World Of Gems Conference 2017 Proceedings Book

WORLD OF GEMS CONFERENCE V - 34 - SEPTEMBER 2017 ited budget; some of the most beautiful and sensuous pink diamonds are soft, pastel, and subtle. Such stones should be available at relatively affordable prices and give consumers a chance to satisfy their desire. In yellow, autumn browns, all the mixed colors that nature has conceived for our pleasure, there are so many captivating shades that present endless possibilities for individ- uality. Creative artists have to tell the story they conceive for their designs. We are talking about fashion jewelry, things to wear everyday and enjoy all the time. Most colored diamonds should not be discussed or promoted as an investment. Value appreciation of individual stones of certain provenance or unique color do not carry the color category on their shoulders to make them all valuable. The small percent of the top tier of nat- ural fancy color diamonds often re- ferred to as an investment, are citing the past performance at auctions to suggest all colored diamonds are valu- able. It is misleading to give that as the reason to make the purchase. It could be fair to say that some of these stones could appreciate and historically some individual stones are a store of value. For example, if you buy a dia- mond for $10,000, there is a chance that in ten years it may be worth dou- ble or you may have to sell for half if the timing and the market conditions are less than perfect for liquidation. But that is not the reason to buy. Hopefully you can get ten years of enjoyment out of the purchase. To only offer vague information about a particular transac- tion creates generalizations that colors that fall into certain gem grade categories are equal and follow a viable invest- ment protocol. Nothing could be farther from the truth. But this information is transferred and embraced by unknowl- edgeable, unscrupulous dealers to uneducated suppliers and consumers. In reality, very few natural color diamonds can be described as an investment. At best we should only state that some extraordinary color diamonds have had such a track record. In this conversation we should include fine quality colorless and fine make diamonds as a poten- tial store of value where liquidity is possible even if you must loose some of your cost. Unfortunately, our gem language has grown to include the words “this is the best” and in true context, not necessar- ily told is there is no such thing as a best diamond in any color. What is meant by this expression most often is “this is the best grade or certificate you can buy.” But if you can buy a rare vivid yellow for $30,000 per carat and an- other one for $200,000 per carat, how can we tell the client that this is the best you can get. That conversation is misleading. Can the $30,000 diamond be as beautiful as the $200,000 dia- mond; absolutely yes. Rarity and satu- ration of color often dictate the values of these stones but neither rarity nor saturation have anything to do with per- sonal taste and beauty. When the con- stant message is only about the rarest, most historic, most colorful diamond that sells for millions of dollars, that has nothing to do with attractive and desir- able colors that are available for thou- sands of dollars. It does not encourage consumers to seek options they can af- ford. They are intimidated into thinking they cannot participate in this jewelry market. They don’t even know they have a choice. So, they are directed to other options in their price range. It is entertaining and educational to see the extreme possibilities of natural color diamonds but to do business with them, you only need to get a mental connection to the colors that you can have a market for. A retailer with a little knowledge and a lot of passion and in- tuition will generate curiosity and customers through this in- teraction. Do not shy away from small, unusual shapes, colors hard to define, fluorescence, birthmarks and pastels shades. All these variations in natural color diamonds provide something to talk about. What are we investing in when we buy a natural color dia- mond and in a jewel that we also love? We are investing in our joy and individuality and our self-expression. We are for- tunate to have so many choices. Jewelry is meant to be an adornment and show personal taste as well. u All photos are diamonds from the Aurora Pyramid of Hope collection and would be classified as intense or vivid colors. Photos by Robert Weldon. FANCY COLOR DIAMONDS