diamond

Rare Pink Diamond Up For Auction In Canada

A rare 10.11 carat orangy-pink diamond is causing a stir in Canada. The stone is the top lot in a jewelry auction being held by Circa Auctions at the Park Hyatt hotel in Toronto, Ontario on October 3rd. The Toronto Star reports that is is the most expensive diamond ever auctioned in Canada. It is estimated to bring in $2.5 million to $3 million Canadian. The fancy intense organy-pink cushion cut stone came from the Argyle mine in Australia (famous for its pink diamonds) and is rated as a VS2 stone meaning it has some small inclusions. The Star article says that the Sultan of Brunei is said to have the largest collection of pink diamonds. The purchase includes "naming rights" to the stone.

Tags: argyle mine, diamond, pink diamond

$12 Million Blue Diamond BVLGARI Ring to Be Auctioned by Christie's

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions

On October 20, as the lead highlight of its flagship Jewels: The New York Sale, Christie's will offer The BVLGARI Blue Diamond – a stunning two-stone diamond ring designed by Rome's legendary house of BVLGARI in the 1970s that's expected to fetch over $12 million. The ring features two extremely precious stones (above): a triangular-shaped, colorless diamond of 9.87 carats paired with a stunning triangular-shaped Fancy Vivid blue diamond of 10.95 carats – the largest Fancy Vivid blue diamond of this cut ever to be offered at auction. Fancy Vivid blue diamonds of this size are among the rarest of colored diamonds - only one in about 10 million will possess a color pure enough to qualify as "Fancy Vivid". The ring will be priced upon request for prospective bidders, but is expected to achieve in excess of $12 million and is positioned to become one of the top-selling diamonds at auction in 2010. The ring is being offered by a private European collector who has kept it in his family for almost 40 years.

Tags: auctions, Bulgari, BVLGARI, Christies, diamond, diamonds, jewelry, Rome

Heidi Klum Wears Diamond Encrusted Panerai Luminor Marina Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Celebrity Shopping

I am not sure exactly what model Panerai Luminor Marina watch this is - but it doesn't really matter because Panerai doesn't sell this diamond studded model. This highly diamond encrusted Panerai watch has been seen on Heid Klum's wrist and is more than likely the product of some aftermarket jewelry work. The standard Panerai Luminor Marina case and steel metal bracelet have been redone with dozens and dozens of sparkly diamonds. With a base price of some where between $7,000 - $10,000, tens of thousands or more dollars went into this special modification. Many people perform such modifications to increase the value of their timepieces, as well as ensure that no one else in the building will be wearing the same timepiece.

Klum is known fine watch lover, and typically has a penchant for those timepieces that have precious jewels on them. The last watch I saw on her was an Hublot Tutti Frutti in green with emeralds. The Panerai is a large watch being at least 44mm wide. Large for most female wrists, but Heidi is able to pull it off nicely. Interesting that she wears the watch on her right arm.

Via Zimbio.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com

Tags: diamond, diamonds, heidi klum, panerai, watch, wearing, wears

The Las Vegas Diamond Cut, Sin City As Muse

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

A master diamond cutter at work in freezing Saskatchewan is behind one of the newest diamond cuts. The Las Vegas diamond was created by Mike Botha and only Botha and two other apprentices churn out the stones which bear 111 facets. An average brilliant cut stone has 57 facets. I've seen more facets than the Las Vegas cut, a few years ago a stone, the Brilliant Lady 21 was said to have an astounding 221 facets. But according to an interview with Botha in the Vancouver Sun he feels that his cut has optimal brilliance and is "in this sweet spot for a diamond that looks beautiful." Another facet and the stone could lose sparkle and definition. The stones are graded by AGS labs.

The design is being sold by Kimberlight Brands and its co-owners, Laura Serena and Heather Kirk, gave the cut its name in honor of the bright lights of Las Vegas. The cut was officially launched in June and there have already been a few orders. It will be rolled out this fall and is only for stones one carat or larger. The stones cost approximately 20 to 30 percent more than a regular cut because of the difficulty and expertise required to make the cuts.

Tags: diamond, diamond cut, diamond cuts, diamond rings, diamonds, las vegas cut diamond

Big Diamonds Top Christie's Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Auctions

The jury may be out on whether or not a diamond is forever but the big prices for big stones are still being met. At Christie's New York Jewels sale on June 15, a 27.03 carat, D, VVS1, type IIa diamond sold for $3,554,500 beating the high estimate of $3 million. The second highest lot was a 10.19 carat, square cut fancy intense orangy pink diamond which went for for $2,322,500 far above the high estimate of $1.5 million. The sale brought in a total of $15,226,275 and was 84 percent sold by lot.

[via Diamonds.net]

Tags: auction, christies, diamond, diamonds, jewelry sale

Reporting From the Rapaport Conference: What Consumers Need to Know About Gem Labs

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

When you buy a diamond you get hit with a lot of letters and numbers. VS, SI, F color, etc. But who determines what number goes with what diamond? With diamonds the grading for color and clarity is a major determinant in price. Unfortunately it's also a way that the unscrupulous can capitalize on the unsuspecting. Have you ever seen an ad where the jeweler promises that the stone will appraise for more than the sale price? How can that be? In some cases, jewelers use labs that are cheaper and/or have more open standards. This issues was discussed by a group of diamond jewelers, merchants and other concerned people at the Rapaport Conference on Diamond Certification on June 6 at the JCK Las Vegas show.

One stone can get two different grades from two different labs. There is no absolute standard for diamond grading, it always comes down to the decision of the grader. The Gemological Institute of America created and determined the standard in the 1950s but any lab can grade stones using the same nomenclature and consumers may not be aware that there is any difference between the standards of grading labs. The GIA naming standards are not patented and can be used by any lab and have created a common language through which to discuss diamond quality. But it may be misleading to the consumer if labs which do not use the GIA grading standards use the GIA nomenclature.

This has led to a situation where there are price differentials in certificates. Is the same diamond worth more with a certification for a different lab? Some labs have a reputation for being more lenient. This is something that jewelers and diamond buyers know but not something that is clear to the consumer. The GIA charges more for certification and is known to be stricter.

Tags: diamond, diamond grading, diamond labs, diamonds, martin rapaport

Continue reading “Reporting From the Rapaport Conference: What Consumers Need to Know About Gem Labs”

Fancy Color Diamond Book Explores The World Of Rare Colored Diamonds

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Books

The last few years have seen the prices of colored diamonds hit new highs. These rare beauties get their full due in the Fancy Color Diamond Book a new publication from Assouline. The book is a 231-page book that combines the lush imagery of a coffee-table book with solid information on the world of colored stones. It serves as a reference both for professionals and interested consumers. The book is written by Eden Rachminov, one of the world experts on fancy color diamonds and a third generation diamantaire. He began the project as a service to his clients and spent two and a half years to write and research the book.

The Fancy Color Diamond Book explores the full range of fancy colors of diamonds discussing issues of grading, clarity and the role of fluorescence in determining the value of fancy color diamonds.The book includes a Fancy Color Diamond Value Scale Comparison and is full of beautiful photographs and illustrations. It sells for $220.

Tags: assouline, AssoulinePublishing, colored diamonds, diamond, diamonds, fancy color diamonds

The Classicist: Rash of New World Records Says "The Rich Are Back"

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, Art, The Classicist, Wealth

Following an incredible number of record-breaking sales of some of the world's most expensive items, from cars to art to watches, diamonds and estates, that have taken place just in the past two weeks, we are hereby making an official declaration: The Rich Are Back. While the economic recovery has been slow to materialize in some quarters, those with the money to make multimillion-dollar purchases are suddenly not shy about dropping the coin. The megabucks deals mean an optimistic outlook has finally taken a firm hold, and the wealthy no longer feel the need to pinch their pennies in the fear that more hard times could be lurking right around the corner. We say it's about time too.

In one hectic twelve-day period, from May 3 to May 14, we saw the record-breaking sales of a $106 million Picasso painting; a $50 million mansion in Bel-Air; a $46 million ranch in Colorado; a $40 million Bugatti; a $32 million Warhol self-portrait; a $26 million Jasper Johns painting; an $18 million Ferrari; an $8 million blue diamond; and a $5 million Patek Philippe chronograph – about $330 million worth of the world's most expensive possessions. The astonishing sales have given an immediate boost to the art, classic cars, real estate and collector's timepieces markets, many of which faltered in the wake of the economic downturn, losing billions of dollars in value. Here's a rundown of the nine history-making deals as they unfolded over the twelve-day whirlwind of wealth disbursement; see the gallery for images:

Gallery: The Return of the Rich

Picasso, <i>Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust</i>

Tags: Andy Warhol, art, auction, Bel-Air, Bootjack Ranch, Bugatti, Chris Evans, Christies, chronograph, classic cars, Colorado, contemporary art, diamond, estates, Ferrari, Ferrari 250 GTO, Jasper Johns, Michael Crichton, Pablo Picasso, Patek Philippe, Picasso, ranch, real estate, The Rich, world record, worlds most expensive

Continue reading “The Classicist: Rash of New World Records Says "The Rich Are Back"”

Chopard 150th Anniversary Happy Sport Star Diamonds Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Chopard 150th Anniversary Happy Sport Star Diamonds Watch

First there was the Chopard Happy Diamonds, which then turned into the Happy Sport, which then turned into a bunch of weird watches that were only eclipsed by the saturated world of fakes. The original concept was great, and then I think that Chopard just forgot what the whole point of the watch was. Well as a 150th anniversary celebration of the brand, Chopard released a brand new Happy Sport watch that finally feels fresh, yet connected to the original Happy Diamonds concept. The idea was about having a section of loose moving diamonds set in steel or gold, sandwiched between two sapphire crystals sitting over the watch dial. The Happy Sport Star Diamonds watch takes those diamonds and puts five of them into a star shaped steel settings. The watch dial itself is in a beautiful aventurine lacquered blue - that shines like a night sky. Movement is Swiss quartz.

The shape of the case has been updated as well. It retains the classic look, but with a more modern feel. There are two versions: one with just the loose star diamonds, and one with a diamond studded bezel. The watch is available with a matching blue satin or alligator strap. Only thing I would change is putting the date on a blue disc, or more tastefully incorporate it into the dial design. Oh, and while the Chopard name is nicely full applied to the sapphire crystal, it is rather showy for my taste.

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

Tags: 150th, 278475-3020, 278475.3021, chopard, diamond, happy sport, star, watch

Black Diamond Serpent Cufflinks by Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie for Asprey

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Charity, Men's Style, Celebrity Design

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have designed an $11,000 pair of black diamond, emerald and white gold serpent cufflinks for famed London luxury goods house Asprey to benefit a children's charity. The luxe accessories are the first item for men in the Protector Collection, the line of limited edition fine jewels and silver objects created by the couple in collaboration with Asprey which my colleague Deirdre Woollard reported on last fall. The design of the Protector black diamond serpent links with 18k white gold bases and emerald eyes is based on Jolie's reflection on the serpent as an iconic guardian and cultural symbol of family protection, inspired by a ring she was given while pregnant with the couple's first child Shiloh in 2006. Each piece in Protector Collection is a limited edition, handcrafted at Asprey's London flagship store in New Bond Street. The black diamond serpent cufflinks match rings, earrings and a pendant in the women's collection. All proceeds from the Protector Collection pieces are being donated to the Education Partnership For Children of Conflict (EPCC). Co-founded by Jolie, the organization raises awareness and funds to educate child victims of war, conflict and natural disasters.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Angelina Jolie, Asprey, black diamonds, Brad Pitt, children, cufflinks, diamond, diamonds, emeralds, gems, jewels, London, precious stones, serpent, snake, white gold

Vacheron Constantin Lady Kalla Flame Watch In The Flesh

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Timepieces / Watches

Over a year ago I wrote about a new jewelry watch from Vacheron Constantin known as the Lady Kalla Flame. It used a new type of gem cut known as the "flame cut." Click on the link above to learn more about the technical details of the watch. In short, it uses a small manually wound mechanical Vacheron Constantin movement - tiny really. The main show are the 200 flame cut diamonds all over the watch - set in an interesting manner that help emphasize the particular shape of the cut. The dial itself is also shaped like the flame cut stones.

Based on the images alone from last year I wasn't sure if the stones would make for a good base on which to build a stunning women's haute jewelry watch. Vacheron Constantin is known for pretty sexy jewelry watches - so their little flame watch should have made a big splash. You need a sexy watch to go with over 36 carats of precious stones.

Finally I was able to see the Lady Kalla Flame watch myself. It is a very emotional design, a watch third, ultra-high end piece of jewelry second, and a unique design experiment first. It is a success but I am afraid it is either ahead of or behind its time. It is an optimistic wild design for era of more flagrant spending and wealth. It is about as sober feeling as a tray of martinis. Not what most people call for in this time of subdued, conservative wealth.

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

Gallery: Vacheron Constantin Lady Kalla Flame Watch

Tags: diamond, flame, kalla, lady, vacheron constantin, watch

The History Behind The Creation Of The Millennium Jewel Collection

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

I wrote earlier this month about the blue diamond up for sale at Sotheby's in Hong Kong on April 7th. In advance of the sale DeBeers contacted me with a little more info on the blue diamonds including this image of the full set of the Millennium Jewel Collection, a collection of 12 blockbuster stones that includes the De Beers Millennium Star and 11 exceptional and rare blue diamonds originally gathered as part of the Millennium celebrations in the London Millennium Dome. The blue stone in the auction is the first diamond to come up for sale since going into private collection.

How did the collection come to be? Andrew Coxon, President of the De Beers Institute of Diamonds with over 40 years experience with the De Beers Group, is one of the world's leading experts on diamonds and was the head of diamond buying at De Beers Group throughout the 1990s. He was the visionary behind the collection and personally selected each blue rough diamond for its potential beauty and even saturation of color. The stones had been collected by De Beers from their own mines over a period of over twenty years. After selection the two-year cutting and polishing process began.

Tags: auction, blue diamonds, debeers, diamond, rare diamonds

Continue reading “The History Behind The Creation Of The Millennium Jewel Collection”

Perrelet Diamond Flower Prestige Edition Watches

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Based on the success of last year's Perrelet's Diamond Flower Double Rotor watches for women, Perrelet comes back with more dressy versions of the decidedly sporty luxury watch (last year's had a rubber strap and was in steel). The new versions (three of a few) come with lots of diamonds (various amounts on each) as well as trendy looks. Each has a crocodile strap is either in a white gold or rose gold case that is 38mm wide. Diamonds really make these watches glitzy. The white version has over 1000 diamonds on the case and dial for a total of 10.48 carats!

The pink version has diamonds mixed with lots of rubies, while the brown version has a "chocolate" mother-of-pearl dial, with more diamonds. The lotus flower floral design on the dial is actually connected to the automatic rotor that is part of the P-181 Swiss automatic movement. As such, the "diamond flower" moves around the dial when moving around the watch. There are a good large size, but still feminine in dimension and have a great fun and beautiful design. Not sure about price, but they are going to be much more than the previous Diamond Flower watch model. One exciting version not seen yet is in ceramic, might have both black and white ceramic on the same watch. Look for these sometime in the Spring.

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

Tags: 2010, A7002, A7005, A7007, basel, diamond, flower, perrelet, rotor, watch

Ward Kelvin Jewelry Designer

by Deb West (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

We all read about the famous well known designers regularly and it is interesting to get to know some of the new faces in the luxury industry. Like many seemingly overnight sensations Ward Kelvin has been designing for other names you will recognize immediately, such as Tiffany & Co. and Ralph Lauren. He was also the designer behind the much coveted "Golden Compact" collection for Estee Lauder. An interesting tidbit of information, particularly for all of you aspiring designers, is that his first job after graduating form Pratt institute was as a toy designer. Believe it or not, this jewelry designer whose first collection was launched this past November at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan once spent his time designing Happy Meals for McDonald's.

Ward comments that the move from toy designer to jewelry designer is not as big a stretch as one might think as they both require "ingenuity and a playful imagination". He hopes to bring a wit and spirit to all of his design efforts and honed his skills working for others. He has titled his first personal collection American Chinoise. The 40 piece collection is a modern interpretation of the style of the 1930's when all the Hollywood Regency houses featured chinoiserie bamboo and lattice interiors. As seen in the jewelry pictured, there is a lot of light and airy space in every piece and he wants the woman wearing a piece to feel "it was created effortlessly, by the chicest chinoiserie bird, as if it were creating its nest."

The jewelry in the collection is fabricated from precious metals such as gold and platinum, precious and semi-precious stones including diamonds, peridots, Mali garnets and is crafted in New York City. Ward Kelvin's beautiful jewelry comes with a serious price tag and the Bamboo Cuff shown above retails for $20,450. The pieces can be found at Bergdorf Goodman in New York and this coming April at Nieman Marcus in San Francisco. As with many of the more unique jewelry collections you will not find the items online but need to call the stores directly for details.

Gallery: Ward Kelvin Jewelry

Tags: Bergdorf Goodman, BergdorfGoodman, chinoiserie, diamond, gold, nieman marcus, NiemanMarcus, Ward Kelvin, WardKelvin

Jewel-Studded Coffee Mugs, Tea Cups, Drinking Glass

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Jewel-Studded Coffee Mugs, Tea Cups, Drinking Glass

A leading diamond manufacturer in India is offering a range of extravagant crockery that lets you sip hot coffee from a bejeweled mug for about $11,000. The melamine glass mug is studded with 8 carats of diamonds and 3 carats of colored stones set in 25 to 50 grams of gold. For tea lovers, there is a set of six tea cups for $9,600. Each cup is adorned with a replaceable glass design of 1.2 carat of diamonds set on 25 grams of gold. For platinum kids, there is a $1,500 milk glass festooned with 2 carats of rubies and 3 carats of diamonds studded on 20 grams of gold. Exhibited at Sparkle-09, a gem and jewelry exhibition, these products are all the rage among well-heeled inhabitants of India.

[Via LuxuryLaunches.com]

Tags: coffee, coffee cup, coffee mug, CoffeeCup, CoffeeMug, diamond, diamonds, glass, gold, India, mug, rubies, ruby, tea, tea cup, TeaCup

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