AGS 0 Princess

I spent some time working with manufacturers who are interested in making Princess cuts for the new AGS 0 ideal-cut standard. Here are some photo's of some stones produced shortly after my visit to the new AGS spec's that I delivered to a number of manufacturers for AGS. The first 2 are real photo's. The next 2 are computer generated by Sergey's DiamCalc from Helium scans. The last one is a DiamCalc using the AGS's new ASET scope, a multi colored versions of my Ideal-Scope, that you will be hearing a lot more about.

Here are some factory shots

Around Town

As you drive around you see all sorts of strange things. This was not so unusual, two guys riding on a Tuk Tuk piled high with fabric (the other major product from the industrial Surat). We were just behind this Tuk Tuk at a narrow round-about intersection, when I noticed one of these guys nearly fall off. To save himself, he jumped off onto a similarly laden mini truck, regained his balance, and then jumped back on to his vehicle. Neither vehicle slowed down.

Another new factory being built – I doubt Aussie or US builders would do this.

I took these 2 photo's on the last day in Surat at the Horrid Day Inn. The clocks show the 'not quite right' (NQR) aspects of India. The other is a 'stitch' photo from the room window.

The star student

I visited many other companies with older facilities (who are building new beaut factories too) that I had visited once or twice before in 2003 and 2004. We discussed many Cut and marketing related issues. I had for instance visited many of their marketing offices in Mumbai and in some cases had asked for stones that exhibited various effects of painting and digging minor facets to be sent to Surat for discussion. Many of these companies are preparing to put Gem Adviser files and ideal-scope and realistic photo images on to their B2B websites. This will make it easier for trade buyers and consumers to know the diamond's cut quality. Some of the firms are also interested to use the ideal-scope sales system in their Indian stores. Of course there was more – but I would have to kill you if I told you.

Above is the only person who I will name and photograph. Siddhartha is our star diamond cut student. He first learned about the ideal-scope and DiamCalc from Janak and has crawled all over my Ideal-scope and Serguey and Yuri's MSU websites. I first met him 2 years ago and he was the nominated Indian spokesperson and on all the panels at the IDCC conference in Moscow last year.

Siddhartha developed a system for the Brillianteer's where they plan the stone using a profile scan like the one shown here. They decide on the 2 of 3 most efficient proportions for the best yield, and then they must choose one of 16,000 sets of parameters to vary either the crown, pavilion or table sizes from look-up charts. These 16,000 combinations of proportions will achieve 97% or better light return as defined by DiamCalc. This of course means the stones will all look great through the ideal-scope. I know that this is true because for the first time ever, when I visited their Mumbai office I bought every stone in a parcel (about 20 stones). This is the first time I have ever seen a parcel where I could not reject a single stone for cut quality with the ideal-scope.

He is turning out diamonds with altered minor facets in a way pioneered by one of the most expensive brands in USA and Japan. As they say in marketing school – relying on product quality as a point of differentiation is a bad business model. The other part of this story that makes me particularly happy; most of the business of this firm is 90% lower end off colour lower clarity. These are the goods that do not get certified and often end up in the Mall's and chain stores of the world. My crusade to improve diamond cut quality has always been more intent on improving the average end of the markets diamond beauty. Many of my compatriots in the geeky cut world discussions center around the definition of super ideal and super doper ideal cut diamonds. Trying to squeeze an extra 1% or 2% more life and fire out of each diamond has never been my goal. I am very happy now; I believe about close to ¼ of the worlds diamonds are now cut to a very acceptable standard. Given we started at around 90% being lousy – we have really come a long way in just 6 years.

Garry Holloway