The interactive Web site was designed specifically for retail jewelers—yet geared for both the retailer and the consumer—to recruit them to sell GemEx diamonds rated through the company's consumer-friendly "Light Performance Analysis Reports." These reports certify the details of a diamond's light performance using simple bar graphs to illustrate white light (brilliance), colored light (fire) and scintillation.

The new Web site also features thorough guidance for consumers seeking instruction on buying a diamond (e.g., an explanation of the Four Cs) or information about GemEx and its products.

"This easy-to-navigate Web site, the most comprehensive of its kind, expedites and streamlines the buying and selling for both the retailer and consumer," said Robert DuBois, the firm's vice president of marketing. "It takes the fear and mystery out of buying a diamond. For retailers to join, they must qualify as a jeweler who has been trained to use our light performance reports and have brought in diamonds from our wholesalers offering the diamonds with the reports."

Currently, five diamond wholesalers are providing the inventory for GemEx's site, although, according to DuBois, that number will increase as the reputation of "The Science of Beauty" grows.

"We're keeping the number of wholesalers limited at this time until we have a large number of retailers online [thereby increasing the consumer demand for more diamonds]," he said.

"Using the site, the consumer can view the diamonds they're interested in online before the retailers actually order them from GemEx wholesalers and bring them into the store," continued DuBois.

For retailers, the sales and marketing support tools on the site include downloadable print, radio and TV ads in five different formats: point-of-purchase brochures, posters and cards; a link to a training section to enhance sales presentations; information on GemEx's BrillianceScope Viewer and analysis reports; public relations support from an affiliate New York agency; and an image inventory of more than 5,000 diamonds, each endorsed with its own analysis report.

"The new site answers all the questions that a consumer may inquire about," said Daniel Gordon, vice president of Samuel Gordon Jewelers. "It explains to the consumer all about light performance in a simplified way. The site also has a crisp, clean look. It'll be a great tool to search for stones in the industry. Retailers can now 'look' at a diamond without seeing it in person."

Mike Clarke, president of Dallas-based DFW Diamonds, said, "This new site could change the way retailers buy diamonds. Instead of just knowing the cut, clarity and color, diamonds can be chosen by how pretty they are [through brilliance and fire]. This site will be a huge help for the industry."