Yesterday a Texas based diamond house called us for certified appraisal work. Their customer from Georgia was inquiring about purchasing a diamond through them and he wanted the diamond looked at by an independent. Asking the diamond house who was my client, they responded their customer was and I should get all fees from him. So, the diamond was sent to us by their source (yes not even in their immediate possession).

When the diamond arrived, I noticed it had been previously graded by another lab. But, that was not out of line. I then proceeded to evaluate the unmounted diamond. We grade carat weight (by the use of carat scales), cut (utilizing the Sarin brilliant eye) and color (utilizing the SAS2000 spectrophotometer) by objective means and the only scientific subjective grade is clarity (by the microscope). The major difference we had with the presented color grade was not visual but filtering out the known fluorescence. By doing so the body color becomes two grades lower than reported. Reporting this to my client he chooses not to buy the diamond. This was his decision as my role was simply to grade the diamond.

The diamond house was upset with me for giving a complete report and not just giving a puppet grade. Well I guess that will be the last time that house asks me to grade a diamond. Completeness, accuracy, thoroughness is not what they want. They want puppets. Well do you think they will find one. Yes I do. They are abundant in our industry. Everything for the sale, nothing for the consumer.

Dear Future, Be yourself in anything you do. Do not let the ways of the world sway you. Your reputation is all you have.