Asymmetric diamond layouts are in. Harry Winston showed us this here on the Talk To Me, Harry Winston Snowflake watch, and not Montblanc gives us a taste of what this design aesthetic can produce. coming in January, Montblanc will reveal the new Star Pluie d'Etoiles watch for women. I do quite like the look. The case and dial work together harmoniously, as the watch wouldn't be what it is without both.

The case is 36mm wide and in 18k white gold. The out bezel is lined with baguette cut diamonds, while the inner side of the bezel is done in what looks to be round cut diamonds. The diamonds are top Wesselton, and there are 298 of them on the watch. The dial itself is in black Tahitian mother-of-peal, with a nicely engraved Montblanc star "falling" with the diamonds. Movement is a Swiss ETA automatic, and you know it is a Montblanc by the logo on the side of the case, as well as the characteristic "12" in their standard font. It is all on an alligator strap. A nice wintry ladies' watch this season.

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

While I was running around Amsterdam on Museumnacht (an annual event where museums across the city stay open into the wee hours), I found something for which I didn't know I was looking: the world's most expensive cocktail shaker.

The Boston Shaker, as it's called, is located in the gift shop of the House of Bols, a flavored liqueur company whose on-site museum/training facility is worth visiting -- they won the the Dutch Design Award for Best Exhibition & Experience in 2007 and you get to play "guess what flavor you're smelling." It's just across the street from the Van Gogh museum.

The Boston Shaker was created as a collaboration between The House of Bols and their neighbor, Coster Diamonds. It comes packaged as above, in a unique leather case designed and made by French family business Établissements Bernard RDB. The shaker itself is silver, 18 karat gold, and is encrusted with 480 brilliant-cut diamonds weighing 19.05 carats.

The price tag on this one-of-a-kind blinged-up barware is €35,000.00 or approximately $52,164.00.

This trip was paid for by the Netherlands Board of Tourism, but the ideas and opinions expressed in the article above are 100% my own.

Natural colored diamonds and other colored stones did very well at the Sotheby's "Magnificent Jewels" sale in Geneva this week. The Roxburghe Rubies, a parure of a ruby and diamond necklace and earrings brought $5.77 million, five times the set's estimated price. A rare 2.52 carat vivid green diamond sold for $3.08 million. It was the largest vivid-green diamond ever to appear at auction and the sale set a new world-record price per carat for a green diamond at auction. Swiss jeweler Chatila paid $2.52 million for a 3.17-carat fancy intense blue diamond which set a new world-record price per carat for an intense blue diamond sold at auction. Chatila also paid $3.13 million for a 74.8-carat fancy vivid-yellow diamond ring. The sale brought in $36.68 million putting it safely above the pre-sale low estimate of $29.5 million. A total of 79 percent of the lots up for sale sold.

If you've ever seen celebrities on the red carpet at one of the major awards shows you've probably seen Fred Leighton jewels. The estate jeweler routinely outfits many top stars with glittering jewelry for special occasions. It's been a tough year for the jeweler, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in April 2008 but now rescue comes from diamond jewelry brand Kwiat. National Jeweler reports that Kwiat Enterprises, LLC and two other partners have purchased the assets of Fred Leighton in a $25.8 million deal.

Kwiat will take over the Fred Leighton business, including its boutiques in New York City and Las Vegas, continuing to run them under the Fred Leighton name. Kwiat's other partners are Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC--partnering as FL Acquisitions LLC and FOF Inventory Holding, which consists of four estate and jewelry dealers including Windsor Jewelers, Robert Sadian and Mark Emanuel of European Arts and Antiques, Sima Ghadamian of Sima G. Ltd., and Moonbeam Consulting, whose principal is the company's original founder Fred Leighton.

Greg Kwiat, who will be chief executive officer of Fred Leighton, told National Jeweler that he see Fred Leighton as a "very complementary acquisition for Kwiat." After all both brands court the favor of Hollywood stars and both have retail stores on Madison Avenue in New York City and in Las Vegas. Kwiat hopes to boost Fred Leighton's retail presence and its wholesale presence in fine department stores and independent jewelers.

Jewelry collector and Fred Leighton owner Ralph Esmerian who filed the bankruptcy petition, bought Fred Leighton for $100 million in 2006 using a $178 million loan from Merrill Lynch and Co. Last year he planned a Christie's auction to recoup some of the brand's outstanding debt claims. Esmerian relinquished control of the company to a restructuring officer in January 2009 and earlier this month a bankruptcy judge signed an order that authorized the sale to Kwiat and the other two companies of Fred Leighton's assets, free and clear of all liens, claims, interests and encumbrances. The company's main creditor, Merrill Lynch will be the first beneficiary of the proceeds of the sale. In a press release issued by the company, Fred Leighton himself expressed enthusiasm that the Fred Leighton Madison Avenue store will continue to remain a New York landmark and that the brand "will continue to be the preeminent antique jeweler in the world."

Just when you thought there weren't any new ways to make a diamond watch, Century found something unique. The company known for unique uses of synthetic sapphire crystals has done it again. It combines 341 diamonds with 9 large clear sapphire crystals, and places them together in 18k carat white gold settings to bring you this Century Grace watch. A perfect timepiece for that goddess in your life who transcends concepts like value and wealth. Cause that is what it will take to afford the watch.

Even the dial of the watch is mostly a sapphire crystal. Cut and polished by hand complimented by 164 baguette cut diamonds (4.98 carats) on the case. The dial itself is mirrored with dauphine watch hands. Inside the watch is a quartz movement (of course). The Art Deco angularity of the watch continues into very nicely rendered bracelet. Again it is in 18k white gold, with the other eight Century sapphire crystals (one was used for the watch case) surrounded by 177 more baguette cut diamonds (whopping 8.70 carats). Not sure about the (equivalent to a small nation's GDP) price, but I do know that Century watches are mostly found in Asian markets (clue that their website is in English and Japanese only). A watch from Century, for your savings of the century.

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

In England, specifically Titchfield, Hampshire a small family jeweler has taken it upon themselves to create the most expensive Christmas ornament in the world.

According to Mark Hussey as reported in the Telegraph, a partner in Hallmark Jewellers he had a vision about making something special and had done some research into the priciest ornaments currently available. He had been working on the piece for almost a full year starting just after Boxing Day 2008, which is traditionally the day after Christmas. Even though they would love to find a buyer for the fabulous piece he did mention that he wouldn't mind finding this special ornament on his own tree come Christmas Eve.

The ornament itself is composed of 18 carat white gold and is studded with over one and half thousand diamonds. Two rings consisting of 188 red rubies surround the body of the ornament. It took over 130 hours just to set the gems in the piece. The National Association of Goldsmiths independently valued the bauble at 82,000 British pounds which depending on the exchange rate is just over $130,000. All of this hard work and expensive gemstones are not going unprotected. In something out of a James Bond movie the decorative ornament is encased in a special container framed in steel an 6mm thick laminated glass. If the alarm is triggered a internal signal will fill the shop with smoke.

Will the name Hallmark become associated with Christmas the way Faberge is permanently linked to gorgeously designed and bejeweled Easter eggs? Only time will tell, but if you'd like a very splashy ornament for your tree you know where to look.

New from Piaget comes a fresh Limelight watch collection for 2009. Each Exceptional Limelight collection watch is known for being a serious haute joaillerie item of art. With Piaget's requisite level of beauty (and diamonds) the watches are interesting, original, and most important, beautiful. Brilliant-cut diamonds cover every surface of the timepieces (as much as is possible), and materials like mother-of-pearl make up the watch dials. The cases and bracelets themselves are each done in 18k white gold.

Literally hundreds upon hundreds of hours are dedicated to putting together each watch. This has to do with the copious amounts of time required to cut and set the diamonds, as well as craft the timepieces. Piaget does a remarkable job making metal look flowing. This is real horological art and passion - and again you see their penchant for making the watches "secret." Many Piaget Limelight watches prefer to cover the watch face when not being used, so as to give the pieces a dual watch and jewelry character. Inside, the watches have Piaget caliber 56P Swiss quartz movements. The timepieces have an intense amount of diamonds with weight up to 40 carats, and hundreds of stones per timepiece. These women's watches are marvelous to look at, exceedingly rare and exclusive, and of "word-class" expense. Look for them at select Piaget boutiques around the globe.

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

Diamonds are among the hardest of all minerals. Still, they require special care to keep them looking their absolute best.

The brilliance of any diamond depends on the amount of light that can enter the stone and reflect back to the human eye. However, the smallest deposit of grease on the surface of a stone can dull its reflection. Even a touch from a finger will leave a smudge of natural oil, according to De Beers, one of the world's leading diamond companies.

Clean your diamonds with a simple mix of six parts water to one part ammonia and apply with a soft, natural bristle brush. If you have no ammonia in the house, you can substitute with a mild liquid detergent. Rinse with fresh water and dry with a soft, non-abrasive cloth. If your diamond has a crack or inclusion, De Beers advises owners not to use ultrasonic cleaners, as the vibrations of the cleaners can enlarge flaws.

A few words of warning. De Beers recommends that jewelry 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. If you are using a brush, be gentle: diamonds can work loose from their settings if treated roughly, warns De Beers. If you use hand lotion, wait for at least 10-15 minutes before putting your rings back on, as the ring might easily slip off.

While most people believe that diamonds are impervious to scratches, that simply is not the case. Indeed, another diamond can easily scratch another. To prevent such scratches, separate diamond jewelry in your jewelry box, advises De Beers. Diamonds also can scratch other gems or jewelry, especially soft items like pearls. And even though diamonds are hard, they can be brittle, especially along thin edges. Try not to wear your diamond when it might be struck sharply, and if you have an especially thin cut, keep it protected. If you are traveling, use a secure travel pouch, which will keep individual pieces safely apart, according to De Beers.

De Beers recommends having important pieces of jewelry checked quarterly to be sure the stones are secure in their settings.

Here is a taste of extreme luxury with the Sarcar Carrousel. The name refers to the large diamonds placed in the dial that freely move around the circular path around the watch face - a similar concept to what you find in the free floating diamonds in Chopard Happy Sport watches. The difference is really in the size of the diamonds. The Carrousel has 12 half carat diamonds set in gold, which rotate freely against a mother-of-pearl backdrop, not to mention the many other diamonds that decorate the dial and 18k white gold (or red gold) 40mm wide case. There are a total of 13.21 diamonds on the watch - 399 of them.

The watch dial itself is small, but visible and powered but an automatic mechanical movement. Nice contrast with the black hands against the diamond dial. The crown is off-centered a bit and fitted with a nice diamond cabochon. Strap is crocodile with a gold folding clasp. At 40m wide, the watch is probably sized for a man, but suitable for a woman. Anyone lucky enough to brandish a decadent number like this should at least wear it once in a while. A luxury watch truly of the excess and fortune ilk. The materialistic personification of "if you got it, flaunt it." Prices at $300,000 each. Want one? Call (954) 600-9492 or e-mail info@crossbowintl.com.

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

Out of all the luxury watch brands I know, I feel like Harry Winston comes in first a giving their women's watches odd names. They certainly aren't the weirdest names, but they just feel the most awkward. No better example that the "Talk To Me, Harry Winston" line of watches. This version being the Talk To Me, Harry Winston Snowflake. I can't tell if it is a question, a phrase, a term of endearment, or just someone who doesn't speak English making up watch names.

This new Talk To Me, Harry Winston watch takes the same case style and adds a diamonds-as-snowflakes dial. The dial is available in either a black or silver tone with 111 set diamonds in a falling snowflake display. The dial is rotatable, and the entire disc is moved via turning the disc that is accessible on the side of the watch case. A little thing, but something to play with nonetheless. The white gold case is 33mm wide and 40mm tall. The case itself is lovely in shape having strips of polished surface space to serve as the hour indicators, while the rest of the case is covered with 164 more diamonds. Then another 24 diamonds on to rotating ring, and still another 29 diamonds on the white gold buckle attached tot he black satin strap. Total diamond weight for the watch is 4.1 carats. The movement is Swiss quartz. Price is yet unknown, but in the ultra luxury range, of course.

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

The largest vivid-green diamond ever to appear at auction is one of the rare natural-colored diamonds and historical jewels being sold at the Sotheby's November 17 sale at the Hotel Beau Rivage in Geneva. A total of around 400 lots are set to be auctioned off and could bring close to $30 million. The green diamond, shown above at right, is a cushion-shaped stone with a modified brilliant cut. It weighs 2.52 carats but because of the rarity of natural diamonds of this color it is estimated to sell for $3.1 million to $5.1 million. Shown above at left is another expensive rare stone, a pear-shaped fancy vivid-blue diamond with a modified brilliant cut. it weighs 5.96 carats and is expected to fetch between $5.5 million to $7.5 million. Other gorgeous colorful diamonds up for sale include a cushion-shaped fancy pink diamond weighing 6.63 carats and a a cut-cornered rectangular-shaped fancy vivid-yellow diamond with a modified brilliant cut, weighing 74.8 carats and mounted on a yellow gold ring.

The sale also includes pieces from the collections of Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna of Russia and society figure Daisy Fellowes. Many pieces signed by Boucheron, Bulgari, Cartier, Harry Winston, Tiffany and Co., and Van Cleef and Arpels, and other jewelry houses past and present will be up for sale. A sapphire and diamond demi-parure, circa 1900, was inherited from Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna by her daughter Princess Elena of Greece and Denmark, Grand Duchess of Russia, and has been consigned by its present owner, a member of a European imperial family. The set is estimated to sell for $137,000 and $176,000. The group of jewels--which left Russia just before Pavlovna's flight from St. Petersburg during the 1915 Revolution--includes a brooch set with an oval Burmese sapphire within a border of cushion-shaped diamonds, and a pair of matching ear clips.

Speaking of the sale, David Bennett, Sotheby's Chairman of Jewelry, Europe and Middle East, said: "We are thrilled that we are able to follow on from our achievement of the world record price per carat for any gemstone at auction with the "Star of Josephine" this past May in Geneva by offering a magnificent Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond of 5.96 carats, as well as an extremely rare vivid green diamond – the largest to ever appear at auction."

[via National Jeweler]

Ivanka Trump learned the art of personal branding well from her famous father. When Ivanka married New York Observer owner Jared Kushner over the weekend she made sure to deck herself out in jewels from her own diamond company. To accessorize her Vera Wang gown she wore a total of $265,000 in diamonds and platinum including a custom-designed, platinum and mixed-cut diamond hair piece ($45,000) mixed-cut diamond cluster 9.67 carat earrings ($130,000) and an art deco platinum and a 26-carat fancy-link diamond estate bracelet ($90,000). Her bridesmaids also wore designs from the Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry collection.

In a recent article in the Telegraph rap star 50 Cent spoke out about the recession. To 50 Cent economy apparently means selling his "old diamonds" before buying something new. Not to criticize his strategy, clearly 50 Cent has more money than I do, but it seems that selling off old diamonds to buy new pieces is one of the most financially foolhardy ideas around. Resale on diamonds (large rare high carat stones excepted) is notoriously low. Even if he is essentially trading in his pieces with the same jeweler it is likely a losing game. He may be able to resell some pieces at a decent price because of his name but quickly turning over jewelry and constantly getting new pieces is not a way to accrue wealth.

He went on to say that anyone who didn't lose money in this recession "didn't have enough to start off with." He shrugged off his losses and believes he is still a savvy businessman who could even advise President Obama should he need it. Big words from a man who is still in the process of trying to sell one of the great white elephant pieces of Connecticut real estate, Mike Tyson's former mansion in Farmington, Connecticut. Tyson's mansion has been nothing but a headache for Fiddy. He bought the home for $4.1 million (Tyson's ex originally wanted $25 million) and spent $6 million renovating it. He has been trying to sell the home since 2007 when he wanted $18.5 million for the property and it is now listed at $10.9 million.

This watch almost slipped under my nose, but thanks so a helpful reader I was alerted to the timepiece. It just goes to show that watch makers still think wealthy people read museum catalogs. What? Like the rich have nothing better to do that wander around monolithic art depots all day? Well, maybe some do.

Specially made for the Guggenheim art museum is this Harry Winston Premier Collection Guggenheim Chronograph timepiece, for women. It is all about the bling. Nothing special about the Swiss quartz chronograph movement. You won't even use it anyway. The dial design is meant to replicate the view when standing in the Guggenheim and looking up at the atrium glass window - that here looks remarkably like an umbrella. The look is done with alternating diamonds and mother-of-pearl. A total of 2.65 carats of diamonds awaits your wrist. The rest of the watch is in white gold, and I am guess that it is not incredibly large in diameter. For the Frank Lloyd Wright and Harry Winston enthusiast who wants to pony up for the timepiece, maybe it is just what you need to lighten that dark winter coming up. You can also be assured that the iconic style of the watch tells people it is Harry Winston. Price is $46,000, but you lucky museum members out there get almost five grand off! Look closely at the Guggenheim online catalog and you can get some matching Harry Winston accessories.

See it here.

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

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."