cutting-polishing

Just imagine – a humble mapmaker’s son travels the ancient world, discovers fantastic treasures, rescues a damsel and rises to the highest levels of French aristocracy. If you don’t know the story, “The French Blue” is a terrific read for true-lovers of diamonds, gemstones, travel, excitement and romance. 

Four of the most magnificent diamonds in recent years have come from the same Lucara-owned Karowe Diamond Mine in Botswana in recent years. I thought to assemble a visual feast of delicious rough and how they polished. My sparkling smorgasbord even includes both light and dark meat.

Did you ever wonder what happened to the incredible Esperanza Diamond? After a charmed journey, but a failed auction, this national treasure is still for sale. Let’s re-visit her unique story and see where things stand today.

They had been smacking their lips at the Argyle diamond mine. They were hungry to receive the $10 million that beautiful, rare rough pink diamond would bring them. Alas, evil fate!

Last weekend I was asked to provide guidance for a quarantined self-gifter buying a diamond online. In order to make this online purchase she wanted a no-fail combination of weight, color, clarity and (drum roll, please) cut-quality.

This fascinating game gets played where the resources are rich, but the people are poor. It is like being on the stock market floor, I suppose. A point upward or downward can quickly bring delight – or defeat.

Considered a gift from the mermaids, this translucent gemstone became worn by ancient sailors for the protection it was thought to offer at sea. As we bring March to close it’s fitting to visit the wonderful aspects of this month’s birthstone, the aquamarine.

Dispersion is a physical constant. Fire is a variable aesthetic. Fortunately, the fact that these terms have been co-mingled and transposed over time creates an opportunity to revisit them and sharpen our skills as communicators.

Crack! Fracture! Cleavage! Gletz! These words are used to describe one of mother nature’s most common clarity characteristics. The feather. The dreaded feather. That notorious, ticking-time-bomb that could cause your diamond to EXPLODE!

The three largest diamonds ever found on planet Earth are under the control of three notable icons. So, where did they come from? How much did they cost? Where are they now? Take a look at three of the most unique and spectacular diamond crystals ever unearthed.

Florida adopted the moonstone as it’s state gem in 1970. But our ancestors believed they could touch the moon long before humans ever traveled to outer space.

For countless ages a steady stream of rough diamonds tumbled down the Orange and Vaal Rivers to the sea, washed there from inland volcanic pipes. Distributed far and wide along the coast by tidal activity, millions of carats now lie hidden beneath the territorial waters of Namibia.

Once upon a time… A lonely rough diamond met another. The two began growing together. For countless ages they shared […]