believe what they saw. There, trapped by the grease, is a huge diamond, the size of a hen's egg. When the stone is first offered for sale, none of the sealed bids reaches the minimum price of more than $2.5 million set by the government. Finally, months later, Harry Winston makes a deal for the Star. Winston wants a world-class diamond from his rough. A 143.20 carat emerald cut is fashioned, but upon close examination, it reveals inclusions. Winston changes his mind, deciding that flawlessness is more important than size. The big diamond is recut into seven smaller stones, the largest of which weighs 32.52 carats. Besides these, the rough yields 10 other stones ranging from 1.85 to 53.96 carats. All told, Winston recovers only 238.48 carats, a staggering loss of almost 75 percent. But 13 of the 17 finished stones are reportedly flawless. BOW-TIE ======================= Face-up, many marquises, pears, and ovals show a dark shadow resembling a bow-tie running widthwise across the center of the table. This is especially common in shallow or very deep stones; but slightly deep pavilions sometimes eliminate it. On the other hand, as the difference between length and width increases, and pavilion angle variations become more extreme, the bow-tie tends to get darker. The size and darkness of the bow-tie is significant. It is best examined face-up under normal lighting conditions with the unaided eyes. The significance of the bow-tie is usually noted as slight, noticeable, or obvious. For these oblong fancy shaped diamonds, we find a noticeable or obvious bow-tie can be a serious distraction and should be avoided. Since there is no way to determine bow-tie from the specifications of the diamond, personal inspection is the only way to determine the impact of this characteristic. Photos of this bow-tie effect can be seen at http://www.dsourceva.com/cut.htm GEM OF THE DAY ================================== Keep smiling. Even when life knocks you flat on your back, you are still in a good position to look up. BIG TICKET ITEMS BRACE FOR SLUMP =========================================== Retailers of luxury items like jewelry, cars, art and antiques are all bracing themselves for a sharp decline in sales a result of a bonus squeeze on Wall Street. About 60 percent to 65 percent of fine jewelry sales rely on impulse buying, according to Shay Strager, a jewelry stylist and trend forecaster for Goldstein Communications. The industry is now revising its marketing strategy to try and attract more customers. "We've abandoned our marketing efforts that revolve around fashion and trend tie-ins to focus on the symbolic nature of fine jewelry: sentimentality and bridal jewelry, hand-me-down pieces that can last for generations," Strager said. INTERNET MARKETING TOOLS ======================== If you or any of your friends and associates have a web site and want to attract more visitors, we have found some exciting tools that are on the leading edge of internet marketing. Check out the information at the following web page: http://www.dsourceva.com/internetmarketing.htm DIAMOND AND JEWELRY BOOKS ========================= One of the best ways to be a better shopper for diamonds and fine jewelry is to read one or more of the great books listed at the following web page: http://www.dsourceva.com/books.htm TOPICS FOR FUTURE NEWSLETTERS ============================= If you have any topics, questions, or issues you would like to see addressed in future DIAMONDS NEWSLETTERS, please send us an email. Thank you. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ If you wish to unsubscribe to this newsletter, simply reply to this email and in the subject line put only the words: unsubscribe diamonds +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Denny & Anne Reinke Denny@DSOURCEVA.com 1-888-477-8385 (toll free) Diamond Source of Virginia, Inc. http://www.DSOURCEVA.com
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