Wink and thousands of his nearest and dearest at JCK this week

[Wink]

Some great questions need answers and comments. I must defer until later. I will return.

 

[Wink]

Okay. Some quick shares from the growers in the Ukraine. This is the rough Crystal of the Ukrainian flag colors.



And now a bright yellow,



Oh, did you say blue?



Last one for now, pink.

 

[DejaWiz]

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Testing link

Link works great and...HOLY MOLY that is MASSIVE

 

[DejaWiz]

Okay. Some quick shares from the growers in the Ukraine. This is the rough Crystal of the Ukrainian flag colors.



And now a bright yellow,



Oh, did you say blue?



Last one for now, pink.

This is so friggin' cool!

 

[Wink]

And, if the link works, is the finished blue and yellow from Kiev.

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[Wink]

Ps- thank you @Wink for giving us a tour without having to walk the 10+ miles I know you’ve been doing

Hey, I am a geezer who tries to get between 7,000 and 9,000 steps a day with a rare foray to 10,000.

I just got back from the show to where I am staying and I am already at 12,315. I am going to heat up the Thai leftovers for dinner and then wash my dish and have another can of seltzer water. I might have to turn the air conditioning up, and, perhaps, turn on the tv. Other than that I am not planning on moving much…

 

[Wink]

Here is the link to the slides John Pollard used for his presentation. Happy to answer questions you might have after looking at the slides.

igi-lab-grown-diamonds-101.ppsx

Shared with Dropbox

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[Karl_K]

Awesome!! Thank you, Wink!!!

 

[Wink]

Here are a couple of shots taken at the GCAL booth. They are working with
Sarine to developers AI diamond color and clarity grading. Currently the are grading search stone and then sending them, blindly to two human graders, and seeing how the grades match up.

It was fascinating to watch the clarity grading screen as it tokok a photo of every facet, one at a time to grade the polish as well as focusing down into the diamond to create a 3 d vision of any inclusions, as seen through that facet.

Here is a shot of the interior of the color grading unit.



Here is a shot of the clarity grading machine’s computer screen. It looks like what my. Microscope would show me, only much larger and clearer.



.

 

[Wink]

Okay, we walked a lot of steps in the morning, what was another thousand or two to get to lunch. Andy ordered for us as he got there from the estate show quicker than I could make it from the far end of the jewelry show.

Soft shelled crab roll, someone might have snatched a piece before thinking we needed a picture…

(Okay, so I confess, guilty as charged.)




Here are the two smaller rolls. Looks like the roll snatcher got to two of these prior to the photo was remembered. Actually, both Andy and I are guilty on the smaller rolls. Darn, they were incredible.

Eventually, this was all that remained…



I wanted to lick the plate, but I am not allowed to do that in public…

 

[Wink]

Does this necklace make your heart beat faster? Too bad, it is already sold. Unfortunately, not by me. What an incredible piece. It would have taken years to have assembled the matching yellows in earth grown gems.

 

[Wink]

How could I not take a video of this piece? Oh wait, I did. Actually, I took one yesterday, but I was not satisfied with it. It was worth the extra walk, it is a MUCH better video.

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[Wink]

One last photo for this evening. This is the Jewish Shabbat. As such, many of he Jewish vendors close their booths for the day and return tomorrow.

Me, I have done what I came to do and will be taking my Sabbath on Sunday.

I love the Jewelry business. While here I have had the opportunity to greet and talk with men and women of many races and creeds. All of us were here to celebrate the beauty that Jewelry brings to the world. Heck, I even got to speak with Tom Chatham one of my early heroes who I have always admired for his creativity and honor. I originally met him at least forty years ago at the Tucson Jewelry show. I was tickled pink he remembered me and our meeting from all of those years ago.

 

[Wink]

Great! How would we ask a trusted vendor for the latest n' greatest in lab diamonds? What sort of terminology would be used so that a vendor knows specifically what's being asked for?

Talk with him/her. Let the jeweler know you have been following the saga on PriceScope and you want one of the latest and greatest diamonds with no eye visible striations in a CVD or metallic inclusions in an HPHT. As @Rockdiamond said earlier, any dealer worth working with has already eliminated the garbage from inventory…

 

[Karl_K]

Great! How would we ask a trusted vendor for the latest n' greatest in lab diamonds? What sort of terminology would be used so that a vendor knows specifically what's being asked for?

My answer is a little different than Wink's.
For HPHT ask for no off colors including blue or grey and no loupe visible crystal defects. The typical larger inclusions can be treated like mined diamond inclusions for being eyeclean etc.

For CVD, in simple English the crystal doesn't look like a snow globe that has been shaken up under direct light from all angles.
From there no striations, no zoning, and no off colors including brown.
Loupe clean from crystal defects is a lot to ask from CVD and some are not an issue.
The larger inclusions can be treated the same as mined diamond inclusions,, eye clean etc.
In both its the crystal defects(either growth defects and or chemical defects) and the off colors that are the biggest issues that separate good crystal from bad.
Bad crystal can get a clarity grade of vvs1 and one with good crystal can grade into the si range or lower.
The clarity grade being limited to 10x and limited lighting is a very limited measure and always has been but CVD and the technology to cut very bad natural/mined crystals has really to me made it more of an issue.

 

[Wink]

Wow! The colors look to have quite a range! So cool.

Thanks so much for taking time from your busy schedule to share with us, @Wink.

As a lover of colored diamonds, I was surprised to find the lighter yellows easier to sell than the incredible fancy intense vivid yellows.

“Why would this be,” I asked?

”Because the fancy intense vivid yellows just look too expensive for even the rich to be wearing in public,” was the answer I received from more than one grower.

Having given my father-in-law an incredible deal on a fancy yellow diamond long before the current grading system existed, I can tell you that neither his wife, nor mine after she inherited the ring ever gave a thought to it looking too good to be true. (I sold him the diamond for a one dollar profit on the condition it be passed to my wife when the time came. It gave me incredible pleasure to pass it to our daughter when Resa passed)

 

[Wink]

My answer is a little different than Wink's.

Thank you, Karl, for taking the time to list your requirements. They are very thorough.

I reiterate my earlier comment though, find a reputable jeweler who has already done all of this for you and for the first purchase or two, let the jeweler know you will be sending the diamond to someone like @denverappraiser. Yes, it may cost a few dollars more, but the peace of mind will be well worth it to 99% of buyers.

There are vendors here, who I am not allowed by policy to name, who will do this for you. These are people whom I call friends, as well as competitors. If I was not a vendor, I would buy from them.

 

[MMtwo]

The yellow diamonds in the necklace are absolutely breathtaking. How perfectly matched.

 

[Rockdiamond]

As a lover of colored diamonds, I was surprised to find the lighter yellows easier to sell than the incredible fancy intense vivid yellows.

“Why would this be,” I asked?

”Because the fancy intense vivid yellows just look too expensive for even the rich to be wearing in public,” was the answer I received from more than one grower.

Interesting!!!
Did you see a lot of light yellow lab diamonds at the show Wink?
I’m sure that the developments are happening faster than I can type on the iPhone
But so far, from what I’ve seen: the vast majority of yellow lab diamonds are a brassy, orangey sort of yellow.
To make matters more difficult…… a lot of the imagery posted is ……. “Optimistic”
That is to say the image looks one color while the diamond, in person, is a different ( less desirable) color.

I always found a $10k 2 carat fancy light yellow easier to sell than a $35k intense…..seemed to me to have a lot to do with the price.

 

[oncrutchesrightnow]

I am going to share a couple of fun shots, running out of time this morning…

Here is a ten carat earth grown diamond briolette. If memory serves, it is a ten carat F-IF. What a joy to see.



An AI color grading machine from Sarine.


From John Pollard’s presentation, some of the colors being grown.



That’s enough for now, there is work to be done!

They look like candy corn! (Not an insult.)

Does this necklace make your heart beat faster? Too bad, it is already sold. Unfortunately, not by me. What an incredible piece. It would have taken years to have assembled the matching yellows in earth grown gems.

Any word on dark grey-violet (or violet-grey)?

Also, was there discussion on diamond coatings?

Thanks for sharing all this news. Fascinating.

 

[Wink]

They look like candy corn! (Not an insult.)

I did not take it as one. Your comment made my face crinkle with smile lines.

Any word on dark grey-violet (or violet-grey)?

Also, was there discussion on diamond coatings?

I did not have any discussions about dark grey-violet or diamond coatings.

Thanks for sharing all this news. Fascinating.

You are very welcome. I was having a great time looking at both natural (oops) earth grown and lab grown. I saw some very well cut goods and other goods which neither myself nor Continental would accept. It is nice working with people who are as strict about cutting as I am.

 

[autumngems]

I would love to be able to attend one of these one day. Oohhh to look at all the earth grown diamonds, YUM

 

[Wink]

You must be A member of the trade to actually attend one of the JCK shows.

I can say this though, if you were a member of the trade and could visit, You could look at tens of thousands of diamonds, and without the integrity of the dealer to tell yo which was which, you would never be able to tell in the vast majority of cases. (The blue and yellow diamond from the Ukraine is a pretty obvious Lab grown.)

The trade has become an area where education is critical and staying current is ever more difficult and more critical. Still, there is no other business I would want to be part of.

 

[Wink]

P.S. Next year I will start a new thread and in addition to visiting dealers and viewing many things, I will invite you to ask for things you would like to see in the thread. It is my goal to make this as close to being there as possible.

 

[diagem]

I did not take it as one. Your comment made my face crinkle with smile lines.

I did not have any discussions about dark grey-violet or diamond coatings.

You are very welcome. I was having a great time looking at both natural (oops) earth grown and lab grown. I saw some very well cut goods and other goods which neither myself nor Continental would accept. It is nice working with people who are as strict about cutting as I am.

May I ask..., what with the earth grown lingo? Natural or just diamond is not acceptable anymore?

 

[Wink]

May I ask..., what with the earth grown lingo? Natural or just diamond is not acceptable anymore?

If you and I were talking, absolutely. When writing to a larger audience, it is always best to be very sure there is no room to misinterpret. My comment, "natural (oops) earth grown", was actually a protest by me to the current use of the term earth grown rather than natural. Diamonds will always be diamonds in my mind and heart.

One of the great joys to me, is the fact the term diamonds includes both natural and lab grown. Both, when properly polished make my eyes sparkle and my heart beat faster. I absolutely love the fact the Lab grown diamonds are so affordable to those who want the size and beauty of a well cut diamond. I also love the idea there will be marvelous cuts coming forward which would never be done with a natural diamond as the cost of the rough is too high to allow for some of the creative cuts we will see.

As a highly respected cutter, what are your thoughts on the ability to created new designs with little thought to the need to preserve every tiny bit of rough?

 

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

Thanks for taking me with you to JCK Vegas Wink!
See you there next year for sure!

 

[Karl_K]

Bling is kewl but the people of PS pics were always my favorite.

 

[Wink]

Thanks for taking me with you to JCK Vegas Wink!
See you there next year for sure!

I thought of you and Vera often. Of the dinners with you both, John Pollard, and especially Andrey and his lovely wife. The extra people varied from night to night, but the core group rarely changed. At times, I felt like a Lilliputian in the presence of the kings and princes of my industry.

Most of the time though, I was treated and felt like an equal. One of the league of men and ladies who make this incredible business such a joy to belong to.

It excites me greatly to think of seeing you in the flesh again. Next year will indeed be special with you there.

 

[diagem]

..... what are your thoughts on the ability to created new designs with little thought to the need to preserve every tiny bit of rough?

That is where the future of diamond designs lays..., I predict LGD's will take jewelry (amongst other applications) to completely unchartered waters and territories...

Unfortunately we are already witnessing such cannibalization into the natural diamond world!! Both values/prices are dropping while only one is growing madly!!

Translation = compared to its natural peers, LGD material value has no relevancy to keep the sector growing..., we are just in the beginnings which will really take off once LGD's carve their own paths and detach themselves from the historically erred natural modus operandi!