August 24, 2009
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
August 20, 2009
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
August 13, 2009
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
August 12, 2009
$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.
August 8, 2009
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.
