Asteria Colored Diamonds

Asteria Colored Diamonds

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TechForm Platinum Jewelry Casting

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Thursday, October 13, 2016

8-Carat ‘Sky Blue Diamond’ Could Be Yours For $25 Million


The latest blue diamond to come up for auction is an 8.01-carat fancy vivid blue diamond being called the “Sky Blue Diamond.” It is the top item in Sotheby’s auction of Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels in Geneva to be held November 16. 

The ring set on a Cartier mount surrounded by white diamonds, has a presale estimate of $15 - $25 million.

Describing the diamond, David Bennett, worldwide chairman of Sotheby’s International Jewellery Division, said, “The Sky Blue Diamond is of a wonderfully clear celestial blue, presented in an extremely elegant square emerald cut—in my view, the most flattering of all the cuts for a colored diamond.”

In recent years, colored diamonds have been highly prized at auctions with blue diamonds being the most sought after—setting numerous records. Among them:

* The 14.62-carat “Oppenheimer Blue” diamond, which sold for more than $57.5 million at Christie’s Geneva in May, setting a world record for any jewel sold at auction. 

* The 12.03-carat “Blue Moon of Josephine,” which sold for $48.4 million at Sotheby’s Geneva, November 2015, setting a world record for the price per carat for any diamond or gem at just over $4 million.

* The 9.75-carat Zoe Diamond, which sold for more than $32.5 million at Sotheby’s New York, November 2014.

* The 10.10-carat Millennium Blue Fancy, which sold for more than $31.8 million at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, April 2016.

* The 24.18-carat “Cullinan Dream,” which sold for $25.3 million at Christie’s New York in June. 

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet, the Forbes website and on Instagram @JewelryNewsNetwork

Friday, October 7, 2016

Portland Jewelry Symposium: A Forum For Innovation In The Jewelry Industry

Jim Tuttle of Green Lake Jewelry Works, Jennifer Dawes of Jennifer Dawes Design and Travis Isaacson of Lashbrook, spoke about their personal experiences with selling custom jewelry. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

Jewelry professionals who attended the ninth annual Portland Jewelry Symposium received a great deal of information on the technology, craft and artistry of jewelry making. They discovered ways to improve their business and their digital media results; and they learned about the responsibility associated with the making and selling of jewelry. 

The event held Sunday and Monday in Portland, Ore., was attended by 125 jewelry professionals (primarily independent business owners) from 12 western states and Canada, including designers, manufacturers, metalsmiths and retailers. Its focus this year was responsible sourcing (as I have written about previously: link and link) but in the eight sessions on Monday presenters exchanged ideas on a number of topics ranging from the highly technical to the wildly creative. 

The more technical presentations included Jim Binnion, an expert on metalsmithing and goldsmithing techniques who discussed his process for developing a new method for preparing 3D acrylic photopolymer patterns for investment casting, a complicated but important topic with the recent proliferation of 3D printers in the jewelry industry.

Teresa Frye, founder of the Portland Jewelry Symposium, provides an overview of what jewelers should known about precious metals metallurgy. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

Teresa Frye, founder of the Portland Jewelry Symposium and owner and president of TechForm Advanced Casting Technology in Portland, presented a technical overview of what jewelers should known about precious metals metallurgy. This includes discussions on porosity, microstructure, mechanical strength, and the effects of alloying elements.

Frye said she started the symposium nine years ago to fill a need in the northwest United States primarily for independent jewelry retailers, designers and manufacturers. The event has steadily grown over the years. Frye said the symposium prides itself on being a non-commercial venue for jewelry professionals.

Jewelry designer Chris Ploof describes the creative process during his presentation on Mokume Gane. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

It was modeled after the Santa Fe Symposium, founded more than 30 years ago by Eddie Bell, director of technology for Rio Grande, Inc., perhaps the largest jewelry industry supplier of tools, equipment and know-how in the U.S. Frye has participated in the event as a presenter and attendee for many years. 

The Santa Fe Symposium is international, attracts some of the largest jewelry companies and is the closest thing to a scientific process in the jewelry industry. Large manufacturing representatives present highly technical white papers on new findings in jewelry making production. The non-commercial networking aspect among these professionals is cited as one of the key reasons for its success. 

Frye says the Portland symposium is a bit different in that it is geared toward smaller companies and is bit broader in terms of presenting highly technical white papers with artistic and business presentations. It received the blessing of Eddie Bell and Rio Grande is one of its major sponsors, providing bench jewelry demonstrations.

Frye expressed confidence that the Portland symposium will continue to grow. 

“There’s a national need for this type of non-commercial event in the type of setting with a more intimate environment than a tradeshow.”

Several attendees said the non-commercial networking environment is one of the best parts of the annual gathering. 

“You don’t feel like you’re in an environment where you’re being sold. You are able to relax a little and enjoy the people who are here,” said Jennifer Shaline a bench jeweler at Beaudet Jewelry, Eugene, Ore. The self-claimed “too junkie” was also at the show headhunting for full-time employees. This is her second time at the event. 

Networking had a direct impact on jewelry designer Ali Peret of Troutdale, Ore. He was specifically looking to find information on 3D jewelry design. The schedule didn’t have this topic this year but during networking he met a 3D jewelry design instructor from the Gemological Institute of America. 

“This is exactly why I come,” said Peret, who has attended the symposium a few times in the past.

Andrea Hill describes how to adapt Lean Manufacturing to small jewelry operations. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

Andrea Hill of Hill Management Group, a consultancy for the jewelry industry, presented a tutorial on Lean Manufacturing, a systematic method for the elimination of waste within a manufacturing system. This system was developed in Japan and is flexible enough to use for a variety of manufacturing processes, including those in the jewelry industry.

“It’s a system that trains an organization to look at itself from the outside in and to make all improvements accordingly,” Hill told the jewelers. “It provides value through the eyes of the customer by designing your business and processes around your customer.”

She added, “This core concept of lean is very accessible to the small business and if you’ll embrace you’ll see benefits in your business.”

Hill has been a longtime presenter and attendee of both The Portland and Santa Fe Symposiums. 

“Teresa (Frye) does a really good job,” Hill said after her presentation. “She packs a lot of content into a day.” 

She adds that’s there is no other place in the northwest United States where such a diverse group of jewelry professionals can get together in such a supportive environment. 

Chris Ploof explains the true worth of what someone buys from a designer. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

Jewelry designer Chris Ploof of Leominster Mass., gave a presentation on the history of the Japanese art of Mokume Gane and described techniques to produce the distinctive design in a modern jewelry workshop. 

It was one of the more entertaining and informative presentations on such a difficult topic. It included a chart on the artist process that read: “Work begins; F#*k off; panic; All the work while crying; Deadline”

Mokume Gane is a technique that produces a wood-like grain in metal. It’s done by fusing several layers of different colored precious metals together then manipulating it in a way that a pattern resembling wood grain emerges over the surface. There are several techniques are used to produce a variety of effects.

Three jewelry designers (Jim Tuttle of Green Lake Jewelry Works, Jennifer Dawes of Jennifer Dawes Design and Travis Isaacson of Lashbrook), spoke about their personal experiences with selling custom jewelry.

Lake Giles of Thinkspace Jeweler of Portland, which creates cloud-driven website management systems and internet marketing services for jewelers, told attendees how they can successfully manage their own website Search Engine Optimization (SEO) without hiring consultants. 

“There are better ways to advertising digitally,” he said. “Google ad words, Pandora radio, Facebook, email marketing lists. They all have their pros and cons. SEO is frequently less attractive than these other channels.

He also encouraged jewelers to use social media (perhaps the only industry on earth that needs such encouragement). 

“At least create those accounts, claim those business names on social media sites shows your biz is alive,” he said. 

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet, the Forbes website and on Instagram @JewelryNewsNetwork

Thursday, October 6, 2016

The Personal And Social Benefits of Responsible Sourcing At Portland Jewelry Symposium

Stewart Grice of Hoover & Strong speaks about Responsible Sourcing to approximately 125 jewelry professionals. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

As mentioned previously, the ninth annual Portland Jewelry Symposium put an extra focus on Responsible Sourcing, a voluntary commitment by companies to take into account social and environmental considerations when managing their relationships with suppliers. 

In addition to the keynote by Bennett Freeman on Sunday, two other presenters opened the eight sessions Monday with their takes on the benefits of Responsible Sourcing. 

The two-day Portland Jewelry Symposium discusses innovations in technology and artistic trends.Teresa Frye, who founded the symposium, says the responsible sourcing of materials for jewelry making is one of the most important current topics for the industry. This year, she said she placed an emphasis on this topic. This year, approximately 125 independent jewelry professionals including retailers, designers and manufacturers attended the event. 

The first, Stewart Grice, VP of Mill Products at Hoover & Strong, a jewelry manufacturer and refiner of precious metals, took the audience into two artisanal mines in Peru, where the company sources its Fairmined gold for its jewels. Among its products, the North Chesterfield, Va., based company produces more than 30,000 eco-friendly and responsibly sourced mill products and finished jewels under the Harmony brand name. They include products sourced with Fairmined gold and silver. 

There’s a premium paid for jewels made with Fairmined gold but in return retailers and end users get gold that is ethically mined without life-threatening chemicals (like Mercury) and the extra money goes toward making the lives of miners and their families better. 

Grice argues that customers are willing to pay the premium if it is explained how Fairmined gold works. “When you buy Fairmined gold this money is invested in community,” he said.

In the case of the two Peruvian mines in Aurelsa and Iquira, this premium is used to improve the safety of the mines, provide power and water to the communities, medical care, cell phones, proper food and even recreational activities, including a soccer pitch in which Grice says may be the highest such field in the world. 

In explaining the harsh conditions at the mine prior to this initiative he said, “These guys were shooting at each other, now they’re playing soccer.”

Only about 15 percent of all independent mines in Peru are regulated by the government, Grice said. The vast majority of mines operate illegally.

One of the requirements of Fairmined gold is that the artisanal mine must be government regulated. This provides an added bonus for the Peruvian people as these mines now contribute to the tax base.

Jewelry designer Toby Pomeroy. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

Jewelry designer Toby Pomeroy, the second presenter, is a pioneer in using responsibly sourced materials in his jewels. In his presentation, “A World Without Design,” he used his own experiences as an example of how a purpose-driven life can lead individuals to find what truly motivates them. 

“In an absence of an inspired context, our lives will not be inspired,” he said. “It will not leave us fulfilled and inspired and not leave other people fulfilled and inspired.”

The Corvallis, Ore., based jeweler talked about his inspirations as a jewelry designer and in his life that led him to making many life choices, including his most important career choice: working with sustainably sourced materials. He is now a world leader in the production of environmentally sustainable and socially responsible jewelry. His launch of “EcoGold” and “EcoSilver” set a new standard, defining ethical luxury. 

In 2006, he learned about the “No Dirty Gold” campaign, which educates people about the impacts of irresponsible gold mining. He learned about the poverty stricken metal miners who work in dangerous conditions and how it contrasted with the beautiful jewels he sells. He thought about closing his business.

“I can’t keep making jewelry knowing the destruction of wide scale mining,” he said. “We’ve been prospering on the backs of miners. For millennia the jewelry industry has been prospering on the backs of other people.”

Pomeroy went to Hoover & Strong to see if the company could purify previously used scrap gold and silver separately from newly mined metals. The company came through but added a 3 percent surcharge for the effort. For the second order the surcharge was dropped. In addition, Hoover & Strong also decided that it was going to develop this business. 

Once seeing that it was doable Pomeroy decided, “This is the direction we’re going.” The jewelry and process was branded as “EcoGold” and “EcoSilver.”

It turned out to not only to be a good ethical move, but a superb business decision as well. After a story appeared about this new use of recycled gold in a trade magazine the consumer press followed, giving his business a great deal of publicity. 

Pomeroy created a pair of hoop earrings, called “Eclipse” made entirely with recycled metals. The elegant, casual and lightweight earrings are flat and wider at the bottom with a rough hammered texture and touch of fair trade diamonds. It then features a subtle bend as it moves up to the ear. The earrings were an instant success. The small store received so many orders for the earrings that he had to develop a way to machine manufacture them without losing the quality, which he did. 

“They loved the shape,” he said. “I just couldn’t make them fast enough.”

Pomeroy seems to be most proud of accidentally starting a movement in the jewelry industry toward responsibly sourced materials.

“Over 100 brands are now using Fairmined gold,” he said. “We’re really causing a revolution in the jewelry and mining industries. Anything is possible.” 

This is the second of three stories about the Portland Jewelry Symposium.

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Tuesday, October 4, 2016

Bennett Freeman Discusses The Importance And Challenges Of Responsible Sourcing At Portland Jewelry Symposium

Bennett Freeman giving the keynote speech for the Portland Jewelry Symposium at the Portland Art Museum. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

One of the world’s most prominent experts on responsible sourcing told an audience of jewelry professionals that the jewelry and gem industry needs a more comprehensive approach to ensure their products are produced in a humane and environmentally friendly manner.

“You need to come up with a new narrative based around responsible sourcing along the pipeline to crystallize the commitment to align and put together American and North American based players (whether) larger, smaller indifferent,” Bennett Freeman said during a keynote speech Sunday at the ninth annual Portland Jewelry Symposium. “Make a pledge to product process integrity that respects labor rights and human rights, that upholds environmental sustainability, and pledges to be credible, to be effective, to be operational and would probably have to be tied to a competent certification standard that would be transparent and accessible to customers."

Freeman has a long history working with multinational companies, responsible investors, NGOs, governments and international institutions in a number of industries to promote corporate responsibility, sustainability and human rights around the world. He works primarily with larger corporations and organizations but he assured the approximate 125 smaller independent designers, artists, jewelry manufacturers and retailers in attendance at the event in Portland, Ore., that they can also participate in the process.

And there’s no time like the present as corporations have been facing pressure like never before in regard to a number of human rights and sustainability issues by an activist community empowered by the speed and efficiency of delivering messages through digital media, he said.

“These pressures, this kind of scrutiny, is not going to go away,” he said. “The 21st Century is, if nothing else, is the century of sustainability, the century of accountability, the century of transparency. Every company, every industry is going to face ever rising pressures and expectations to be straightforward about how is does its business about the character and quality of its content, of its products throughout the entire supply chain.” 

Teresa Frye, founder of the Portland Jewelry Symposium. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

The two-day Portland Jewelry Symposium is designed to discuss new technologies and artistic trends. In this spirit, Teresa Frye, who founded the symposium, says the responsible sourcing of materials for jewelry making is one of the most important current topics for the industry. This year, she said she placed an emphasis on this topic. In addition, to Freeman’s keynote, two of the eight presentations during the all-day work session held Monday dealt with responsible sourcing.

“I slowly became inspired on the subject and feel that it is the next big thing,” said Frye, who also is owner of TechForm, a Portland, Ore.-based company that specializes in the casting of platinum group metals for the jewelry industry. “The handwriting is on the wall. The Portland Jewelry Symposium is about looking ahead. This touches design, manufacturing and business trends. I think it’s the big one”

The gathering of jewelry professionals at the Portland Art Museum prior to Bennett Freeman's keynote speech. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

Freeman says he recognizes the difficulties of bringing such a diverse and fragmented industry of stakeholders throughout the world together and the difficulties of an industry largely made of small family owned firms having the resources to do this. However, it is something he says has to be done before the industry is swept by the tide of public opinion.

“The time has come for this industry to find greater points of alignment to make a fundamental commitment to integrity as well as to quality,” he said. “This is not easy but there are building blocks within this industry and models from other industries and my sense as an outsider who has had a peek inside is that there is some growing momentum in this direction.”

He mentioned luxury jeweler, Tiffany & Co., Signet Jewelers, the world’s largest specialty jewelry retailer, and jewelry manufacturer, Richline Group, among the three largest players in the U.S. industry, as being on the right track. He is less enthused about the progress of the Kimberley Process, a joint governments, industry and civil society initiative to stem the flow of conflict diamonds; and Responsible Jewelry Council, which sets standards and provides certificates for businesses throughout the jewelry industry supply chain (from mine to market). But he does describe these initiatives as headed in the right direction.

“My point is that in other industries there are initiatives, there are standards, there are progress being made. Imperfect but nevertheless progress. In this industry, jewelry, and the parts of the mining industry related to jewelry there’s been similar standards and initiatives. The Kimberley Process on rough cut diamonds, as imperfect as it’s been, at least it’s been an attempt,” he said. “The Responsible Jewelry Council with its third party certification standard, while limited in scope, is an important start…. and there are other initiatives underway that touch and directly affect the jewelry industry.”

He added, “The fact is that for a dozen or 15 years now, this industry has been moving in an overall net positive direction.”

Freeman says he is optimistic that the progress will continue and those in the industry will learn how to tackle these issues. 

“I think the industry has become a little less reactive and more proactive in its dealing with issues not just episodically but a little more systematically looking at the fundamentals of these challenges,” he said. “Looking not just to end product content but supply chain process and while these are positive trends they are not irreversible shifts. I’m sure many of you who have tried to push the industry in this direction, it’s just one step forward and a half-step back. But in my experience in working with these kind of issues across industries, progress is rarely linear as we would like and rarely as rapid as we would hope. But the point is that there’s stakes that have been put in the ground by this industry and admittedly often in reaction to NGO campaigns and negative media scrutiny and your anxieties about your customers perceptions, by regulators and government: but nevertheless progress.” 

He added: “I think we are moving toward a real opportunity for the industry. A more comprehensive more realistic approach (to these issues). At stake I think in many ways is the future of the industry. Relationships with customers, the trust that customers have in the integrity of your products and the processes that make them confident that people aren't being abused along the way. That the objects of such beauty are made in ways that also respect human dignity. That’s the vision and I think it is one that I know that many of you in this room are very dedicated to but there are very substantial challenges moving forward.” 

The two-day Portland Jewelry Symposium attracted approximately 125 jewelry professionals including retailers, designers and manufacturers. This is the first of three stories about the event. 

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Thursday, September 29, 2016

Four High Jewelers Bring New Life To Paris Biennale

A rare cat's eye ruby center's this sculptured ruby flower by Cindy Chao. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

It was my first time at the Paris Biennale des Antiquaires so while most of the news outlets focused on the venerable jewelers who chose not to exhibit at the fair this year, I was focused on those who did present their finest high jewels beneath the vaulted glass dome of the Grand Palais.

Out of the four high jewelers who did exhibit at the recently concluded event, only de Grisogono had done so previously. For Boghossian and Nirav Modi, it was their first time at the event. For Cindy Chao, it was her first ever public exhibition.

Cindy Chao's exhibition booth was so crowded at times it had to be roped off. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

Chao also was the most anticipated of all the jewelers as it was the first time many people were able to see her jewels up close and in person. The Taiwanese jeweler specializes in artistic and exacting gem-encrusted one-of-a-kind pieces that could upwards of three years to complete—most notably her iconic gem-encrusted butterflies. Several times during the press preview her exhibition space was roped off because there were too many people inside.

Cindy Chao’s 2012 Black Label Masterpiece Butterfly. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

Chao brought 12 new Black Label Masterpiece works celebrating her 12th year in business along with some of her other pieces.

A statement necklace with diamonds and collared gems with hidden settings by Boghossian. Photo by Anthony DeMarco

Exceptional gems combined with fine craftsmanship are certainly the hallmarks of those who dabble in high jewelry. However, Boghossian turned this up a notch with innovations like hidden settings for diamonds and gems and working with a variety of materials. The family is fairly new as a high jewelry brand but goes back more than a century in the gem business gradually moving from the Middle East to Europe.

Photo by Anthony DeMarco

One of the most stunning pieces at the fair was a necklace set with 440.08 carats of Type A Jadeite beads in 18k white gold (pictured above). Albert Boghossian, who founded the high jewelry business based in Geneva, says the pieces tell the story of the diverse family heritage.

Geneva-based de Grisogono focused on statement pieces with large amounts of emeralds and diamonds that were both encrusted and cut in a number of ways. They were exclusively with white precious metals.

Photo by Anthony DeMarco

Among the brand’s highpoints were a pair of fan-shaped diamond and emerald earrings set in titanium (pictured above); and a suite of encrusted emerald and diamond jewels, including a bejeweled watch, which featured these gems in briolette and square cuts.


Indian jeweler Nirav Modi presented a fanciful jungle-like display in its exhibition space, including bird sounds. One of its pieces, the Embrace bangle, expanded and contracted within the display 9video above). This innovative piece was complemented with a number of more traditional gem-heavy suites centered by large statement necklaces.

Photo by Anthony DeMarco

One standout was the “Water Lily Story,” (pictured above) inspired by Claude Monet paintings, which uses oval, pear, marquise and round diamond mixed with various collared gemstones.

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Mouawad Opens Shiny New Boutique In Geneva


Mouawad celebrated the official opening of its newest boutique at Rue du Rhône 8 in Geneva. It is the luxury jewelry and watch company’s first boutique in Europe and the 15th globally. 


Located near Place Bel-Air, one of the most prestigious shopping street of Geneva, the store represents a modern look for the 126-year-old family business, according to Fred, Alain and Pascal Mouawad, the three brothers who serve as co-guardians of the family business.


“Not only does this boutique reflect Mouawad’s continued expansion and growth in the world, it also captures the forward-looking vision as to how the brand enchants its customers,” Alain said.


Furnishings, carpets and wall treatments in shades of grey with gold details reflect Mouawad’s corporate colors. The rounded lines throughout the space gently lead people through the displays of luxury jewelry and watches, which include a dedicated watch area and a private space for bridal jewelry. 


Strands of white-colored flower-shaped figures hang in rows from the ceiling serve as a central design element. They are styled after the company’s “Flower of Eternity” jewelry collection made of three heart-shaped petals that combine into a flower. 


Exclusively featured in the new boutique is one of Mouawad’s latest masterpieces, the Divine Muzo Pears, a diamond and emerald suite of jewels, consisting of five pear-shaped, vivid green emeralds mined in Colombia, paired with white diamonds.


Mouawad designs, manufactures and sells its own jewelry and timepiece collections ranging from boutique collections and high jewelry to bespoke pieces and objects of art. 


In addition to its jewelry and timepiece design and production, Mouawad manufactures rough diamonds through its joint venture company, Premier Diamond Alliance. 

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MB&F Goes For Speed With New HM8 Can-Am Watch


Swiss luxury watchmaker MB&F turned to the world of auto racing for its newest high design and technically advanced watch creation. The Horological Machine Number 8 (HM8) takes its inspiration from the Can-Am racing series, which would have celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2016. 

The Canadian-American Challenge Cup was a sports car racing series held from 1966 to 1987. Bruce McLaren developed his first car for the Can-Am series; Lola, Chaparral, BRM, Shadow and Porsche all had manufacturing teams. Class restrictions in the Can-Am were minimal and allowed for unlimited engine sizes, turbocharging, supercharging and basically unrestricted aerodynamics. 



The case design of the HM8 Can-Am is both curvaceous and angular with dual optical prisms vertically displaying bi-directional jumping hours and trailing minutes. The battle-axe winding rotor (a distinct feature of MB&F watches) is visible on top.



The most notable design feature is two titanium bars that run across the front of the watch that mimics a racing car’s roll bars. The back of the case reveals another automotive inspired design detail, dual “oil sumps.”



The HM8 Can-Am is powered by an in-house developed bi-directional jumping hour and trailing minute indication module on a Girard-Perregaux base movement (or engine as the company refers to it). The movement, with a 42 hour power reserve, is in full view from the top.



The bi-directional jumping hour and trailing minute displays on HM8 use overlapping discs (one for the hours, one for the minutes), completely covered in Super-LumiNova. The effect of large numerals is created by masking all of the “lumen,” with the exception of the numbers.



The visual aspect of being able to see the numbers is further enhanced by using separate sapphire crystal prisms for the hour and minute displays so light is reflected (and reversed) from the horizontal indications to the vertical rather than refracted (bent), the company says. A convex lens on the front provides magnification. 

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