that was a very interesting article in Wired Magazine!
In the August 15th issue of The Wall Street Journal there was a half
page advertisement from a compnay called “Diamond Essence”
(diamond-essence.com or telephone (800) 909-2525) offering 2 carat
gold stud earrings for sale for $45.00.
Apparently they also wholesale and sell loose stones . . .
Doug
Hello Doug and All: The web site you refer to
(http://www.diamond-essence.com/) is selling C.Z. jewelry not
synthetic diamond. Michael R. Mathews Sr. Victoria,Texas USA
If you read the FAQ on their page it states that the MOH hardness is
9, the same as for CZ and the also offer it in the now popular CZ
colors of pink and lavender, They offer no refractive index for the
material just a price of 25.00 per carat which is a bit steep even
for precision cut Cubic Zirconia, CZ Is CZ or "would a rose by any
other name smell so sweet "
Doug, Your reference to the +Diamond Essence+ advert. in Wired
Magazine is just that…a paid advertisement…not an article !
That ad has been regularly occurring in the" Los Angeles Times" and
the “Wall Street Journal” for a couple of months. You will note that
no reference is ever made to precise gemological characteristics nor
is there any hint of what the mineralogical constituency might be.
They could be selling a form of glass, a cubic zirconia, Moissanite
or any other fraud that resembles a diamond. They are certainly NOT
cultured diamonds !
The most remarakable aspect of the ad is that in every instance they
prominently state the following; “It even scratches glass !” Wow,
give me a friggin" break…what could possible scratch glass ? (
Just about every gemstone there is…!) When a commercial pitch
makes a stupid statement like this you know that you are dealing
with “con” artists. They obviously look down their noses at the
intelligence levels of the intended clients. Assuming this to be the
case, you wonder anout the demographic mix of the aforementioned
publications. I can see where the L.A. Times might be a wide mix of
readership and I can also understand why a disgruntled investor
might appreciate the costs savings of a diamond look alike, but I
find it hard to believe that a cyberspace techie would not see
through the ploy. Suckers beware ! Ron at Mills Gem, Los Osos, CA
Doug, According to their website, Diamond Essence stones are just
high quality CZ’z. They aren’t the same as the cultured diamonds.
Cultured diamonds are just that, diamonds.
Ryan
Okay, no need to discuss the ‘diamonds’ of diamond-essence, but does
anyone have any experience with the diamonds from Gemesis (referring
to the article in ‘Wired’)? If so, how does the public react to it?
Btw, the Diamond Center in Antwerp and the University of Ghent are
doing research on a procedure which would give diamonds some sort of
identification label. This ‘label’ would be located in the culet.
Weird, but absolutely true. I saw it on tv. when I was home. Will try
to find out more. Best, Will
William,
There was no article in “Wired”…it was an advertisement.
Furthermore, the ad did not purport to be selling
diamonds…merely" look alikes"
A propos of nothing, since you are Belgian, I wonder if you might
have any insight into the great Antwerp Diamond Bourse robbery which
took place awhile back. I find it hard to believe that one of the
largest robberies of all time could have been shoved under the table
as if it had never happened. It reeks of cover-up, although I can’t
imagine why. Could it possibly be that the Bourse was too
embarrassed to expose the truth ? Ron at Mills Gem, Los Osos, CA.
Dear Peter, Karen, Ron, Philip,
Thank you very much for your on topaz-citrine. I know
that these are different stones. I also know that citrine has been
sold as topaz (as Rene Newman notes in one of her books - it was not
my intention to suggest that Rio does so).
There was no article in "Wired".....it was an advertisement.
I clicked on a link (given by, I think, Beth Rosegard) and read an
article about an Carter Clarke, who founded Gemesis in FL, and is now
making diamonds (in collaboration with the uni. of FL) of which he
claims that they have the same physical, chemical and optical
properties than diamands which come out of the earth. I was wondering
if anyone has seen or used this diamonds and how customers react to
it.
(S)ince you are Belgian, I wonder if you might have any insight into the great Antwerp Diamond Bourse robbery which took place awhile back. I find it hard to believe that one of the largest robberies of all time could have been shoved under the table as if it had never happened.
Ron, I live in PA for the moment and, since there is nothing to do
here, I’m basically working myself to death (not that I am
complaining - as Heidegger, who hated to give biographical
once said about Aristotle, ‘Aristotle got born, he
thought, he died’ (now, let’s move on)). Watching the news, Fox News
for example, is a danger to my health as it makes me epileptic (are
these presentators on drugs??).
All I know is that the Antwerp Diamond Trade Center is a very closed
world. Behind the glitter are situations no one ever talks about, as
for example the low wages for the people who do the cutting and the
tax evasions. It is a public secret that the Diamond Trade in Antwerp
has been very liberal (to use an euphemism) with paying taxes, while
the government, in turn, has been very liberal towards them, as they
were/are afraid that important sellers would leave Antwerp if they
wouldn’t be generous. Antwerp is an anomaly in the Belgian political
geography anyhow. Yes, it is possible that the Trade Center was too
embarrassed to expose the truth, but I don’t know.
With best regards,
Will