About High Performance Diamonds

High Performance Diamonds is a synergy of expertise, dedicated to the top 1% of all diamond cut quality. With over 50 years of combined experience the HP Diamonds staff has sampled and sold practically every “superideal” brand in the world. Our expertise also extends to name-brand designer settings, colored gemstones and projects simple or complex, but our obsession is the world’s most precisely cut, highest performing diamonds. Your gateway to perfection.

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HPD Staff

Wink Jones, Owner has been in the jewelry business since 1970 when he bought his first gemstone for a girlfriend in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Within days he was buying & selling gems and his lifelong love affair and study of gemology was started. Wink graduated from the Gemological Institute of America in 1975, and has been a proud member of the trade ever since. His unique retail store enjoys a modest setting with extremely low overhead, translating to client benefits in the form of extremely rare, high-performing diamonds from halfway across the world and heirloom quality jewelry at a fraction of traditional retailer markups. Wink is a renowned expert on the subject of diamond cut quality and, more importantly, for being able to explain it in an easy and interesting way. He loves to share his knowledge of diamonds and his first love of extraordinary colored stones continues to this day. Wink has an incredible collection of rare Award Winning gemstones and enjoys access to exceptional and rare gems in addition to a boutique production of the world’s finest cut diamonds. Recently Wink has enjoyed assembling a team of expert studio artists: Richard Homer, world famous in the gem cutting world and Ocean Pearlman, an internationally recognized designer who has worked with Royalty, have teamed together to bring their expertise to greater heights; accenting the strengths of one another to create incredible wearable art. Todd Gray, renowned Diamond Specialist, shares Wink’s daily passion for the world’s top performing diamonds and beautiful settings. Wink also partners with other fine studio artisans to create fabulous custom pieces which make his clients’ hearts sing. Wink is a part-time kayaker and full-time grandfather who takes great joy in working with people to create heirloom quality jewelry that will be enjoyed for generations. He enjoys a reputation as “the expert you can trust,” providing diamonds, gems and jewelry whose beauty will surpass your wildest dreams.  Visit my Blog

Todd Gray, Diamond Specialist entered the jewelry business in 1985 as salesman, then manager and finally diamond specialist for retail jewelry stores in Oregon and Washington State. Todd examined his first “hearts & arrows” cut diamonds in 1994 when they arrived in the USA and was immediately captivated by the new precision-cutting style. As he developed an admiration for the impressive craftsmanship he also saw inconsistency in precision and performance among individual diamonds. For the next decade he made his focus microscopic gemological analysis of “superideal” diamonds with emphasis on light performance. Todd’s disciplines include clarity microphotography, 3D ray-tracing, Ideal-Scope® & AGS ASET®, BrillianceScope and SymmetriScope. His areas of cut quality study include the 1996 and 2005 American Gem Society Laboratories (AGS) proportions and performance grading systems, the 2006 Gemological Institute of America (GIA) cut grading system and the hearts & arrows grading systems of Zenhokyo, Japan, and Hoge Raad Voor Diamant (HRD), Belgium. A well-rounded jeweler, Todd is trained in 3D CAD design and C&C Milling. He enjoys a personal relationship with several notable setting designers, including Tacori and D Vatche, and has authored a wide array of custom and catalog offerings. Todd’s original website, NiceIce.com, was among the first in the world to offer a private reserve of “superideal” cut diamonds to consumers in 1997. He is proud to have been told by several of the world’s finest diamond cutters that he is their “most demanding client.” Todd is a true Pacific Northwest native. He likes to wake-board during the summer and is an avid hobbyist-photographer.

Sheila Cook is the right hand of the operation; managing systems, overseeing processes and generally keeping the train on the tracks. She has many years of order execution, shipping and customer service to her credit.  Sheila's love of people and desire to fill any necessary role makes her a great asset for clients with questions or special needs. In addition to support of HP Diamonds Sheila oversees daily operations for the Winfield’s retail store.  She prides herself on finding answers and giving intimate, cheerful attention to every customer.

Sylvia Mason is the cheerful voice on the phone.  She also manages worldwide shipping and distribution to make sure precious jewelry and gemstones arrive safely with our customers. She coordinates scheduling for the Winfield’s retail store as well as for HP Diamonds. She is glad to help customers get questions answered, track packages, assist with accounting questions or check to see where an order may be in its process.  She is also in charge of scheduling Wink's visits with clients to discuss their jewelry dreams. She provides invaluable administrative support and enjoys helping clients select the “right” piece of jewelry. Her warm personality and quick, easy laughter bring a happy outlook to our team and helps her get to know clients on a more personal level. See her video testimonial.

Melissa Sharp has had a passion for diamonds and gemstones since she was seven years old.  While the other little girls were busy reading Flicka and Flacka she was reading mineralogy books! She had an administrative background, but left her high-stress, fast-paced executive assistant position to do something much more important - be a stay at home mother. When she first started working from home for Wink, her third child was only six months old and Wink hired her on a trial basis. In those days she would simply sort his emails and now, four years later, she is assisting clients with custom designs, Vatche designs, Infinity diamond sales, and assiting Wink by keeping him organized. "I've had the opportunity to work with clients around the world through Wink, and helping someone see their dream ring come to life gives me the biggest thrill!"