Natural COLORS Educational Publication of the NCDIA Volume 3, Issue 1
Inside This Edition: Natural Pink Diamonds Collector’s Corner: The Pink Muse Tips from Retailers Member Impressions Argyle Pink Diamonds
Pink Diamond Edition
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N at ur a l CO LO R S
Table of Contents
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HUE
HUE
opk
PK
pPK
Saturation
Volume 3, Issue 1
Faint
very light
Tone
light
Faint
fancy light
fancy
intense
vivid
fancy RED
deep
very light
Board of Directors 2015
light
fancy light
fancy
intense
President Jordan Fine (JFine, Inc)
vivid
Deep
Fancy Red
© 2015 NCDIA. All Rights Reserved
4 Natural Pink Diamonds by Thomas Gelb
Vice President Alan Bronstein (Aurora Gems)
12 Members Impressions: Dreaming in Pink by Alan Bronstein, Aurora Gems Desiging with Color: The Fascination with Pink by John Glajz, John Glajz THG Argyle Pink Diamonds
Secretary/TreasureR Jeffrey Post (Gem Platinum) David Shara (Optimum Diamonds) Sean Moore (Borsheims)
by Josephine Johnson, Argyle Pink Diamonds
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Vice President Breanne Wittrock (Gunderson’s)
Brian Denney (Denney Jewelers)
Tips From Retailers:
Educational Director Thomas Gelb - tom@ncdia.com
Think Pink! by Michael Neuman, Mondial Neuman
Director Gino Di Geso - gino@ncdia.com
Pink Diamonds - A simple philosphy by Bruce Robinson, Bruce Robinson Jewelers
17 Collector’s Corner:
DESIGN/PRODUCTION Integrated Graphic Solutions 222 West 37 St., 6 Fl. New York, NY 10018 Tel: 212-255-4323 e-mail: brian@igsny.com
The Story of the Pink Muse by Barry Berg, William Goldberg
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22 West 48th Street 14th Floor New York, NY 10036 (212) 644-9747 Fax: (212) 840-0607
NCDIA Membership Benefits & Member’s List 2
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COVER: The Sakura Pink Flower Ring - Image courtesy of Labios Trading, Inc. (Japan)
HONORARY MEMBER
NCDIA is a non-profit, membership-based organization with multi-national members including mining companies, diamond and jewelry manufacturers, designers and retailers. The NCDIA’s mission to train, enlighten and educate the global community about natural color diamonds. Founded in 2003, NCDIA conducts dozens of programs each year - from in stores to online programs. These programs bring us one step closer to fulfilling our mission. NCDIA would like to personally thank all of our contributing writers and members, sponsors and affiliates for their continued support an as stance with our newsletter, events and programs. There are dozens of upcoming events happening at the NCDIA, so be sure to visit www.ncdia.com for up-to-date information.
JFINE
Natural Color Diamonds
UututututututuUututututututu
RC
Klein INC
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Natural Pink Diamonds Thomas Gelb, G.G., MBA Educational Director NCDIA
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Image courtesy of JFine, Inc.
P
ink diamonds have a long and fascinating history, but have only recently been available on a wide scale in the market on any consistent basis. Their color range is quite broad, ranging from the slightest hint of pink to the vibrant, highly prized hot pink color. Treated pink diamonds used to be rare and relatively simple to detect, but changes over the past 12-15 years have made them much more challenging to identify without laboratory equipment. Pink diamonds are among the rare and valuable of natural color diamonds, and range in size from tiny melee up to the tens of carats, although these larger sizes are quite rare. The future of pink diamonds seems tied to the Argyle mine in Australia, which is the primary source for pink diamonds and is expected to close within a decade— so these amazing gems are likely to become increasingly rare.
Mining Pink diamonds have been found all over the world. The Agra, found in India, is one of the first documented pink diamonds. This 28ct gem is renowned for its combination of strong color and amazing size. Pink diamonds have also been found in Brazil and southern Africa, but it was not until the opening of the Argyle mine in Australia in 1985 that there was any consistent source. Since then, a small but significant number of pink diamonds have been recovered from Argyle, the most important of which are sold annually in a tender. While there have been some struggles moving from an open pit mine to underground production, Argyle has been relatively consistent for the past 25 years.As Argyle is expected to close within 10 years, however, pink diamonds will again become extremely rare.
Bird’s eye view of the Argyle mine
MARKET
Origin of Pink Diamond color
Demand for pink diamonds has greatly increased in the past 10-15 years, thanks in part to celebrity attention, record breaking auctions and speculation that prices will increase as supply diminishes. For example, in the early 2000s, Jennifer Lopez received a pink diamond from Ben Affleck—one of several celebrity couples whose choice of pink diamonds helped enhance their popularity. In addition, many purchasers see pink diamonds specifically as good investments, since they are likely to become scarce in future.
In contrast to most other color diamonds, the exact origin of the color of the vast majority of natural pink diamonds is not yet fully understood. The prevailing view is that pink diamonds get their color from the distortion of the crystal lattice at the molecular level. At a basic level, a diamond of pure carbon will have no color because all light will pass right through the diamond with nothing within the diamond vibrating to cause absorption in the visible range. The vast majority of diamonds (and the majority of pink diamonds as well) contain some nitrogen within the crystal structure. When nitrogen bonds with carbon, an electron is freed to vibrate and will often absorb some light, causing a color to appear in a diamond. In a pink diamond the pink color seems to be the result of a misalignment of the diamond’s crystal structure. This misalignment of carbon atoms leaves space for vibrations to occur when energy in the form of visible light passes through
Given the very high prices and current rarity of larger pink diamonds, a good deal of pink diamond sales consist of small accent pink diamonds set in rose gold around colorless or other less expensive natural color diamonds. Even small pinks, 0.20-0.50ct, can be set in creative ways with rose gold and accent stones to make a substantial piece of jewelry. Many consumers today search for argyle pink diamonds that are accompanied by an Argyle authenticity inscription and certificate. This is one way Argyle has added value and provenance to its stones. Statistically, very few pink diamonds are of VS quality. This especially applies to super saturated argyle pinks. As a result, VS quality pinks have commanded a premium in the marketplace. A deeper discussion of clarity statistics follows later in this article. According to GIA, natural color diamonds represent approximately 3% of their submissions. The 2nd most “common” color description is diamonds described as predominately pink which is approximately 5%. It is important to remember this category includes descriptions such as orangy pink, purplish pink, brownish pink and brown-pink as well as pink. Other color descriptions represent very small percentage of intake. This percentage breakdown has remained relatively consistent over the years.
Images Courtesy of Optimum Diamonds & Hartmanns
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the diamond. These vibrations absorb light in the green, yellow, and orange regions of the spectrum, leaving a pink color. Crystal distortion can also result in a brown color in diamonds, though the exact mechanism for the creation of brown is now understood. It is not clear why some crystal distorted diamonds exhibit a pink color and others brown, but brown is much more common. And many crystal-distorted diamonds display combinations of brown and pink.
necessary to be considered a color diamond. In the images above you will note that this range begins at Faint Pink; any diamond that has less intensity than a Faint would receive a letter grade ranging from D-F. As pink diamonds get progressively stronger, their color can get nearly as saturated as a diamond can. As the pink hue of a diamond gets darker in tone (moving from top to bottom on the chart), brown becomes more and more visible, eventually overcoming the pink in the diamond and producing a predominantly brown diamond.
The cause of the distortion is thought to be heat and pressure. The extreme pressure and heat to which diamonds are subjected during their formation and trip to the earth’s surface can, on rare occasions, lead the crystal to distort at the molecular level and result in a pink color.
Grading Methodology
The strength of the color of pink diamonds may be related to the extent of crystal distortion, but this as yet remains unproven. What is known is that the stronger the color of pink diamonds, the more rare they become. In a comprehensive study published in 2002, the GIA viewed over 1,300 pink diamonds and only 4% were graded as Vivid (Gems & Gemology Summer 2002). Much has been written about the similarities and differences between type I and type II pink diamonds (again see Gems & Gemology Summer 2002). Very briefly, the difference between the types is the presence of nitrogen in a diamond. Pink diamonds can be of both types of diamonds, which is unusual in the world of natural color diamonds. Typically, the color in natural color diamonds is related to the presence of nitrogen, but only in pink and brown diamonds do the colors appear in both types I and II. This does not mean, however, that there are not differences between pink diamonds of both types. In general the most strongly colored pink diamonds are type I, although this may be related to the fact that the vast majority of pink diamonds come from the Argyle mine, which are almost exclusively type I. As with other diamonds type II diamonds are generally larger than type I diamonds. This is likely related to how diamonds form. While diamonds are forming, the crystal grows in a layered fashion, which results in cleavage planes. In nitrogen rich diamonds these layers can have different amounts of nitrogen in consecutive layers. This causes a misalignment at the molecular level and a weakness between these layers. As a diamond rises to the surface, as noted earlier, it is put under a great deal of stress. This can cause diamonds to cleave (break along their cleavage planes) into a few pieces. In type II diamonds, however, there are no nitrogen related weaknesses in their growth planes so they are much more likely to reach the surface intact. So, while under the ground type I and II diamonds may be of similar size, by the time they reach the surface, type II diamonds are much more likely to have maintained their size.
As with all diamond grading, the grades for color diamonds are determined with a very specific grading methodology. The diamonds are only graded in the face-up position; it makes no difference how a diamond looks table down, or how much color is actually present--only the face-up appearance is graded. The diamonds are graded in a color box (The Judge II in the case of the GIA) so that no external objects will distract the grader. The lighting is also controlled—a “daylight equivalent” bulb is used that mimics daylight. It is important to note that many diamonds will look different under different lighting. This can be true of pink diamonds for a few reasons. First, many pink diamonds exhibit a moderate to strong blue fluorescence. Since these grading bulbs contain some ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths, the color appearance of pink diamonds with medium to very strong blue fluorescence will often look deeper or richer if viewed in a UV-free light source than those without this fluorescence. However, since sunlight and many other lights used for diamond evaluation have even more UV content than that of the Judge II, fluorescent pink diamonds that look “better” may in fact have a lower color grade than those without fluorescence. Second, the way pink diamonds absorb light can also produce a different look under different lighting conditions. When viewed in the form of a graph, the spectrum of a pink diamond shows a broad absorption band centering in the yellow range of color. This, along with the sharp absorption peaks in the blue region of the spectrum, produces a pink coloration. Different lighting conditions have their own spectral peaks. So, for example, if a pink diamond is put under a standard incandescent bulb, which has strong peaks in the yellow region, the diamond will absorb this region of the spectrum more heavily and the diamond may appear more orange or brown than in a different lighting environment.
Pink Color range The range of color in pink diamonds is quite broad, ranging from a subtle pink blush, to the rich color of a raspberry. The GIA color grades for pink diamonds begin at Faint and, as their saturation increases, run through Very Light, Light, Fancy Light, Fancy, and Fancy Intense, to Fancy Vivid. Diamonds that are darker in tone may receive grades of Fancy Dark (Weaker in saturation), or Fancy Deep (stronger in saturation). If a diamond in this hue range is both very dark in tone and very strong in saturation it may receive a grade of Fancy Red. This combination is quite rare and will not be a focus of this article. Only a tiny minority of all diamonds contains some pink and it is when this color becomes as pronounced as a G or H on the D-Z color scale does the diamond attain the level of saturation Images courtesy of JFine, Inc. & Amgad
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Pink Diamond reference chart HUE
HUE
opk
PK
pPK
Saturation Faint
very light
Tone
light
Faint
fancy light
fancy
intense
vivid
fancy RED
deep
very light
light
fancy light
fancy
intense
Deep
vivid
Fancy Red
© 2015 NCDIA. All Rights Reserved
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A word about nomenclature The GIA system uses similar terminology to that of other color science-based systems, avoiding more “fanciful” terms or descriptors that may be imprecisely defined. Those in the trade are not bound to such conventions, however, and thus use a wide variety of terms, such as “Hot Pink,”“Peachy,” or “Cotton Candy,” to describe diamonds that the GIA would call pink, brown, or some combination thereof. While these more evocative terms and others may not mean the same things to all people, this lack of precision does not preclude their use or mitigate their usefulness throughout the trade. These terms also can lend an aura of romance to the pink diamonds which can be appealing and attractive to customers and which standard grading terminology generally lacks.
clarity. So the relationship between high and low clarity is likely closer to 75% low clarity and 25% high clarity. In terms of size, again the only comprehensive study is the GIA’s, which suggests that close to 90% of all pink diamonds are less than 3 carats, and less than 1% are above 10 carats. Again this may be skewed towards the larger diamonds, as the GIA at the time the article was written would only grade diamonds of 0.23ct or above (GIA now grades 0.05cts and up). This means that the study would have excluded all melee pink diamonds. The inclusions of pink diamonds are similar to those of other diamonds of similar type. Type I pink diamonds often have inclusions of other minerals, a common one being garnet. One category of inclusion, internal graining, is found in a great deal of type I pink diamonds. This feature is related to the plastic deformation that is common to all pinks. It is much more visible in type I diamonds than type II. Type II diamonds are much less likely to have internal inclusions, and thus have higher clarity grades overall. If they have inclusions at all, they are much more likely to have dark graphite or graphite-like carbon inclusions or feathers.
Cutting In general, pink diamonds are cut into all shapes. As with most fancy colors round pink diamonds do not display their color very well, as the modern round brilliant is designed for colorless diamonds to maximize brilliance and fire. In contrast, natural color diamonds are cut to maximize their color. Only very strongly saturated diamonds tend to be cut as rounds, since the loss of color will not be as much of an issue. Because of this there are fewer round pink diamonds than pink diamonds of other shapes and they can often command a premium. To a lesser extent, this is true of princess and emerald cuts as well. Shapes-- and their relative availability--are often a considerable part of the sales process. Rough Argyle pink diamonds marked for cutting
Clarity, Size & Inclusions In terms of clarity, pink diamonds basically run the gamut from imperfect through flawless. According the Gems and Gemology study mentioned earlier, almost exactly half of all pink diamonds studied were VS or above, and half below. This result, however, may be a bit skewed towards the higher clarity diamonds, as GIA reports of lower clarity diamonds can omit all grading beyond color at the clients’ request, and thus those diamonds would have been excluded from the study. A total of 1,490 diamonds were studied, but only 691 were given clarity grade-likely because most of those 800 or so ungraded diamonds were of low
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The layering type of growth common in type I diamonds creates an unusual effect in pink diamonds. It is very common when viewing a pink diamond under magnification to see pink bands or lines running parallel to the growth planes of the diamond (some people refer to these as grain lines). When cutting a pink diamond from rough, a cutter must take these pink bands into account. If the orientation is wrong, these bands will be visible through the crown and the color will appear banded. Occasionally these bands will appear brown in one direction and pink in another. Such pink and brown banded stones are thought to come mainly from Russia and Canada (and frequently have a medium to strong purple element in their hue). Because cutters must add the banding to all of the other factors they must weigh, cutters may study pink type I diamonds for long periods of time before they even start work.
Pink diamond on a cutting wheel
These pink color bands are common within Natural Color Pink Diamonds.
Detection: Treatments & Synthetics High Pressure High Temperature Processing (HPHT) Followed by Irradiation and Annealing A multi-step, complicated treatment process exists that can create a pink diamond.To start we need to discuss another way that diamonds can be pink. As noted in the “origin of color” section above, most pink diamonds are the result of crystal misalignment. A very rare category of pink diamonds is created through natural irradiation. As mentioned in an earlier issue of Natural Colors, nitrogen can be in many different groupings within a diamond. When first incorporated within a growing diamond, a nitrogen atom is attached only to carbon atoms this is known as single substitutional nitrogen. In the vast majority of cases these nitrogen atoms will combine with other nitrogen atoms, but in rare cases they remain alone. This gives rise to a very strong yellow color. If a single substitutional nitrogen diamond is subsequently exposed to radiation and heat the color can change to pink. This is a very rare set of circumstances and the percentage of natural color pink diamonds colored in this way is much less than 1%. These diamonds are usually quite pale and very light in tone. The telltale sign of this category of pink diamond is a moderate to very strong orange fluorescence. When diamonds first started being treated with radiation to create yellows, there were rare instances of diamonds appearing pink or red. One dealer described them to Bob Crowningshield of the GIA as “freaks.” After much study, and with help from technological advances, these diamonds were shown to possess single substitutional nitrogen atoms before their treatment, which was the cause of the very strange color. Even after this discovery, however, this treatment method never caught on—both because of the rarity of the necessary starting material and the fact that most single substitutional diamonds are a very strong yellow color to begin with. Treating them would greatly reduce their value. High pressure high temperature (HPHT) processing has changed this equation significantly. When a diamond with nitrogen that is grouped together (aggregated nitrogen) is put under HPHT conditions, some of the bonds between the nitrogen can break, creating the single substitutional nitrogen necessary to create pink color through irradiation and annealing. Color: the color of artificially irradiated pink diamonds tends to be extremely strong, almost always outside of the natural range of color diamonds.
Color zoning: The vast majority of pink natural color diamonds have the color banding mentioned earlier. In the case of artificially irradiated pink diamonds, the color is generally near the culet, as this is where the radiation treatment is often performed. The banding is a very good indication of natural color. Fluorescence: Most natural color pink diamonds fluoresce blue to both long wave and short wave ultraviolet (UV) light, with the intensity varying from weak to strong. Artificially irradiated pink diamonds, by contrast, usually have a very unusual moderate to strong orange color when exposed to UV light. A very small number of natural pink color diamonds will also have this type of orange fluorescence, but the color of these diamonds is generally quite weak. Given the number of tests needed to confirm treatment, it is generally necessary to send suspect diamonds to a qualified laboratory for confirmation. But a rejection of all orange fluorescent pink diamonds would be a good easy test for melee separation. High Pressure High Temperature Treatment of Type II diamonds The other possible treatment for pink diamonds is confined to those with little to no nitrogen in their crystal structure. HPHT processing can change the color of a brownish type II or very low nitrogen type I diamond to pink, though the exact mechanism that causes the change is not well understood. It is possible that these diamonds possess an underlying pink color that is masked by the stronger brown component. With the elimination of the brown color the pink becomes dominant. Of the HPHT treated pink diamonds this author has seen, the color is usually centered around the Fancy grade. Often there is still a touch of brown in these diamonds which can be apparent to those who have viewed a large number of these diamonds. Additionally, if a jeweler is capable of separating a type I diamond from a type II diamond, then HPHT detection becomes less necessary as this treatment applies only to Type II diamonds. There are a number of diamond-type separators on the market that jewelers can use for just this purpose, though they are not foolproof. Unfortunately at this point, the best methods for detecting this type of treatment are highly technical and only well-equipped gemological laboratories are able to prove natural or treated origin. Coating Another possible treatment is coating, in which a foreign substance is applied to the surface of a diamond to enhance or create its pink appearance. About 5 or 6 years ago, a large group of coated pink diamonds was introduced into the diamond market. Some of these
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diamonds were weakly colored pink diamonds that had been coated to enhance their color. Since these diamonds were already pink, the gemological evidence necessary to prove treatment was very limited. The only foolproof method available to the standard gemologist was— and still is—to use magnification, especially a microscope. On a clean, uncoated diamond surface, only polish lines should be visible under a microscope; anything else must be suspect. For example, a coated surface will often appear iridescent when light reflects off of it. Again, proof of natural origin must take place at the laboratory level, but the microscope method can help separate natural diamonds from those that may not be. Synthetics Two types of synthetic pink diamonds are currently on the market, as both HPHT-grown synthetics and CVD grown synthetics can be treated to create pink colors. Similar to multi-step treated diamonds HPHT-grown pink synthetic diamonds start out as yellow and undergo artificial irradiation to get their pink color. These man-made diamonds are grown in a different environment than their natural counterparts, and this growth is a key to their detection. The growth appears often in an hourglass shape when visible within a synthetic diamond. This type of growth pattern is extremely uncommon in a natural color diamond. Often, too, a pink diamond that does not have the classic color bands but instead has color visible in wedges should be highly suspect. This growth is also commonly visible under UV light, specifically short wave. Also, since most synthetic pink diamonds undergo a similar treatment to treated color pink diamonds the orange fluorescence is similar. Another detection method is to view the inclusions (if any) within a diamond. The most common inclusions are metallic, which have very high relief (brightness). Also common are tiny pinpoint-like inclusions (also metallic) that are unusually arrayed within a synthetic diamond. Unlike natural diamonds, these inclusions appear evenly dispersed within a stone, while in natural diamonds they are either part of clouds or by themselves in no coherent pattern.
The future of pink diamonds Pink diamonds are unusual among natural color diamonds for several reasons, as noted above. But they are even more unusual because their source traces to just a single mine, which is expected to be played out in the next 10 years. Also as noted above, many investors are snapping up natural color pink diamonds in the expectation of significant price increases as supply dwindles. It is not the role of the NCDIA to get involved in value or pricing, but the long-term prospects for pink diamond supply are clear. Unless another diamond mine starts producing pink diamonds with some degree of regularity, these diamonds will only become more rare in the future. The ease with which people can learn about these extraordinary gems has made it that much more important for all of us in the industry to educate ourselves. Presenting yourself as an expert on these diamonds will only be effective if you are, in fact, an expert. NCDIA provides this newsletter, seminars, the NCDIA website, and all of our collateral information to help NCDIA members attain the necessary level of expertise to grow their businesses.
CVD-grown synthetics undergo similar processes to create their pink coloration. It Is currently believed that all pink CVD-grown synthetics are irradiated and annealed in a similar fashion to both natural diamond treated pink diamonds and HPHT synthetic pink diamonds. As before, orange fluorescence is quite common in these stones, and anything with this UV reaction should be considered quite suspect. Other features that may stand out are the even coloration of these synthetics. Most natural pink diamond display quite obvious color bands, especially type I diamonds. As with seemingly all color diamonds nowadays, confirmation from a laboratory is vital.
Images courtesy of Gemcut, S.A.
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Member Impressions Dreaming In Pink by Alan Bronstein, Aurora Gems While it is true that diamond can appear in Nature in virtually every color, Pink and it’s delicate shades appears to be the color that appeals to most women in the endless varieties that run the gamut in this world of various taste. I say this from my own personal experience of 35 years showing countless ladies (and often their mates too) a variety of colors to figure out what makes their heart flutter most. Hands down, the Cherry Blossom, Lilac, Rose, or Strawberry Pink Diamonds always provoked the strongest sighs. It is the most feminine of colors. Before 1984, Pink Diamonds were one of the scarcest of all the colors and most stones tended to be subtle or blush in tone. The very few stones that existed had come from India until the 1700’s and in the last century South America and Africa. In 1984, the special colors that were revealed in the Argyle Mine of Australia pushed the envelope for the potential and variety of Natural Pink Diamonds. It is fate that majority of these phenomenal stones are smaller than half carat as a cut stone. It us unfortunate for consumers that there are limited number of stones larger than 1ct and that only a few dozen above 2 carats exists. Be comforted that there are 5,10, 20 and 50 carat Pink Diamonds from other sources of the world but they are out of reach of the average consumer or collector.
Pink Diamonds from the Argyle Mine have given 1000’s of people that opportunity to have that fantasy color diamond. But it does not come cheap with relatively limited supply. The demand has grown and new awareness of these small wonders has created a current frenzy to own a piece of the rock. The strawberry pinks are the cream of the crop. Having been blessed to watch the evolution of the color diamond consciousness, the Pink Diamonds that come from the Argyle Mine are the major force that has opened the door for all the colors and set the standard for the most extraordinary saturated Pink Diamonds. Having attended the Argyle Tenders since its inception, and seen their sweetest stones, it is understandable how these varieties of Pinks are a girls “best-best” friend. Image courtesy of Aurora Gems
“It is understandable how these varieties of Pinks are a girls best-best friend”
Images courtesy of Aurora Gems
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Designing with Color: The Fascination with Pink by John Glajz, John Glajz THG We have seen it grow year after year. Pink Diamonds have become a class of it’s own and a regular news item. Whether you seen or heard about them from international auction houses announcing “record sales” or High End Jewelry brands launching their haute couture pieces featuring pink diamonds or from celebrity endorsement such as Jennifer Lopez’s first engagement ring “the J.Lo pink” it all adds to the fascination. Consumers are generally attracted to rarity and exclusivity, so demand can only go up in the years to come. The current trends in pink diamonds vary from classical to avant-garde, depending on diamond sizes. As a designer and collector, John Glajz has been working with Argyle Pink Diamonds for more than 20 years. You could almost call it a love affair. The colors of these stones have a magical quality. The fact that they may become extinct, with end of mine life fast approaching, makes them even more alluring.
We have purchased numerous tender stones and many carats of melee to create designs (pictured) around them using the Argyle Pink Diamond brand. We have created individual jewels and limited editions, including minted coins and ingots. The inspirational advice that I would like to share for up and coming designers is to just be innovative and daring. Take into account the current fashion trends and remember after all, the jewelry needs to compliment what she is wearing.
“Take into account the current fashion trends and remember after all, the jewelry needs to compliment what she is wearing”
Images courtesy of John Glajz THG
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Member Impressions Argyle Pink Diamonds by Josephine Johnson, Argyle Pink Diamonds
In the remote East Kimberley region of Western Australia,
the Argyle Diamond Mine produces over 90% of the world’s
Mother Nature was quietly harbouring her greatest treasures
supply of pink diamonds, just one tenth of one percent of the
for some one and a half billion years. Then, from one hundred
mine’s production is pink.
miles beneath the Earth’s surface came diamonds so beautiful and so powerful that nothing compared to their colour and brilliance. Captivating from the outset, pink diamonds from the Argyle Diamond Mine (pictured below) have continued to capture the hearts of all who have come into contact with them since their discovery in the late 1970s. Argyle pink diamonds offer a spectrum and intensity of colour that is unmatched by any other pink diamond, and even though
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The Argyle mine is now fully operational as an underground mine which will extend its life to at least 2020. After 30 years this iconic mine continues to excite connoisseurs, collectors and jewellers the world over. Over the past 30 years, Argyle Pink Diamonds’ most exceptional stones have been sold by invitation-only tender. The development of the annual Argyle Pink Diamonds Signature Tender was a significant contributor to establishing
Necklace image courtesy of LJ West Diamonds.
the global profile of Argyle pink diamonds. Viewings of a limited selection of the most exceptional polished pink diamonds produced each year take place at various locations around the world, and a small number of invited customers lodge sealed bids for individual or multiple diamonds. It is these Signature Tender diamonds that defy gravity in the appreciation of their value year on year. In line with public auction results for rare diamonds, the rarity and collectability of Signature Tender diamonds track the art market much more closely than white diamonds or commodities. The 2015 Signature Tender not only features a strong suite of trademark Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink diamonds but headlines with four exceptionally rare Fancy Red diamonds (see picture below).
Image courtesy of Argyle Pink Diamonds
An exclusive group of retailers under the Argyle Pink Diamond’s
Provenance and chain of custody is part of the Argyle DNA.
Select Atelier™ program have been appointed under trademark license
Argyle Pink Diamonds has always retained its finest quality
agreements to sell Argyle pink diamonds with an unbroken chain of
pink diamonds for polishing in Western Australia. It takes
custody. Each diamond over 0.15 carats is inscribed and sold with a
over a year and many careful hands for a rough Argyle pink
Gem Identification Document and each Select Atelier™ must meet a
diamond to journey from the mine to its final destination
demanding set of criteria in order to be invited to the program ensuring
as a polished gem in the Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender. In
360 degree beauty for these most sought after and rare gems. It is these
the Perth manufacturing facility, a small team of artisans
trusted craftsmen who create one-off and limited edition heirloom
meticulously works on the rarest pink stones, to transform
pieces of jewellery and add their name to an illustrious roll call of history
them into polished diamonds and enduring heirlooms of
alongside Graff, Tiffany, Chopard, Kuchinsky, Moussaieff and Asprey.
future generations.
The Argyle Diamond Mine produces over 90% of the world’s supply of pink diamonds, just one tenth of one percent of the mine’s production is pink. The 2015 Tender, known as the “Connoisseur’s Collection”, comprises only 65 diamonds weighing a total of 44.14 carats.
Hero diamonds from the 2015 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender collection courtesy of Argyle Pink Diamonds
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Tips From Retailers Think Pink!
by Michael Neuman, Mondial Neuman
Fresh out of high school in Australia, I went to study gemology at the Santa Monica campus of the GIA in 1982, hoping to join the family jewelry business. Of all the fascinating facts and information we were taught, a few brief lines about diamond production in Kalimantan (on the island of Borneo) stood out and stuck in my mind. What was noteworthy was that the mines of Kalimantan produced an unusually high proportion of color diamonds. This fascination with color diamonds has stayed with me ever since and through our company’s close association with the Argyle mine, we have been fortunate to build a business predicated on Pink Argyle diamonds. Every pink diamond is an individual, each one unique and slightly different. They offer an invitation to create pieces of jewelry that are one of a kind, even if simple and relatively affordable. As a retailer, this allows you purchase and sell goods, which are not identical to your competitors. The variations of shade and color lend themselves to creating pieces of jewelry that are individual, expressive, unique and unusual.
As a consumer, the appeal is to own something which is a rare, natural treasure of the earth. They can be sold on the idea that pink is the natural color of love, they can be sold on the fact that pinks are a rare and unique diamond worthy of being an heirloom to pass down to future generations. They can be sold on the idea of each item being like a tiny, one-off artwork, which is theirs and theirs alone, like none other, which may also (like some artwork) appreciate in value over time. They can be sold on the fact that Argyle pinks are mined in an environmental friendly and socially beneficial way. By people who receive holidays, medical benefits and superannuation! We have been making and selling pink diamond jeweler for almost 30 years and while some are expensive, others are modestly priced. If a client truly wants a pink diamond, something can always be made to fit the budget, the trick is managing the customers’ expectations about size and that can only be achieved through education and high levels of customer service. Simple contrasts of color can bring out the best in lighter shades, as can the use of matt finish to highlight the diamonds, or setting in rose gold against a platinum or white gold background. We wish all our colleagues the best of luck using these remarkable, rare diamonds and welcome any queries for advice regarding their utilization and sale.
“The allure of pink diamonds is based on their uniqueness and rarity – both from a consumer and retailer perspective” Images courtesy of Mondial Neuman
Pink Diamonds – A simple philosophy by Bruce Robinson, Bruce Robinson Jewelers (Australia) Pink Diamonds give us a rare privilege to handle such beauty, and a store of wealth like no other. Bruce Robinson Diamonds have handled fine color diamonds for over four decades, and the natural pink diamond is my sweet spot. I once said “There are truck loads of diamonds in the world, but only a suitcase of ones you’d want to own”. This effectively became the mantra for Bruce Robinson Diamonds. Pink diamonds offer us a means to fill any brief, for any client. Whether purchasing a pink diamond for that special dress, proposing with the ultimate engagement ring, or the storing of wealth in an alternative form - pink diamonds will tick all the boxes. One of the key considerations when deciding to invest in pink diamonds is who to trust when sourcing such a rare and exclusive commodity. All too often, hype and urgency become the key drivers to making the purchase. Too hasty a purchase decision could spell disaster. When selecting a natural pink diamond (or any color diamond), you
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must always consider its custodian - both now and in the future. To be privileged enough to be acquiring one, but to also potentially be given a further opportunity to resell it when it returns to your fold is an honor in itself. You see, when/if it returns, and you already know why you acquired such a beautiful diamond in the first place. A good relationship with a good vendor is key. By developing such a relationship, the merchant understands you, your business, and your client, and therefore is better able to assist you with developing longevity in your commercial relationship. With 50+ years in the trade I have seen a lot of commercial relationships come and go, so take it from me when I say, find a reputable merchant who understands your objectives. In summary, your merchant is the key to well priced quality stock stock that was conceived for your business model. Be selective. Don’t hold stock your clients will never buy (even if you “bought well”). Be particularly discerning when committing to this fine pink beauty. Remember,“There are truck loads of diamonds in the world, but only a suitcase of ones you’d want to own.”
Collector’s Corner™
The Story of the Pink Muse By Barry Berg, William Goldberg
William Goldberg was an intuitive risk taker who loved to gamble
In order to reach the stone hidden away in the rough, Bill had to
on the biggest and best stones. More often than not, he succeeded.
cut away more than 75% of the original stone. Like an orchestra
Brilliantly.
director, he guided our incredible team of extraordinary diamond
In early 2000, the company was offered the opportunity to
cutters, making instant decisions that would affect the ultimate
purchase an extraordinary rough pink diamond. The forty-carat “super pink” beauty had been found in South America and Bill, as everyone who knew him affectionately called him, was
outcome. In the end, his intuition was 100% correct. A magnificent super-saturated bubblegum pink diamond of nine carats was revealed - its sexy shape and perfect clarity beautifully accenting
hypnotized by its beauty, and potential. But the rough stone was
its captivating color.
filled with flaws and obstacles. Removing them had the potential
Over the years, the William Goldberg company has had the
to significantly reduce the size of the polished stone.
privilege to turn some incredibly challenging pieces of rough into
Watching my father-in-law contemplate his options and discuss
the most rare and exquisite diamonds the world has known. The
them with his son, Saul, was an incredible education in what it
Pink Muse is one of our many favorites.
takes to be a successful cutter. Bill Goldberg was an innovator, able
With the addition of Saul’s son, Benjamin, a third generation of
to think outside the box. As a diamond cutter, he had a philosophy
intuitive risk takers continues to seek out the most challenging
that went against many diamond trade traditions. Conventional
rough and to create the most beautiful diamonds possible – just
wisdom said size was always important, and yield from the rough
the way Bill would have wanted it.
was crucial to making a profit. But Bill was willing to sacrifice anything, including profit if need be, to get the most beautiful diamond. He believed “the magic is in the make.” It’s a philosophy we honor to this day.
“A magnificent super-saturated bubblegum pink diamond of nine carats was revealed - its sexy shape and perfect clarity beautifully accenting its captivating color” Natural COLORS
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The NCDIA is a not for profit organization whose mission is to educate and promote global awareness and desire for Natural Color Diamonds. Learn more and join over 150 specialists in the world of Natural Color Diamonds.
Education The NCDIA provides it’s membership with the most current gemological information on Natural Color Diamonds. Take advantage of our seminar series programs, industry panel, courses, and sales training collateral.
Marketing & Events Every member has immediate access to NCDIA news, newsletters, press releases, calendar of events, meetings and a full spectrum of member networking channels. Don’t miss our seminars, product promotions, in-store retailer events, trade networking events and many more! Our events feature a wide variety of product from our global wholesale and manufacturing membership and have resulted in incremental sales up to 2 million dollars.
Membership Perks These companies are excited to offer special discounted rates, exclusive for NCDIA members only:
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NCDIA Member List NCDIA Wholesaler LIST
NCDIA RETAILER LIST
Absolute Brilliance, Inc..................................................USA Almor Designs........................................................................USA Amadena....................................................................................USA Amgad, Inc................................................................................USA American Gem Corp..............................................................USA Argyle Pink Diamonds........................................ Australia Belodiam.................................................................. Hong Kong Benma....................................................................................Israel CouturemarkTM....................................................................USA Dana Augustine, Inc.............................................................USA David Yurman.........................................................................USA DBS Diamonds..........................................................................USA DCNZ, LTD...............................................................New Zealand Dehres........................................................................ Hong Kong Diamond Envy.........................................................................USA Diamonds With A Story......................................................USA Diamwill........................................................................ Antwerp Diarough, N.V............................................................... Antwerp Dimex, Co. LTD..................................................................... Japan Dirgh Diamond Pvt. LTD.................................................. India Elie Brilliant Gems, Inc.....................................................USA Execellent Facets...............................................................USA EMD Diamonds...................................................................Israel Eurotrade BVBA........................................................ Antwerp Fancy Jewels............................................................... Antwerp Finesse Diamonds Corp.......................................................USA Forevermark..........................................................................USA Francis Errera LTD.............................................. Hong Kong Galaxy USA...............................................................................USA Gem Diamond Corp............................................... Hong Kong Gem Platinum..........................................................................USA Gemcut, S.A........................................................................Geneva Gemelody..................................................................................USA Glajz-THG PTE, Ltd.................................................. Singapore Global Diamond Group......................................................USA Goldstein Diamonds............................................................USA Great Diam HK........................................................ Hong Kong Herzaft & Rachminov Diamonds, LTD...................Israel Ishay Ben-David......................................................................USA Ismaili Diamonds...................................................................USA JFine, Inc.....................................................................................USA Julius Klein Group................................................................USA Kunming Trading Co........................................... Hong Kong Labios Trading.................................................................. Japan Lazar Diamonds.....................................................................USA Leibish & Co........................................................................Israel Le Vian.........................................................................................USA LJ West Diamonds..................................................................USA Manak Jewels..........................................................................USA N. Shah Diamonds...................................................... Antwerp Namdar, Inc..............................................................................USA Nice Diamonds.........................................................................USA Novel Collection.................................................................USA Optimum Diamonds...............................................................USA P.Hirani.................................................................................... India Prijems........................................................................................USA Prisma Fancy............................................................................USA Priti Gems.............................................................................. India Raphah, Inc...............................................................................USA Rio Diamond.............................................................................USA Rio Tinto Diamonds.................................................. Antwerp R.Klein, Inc................................................................................USA Sethi Couture.........................................................................USA Shelley & Co, Inc...................................................................USA SwissDiam..................................................................................USA VMK Diamonds, LTD.........................................................Israel VIP Diamonds............................................................................USA Vivaan.........................................................................................USA William Goldberg................................................................USA Windiam......................................................................................USA Yash Sethi.............................................................................. India YNY Fine Jewels......................................................................USA Yogendra Sethi.................................................................. India
Addessi Jewelers...................................................................USA Arthur’s Jewelers................................................................USA Bailey’s Fine Jewelry..........................................................USA BC Clark Jewelers................................................................USA Borhseim’s................................................................................USA Brown Goldsmiths...............................................................USA Bruce Robinson....................................................... Australia Carter’s Jewel Chest..........................................................USA Clodius & Co............................................................................USA Colonial Jewelers...............................................................USA David Craig Jewelers..........................................................USA Deja & Co....................................................................................USA Denney Jewelers...................................................................USA Devon Fine Jewelry..............................................................USA Dianna Rae Jewelry.............................................................USA Ecksand Jewelers........................................................Canada Ely & Co. Fancy Diamonds, Inc........................................USA Gaston Private Jeweler.....................................................USA George Walton’s Gold & Diamond Co........................USA Green & Co, International LLC......................................USA Grogan’s Jewelers...............................................................USA Guildhall Diamond, Inc....................................................USA Gundersons..............................................................................USA Hamilton Jewelers...............................................................USA Hartmanns.................................................................. Denmark Hyde Park..................................................................................USA Jack Lewis Jewelers............................................................USA JB Hudson...................................................................................USA Jonathan K Jewelry.............................................................USA Jones Bros. Jewelers...........................................................USA Josephs Jewelers...................................................................USA Jurrassic Jewelry......................................................... Taiwan Kim Barlett Master Jewellers...................... Australia Lampert, Inc.............................................................................USA Leigh Jewelers........................................................................USA Leonards Whole Diamonds.............................................USA Longs Jewelers......................................................................USA M. Lemp Jewelers...................................................................USA Marbill Jewelers..................................................................USA Masson Abram............................................ United Kingdom Mobcco Fine Jewellry & Gems........................................USA Mondial Neuman Jewelers............................... Australia Morgan’s Jewelers..............................................................USA Peter Jackson The Jeweller..................................London Pink Diamond Boutique...................................... Australia Rasko Diamonds...........................................................Canada Rasmussen Diamonds..........................................................USA Rico Gems...................................................................................USA RitanI...........................................................................................USA Rohan Jewellery.................................................... Australia Rosenberg Diamonds..........................................................USA Ross Elliot Jewelers...........................................................USA Sarah Leonard Fine Jewelers........................................USA Solomon Brothers Fine Jewelry..................................USA Solomon Jewelers................................................................USA Tappers Jewelers...................................................................USA The King’s Jewelers.............................................................USA Vivid Diamonds.......................................................................USA Wick & Greene Jewelers....................................................USA Yves Frey Diamonsd, Ltd. ..................... United Kingdom
Keep your eyes open for these logos from our NCDIA vendors, retailers and affiliates, when working with Natural Color Diamonds.
HONORARY MEMBER
MEMBER
AFFILIATE
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22 West 48th Street, 14th Floor New York, NY 10036 (212) 644-9747 Fax: (212) 840-0607 info@ncdia.com www.ncdia.com