Welcome to: DIAMONDS NEWSLETTER         Issue: 2001-07

The diamond, gems and fine jewelry information resource for
clients and friends of Diamond Source of Virginia, Inc.
http://www.DSOURCEVA.com

(unsubscribe instructions at bottom of this newsletter)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If you know of someone who will be getting engaged or
celebrating a special event such as an anniversary, birthday,
or baby's birth forward this newsletter to them so they will
know where to save money on a diamond or fine jewelry!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
THIS ISSUE'S TOPICS
	July Birthstone: Ruby
	Color, Brilliance, and Fire
	Code Of Love
	National Museum Gems
	The Awesome Asscher Cut
	World Wide Diamond Sales Down
	Clarity Grading Guidelines
	Price Calculator
	Diamond and Jewelry Books
	Internet Marketing
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


JULY BIRTHSTONE: RUBY
=============================
Prized through out the ages, even by kings, ruby is the red
variety of the mineral corundum.  Historically, it has been
symbolic of love and passion, considered to be an aid to firm
friendship, and believed to ensure beauty.  Today's birthstone
for July, ruby's color ranges from purplish or bluish red to a
yellowish red.  The finest color is a vivid, almost pure
spectral red with a very faint undertone of blue, as seen in
Burmese rubies, which are considered the finest among serious
collectors.  Other sources of fine ruby are Thailand, Vietnam,
Cambodia, Kenya, Tanzani, and Azad Kashmir in Pakistan.  The
ruby is very brilliant and very hard.  It is also very durable
and wearable, characteristics that make it an unusually fine
choice for any piece of jewelry.

Translucent varieties of ruby are also seen, and one variety
exhibits a six-ray star effect when cut as a cabochon.  This
variety is called star ruby and is one of nature's most
beautiful and interesting gifts.  But, as with so many other
beautiful gifts once produced only in nature, these lovely gems
are now duplicated in synthetic star rubies and other
numerous "fake" rubies.  The newest laboratory-grown synthetic
rubies , like those made by Ramaura and Chatham, are so close
to natural in every aspect that many are passing as genuine.
Be cautious of bargains and when in doubt with a significant
purchase, request colored gemstone report from a major gem-
testing laboratory.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FREE DIAMOND JEWELRY!!!
Watch upcoming issues of Diamonds Newsletter for announcements
of an exciting new opportunity for subscribers to win FREE
Diamond Jewelry by referring friends to http://www.dsourceva.com
If you know of couples who have been going together for some
time and might be thinking of getting engaged in the future,
starting collecting their email addresses now.  More details
to follow.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

COLOR, BRILLIANCE, AND FIRE
=============================================
What at first glance looks like the color of a diamond is
really a combination of bodycolor, brilliance and dispersion.
Each is affected by both the basic nature of the diamond
crystal and the cutting proportions selected by the cutter.

When gem professionals speak of color, they usually mean
bodycolor, the basic color of an object.  It results from
selective absorption, which causes most of what we normally
think of color.  This is how it works: All white light is a
balanced blend of different colors of light.  When white light
is reflected by, or passes through, an object, the object may
absorb (or subtract) some of the colors; we see the remaining
blend as the object's bodycolor.  Bodycolor in a diamond can
best be seen looking at the diamond sideways against a white
piece of paper.

Brilliance is the total amount of light returned to the eye
by reflections from within the stone and from the surface.
When light strikes the surface of a gem, part of it is
reflected immediately and part of it enters the stone.  The
part reflected from the surface is the external component
of brilliance.  Cutter try to fashion gems so the back
facets create an internal mirror effect, reflecting light
that comes in from above to bounce back out through the top
of the stone.  This is the internal component of brilliance
that is largely responsible for the brightness and "life"
of the stone.

Dispersion, or fire, is a spreading and separating of
white light into its component, spectral hues.  Prisms
produce the most familiar examples of dispersion.  Diamonds
are more dispersive than most gems.

While a D color diamond will have no bodycolor, it can
show a great deal of color due to brilliance and
dispersion.  Because of the mirror effect, a diamond will
reflect the colors of its mountings, as well as the walls,
lights, and anything else around.  Likewise the bright
flashes of color in a diamond are likely the rainbow colors
resulting from the dispersion.


CODE OF LOVE
===================
For those who want to keep their private life private, to
declare their love covertly, Glasgow, Scotland, jeweler Eric N.
Smith has the answer: a range of bespoke luxury jewelry
embedded with round and rectangular diamonds which, like dots
and dashes, spell out messages in Morse code, the Financial
Times (FT) reports.

Morse code invented by American Samuel Morse in 1837, and for
years the international language for distress at sea has been
replaced by satellite technology. But an estimated 50 million
people worldwide are still familiar with it, and Smith thinks
there's a lot of mileage in his brainchild.

A keen amateur yachtsman qualified in Morse, Smith had the idea
while doing sketches for a new collection last year. It struck
him that the sequence of round and rectangular stones bore a
striking similarity to Morse code's dots and dashes.

Experimenting on a ring with the Morse equivalent of the word
"Always," he found it possible to fit the required number of
diamonds on the gold band, and the covert collection was born.

Smith generally embeds diamonds in yellow and white gold, to
create unique rings, bangles, pendants, earrings and cufflinks.
Because each piece is made to order, any precious stone and
metal combination is possible. A copy of the Morse translation
is also provided with each piece, so the recipient gets the
message.

There are people for whom even Morse is not obscure enough. "One
client from Los Angeles has a wife who loves unraveling ciphers,
secret messages and that sort of thing," says Smith. "He was on
the internet looking for a gift, saw our website and ordered a
ring with a message, part of the surprise being that she has to
work out what the symbols are in the first place - and then what
they mean."

Prices start at ?500 ($686 U.S.). If you want to cut the expense,
it's best to pick phrases heavy on the letter E, which in Morse is
represented by a single dot, the least expensive symbol to
replicate.


NATIONAL MUSEUM GEMS
==============================================
Curators at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of
Natural History are in the early stages of preparing an
exhibition, tentatively titled "Gemstones of the World," for
its grand opening here in the spring of 2004. After eight
months, the exhibit will take off on a three-year tour of the
country's major natural history museums, unleashing a wealth
of facts and fables about colored stones on the public.

The National Museum of Natural History is the most visited
museum in the world, with 10 million visitors annually. The
Hall of Gems gets about 80 percent of that traffic because
most people make a beeline straight for the Hope Diamond, the
most viewed object in the world with twice as many looks as
the Mona Lisa.



THE AWESOME ASSCHER CUT
====================================
In recent months we have noticed a definite increase in
demand for the once obscure Asscher cut diamond.

The Asscher cut was inspired by the table cuts of the
Renaissance, however, it was a big departure from the
brilliant cuts that dominated the 1800s and was a
forerunner of the standard emerald cut. Because of its high
crown and small table, the Asscher cut has more light and
fire than an emerald cut.

Check out the following internet address for excellent
background article on the Asscher cut and a photo of a
9.46 carat Asscher cut diamond ring.

http://www.professionaljeweler.com/archives/articles/2000/may00/0500v.html


WORLD WIDE DIAMOND SALES DOWN
====================================
De Beers said its rough diamond sales in the first half of the
year was $2.62 billion, a 26% drop from last year's record high.
The company says the downturn is due to a global economic
slowdown and falling demand in the United States, the world's
biggest market for the cut and polished stones used in jewelry.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Diamond Source of Virginia is looking for ways to reach
potential diamond buyers.  Our marketing challenge is that
these shoppers usually keep it a secret until they have made a
purchase and presented the gift.  This is your chance to win
Free Diamond Jewelry for providing great marketing ideas.
Watch for more details in the next newsletter.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


CLARITY GRADING GUIDELINES
================================
There are no absolute rules that make a particular diamond fall
into one clarity grade or another.  Because every diamond is
unique and there is an endless variety of "clarity pictures"
just like every snowflake is different, each stone must be
judged on its own merits.

The more diamonds one looks at, the easier it becomes to judge
which clarity grade a stone falls in.  The general steps for
clarity grading are as follows:

1) Clean the stone.  Dust particles will likely be larger than
most inclusions so the cleaner the stone, the easier it is to
see the inclusions.
2) Examine the stone face up with a 10x magnification and
preferably with a microscope with darkfield illumination.
3) Note your first impression of the severity of its
inclusions.  The first call is usually the most accurate.
4) Examine the stone from the side, around the girdle and
through the crown and pavilion.  Note all characteristics
including size, number, position, nature, color, and relief.
5) Review the stone face-up and assign a general clarity
classification.  If you have to look for quite a while (with
10x magnification) to find any inclusions, consider VVS.  If
it takes a few seconds to find the inclusions, it is
probably VS.  If you notice them immediately, SI seems likely.
If they are obviously eye-visible, the stone probably merits
an I grade.
6) Make the distinction between VVS1-VVS2, VS1-VS2, SI1-SI2,
or I1-I2-I3 as needed.
7) Call the grade.  If you study too much, your intial gut
feel which is usually right, tends to get clouded by analysis.



PRICE CALCULATOR
================
Probably the most popular feature of our web site is the
diamond price calculator where shoppers can input a shape,
color grade, clarity grade, and carat weight to determine
an estimate of our price for that type of diamond.  If you
haven't tried it yet, check it out at:
http://www.dsourceva.com/cost.htm#calc


DIAMOND AND JEWELRY BOOKS
=========================
One of the best ways to be a better shopper for diamonds and
fine jewelry is to read one or more of the great books
listed at the following web page:
http://www.dsourceva.com/books.htm


INTERNET MARKETING
=========================
If you or any of your friends have a web site and want to know
how to get more visitors, check out some of the tools we have
found to help with internet marketing at:
http://www.dsourceva.com/internetmarketing.htm


TOPICS FOR FUTURE NEWSLETTERS
=============================
If you have any topics, questions, or issues you would like to
see addressed in future DIAMOND NEWSLETTERS, please send us
an email. Thank you.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If you wish to unsubscribe to this newsletter, simply reply to
this email and in the subject line put only the words:
        unsubscribe diamonds
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Denny & Anne Reinke
Denny@DSOURCEVA.com
1-888-477-8385 (toll free)
Diamond Source of Virginia, Inc

http://www.DSOURCEVA.com