We've been seeing more good results at auction this season, wine, art, watches and jewelry all seem to be selling stronger than they were a year ago. On Wednesday, the Annenberg Diamond a 32.01-carat D-flawless stone mounted in a ring by Manhattan jeweler David Webb, sold for $7.7 million, healthily above the estimate of $3 million to $5 million. The per carat price of $240,000 set a new world record for a colorless diamond at auction. The ring had been owned by philanthropist Leonore "Lee" Annenberg, who died in March at the age of 91.

Christie's "Jewels: The New York Sale and the Annenberg Diamond" and "Rare Jewels and Objets d'Art: A Superb Collection" sales together totaled $46.5 million with a combined sell-through rate of 85 percent by lot and 94 percent by value. A diamond and rock crystal bow brooch by Cartier was expected to sell for $200,000 - $300,000 but ended up going for $1.1 million and other pieces sold above estimate. Rahul Kadakia, head of jewelry at Christie's New York, expressed enthusiasm over the sale saying that for a time it was "as if the recession never happened."

It's been a long time coming but members of the De Beers class-action lawsuit settlement might finally get a payout next spring. National Jeweler reported on the recent meeting of the Diamond Manufacturers and Importers Association of America in New York City. At that meeting president Ronald Friedman provided an update on the eight-year-old case and read a letter from one of the attorneys involved. The letter says that several consumers filed various objections to the settlement and a hearing on these appeals is set for January. Once an opinion on those hearings has been reached and provided that the court overrules the objections, payouts could begin next spring.

The De Beers class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of two classes: jewelers and other direct purchasers of diamonds (both rough and polished) between Sept. 20, 1997 and March 31, 2006 and indirect purchasers of diamonds (resellers and consumers) who bought diamonds, diamond jewelry or other products containing gem-quality diamonds between January 1, 1994 and March 31, 2006. The suit claimed that De Beers charged anticompetitive prices for the rough diamonds it sold, monopolized the rough diamond market, and disseminated false and misleading advertising. The $295 million settlement has been divided so that $22.5 million will be distributed to the direct purchaser class and $272.5 million to the indirect purchaser class. Given the number of claimants (said to be as much as $60 million) the payout per person will be pretty small.

The 2009 Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra has been revealed. Marisa Miller does the honors this year modeling a $3 million diamond-studded bra created by Damiani. The 2009 Harlequin Fantasy bra is hand set with over 2,350 white, champagne and cognac-colored diamonds in a harlequin pattern. The bra also has a heart-shaped 16-carat champagne diamond dangling from the Very Sexy Convertible bra. The bra can be worn in five ways: strapless, halter, crossback, one-strap or classic. It has a total carat weight of 150 carats and sells for $3 million. The bra will be on display during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on December 1 on CBS.

[via People Magazine]

One of the best parts of watching the Hollywood awards shows is seeing the stars in those gorgeous gowns and amazing jewelry pieces. But how those stars get matched up with those pieces can be a long and involved process. Recently I attended a career fair at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in Carlsbad, California for those interested in careers in the jewelry industry. The GIA is a lab where millions of dollars in diamonds and gemstones are sent for analysis and certification. They also offer programs on gemology, jewelry design and craftsmanship for those interested in jewelry-related careers.

Much of the focus of the day was on sales and making the best of a challenging industry. But some of the dishiest stories came from a couple of red carpet champs. In the morning panel Michael S. O'Connor, a former jewelry designer turned stylist who works for the Platinum Guild International talked about the challenges of getting jewelry on to celebrities for the big events. These days most stars have stylists which serve as gatekeepers and making them happy is a big part of getting jewelry on a star. O'Connor told the story of placing a piece on Angelina Jolie which all started after a chance green room meeting with her stylist.

Another red carpet winner is Erica Courtney. She has a relatively small company and yet has had tremendous success getting her jewelry on big stars including Julia Roberts, Beyonce and Britney Spears. How did she do it? Part of her success has come from remaining committed to working with celebrities year round and not just around the time of big events. She also has a "nothing is impossible" attitude and revealed that one of her associates who was scheduled to be at the GIA with her actually had to jump on a red-eye flight instead to ferry a piece to a client because it was after the FedEx deadline.

As Courtney explains it, the business of getting jewelry placed can be a bit tricky. Stylists try to make sure their stars get the best pieces and all details of red carpets outfits are protected like state secrets until the big reveal. One thing that Courtney won't do however is give away her pieces. She was adamant about not giving pieces to away to actresses saying she'd rather not give away "even a little pair of silver earrings" and if she was going to giveaway jewelry she'd give it to "the girls that work so hard for me." And lest you think that years of working with diamonds, sapphires and expensive gemstones has jaded her she also confessed that even she is sometimes intimidated by working with the big stones. The stone can't sell itself, it's up to the design to do that and so the pressure's on. Courtney revealed that she often takes a stone home and then watches television while sketching in order to distract herself from the value of the stone.

The takeaway from every panelist at the GIA career fair was that if you don't have a passion for jewelry and the ability to sell this probably isn't the business for you, it's just too hard otherwise especially in a world where jewelry loses increasing ground to technology and other gifts. But for those with the love of the stones and the drive to do whatever is necessary to make a sale, an interesting career awaits.

What's black and white and fabulous all over? The jewelry of Stefano Canturi. Canturi, who has designed for Cartier and other brands displays an almost machine-like geometry in his bold black and white designs using diamonds and black sapphires. His latest collections embrace cubism using square-cut and baguette diamonds to create pieces that seem both classic Art Deco and very modern. The architectural quality of the pieces seems a natural fit for New York City which is where Canturi has opened his fifth salon worldwide. Canturi, an Australian designer, created jewelry for Nicole Kidman in both the Moulin Rouge and Australia films and has the all-powerful Oprah Winfrey as a customer. He previously opened his first U.S. shop in Las Vegas and also has three stores in Australia.

A couple of years ago Disney entered the bridal market with a line of fairytale wedding dresses. The line is still going strong and now the designer,Kirstie Kelly is expanding into fine jewelry. National Jeweler reports that Kelly's new line of diamond wedding and engagement rings, "Kirstie Kelly for Disney by Mouawad" debuted this week as part of Bridal Fashion Week in New York. The line consists of six engagement rings with matching wedding bands that correspond to six Disney heroines, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Princess Jasmine from Aladdin, Ariel from The Little Mermaid and Belle from Beauty and the Beast. The Disney rings are being sold as semi-mounts (center stone not included) and retail for $1,200 to $6,000.



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Turkish brand Kurtulan is bringing the exotic lure of ancient Byzantium to life in their Mediterra Collection of jewelry this fall. Kurtulan won a 2008 World Gold Council Award and does designs in rich 24K gold with gemstones (the metal is labeled 985K gold representing that some pieces are welded together using a gold-solder alloy that is 985/1000 which is approximately 23,64K). The designs are available at the fashion boutique Martier in New York City. The Mediterra Collection begins at $700 and includes rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets, necklaces and jeweled cufflinks.

The delicate set of 14K rose gold wings on a burgundy cord shown above is the "You're An Angel' bracelet from Dyanne Belle jewelry. Designer Deb Schecter named the brand after her aunt Dyanne who was one of the founding members of SHARE, a nonprofit organization serving people affected by breast or ovarian cancer and who got breast cancer at just 28 years old back in 1970. The bracelet raises awareness and funds for breast and ovarian cancer during the month of October. The bracelet is available in gold for $125 or silver for $70 and 100% of the profits from the You're an Angel bracelet are being donated by Dyanne Belle to SHARE.

In time for the big holiday buildup, Ralph Lauren has launched an exclusive new online gift giving site, www.RalphLauren.com/GiftVault, offering rare and unique pieces sourced predominantly from the designer's extensive Vintage Collection.

The site is divided into three collections: Americana, Hollywood Glamour, and Estate. The Americana collection includes unique merchandise inspired by the Western Frontier from carved wood furniture to one-of-a-kind concho belts.

Hollywood Glamour epitomizes 1930's cinematic style with spectacular Art Deco home items reminiscent of old Hollywood including limited edition estate jewelry and sterling silver barware. And Estate is the ultimate in British-inspired sophistication including gold and gemstone jewelry, bronze statues and equestrian inspired accessories.

Examples of pieces on offer include a silver bullet shaped "artillery" cocktail shaker, a stunning antique mine-cut diamond pendant from the 1800s, a beautiful turquoise Navajo inspired cuff and this rare sterling silver and boar tusk flagon made in England in 1946.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month is upon us, and David Yurman is celebrating (and supporting) by releasing these lavish pink dog tags for his Women's Tag Collection.

At left is the Pink Rhodonite and Sterling Silver Breast Cancer Dog Tag, which is emblazoned with the DY logo and costs $450. On the right is the extremely sparkly and eye-catching Pave Diamond-Encrusted model, available for $950.

These tags not only show your support for breast cancer victims and research, but they also have a great "I'm a survivor" vibe to them -- the dog tag theme is perfect. Never have pave diamonds looked so courageous.

Naturally, 10 percent of retail sales from these items goes directly to fund the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, so it's the perfect way to show your (actual) support, or to reward a survivor. Click here to purchase from David Yurman.

Diamond jeweler Royal Asscher has created a new collection called Stars of Africa by Royal Asscher. The Stars of Africa collection consists of 18 rings which feature diamonds encased in a fluid-filled sapphire dome. The stones can move in a way similar to the way that sparkles shake inside a snow globe, throwing off fire and color as they move.The ring collection is available in white, yellow, and rose gold and priced from $4,950 to $7,900 retail. The rings will be available in stores later this month.

For each ring sold Royal Asscher will donate $150 from the sale of each ring to educational, health, micro-economic and self sufficiency programs in Africa. . In 2008, Royal Asscher launched the Star of Africa program, which looks to improve infrastructure in Africa by creating funding for healthcare, education and self sufficiency programs.

[via National Jeweler]

New York-based Divorce Your Jewels pays cash for your unwanted jewelry, no matter if it's a five-carat engagement ring, a wedding ring, a jewelry gift you no longer like or want, or jewelry that just sits in a drawer. What makes this service different from something like Cash4Gold is that you set up a personal appointment at your home or the company's office, and the company caters to the high-end clientele. Read more here.

Teeny type at the bottom of the home page indicates that the company has expanded its business to "discreet" departures of museum-quality art, valuable fashion items (e.g., Birkin bags and vintage clothing), or unworn clothes with tags. You also can buy from the company.

No word on whether this service extends beyond New York, but it's worth a call or e-mail: call 917-846-9999/8444 or e-mail Melissa "Missy" Schorr: melissa@divorceyourjewels.com.

Candles always set a mood, and soy candles are an earth-friendly luxury. Add to this mix a Diamond Bow Necklace encrusted with 38 diamonds, 2.23 carat total weight, G color, VS clarity, and set in 14-carat white gold, and you have The Ultimate Luxury Candle, a limited-edition candle from Welcome Home Candles. Modeled on Welcome Home's Champagne Noir Soy Candle fragrance, this candle and necklace set was designed exclusively for Welcome Home Candles by Bucci's Jewelry & Design, one of the Philadelphia area's top jewelry designers. Order online, free shipping. $4,995

Louis Vuitton's latest jewelry line is connected to their ongoing travel initiative, Spirit of Travel. The campaign also includes the recent ad campaign featuring astronauts and the one-off bags by contemporary artists including Damien Hirst and Annie Leibovitz to be auctioned off for charity.

The Independent reports that the elite range will include six sets and that each will boast a unique necklace for $2.5 million, created by jeweler Lorenz Bäumer. The necklaces features Bäumer's unique, ebullient jewelry chaos rendered in exquisite gemstones. The collection will also include a 30-carat diamond ring bearing one of Vuitton's signature diamond cuts. The new jewelry line will be made available to the public on October 15 at the Louis Vuitton flagship store on the Champs-Elysées in Paris.

Luxury Launches says that the bib style necklace with the Vuitton emblem circles shown above is also a reference to the brightly colored collars worn by the Masai people.

Gold, silver, platinum and even other metals like palladium and titanium have made their way into rings. Now, for the first time, Los Angeles based rare metals manufacturer, American Elements is selling jewelry made from pure iridium metal. The challenge for working with iridium is that it has an extremely high melting temperature (4,435° F), more than 2,000 degrees above gold and 500 degrees above platinum. It is also very hard and brittle. American Elements designs parts for the NASA space program so it has the technology to work with this metal. The deep gray metal has a high luster and is the lowest tarnishing element. It is also extremely corrosion resistant and will not react with any acid. American Elements reports that one of the first buyers was a Rothschild banker in London who chose one for his wedding band. The pure iridium 6mm ring shown above sells for $2,530.

This isn't iridium's first foray into the luxury goods market. Iridium recently has also made its way into watches and has been used for years with other metals to strengthen the nibs on fountain pens.