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Tricks of the Trade - Inscription Deception
Subheadline
One of the latest
crazes is to have your diamond laser inscribed. What I’m talking
about is the placement of serial numbers by a laser on the girdle
of diamonds for identification purposes.
Perception: By placing a serial number
on the girdle of a diamond that matches a certificate an independent
appraiser can verify if the diamond matches the certificate. Also
if the diamond is ever stolen and recovered the serial number can
be put into a database so the diamond can be returned to you. The
inscription is permanent like a tattoo and cannot be removed or
altered without a major weight loss or potential damage to the diamond.
Reality: The only way to be 100% sure a
diamond matches a certificate is to check its measurements and match
up its plotting of inclusions and blemishes. Anybody can take an
extra certificate and laser inscribe its number on a diamond that
doesn’t match it. Now it maybe true if some common thug stole
your diamond having a serial number that matches your certificate
might bring it back to you, but it is unlikely. All sophisticated
jewel thieves have the girdles repolished to remove the laser inscription
so the diamond cannot be traced. This of course dispels the notion
that an inscription is permanent and cannot be removed.
I have to hand it
to all those companies that keep trying to come up with some new
gimmick to hook us on but come on, let’s put this in the simplest
of terms. If we already have the fingerprint (the plotting) of the
diamond we don’t need to carve our initials into it to prove
it’s ours.
by Fred Cuellar, author of the best-selling book
"How to Buy a Diamond."
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