Natural Diamonds Face Competition From Synthetic

Times News Network writes:

While the gems and jewellery industry is preparing itself to take on the Chinese dragon, the problem of synthetic diamonds making steady in-roads lurks beneath the shiny surface of the industry.

“India is a price sensitive market and synthetic diamonds could give competition to natural diamonds over the next decade,” said Ronald Lorie, CEO of International Gemological Institute (IGI).

Synthetic or cultured diamonds are laboratory-created diamonds that have the same chemical, optical and physical characteristics as mined diamonds. The two are literally indistinguishable to the naked eyes.

The IGI’s Mumbai Gemological laboratory receive close to three to four synthetic diamonds of yellowish orange colour every week, which are easily identifiable. But it is not the case with white synthetic diamonds, which look very similar to original diamonds, admits Mr Lorie.

Even the recently published KPMG report on the industry speaks broadly about the emergence of synthetic diamonds as a commercially viable alternative posing a new challenge for the world’s diamond industry. There is a dual threat to the natural diamond industry — threat of substitution and deception impacting consumer confidence and the threat of changing consumer preference, said the report.

The KPMG has estimated the current value of synthetic at wholesale to be close to $50 million and expects the market to grow at a CAGR of 45% over the next 10 years. Giving the current situation the sale of synthetic diamonds jewellery is likely to cross $2 billion by 2015 at wholesale against the sale of natural diamond jewellery sales of $6 billion at the retail level.

With the view to inform and protect the consumers and the industry, the IGI has started grading the synthetic diamonds from January 1, 2007. IGI has been laser inscribing synthetic diamonds it grades this way with the words ‘laboratory-grown,’ said Mr Lorie.

Chandrakant Sanghvi, regional chairman of GJEPC said: “There is no threat to the industry at this moment.” But synthetic diamonds could replace the natural diamonds in jewellery due to its cheap value.”

Chuni Gajera owner of Laxmi Diamond said: “Synthetic diamond can give a stiff competition to natural diamonds. But synthetics are not being sold as real. Synthetics could gain momentum in the sale of jewellery.

More info @ http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Markets/Commodities/Natural_diamonds_face_competition_from_synthetics_/articleshow/1144422.cms

How To Separate Frequently Encountered Red Stones

- Visual observation: (10x lens) Look for color, luster, cut, doublet/triplet junctions, if any.

- Determine optic character: Single refractive (SR) / Double refractive (DR) / Anomalous Double
refractive (ADR) / Aggregate (AGG).

- Spectrum: Many red stones may have diagnostic spectrum.

- Microscope: Inclusions may be diagnostic, but look for inclusions that differentiate natural and
synthetic, doublet / triplet.

- Dichroscope: Different cutting orientations of natural and synthetic corundum may be revealed
by dichroscope.

- Fluorescence: Look under shortwave and longwave for diagnostic colors.

- Immersion cell: Use immersion cell and high refractive index liquid to separate doublets/triplets.

- Refractometer: Confirm spectroscope reading with refractometer.


The red stones, which may resemble one another in appearance and values, are:

Red Beryl

- Hardness: 7.5
- Specific gravity: 2.70 (average)
- Refractive index: 1.57 – 1.58
- Optic sign: Uniaxial negative
- Birefringence: DR; 0.006
- Other points: Inclusions, color.

Tourmaline

- Hardness: 7
- Specific gravity: 3.03
- Refractive index: 1.62 – 1.64
- Optic sign: Uniaxial negative
- Birefringence: DR; 0.018
- Other points: Inclusions, color, pleochroism. There are many treated tourmalines in the gem market. Many
gem quality tourmalines are relatively clean. Analytical techniques may be required to detect treatments.

Topaz

- Hardness: 8
- Specific gravity: 3.53
- Refractive index: 1.63 – 1.64
- Optic sign: Biaxial positive
- Birefringence: DR; 0.008
- Other points: Inclusions, color (pink stones may be confused for pink sapphires). There are many treated
topaz in the market. Most gem quality stones are relatively clean. Analytical techniques may be required
to detect treatments.

Spinel

- Hardness: 8
- Specific gravity: 3.60
- Refractive index: 1.718
- Optic sign: SR
- Birefringence: -
- Other points: Inclusions, color, spectrum.

Garnet (pyrope)

- Hardness: 7.5
- Specific gravity: 3.78 (average)
- Refractive index: 1.75 (average)
- Optic sign: SR/ADR
- Birefringence: -
- Other points: Inclusions, color (may be confused for Thai ruby / synthetic ruby), spectrum.

Garnet (almandine)

- Hardness: 7.5
- Specific gravity: 4.10 (average)
- Refractive index: 1.78 (average)
- Optic sign: SR/ADR
- Birefringence: -
- Other points: Inclusions, color (may be confused for Thai ruby / synthetic ruby), spectrum.

Ruby

- Hardness: 9
- Specific gravity: 4 (average)
- Refractive index: 1.76 – 1.77 (average)
- Optic sign: Uniaxial negative
- Birefringence: DR; 0.008
- Other points: Inclusions, color, spectrum (use microscope to separate natural vs synthetic).

Synthetic Ruby

- Hardness: 9
- Specific gravity: 4 (average)
- Refractive index: 1.76 – 1.77 (average)
- Optic sign: Uniaxial negative
- Birefringence: DR; 0.008
- Other points: Inclusions, color, spectrum (use microscope to differentiate flux and hydrothermal).


Synthetic red cubic zirconia

- Hardness: 8.5
- Specific gravity: 5.65 +
- Refractive index: 2.15 +
- Optic sign: SR
- Birefringence: -
- Other points: negative refractive index, luster, color, orange flash on the pavilion, dispersion.

Red Zircon

- Hardness: 7.5
- Specific gravity: 4.69
- Refractive index: 1.93 – 1.99
- Optic sign: Uniaxial positive
- Birefringence: DR; 0.059
- Other points: Inclusions, color, spectrum, doubling of the back facets, dispersion, luster, negative refractive
index reading.


Red Diamond

- Hardness: 10
- Specific gravity: 3.52
- Refractive index: 2.42
- Optic sign: SR/ADR
- Birefringence: -
- Other points: Rare, negative refractive index reading, inclusions, luster, spectrum, dispersion. There are
many treated diamonds in the market. Most treated diamonds are relatively clean. Analytical techniques
may be required to detect treatments.


Synthetic red diamond

- Hardness: 10
- Specific gravity: 3.52
- Refractive index: 2.42
- Optic sign: SR/ADR
- Birefringence: -
- Other points: Negative refractive index reading, color, inclusions, luster, spectrum, fluorescence. Synthetic
diamonds are produced by the high pressure high temperature method. Gem quality stones are relatively
clean. Analytical techniques may be required to identify the stones.

Glass

- Hardness: 5.5
- Specific gravity: 3.70
- Refractive index: 1.60 – 1.66
- Optic sign: SR/ADR
- Birefringence: -
- Other points: Soft, inclusions (gas bubbles), color.

Assembled Stones

Doublets / Triplets

Corundum (natural crown / synthetic base)
Other points: Immersion (Look for differences in color and luster between the sections).

Garnet topped doublet (glass)
- Refractive index: 1.76 +
- Optic sign: SR/ADR
- Birefringence: -
- Other points: Look for differences in color and luster between the sections, gas bubbles).

Synthetic spinel soude (spinel / spinel)
- Refractive index: 1.728
- Optic sign: SR/ADR
- Birefringence: -
- Other points: Look for differences in color and luster between the sections, gas bubbles).

Overweighing What Can Be Counted

Charles T Munger, Vice-Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Corporation writes:

The late, great, Thomas Hunt Morgan, who was one of the greatest biologist who ever lived, when he got to Caltech, had a very interesting, extreme way of avoiding some mistakes from overcounting what could be measured, and undercounting what couldn't. At that time there were no computers and the computer substitute then available to science and engineering was the Frieden calculator, and Caltech was full of Frieden calculators. And Thomas Hunt Morgan banned the Frieden calculator from the biology department. And when they said, "What the hell are you doing, Mr Morgan?" He said, "Well, I am like a guy who is prospecting for gold along the banks of the Sacramento River in 1849. With a little intelligence, I can reach down and pick up big nuggets of gold. And as long as I can do that, I'm not going to let any people in my department waste scarce resources in placer mining." And that's the way Thomas Hunt Morgan got through life.

I have adopted the same technique. I haven't had to do any placer mining yet. And it begins to look like I'm going to get all the way through, as I had always hoped, without doing any of that damned placer mining. Of course if I were a physician, particularly an academic physician, I'd have to do the statistics, do the placer mining. But it's amazing what you can do in life without placer mining if you've got a few good mental tricks and just keep ragging the problems the way Thomas Hunt Morgan did.

Diamond Cut: Escada Cut

The Escada cut is the creation of Pluczenik Group, the Antwerp-based master cutters and sightholders. The cut is trade marked and patented to the Pluczenik Group.

The Escada diamond jewelry concept is the result of innovative input from Italian luxury jewelry producer Crova and creative marketing by the De Beers Diamond Trading Company. The cut symbolizes the ever renewing cycle of 12 months of the year.

The cut is a 12-sided dodecagonal cut with unique geometry of facets. The 97-facet stones are difficult to cut. It requires the most advanced cutting techniques and technology.

All stones above 0.20carats will be identified with a laser inscription on the girdle and will be lab certified. The Escada logo will also appear on the shank of each ring.

The Escada Diamond Jewelry Collection is sold through Escada’s integrated distribution network at the company’s 365 stores in more than 50 countries and at high-end department stores.

Cleaning Cubic Zirconia

Victor Epand writes:

The basic rule of jewelry care is to apply all lotions, make-up, hair spray, etc. first, then put on the jewelry. Pearls are especially susceptive to the solvents in hair sprays. In the reality of the jewelry business, I see people who refuse to remove rings and those who do so only once in a while. When we clean a customer's jewelry and inspect for wear and loose or missing stones, the jewelry most often needing repair is a ring that is "never" taken off the finger and cleaned by the owner.

Persistent dirt gets between the metal settings and the stones causing abrasive wear and eventually perhaps a loose stone. Everyday wear on the outside of stone settings may lead to lost stones, too. A regular home cleaning and good look at the jewelry will prevent most stone loses, allowing for repair or tightening before it is too late. It is not common to see really clean jewelry come into the shop. When we do, that jewelry is generally in much better condition than the dirty items.

Hand lotions and soap film are some of the more difficult materials to remove. With CZ stones, a clean stone is vital to keep the "sparkling diamond" look. Just a little lotion on the bottom of the stone will take away much of the visual life of the stone. Fortunately, CZ's are fairly hard and tough. Cleaning may be more aggressive than with stones like opal or pearls, for example.

Start by taking the ring off the finger long enough to clean it! Using a soft tooth brush and a warm to hot solution of a dishwashing detergent like Joy, brush as well as possible to remove the scum and lotion. Rinse well in warm water. Pat dry and take a look. If more cleaning is needed, soak the ring in hot tap water with about 1/3 detergent to 2/3 hot water.(The mix is not critical.) Then brush again.

The brush and even the end of a toothpick will not damage the stone. Do not use any abrasive cleansers. Most will not damage a CZ but will take the shine off the metal and might scratch some softer kinds of gemstones. Do not use toothpaste or similar stuff. Short of buying a small home sized ultrasonic cleaner, the detergent approach is one of the best for home use.

With CZ a little sudsy ammonia may be added and will greatly improve the cleaning speed and effectiveness. Don't use any ammonia cleaners with silver, turquoise or pearls. Ammonia will cause spots on sterling. Use enough ammonia to liven up the faint hearted and do have a window open and some air moving.
With regular cleaning, you "get to know" the jewelry and can spot worn metal and loose stones before a loss happens.

When you cannot get the dirt off, let the jewelry store clean and inspect the jewelry. Strong detergents in heated ultrasonic cleaners followed with high pressure steam cleaning will remove most all dirt. Soap scum takes a little longer but comes off ok.

CZ is hard enough to cut glass. Most faceted gemstones are hard enough to cut glass. However, dust in the air contains a lot of silica (think sand). Hand lotions will leave a film on jewelry for dust to stick to. Over time, this rock dust in the air will abrade metal settings and some softer gemstones. Keep the lotion off the jewelry if at all possible. Not only does lotion free jewelry sparkle and look better every day, it will wear longer, too.

Victor Epand is the owner of http://www.jewelrygift.biz
More info @ http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Victor_Epandhttp://ezinearticles.com/?Cleaning-Cubic-Zirconia&id=411891

Diamond Cut: Phoenix Cut

Phoenix cut is produced at Smolensk Production Corporation Kristall, which specializes in high-quality goods known worldwide as the ‘Russian make’. The design is based on emerald and princess cuts.

The Phoenix has 85 facets: 39 in the crown, 38 in the pavilion, and 8 facets composing the girdle. The majority of Phoenix cut diamond range from 0.50 to 2 carats.

The Phoenix cut was designed in 1993. The Phoenix cut concept is associated with the legendary Phoenix bird that revived itself from the ashes of a fatal fire.

Phoenix cut diamonds are sold through Smolensk Kristall's offices in Antwerp and Hong Kong.

How To Make Money

Warren Edward Buffett, CEO, Berkshire Hathaway writes:

'John Maynard Keynes, whose brilliance as a practicing investor matched his brilliance in thought, wrote a letter to a business associate, F. C. Scott, on August 15, 1934 that says it all: 'As time goes on, I get more and more convinced that the right method in investment is to put fairly large sums into enterprises which one thinks one knows something about and in the management of which one thoroughly believes. It is a mistake to think that one limits one's risk by spreading too much between enterprises about which one knows little and has no reason for special confidence… One's knowledge and experience are definitely limited and there are seldom more than two or three enterprises at any given time in which I personally feel myself entitled to put full confidence.'

The Difference Between Real and Fake Jewelry

Victor Epand writes:

The law requires metal to be marked by the maker and the metal quality. For sterling, the mark will be either the numbers 925 (meaning 92.5 % silver, which is sterling) or a "sterling" stamp with the words. Near the clasp should have the mark, it would be at the end of the chain if anything. Sometimes the mark is on a little flat looking ring at the end of the chain, so check around.

Sterling silver will tarnish and on some people it tarnishes quickly due to body chemistry, but on others it may never tarnish. To keep tarnish from happening, sterling is very often plated with another metal to protect the sterling and keep the tarnish from happening. The plating will be a metal called "rhodium" which is very bright or another metal recently used on silver that looks more the color of silver. However, the chain can be sterling and still have the plate on the outside to prevent tarnish.

Other than that, the only real way to tell if something is sterling silver is to test it. For example, like an acid test done by a jeweler. Generally a test will cost some money, not a lot, but maybe not worth it, depending on what you paid for the chain. On a large heavy chain, the test might be worth it, but that's all up to you.
I suggest thinking about where you got the chain from and whether or not you got it from an established business. An established business would serve little purpose in selling anything fake for sterling silver. Always look for both a sterling marks and a stamp or symbol for the manufacture as I said before. Both of those marks should be there.

Here's some information on how to tell if the gold on your bracelet is really gold. The chlorine in bleach is dangerous to gold jewelry, so it's best not to test gold in bleach, or else you'll ruin your jewelry. Stress points like where the metal has been hammered, bent over stones in prongs, formed by chain making machines and the like are the most affected by chlorine. Soldered areas are sometimes affected by chlorine. White gold is most easily damaged but apparently this happens with yellow gold also at stress points in the metal.

Chlorine will cause a darkening on gold, but on yellow gold it looks almost like a very pale gray color. White gold reacts the same way but sometimes goes darker. This is the chlorine reacting to the metals in karat gold. All jewelry metal of 18k, 14k and 10k has other metals in the recipe when the metal is made. Pure gold is mixed with mostly silver and copper (with nickel or palladium with white gold) to make metal strong enough for jewelry.

The karat mark shows how much pure gold is in the mix. For instance, pure gold is called 24k. Now, 10k will have 10 parts pure gold and 14 parts of the other metals, all adding up to 24 part. 18k gold will be 18 parts pure gold and 6 parts other metals, all adding up to 24 parts. That is how it goes with karats.

Yellow gold is not as dangerously affected by chlorine in bleach and a good buffing should make it ok, that is, if it is really gold. The best way to see if it is real karat gold is to have it tested. That means an acid test or a test using one of the newer electronic gold testers some jewelers use. That is what I would recommend.

Victor Epand is the owner of http://www.jewelrygift.biz
More info @ http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Difference-Between-Real-and-Fake-Jewelry&id=411792
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