|
|
|
|
 Gala Jewelers Goes To Great Lengths For Best Diamond Values
Charles Gala of Gala Jewelers recently returned from a buying trip to the Diamond Capital of the World ... Antwerp, Belgium -- where two-thirds of the world's diamonds are traded. While there, Gala had the unique opportunity to examine huge inventories of exquisitely cut diamonds to find the very best selections for their inventory.
Pictured here, Gala is louping a diamond for sale to one of his customers. "We hand-select each and every diamond that comes in to our store," Gala says. "Some people think one can look at a piece of paper on the internet and select a stone, but there's no way to tell if that stone has fire, has life – I need it to say something to me. If I'm going to put my name and my reputation behind a diamond, I’m going to be certain it’s the quality that Gala Jewelers is known for."
View the photos of the Antwerp, Belgium
|
 Italian Gold Factories
When looking for the finest karat gold jewelry, look no further than Italy. Their craftsmanship and styling is considered to be the finest in the world. And that was exactly the thinking of Charles Gala, who took advantage of their diamond buying trip to Antwerp, Belgium to stop in Italy and visit two of the largest Italian gold factories in this country.
Chuck Gala visited the Vicenza district of Italy, an area that is responsible for producing over 90% of all Italian gold jewelry. This beautiful region in the foothills of the Dolomite Mountains employs over 10,000 people and produces over $1.5 billion dollars worth of gold jewelry annually.
View the photos of the Italian gold factories
|
 South Africa
After five days in Antwerp and 13 hours of flight, the group arrived in Johannesburg where they visited a South African cutting factory. From there they traveled Northeast 325 miles overland to the world-renowned 8,000 square-mile Kruger Park located on the Mozambique/Swaziland border. There Gala had the once-in-a-lifetime thrill of seeing literally thousands of wild animals in their natural habitat, including elephants, giraffes, hippopotamus, buffalo, white rhinoceros, hyena and scores of species of African antelope, to name a few. "This truly was a marvel, seeing all this wildlife 'up close and personal'," Charlies Gala said. “At one point a herd of close to 100 elephants literally crossed the road directly in front of us.
"The group continued on to Rustenburg where they descended almost a mile underground to experience the Anglo Platinum Mine, and later the DeBeers' Finsch Diamond Mine and the "Big Hole" in Kimberley. Garbed in jumpsuits and hard hats, and equipped with rescue packs, battery packs and headlamps, the group trekked through mud and uneven ground to witness the centuries-old techniques of excavating tons of earth to bring forth the precious gems. "Having this opportunity to see the entire process of bringing diamonds from the ground to the market has been an extraordinary experience," Charlies Gala stated. "When you consider that one must excavate 250 tons of earth to yield a one carat diamond, you are more able to understand the rarity of these exquisite stones. Then when you see the arduous process of sorting, cutting and polishing, you are simply amazed that diamonds are as inexpensive as they are!"
View the photos of South Africa
|
|
