Diamonds might be forever, or at least for several hundred million years, but diamond jewelry is slightly more fragile and requires some maintenance to keep it looking brilliant. Dirt and gunk, not to mention the skin's natural oils and everyday wear and tear, can dull the sparkle of even the brightest diamond, so here are some tips to keep your diamond jewelry bright and shiny:

• Clean jewelry is warm, soapy water. Use a soft brush – an old toothbrush makes the perfect tool! 
• Use cleaning products designed for diamonds, or mild soap like dish detergent
• Take the metal of the jewelry's band and settings into account and verify that your cleaning product won't tarnish or dull the gold, silver, or platinum
• Remove jewelry when using abrasive cleaning products, especially those containing chlorine or bleach
• Don't wear diamond jewelry while cooking or operating heavy equipment or while performing heavy manual labor
• Take off the diamonds while playing sports – this is also a safety issue!

A diamond is most vulnerable to chips and cracks during the setting process, especially at the girdle and corners. This holds particularly true for princess cut diamonds.

Dirt and damage aren't the only dangers to your diamonds. Owners of fine diamond jewelry should consider keeping their pieces in a safe or a safe deposit box, because burglars will zero in on a jewelry box right away. One of the major advantages to jewelry is that it is relatively light and easily transportable, but this makes it easy to steal, as well.

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Ask anyone about the great diamond centers of the world and they'll say Antwerp, Amsterdam, New York, and Tel Aviv. Few people associate Canada's frozen plains with cutting-edge diamond cutting, and yet Moke Botha, of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, has invented the world's most intricate diamond cut.

Botha, who has four decades of experience working with rough and polished diamonds all over the world, just about doubled the typical number of facets on a cut diamond (57, give or take) with a design featuring a whopping 111 facets.

While he didn't have to stop at 111, Botha said that his diamond design "came up trumps" and "hit the sweet spot," reaching what he described as "optimal brilliance."
Any additional facets, he explained, would have been going overboard and would have decreased the diamond's brilliance.

Kimberlight Brands, a luxury company based in Calgary, has already branded Botha's diamond design, naming it the "Las Vegas Cut."
What could be more appropriate than naming a diamond after Vegas, the city of bright lights and brighter jewelry, wondered Kimberlight co-owners Heather Kirk and Laura Serena. "Diamonds are about light and Las Vegas is about light," Serena explained.

The Las Vegas diamond cut became available in June and Botha has already gotten about six orders. Perhaps in anticipation – the new design is slated for a feature in a magazine for private jet owners, who can certainly treat themselves to diamond jewelry featuring the most intricate cuts available – Botha is already teaching colleagues how to execute and polish the 111-facet diamond cut.

To date, these diamonds have been sold loose rather than set as jewelry. Prices for a one-carat Las Vegas cut diamond start at $10,000.

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The Israeli Diamond Institute has launched a new upgrade to its online buyers' system during JCK Las Vegas, held in early June.

The new online buyers' system includes a live trading platform, where a buyer can define the type of merchandise he needs and suppliers present at the conference can respond immediately. 

"The new system is based on a live online feed," said IDI's Chief Marketing Officer Nissim Palomo. "Once buyers arrive at one of the seven international shows, instead of leaving a business card in every Israeli diamond supplier's booth, they can just enter their contact information and requirements into the system, and the information is sent to all the diamantaires present."  

The upgraded online buyers' system, system, developed by IDI's Information Technology department, is meant to expand international buyers' access to the wide array of products offered by diamond suppliers in the Israeli diamond industry. Israeli diamond suppliers would have real-time access to demand information, and can get a list of client contact details. 

The earlier version of the online buyers' system was introduced by the Israeli diamond portal manager Orna Chait at the Hong Kong International Jewelry exhibition held in March. 

"The system allows buyers to distribute their demands online, ensuring they won't miss any of the Israeli supplier present at the show. This is a faster, innovative way of conducting business, while preserving the Israeli diamond industry's tradition of offering innovative trading and services," said Palomo.

When buyers log into the system, it asks them to choose the appropriate category: diamond importers, diamond producers, diamond merchants or jewelers. 

Buyers are then asked to specify their diamond needs, and are given the option to choose by clarity, cut, carat, color and finish.

"The new online system provides online information on buyers' demands," said Chait. "Once the information is entered into the system, Israeli diamantaires get an immediate online alert about a buyer looking for specific merchandise and they can meet them during the show."

The IDI online buyers' system also allows buyers who are not physically present at a certain show, to enter their information and be included in the list of buyers available to Israeli diamond suppliers, as well as enjoy a wide range of diamonds and the Israeli diamond industry's trademark quality service.

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