Hello and welcome to my Blog-ish.
It will eventually be an actual blog, with the ability for readers to post comments - as soon as I work out how to upload it. In the meantime, if you would like to comment just email me at melinda@ethicaljewels.com.au and I will post your comment in the appropriate place. You can also contact me if you want to be notified when a new entry is posted.
In this blog I will be sharing any new information that I have about ethical issues in the jewellery industry, published articles and interesting snippets from customer enquiries. Feel free to email me if there is anything specific that you wish me to cover.
Kindest regards,
Melinda Nugent FGAA
Director, Ethical Jewellery Australia Pty Ltd.
Blogish entry number 7
21/2/2010
HEY GOOD LOOKING!
Yes, I know, it has been awhile (bad blogger) - sorry about that. The last few months have flown by. First the lead up to xmas and then the lead up to Valentine's Day - no time to sit down and write about the wonderful world of diamonds.
For the next little while, I am going to try and write a weekly round up of diamonds of interest. I have access to so many different suppliers and there is always something there that makes me think 'if only', so I thought I'd share.
For many a diamond is a diamond is a diamond, but there are so many factors that make some stand out more than others. It could be the finest most flawless white, a piece of coloured perfection, an absolute bargain (well, it is relative) or a scrumptious cut/shape.
Because diamond prices are still linked to the US dollar, I am just going to give a ballpark.
Let's start with coloured diamonds:
We have a massive 3.47 carat vivid yellow diamond, no eye visible inclusions, a lovely square (radiant) cut, hovering in the low end of $100,000 (I hear you - what a bargain!)
Not quite right - too big maybe? How about a one carat Asscher cut for low $20,000s? Oops sorry, I misunderstood - you want to spend more. Okaaaay, we have some lovely pinks, you can get 3/4s of a carat for around $200,000. Bear in mind, whilst it sounds steep, only 60 odd of these beauties are released on the market every year AND the mine has less than 10 years to go, so once they are gone - they are GONE. I keep fantasising about this stone. I have the perfect design, a finger waiting for it and everything - unfortunately that little fantasy falls on deaf ears (oh well).
Not your cup of tea? Ok, we shall move onto the world of white...........
There's a close to perfect D VVS2 one carat round diamond, looks pretty good at around the $23,000 mark.
You want even more flawless (flawlesser?) how about a round brilliant 91 point D IF triple excellent, GIA certified stone for around $21,000 - looks pretty good to me.
Ok, you want something that looks perfect, is a reasonable size and wont break the bank - we can do that too.
Here's a few......
EIF, round brilliant, triple excellent 52 points (just over half a carat) GIA certified - $4,000.
EVS1, princess (square) one carat, GIA - $8,000
EVS1, Asscher (yummo) one carat, GIA - $8,300
Something different? How about a heart?
Heart DIF - 1.5 carats, GIA - $36,000
Too big? Let's have a look at what is happening in the half carat world.
Round brilliant, GIA - $2,900
Princess, GIA - $2,600
Oval, GIA - $2,200 (DVS2)
I could go on and on, but I will save some for next week. Diamond pricing is a confusing thing, but if you follow this blog series, it may start to make sense.
Until next time.
Melinda
Blogish entry number 6
14/11/09
What's been happening? Well Symantha (gem hunter extraordinaire) and I have been working very hard to create a brand new range of jewellery - it's all very exciting and we are hoping to launch (as a joint venture between EJA and her business 'The Australian Jewellery Box') early in the new year. Different name, different website - the works.
Ethical Jewellery Australia has always focused on bridal jewellery, which is great if you are in the market for it, but not so great if you support the recycled metal/socially responsibility platform and also want some jewellery for reasons other than getting married.
Yes, I know, the purists say - well just don't wear jewellery, but when made responsibly, this multi billion dollar industry goes a long way towards supporting the lives of many. By keeping the manufacturing in Australia, sourcing as much as possible from Australia, it also greatly benefits the local community.
There are so many reasons why people purchase jewellery - celebrations, thank yous, marking milestones, supporting beliefs, attempting to enhance their health or just to make a statement about who they are. I am not about to say that is wrong, I would just like to offer a well made, as ethical as possible, alternative.
So keep an eye out for our new range of rings, earrings, nose rings, toe rings, belly rings, pendants and maybe even pet jewellery (I know frivolous - but rather cool) made using recycled silver and gold and featuring only Australian gemstones. There will be birthstones, zodiac stones, chakra supporting stones - you name it, we hope to make it. We are also producing a wholesale range of jewellery findings (earring settings, clasps etc.) for the jewellery trade. This is first time anyone will offer earring findings made entirely from recycled materials.
As I said, exciting times. I will update with progress soon.
As far as Ethical Jewellery Australia is concerned, it is full steam ahead as well. In the spirit of encouraging customers to 'think outside the square' to keep within their budget and still create something unique and beautiful, we have used Sapphires and cognac diamonds in some of our recent pieces. We have been so very fortunate to find some gorgeous (unheated) Australian Sapphires - a wonderful alternative to diamonds for use in an engagement ring. Coloured stones are also proving popular in our 'promised ring' packs - a lovely central stone, a sprinkle of accent diamonds, a chunk of gleaming metal - it looks great.
The business of romance is a fun world to inhabit
Melinda
Blogish entry number 5
3/10/09
Oh dear, what a bad blogger I am. It’s wedding season and I am afraid this sort of stuff gets rather neglected.
When is ‘wedding season’ you may ask?
Well, in my experience September to February with the peak points being in September/October, December and February.
I guess this is something prospective engaged folks should consider as these times typically mean longer delays in getting things done. As for the week before xmas – forget it, no new work happens. Loose diamonds are fine (even that’s pushing it if they have to be brought in), but rings – doesn’t happen, unless you have a sympathetic unbusy jeweller and a simple unembellished band.
Not to say that engagements don’t happen all year round, but there is a definite trend – maybe it’s the weather?
Speaking of trends….what are people buying these days?
Interesting. I think the current financial situation has made us consider our purchases more thoughtfully. In the past, most of the rings I have made (most, not all) were solitaire settings – maybe 70 point to 1.20 carat diamonds in white or yellow gold, fairly simple settings. I could almost set my watch by it. Not anymore!!!
What’s big? Well palladium is the rising star. Palladium? It’s a white metal, with strength similar to platinum, a price lower than white gold and no need for rhodium plating. Of course finding a recycled source in Australia is impossible – but the US came through. I had an enquiry, never had any before, but within 10 days, five more people were looking for it – what, was there a press release I missed?
Coloured stone engagement rings are also on the rise. Sapphires, Morganite (it’s pink) and even an amethyst. Pave set diamond rings – diamond rich, but nothing too big and ‘designer’ pieces, interesting designs, personal and beautiful.
So the bottom line is, there is no real trend at the moment. Tightening our belts seems to have had the interesting effect of opening our imaginations.
Surely that’s a good thing.
I might blog again in the next few days; give an indication of how diamond prices are going.
Until then, happy designing – we love creativity here.
Melinda
Blog-ish entry number 4
31/07/2009
Betrothal, commitment, engagement, poesy, promise…rings of this nature have an interesting and long history. Please note, there are several versions of the history of such rings – so serious historians please don’t pick the eyes out of the following ‘facts’.
It is thought that the practice of placing a ring on the finger of ones ‘wife’ evolved from the (cave man) days whereby the ‘groom’ would bind his intended’s hands and feet to keep her with him. As he became sure she would not run away, the bonds were gradually freed until the man who placed it there placed a simple ring on the finger to remind its wearer of ‘ownership’. Another version of this binding practice, is that it was a pagan tradition intended to contain the bride’s ‘spirit’.
In Anglo Saxon times rings made from hemp were given to the bride to signify a union. These ‘beweddings’ were not a formalised event. Usually an agreement was reached between the groom and the bride’s father and the union was signalled to the community by means of a feast or celebration of some kind. Around 4800, the Ancient Egyptians were credited with the genesis of wedding band exchanges. They fashioned these out of reeds. The Romans made their rings from iron.
The first rings made of precious metals were given to represent part of the ‘bride price’ – the sum of money or equivalent paid by the groom to the bride’s father for her ‘hand’. The Greeks gave a key, to signify the property the wife would share in.
The concept of an ‘engagement ring’ is said to date back to the 13th century when Pope Innocent III instituted a waiting period between betrothal and marriage.
Early engagement rings did not usually feature a diamond. The first recorded diamond engagement ring was given by Archduke Maximillian of Hamburg to Mary of Burgundy in 1477. Indeed, it is said, the practise of setting a stone into a betrothal ring came about because of the crude fashioning of early metal rings. The stones were set in to make the ring look more attractive.
WHAT TRADITION?
It is interesting to note, that the ‘tradition’ of a ‘diamond engagement ring’ is a 20th century phenomenon. Popularising diamond engagement rings came about from an advertising campaign launched to boost De Beers flagging sales in 1939.
I read somewhere that 70% of engaged women have a diamond ring. I haven’t sourced this reference, as it is impossible to prove the accuracy of that statistic. Whether 15, 50, 70 or even 83.5% of engaged women do in fact have a diamond ring, there is clearly a percentage that do not. What are the reasons for this? Some women do not like diamonds; some can’t afford them or choose not to invest such an amount of money on a ring. Some prefer to use a commitment ring to mark the occasion – something just between the partner’s, not for bragging rights – just to make a statement.
A marriage proposal is an incredibly romantic and personal moment between two people who want to spend the rest of their lives together. It is also the last private time together for that aspect of their love. After that the frenzy of wedding preparation begins.
Of course a marriage ceremony does not have to be traditional. It does not have to involve a huge amount of fuss. However, if bridal magazines, websites and other literature are to be believed, girls (and boys) still want the big deal. They are still prepared to spend a fortune in time and money to have that perfect day. And if you are going for the ‘full bit’, the time when you ask for your partner’s hand (if the commitment is leading to marriage) is the last private moment between ‘I will’ and ‘I do’. After that, no matter how much you want to do it all yourselves – marriage usually happens by committee.
So what is the bottom line here? A ring to mark such a moment can basically be anything that you want it to be – the blingiest of bling or out of a xmas cracker – it should never be a statement of what you earn, rather a statement of what you feel.
Blog-ish entry number 3.
01/06/2009
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ONE CARAT DIAMOND PRICES
I am often asked what causes such a variation in the price of diamonds - particularly when there is no discernible difference between them. Also why is one shape less or more expensive than another.
The easiest one to understand relates to the amount of wastage generated by a particular cut. Diamond rough is generally found as Octahedral, Cubic or Dodecahedral shapes. Naturally, if the finished diamond follows the shape of the rough more closely or uses more of the rough then there is less wastage. Obtaining a greater yield from a rough diamond is reflected in the price of the finished stone. Rough diamonds generally lend themselves to being fashioned into square shapes and this is why we often (but not always) find the squarer shapes to be not only less expensive but usually in more plentiful supply.
This of course only applies to 'standard goods.' A diamond that is of exceptional size, colour or clarity (and cut) has its own price point. Rarity and fashion also play a large part in diamond prices.
The next thing to look at is colour and clarity. I have selected GIA certified, one carat diamonds in nine different shapes to demonstrate differences in price. As far as possible, they are similar in cut, polish and symmetry.
Key to terms:
D - The whitest diamond, always attracts a premium price.
E - The next whitest diamond a good choice if you want more diamond for your money as the difference in colour is very difficult for the untrained eye to detect.
G - The last diamond in the 'white' scale
IF - Internally flawless. The diamond has no internal flaws/inclusions - otherwise known as 'loupe clean'. It is a good thing if you are seeking bragging rights, but in practice the naked eye cannot detect the difference between an IF and a VS diamond.
VVS1 & 2 - Very very slightly included (with 1 or 2 inclusions)
VS1 & 2 - Very slightly included (with 1 or 2 inclusions) these inclusions are usually only seen with a 10x Loupe.
Si - Slightly included. Some inclusions may be visible to the naked eye in a square cut stone, however, careful buying to ensure the inclusion is not visible when set is always an option. Having said that, Si stones do not always have an eye visible inclusion. Si is graded 1 - 3 depending on the number of inclusions. For the purpose of this exercise I have averaged the price between all three grades.
All prices are in Australian dollars - at the time they were collated the dollar was around $0.79 US. These are not fixed prices just used to illustrate this blog entry. The data is complete as it can be, however, round diamond stocks are currently low.
| round | princess | radiant | asscher | cushion | emerald | marquise | oval | pear | |
| DIF | $23623 | $22499 | $15950 | $20790 | $17373 | $16519 | $15664 | $20203 | $20218 |
| DVVS1 | $14749 | $12721 | $15591 | $19416 | $15591 | ||||
| DVVS2 | $14774 | $13450 | $13939 | $11815 | $12933 | $15178 | $14448 | ||
| DSi | $9569 | $9846 | $10629 | $10651 | $10221 | $10221 | $10773 | $9846 | |
| EVVS1 | $12788 | $12385 | $11990 | $12302 | $12428 | ||||
| EVVS2 | $12678 | $11983 | $11325 | $11254 | $11726 | $12156 | |||
| EVS1 | $12921 | $11602 | $11023 | $11121 | $11001 | $11546 | $11989 | $11987 | $11389 |
| EVS2 | $10481 | $14145 | $10443 | $11155 | $11213 | $10481 | $11243 | $10503 | |
| ESi | $10872 | $9848 | $9103 | $9103 | $9109 | $10456 | $10388 | $10027 | $9109 |
| GVVS | $12920 | $10987 | $10764 | $10010 | $10576 | $11307 | $12442 | $10293 | $11884 |
| GVS | $11152 | $10330 | $9199 | $9234 | $9876 | $10876 | $10832 | $10237 | $10167 |
| GSi | $9991 | $8504 | $8196 | $8753 | $9695 | $10386 | $8507 | $8193 | $8422 |
From the above table you can see that many factors determine the price of a diamond. Whilst D colours tend to set their own price point, it is clarity grading that has a huge impact.
It is of course not as simple as that. There is variation in pricing amongst diamonds of the same colour and clarity grading. This is dependent on the quality of the cut and the laboratory that has graded it. For the budget conscious, another possibility is to choose a diamond with minor fluorescence. With the exception of Australian material, fluorescent diamonds tend to be slightly lower in price.
More on Australian diamonds. They have a different price structure due to their rarity, traceability and unique properties. For comparison a one carat round brilliant EVS Australian diamond would be priced at around $16,500.
So whilst the prized one carat diamond is a big investment, with careful buying, for many it is an attainable goal.
Melinda Nugent FGAA
Blog-ish entry number 2.
21/03/2009
The following is an an interview that will be included in a gemstone and jewellery e-book (not produced by me).
"Hi Melinda,
Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed and sharing your knowledge with others.
Hi Sylvana,
It is my pleasure. I am delighted to have the opportunity to share my passion for diamonds and talk a little about the social and environmental concerns in the jewellery and gemstone industry.
I understand you design fine non conflict diamond jewellery with a difference, please tell me about that.
A. Through my company, 'Ethical Jewellery Australia" I design a range of wedding and commitment bands made from responsibly recycled precious metals. I have chosen to exclusively use recycled metals because, as a signatory to Oxfam's 'no dirty gold' campaign, I must practice what I preach.
Gold mining is a dirty and destructive business. It takes the displacement of approximately 20 tonnes of soil to recover sufficient gold to make just one wedding band. In order to recover the gold the soil is leached with deadly cyanide and this releases further heavy metals such as lead and mercury into the surrounding soils and water courses.
The flow on effect of this is devastating to local communities - destruction of farmland, wildlife and creating undrinkable water. There are many other unsavoury aspects, however, for most the above are enough to help people to reconsider the origin of the metal used in their favourite pieces of jewellery.
As for the diamonds and gemstones I use in my jewellery and also sell separately, I feel very strongly about the impact that the mining and finishing of these have on the workers who produce them. Through the movie 'blood diamond' and the discussions that have come from this, many of us are now familiar with the concept of conflict diamonds. In response to this problem the Kimberly Process was established in the late nineties as a way of ensuring a clean chain of supply from mine to cutting factory.
Gemstones are a challenge, as it is often impossible to get a straight answer about their origin. Having access to a gem lab sometimes makes it easier to identify origin, but even with this information, what do we know about the conditions in which they were mined? It is for this reason that I prefer to get my gemstones directly from the source.
This usually limits my choices; however, as I would like to see a preference in the gemstone buying community for gemstones whose existence directly benefit the community in which they are mined, I feel it is a sacrifice worth making.
Unlike Australia, many of the lesser developed countries have absolutely no mining restoration policies in place - this is another area of concern for me.
So, to answer your question. I create Australian made jewellery, using recycled precious metals and responsibly mined/cut diamonds and gemstones. The system isn't perfect but I do everything I can to ensure that my jewellery is made with integrity.
Apart from jewellery designing, what other things do you do?
Well Sylvana, my core business is actually selling non-conflict diamonds. I also sell a few gemstones, but, as I said, only when I can verify where they have come from and the ethics of their mining. The other branch of my little tree is selling responsibly recycled metals by the gram; gold, silver or platinum.
I have actually created a unique concept that I have called ‘The Promised Ring’. I put together the metal and diamonds (or gemstones) of a customer’s choice and they offer it to their partner (in a presentation box) instead of a finished engagement ring. It also comes with a resizable silver ‘promise’ ring that can be worn whilst the real one is being made. This concept has proved to be quite popular as it frees men from the angst of having to choose a design.
Oh and my other little ‘twig’ is consulting. I help people learn jeweller speak and wade through the mysterious world of diamonds, metals and jewellery making. I also write and publish articles regarding the ethics of this industry. Last year I also did a fair bit of Gemmology tutoring; unfortunately I am getting too busy for that.
What types of base materials do you like to work with and why?
A. I usually work with 18k white and yellow gold and platinum. If a customer is after 9k gold, then of course I provide it (actually 9k rose gold is quite beautiful). I also have some pieces in sterling silver, however, it is not my preferred metal. I love to work in platinum as it can be reduced to the finest sheet and creates beautiful lacework. I also favour platinum over white gold for its robustness and also because, unlike white gold, it does not need rhodium plating to retain its 'whiteness'. I love yellow gold for textured pieces as light does wonderful things to its appearance.
Whilst I have nothing against silver, I feel that, as a seller of predominantly hand made pieces, that it does not represent, good value for money. I am also allergic to silver, so I guess I have a slight bias anyway. People are scared of platinum because it seems to be such an expensive choice. Many jewellers won't work with it as, due to its high melting point, mistakes are very difficult to correct. The good news is that with the decline of the auto industry, platinum is coming down in price, getting closer to white gold every day AND there are many jewellers who are experienced in the fabrication of platinum jewellery - you just have to do your research.
What are your favourite diamonds to work with?
A. I am an Argyle diamond girl all the way. I love the Australian material - both in white and coloured stones. My dream ring is a largish cognac diamond accented by tiny but perfect deep pinks.
The Canadian material is also very beautiful. Russian too (but wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole for ethical reasons) and Belgian cut stones are sublime. There is a little trap there however, as a cunning Indian company has actually registered the term ‘Belgian Cut’ and the only thing about these particular stones is that they are called this – but actually cut in India (The company has a tiny office in Antwerp).
So what is it about Argyles that thrills you so?
A. Well naturally I love that they come from Australia. But the thing about Argyles is that they are the hardest diamonds in the world, because of this, they take a wonderful polish and just sparkle. No, sparkle is the wrong word, as even a poorly cut diamond will sparkle – they flash. All Australian material also has fluorescence and whilst it can overwhelm if there is too much of it, a slight bit of fluorescence (in my opinion anyway – many will disagree) just gives the stone a lift.
This is particularly true in the higher colours (H – Z – although there is little hope for Z) as the blue toning masks the yellow toning and the stone just looks whiter than you would expect. I recently sold an M colour in a two carat Asscher cut and rather than looking like the sad yellow would expect, it was a glittering rainbow – you couldn’t say what colour it was, just that it was stunning (oh how I wanted that stone).
But what about these hearts and arrows we hear so much about – surely they are better?
A. Well they are very well marketed I will say that much. The reality is, that most well cut stones will display this effect – it is not unique to these diamonds. So much of the so called ‘proprietary cuts’ are just marketing hype – sorry to burst your bubble there.
It may seem like a glamorous and lucrative industry, but it is actually very cutthroat with high overheads and low margins and sooo much competition. That is why companies have to come up with these exciting sounding names.
I've heard this term 'conflict diamonds' Can you please tell me about what this term means?
A. As I said above, people have a general idea about conflict from the movie ‘blood diamond,’ but in the trade, the term has come to refer to far more than just straight out war and bloodshed.
Conflict arises when someone wants something that someone else has. In the case of governments or major corporations, often the object of their desire is attained with little thought to the conditions and treatment experienced by those who do the work for them. Historically, conflict diamonds referred to diamonds from which the proceeds of their sale directly funded conflict. Apart from the fact that we generally don’t approve of bloodshed or oppression, the human rights issues are frightening.
It is for this reason that the Kimberly Process was created. There are approximately 76 signatories (countries that is) to the Kimberly Process. As a signatory you must adhere to strict guidelines. Diamonds are sent from the mine to Government Diamond Control Office, sealed in a tamper proof container, assigned tamper proof documents that are checked at every international border. There are so many checks along the way to ensure a smooth chain of supply. Any diamonds that do not comply are seized by customs. Before the diamonds are cut, much cross checking must be done by the cutting factories that purchase the rough. This agreement states that diamond rough that is not Kimberly compliant cannot be sold.
There are of course instances where the rules are broken. It is my understanding that less than 1% of the diamonds in circulation are not non-conflict. It is generally understood that the bulk of this material is purchased in Dubai where it is on sold to unscrupulous cutting factories. Whilst this information is not often publicised, it is accepted as being true. Most of the retailers who have been pulled up by customs here (and had their goods seized) have been caught on their way back from a trip to Dubai.
Purists prefer to buy diamonds mined in Australia and Canada – countries with no conflict and sound mine restoration policies. Unfortunately, much of the Canadian material (which is absolutely stunning) is princess cut, due to the shape of the rough
.
Another aspect of concern for me is the treatment of the workers in cutting factories. I learned that many of these factories employ child labour and as a result of the close exacting work they have to do, blindness at an early age is not uncommon as well as all number of diseases. Many of the factories are sweatshops and I only deal with factories that do not employ children and have human rights agreements in place. I also worry about the workers who are exposed to harmful chemicals during the treatment of diamonds and gemstones. Toxic/carcinogenic substances such as Beryllium, not to mention exposure to radiation.
How long ago did your passion for non conflict diamonds start?
A. My passion began the first time I ever heard the term, well before I forged a career in this industry. I believe I heard about it in the late ‘90s and know that I always insisted on ‘system of warranties’ disclosure (required from Kimberly Process compliant retailers) on invoices for any diamond purchases I made.
How did you get into jewellery designing?
A. I have been scribbling pictures of jewellery for most of my life – just one of those things. My grandmother had a vast collection of jewels that I constantly played with. I also used to have a lot of jewellery made and obsessively collect jewellery books and magazines.
What now seems like a lifetime ago - I was writing a book about the history of wedding and commitment rings. A jeweller who was helping with some of the technical information saw some of my designs and thought that they had commercial appeal (fortunately she was right). She made up some of them for me and sold them in her shop.
I also found a marvelous book by Jinx McGrath, a British jeweller, and saw that you could make beautiful textured non-symmetrical jewellery - this little book turned my designing life around. The more I designed and had made, the greater my interest in gemstones grew. I was frustrated by my amateur knowledge.
I then learned that you could actually study gemstones seriously and enrolled in the professional gemmology course run by the Gemmological Association of Australia (GAA). The course was incredibly difficult/challenging/frustrating/absorbing and extremely time consuming. Passing and being accepted as a ‘Fellow’ of the GAA was one of the proudest days of my life.
I also attended jewellery making classes, not so much so that I could make jewellery (all thumbs) but to better understand the process and know how to talk to jewellers. I had a half interest in a retail jewellery shop for about a year but left to pursue my passion for the ethical side of things. I also wanted to offer customers good prices without having to worry about covering high overheads.
Where are the main areas in the world that diamonds are produced?
A. The order of volume of (jewellery quality) diamond production is: Botswana, Russia, Angola and South Africa. Diamonds are also found in India, Australia and Canada. Other diamond producing areas (some are of historical interest only) include; Namibia, Zaire, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, China, Borneo, Canada and the USA. Australian Argyle diamonds are usually mined in the following qualities: Industrial 55%, Near gem quality 45% and Gem quality 5%.
Australia and D.R. Congo (Zaire) produce more than half of the world’s diamonds by volume, however, on a dollar return the richest sources are: Botswana, Russia, Canada, Angola and the Republic of South Africa. By contrast, the Australian product accounts for only 4% of the total diamond revenue.
Another interesting statistic is that whilst something like 85% of diamonds are cut in India, the revenue is around 25% of the total annual diamond revenue world wide. This is mainly due to size and quality.
The production statistics were accurate as of 2007 – things do change however. The cutting stats are from late 2008.
So what are these ‘Four Cs’ you hear about?
A. The four Cs refer to: Cut, colour, clarity and carats (size) of a diamond.
Cut
In my opinion this is the most important of the Cs.
Cut refers to the quality of the finished diamond. The polish, symmetry, proportions, design and the brilliance. It is not just technical it is about the beauty of the stone. A GIA graded vg/vg/vg or ex/ex/ex or ex/vg/ex etc. (cut/polish/symmetry) is the perfect choice if you are looking for a beautiful diamond. That is not to say other lab’s grading systems do not evaluate beautiful diamonds, I am just more familiar with GIA material. The cut quality does have an enormous impact on the price of a diamond.
A diamond’s price is also affected by the certificate that accompanies it. For example, a GIA certified stone will fetch a higher price than an EGL stone with the ‘same’ grading. Mainly because if the EGL stone was graded by the GIA then it would not be likely to be graded as high. I must reiterate though, this does not mean that GIA graded diamonds are the only ones you should consider, in fact an uncertified diamond (maybe with a valuation certificate) from a trusted seller will save you a bundle. It really is more about trusting your seller to evaluate the stone for you. It is amazing what we can ‘see’ by reading a string of numbers and percentages on a diamond report.
Colour
As for clarity, when it comes to colour, less is (worth) more – until you get into ‘fancy’ coloured diamonds like pink and so-called champagne and cognac coloured diamonds.
Basically, ‘white’ diamonds vary in colour from colourless to very pale yellow – colourless being the most desirable.
The GIA scale for classifying diamond colour is shown below:
| Scale | Description |
| D E F |
Colourless |
| G H I J |
Near colourless |
| K L M |
Faint yellow |
| N O P Q R |
Very light yellow |
| S to Z | Light yellow |
| Fancy | Coloured |
Please note, G to J stones will not actually look ‘yellow’. To an untrained eye, it is very difficult to see ‘shades of colourless’.
Clarity
Along with colour, clarity is one of the major criteria used in classifying diamonds. Generally speaking, the more ‘clear’ the stone, the higher its value.
The clarity of a stone refers to the visibility of inclusions and flaws. Even then a buyer can be lucky. If you have a good diamond merchant it is possible to obtain an included diamond whose inclusions are on the girdle where they can be concealed by the setting. This is an excellent way of getting a whiter diamond at a lower price. It is crucial however that you know exactly where the inclusions are before you make such a purchase.
The most commonly used gem grading system is that developed by the Gemmological Institute of America (GIA).
In terms of visible flaws or inclusions, these classifications are based on what can be seen with a loupe (a magnifying glass of 10x magnification). However, with the classifications FL – Si1 (or 2) you should expect to have an ‘eye clean’ diamond. I.E. one that has no obvious marks when viewed with the naked eye.
From an appearance point of view, it’s very difficult for an untrained person to distinguish between an FL and an SI2 diamond. It’s only when you get into the ‘I’ (or Piqué) grades that the imperfections start to become more easily visible.
It also depends on the shape and size of the diamond. A round brilliant diamond is a very forgiving cut, whereas in a larger princess cut (square) diamond it is easier to see flaws.
It is interesting to note that diamonds are actually graded for colour and clarity table down (the flat bit on the top) so don’t always give the best picture of what the wearer will see. Since 2006 the GIA has updated their grading system (using a sophisticated computer analysis) and I believe this does also cover ‘face up’ appearance.
Even the ‘cleanest’ of diamonds will show pinpoints or slight inclusions under a high powered microscope.
Under the GIA grading system, there are 11 clarity classifications:
| FL | Flawless - No loupe-visible flaws internally or externally |
| IF | Internally Flawless - No loupe-visible flaws internally |
| VVS¹ VVS² |
Very, Very Small inclusion or imperfection that is very difficult to see under a loupe |
| VS¹ VS² |
Very Small inclusion or imperfection, difficult to see under a loupe |
| SI¹ SI² |
Small Inclusion or imperfection easily seen with a loupe |
| I¹ I² I³ |
Imperfect (or included) — Inclusions can be see with the naked eye |
| NB: The superscripts 1, 2 or 3 refer to the number and placement of visible inclusions. | |
The Scandinavian Diamond Nomenclature (Scan. D.N) and other systems vary slightly in their classifications, but the most obvious is in the I1 to I3 range where clarity is often referred to as P1, P2 and P3 (where ‘P’ stands for Piqué – pronounced Pee-Kay).
Carat
The following table will give you some idea of approximate physical size relative to weight (for round cut diamonds only – other shapes have different proportions):
Carats/Points |
Diameter |
2.00ct (200 points) |
~ 8.2mm |
1.50ct (150 points) |
~ 7.4mm |
1.00ct (100 point) |
~ 6.5mm |
0.75ct (75 point) |
~ 5.9mm |
0.50ct (50 point) |
~ 5.2mm |
0.25ct (25 point) |
~ 4.1mm |
0.10ct (10 point) |
~ 3.0mm |
COLOURED DIAMONDS
Coloured diamonds have a different grading system. GIA has its own, but that is way too convoluted. As I deal in Australian material, I use the Argyle classification system which covers champagne and pink diamonds.
Pink diamonds are simply: 1P – 7P with one being the deepest pink - and the most expensive.
Champagne is graded: C1 – C7. C1 is softly tinted yellow and C7 takes you to the deep ‘Cognac’ colour.
How do you tell a real diamond from a fake?
A. As a consumer, the safest practice is always to buy from a reputable dealer. Whilst it is often good value and perfectly acceptable to buy uncertified diamonds under half a carat (50 points) anything over that size should always be accompanied by a certificate. Certificates should be either from a registered Valuer or a reputable gem lab such as the GIA and AGS in the USA, GSL in Australia, HRD (Antwerp) or, at a pinch, EGL (USA only). In house certificates are not sufficient, nor should you obtain a valuation written by the person who made your jewellery – this is not an ethical practice.
As far as distinguishing a diamond from a substitute, this is most effectively done by an expert, however, I will give a few basic differences between diamonds and their most common imitators.
Diamond: Polish marks on the facets in different directions, ‘bearding’ on the girdle (shows that it began as natural material – will look slightly ‘frosty’), flat facets, sharp facet edges. If you breathe on a diamond the moisture will evaporate much more quickly than other gems (diamonds repel water and attract grease – which is why they require frequent cleaning).
Common Imitations:
Cubic Zirconia (CZ): Look for wear on facet edges and rounded facets. Place a CZ table (top) down on a piece of newsprint or a black line – you should be able to see the black lines through the facets – diamonds don’t do this.
Moissanite: Whilst you probably won’t get the opportunity to try this…..If you put a piece of Moissanite on a frypan and subject it to reasonably high heat, the Moissanite will change colour – some say yellow, some say grey (I haven’t had the chance to try this one, so am not sure which colour). Perhaps the threat of putting it on a frypan might do the trick. Moissanite has a slightly grayish or greenish body tone.
Gemmologists will also point out that, unlike diamonds (singly refracting), Moissanite is doubly refracting – but this is totally useless information if you don’t know how to work it out.
Zircon: Zircon often exhibits what is known as ‘parcel wear’. That is, the facet edges are often eroded due to its brittle nature.
Colourless Sapphire just doesn’t have the sparkle, nor does colourless Quartz.
Other imitations include: YAG, GGG, Strontium Titanate, Glass, Synthetic Rutile and of course Synthetic Diamond.
What is the difference between black, white and coloured diamonds?
A. Umm, the colour? LOL. Sorry, couldn’t resist.
The colour in diamonds is caused by the arrangement and number of nitrogen atoms within the material. Colourless diamonds do not contain nitrogen. Brown diamonds have a low nitrogen content. Boron is present in blue stones.
Natural black diamonds contain a graphite ‘lining’; other black diamonds are created by exposure to radiation. In fact, many coloured diamonds started their life as very uninteresting grey or brownish material and had their colour changed by radiation followed by heating.
Colour is also caused by technical things such as colour centres and plastic deformation. It’s pretty complicated and very cool.
Really, they irradiate diamonds to change their colour, could you explain more about that? What other trickery is applied to change the appearance of diamonds?
Irradiation generally produces green and blue colours. Further heating can turn these to orange, pink, red, purple, mauve and yellows and can also reduce the colour of any unnaturally bright coloured irradiated material. Usually follows the pattern: blue to green to brown to yellow and returning to its original colour with further heating. The irradiation and heating can be repeated (or heating stopped) at any time the desired colour has been reached.
More on irradiation:
Heat Treatment: Diamonds are routinely heat treated after irradiation to further improve their colour. Diamonds selected for irradiation are generally poor coloured off whites, yellows and browns.
Coating: Usually yellowish diamonds are covered with a blue fluoride type coating on the crown and pavilion facets The blue counteracts the yellow of the diamond to produce a more colourless material.
Fracture Filling: Unless the fracture is surface reaching, fracture filling is often performed after lasering. Fractures are filled with a lead oxychloride glass or lead-bismuth oxychloride glass. Other glasses have been used. Technically this is a non-permanent treatment as the filling could be dislodged.
Lasering: Used on material with dark inclusions. Traditionally, a high-powered infra red laser beam created a tunnel towards a dark, visible inclusion. The heat of the laser may reduce the appearance of the inclusion; otherwise, acid is introduced into the drill hole to dissolve the inclusion.
HTHP (High pressure/high temperature) Decolourises brown diamonds and lightens to D – G colour or creates pale pink or pale blue. Brown diamonds can also become blue. Type 1a (nitrogen containing) treated this way become a very bright yellow or yellow green. The yellow (Cape series) is lightened. The process involves subjecting diamonds to high temperature (2000ºC +) and pressure (60 kbars +).
So, to sum up, what advice would you give to someone who is diamond shopping - doesn’t have a lot of clue, but doesn’t want to be ripped off?
A. If someone tries to sell you a ‘clarity enhanced’ and says it is identical to a natural diamond – walk away.
Make sure you ask about treatments, is the diamond natural or enhanced in anyway.
If a diamond is exceptionally cheap, with no rational explanation (deceased estate, broken engagement, second hand etc.) then the warning bells should be going off. Pricing in the diamond market is pretty consistent. The difference is only between margins for each retailer. Yes, some markups are pretty high, but you can do your homework and work out an ‘average’ price for the diamond and if it is way below average then you have to ask why. Reasons could include that it is illegal or it is accompanied by a dodgy certificate. There really aren’t incredible bargains in this industry at true retail level.
Make sure that the diamond is the right size face up for its carat weight. If the proportions aren’t right and the table is too big or too small this means the pavilion (bottom half) is too big or too small also and the diamond just wont look as good as it could. Another trap is selling a diamond at a particular weight but with an extremely thick girdle, so whilst the weight is ‘true’ the stone will be smaller than expected. Repeat after me: “there are rarely genuine bargains in the retail diamond industry”.
Keep an eye on the price of the dollar. Diamond prices are directly related to the US dollar. It is not a good day to buy if our dollar is down as much of the stock held by some retailers is not owned by them. They hold them on credit and pay the wholesalers when the diamond sells.
Unless the retailer actually owns the diamond, there is much less flexibility in pricing. However, there is also a benefit to working with someone who doesn’t own stock, but rather has access to the world market. Someone in this position does not have an agenda and is more likely to find you exactly what YOU want rather than just try to sell you exactly what THEY have on hand.
Make sure the invoice you receive mentions the Kimberly Process and the ‘system of warranties’ to ensure your diamond is conflict free. If you are concerned about the ethical side of things and the salesperson cannot satisfactorily address your concerns or gives you an unconvincing answer – find another retailer
.
If you can see a fleck or any sort of mark in the diamond that is not near the girdle (the bit that joins the top and the bottom) therefore can’t be hidden by a setting – don’t buy it. Even if it looks small when you buy it, eventually, whoever is wearing the diamond will see ONLY the fleck and not their beautiful ring.
But really, the best advice I can give you is: listen carefully, ask questions, shop around, don’t become a victim of hard sell, do your homework and be prepared to walk away. There will always be another diamond, regardless of what the salesperson tells you.
Blog-ish article number 1 - January 2009
To start the blog-ish I am posting an article that I wrote for 'Living Wisdom' -an eco lifestyle magazine. It featured in the January 2009 issue.
INTEGRITY IN THE JEWELLERY BOX
As increasing numbers of consumers strive to live a more eco-friendly and socially conscious lifestyles, we’re seeing greater acceptance and preference for products and services that have a better ethical fit - from the food we eat to the clothes we wear, the cars we drive and even the industries we support with our investment dollars.
Yet there remains an entire industry that most of us come into contact with every day that has so far remained largely “under the radar” – the jewellery industry.
The reality is, when buying jewellery, the average consumer will usually only think to consider its’ visual qualities – design, durability, the brand, the function, the recipient and certainly the price – but how many of us consider the environmental or social qualities of the raw materials used to make it?
Apart from the odd media event that pricks our collective conscience (such as the release of the movie Blood Diamond or the occasional mining accident or chemical spill reported in the news), most of us remain unaware of the destructiveness of gold mining, the corruption, exploitation and environmental devastation in the gemstone mining industry, the appalling conditions experienced by workers in some cutting factories and the toxic chemicals and processes used to enhance the appearance of some diamonds and gemstones.
How bad is it? Well ... let me open your eyes with just a few insights into the true nature of the industry that puts rings on our fingers and diamonds in our ears …
When it comes to precious metals, google ‘gold mining’ and you’ll turn up a litany of horror stories about mining accidents and chemical spills from around the globe. On its own, this is enough to make the environmentally conscious amongst us think twice, but for those who think (not unreasonably) that many governments and most mining companies go to great expense and effort to prevent accidents, there is a bigger picture.
It’s often quoted that in order to produce enough gold for just one wedding ring; some 20 tonnes of earth must be displaced. Couple that with the estimate that around 80% of all mined gold goes to the jewellery industry and you can see that our bright and shiny things make for a lot of very big holes in the ground.
But think not just about the physical damage to the local environment where such mining takes place, also consider the carbon cost of that much excavation, transport, processing and restoration. It’s enormous.
And when you also take into account the highly toxic chemicals (like cyanide) that are used extract gold, silver and platinum and the typical heavy metal by-products (including lead and mercury), the total cost is hard to comprehend, much less calculate.
When it comes to diamonds and coloured gemstones, sweatshop conditions exist in some cutting factories. In some countries, children as young as five are ‘apprenticed’ and burned out (and even blinded) by the age of 12.
Treatments include colour alteration with Beryllium (a carcinogen) and irradiation - producing colours that are rarely found in nature. Also, to save costs, gemstones are often cut for profit, not beauty, leaving the consumer with poorly cut material that doesn’t take advantage of light play the way it should. Diamonds can be fracture filled, irradiated, heated or lasered to remove ‘impurities’. There are so many traps for the novice jewellery consumer.
But what about synthetics I hear you say …
For those who don’t know, a synthetic gemstone is one made in a laboratory, yet have the same chemical composition, properties and characteristics as its natural counterpart. Man has been ‘creating’ gemstones (with varying success) since the nineteenth century. Much of what is produced is used in industry, but plenty of synthetic gemstones make their way into the retail market.
On the face of it, you might think that substituting a synthetic for a natural gemstone would reduce the burden on the environment; however, the process of synthesising a gemstone bears its own high carbon cost. The popular Biron emerald, for example, is produced by a hydrothermal process. The crystals are grown in a platinum lined autoclave where a combination of Silicon Dioxide, Aluminium Hydroxide, Beryllium Hydroxide and Chromium Chloride is heated to 500 - 600˚C and 700 – 1400 kbars of pressure is applied. It takes two weeks to grow 100 grams of crystal this way.
Unfortunately no one has yet researched the comparative cost of mined versus manufactured gemstones and diamonds, but the energy consumption and cost of the industrial infrastructure surely makes synthetics questionable as responsible alternative.
Is anything being done to address these issues?
Of course, once you become aware of the jewellery industry negatives, an easy response would be – ‘well let’s just not buy jewellery anymore’. However, it’s important to remember that the jewellery industry supports families and communities from diverse socio-economic groups and many jewellery items are more than just ‘a bit of bling’. A better solution would be to actively participate in reforming the industry and to insist on ethically sound products and practices from retailers.
After all, the gifting of jewellery often marks significant events – getting engaged, married, and anniversaries – and so on. Whilst some may consider jewellery to be a frivolous purchase, for the giver and receiver of these precious tokens they serve as a reminder of someone’s consideration for us.
And jewellery has such a long history - dating back over 10,000 years – with nearly every culture adopting some sort of significant adornment; so it’s not a realistic option to discard it as a part of our everyday lives.
If we accept that jewellery is a ‘necessary’ part of the global cultural fabric, and if you also feel that something given with a pure heart should come from untainted raw ingredients, what can be done about the not-so-pretty environmental and social ‘cost’ of creating these gifts?
Fortunately there are already many worthy organisations working in the background to encourage industry reform. From Oxfam’s ‘no dirty gold’ campaign and Global Witness’s actions that led to the formation of the Kimberly Process for Diamond certification (a process that ensures rough diamonds are not sourced from conflict areas) to Sustainable.org whose focus is on the welfare of small artisanal miners and various other fair trade organisations all of whom strive to improve the situation for many indigenous communities in mineral/metal rich areas. Alongside them is a growing group of retailers who are offering goods that do take the big picture into account.
So how do I become an eco-conscious jewellery buyer?
Like everything else we dig out of the ground, precious metals are a finite resource and our reserves are not only dwindling rapidly, they’re becoming increasingly expensive to extract.
But just like aluminium, steel and other such metals, we can recycle.
It’s estimated that there are enough gold reserves in the form of unworn old and broken jewellery, waste from some disused consumables etc. that, when recycled, could serve our needs for at least the next 50 years – so there really is no imperative to open new mines. And when properly recycled under EPA guidelines, the metal is as pure as that which is newly mined. A competent jeweller with a fume cupboard can also achieve the same thing on a smaller scale.
As well as recycling there are some small scale Artisanal mines such as Oro Verde in South America that not only employ non-destructive mining techniques, but also directly benefit the local community. The retail giant Tiffany has found its own solution by opening an environmentally responsible mine to serve its gold needs and several smaller independent retailers use recycled or hand mined gold exclusively.
By insisting on recycled or responsibly sourced precious metals from your local jeweller you can do your bit to support the recycling industry and encourage low-impact mining as a viable alternative.
As for diamonds and gemstones, seek out non-conflict diamonds that have been cut by a non-exploited workforce; choose untreated gemstones and if possible, find out where they were mined. Find a reputable dealer and get as much information as you can about your prospective purchase.
If you’re only in the market for off-the-shelf jewellery; the eco-savvy consumer also has alternatives. More retailers are emerging that recognise the need for ethically responsible jewellery products. You can try the following for eco-friendly jewellery shopping:
www.greenKarat.com
www.brilliantearth.com
www.tiffany.com
www.credjewellery.com
www.ethicaljewels.com.au
www.utopiancreations.com.au
www.fifibijoux.com
If online shopping isn’t your thing, talk to a manufacturing jeweller and ask how they can create a piece for you that respect the Earth and its people. Beautiful, well made jewellery can be treasured for generations, more so when it has been made with integrity.
Resources:
www.nodirtygold.org
www.sustainable.org
www.globalwitness.org
www.communitymining.org
www.DiamondFacts.org
http://www.ilo.org/ipec/lang--en/index.htmn (information about child labour)
