10.21.09
Cash4Gold Hit With a Class-Action lawsuit
The parent company of Cash4Gold has been hit with a class-action lawsuit claiming that the company misrepresented its services and defrauded customers who sent in their jewelry for cash.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of two California women. Attorneys representing the case want the court to open the lawsuit to all “who suffered injury from Cash4Gold’s unlawful practices from October 6, 2003 and October 6 2009.”
There are three specific frauds named in the “unlawful behavior” of Cash4Gold’s business practices.
The first is the claim of providing the “highest care” for items mailed to their facility. Plaintiffs claim this is a lie as many items are commonly “lost”. A high degree of care is not exercised and at worse items are intentionally stolen.
The second allegation involves Cash4Gold’s 12 day return policy, in which customers are promised to have their jewelry returned if they are not satisfied with the cash offered.
The lawsuit alleges that return policy is also a lie. It is claimed that Cash4Gold issues the payment checks but mails the checks days later making it impossible for the customer to receive it within the 12-day return policy allotment. It also stated that a lot of the jewelry was already melted down, knowing that the customer had no recourse of having the items returned based on the check mailing schedule.
The third is the creation by Cash4Gold a “customer service” staff that deliberately lies and frustrates customers to support the other two frauds of stealing jewelry and fabricating a bogus return policy.
The plaintiffs are also asking for permanent injunctions against Cash4Gold preventing the company from “utilizing any monies acquired by its unfair business practice, and for compensatory, actual and punitive damages.
Cash4Gold has denied the allegations in a written a response to mailed to the National Jeweler. The company said the suit has no merit and will vigorously defend its case.
Russell Oshita, the diamonddude
The Diamond Specialists Inc.
Diamonds Hawaii
10.13.09
Diamonds That Sparkle in Dim Light
Jackie recently commented that she had noticed that some diamonds sparkled really well even in dim lighting. She asked why some do and some do not.
Sparkle in a diamond is a function of its cut, which is a matter of proportions and not shape. A well cut diamond will return light to the viewers eyes much like mirror would.
An ideal cut diamond will have the most sparkle in any lighting condition. It will also have the most sparkle in a low lighting situation. That is provided that the diamond is clean.
The following diagram shows how a well cut diamond returns light and how a deep, or shallow poorly cut diamond leaks light and does not return it to the viewers eyes.
Russell Oshita, the diamonddude
The Diamond Specialists Inc.
Diamonds Hawaii
09.25.09
Why Would a 1 Carat Diamond Appear Smaller Than Another?
Samantha recently remarked that her friend’s diamond looked smaller than hers even though it was a 1 carat diamond like hers.
What most consumers may not understand is that carat weight is a weight designation not one that describes the physical size. A one carat diamond if it is cut deep will appear smaller because the weight is more vertical than a one carat diamond that is cut shallower and more horizontal.
This brings up an important associated subject, the importance of cut. An ideal cut diamond having the right proportions will return the most light and have the most brilliance and sparkle. A diamond that is cut too deep or too shallow will appear smaller or larger than the ideal cut diamond of the same weight and will not have as much sparkle or brilliance. Diamonds that are cut too deep or shallow will also have a lower value than an ideal cut.
The following diagram will illustrate light return in the different cut proportions of a diamond.
More than just size the cut is the most important aspect in defining brilliance and sparkle. What would you rather have?
Russell Oshita, the diamonddude
The Diamond Specialists Inc.
Diamonds Hawaii
09.21.09
What is Moissanite?
Randy just heard about moissanite and asked to know more about it.
Moissanite is a lab created gemstone. It is made in the laboratory from carbon and silicon using heat and pressure.
It is commonly used as a diamond simulant, meaning that it is a diamond substitute but is not a diamond. It may be the simulant that looks the closest to a diamond.
It is carbon based like a diamond and its thermal conductivity is similar to a diamond. It will fool conventional thermal diamond testers and will register as a diamond. You would need a moissanite tester to confirm that it is not a diamond.
It has a refractive index is also similar to a diamonds and will appear as brilliant. Unlike a diamond it is double refractive whereas a diamond is single refractive. A moissanite has more “fire” (dispersion) than a diamond. It also appears a little darker in the J-L color range with a tinge of yellow to green.
It has a hardness of 9.5 on the Mohs scale so it it very durable. Diamonds are a 10 on the Mohs scale.
As a lab created gemstone it is not a diamond and is therefore not as valuable as a diamond. It is approximately one-twentieth the value of diamonds.
Moissanites because its properties are similar to a diamond it can be considered a “fabulous fake” and it may be just the right fit for some people.
Russell Oshita, the diamonddude
The Diamond Specialists Inc.
Diamonds Hawaii
09.15.09
Sapphires, Aren’t They Blue?
Sara recently commented when she came in recently that a friend had told her she just bought a pink sapphire. But isn’t a sapphire blue she exclaimed.
Actually sapphires come in blue, pink, purple, orange, yellow, green, gray, black and even clear colors. There are even some sapphires that appear to have one color in natural outdoor lighting and a different color in artificial lighting.
Rubies and sapphires are made of the same mineral, called corundum. When a piece of corundum is red then it is called a ruby. All the other colors of corundum are called sapphires.
Sapphires that are pink-orange are known as padparadscha.
The range of colors of sapphires make for an interesting choice especially for those born in September for which sapphire is the birthstone of that month.
Rusell Oshita, the diamonddude
The Diamond Specialists Inc.
Diamonds Hawaii
08.24.09
The Charm of Charm Bracelets
Julia recently came in to add another charm to her bracelet. It is an unscheduled ritual that every time she returns from a major trip she adds a new souvenir charm to her bracelet.
Some may think that charm bracelets are passe. For others it is a collection of important memories.
Some people have a charm bracelet that is a travelogue of their all the places that they have been to a wonderful reminder of the how big the world is.
Others have charm bracelets that are more personal in nature. They may have hearts with names of their children or grandchildren, charms of their pets, anything that has that personal connection to their memories.
Charm bracelets are any chain bracelet that has links that are large enough to attach a charm. It can be made in gold, silver or even in metal that is not precious.
Charm bracelets are endearing for the things that it represents to the owner. It is an accumulation of all the things we should be grateful for.
Russell Oshita, the diamonddude
The Diamond Specialists Inc.
Diamonds Hawaii
08.20.09
The Many Choices In Men’s Wedding Bands
Chad came in looking for a wedding band and was astounded by the choices set before him. Men’s wedding bands were seen as kind of an afterthought. There are innumerable ring choices for women, but men, until recently were left out of having as many choices.
Now there are a greater number of choices in materials that are not the traditional choices of gold, silver and platinum.
Men now have other metal choices such as tungsten, titanium, palladium, stainless steel, and ceramic. There are even combination of these different materials to create even more ring designs like mokume. Diamonds and gemstones can even be added for more bling.
It may actually be difficult now to choose a ring because there are simply too many choices, but having choice is much better than having none. Enjoy the quest.
Russell Oshita, the diamonddude
The Diamond Specialists Inc.
Diamonds Hawaii
08.13.09
Are All Ideal Cut Diamonds the Same?
Cut graded dossier certificate
Lots of light loss (red) in an ideal cut diamond
Very little light loss (red) in a nice ideal cut diamond
This question has been posed by several people from time to time, and most people think it is true.
The answer is no, they are NOT all the same.
The actual answer is more complicated. On paper based on the certificates they come with they may appear to be the same but there are differences. Sometimes the differences are major.
Even AGS (American Gem Society) and GIA (Gemological Institute of America) two of the most accurate and respected grading laboratories do not have the same criteria to determine the ideal cut. It is our observation is that AGS is stricter in their cut grading than GIA.
There are several machines that will visually assess light return and light loss in a diamond. They are the Idealscope, Firescope, our Diamond Photoscope and equipment by GCAL (Gem Certification and Assessment Lab).
Using these equipment you can actually determine which of several ideal cut diamonds are better. The range can actually be quite diverse and with the naked eye once you know what to look for you can actually see the difference.
To choose just by looking at the certificate information is not the best method to buy your diamond if you are looking for the nicest one. You should have someone with access to one of the previously mentioned equipment to verify the best light return before you pay for that diamond if you want the most beautiful, brilliant, fiery diamond.
Russell Oshita,
The Diamond Specialists Inc.
Diamonds Hawaii
08.12.09
$65 Million Heist
Two well-dressed men walked into Graff Diamonds, in London, pulled out guns, took a hostage and escaped with $65 million worth of jewelry.
Two of the 43 stolen items were described as a flower necklace with 272 diamonds and a pair of triple-hoop earrings with 216 gems.
A 50 year old suspect has been arrested, but the second gentlemen and two others who participated in the getaway are still at-large.
In 2003, Graff Diamonds suffered another heist, losing $38 million. Nebojsa Denic, a member of the infamous Pink Panther gang was arrested and convicted for that crime.
08.08.09
President Obama Renews Ban on Myanmar Imports
President Obama signed the bill passed by the U.S. Congress to renew the ban on imports of jade and ruby from Myanmar.
In 2003, human rights groups pushed for this ban to stop financing the military junta in Myanmar. They claimed that the military were mistreating the miners, underpaying them, and using the funds to build their weaponry supply.
In 2008, this ban was extended to Myanmar goods that were cut and polished in third world countries such as Thailand.
A group of jewelers, including the American Gem Trade Society requested a release on the ban claiming that the miners were the only ones being hurt by it. Artisianal miners, already poor, were losing their jobs and were not able to care for their families.
Apparently, the U.S. Congress and President Obama disagreed.
07.31.09
The Amazing Aid of Computers For Making Jewelry
CAD, CAM, Computer Aided Design and Computer Aided Manufacture, are amazing tools to making fine jewelry.
What was once impossible or nearly impossible or took a great master craftsman to create is now made possible with the aid of computers.
A design is created on the computer and a rendering is generated. You can make adjustments and changes to the rendering.
Once the rendering is accepted a three dimensional wax model is made from the computer rendering. You can now inspect it in life size. changes can be also made at this stage.
If the wax is approved it is then cast and finished.
If someone told you the design of your dreams was impossible, look into finding some one that can help you with the aid of a computer. You can have that beautiful one of a kind jewelry you always wanted.
computer rendering
Finished diamond ring
Russell Oshita, the diamonddude
The Diamond Specialists Inc.
Diamonds Hawaii
07.28.09
Do Princess Cuts sparkle more?
I was thinking that your advice would be very helpful. I know you must be
very busy so any pointers would be very much appreciated. Any help would be
appreciated.
Thank you in advance. Warmest Regards,
Leanne
07.23.09
The Most Secure Chain Clasps
Conventional chain clasps are spring rings and lobster clasps. Theydo the job sufficiently but will at some time fail to work properly. The spring ring is not as strong and if subjected to a strong yank will detach or break. Lobster clasps are stronger and can withstand harder pulls but occasionally the spring detaches and it no longer works.
Denise came in to have the clasp changed on her diamond pendant because the lobster clasp failed and she almost lost her pendant. The diamond pendant was sentimental and valuable and she wanted a more secure clasp for her peace of mind.
We presented her with three choices. These clasps may not be as pretty and can be cumbersome to operate but is definitely more secure.
Denise chose the slide lock clasp.
Spring and lobster clasps 
J Clasp
Slide lock 
Overlap clasp 
Russell Oshita, the diamonddude
The Diamond Specialists Inc.
Diamonds Hawaii
07.17.09
The Fragileness of Invisible Set Round Diamonds
Susan approached us with a repair job. One of the side diamonds on her tanzanite ring was missing and she needed to have it replaced.
When we examined it closely we noticed that it was an invisible set round diamond that was missing. It is called invisible set because the diamond appears to be floating with no apparent appendages like prongs to hold it in place.
While this is aesthetically interesting and pleasing to look at it is not the most practical way to set a diamond. To set it tiny grooves are cut under the girdle of the diamond. The metal is then pushed into these grooves to secure it in place.
The problem occurs when it is worn and banged around a little, these tiny grooves are not deep enough to hold it very securely and many of them eventually fall out.
For Susan we are going to remove the diamonds and bezel set them. Bezel setting is one of the most secure ways of setting a diamond that will also still look similar in appearance to the invisi
ble set style using the same tube structure.
Russell Oshita, the diamonddude
The Diamond Specialists Inc.
Diamonds Hawaii
07.11.09
Share and Share Alike
Julie had inherited her mother’s ring. It was an antique-looking simple diamond ring that her mother received from her grandmother. The problem was that her two sisters also loved that ring.
There were a close family and squabbles were few. They had thought about taking turns using it but they had lived states apart and sharing it was not a convenient option.
They explained their problem to us and asked if we could help them. We told them we could mold and duplicate the ring so each could have a ring. It may have not all been the original but it was the next best thing.
They were delighted with the prospect and we made each one a duplicate. The original was held in a deposit box to be inherited by the last surviving sister.
As they were equally loved they each shared equally in memory.
Russell Oshita, the diamonddude
The Diamond Specialists Inc.
Diamonds Hawaii
07.09.09
Moisannite a Fabulous Fake, Unfortunately
There are many diamond simulants in existence. Simulants are other kinds of stones that have the appearance like diamonds, but are not diamonds. One of the latest is moisannite which will even fool conventional thermal diamond testers.
Darryl had excitedly come into our store asking us if what he found was a diamond. He had already gone to another jewelry store and they used a diamond tester which said it was a diamond. They told him that there are simulants like moisannite that will register as a diamond and that you need additional equipment to verify if it really is a diamond and not a moisannite.
We first used our diamond tester and it did indeed register as a diamond. As carbon based simulant, moisannite will have similar thermal conductivity as diamonds and will read positive on diamond thermal testers.
Using the moisannite tester it then registered as a moisannite and not a diamond.
Darryl was disappointed. Unfortunately it was not a diamond. Fortunately he did not pay for it.
Russell Oshita
The Diamond Specialists Inc.
Diamonds Hawaii
