26.03.2012
Natural pink diamonds are very beautiful. It’s the most feminine of colors and much favored by celebrities. Pink diamonds have only been found in a few mines across the world. Today, the Argyle mine in Western Australia is famous for the number of pinks it produces. Making colored diamond jewelry is no piece of cake, [...]
10.02.2012
When I decided to open a store, I started travelling more to different jewellery conferences and sourced unique jewelry designers that Vancouver hasn’t seen. First designer that caught my eye was Margo Morrison. Margo cleverly uses a lot of different precious and semi-precious gemstones in all her jewellry. Her design is so simple but yet [...]
29.10.2010
Certificates are detailed diamond quality reports issued by accredited independent gemological labs . Here are the major reputable gemological laboratories in North America: GIA – Gemological Institute of America GIA is the most well known and respected laboratory in the world. It is also the most demanded diamond certificate. In its diamond report provides [...]
08.04.2010
Finally, I never should have bought anything else other than this. I thought it’s a little too expensive so I bought a proable one from somewhere else. After struggling for 3 months with this proable one, after wanting to throw it out the window from time to time, I finally bought the GIA polariscope. Yes it’s like $400 USD [...]
19.03.2010
My last lab class to take before becoming a Gemologist by GIA. I always fly to New York for GIA classes but I decided to go to GIA Taipei for a change this time. Why not? I was in Hong Kong two days before this class started anyways for the jewellery convention so might as well. I don’t like to pay [...]
04.12.2009
20 stone assignment for becoming a Graduate Gemologist from Gemological Institute of America (GIA). After a couple of try I finally successfully identified and seperated all of them. Laying all of them down on the floor, I am quite proud of what I have achieved. These stones are like little soliders for me, I [...]
27.10.2009
Fluorescence is the visible light some diamonds emit when they are exposd to invisible ultraviolet (UV) rays. On most diamond grading reports, fluorescence refers to the strength, or intensity of the diamond‘s reaction to long-wave US, which is an essential component of daylight. The light emitteed lasts as long as the diamond is exposed [...]
20.10.2009
I went to Banff, Alberta for a wedding last week and stopped by Calgary to see some friends on the way. I visited Glenbow museum and gallery and found there’s a big section dedicated to “minerals”. I thought I would share my experience. Although I’ve learned all about it, I am still just amazed how these rocks are [...]
22.06.2009
I was constantly asked about diamond simulants and synehtics diamonds. They are quite different. Any material that is not diamond or synehtic diamond, but which imitates a diamond‘s appearance and is used in its place. Diamond simulants can be either natural or manufactured, and they don’t have any of diamond‘s physical or chemical properties. They [...]
22.01.2009
So I am in NYC again first thing after New Year to take pearl grading lab class at the GIA. GIA developed and introduced the GIA Pearl Description System in 1998. Every pearl’s value is determined by 7 value factors. They are size, shape, color, luster, surface quality, nacre quality and matching. At the beginning [...]
