US Wobble Takes Shine off Pandora Sales

 

Pandora jewellery

 

Pandora reported strong growth in the first quarter, but US store closures and sluggish mall traffic dented its performance stateside.
Global sales jumped 9% year on year to $756.9 million (DKK 5.16 billion), while net profit increased 4% to $199.7 million, the Denmark-based volume jeweler reported Tuesday.
The rise was mainly due to a 46% surge in revenue at Pandora-owned concept stores, which came to $270.4 million, driven by an increase in the number of stores. In the US, revenue fell 7%, or 10% in local currency.
While the company added a net 21 concept stores in the US in the past year, it closed about 600 other points of sale in the fourth quarter of 2016 and suffered from a decline in mall traffic, the retailer explained.
A one-off shipment to Signet Jewelers-owned brand Jared a year earlier also had an impact on the sales decline. “The retail climate in the US remains difficult, which was reflected in our performance in the US for the quarter,” said Pandora CEO Anders Colding Friis.

Source:diamonds.net

Oval cut diamond engagement ring

1.02 D colour Vs2 Oval brilliant cut diamond, set in a four claw 18K white gold hand made ring. A Future Classic !

From: DCLA Diamonds

The Four Excellents Of Diamonds

Proportion or Cut is considered the most important characteristic of a diamond as it has the biggest effect on the light performance and brilliance. But this is not the only important characteristic.

At the DCLA Laboratory, Proportion is graded along side Symmetry, polish and importantly the Transparency. This is why DCLA Diamond Exchange Four Ex Diamonds are the most sought after for those who want the finest diamonds available.
To ensure the highest quality, DCLA works with the finest rough diamond producers from South Africa, Antwerp,Israel and India.
Each diamond is then meticulously analysed by our Laboratory diamond gemologists, who along with sophisticated laboratory equipment analyse every aspect of the individual stone, including the all important proportions that will produce the most brilliance.

Proportions

Proportions affect how light travels within the diamond. Diamonds that are cut too shallow and wide, or too deep and narrow lose light out the sides or bottom, causing the diamond to lose brilliance. DCLA selected Diamonds are cut to perfect proportions, allowing the diamond to reflect the maximum amount of light a diamond can produce.

Symmetry

The alignment of a diamond's facets in relation to each other or opposing facets affects the diamonds light performance. Facets which are symmetrical and aligned, reflect light directly back to your eye. Symmetry grading to DCLA standards ensure its brilliance and fire is emitted evenly.

Certification

All DCLA Diamond Exchange diamonds are certified by DCLA or GIA   This provides you an authoritative analysis of your diamond. DCLA also verifies that your diamond meets all the specific quality requirements and checks the diamond is cold laser inscribed.

Transparency 

Transparency, also called pellucidity, is the material property of allowing light to pass through. In mineralogy, another term for this property is diaphaneity.
The DCLA Transparency Grade is the degree to which a diamond transmits light, directly relevant to its ‘cloudiness’ or ‘haziness.’
In other words, it is a comprehensive assessment of light performance based on the quality of the diamond crystal itself.

Laser inscription

Every DCLA Diamond Exchange stone can be registered to the owner

Important Advice on - How to Sell Your Diamonds

If you are you considering selling your diamond, but feel as though you have no idea how or where to begin with the process?
This article will give you a few tips to help you along the way.







TIP #1
Diamonds are usually given to display love making the sentimental value higher to the seller, than the actual value to a buyer.
Should you be in the market to sell your diamond, make sure you are ready to part with the diamond before being the process.

TIP #2
Be sure of the quality and authenticity of what you are trying to sell. Make sure of the quality and the grade of the stone. This is most importantly for the ultimate value of the diamond.
There have been many instances where a seller is committed to selling their diamond only to find out the quality isn’t as described when originally purchased.
There are Jewellers or services available, who will give an unbiased assessment of your stone.
But it is far more valuable in the long run to get a report from a recognised Laboratory.
It is also recommended to verify the report matches the Laser inscription before placing your diamond on the market, to assure your diamond is the same stone should it not sell.

TIP #3
Now that you have an accurate report of the quality, make sure you get a realistic selling value. Believe the diamond holds a higher value than it truly possesses will lead to a challenging, frustrating experience which can be dragged out.
An appraiser can assist you with determining a fair selling, price so you can avoid this pitfall.
Diamonds are priced in US dollars, so your diamonds price will be affected when converted to your local currency.

A good way to see current retail values is to visit online stores like dcladiamondexchange.com.au or bluenile.com.

TIP #4
There are many ways to sell a preloved diamond or diamond jewellery. Research your selling options to make an educated decision that works best for you.
Be it an online market or exploring options through a local jeweller or dealer, be sure you are using the best option for your needs.
Example, if time is not of the essence, an online market or an auction house could be the best way forward. If you want a quick sale, visiting your local dealer may be the best option.

DCLA Diamond Laboratory provides an internationally recognised and respected report to any seller or prospective buyer.

DCLA will provide you with an experience expert to advise you and give you the accurate value protecting you when selling. Our goal is to provide you with as much knowledge as possible.

Visit www.dcla.com.au for information advice or to make an appointment. Or call us on 1300 413 425 or Sydney 02 92612104

Gem Diamonds recovers 80 carat rough diamond

 

80 carat rough diamond

 

Another D colour Type II diamond weighing 80 carats has been recovered.

Shares in Gem Diamonds spiked on Thursday after the miner announced it had recovered one of the highest quality stones to come out of its Letseng mine in Lesotho.

The discovery of this 80 carat diamond comes less than a month after the miner announced the recovery of a 114 carat rough diamond. And two years after Gem Diamonds found a 357 carat rough diamond, which sold for $19.3 million.

Gem Diamonds has recovered four of the 20 largest white gem quality diamonds ever recovered, which makes of the Lesotho mine the world’s highest dollar per carat kimberlite diamond operation.

This Blue Diamond Is Natural—and Also Synthetic

The good news is, from everything we know, all lab-grown diamonds are detectable, and the detection devices are getting better and (somewhat) cheaper.

The bad news is that unethical people are still apparently devising new and innovative ways to cheat. Take GIA’s first sighting of a natural/lab-grown composite diamond with a fancy colored grade, which was first announced at the U.S. Jewelry Council forum on undisclosed lab-grown diamonds last week.
According to a GIA Lab Note published on Monday, the 0.33 ct. diamond was first graded fancy blue at the GIA’s New York laboratory. But what caught scientists’ attention was it had both nitrogen and boron defects. It is rare to see boron defects in a natural diamond—and even rarer to find both types of defects in one stone.
Further examination showed something else quite unusual: The stone was both type Ia and IIb diamond, another rare combination. (In fact, GIA reports running across that combo only once before, in 2009.) Finally, the truth was discovered. This was a colorless natural diamond with a small CVD coating on top. That coating gave it a fancy blue color when viewed from the table.
While the GIA note mentions that composites have been produced before, this is apparently the first composite GIA has discovered submitted (undisclosed) to its lab. This raises the possibility of more in the wild. This obviously is a troubling discovery—though someone with knowledge of the issue said at last week’s forum that he believes that GIA’s devices would be able to spot it.
Another lab exec told me producing these composites is likely not easy, or cheap, to do. But this will clearly be something to watch (and watch out for) in the future.
Source: jckonline.com

1.20 Carat D VVS2 Cushion Cut Brilliant Diamond

GIA Certified 1.20 Carat D VVS2 Cushion Cut Brilliant Diamond, Set in A white gold ring with matching round brilliant diamonds in the halo and diamonds set in the shank. Our price $10,800.00.

Call for further information 02 92612104