stones

The Winter Palace Among Bonham's Offerings

Bonhams & Butterfields will hold its annual holiday auction of Natural History on December 6, 2009, in Los Angeles. Amid the crystal specimens and faceted stones are several fine examples of lapidary art. The most stunning is The Winter Palace, an illuminated music box made of rock crystal quartz, diamonds and aquamarines. It was designed to resemble a Russian onion-domed palace tower and was created under the direction of the German lapidary artist, Manfred Wild. It is decorated with 641 small diamonds and the music box key is made of 18K gold with a cabochon aquamarine inset on each side. The doors of the palace open to reveal a tiny model of a Russian dacha in 18K golf with a snow-covered roof rendered in diamonds. This piece carries a presales estimate of $250,000 to $300,000.

The auction also features an 18.36 carat orange-pink padparadscha sapphire. The pear-shaped gem has a presales estimate of $350,000 to $400,000. Also up for bid is "The Cat's Meow," a 47.80 carat cat's eye chrysoberyl ring estimated at $120,000 to $140,000. A huge blister pearl, The Palawan Princess, is also up for sale. The five-pound product of a giant clam is estimated at $300,000 to $400,000 and comes with half of the original giant clamshell showing the point of attachment where the pearl formed.

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Tags: art, auction, giant pearl, GiantPearl, lapidary art, LapidaryArt, mineral specimen, minerals, MineralSpecimen, rock crystal, RockCrystal, stones

Terra Acqua Stone Vessel Sinks

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

I've seen a lot of very pretty sinks in my surfings around the net, and I have to say this amber Rivenrock Terra Acqua Stone Vessel is one of my absolute favorites! Cut from boulders found in riverbeds in Yunnan each one is unique and beautiful in its own way. The full Montecito Stone collection includes vessels of all shapes, sizes, and colors created of stones from around the world. The Miramar basin of natural queen stone also strikes me, with varied bands of contrasting color streaking throughout. Priced at $1,195 and up.

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Tags: acqua, basin, basins, carve, carved, montecito, queen, rivenrock, river, sink, sinks, stone, stones, terra acqua, TerraAcqua, vessel, vessels

Oluce Stones Outdoor Lamps

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Ambient lighting has more power over the atmosphere and mood of a room than almost anything else, in my opinion anyway. Designed for outdoor rooms, Oluce Stones Outdoor Lamps will definitely bring a unique ambiance to your outdoor patio and backyard. I have to agree with ShinyShiny that these look a little like something that fell from space, but the soft white glow is actually very pretty. These stones could be the perfect thing to illuminate a dark path or gently light an outdoor area without casting unattractive shadows. Available in two sizes, $316 each.

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Tags: accent, ambiance, ambient, light, lighting, oluce, oluce stones outdoor lamps, OluceStonesOutdoorLamps, outdoor, outdoors, patio, stone, stones

What is Zultanite?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Color changing gemstones are always popular with collectors. A while back I reported on the Leviev chameleon diamonds now comes news of a stone which has been around for a while but is poised to make its mark on the gemstone market. Modern Jeweler has a long piece on this stone which shows different colors depending on the light source used. Turkish diaspore used in jewelry since the 1970s. Now it is being sold under the name of Zultanite and higher quality versions of this stone are making their way to market. The stone shifts from varying shades of green in sunlight to a pinkish brown in incandescent light. Zultanite recently turned up at the gem show in Tucson and there seems to be interest both from home-shopping markets and from higher-end operations. Zultanite may be a chance for those who aren't quite ready for the high prices of chameleon diamonds or alexandrite to purchase a color-changing gemstone.

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Tags: gems, gemstone, jewelry, stones, zultanite

Dalia Koss Red Garnet and Pearl Necklace

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Dalia Koss is more than passionate about jewelry and has been since childhood. She channels her love of her craft into each unique, handmade piece she designs, all of which feature naturally beautiful stones and materials. The Red Garnet Tahitian Pearl Necklace is a stunning, one-of-a-kind piece that features not only garnet beads and large, natural pearls, but is accented with shimmering abalone. It is 20-in. long, but can be adjusted to achieve the best fit. The necklace, like many of Koss's pieces, is an excellent choice for anyone looking for something more exotic, with more presence than, for example, a typical jeweled pendant. Price: $870.