diamond

World's Most Expensive Poker Set for $7.5 Million

Filed under: Gadgets, Men's Style, Wealth

Talk about high stakes – Geoffrey Parker, London-based maker of the finest games on the globe, is offering the world's most expensive poker set for $7.5 million. The bespoke set comes housed in a genuine alligator skin case finished in any color the client chooses, fitted with 18k white gold combination locks and hardware. The case' suede lining features an 18k gold and diamond frame holding 384 18k white gold chips, each inlaid on both sides in shagreen (stingray skin). The chips can be in any currency and denomination the client desires; the display set features chips marked €100,000 – or about $140,000 at today's rates.

The edge of each chip is set with precious stones – white diamonds for the white chips, sapphires for the blue, rubies for the red, emeralds for the green and black diamonds for the black. The dealer button is be a larger 18 karat white gold chip set with two rows of diamonds to the edge. The set will feature an estimated 22,364 stones in all, totaling 1,012 carats. Finally there are four platinum-plated decks of poker cards. Orders are now being taken with an expected delivery time of six to nine months; the price may go up if the precious stones and metals market fluctuates.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: alligator, alligator+skin+poker+set, alligatorskinpokerset, bespoke, cards, diamond, diamonds, exotic leather, gambling, game sets, games, Geoffrey Parker, gold, gold and diamonds, London, mens style, most+expensive+poker+chips, most+expensive+poker+set, mostexpensivepokerchips, mostexpensivepokerset, platinum, playing cards, poker, precious stones, shagreen, UK, white gold, worlds most expensive

How to Clean and Store Diamond Jewelry (with video)

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Video

How to clean and store diamond jewelry Even a small amount of grease or oil can dramatically dull the brilliance of your diamonds. This is why it is important to clean your diamond jewelry regularly, advises Philip Press, president and chief executive officer of Renaissance Platinum (see video below).

"I find the easiest way is to either use a specialized jewerly cleaner or a straight clear, ammonia," says Press. "Let the piece of jewelry soak in the solution for an hour or more. Use an old toothbrush and clean the sides and bottom of the diamond and then rinse it very well under hot water. Don't be afraid of over cleaning your diamonds." Be sure to be gentle with the brush, however, as diamonds can become loose from their settings if they are treated roughly.

A few words of warning: Jewelry should not be cleaned in or near the sink. If there is no better location for the cleaning, be sure the plug is in, to avoid the jewelry going down the drain.

Also, it is very important that you to store your diamond jewelry separately, such as in individual compartments or pouches so they do not touch other gemstones. "Because a diamond can scratch another diamond," advises Press. "It is even more important to keep your diamond jewelry separated from your other gemstone jewelry because diamonds will certainly scratch other gemstones."

If you haven't yet met the StyleList Network, a group of first-rate fashion bloggers, please do. And then introduce them to your friends! http://aol.it/g7SCdC

Tags: awards-main, daimond+jewelry, daimondjewelry, diamond, diamond jewelry, diamonds, do+not+clean+jewelry+with, donotcleanjewelrywith, how to clean diamond jewelry, how to clean diamonds, how to clean jewelry, how to store christmas cookies, how+to+clean+and+store+diamond+jewelry, howtocleanandstorediamondjewelry, luxist-awards, video

Ekati Spirit Diamond Sets New Record

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

A 78-carat rough diamond from the Ekati mine in Canada's Northwest Territories sold in Antwerp this week at BHP Billiton's diamond center. The diamond sold for $2.8 million which is a record for Canadian stones. The previous record was for a 10.22 carat gem, also from Ekati, which sold for $1.2 million. The stone was named the Ekati Spirit by an employee after a company contest.

The stone is internally flawless and is considered to be the mine's most significant gem-quality find in the last 13 years. It's not the biggest stone to come out of the mine, that would be a 182-carat stone found two years ago, but that stone was of poorer quality.

No word yet on who the buyer is, although it's hard not to see a big stone and wonder if Laurence Graff or maybe Lev Leviev is behind the transaction. It's also not clear if the stone will be cut and set. Stones lose a significant amount of weight when cut so it will be interesting to see what this stone looks like after the master cutters get their hands on it. With stones of this size and value, the diamond plotters often strategize for months, using computer modeling and other methods, before making that first fatal cut.

Tags: BHP Billiton, diamond, ekati diamond, ekati spirit

Continue reading “Ekati Spirit Diamond Sets New Record”

The $85,000 Custom Diamond & Alligator Guitar

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

The $85,000 Custom Diamond & Alligator Guitar

Rock Royalty, a new Nashville-based luxury design house that manufactures one-of-a-kind, custom guitars, is offering the ultimate in rock star decadence: an $85,000 custom alligator skin, diamond and sterling silver Fender Telecaster. The eye-popping instrument comes wrapped in exquisite natural black alligator skin from Louisiana, and features black diamond and sterling silver volume knobs, a selector switch set with rubies, and six handmade diamond tuning keys set in sterling silver. They also have a custom Gibson Les Paul for $125,000, set with almost 50 carats of black and white diamonds if that's too cheap. The company promises never to duplicate a design so that each piece remains totally unique. The Telecaster and Les Paul are two of nine original designs created for the brand's debut; other models come wrapped in stingray skin and various other exotic finishes. The only question is whether to play them or hang them over the fireplace.

[via JustLuxe]

Gallery: Rock Royalty Custom Guitars

Tags: alligator, alligator+guitar, alligatorguitar, custom, diamond, guitars, music, Nashville, Rock Royalty, sterling silver

Ralph Lauren Stirrup Diamond Link Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Timepieces / Watches

A new high-jewelry timepiece from Ralph Lauren Watches is this Stirrup collection Diamond Link. A full pave 18k white gold case for the small sized Ralph Lauren Stirrup is not new, but the great looking chain-style bracelet is. The case is about 28mm wide and features a specially made for Ralph Lauren Piaget caliber RL430 manually wound mechanical movement. The Stirrup style is clearly meant to as an homage to Ralph Lauren's love of equestrian activities.

There are literally hundreds of diamonds on the case and bracelet - 1,553 of them in fact. My gosh, where do they fit them all? It was nice for me to play with the drool worthy watch. I am sure it would have been like cat nip for women. Total stone weight is about 24.70 carats. Yes, that is a lot of stones. The mixture of the case style and the classy bracelet are a fine mix of the unique styling of RL pieces combined with a very classic jewelry style presentation. Look for these in very limited quantities soon.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: diamond, link, ralph lauren, stirrup, watch

Damien Hirst Draws Fire for $50 Million Diamond and Platinum Baby Skull

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art

Art world provocateur Damien Hirst's latest work, an authentic baby's skull covered in platinum and diamonds, is causing controversy in the UK. The sculpture (above), entitled For Heaven's Sake, is a follow-up to the Brit artist's astounding $100 million diamond covered skull which he debuted in 2007. The new work is based on an infant's skull believed to be that of a newborn less than two weeks old from a 19th-century pathology collection that Hirst has acquired, the London Telegraph reports. Cast in platinum and set with more than 8,000 white and pink diamonds by royal jewelers Bentley & Skinner, the skull will be exhibited later this month at the Gagosian Gallery's new space in Hong Kong and will be shown in London later this year.

The gallery has not named a price for the new work but we expect it to fetch at least $50 million if not more. The work has angered parenting groups who claim that it is offensive to those who have suffered the bereavement of a child, the newspaper reports, raising the specter of protests. That of course is only likely to increase its value. "When you look at a skull, you think it represents the end, but when you see the end so beautiful, it gives you hope," Hirst commented regarding his earlier skull work. "Diamonds are about perfection and clarity and wealth and sex and death and immortality. They are a symbol of everything that's eternal, but then they have a dark side as well."

Tags: art, Bentley Skinner, Damien Hirst, diamond, diamonds, Gagosian Gallery, gemstones, jewelry, platinum, skull, UK

Purple-Pink Diamond Sells For $1 Million A Carat

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Lately it seems the world can't get enough of pink diamonds. We've seen a variety of records for pink diamond set recently, from the $46-million pink diamond sold at Sotheby's recently to Laurence Graff to the "the perfect pink" sold for over $23 million to anonymous buyer at Christie's Hong Kong over the weekend. The latest is a modified rectangular-cut fancy vivid purple-pink diamond of 6.89 carats which was sold for $6.91 million at Christie's New York Jewels auction on December 7. The cut-cornered modified rectangular-cut fancy vivid purple-pink diamond is set in a ring with a pavé-set pink diamond surround, gallery and hoop, mounted in 18k rose gold. The anonymous buyer paid about $1 million per carat. National Jeweler reports that the auction total of $22.1 million, brought Christie's New York jewelry sales total to $131 million for the year, the highest total ever for the U.S. jewelry auction market.

Tags: christies, diamond, diamonds, pink diamond

Perfect Pink Diamond Sets Hong Kong Record

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions

It's not a world-record setter like the $46-million pink diamond sold at Sotheby's recently but a stone called "the perfect pink" sold for over $23 million to an anonymous buyer at Christie's Hong Kong over the weekend. The 14.23 ct. rectangular-cut fancy intense pink diamond is the most expensive jewel ever sold in Asia. The sale was a record-setter overall, bringing in $78.9 million, highest ever for a jewelry auction in Asia and the largest ever at Christie's worldwide. The pink diamond is flanked by a pair of rectangular D-flawless diamonds weighing 1.73 and 1.67 carats and mounted in 18k rose and white gold. The center stone is graded fancy intense pink, natural colour, VVS2 clarity, with excellent symmetry. It is a type IIa diamond, diamonds which are chemically very pure and are famed for their clean, jaw-dropping sparkle.

Tags: Christies, diamond, diamonds, hong kong, pink diamond

The Smithsonian's Hope Diamond Gets a Makeover

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Harry Winston's historic donation of the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian Institution, the world-renowned international jeweler has designed a new "Embracing Hope" setting for the legendary gem. The incredible necklace featuring the 45.52-carat Hope Diamond officially debuted today in Washington, D.C.

This is the first new setting for the fabled deep blue gem since it was given to the museum by Harry Winston himself in November 1958 to help found the National Gem Collection. Harry Winston, a premier diamond jeweler and luxury timepiece retailer, is the Luxist Awards' Readers' Choice Winner for Best Jewelry Line.

Designed and handcrafted in the Harry Winston design studio and jewelry workshop in New York, the temporary "Embracing Hope" setting suspends the Hope Diamond in a sculptural ribbon of 340 baguette diamonds set into platinum. Eight master jewelers devoted more than 1,000 hours to creating the exquisite new setting, which was selected from three different Winston designs by popular vote in an online poll in 2009.

Gallery: The Hope Diamond's New Setting by Harry Winston

Tags: awards-main, blue diamond, diamond, diamonds, harry winston, luxist-awards, Smithsonian

Continue reading “The Smithsonian's Hope Diamond Gets a Makeover”

$10,000 Skull Cufflinks & More from Ralph Lauren for the Holidays

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Jewelry, Timepieces / Watches, Men's Style

Ralph Lauren is offering a number of exclusive, ultra-luxurious gifts this holiday season, starring an eye-popping pair of skull cufflinks for $10,995. The luxe links, with a skull in a top hat motif, are finished in white gold with diamond eyes. The designer's new Holiday Collection encompasses chic decorative accents, entertaining accoutrements and luxurious travel accessories. Iconic tartans, a signature palette of cashmere cable-knits and rich velvets have a classic appeal, while items like the cufflinks and crystal barware appeal to a more modern sense of sophistication.

The skull motif also appears on a velvet throw pillow for $195 and even a cashmere dog sweater at $115. Other items of note include tartan leather bags and accessories for both men and women, including a men's Cooper Bag at $3,995; a women's Tiffin Bag in black alligator for $16,995; retro style sunglasses finished in red tartan for $375; and exclusive timepieces priced from $17,500 – $32,000. In addition, RalphLauren.com will be offering multiple programs under the RL Custom Boutique for the ultimate in personalization, while the designer's Gift Vault site features a collection of rare and one-of-a-kind pieces ranging from $650 - $55,000.

[via JustLuxe]

Gallery: Ralph Lauren Holiday 2010

Tags: cashmere, cufflinks, diamond, gifts, gold, Holiday 2010, holiday gifts, holiday shopping, holidays, mens style, Ralph Lauren, sunglasses, timepieces

Bulgari Blue Diamond Ring Sets New Record

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions

Christie's "Jewels: The New York Sale" on October 20 had some very strong results including the sale of the "Bulgari Blue," a two-stone diamond ring featuring the largest triangular-shaped fancy vivid blue diamond ever to appear at auction. The ring had an estimate of over $12 million and brought in $15.7 million, making it the top jewel sold at auction in 2010.

The ring was designed by Rome's legendary house of BVLGARI in the 1970s and is being sold by a collector who bought it nearly 40 years ago as a present for his wife after the birth of their first son. it features a triangular-shaped, colorless diamond of 9.87 carats matched with a triangular-shaped Fancy Vivid blue diamond of 10.95 carats which is the largest Fancy Vivid blue diamond of this cut ever to be offered at auction. The collector bought the ring in 1972 for around $1 million. Fancy vivid blue diamonds are among the rarest and most sought-after colored diamonds and only one stone in around 10 million has color that rates this designation. Prices for blue diamonds continue to be strong. At a Sotheby's auction in May in Geneva a 7.64 carat fancy intense blue cushion-shaped diamond mounted in yellow gold and platinum sold to an anonymous client for $8,034,503.

National Jeweler reports that the ring was the sale's grand finale piece and was won by an Asian collector for $15,762,500, with premium after a bidding battle between one client in the room and two clients on the phone.

The 448-lot auction brought in a total of $52.5 million. The sale also included a pair of Imperial Topaz earrings, from the legendary jewelry house JAR (founded by Joel Arthur Rosenthal). Ellen Barkin sold the earrings at auction in 2006 for $710,000. They were estimated to bring in $300,000 to $500,000 but sold for $650,500.

Tags: blue diamond, blue diamonds, bulgari, bvlgari, christies, diamond, jar, jewelry designers

A. Testoni Offers World's Most Expensive Men's Shoes

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Shoes, Men's Style

For the astronomical price of $38,000 per pair, Italian luxury leather goods label A. Testoni is now offering the world's most expensive men's dress shoes. Testoni, founded in Bologna in 1929 by Amedeo Testoni, painstakingly handcrafts the Moro monk-strap model in the world's finest exotic alligator skin using the techniques of Norvegese, or Norwegian construction, for durability and added water resistance. Stiched with custom-made linen twine, the shoes are lined with glove-soft goatskin and adorned with a rich but discreet gold and diamond buckle. To make the eye-poppingly elegant footwear Testoni also employs a second proprietary process, called the piuma rapid, which requires some 200 manual operations to complete. Each pair is made up, deconstructed, and then put back together again in a patented method that results in a shoe as light as a feather yet which guarantees protection from hot, cold and humid weather.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: A. Testoni, alligator, diamond, exotic leather, gold, Italian fashion, leather, mens style, most expensive, shoes, worlds most expensive

Badollet Crystalball Bamboo White Diamond Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Badollet borrows some lessons from fellow Swiss watch brands for the creation of this marvelous looking luxury tourbillon timepiece. The first influence is Roger Dubuis, who themselves have a few timepieces with "bamboo" scaffolding style skeletonized mechanical movements. Though admittedly, Badollet has done a better job making movement bridges actually look like bamboo (and scaffolding). The combo of the sticks and gears makes for a provocative look. The movement features a flying tourbillon - which is also trendy to combine with ultra minimalistic movements.

According the Badollet, the Calibre BAD5600 movement bridges are cut from high-tech aluminum lithium alloy. I believe that this is the same (or similar) material that Richard Mille uses in their famed ultra-light RM07 $525,000 watch for star tennis player Rafael Nadal. While simple, the manually wound movement does have a large mainspring which offers 5 days worth of power reserve. The case of the Crystalball Bamboo watch is 43.2mm tall by 40.2mm wide and done in 18k palladium white gold. According to the brand, customers can order the watch in various case materials and metals such as ceramic, various types of gold, titanium, and even get the case jewel-encrusted or engraved.

Seen here, the case is decorated with 52 baguette diamonds (almost 7 carats), and has a dial that is in white gold with mother-of-pearl inlay. Though in reality the dial region is highly complex and customizable also having optional titanium, enamel, and ceramic elements. With a crocodile strap and lots of customization options, this impressive super-luxury watch can be deemed unisex, but certainly does target preferences seen often in the luxury watch buying habits of the Asian male consumer. I don't even want to know the price as it will be ludicrously high. Best to just enjoy the visuals in this instance unless you have some spare gold bullion laying around.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: badollet, bamboo, crystalball, diamond, watch

John Paul DeJoria Launches Diamond Website In The U.S.

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Can a man who has sold you shampoo and tequila be the man you buy your next diamond from? John Paul DeJoria, the billionaire famous for creating Paul Mitchell salon hair care and being behind Patron Spirits, is launching his online, upscale, conflict-free diamond company, DeJoria Diamonds in the U.S. DeJoria co-founded the company with his British business partner Jonathan Kendrick in 2003.

"We originally launched DeJoria Diamonds in England in 2003 offering a complete end-to-end diamond-buying service to include education and information on diamonds themselves as well as providing independent valuations and full certifications on all the jewelry we make for our customers," said DeJoria. "We have steadily built the UK business to the point where we know we can continue to develop our flawless reputation, earned in England, right here in the US."

The website is similar in style to Blue Nile and other online diamond sales sites and includes an engagement ring builder. DeJoria Diamonds sources its ethical diamonds, individually, in Europe and has dedicated craftsmen to create the finished jewelry at the world-famous Jewelry Quarter in Birmingham, England, complete with British Hallmarks stamped into the gold and platinum used. The site also uses 'Real Vision' 3D modeling technology which enables the customer to 'see' online how a particular size and style of diamond ring would actually look on their finger.

Tags: dejoria diamonds, diamond, diamonds, engagement rings, John Paul deJoria

Rare Pink Diamond Could Be One Of The World's Most Expensive Stones

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Another big pink diamond will test its luck at Sotheby's this fall. A 24.78 carat Fancy Intense Pink diamond that was last seen on the market 60 years ago, when it was purchased from Harry Winston, will be auctioned off at Sotheby's Geneva on November 16, 2010. The emerald-cut stone is mounted in a ring and has been determined to be part of the type IIa classification, a rare type of stone that represents less than two percent of all of the world's gem diamonds. The stone is currently graded as VVS2 clarity, but the report from the Gemological Institute of America states that the stone may be internally flawless after repolishing. The stone is offered for sale with a pre-sale estimate of $27-38 million. Last year a five-carat pink stone sold for $10.8 million setting a new per carat record.

Tags: diamond, pink diamond, sothebys

diamond

Featured Galleries

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular

Also on AOL