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Welcome to: DIAMONDS NEWSLETTER Issue: 2001-07
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 an 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 July Birthstone: Ruby Color, Brilliance, and Fire Code Of Love National Museum Gems The Awesome Asscher Cut World Wide Diamond Sales Down Clarity Grading Guidelines Price Calculator Diamond and Jewelry Books Internet Marketing ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ JULY BIRTHSTONE: RUBY ============================= Prized through out the ages, even by kings, ruby is the red variety of the mineral corundum. Historically, it has been symbolic of love and passion, considered to be an aid to firm friendship, and believed to ensure beauty. Today's birthstone for July, ruby's color ranges from purplish or bluish red to a yellowish red. The finest color is a vivid, almost pure spectral red with a very faint undertone of blue, as seen in Burmese rubies, which are considered the finest among serious collectors. Other sources of fine ruby are Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Kenya, Tanzani, and Azad Kashmir in Pakistan. The ruby is very brilliant and very hard. It is also very durable and wearable, characteristics that make it an unusually fine choice for any piece of jewelry. Translucent varieties of ruby are also seen, and one variety exhibits a six-ray star effect when cut as a cabochon. This variety is called star ruby and is one of nature's most beautiful and interesting gifts. But, as with so many other beautiful gifts once produced only in nature, these lovely gems are now duplicated in synthetic star rubies and other numerous "fake" rubies. The newest laboratory-grown synthetic rubies , like those made by Ramaura and Chatham, are so close to natural in every aspect that many are passing as genuine. Be cautious of bargains and when in doubt with a significant purchase, request colored gemstone report from a major gem- testing laboratory. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ FREE DIAMOND JEWELRY!!! Watch upcoming issues of Diamonds Newsletter for announcements of an exciting new opportunity for subscribers to win FREE Diamond Jewelry by referring friends to http://www.dsourceva.com If you know of couples who have been going together for some time and might be thinking of getting engaged in the future, starting collecting their email addresses now. More details to follow. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ COLOR, BRILLIANCE, AND FIRE ============================================= What at first glance looks like the color of a diamond is really a combination of bodycolor, brilliance and dispersion. Each is affected by both the basic nature of the diamond crystal and the cutting proportions selected by the cutter. When gem professionals speak of color, they usually mean bodycolor, the basic color of an object. It results from selective absorption, which causes most of what we normally think of color. This is how it works: All white light is a balanced blend of different colors of light. When white light is reflected by, or passes through, an object, the object may absorb (or subtract) some of the colors; we see the remaining blend as the object's bodycolor. Bodycolor in a diamond can best be seen looking at the diamond sideways against a white piece of paper. Brilliance is the total amount of light returned to the eye by reflections from within the stone and from the surface. When light strikes the surface of a gem, part of it is reflected immediately and part of it enters the stone. The part reflected from the surface is the external component of brilliance. Cutter try to fashion gems so the back facets create an internal mirror effect, reflecting light that comes in from above to bounce back out through the top of the stone. This is the internal component of brilliance that is largely responsible for the brightness and "life" of the stone. Dispersion, or fire, is a spreading and separating of white light into its component, spectral hues. Prisms produce the most familiar examples of dispersion. Diamonds are more dispersive than most gems. While a D color diamond will have no bodycolor, it can show a great deal of color due to brilliance and dispersion. Because of the mirror effect, a diamond will reflect the colors of its mountings, as well as the walls, lights, and anything else around. Likewise the bright flashes of color in a diamond are likely the rainbow colors resulting from the dispersion. CODE OF LOVE =================== For those who want to keep their private life private, to declare their love covertly, Glasgow, Scotland, jeweler Eric N. Smith has the answer: a range of bespoke luxury jewelry embedded with round and rectangular diamonds which, like dots and dashes, spell out messages in Morse code, the Financial Times (FT) reports. Morse code invented by American Samuel Morse in 1837, and for years the international language for distress at sea has been replaced by satellite technology. But an estimated 50 million people worldwide are still familiar with it, and Smith thinks there's a lot of mileage in his brainchild. A keen amateur yachtsman qualified in Morse, Smith had the idea while doing sketches for a new collection last year. It struck him that the sequence of round and rectangular stones bore a striking similarity to Morse code's dots and dashes. Experimenting on a ring with the Morse equivalent of the word "Always," he found it possible to fit the required number of diamonds on the gold band, and the covert collection was born. Smith generally embeds diamonds in yellow and white gold, to create unique rings, bangles, pendants, earrings and cufflinks. Because each piece is made to order, any precious stone and metal combination is possible. A copy of the Morse translation is also provided with each piece, so the recipient gets the message. There are people for whom even Morse is not obscure enough. "One client from Los Angeles has a wife who loves unraveling ciphers, secret messages and that sort of thing," says Smith. "He was on the internet looking for a gift, saw our website and ordered a ring with a message, part of the surprise being that she has to work out what the symbols are in the first place - and then what they mean." Prices start at ?500 ($686 U.S.). If you want to cut the expense, it's best to pick phrases heavy on the letter E, which in Morse is represented by a single dot, the least expensive symbol to replicate. NATIONAL MUSEUM GEMS ============================================== Curators at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History are in the early stages of preparing an exhibition, tentatively titled "Gemstones of the World," for its grand opening here in the spring of 2004. After eight months, the exhibit will take off on a three-year tour of the country's major natural history museums, unleashing a wealth of facts and fables about colored stones on the public. The National Museum of Natural History is the most visited museum in the world, with 10 million visitors annually. The Hall of Gems gets about 80 percent of that traffic because most people make a beeline straight for the Hope Diamond, the most viewed object in the world with twice as many looks as the Mona Lisa. THE AWESOME ASSCHER CUT ==================================== In recent months we have noticed a definite increase in demand for the once obscure Asscher cut diamond. The Asscher cut was inspired by the table cuts of the Renaissance, however, it was a big departure from the brilliant cuts that dominated the 1800s and was a forerunner of the standard emerald cut. Because of its high crown and small table, the Asscher cut has more light and fire than an emerald cut. Check out the following internet address for excellent background article on the Asscher cut and a photo of a 9.46 carat Asscher cut diamond ring. http://www.professionaljeweler.com/archives/articles/2000/may00/0500v.html WORLD WIDE DIAMOND SALES DOWN ==================================== De Beers said its rough diamond sales in the first half of the year was $2.62 billion, a 26% drop from last year's record high. The company says the downturn is due to a global economic slowdown and falling demand in the United States, the world's biggest market for the cut and polished stones used in jewelry. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Diamond Source of Virginia is looking for ways to reach potential diamond buyers. Our marketing challenge is that these shoppers usually keep it a secret until they have made a purchase and presented the gift. This is your chance to win Free Diamond Jewelry for providing great marketing ideas. Watch for more details in the next newsletter. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ CLARITY GRADING GUIDELINES ================================ There are no absolute rules that make a particular diamond fall into one clarity grade or another. Because every diamond is unique and there is an endless variety of "clarity pictures" just like every snowflake is different, each stone must be judged on its own merits. The more diamonds one looks at, the easier it becomes to judge which clarity grade a stone falls in. The general steps for clarity grading are as follows: 1) Clean the stone. Dust particles will likely be larger than most inclusions so the cleaner the stone, the easier it is to see the inclusions. 2) Examine the stone face up with a 10x magnification and preferably with a microscope with darkfield illumination. 3) Note your first impression of the severity of its inclusions. The first call is usually the most accurate. 4) Examine the stone from the side, around the girdle and through the crown and pavilion. Note all characteristics including size, number, position, nature, color, and relief. 5) Review the stone face-up and assign a general clarity classification. If you have to look for quite a while (with 10x magnification) to find any inclusions, consider VVS. If it takes a few seconds to find the inclusions, it is probably VS. If you notice them immediately, SI seems likely. If they are obviously eye-visible, the stone probably merits an I grade. 6) Make the distinction between VVS1-VVS2, VS1-VS2, SI1-SI2, or I1-I2-I3 as needed. 7) Call the grade. If you study too much, your intial gut feel which is usually right, tends to get clouded by analysis. 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 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 INTERNET MARKETING ========================= If you or any of your friends have a web site and want to know how to get more visitors, check out some of the tools we have found to help with internet marketing at: http://www.dsourceva.com/internetmarketing.htm TOPICS FOR FUTURE NEWSLETTERS ============================= If you have any topics, questions, or issues you would like to see addressed in future DIAMOND 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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