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UGL USA. Universal Gemological Laboratory is an independent jewelry appraiser. Come check us out!
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100-ct. 'Sunrise' to shine at Symposium!

The 100.67-carat, fancy intense yellow Steinmetz “Sunrise”
is one of many outstanding gemstones that will be on display
at the Gemological Institute of America’s headquarters for
“GIA Symposium 2011: Advancing the Science and Business of Gems.”
----UGL USA

Stricter standards!

UGL USA has, over the last few months, been implementing tighter grading standards. We have let go some employees, and now believe we have in place an excellent group of people that will enable UGL USA to move forward with its goal to become a more recognized independent appraisal company. We now currently get 2 to 3 opinions on a stone or items quality to ensure that the grade given is an average of opinions. As we all know, word of mouth is the best way to build a reputation or destroy one. So we hope that word of our stricter standards will be spread throughout the public and industry to improve our standing. Diamonds, Rubies, Emeralds, Watches, Pearls and all other jewelry items are appraised by UGL USA and the work is accomplished quickly and accurately. Stop by UGL USA and try for yourself. Independent appraisals for insurance purposes are our specialty.

Tanzanite!

For anyone worried about the supply of Tanzanite running out, see below article from National Jeweler.

Arusha, Tanzania--A series of surveys conducted by mining and supply company
TanzaniteOne have shown that the blue gem’s supply will not be depleted anytime soon.
Dr. Bernard Olivier, CEO at the company, told National Jeweler that, while Tanzanite miners
face challenges in continued extraction of the gems as mines deepen, "TanzaniteOne currently
has an estimated life of mine of up to 20 years at the current mining rate of approximately
2.2 million carats per annum.
(Excerpted from National Jeweler Article, May 2011)

Robert Lejman, G.G.(GIA)

Fortunoff to liquidate

A sign of how troubled the economy is, venerable retailer Fortunoff's is liquidating it's assets beginning this week. Fortunoff's was a longtime jewelry destination for many people. With the tanking ecomomy, jewelry is one of the first things to take a hit, being considered more of a luxury than a necessity. Even Zales reports that sales are down 18% in the last quarter. While Bernard Bernanke said that he thought the recession may end in 2009, others believe it will more like 2010.

Diamond Basics

What makes a diamond valuable? What makes a diamond most valuable to you? Each person has a "C" that is most important to them. Which one is most important to you? Color? Carat weight? Clarity? In the diamond business, we like to say that the most important "C" is the "cut". While the other "c's" can make a visual impact, without a properly cut diamond, those other "c's" won't pop. A diamond has to be cut to proper proportions to maximize it's brilliance. Who wants a large diamond if it doesn't sparkle. The sparkle is what will catch someone's eye first, then they will be able to comment on the size ;-)
For more info on the basics of diamonds, visit our website at www.uglinc.com

Debeers DiamondSure

Universal Gemological Laboratory(UGL-USA) has acquired a DeBeers DiamondSure machine to assist us in ascertaining whether a diamond is natural versus synthetic. The machine tests colorless and nearcolorless diamonds to determine whether they need to be referred for higher level testing using the DeBeers DiamondView. 97% of all diamonds will be successfully weeded out with the DiamondSure, with only 3% being referred for futher testing. If you have a diamond that you suspect may be synthetic, let us test it for you.