Advisor™ is Sarine’s flagship rough planning software product, and the most widely used program of its type. Since its initial development and launch in 1995, the Advisor program, together with the Galaxy™ inclusion mapping system, has become a staple software for diamond manufacturers worldwide. We’re launching the first product post of the Diamond Tech blog with a discussion about an important new feature of Sarine’s Advisor™ rough planning software. The feature is called “Scoop Planning” and it’s sparking quite a revolution in the process of automated rough planning. The new scoop planning ..read more

The first step in automated planning of rough diamonds is accurate 3D modelling of the rough diamond surface. Rough diamonds have a complex texture that includes convex and concave surfaces, and are difficult to model accurately. Current technologies for modeling the rough diamond surface are limited in terms of accuracy. They do not necessarily pick up on minute surface features on the polished diamond (“naturals”), which can significantly decrease diamond value. In order to avoid these, the planner must take safety distances manually, a process which reduces yield, and requires expertise and ..read more

Planning rough diamonds with Advisor™ software is a complex process that uses loads of computer processing power. Today, with Galaxy™ inclusion mapping technology, the number of rough polishing plans created by Advisor is essentially infinite. With various advanced options to choose from, such as triple planning, Best Value™, CAP and more, the rough planning software is capable of producing millions of different plan options simultaneously. The downside is the computing power Advisor rough planning demands. For diamond planners using Advisor software, the computer is overworked and performance ..read more

In addition to all types of inclusions and flaws, rough diamonds have internal tension or stress that occurs naturally as part of their structure. Developed over millions of years during the diamond’s unique formation process, the level and location of tension within a rough diamond varies from stone to stone. When cutting a rough diamond into separate parts, it is critical to avoid areas of tension. If a diamond is sawed on a tension area, the release of stress may cause the diamond to shatter. For diamond planners and manufacturers, identifying internal tension is a key factor in mitigating ..read more

Advisor™ rough planning software is used by manufacturers worldwide to effectively plan polished diamonds and maximize the achievable yield. Sarine recently released the latest version of the industry-leading software, Advisor 7.0. The release is packed with dozens of new, advanced features, the result of user feedback received from diamond planners working with Advisor all over the world. A full copy of the Advisor 7.0 release notes can be viewed here. Let’s explore some of the interesting features of Advisor 7.0.   CAP Auto Planning – A Revolution in Rough Planning It’s called CAP, Customize ..read more

Once Upon a Time in Switzerland… Our tale begins in the village of Sonvilier, Switzerland where we find Louis-Ulysse Chopard, the second son of Félicien and Henriette Chopard. Félicien was a farmer but he encouraged his sons to enter the watchmaking trade. Louis Chopard had a talent for the craft and quickly built a reputation for making watches built with precision and reliability. He also had a good business sense and at the age of 24 he realized that to make money in the watch trade he would need to work independently. Chopard started his own brand called L.U.C manufacturing company in 1860 ..read more

Born to be a Jeweler: The Meteoric Rise of Laurence Graff When 15-year-old Laurence Graff began his first apprenticeship in a jewelry manufacturing warehouse in London, he never dreamed he’d be honored with the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth in 2013. In fact, after three months working in the warehouse and running errands, the owners let him go, telling him he didn’t make the grade. Clearly they were wrong, as today Laurence Graff owns a jewelry empire. Graff was born in England in 1938 to a Romanian mother and a Russian father. After his first apprenticeship did not work ..read more

The Jeweler of Place Vendôme: How Frédéric Boucheron Got His Start Frédéric Boucheron always knew he wanted to be a jeweler. He was born in 1830 to a family of French clothiers, and at a young age he apprenticed himself under jeweler Jules Chaise. By the age of 14, he had completed his apprenticeship and began working for Tixier-Deschamps, a famous jeweler at Palais Royal. Although Deschamps discouraged Boucheron from becoming a trader, telling him he was “not cut out to be the proprietor of a business”, Boucheron opened his own jewelry house in 1858.   The First House of Boucheron Store Loc ..read more

The Man Who Created The Egg In 1885,   Tsar Alexander III commissioned Faberge to create an Easter egg as a gift for his wife, Empress Maria Fedorovna. With this simple gift, the Faberge Imperial Egg Collection was born. The first egg was called the Hen Egg. Inside a white enameled shell rested a solid gold yolk. Inside the yolk sat a multicolored gold hen, which hid a tiny diamond replica of the imperial crown with a small ruby pendant. Empress Maria loved the gift and the Tsar charged Faberge with the job of creating a new egg every year. Faberge was given complete creative freedom, even th ..read more

The name Tiffany & Co. evokes thoughts of little blue boxes, glass lamp shades, and for those who know, the Super Bowl’s Vince Lombardi Trophy. The store is famous for its Tiffany setting engagement rings, chain bracelets with an engraved heart charm, and delicate pendant necklaces. Where did this legacy start? Who is the man behind the Tiffany name? Where Tiffany’s Began Charles Lewis Tiffany was born on February 15, 1812. In 1837, Charles and his friend, John B. Young, borrowed $1,000 from Charles’ father and went to New York City to open a stationery store that would also sell jewelry a ..read more