It's a Bird, It's a Plane, No Wait a Minute What the Heck Is It?

Why don't you write?  Why don't you call?  I know, I know I sound like my Jewish mother.  But it is always amusing to me that so many of you tell me you read my blogs but no one ever leaves me any comments.  Well, that's not entirely true.  I have a couple of spammers who routinely leave comments on my blog.  Actually one of them does it over and over (at least it looks to be coming from the same guy's Google+ account).  Inevitably these spam comments consist of a mostly unintelligible sentence but always with a link to another site at the end of it.  And, also inevitably, these sites are mostly jewelry sites. 

18k Yellow Gold and 1.11 ct. Ruby Ring

I always try to track these guys down a bit because some of them seem to link to legitimate jewelry stores and I will usually email them to stop spamming me.  But a lot of them take you to a variety of on line sites, usually where there is no real way to contact anyone unless you're going to make an actual purchase.

The other day I spent a few minutes trying to follow another one and it led me to a website that was selling.....well I'm not entirely sure what they were selling.  But here is their description of what they are selling:

"Diamond NSCD Nano Carbon Simulate Diamond Diamond Weight 2 carat Metal 925 Silver with 18K Gold Plated Clarity VVS1 Cutting: 3 ex Antwerp Cut Fine Jewelry all made by Hands from Skillful Craftsman with over 20 Years Experience in Jewelry Production; Life Time Warranty: Free Replacement if Simulated Diamond Ever Fades!! We promise free maintenance & servicing for whole life Ring Replacement if there is any Damage How are NSCD lab-created diamonds produced? Lab-created diamonds are produced by utilizing two gem-quality diamond creation processes: High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). In both processes, a small diamond seed is placed in an environment that contains carbon, the atomic component diamond. Under suitably controlled conditions, the diamond grows, atom-by-atom, layer-by-layer, recreating nature's process. How do NSCD lab-created diamonds and natural diamonds compare? Both have the same physical, chemical and optical properties and emerge as rough diamonds. Both have the same hardness, specific gravity, refractive index and dispersion factor; are polished using the same equipment and techniques; and have the same brilliance, sparkle, fire and scintillation. Both are, in fact, diamonds. How do NSCD lab-created diamonds and diamond-like materials compare? They don't. Cubic zirconium, moissanite, and diamond-coated materials, are not diamond. These are called "simulants" in the industry. These materials have completely different physical properties compared to diamond. ABOUT LAB CREATED DIAMONDS Since diamonds are mined from deep within the earth as carbon is pressurized to produce the miracle gem it takes centuries to create. As science would have it however, now it is possible to speed up the process creating a diamond in a fraction of the time. Hybrid diamonds are not fakes, but have a real diamond layer. NSCD DIAMONDS ARE NOT ZIRCONIA"

There is so much deception included in this description that it is mind boggling.  They have thrown in just enough legitimate information to seem real but then try to mask exactly what they are selling.  Many of my long term readers are aware of my descriptions about synthetic diamonds which you can read here.  Synthetic diamonds are man made diamonds that have exactly the same chemical and physical makeup as a natural diamond except that they are man made.  They are, while less expensive than natural diamonds, not cheap by any means as the processes used to produce them are fairly complex and expensive.  

First of all please understand they didn't have a product listed on their site that was more than $100.  Obviously that should be the first sign that you should be cautious.  But let's look a little more closely at what they are saying:

"How are NSCD lab-created diamonds produced? Lab-created diamonds are produced by utilizing two gem-quality diamond creation processes: High Pressure-High Temperature (HPHT) and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). In both processes, a small diamond seed is placed in an environment that contains carbon, the atomic component diamond. Under suitably controlled conditions, the diamond grows, atom-by-atom, layer-by-layer, recreating nature's process"

So they correctly tell you in this set of sentences how synthetic diamonds are created.  The only problem is they don't actually tell you how their NSCD diamonds are created.  They make it sound like they are using the same processes but never actually say that. Here is the next bit:

"How do NSCD lab-created diamonds and natural diamonds compare? Both have the same physical, chemical and optical properties and emerge as rough diamonds. Both have the same hardness, specific gravity, refractive index and dispersion factor; are polished using the same equipment and techniques; and have the same brilliance, sparkle, fire and scintillation. Both are, in fact, diamonds."

Without a lab test to determine most of these statements there is no way to confirm any of what they are saying.  They offer no proof on their site, no testing data, etc. The statement that both are in fact diamonds is completely disproved as we get further into their description so we'll get back to that. 

"How do NSCD lab-created diamonds and diamond-like materials compare? They don't. Cubic zirconium, moissanite, and diamond-coated materials, are not diamond. These are called "simulants" in the industry. These materials have completely different physical properties compared to diamond."

They have this part right too.  Materials such as cubic zirconia, and moissanite are simulants.  Note that they also include "diamond-coated materials" in this description as this also ties into the end of the piece.  So let's get to that end right now and see what is really going on here:

"ABOUT LAB CREATED DIAMONDS Since diamonds are mined from deep within the earth as carbon is pressurized to produce the miracle gem it takes centuries to create. As science would have it however, now it is possible to speed up the process creating a diamond in a fraction of the time. Hybrid diamonds are not fakes, but have a real diamond layer. NSCD DIAMONDS ARE NOT ZIRCONIA"

Another Photo of my Opal and Ruby Pendant

And herein lies the most important line in the entire piece: "Hybrid diamonds are not fakes, but have a real diamond layer."  So apparently what they are selling is a "hybrid diamond".  I'm not exactly sure what this is because I've never heard it used in gemological circles before.  Perhaps it's a diamond that runs on both gas and electricity! But note the second part in which they say they "have a real diamond layer".  Ok I got it.  Their product has some layer of diamond on it.  Okay so let's go back up to here: "Both are, in fact, diamonds".  Wait a minute!  If their product has a real diamond layer how is it in fact a diamond???? If it's some other material with a layer of diamond dust (which I am being generous by assuming this might actually be what it is) then it most assuredly is not a diamond.  "Cubic zirconium, moissanite, and diamond-coated materials, are not diamond."  Umm, that's right but they just said that their material has a diamond layer, which I'm pretty certain means that it is diamond coated so if it's not diamond in this statement how does the statement "both are, in fact, diamonds" fit into this? 

As a gemologist I'm able to look at this pile of misinformation, double speak, outright lies and phony sales hype and recognize it for exactly what it is.  Unfortunately most people aren't gemologists.  This gets me back to what I continually am talking about on this blog.  Buy only from people you trust implicitly.  For the most part online merchants in my industry are going to push the truth as far as they can.  And for goodness sake, if the product is priced at $50 and claims to have a half carat "diamond" use your heads.  It's not going to be any kind of a diamond!!

Only Three More Days

There are only three more days until tax free day and our sale so I thought I might tempt you with a few new pieces that just came out:

 This first one is a boulder opal with an emerald and a sapphire.   I came upon the stone by accident.  (Long story).  

 These earrings have an orange spessartite garnet and a rhodolite garnet. The stones are two different colors and you can't quite see that in this picture but they're a fun pair of earrings.

 This is a beautiful aquamarine in a ring.  Unfortunately you can't have it as it's already been claimed. 

Since I sold the other super fine boulder opal the other day I decided to put out the second one.  Kady got the colors of the opal perfectly but the pendant itself is a little lost so as soon as I can I'm going to get another shot of it up here. So come on by!

Tax Free Day is Coming

Ethiopian Opal, Diamond and 18k Gold Earrings

Tax free day is coming August 16!  Well technically it's going to be tax free weekend but, since I'm never open on Sundays, for me it's only tax free day.   As many of my regular customers know I also have a sale associated with the day and I'm having it again this year.  Unfortunately, if you don't already own a piece of my jewelry you can't take advantage of the sale as it's only for my existing customers.  But that doesn't stop you from taking advantage of the tax savings and if you don't yet own a piece of mine it's a great time to get added to the list for next year by taking something home with you. 

I have been busy turning out some new items for the case as well in preparation for the event so I do have some new things out in the cases.  Unfortunately some of them have already been claimed (as we allow you to come in early and put stuff aside with your credit card number to be rung up on the 16th).  The opal pendant in my recent posting with the super fine opal has already sold and I had a new pair of Ethiopian opal earrings (pictured above) made up as well that have already been claimed. This doesn't mean I don't have some other new things and I have a number of pieces in process. 

So come on by!!

18k Gold and Tsavorite Garnet Earrings

Rubies and the New Opal Pendant

Australian Boulder Opal, Ruby and Emerald Pendant in 22k and 18k Gold

In my last article I promised a picture of the new boulder opal piece I got in recently and here it is!  The stone, as you can see from the picture is really pretty outstanding.  It has a couple of rubies and an emerald on the bottom.  And the rubies bring me into today's topic.


This is something I've discussed before but because I have noticed a number of articles about the topic on social media of late it seems to be coming into the mainstream consciousness.  There were a couple of news exposes (these are what are being reprinted on the social media venues) about glass filled rubies being sold, undisclosed for the most part, in the major jewelry chains.  In my previous article on this topic I went into this issue here.  But it's worth revisiting.

1.37 ct. Ruby and Diamond Ring

So the first thing you should know about ruby is that it is a form of corundum.  Sapphire is also corundum.  Ruby is simply the red variety of it.  Red is also the rarest color that it occurs in so rubies are consequently more expensive.  As with many of the other fine gem materials today the price of high quality goods has been skyrocketing.  This is happening with ruby for a number of reasons.  The first is simply that it is a relatively rare gem.  The second, as with opal, is that the Asian market has expanded so dramatically and they are always most interested in the highest quality of goods.  The third is that the United States banned importation of ruby and jade from Burma (Myanmar) a couple of years ago in a quixotic attempt to force regime change in the country (note that now that it has undergone some significant changes the law hasn't been changed back).  Burma is without a doubt the source for the finest ruby available.  The ban has meant that dealers here in the states have been unable to purchase new material and are either working off of old stock or buying pre ban stock from other dealers.  There are other factors as well impacting the price today:  better mining practices which inevitably mean higher retrieval costs and higher labor costs, higher transportation costs, third world nations are no longer letting their resources be removed from their country free of tariffs and taxes, etc.

As always, when the cost of something that a lot of people want rises dramatically, someone comes up with a way to make money on it, often through shady business practices.  In the case of ruby, since there was such a dearth of fine material, the process used to heat treat goods was used far more aggressively and on far lower quality material.  There is material that would in the past have been tossed into the garbage that they realized if they heated it aggressively enough could be made to look far better than it actually is.  The process used to over heat this material ends up infusing the flux into all of the cracks and fissures in this low grade material where it turns into glass.  Some of the material has so much of this glass in it that the head of one of the major gem labs said a few years ago that: "we don't know whether to call this ruby with glass in it or glass with ruby in it".

If you've been reading my blog long enough you know that many, if not most, gem materials are being treated in some form or another.  So you might then ask what is the problem with this particular treatment?  Well first of all, if the stone is more glass than ruby there is the primary question of whether or not it should be called ruby to begin with. The second issue is that the glass flux in the stones can be dissolved in anything mildly acidic such as lemon juice or vinegar so normal everyday wear is pretty much out of the question, even though ruby is normally considered a fairly durable gem material.  If you own one of these stones in a ring you will see distinctive changes in the look of it fairly quickly. 

The largest problem with this whole issue is, once again, disclosure.  The purchasers of these goods are not being told that the material they are buying has been so aggressively treated nor are they being told about the special care needed in wearing the stones.  Because this material is so cheap (and trust me, if you see a 1 ct. ruby these days being sold for less than $500 you can pretty much be assured it's one of these stones) and it LOOKS good, people are buying it.  Unfortunately most consumers simply don't know enough about high quality gems to even ask the questions about the material.

The jewelry industry is, in this case, more than deserving of a lot of the blame.  Not only do most chain stores seem completely disinterested in disclosing treatments (or educating most of their sales staff) but the industry's self policing organization itself is in part to blame.  There is an organization known as the Jeweler's Vigilance Committee that is supposed to help police the industry over a number of issues including disclosure.  Unfortunately the JVC and I parted ways a few years ago when they announced that they didn't believe heat treatment of rubies needed to be disclosed.  Their logic went like this: Since almost all rubies are heat treated it doesn't matter if disclosure is made.  In my discussion with them, I pointed out that not a month earlier than they announced this decision, I had sold a fine 2 ct. natural color (unheated) ruby to a customer and that I had had absolutely no problem acquiring a half dozen unheated stones for him to look at.  While smaller stones are routinely heated it is still possible to get natural color stones so, as with all gem materials, full disclosure is necessary.  I pointed out to them at the time that their stance was going to lead to problems with the new flux infused material but they claimed it wouldn't be a problem.  A number of months later when more and more of the glass infused material was coming into the marketplace they came out with a new statement saying that material that might have durability issues should be disclosed.  Unfortunately by then the general feeling was that if the JVC says heat treatment in rubies doesn't have to be disclosed then this is just another form of heat treatment so why should we disclose it.

So what is the poor customer to do?  Well there are a number of things.  First of all, if it sounds to good to be true, it is.  So if you see someone trying to sell you a 2 ct. ruby for $1000, there is going to be a problem with the material.  Secondly, as I have said so many times in the past, buy from someone you can trust and with whom you have recourse if something is wrong (so don't buy something when you are overseas).  If possible look for reputable retailers who are members of the American Gem Trade Association (I am) who insist that all treatments be disclosed.  And then ask a lot of questions.  If the sales people don't really seem knowledgeable about topics like treatments buy somewhere else.  And quite honestly I wouldn't buy any significant sized ruby on line anywhere these days.  You just can't tell what you're getting.

The ruby ring in the picture has a 1.37 ct. oval ruby in it.  It has been heated but not aggressively.  Although it has a similar color to most Burmese material I don't believe that it is a Burmese stone.

Coming up soon:  Tax free weekend is August 16 and 17 this year.  My regular existing customers will know what that means.  Look for an email from us Friday!  In the next day or two I will have some pictures of a few more new pieces that are out.