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Home » Archives for May 2011

HISTORY OF COLORED DIAMONDS

Monday, May 30, 2011 by admin

While diamonds without color command much higher prices than colored diamonds, it’s extremely rare to find such a structurally perfect diamond. Colored diamonds have come into a market all their own in recent years, and different colors can either increase or decrease a diamond’s value. Intense colors such as pink or blue can be considerably more valuable than a white diamond with traces of yellow coloring.

Colored diamonds appear when there are chemical impurities within the diamond or structural defects can be found. Nitrogen, one of the most common impurities, causes diamonds to take on a brown or yellowish hue. Most white diamonds have been affected by nitrogen; in rare cases, the effect isn’t noticeable, thereby increasing the value of the stone dramatically.

Colored diamonds other than brown and yellow typically command much higher prices and are significantly more rare than their common counterparts. Pale pinks or blues are valued, but intense colors are usually regarded as more desirable and thus more expensive. There are many impurities that can cause diamonds to turn different colors, including pink, blue, yellow, red, green, brown, etc. Intensely colored diamonds are usually referred to as “fancies” throughout the diamond industry, and a rating system has been put in place to distinguish varying fancy colors from one another. However, because of the relative rarity of these colored diamonds the system is not often used.

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DIAMOND CARE

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A diamond is a precious investment that needs to be properly cared for in order to allow light to shine through, creating brilliance and sparkle. Regular, everyday activities such as washing your hands, cooking dinner and natural skin oils all combine to create a dirty, filmy diamond that lacks radiance and sparkle. Products such as powders, makeup, lotions, and soap can all contribute to a soiled diamond, and chemicals in the air can actually discolor the jewelry’s mounting.

One way of caring for your diamonds is to give them a detergent bath. A small bowl of warm water and a bit of mild detergent will clean your diamond well. Scrub with an eyebrow brush, then transfer your diamond to a strainer and rinse well with warm water. Afterwards, you’ll want to pat the jewelry dry with a lint-free cloth. Soaking your diamond in a half and half mixture of ammonia and water works well, and takes about 30 minutes for a thorough cleaning. Once clean, drain the stone on a piece of tissue paper. Alternatively, you can buy one of those high-quality liquid cleaners specifically formulated for diamond care.
Provided you follow directions exactly for all methods of diamond cleaning, your beautiful stone will retain its fire and brilliance for many years to come.

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GRADING REPORTS & CERTIFICATES

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Potential diamond buyers should always check to ensure they will receive a diamond grading certificate with their diamond purchase. The importance of this certificate is to give buyers a detailed gemological analysis of the gemstone, compiled by a team of certified gemologists in a laboratory. 

The information you’ll find in your diamond grading certificate will be the 4 C’s; color, clarity, carat and cut. The dimensions and shape of the diamond will be presented in detail within the report, as well as the measurements, table and depth percentages and the polish and symmetry inherent within the stone. Your report should also contain a comprehensive section on any imperfections, fluorescence and graining within the stone and come complete with a detailed sketch of your diamond.

A certificate is an essential part of any diamond purchase and will ensure the buyer of both the quality and authenticity of the gemstone. Additionally, if you ever decide to resell your stone the certificate will allow you to receive a fair price. If you plan on insuring your diamond, a grading report is often a prerequisite. Most labs charge a relatively modest fee to undertake the certification process, and the price is based on carat weight.


While a certificate doesn’t necessarily enhance the value of your diamond, it’s an important essential when purchasing a diamond to procure a grading report. With a certificate, your diamond can never be undervalued or suspected of being inauthentic. If you’re interested in purchasing a diamond, make sure you receive a diamond grading report from one of the leading independent gemological labs to ensure your gem’s authenticity and protect your investment.

The Various Types of Diamond Grading Certificates
GIA
The Gemological Institute of America was actually the first group to develop an internationally accepted grading system. Even prior to the EGL, GIA was the first to introduce a diamond grading report and set the standards for diamond grading worldwide. The company compiles reports on diamonds over 1 carat in size. What’s more, they are the group responsible for examining some of the world’s most famous gems. Each diamond screened with GIA comes with a complete report detailing the weight, cut, proportions, color grade and clarity.
EGL
The EGL (European Gemological Society) has really been the defining group in setting the standards and criteria for diamond grading. Their Diamond Certificate and Diamond Consultation offers diamond buyers a detailed report on the various aspects of the grading process. Their certificates are recognized worldwide and their client base includes craftsmen, wholesalers, dealers and manufacturers. However, the EGL does not sell diamonds and works independently from any diamond sales groups.

AGS
The American Gemological Society (also referred to as AGS laboratories) serves a wide variety of clients including jewelry wholesalers, diamond cutters, jewelers, and various manufacturers. Their grading report, referred to as the AGS Diamond Quality Document (DQD) offers a comprehensive report on the cut grade of round, brilliant cut diamonds. In addition their report covers all four aspects of the grading process including cut, clarity, color and carat weight. Their ratings are given on a scale from 1 to 10.
IGI
The International Gemological Institute issues over 400,000 grading reports each year and their reports encompass three distinct areas including the Diamond Report, Identification Report, and the Information Appraisal Report. The diamond report helps ensure the diamond’s authenticity by providing information about weight, measurements, shape and cut, clarity, color and several other aspects of the gemstone. The identification report provides an enlarged photograph of the diamond to substantiate the information about proportions, measurements and the 4 C’s. Finally, the Appraisal report gives an estimate about the diamond’s replacement value expressly for insurance purposes

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DIAMOND APPRAISALS

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Generally used for insurance purposes, diamond appraisals are incredibly useful in estimating the value of a particular stone, whether loose, mounted or used in jewelry. While the value of a diamond can change considerably over time, the estimate is used as a general guideline to determine the replacement value if it were to be stolen.
When purchasing a diamond appraisal, it’s important to avoid in-house appraisals because the value is often overestimated, making the estimate essentially worthless in determining the replacement value of your stone. When choosing a diamond appraiser it’s important that the company be legitimate, unbiased and independent from any jewelry store or wholesaler. For potential diamond buyers who would like to insure their diamond, a diamond appraisal certificate is absolutely essential.

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DIAMOND GRADING

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Before a diamond can be deemed suitable for purchasing, the diamonds are put through extensive tests to determine that it’s authentic prior to receiving a grading certificate. There are several things a diamond will be graded on, including cut, clarity, color and carat weight. The following guide aims to explain what each of these mean as well as the importance behind diamond grading.
Many people believe the Cut of a diamond refers explicitly to the shape, but that’s actually incorrect...
 
A well cut diamond determines how the naked eye views the brilliance of the stone and enables the diamond to reflect light much better than a poorly cut diamond could. It’s important when choosing a diamond that you never underestimate the importance of the cut. A skilled diamond cutter can create a work of art with each stone, and regardless of the shape of the diamond a poorly cut stone will leave the diamond dull and lifeless. With diamond grading, each stone gets a cut rating ranging from excellent to poor. The height versus depth ratio (referred to as depth percentage) as well as the top of the stone versus the width (the table percentage) are all proportioned by the cut of the diamond. Essentially, the cut is what makes the stone. Proportion, angle and reflection are all important aspects when considering the cut of a diamond. While each facet of the cut are far above what we can see with our naked eyes, a well-cut stone reflects the utmost in quality and value for the buyer.
While the Clarity of a diamond offers much in the way of value and brilliance, it’s extremely rare to find a diamond entirely without surface blemishes or inclusions (tiny, natural birthmarks.)
 
To find a diamond without any flaws heightens the value of the stone. To determine the clarity of a stone, skilled diamond graders view the diamond under 10-power magnification to view the gem up close and personal and make note of any surface flaws they find. The goal when purchasing a diamond is to look for the highest clarity possible, because the fewer blemishes there are the more brilliant the diamond will be. A lot of inclusions will interfere with light passing through the diamond, thereby dulling its brilliance. When grading for clarity, diamonds are rated from “completely flawless” to “noticeably imperfect.” A diamond that’s completely flawless is a rarity and significantly increases the value of the gem. When looking for a diamond to purchase, keep in mind that the clarity will affect the radiance and sparkle of the stone. Lower clarities means a duller stone, while a higher clarity means the stone reflects light very well, thus enhancing the overall sparkle and brilliance of the diamond.
The Color of a diamond often influences potential diamond buyers to pick a specific color based on personal preference.
 
Diamonds range in color from yellow to brown, and rarer colors such as pink, green, blue and other colors referred to as “fancies.” Ultimately however, the best color for a diamond is actually no color at all. The reason behind this is that a colorless diamond will enable light to pass through effortlessly and sparkle with radiant rainbows of color. The light will radiate from the center of the diamond outward, giving it sparkle unparallel to that of other colors. When diamond graders rate the color of diamonds, they do it based on a scale ranging from D (which means colorless) to Z (which refers to a strong yellow color.) The scale follows a pattern from most valuable (obviously a colorless diamond) to diamonds of lesser quality. A diamond with color doesn’’t necessarily mean it’s valueless, but the clearer a diamond the more valuable it can be. The color of an individual stone will help influence the price range for the diamond, as well as the cut and shape of the stone. The color of the gem is important when searching for a diamond that will radiate light and sparkle brilliantly which is why many people prefer a colorless diamond.
In the diamond business, bigger does not always mean better when it comes to Carats.
 
The weight of the diamond is measured in carats, and one carat is divided into 100 points. Furthermore, one carat is also equal to 1/5 of a gram. For example, a diamond with 75 points would weigh .75 carats. For diamond graders, determining carat weight is the easiest of the 4 C’s to figure out; however, if two diamonds had equal carat weight, that doesn’t mean their values are the same. Carat weight may be important to those who appreciate a larger diamond, but as far as the quality of the gemstone, carat weight doesn’t have anything to do with that. As a matter of fact, quality diamonds can be found in all shapes and sizes regardless of the assigned carat weight. Skilled diamond graders usually assign diamonds carat weights ranging from .3 carats all the way up to 8 carats and possibly beyond. When choosing a diamond, it’s important to note how the entire gemstone looks as far as color, clarity and cut and finally carat weight.

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HISTORY OF DIAMONDS

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Revered as the ultimate symbol of love and wealth, diamonds have had an incredibly unique history from the first discovery until today. While nobody truly knows who were the first to discover diamonds, they were said to first appear about 3,000 years ago in India where diamonds were first mined. Several Sanskrit texts have validated this theory, where the diamond was referred to as “vajra” or thunderbolt. The name makes sense, because not only were diamonds used for decorative purposes but also as a protective talisman to ward off evil. These descriptions of the precious gem appear to date back to about the 4th century BCE.

Interestingly enough, the word diamond was closely linked to the term “adamas” throughout the Mediterranean; however, it’s difficult to establish the time period this name association took place. Consequently, during the 13th century the diamond began to take on regal tones, appearing in jewelry and decorative items throughout Europe. Around this time, Louis IX of France (1214-1270) decreed that diamonds were reserved only for the king, which described their rarity and wealth status then. Eventually, the diamond appeared in royalty for both men and women and by the 17th century, wealthy merchant classmen were appearing with diamonds here and there.

Throughout the 18th century, diamonds were appearing more frequently on jewelry primarily worn by women. Because such large quantities of the jewel were arriving from South America regularly, society could afford to prominently display diamonds, but during the evening only since it was considered rude to display this type of jewelry during daylight hours. Once reserved strictly for royalty and the wealthy upper class, diamonds were now starting to become more affordable to the common person during the 18th and 19th centuries.

The end of the 19th century brought about significant changes towards the role of the diamond. The discovery of diamond deposits in South Africa during the 1870’s now made diamonds much more common and easier to produce on a mass scale. Subsequently, the selling of the French crown jewels in 1887 caught the interest of wealthy capitalists in the United States, where a taste for affluence and wealth was on the rise.
It should be noted that the tradition of diamond wedding rings are first described by the Roman poet Plautus during the 2nd century BCE. Wedding rings were identified as such because of tiny descriptions on the interior of the band detailing a then-common form of a marriage contract. The custom still continues to this day.

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“The Perfect Pink” Diamond Brings the Perfect Price at Asian Auction

Saturday, May 28, 2011 by admin

“The Perfect Pink,” a flawless pink diamond, officially became the most expensive jewelery auction sale in Asia after bringing in a cool $23,165,968 million. An anonymous buyer emerged victorious from the cutthroat bidding war to claim the 14.23 carat prize.The emerald cut pink diamond was nestled between a pair of D-flawless diamonds with a combined total of 3.40 carats. All three emerald diamonds were set on an 18k white gold ring band.
The diamond was the most expensive lot at Christie’s Hong Kong auction. A spokesperson from Christie’s called the Perfect Pink “a phenomenon in the world of gems,” partially due to the diamond’s perfect coloring and type IIa classification. Type IIa diamonds make up only one to two percent of the world’s natural diamonds. Many of the world’s most famous or sought-after diamonds are Type IIa for having virtually no impurities and an exceptional sparkle.

The fancy intense pink stone with VVS clarity was sold at Asia’s largest jewelery auction of all time. The diamond ring sold for four million more than Christie’s expected selling price, making it the most expensive gem ever to be sold in Asia. Many experts perceived the massive jewelery auction as an indication of the increasing Asian demand for luxury goods. They expect to see more luxury Asian auctions in the future, especially after the successful sale of the Perfect Pink.
“The Perfect Pink” Diamond
While the Perfect Pink diamond ring was the largest jewelery sale in Asia, the diamond was still no match for the incredible $46 million record selling price of the 24.78 carat pink diamond “The Graff Pink,” bought by Laurence Graff in Geneva on November 15th, 2010.

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Eva Longoria & Tony Parker’s Piaget Wedding Bands

Friday, May 27, 2011 by admin

Just a couple days ago on 07/07/07, Desperate Housewives’ star Eva Longoria married Tony Parker, the championship NBA basketball player from the San Antonio Spurs. With two high-profile stars getting hitched at a star-studded wedding event, you just knew that they were not going to skimp on their wedding bands. The two stars sealed their love and marriage with these two beautiful and unique Piaget wedding bands.

The rings are each made of two bands that are “inseperably linked, turning together for eternity.” Now isn’t that quite the romantic touch? Eva’s ring features double rows of brilliant cut diamonds, which are divided by a row of 27 square cut diamonds down the center. That makes for a total of 107 individual diamonds on this super sparkler! Eva’s band itself is made of 18k white gold, like Tony’s, which is a much simpler ring. Both of the rings also have a personalized French engraving on the inside, which was added at the couple’s request.
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Eva also choose to give her husband a true one-of-a-kind timepiece as a wedding gift. The watch Eva had crafted is a customized version of the Piaget Polo watch featuring a the number 9 filled with 50 beautiful diamonds (Tony’s jersey number), a 43mm white gold case, and a slate grey 18K gold and titanium bezel and matching slate grey dial. Wow, what a gift!

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The $12 Million Dollar, 150 Carat Diamond Wedding Dress

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Jeweler Martin Katz and dressmaker Renee Strauss teamed up to create the most expensive wedding dress on record, featuring a stunning 150 carats worth of diamonds laced throughout the dress. The veil that is shown in the picture worn with the dress does sparkle, but it does not feature diamonds.

Instead, the veil has some pretty rhinestones. But we figure, if you’re doing to drop $12 million on a dress, why not just have someone custom create a matching, diamond-laced veil? And while you’re at it, get some fancy diamond-studded shoes to add to the bling factor! The dress hasn’t yet been sold, so if you’ve got your eye on it (as well as the $12 mil), Strauss and Katz would be more than willing to discuss a sale. Unlike other wedding dresses, this one will still have a high resale value after the wedding.
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Wedding Dress
To see just how magnificent this dress is, check out the up-close photo after the break!

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Graff Unveils Diamond Waterfall and Petal Collections

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Luxury jewelers at the House of Graff, recently unveiled two of their latest collections, the Waterfall and Petal collections. Both collections feature a number of chandelier earrings and pendant necklaces.
The Waterfall collection pays tribute to one of nature’s most beautiful sights, a waterfall. With chandelier earrings dripping a cascade of gorgeous pear-shaped diamonds from an eight-petal flower in bloom at the base, this collection is definitely for the woman who wants all eyes on her. A matching pendant necklace is also a part of the Waterfall collection, and also features a large eight-petal flower with a “waterfall” of smaller diamonds dripping from it.

The Petal collection combines brilliant white diamonds with beautiful pink saphhires in both a necklace and set of earrings. The necklace is a pendant chain featuring four-petal flowers that come together to form a quaint quartet. Each of the petals in the flowers are made up of heart-shaped diamonds clustered around a beautiful pink sapphire. From the “bouquet” of flowers, a stream of white diamonds and pink sapphires dangle below. An equally beautiful and similarly styled set of earrings compliments the Petal collection’s pendant necklace very nicely. The Petal collection pieces are also available in a diamond and emerald arrangement, sure to make on-lookers green with envy.
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Diamond Waterfall and Petal Collections
Like always, if you have to ask the price… this is not for you. But if the price doesn’t scare you, you can check out Waterfall and Petal collections at the House of Graff showrooms located in select locations throughout the world.

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The Vertu Pink Diamond Phone

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Forget the iPhone; anyone with an extra $500 to $600 laying around can get that at their local Apple or AT&T store. You want something a little more glam, and a lot more sparkly! And by sparkly we don’t mean those cheap Swarovski crystal-studded phones that were all the rage a few years ago.

If you want a truly blinged-out mobile phone, then look no further than Vertu and their limited edition Vertu Pink Diamond phone. The phone casing itself is made of rose gold, but what really makes the phone shine are its tiny pink and white diamonds paved in a pretty flower pattern. The Vertu Pink Diamond phone will be available in extremely limited quantities, but because of the opportunities those extra zeros in your bank account afford you, you won’t have to wait in line.
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The Vertu Pink Diamond Phone
Celebs like Victoria Beckham, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Madonna have one in their bag… do you?

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