Should I buy a lab created diamond ? Lab created diamonds have taken over the jewelry industry in the last couple of years. But what are they? I get this question almost every day in the jewelry store where I work. Many people are under the impression that they are ‘fake’, meaning not really a diamond at all. But they are diamonds. The only difference is in the way they are made. A natural diamond is one that is mined from the earth and a lab created diamond is man-made, but they are both...
Five years ago I made my first trip to the world famous Tucson gem shows. I was a freshly minted GIA graduate gemologist and was excited to be in Tucson. Traveling from Worcester, Massachusetts, just exiting the airport in Arizona was a treat in itself - sun, warmth and saguaros! Being the type to research the hell out of everything, I did my homework before my trip to decide which shows I wanted to visit. Even having done that, I experienced a bit of sensory overload. I had a wonderful trip and went back to Worcester wanting to move to Arizona. Several years ago my husband and I did just that! Now I go to the shows twice a...
