WE ARE BROKEN

There is not normally much to do for a broken toe.  Doctors rarely put fractured toes in cast or decide a patient needs to undergo surgery.  That said, fractured toes should not be left untreated.  There are several steps you can take at home to help your toe to heal quickly.  

As soon as you notice the injury, begin icing the foot.  Apply ice to the injured area for 10 to 15 minutes, and then give your foot a 10 to 15 minute break.  A doctor should evaluate fractured toes as soon as possible.  Though they are often considered minor injuries, broken toes can lead to more serious complications such as permanent foot deformity or chronic foot pain.  Many people who shrug off a fractured toe at the time of injury, end up nursing their injured foot for the rest of their lives.  Think of it as an investment for healthy, pain-free feet for years to come!

After getting a diagnosis, try to stay off the injured foot as much as possible.  This is especially true for people whose occupations require a lot of standing.  Teachers or lawyers, for example, may need to modify their usual routine for a couple of weeks in order to give the toes a chance to rest and not aggravate the injury.

Wear comfortable, supportive shoes while you are healing.  Covered shoes are actually a better choice than sandals (although sandals may seem more comfortable) because they protect the foot.  Look for shoes with a wide and deep toe-box that will not cramp or put unnecessary pressure on the toes.  People who spend time in a hazardous workplace may find a pair of steel-toed boots helpful when it comes to protecting their injured toe.  

Elevate the foot at night.  You do not need a fancy contraption to do this, just a pillow or some folded blankets.  By keeping the foot elevated as much as possible, you will decrease the amount of swelling.  

Finally, continue icing your injured toe regularly for up to 20 minutes at a time.  You will want to ice the foot more often in the beginning of your recovery process to help the injury heal quickly and reduce swelling.  

Be warned: broken toes (like most broken bones) take about six weeks to fully heal. The more you do early on, the sooner your feet will be back to normal.  Check back with your doctor if pain or swelling persists for more than 6 weeks.

Diamond Cut…The Basics: Step 1 – Understanding diamond “certs”

Chapter 2

If you are going to purchase a diamond, and know what you are getting when you purchase it, you need to be able to understand the information that is presented on a “lab grading report”, and how the information was obtained. Having this knowledge will further assist you to know if any follow up/independent data, presented to you by the jeweler, in conjunction with a “lab grading report”, is valid and accurate.

Here are several examples of “lab grading reports”. To gain a better understanding of how information is broken down on a lab report, we will examine one line by line.

NOTE: We will not be discussing the relevance of this information to the diamond’s cut quality, as that will be done in detail later on in this tutorial.

GIA Lab Grading Report

Figure 2.1



EGL USA Lab Grading Report

Figure 2.2



For the purposes of this tutorial, we will examine the AGS Lab Grading Report. Most reports have similar information on them and are simply arranged differently. Immediately below is the full copy of the “lab grading report”. Since the lettering on this report is quite small, we have included enlarged portions of the report below that will allow us to examine the information contained in this report more closely.

AGS Lab Grading Report

Figure 2.3



Figure 2.4



Figure 2.5



Figure 2.6



If we examine Figure 2.4, we see that this area of the report displays the basic information about the diamond. Let’s break this down point by point

•    Shape and Style

o    Simply stated, the shape and style of the stone…in this case Round Brilliant.

•    Measurements

o    These are the measurements of the diamond in millimeters. The three numbers that make up the measurements given on the report are the 1) Maximum diameter of the stone, 2) Minimum diameter of the stone, 3) and the Depth of the stone. The diameter is the width of the stone as measured through the girdle. The Depth is the distance between the Table Facet and the Culet. NOTE: The average diameter measurements are very important, as most measurements expressed in percentages on a “lab grading report” are based on the average diameter measurement.

•    Cut Grade

o    This is the section that deals with the overall cut grade given by the laboratory grading the diamond. Different laboratories grade diamonds differently…these different grading methods will be discussed in detail later on in this tutorial.

o    On this report we can see the different categories…

•    Light Performance

•    This is the grade given to this diamond based on how it performed in the light reflection, brilliance, and other light performance analysis that it was subjected to during the grading process.

•    Proportion Factors   

•    In addition to testing diamonds for light performance, this laboratory also applies strict proportion standards to diamonds. It takes into account measurements such as depth, table, crown angle, pavilion angle, and minor facet measurements. The grade given to each diamond in this section is based on how well each of these measurements fit into the ranges prescribed by the grading laboratory.

•    Finish

•    Finish is comprised of two separate and distinct factors, polish and symmetry.

o    Polish

•    Polish is exactly what it sounds like…it is the polish work on the outside of the stone. After a cutter finishes the cutting and shaping of the diamond, he must polish the diamond to remove the marks made during the cutting of the stone, and give each facet a clear and highly reflective surface. This polish is graded on each facet, and only diamonds with exceptional polish across the whole diamond can receive the laboratory’s highest grade.

o    Symmetry

•    Symmetry is a factor that receives a lot of attention. There are different kinds of symmetry that pertain to a diamond, and it is important to understand each one, as they are completely different and affect the diamond in totally different ways. The symmetry that is graded on the lab report is the external symmetry of the diamond. It takes into account factors such as facet point alignment, table centering, facet alignment, consistency of facet shapes, etc.

•    Color Grade

o    This section deals with the color of the gem. Color is discussed in Emma Parker & Co.’s Diamond Tutorial. For questions about color, please refer to that tutorial.

•    Clarity Grade

o    This section deals with the color of the gem. Clarity is discussed in Emma Parker & Co.’s Diamond Tutorial. For questions about clarity, please refer to that tutorial.

•    Carat Weight

o    This section deals with the color of the gem. Carat weight is discussed in Emma Parker & Co.’s Diamond Tutorial. For questions about carat weight, please refer to that tutorial.

NOTE: A very important fact to understand about Color and Clarity is that the grading standards vary widely from on grading laboratory to another. Some of have much stricter standards than others, and this is something that should be carefully considered before purchasing a diamond.

Looking at Figure 2.5, we can see a proportion map of the diamond, with basic proportion and measurement data. The first thing that we notice when looking at this, is that the only two standards of measurements used are Percentages and Degrees. The very first measurement of the diamond is the 100%, which is equal to the average diameter of the stone at its widest point, the girdle. It is based off of this percentage that all of the other percentage measurements are calculated.

Directly under this measurement, we can see the 55.4% measurement. This is the diameter of the Table Facet, expressed in a percentage of the total average diameter.

The vertical line along the left had diamond is the measurement of the Total Depth of the diamond, again, expressed as a percentage of the total average diameter, in this case, 61.9%

The vertical line along the right side of the diamond, broken into three different measurements essentially breaks down the factors that make up the total depth of the diamond. These three factors are called Crown Height, Girdle Thickness, and Pavilion Depth.  In this case you can see the three measurements are as follows.

•    Crown Height – 15.5%

•    Girdle Thickness – 1.6% to 4.4%

•    Pavilion Depth – 42.8%

The two angle measurements on the left hand side of the graph are the Crown Angle and Pavilion Angle measurements. In this case, the Crown Angle is 34.8 degrees, and the Pavilion angle is 40.6 degrees.

The two numbers in the diamond represent facet length measurements.  The measurement in the small facets on top is the Star Facet Length, and the measurement in the slightly larger facets on the bottom is the Lower Girdle Facet Length. For this diamond, the Star Facets measure 51% and the Lower Girdle Facet’s measure 75%.

It is very important to understand that these two percentages are not calculated against the total depth. Rather Star Facet Lengths are expressed as a percentage of the total distance between the edge of the Table and the edge of the Girdle. Lower Girdle Facet Lengths are expressed in a percentage of the total distance between the Culet and the edge of the Girdle. (See illustration below)

Star Fact Measurement

The Green arrow, in Figure 2.7, represents 100% of the distance from the edge of the TABLE to the edge of the GIRDLE. The STAR FACET measurement is expressed as a percentage of the total measurement.

Figure 2.
7



Lower Girdle Facet Measurement

The green arrow in Figure 2.8 represents 100% of the distance between the edge of the GIRDLE and the CULET. The LOWER GIRDLE FACET measurement is expressed as a percentage of the total measurement.

Figure 2.8



Lastly at the bottom, we see the Culet Size. This is almost always expressed as a word. Culet sizes vary including sizes of None, Pointed, Very Small, Small, Medium, etc.

The last graphic we see, Figure 2.6, is the Clarity Plot of the diamond. This is where the grading inclusions, that were visible at 10x magnification, are plotted by the grader. Clarity has already been discussed in brief in the Emma Parker & Co. Diamond Tutorial, however there are some simple hints to help you spot important information on the Clarity Plot. All inclusions plotted in RED INK are INTERNAL inclusions. All inclusions plotted in GREEN INK are EXTERNAL inclusions.

This basic walk through of the information that is listed on a lab grading report will give you a good foundation in what information you will be presented with later on in this tutorial, and what each measurement relates to. In the following chapters we are going to dig deeper into cut, what to look for in a great cut, what tools and reports are useful in looking for a good cut and how to read them, and more.

Written by Timothy Andre, Emma Parker & Co.     www.emmaparkerdiamonds.com

How well off would you have to be to pay £3,500 for a watch that doesn’t even tell time?

You can test your wealth at an auctioneers in Birmingham. They are selling a Cartier watch that has stopped telling time, but is valued at up to £3,500.

Fellows & Sons is putting on a wrist and pocket watches sale Monday 22nd October 2007: http://www.fellows.co.uk

There is a second Cartier for sale. It’s a snip at up to £2,000… and it even works! See the full wrist and pocket watches range in the online catalogue here http://www.fellows.co.uk/ShowAuction.asp?sAuctionNumber=909.

If both Cartier watches sell for their top estimated value, they will got for a combined £5,500.

The first watch is valued at up to £3,500. It’s a gentleman’s 18 carat gold Roadster chronograph automatic wrist watch with black Roman numerals and hands with luminescent hour and minute hands. It has an 18 carat gold Cartier link bracelet with hidden butterfly clasp. There are many wear and tear marks, it has a build up of moisture in the case, and the watch isn’t currently running.

The second Cartier watch is in much better condition, and is valued at £1,500 to £2,000. It is a gentleman’s steel cased automatic Santos 100, and has a large square face with stylised Roman numerals. It is fitted to a Cartier black leather strap with a butterfly clasp, and comes with a box and papers.

There are a total of 472 items up for sale.

If you can’t make it to Birmingham to buy, you can monitor the wrist and pocket watches sale with a real time audio feed, and bid online here: http://www.fellows.co.uk/home/Internet-Buying.asp.