Diamonds

Save E-mail Print Most Popular RSS Reprints

GCAL unveils electronic cert at JA New York

July 30, 2007

Similar Stories | Topics

New York—At the JA New York Summer Show, the Gem Certification and Assurance Lab (GCAL) unveiled its new Electronic Diamond Grading Certificate, a tool that lab officials say is designed to serve as both sales trainer and "silent salesperson" at the retail counter and help jewelers increase margins and make faster sales.

The lab expects to roll out the certificate system, for which a patent is pending, later this year. The system offers an online search function that allows users to pull up any GCAL Diamond Certificate. It also features a touch screen LCD monitor that can be mounted in the store and can even function behind a glass display case. Each online certificate features 19 quality "touch points" that allow viewers to pull up additional information explaining specific sections of the certificate, including interpreting the Four Cs, quality indicators, the meaning behind "conflict-free" diamonds and other information.

"This Electronic Certificate system was designed to answer any basic questions a customer may have concerning their diamond and the diamond-grading process," GCAL President Don Palmieri said in a press release issued on Friday describing the system. "It's a wonderful sales tool to help salespeople, and it's a great way to train them in the store as well. And because the system is digital, stores don't have to worry about losing certificates, which is a chronic problem. All the certificates are stored together electronically, away from the diamond counter."

GCAL has also been conducting demonstrations for clarity and light performance in diamonds during the JA show, which runs from July 29-Aug. 1 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. The lab is holding alternating demonstrations on direct assessment light performance and key clarity grades at the GCAL booth in the Crystal Palace entrance to the show at Hall 3B. The demos are running on the hour during the show, beginning each day at 10 a.m.

The demos feature two microscopes with cameras mounted on them, which project images onto a screen. In the optical light performance demo, viewers are able to see GCAL's proprietary direct light assessment system in action on real diamonds, demonstrating how the system quickly and consistently measures and analyzes actual light return (brilliance) and optical symmetry revealing the cutter's craft, and allowing buyers and sellers to judge the mosaic of facets behind a diamond's beauty.

In the clarity demo, GCAL demonstrates the subtle but key difference between the critical diamond clarity grades of SI2 and I1, as well as between VS2 and SI1. Palmieri says the transition between these key clarity grades can represent as much as a 30 percent difference in the value of a diamond.
Save E-mail Print Most Popular RSS Reprints
Post a Comment
* Required field
* Author:
* Comment:
 

Diamonds

Industry calling for swift action on Zimbabwe

Jewelers of America is calling on the Kimberley Process to fully and quickly implement a work plan to address the serious concerns surrounding Zimbabwe's non-compliance with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, the system designed to keep conflict diamonds out of the international trade, and the reported human rights abuses in the Marange diamond fields. Read More

Sotheby's reports record-breaking sales in Geneva
Diamond symposium focuses on 'new normal'
More Diamonds

More Like This

GCAL clarifies details of equipment sale
April 21, 2009 | National Jeweler Network
Storied stones net $750,000 at auction
March 23, 2009 | National Jeweler Network
Tiffany donates millions to environmental projects
June 19, 2007 | National Jeweler Network
JA New York Summer Show brings more networking, new showcases
May 08, 2007 | National Jeweler Network
GCAL offers zero-tolerance guarantee
March 12, 2007 | National Jeweler Network

advertisement

Video

Small multi video player located on right rail of NJN site

advertisement

Retailer Toolbar

America's Best Jewelers
Join the ONLY Social Network for Jewelry Retailers. Get access to expert content, peer best practices, and more.
Start networking today.
Newsletters
Newsletters
Topic-specific newsletters that deliver the latest news on jewelry, diamonds, wholesale operations and high-volume buying directly to your in-box.
Reader Connect
ReaderConnect
Supplier information presented with every article, bringing you related, actionable content on every topic.
Jewelry Yellow Pages
Yellow Pages
A comprehensive listing of associations, organizations, suppliers and services for the jewelry industry.
Classifieds
Classifieds
A comprehensive listing of job postings, product offerings and other materials for sale for the jewelry industry.
NJN Customer Connect
CustomerConnect
The most sophisticated suite of marketing services available for jewelry retailers, from Internet tools to data marketing.

advertisement