a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Education Organization
20 July 2017
First Look at Chatham Created Diamonds
Although it will take a few weeks to get started on the new Lab Created Diamonds Course made available by the amazing donation from Tom Chatham and Chatham Created Gems (seen at left), I could not resist pulling the parcel out last night and just throwing some basic tests on the diamond group. Below are some fun and fast images of what I saw last night before going home. If I had this much fun with just a few minutes of messing around with them, think about how much fun they are going to be when you get to play with them in person in the upcoming classroom edition at the Tucson Gem Shows? For now, let's take a first look at the Chatham Created Diamonds donated for our new course production.
Here is a quick look at the parcel. The lighting is sort of bright as I simply used the flash from our Canon Xti SLR, but this was the initial set-up as I wanted to see what this group would do in ultraviolet light.
The brilliant reaction to short-wave was astounding. These early edition lab created Chatham Diamonds promised to be amazing and they did not disappoint. The intensity of the yellows, oranges, greens and blues were indicative of the processes and elements used to create these wonders of nature.
Long-wave UV also proved interesting. the fancy colored greens and blues of SW UV were now totally inert. But the brilliant yellows and oranges maintained their strong reactions. Not totally unexpected, but certainly a remarkable reaction.
These are not the first diamonds donated to the ISG by Chatham Created Gems. Just over 20 years ago I obtained two yellow created diamonds, some of the first production of true lab created diamonds from Chatham Created Gems. Those specimens have a unique fluorescence pattern that follows the crystal growth structure of the diamond. In one of those there was a very brilliant blue cross pattern that was very easy to see using a short-wave UV light. To see if these offered the same type of structure I used our Meiji Techno microscope, along with a timed exposure of the Canon Xti to image of the diamonds from the new collection (seen at left) under shortwave ultraviolet.
Very difficult to photograph, but the same type of structure can be seen in this specimen from this new group. The blue color is missing but this may be due to several factors involved with photographing diamond reactions in short-wave ultraviolet light.
The inclusions in the diamonds were amazing, but we will allow you to see those first-hand in the upcoming class.
But I could not resist one more quick test....
Our industrial magnet!
As soon as I got the magnet close to the diamond parcel, the diamonds started jumping around like kids at a birthday party. A few even jumped off the table and up to the magnet.
Once again, this was anticipated, but the strong reaction to magnetism was an amazing experience.
Below is one more look.
Here is another magnet sitting up on one end. Some of the diamonds were inert, but many were very strongly attracted...to the point they hung on even when the magnet was set up on its end.
If you think this is fun, wait until you get to play with these yourself in the ISG Created Diamond Course coming first at the Tucson Gem Shows in February 2018.
We will offer an online version of this class, but the hands-on practical class will be available for those who would like to get first-hand knowledge and experience with the identification of created diamonds.
We will have more information on that class in the near future. Seats will be limited so you will want to act fast when registration opens. Registered ISG Students and Graduates will get priority registration and special discounts at this upcoming class at the Tucson Gem Shows.
And once again.....this is all being made possible by the generosity and support of Tom Chatham and Chatham Created Gems.
Thank you to all of our donors and supporters
I also want to thank all of you who have sent in donations to help maintain the operations of the ISG. We are preparing the Tax Deduction Letters to go out to everyone next week. We also have some fun parcels of gemstones going out to a few who participated in our special donor program several weeks ago.
Shelley FitzGibbon, Joanna Emmett and Susanna Stachura, thank you for your patience. You will find a surprise in the package when it arrives next week.
For all of the new donors we will have the updated list posted next week. The ISG is moving forward thanks to all of you.
Robert James FGA, GG
President, International School of Gemology Inc.
a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Education Organization
We invite you to join the most fun and amazing study of gemology with folks just like you...who love what they do and do what they love.
©2017 International School of Gemology Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. We encourage sharing and caring throughout the industry as long as all copyrights are left intact. The ISG is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Education Organization.
ISG
International School of Gemology
PO Box 1727
Helotes, TX 78023