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By |eanne du Plessis

While dogs are said to be a man's best friend, the finestcompanion for girls is said to be diamonds, and ClareAppleyard, technical diamond specialist, admits that she'salways been intrigued by these sparkling stones.

lare began her career as a geologist at De Beers' diamond research division andworked in plafinum mineralogy at Anglo American Research, before shedecided to escape the corporate world, and start her own diamond and' .= jewellerycompany.

she relates, "Diamonds have always held a special appear for me and, during my timeas a geologist, I found the polished diamond market far more intriguing than the geologydiamond aspect."

Today, Clare is the co-founder of Katannuta, a company speciarising in diamonds,gemstonesand jewellery manufactured to specific client requirem.r,t"r. A, a companyowner and entrepreneur, Clare is responsible for many aspects of the business.Se.suys, "I've done everything, from building u *.Urit", and liaising with diamondu.pplierl and manufacturing jewellers, to discussing jen'ellen'deslps with prospectiveclients. I spend a lot of time communicating rrith clients about available diamonds,

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costing, jen'ellen'manufacturing arrd design. pror-iding a great service to my clientsis critical. ^{s most of our business comes lrom rr ord of mouth, I have to ensure thatclients are satisfied rtith all the steps of the je* ellen- purchase process.//

l\hen asked about an average dar-in the life of a diamond specialist, Clare laughs,"Does an errtrepreneur have an ar day? A typical day could include

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"Follow "'.i:.ir,

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ReOd obout itDiamond Ring Buying Guide: How to Evaluate,Identify and Select Diamonds and DiamondJewelryAuthor: Renee Ner.pman

D,1Y9|? ry},c lif ;il?:"':i:#::li^"'BUYING GUIDE "'"1

gffi evaluate diamonds and diamond, . ,' .. .r, jewellery. This updated edition

has 140 new PhotograPhs of- l,i,- ring styles, colourei diamondst t."-- *, and contemporary diamond

' .' -;,"""# cuts. Information has also been-.1_ n6"!.:tuAf:. added on palladium, diamond

treatments, fancY coloured

diamonds, synthetic diamonds, ring mountings, and

the new GIA and AGS cui grading systems. Covers

everything from diamond price factors, inciuding weight,

shapes, cutting sty.le to tips on smart buying.

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responding to online jeu"ellen-enquuies; liaisrng u'ithjewellery manuJacturers; Iiarsing rr ith diamon.l dealersregarding available diamonds and pnce=, pror iLiin:quotes for clients and doing follotv-up; compilinqinvoices; working on my website; submitting articles toonline article websites; writing educahonal artrcles;taking photographs of jewelleryi writing an e-mailnewsletter; and meeting with clients to measure ringsizes, discuss designs and deliver rings."

A big advantage of Clare's job is the flexibility, but thisalso requires some self-discipline. She says, "Owningyour own company allows you to be fairly flexible, butoften no work equals no pay! The advantage is that ifyou have an Internet connection and a telephone, youreally can work from anywhere!" Another perk is whenclients are satisfied: "Sometimes clients open a ring box,see their piece of jewellery for the first time, and itcompletely exceeds their expectations and leaves themspeechless. I thoroughly enjoy my work with diamondsand enjoy making clients happy. Un{ortunately, there arealso clients who are only focused on getting the cheapestprice they car; by playing you off against other suppliersand manufacturers."

\A4rile the cuffent economic crisis has affected thediamond induslry, Clare remains positive about thefuture: "Although the diamond industry is severelyaffected by financial constraints, such phenomenalmarketing has taken place over the past 50-60 \'ears, thatif s impossible to imagine engagements l ithout diamondrings, so I believe the diamond market is here to star-.

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To become a diamond specialist, Clare recommen,ls agemmological qualification, coupled n-ith some praciica,experience in the realm of diamond classitication. Clareherself has a degree in Geology, which provided her u-iththe necessary technical knowledge for her field.

Essential personal characteristics are good conunun-ication and people skills, and, as an entrepreneur, youneed to be relatively outgoing and confident, as well asself-disciplined and hardworking.

Clare concludes with the following advice for the youthof today: "You don't have to pay attention to the mantraof 'study hard, get a good education and get a good job',if it doesn t work for you. A good education provides youwith more opportunities, but a job is not the be-all andend-all - you can start your own venture. Follow whatyou're passionate abou! not what others think is best foryou. Live your dream and always be open to newexperiences." I

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More bookg www.sacareerfocus.co.zoBook reviews - Gemmologisf

i s,ui"a guidelinesEnglish Aft ikccnsOther longuogeMothsPhysicol ScienceLife Orientqlion

Ptoces to StudyTHE DIAMOND EDUCATION COLLEGETel: 0l I 334 5917Rough Diomond Evoluotion ond Groding CourseRough Diomond Mqrking CoursePolishing ond Cutiing Coursewww.diqmondeducqlioncollege.co.zq

COMPLETE DIAMOND EDUCATION COLLEGETel: 0l I 334 4374Rough Diomond Evoluofion CoursePolished Diomond & Gold Evoluotion CourseDiomond Cutting & Polishing Coursewwwcompleledi<:mond.co.zo

UNIVERSW OF PRETORIATe l : 0 . |2 420 31 1 IBSc Geology3 yeors' ful lJime sludywww,up,oc.zo

UNI\GRSITY OF THE WIIWATERSRANDTel : 0 l I 7 ' l 7

' l000

BSc Geciogy3 yeols ' i , - ' -e t-g'r 'i r t ' s , r \ : ! _ _ g

UNI",JEQSN. OF CA:: .C\,'\

l e U Z i 5 3 r I z J J l , :BSc Gecrogip,3 yeors :L -t'rne Etudy\lar,'* Lai :a :3

i ,n*."*tns WebsiteSGemrnological Inst i tute of Americaw+.,'v,'.9 ia.ed uKatannuta D iamondsht tp : . ' ka tannutad iamonds.co ,za r

D iamonds,, lr ;w.diamonds.co.zaDe Beers Diamond Route

www.diamondroute.co.za

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