This episode of Rapaport’s GEMTalks series focused on how to assess the 4Cs of gemstones mounted in jewelry, including the challenges in comparison with loose stones and the best way to approach this type of grading for the most accurate results.
John Pollard, senior director of education at the International Gemological Institute (IGI), and graduate gemologist Mark Reyes joined Rapaport managing editor Leah Meirovich to discuss the topic.
Sponsored by IGI, the LinkedIn Live session touched on whether stones should be removed from jewelry before grading, why the same stone may get a different grade loose than mounted, and how to work around settings like bezel, which largely obscure the diamond and affect what the grader sees. The session also focused on whether the stone itself gets a grade, or whether the piece receives an overall grade, with metal included; how feathers and other inclusions can be hidden under prongs; and how metal color affects the diamond’s clarity. The guests answered a variety of thought-provoking questions from the audience and discussed their upcoming jewelry-grading classes, which will be held in New York.
Watch the video of the event below.
This episode of the Rapaport GEMTalks Live is sponsored by IGI. Sharpen your skills at IGI New York with short, affordable, hands-on jewelry-grading workshops, and more.
Inset image: A grader looking at jewelry through a loop. (International Gemological Institute)
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