The highly anticipated 72.22 carat "Perfect Pear" diamond was withdrawn from the Sotheby's Hong Kong auction on April 10th after the final bid failed to reach the reserve price. Originally the stone was expected to sell for upwards of $13 million but the highest bid maxed out at only $9.4 million. That didn't seem to dampen interest, however, as within just a few hours of the auction closing the stone was sold to a private buyer for an undisclosed amount.
Experts say the bidding prices were likely lower than expected due to confusion over the exchange rate of different currencies. Hm, does that mean they got their $13 million after all? Seems like people spending that much money would have a handle on that kind of thing.
Wedding dresses come in all shapes and sizes from sleek and stylish to large and marshmallow-like, and from hand-embroidered to mass-produced. And although jewels aren't that uncommon in small doses, what about 4 pounds of jewels? A designer in Hong Kong has created a wedding dress with 9,999 karats of jewels (that's a very deliberate number!) and it's on sale for over $130,000.
It's beautiful but I personally wouldn't want a wedding dress with so many different colors, and I think for that price it might be more worth it to just get something custom-made -- I think I'd still be able to afford plenty of jewels.
Wow, way back in the 18th century they really knew how to bling things up. And unlikely things too, like this baby's cradle. Covered in gold and set with more than 2,000 gems including diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, it's currently on display in Tokyo at a special exhibit that includes about 140 other antique treasures from the Ottoman Empire (which came before the Republic of Turkey). The items will be on display through September 24th in honor of the birth of Prince Hisahito to the Japanese Emporer's son Prince Akishino and his wife Princess Kiko (got that straight?). No word on what the cradle's valued at, although since it isn't for sale I guess it's more about admiring it's gaudy beauty than hoping to get one for yourself.
So Eva Longoria and Tony Parker finally made it official this past weekend when they got married in France. What better way to promise their eternal love to each other than with these beautiful and unique Piaget Possession wedding bands -- made of two bands that are "inseparably linked, turning together for eternity." Eva's features double rows of brilliant cut diamonds divided by a row of 27 square cut diamonds down the center (for a total of 107 jewels), and Tony's is elegance in its simplest form. Both rings are 18k white gold and, per the couple's request, have a personalized French engraving on the inside.
In addition to choosing Piaget for their wedding bands, Eva also ordered a one-of-a-kind timepiece made as a wedding gift for her new husband. A customized version of the Piaget Polo watch, the Piaget 'Number 9' features a 43mm white gold case, a slate grey 18K gold and titanium bezel and matching slate grey dial, and 50 diamonds in the shape of his MVP number 9 -- so it's truly just for him.
I know these are a little cheesy, and totally border on downright tacky, but I just couldn't resist! I think with the right approach these jewel-shaped ice cubes could be really beautiful and fun, and add that little extra something a summer gathering might be missing. Who wouldn't want bowls of glittering jewels sitting around like ice sculpture at a party? You can even add food coloring and have jewel tones to match your decor or beverages. The plastic ice cube tray measures 4 1/4" x 7 5/8" x 1" and makes 6 gemstone shaped ice cubes at a time. $5.95.
Yesterday I brought you a big beautiful green tsavorite, today let's look at the largest natural blue sapphire in the United States. This stone was cut from a 129 carat rough which was found in Sri Lanka in 1952. It was originally cut into an 80-carat stone and sold. It has been cut down to 69.53 carats in an effort to improve the light and color reflection and create a better shape. It is for sale for $417,000. It's a bit large for a ring but would be beautiful set in a pendant with diamonds, citrines or spessartite garnets.
It may not have the flash of a diamond but Tsavorite, a form of green garnet, has its own charms. The gem, which was originally discovered in the Tsavo region of Kenya, has a bright green hue that makes it a popular choice for those who like emeralds but want stones with a bit more fire. Tsavorite is rarely found in large clean stones which explains the preciousness of the 325.13 carat stone shown here. National Jeweler reports that Michael Coach and Associates has acquired the largest clean Tsavorite in the world and will be showing it at the American Gem Trade Association GemFair beginning at the end of January in Tucson, Ariz. The stone was found in the Karo area of Mereloni, Tanzania and from one rough stone four stones were cut: a 62-carat clean, a 120-carat clean, a 307-carat included and the 325.13-carat clean. The asking price for the gem is $2.2 million. It seems to be that a stone like this deserves a name like the gobstopper diamonds get. Is Jolly Green Giant too undignified?
Not to sound too stereotypical, but for many women, the top two gifts that they would most like this holiday season are jewelry and chocolate. Simons Jewelers has put the two together to make the ultimate gift with their Le Chocolate collection. The gift box is has a selection of gourmet chocolates from Lake Forest Confections and an arrangement of high-end jewelry. The jewelry includes necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets adorned with yellow and blue diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires. Simons says that the collection is almost priceless, although they have put the price tag of $1.5 million on the whole set.
The largest recorded ruby ever discovered in the northwestern hemisphere, according to True North Gems Inc., has now been unveiled in its new carved format. The Canadian exploration company, unearthed the 440 carat uncut ruby in 2005 in the Fiskenaesset district of Greenland. It took Canadian gemstone carver Thomas McPhee 10 months to produce this 302 carat gemstone which is the first ever carved Greenland ruby. It has an estimated value of $500,000 Canadian.
The Safar Table Jewel is neither a centerpiece nor any purposeful part of a place setting. It is simply a small accent, jewelry for the table. The piece is 16-inches long, handmade and consists of a mix of vintage glass beads and African terracotta pottery pieces. Due to the nature of the pieces used to put them together, each Jewel will be unique.
It's safe to say that you have money to burn when you're considering getting jewelry that is specifically designed for furniture, but if you're reached that point, there is no reason not to go for it. Besides - if you ask nicely, you could probably borrow it. Price: $2,400.
The results
of Sotheby's Magnificent
Jewels Auction are now online.
The auction made a total of $17,526,900 by the time the final gavel was dropped. Three lots from the sale
passed the million dollar mark. A 39 carat, intense yellow, cushion-shaped diamond ring
brought $1.02 million and the pear-shaped Golden
Maharaja diamond, which is a dark orange color and 65.5 carats, sold for nearly $1.4 million, more than double its
estimated price. The star of the show was the 107.46 carat fancy yellow Rojtman
diamond, which sold for $1.9 million
