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| February 2003
Diamonds/Gemology Perfectly Big EightStar Diamond Co.'s American Star™ is being called the largest perfect diamond in the world The American Star™ weighs 13.42 carats, which puts it in a rarified environment. It is certified D in color and is internally flawless. It’s made to the standards of EightStar Diamond Co., a northern California company known for its super-ideal cuts. “This diamond is by far the epitome of what a diamond should be – it’s a combination of brilliance and fire that surpasses anything I have ever seen,” says Ali Digius of Diamond Boutique, San Diego, CA. “One customer told me she thought it looked like light at the end of a rainbow.” In September Digius – who is an authorized EightStar Diamond retailer – exhibited the American Star as part of a promotional tour. Rock Star on Tour For Digius, the gem also meant increased diamond sales, recognition in the community as a diamond expert and a chance to educate customers about cut quality. “For a lot of people, seeing this diamond was like getting close to the Hope Diamond. People drove to see us from Colorado and Arizona,” he says. “We had 4,000 people in the four days and have since gained a lot of new customers.” CBS, CNN and local stations visited his store to cover the story. It also was featured on an international segment of CNN. The American Star is now on its way to 67 locations along its tour. For Richard von Sternberg, president of EightStar, the diamond represents a culmination of his company’s 12 years of cutting diamonds. “This diamond is certainly one of the most important gems of its kind,” he says. Risky Business The American Star started out as a 14.89-ct. diamond accompanied by certificates from the Gemological Institute of America attesting to its nearly perfect qualities. Reducing its size by recutting to increase brilliance and scintillation was a huge risk. “Sure, it was scary to cut this diamond. Initially the certificates described the stone as D/IF, good polish with excellent symmetry,” says von Sternberg. “But we really wanted to show the world what an EightStar diamond could do.” After recutting to 13.42 carats, the new certificates said the same thing. But von Sternberg says the stone now exhibits an enhanced light performance that is not quite possible to describe in words or on a certificate. “The minimal loss of weight did not affect its value a whit,” Digius says. “Customers experience the performance and sense the value and beauty the second they see it.” • EightStar Diamond Co.; (707) 793-7960, www.eightstar.com. – by Robert Weldon, G.G
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