Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Corporate Beholder – 2/3

November 28, 2010 · 0 comments

People get older, women have children and accidents occur that sometimes permanently changes sizes and/or appearances. For some people, nature cruelly creeps into genetics on the day of conception – it’s an unstoppable force. You can love it, hate it or EMBRACE it!

Studies show attractive people tend to fare better in the corporate world because good looks appear to go hand-in-hand with self confidence which matters A LOT in the workplace. People are walking advertisements of themselves which is portrayed by the way they dress and present themselves.

When people aren’t confident about themselves, they tend to go into ‘hiding’, which instead, creates the opposite effect. Those who want to hide excess weight might wear baggy clothes making them appear even bigger than before. Men who miss long, lost strands of hair on top of their head may hide behind hats or a comb-over, which has yet to make the Top 10 Fashion list. Women who are self conscious of teenage acne scars might hide behind excessive makeup creating a clown-like resemblance. These are all ways that many people try to cover their flaws when, as you might have noticed, more attention is being drawn to them.

Appearing ‘corporately attractive’ (meaning tall, well dressed and good-looking) may sound discriminating and be a controversial subject to broach but you can’t change certain stereotypes. You can, however, create attractive illusions by learning how to subtly hide flaws by creating an overall balance.

While wearing the right type of jewellery won’t magically lose those extra pounds or gain those couple of inches, it WILL trick the human eye at first glance, helping you add a couple of beauty points overall.

Try applying these Jewellery Do’s and Don’ts to your business attire and see if you don’t feel more confident, look better and receive tons of compliments!

Jewellery Do’s and Don’ts:

Do’s

  • Do think vertically - Perhaps the most famous rule of any fashion guru is to never wear stripes horizontally because it adds pounds. This applies to all aspects of apparel and isn’t limited only to stripes. Wearing jewellery that drapes downward rather than hugging your body can have a slimming effect. Make jewellery and accessories work for you, not against you!
  • Do use symmetry – The highest emphasis on what deems a person as good-looking is held within the facial features. Symmetry is more important in the face, rather than the body as a whole, because it gives the appearance of good and psychological health. Wearing single stud earrings or single pearl earrings adds to the overall effect of symmetry, oftentimes drawing attention out at evenly, rather than pinpointing specific areas of the face.
  • Do wear big jewellery if overweight – Chunky jewellery, big stone pendants or collarettes help balance weight without weighing the body down. While wide bracelets make wrists appear thinner, there is one exception to this is for people who carry extra weight on a small body frames. Because wrists are the dead giveaway of frame size, they’re the one area of the body that won’t pack on the pounds, in which case, nix the bracelets and stick to only earrings, necklaces and rings.
  • Do wear long jewellery to add height – When lengthening height, the last thing you want to do is bog it down with excessive amounts of jewellery and accessories. Keep jewellery long but keep it simple. Choosing long chain and opera necklaces with matching dangle or drop earrings will perfect your illusion of supermodel height!

Don’ts

  • Don’t wear loud jewellery – In an office, especially a small office, wearing loud, jingly jewellery is just as annoying as someone wearing excessive perfume to the point of knocking people unconscious. While it may be trendy, it’s certainly unprofessional and distracting, drawing ALL of the positive attention away from the amazing look you worked so hard to achieve.
  • Don’t over-accessorize – Sure, most people have many favourite pieces of jewellery or a lot of jewellery containing their favourite gemstones that they feel they must wear all at once but that doesn’t mean you should.. For those who insist on wearing a lot of jewellery, remember that in the office, it’s very distracting and even worse, others might actually perceive you as superficial. Choose either one matching jewellery set or keep it toned down to one pair of earrings, one bracelet, one necklace and one ring on each hand.
  • Don’t ‘over-match’ your jewellery – Jewellery should hold its own while emphasizing physical features and attire. If you’re wearing an all black business suit, why not create your own fashion trends by adding colourful gemstones that pop?
  • Don’t limit jewellery to just women – Men can also wear jewellery and accessorize in ways that show masculinity! Choosing the right wristwatch or ring can show power and stamina, as long as it’s not too flashy and matches body proportions.

While these tricks are great for boosting your confidence and enhancing your attractiveness, the most important thing you can do for yourself is to continue taking the utmost care of your body. Get enough sleep to get rid of your dark circles, stop drinking large amounts of caffeine and if you’re a smoker, stop smoking to rejuvenate your skin, get on a healthy diet to remove pesky zits and exercise to stay healthy.

When you feel great, you look great! Everyone CAN look attractive in their own way; it’s just a matter of emphasizing the nice parts and hiding the flaws so that you can put yourself on display in the corporate spotlight!

Sam Kritsotakis
Eskae Private Jeweller

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Eskae Private Jeweller – Apprentice week 11

November 24, 2010 · 0 comments

Hello there,

My 11th week has come and gone and I would love to tell you some more about what I have been learning. The first technique I learnt this week with Sam Kritsotakis at Eskae Private Jeweller was soldering two large jumprings onto the sides of an 18ct white gold ring and secondly perfecting my emerying, polishing and rhodium plating techniques and skills to restore pieces of jewellery which show wear and tear, such as scratches, dents, low polish and have no longer got rhodium plating left on them.

The first technique; soldering the two jumprings onto a wide hammer finished ring was a new technique to learn as I was able to perform soldering using binding wire to help me hold the separate pieces in place which is a helpful technique. It was quite fun actually to perform this soldering skill. And I enjoyed it immensely.

To begin, both edges of the ring and one side of each jumpring needed to be flat, clean and smooth. This was done by using emery papers to create a smooth surface before soldering. Next the flat surface on the jumpring was placed face down onto the side of the ring. The solder line on the jumpring was aligned with the bottom of the hammer finished designer ring. The two are then held together with fine binding wire. This wire helps hold the two in place whilst soldering them together to ensure that the jumpring does not move with the solder and heat. I then placed the two into a boracic acid and mentholated spirits solution, which keeps the ring’s polished and shiney appearance from oxidising whilst heat is being applied. The solution is then burned off with a flame to leave a glaze like finish over the ring which stops the air from making contact with the ring which in turn causes the ring to oxidise. This flame is actually a very cool colour, instead of being a blue or orange colour it is actually a bright green colour. It is only faint, however when you can see it, it is very interesting.

The ring is now ready for soldering after having flux applied along the join sections. At the top of the ring, I place a piece of solder on the inside right in between where the ring meets the jumpring, and drew the solder outwards ( a similar technique to what I mentioned to you last week on the pendant) except that this time on the ring I not only had to draw the solder outwards but also draw the solder along the gap between the ring and the jumpring. After the first solder ball was drawn, the binding wire could be removed. The next piece of solder can now be placed next to where the last was drawn along and the same technique is repeated until the whole jumpring is soldered on the whole way around.

The technique is then repeated on the other side with the other jumpring, including the binding wire, boracic acid and flux. Once both jumprings have been soldered in place onto the wide ring, I then made sure that the solder had run evenly the whole way around the ring and adjusted if needed by drawing the solder with heat to where it was needed. As I said before I thoroughly enjoyed learning this technique as it is an important skill that I will use often when creating pieces of jewellery.

Secondly the other important skills I performed this week was perfecting my emerying, polishing and rhodium plating techniques and skills to provide our Refreshing Ring Rejuvination service to jewellery which show wear and tear, such as scratches, dents, low polish and have no longer got rhodium plating left on them. Performing these skills and perfecting them as much as I can is helping me to become a good jeweller and cement these skills into my mind for the future.

Well I am off to create more exciting jewellery, in particular a 9ct white gold bangle which I will have finished by the time I speak to you next. I am looking forward to telling you about the process and also showing a photo of the final piece.

Until then, have a fantastic week,

Cheers, Holly

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Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Corporate Beholder – 1/3

November 21, 2010 · 0 comments

We all know that your mother thinks you’re the most beautiful and talented creature on the planet but in the corporate world – whether it’s morally acceptable or not – LOOKS MATTER a heck of a lot more than mom’s opinion!

Whether or not employers should put people on their scale of 1 to 10 hot-or-not rating meter, it happens no matter how many of them claim to make unbiased decisions when hiring. Just look at these statistics:

  • Studies suggest that attractive people earn 5% more in hourly pay than their average-looking colleagues, who in turn earn 9 percent more per hour than the plainest-looking workers.[i]
  • Not only do looks come into play, height does as well! A woman who is 5 feet 7 inches tall, well above the national female average of 5 feet, 3.5 inches, will make $5,250 more over the course of a year than a female co-worker standing 5 feet 2 inches.[ii]
  • In Malcolm Gladwell’s best-selling book Blink, he polled about half the country’s top 500 CEOs and found that 58% were nearly 6 feet tall; in contrast, the average American male is 5 foot 9 inches tall.[iii]

Studies after studies show that people instinctively equate beauty with being higher-functioning and more successful in life. Obviously, this isn’t always true once we get to know a person but the fact remains that people are instinctively programmed to make first impressions. This is exactly why looks count during first impressions.

Based off of these studies, height, weight and facial features play the biggest part in determining first impressions – whether it can be changed or not. While not everyone has been dunked in the genetically perfect pool, there are certainly ways to improve yourself to bring out your most attractive features.

Even though jewellery is used for many purposes, such as engagements, gifts and marriage, did you know that jewellery also serves to bring out your own striking qualities?

Perhaps you’ve never noticed just how bright your blue eyes were until you put on a pair of sapphire earrings or how graceful your neck was until you wore a beautifully fit pendant. Gold jewellery can make bronze and darker skin glow while platinum jewellery makes fair skin radiant.

In the same way pants are tailored to slim the stomach and elongate legs, jewellery that’s appropriated to body types and skin colour can also be slimming and flattering. Heavier women look great wearing chunkier necklaces and cocktail rings because it can divert attention away from problem areas while drawing attention to the more becoming facial and body features. Thin, delicate pieces of jewellery fare better on slim women by not overpowering them or their outfits. For those on the short side of the height spectrum, putting on long-chained necklaces adds the illusion of an extra inch or two.

Since men can’t exactly walk around the office with false eyelashes and chunky necklaces as easily as women, it comes down more to presentation style and execution. Having a suit tailored to accentuate the body proportionately is great but beefing it up with accessories such as a perfectly-sized wristwatch, cufflinks and/or a tie clip will make a fantastic impression.

While we can’t always change our naturally given looks or stature, there’s much to be done with how we present and portray ourselves within the corporate environment. The next time you’re out shopping for a brand, new suit or getting a new hair cut or style to give yourself a boost of confidence, remember to look for the perfect jewellery that’ll pull your whole ensemble together!

References:

[i] http://articles.cnn.com/2007-02-28/us/cb.pretty_1_competencies-dental-work-workers?_s=PM:US

[ii] http://www.forbes.com/2009/12/05/appearance-work-pay-forbes-woman-leadership-body-weight.html

[iii] http://www.forbes.com/2009/12/05/appearance-work-pay-forbes-woman-leadership-body-weight.html

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Eskae Private Jeweller – Apprentice week 10

November 14, 2010 · 0 comments

What another great week of learning the art of jewellery making at Eskae Private Jeweller.

This week I learnt many techniques including; putting a comfort fit inside of wedding ring, melting gold, using rubber bullets to polish and smooth out deliberate dents in a hammer finish, and how to create a bezel for a diamond pendant jewellery.

The last technique is the one I would like to tell you about; how to create a straight, parallel shaped bezel setting as opposed to one which is tapered at the bottom, which I had previously seen Sam create a few weeks before.

I began the same way as you would when creating the tapered bezel, by rolling out the white gold stock gauge to a specific thickness using a formula which gives me the most accurate widths and depths of the gold needed to create this bezel’s specific measurements. The next step is to square off one end of the gold strip, by using a squaring tool and scribe. I then sawed off the excess gold and filed the end to make sure it was perfectly straight. I then emeryed one side of the gold with my emery papers to ensure the surface was clean, smooth and prepared for the next stages. This side will be on the inside of the bezel, and therefore needs to be as clean as possible, as it is hard to access once the bezel is created.

The gold strip was then annealed to make sure it was soft and malleable for the next step which is bending the metal to create the circular shape of the bezel. The trick here is to bend and turn the metal not the pliers. I used my fingers and thumb to bend the gold around the pliers, stopping and moving the bezel into different positions on the pliers so that the metal bezel could continue being bent around the pliers. I then had a round shape to work with and it is beginning to take shape and look like something. Now using a different pair of pliers, I aligned the two ends so they sat straight and as close to each other as possible. To get them even closer, I placed a saw cut in between the two ends, I then squeezed them together again with the pliers and repeated this again. This step is very important as it helps minimise the appearance of the solder when it is finished and it also ensures that there is a nice clean gap for the solder to run into.

For a nice clean looking solder join, we at Eskae Private Jeweller always place a ball of solder in a inconspicuous place, for example, in the bezel pendant, I placed the solder on the inside of the join, and drew the solder outwards using the heat of my soldering torch. I would have to say that this would probably be the most important technique I learnt and performed this week at Eskae Private Jeweller, as this is what can make or break a piece and make a piece of jewellery look professional. It maybe a minor detail but it is very important.

After soldering the join, I then measured and marked out where I wanted to place some drill holes for the chain to slide through the pendant. A great trick Sam showed me on how to accurately work out where to place them was to put the bezel on a piece of grid paper with a 6 pointed star shape marked on it. The join line and the top of the pendant was placed in line with the top and bottom lines and then the diagonal lines on either side of the top of the pendant were marked for the holes.

The next great trick I was shown was to punch a dent into the marks where the holes were to go so that it would be easier to drill the first hole. This minimizes any slip of the drill, allowing the drill to sit in the right position to begin the hole. I thought this was a great trick as drilling is quite tricky and a little bit scary for me as they are a totally new tool for me to get used to, so this trick allows me to have more control and confidence.

Once you have created the initial hole, a ball bur which is a ball shaped drill bit is used to open up the hole. I did this by gradually going up in size with the burs until I reached the size I needed. After the final size hole is drilled I removed the drill bit from the hand drill and turned the ball bur in the hole on a slight angle. This takes away the sharp edge on the hole and allows the chain to run smoothly through the holes.

Next is creating a scalloped edge on opposite sides of the pendant. Once the positioning of the scallops has been determined, I placed a saw cut on the marked lines and then used a fine triangular file to open up the saw cut wider. This allows for more accuracy when using the next file to form the scallop shape. This file is known as a rats tail as is looks very similar to the name. After this file is used to open up the scallop, a half round file is used to put a champher on the scallop.

The next step is to finish the pendant off by emerying and polishing the pendant using various emery papers, rubber wheels for the inside only and polishing mops and brushes.

Now the pendant is ready to have the diamond set into it to finish it off and complete this new piece of handcrafted jewellery.

It has been a very busy week, but also very exciting!

Talk to you next time,

Holly

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The Beauty of the Pearl; A Series Part III

November 12, 2010 · 0 comments

This exploration of the different available pearls has taken us through the process of the creation of a pearl and the uniqueness in the freshwater cultured pearl. Now, I will take you on a different leg of this journey to the South Sea. This is a favorite stop for me as South Sea pearls are considered to be exceptional in quality.

South Sea pearls get their name from the location of the white-lipped variety of the pinctada maxima oyster – also known as the Silver Lip Oyster – which provides the perfect canvas for the South Sea pearl. The oyster is typically found around the coast of Indonesia, Australia and the Philippines. The pearls produced within the South Sea are cultured and of the saltwater variety, generally in colours of white, silver and gold.

The pinctada maxima oyster is much larger than those that typically create Akoya and freshwater pearls, ensuring that South Sea pearls are much larger. The pinctada maxima oyster is also much more rare and sensitive, making cultivation of the pearl that much more challenging. As the pinctada maxima lives and cultivates its pearls in the wild, production can be limited. With obstacles to its creation firmly in place, the South Sea pearl is more valuable than other pearls.

In addition to its larger size, the South Sea pearl is also known to offer a smoothness and roundness that is exceptional when compared with other pearls. The almost silver color of the natural, South Sea pearl is luminous, offering a unique beauty that is truly all its own. The most extraordinary and rare of the available pearls, South Sea pearls create exquisite pieces of jewellery.

When the South Sea pearl is farmed, a mother of pearl bead is placed inside the oyster to help start the process that will result in a pearl. The pearl famers often hope the bead, the right conditions and a little bit of luck will help to contribute to the creation of a perfectly round, clean, beautiful, lustrous South Sea pearl.

The unpredictability of the process involved in the forming of the South Sea pearl dictates that not all pearls will emerge from the oyster as perfectly round or the same size. A South Sea pearl that is a perfect sphere is the ideal piece, yet the slightest environmental change can lead to changes in shape, create blemishes or ensure that no pearl is created at all.

With this potential variation in the South Sea pearl, three shapes are typically found, including round, semi-round and button. Round is ideal when the shape is perfect. It is measured with a caliper and the variation in the circumference should be less than 2 percent. A semi-round pearl gives the appearance of round, yet its measured circumference is more than 2 percent. The variation in circumference on the button pearl is roughly 20 percent, yet tall buttons can also appear to be round.

There is truly no pearl as exquisite as the South Sea pearl, but our journey has not yet ended. Next, we will explore the Keshi pearl and the interesting process that leads to its creation. See you then!

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10 Extraordinary and Unusual Celebrity Engagement Rings

November 9, 2010 · 0 comments

As you journey with me on this trip through a wide variety of celebrity engagement rings, the trip has been very rewarding. On this, our last stop, we will examine some unusual engagement rings, whether it is a result of the featured stone or the design of the ring. While not all of these engagements were meant for lasting love, the beauty of the given ring could last beyond a lifetime.

1. Katharine McPhee

While not a celebrity until she sang her way to the finals on American Idol, Katharine McPhee still sports a ring worth examining. Nock Cokas proposed with a classically cut colored stone ring that features an oval cut yellow diamond. The center stone is surrounded by pink pave diamonds set in platinum.

2. Heidi Klum

The 10 carat canary diamond engagement ring Heidi Klum received from husband Seal is a Lorraine Schwartz design. The clean lines of the stone cut accentuate the brilliance of the diamond. This design is perfect for Klum’s slender and long fingers, which perfectly display this natural wonder.

3. Rebecca Romijn

The 6 carat yellow diamond engagement ring worn by Rebecca Romijn was designed by Simon G. While the oval stone itself is certainly elegant and impressive, the look of the ring along with the stacked pink and blue pave bands give the overall presentation a unique finish. The contrasting colors make the yellow diamond radiate from its setting, giving the overall appeal distinction.

4. Gwyneth Paltrow

Often giving off the air of a quiet and traditional girl, Gwyneth Paltrow has surprised us with her sense of style more than once. Her Coldplay front-man husband, Chris Martin proposed to her with a breath-taking Asscher cut diamond with a micro pave frame and double band. The look is exquisite and the styling very unique.

5. Sandra Bullock

While her public life is in turmoil, Sandra Bullock’s ring, designed by Neil Lane and estranged husband Jesse James, still exhibits a unique flair. The design is a vintage-inspired engagement ring with the theme of “You and Me.” The ring has two intertwined diamonds and a diamond pave wedding band to provide a complete genuine and unique style.

6. Mena Suvari

Traditional does not seem to be in the cards for Mea Suvari who instead preferred to use her birthstones of amethyst and citrine in her engagement ring. The stones are beautifully set in an asymmetrical design around a gold band and are meant to represent the commitment between Suvari and husband Robert Brinkmann.

7.      Jennifer Anniston

Although her marriage to Brad Pitt was not meant to last, Anniston wore one of the most beautiful and uniquely designed engagement rings seen in the celebrity circles. The ring was tactile in design, with stones set on different levels. The overall shape is based on the concept of the heart and is a symbol for eternity; at least the ring will last.

8.      Zooey Deschanel

Zooey Deschanel wears a Neil Lane designed engagement ring from Benjamin Gibbard. As beautiful and unique the large solitaire ring is for Deschanel, the eye-catching aspect is truly found in the wedding band. An eternity band, it is set in platinum and has alternating small rubies and diamonds all the way around it, giving it a unique appeal to the finished set.

9.      Jenna Bush

Jenna Bush’s engagement ring incorporates the traditional diamond solitaire with large sapphires flanking either side. The look is both traditional and unique, incorporating the three-stone setting in a platinum finish. The stones are all round and jump off her finger anytime she moves her hand giving a very noticeable appeal.

10.  Nicole Richie

Nicole Richie once wore an inverted cushion cut pink sapphire in a pave undercarriage and split diamond pave band that was given to her by DJ AM. This original engagement was said to have fallen through and an updated ring may soon follow. Given the beauty and allow of this piece alone, why would anyone want a replacement?

I hope you have enjoyed this trip through celebrity engagement rings as much as I have. Join me next time as I embark on a new journey through celebrity proposals. I will see you there.

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Eskae Private Jeweller – Apprentice week 9

November 7, 2010 · 0 comments

Week 9 has been a great week for me at Eskae Private Jeweller, not only was I making jewellery but also learning traditional smithing methods such as forging.

Smithing dates back to the Iron Age and involves striking the platinum or  gold with a hammer on an anvil of different shapes and styles to produce a desired shape, form or function. In my case, I was making a thin silver dish for wax to be heated up in and to be used with wax seal.

To begin the thin silver dish, I rolled the metal out to the desired thickness and then scribed a shape onto the metal with a carbon tipped scribe. I then cut the shape out with a saw and dressed back the flat piece of silver with a file and then my emery paper. The metal needed to be smooth and clean, before I could begin creating the shape with a hammer, so I began to emery the surface of the dish so that the preparation was done before I started the forging.

After cleaning up the surface of the metal, I began hammering with a flat metal hammer. I placed the metal over a round ball called a ball punch, which was held in place in the bench vice. The round ball punch helps to create the curve and dome in the bottom of the dish as I strike the silver with the hammer while holding it over the ball punch. I also used a softer plastic mallet to hit the metal into the desired shape as it was easy to control my hitting strokes as well as sometimes i needed to be aware that i wasnt going to bruise the silver with the steel hammer.

Forging was fun to do, as I had to learn how to hit the metal on a particular angle to draw the metal down in one direction and create curves. During this process I constantly looked at the symmetry of the piece, to make sure each side looked the same.

Once I had created the initial shape with the hammer and mallet, I then cut into the back of the dish and removed a wedge of the metal. By bringing the two cut edges of the wedge together, the dish became deeper and gave the dish a nicer looking line. Once the edges were lined up against each other with no gaps, I soldered the join.  Now that the back was soldered and tapped into place, I could then work on the visual design on the sides of the dish. To create curves and a flow in the design, I began marking with a pen what I thought would be a more organic and interesting line. I then used various files to file down the excess metal to where the new design line was. Then came the tricky part and probably most challenging- matching the other side to the newly filed side.

The dish is almost finished and I will be making a wax pourer to go with the dish and stamp.

I have enjoyed week 9 as I was able to learn an ancient technique which I am told is a dying art. It was challenging and also a great way to learn how to look at creating art, objects and designer jewellery in a different light.

I cannot wait to tell you what has been happening this week in week 10!

Have a great week, talk to you soon,

Holly

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10 Extraordinary Colored-Diamond Celebrity Engagement Rings

November 5, 2010 · 0 comments

As I continue to explore the fascination the public has with the celebrity engagement, there is still little that is as breathtaking as the rings that accompany the proposals. In this post, I have focused on the fascinating appeal of the colored diamonds gracing the hands of well-known (and some not so well-known) individuals. Read on for a glimpse into the celebrity lifestyle and colored diamonds it can buy.

1. Carrie Underwood

Married to Mike Fisher, Carrie Underwood wears a ring that features a flawless brilliant round yellow diamond. The stone is set in a platinum and micro-pave diamond finish. The Jonathan Arndt design is both elegance and brilliance, a perfect fit for Underwood’s coloring. Reportedly priced at $1 million, the unique look of this ring fits the personality of the bride-to-be.

2. Eva LaRue

While Eva LaRue originally broke off her engagement to Joe Cappuccio, the owner of a seafood exporting company, the two did finally tie the knot with a 4 carat weight diamond ring on her finger. The cushion cut center stone has small pink stones on either side and rests on a diamond-studded band. A flash setting upon her hand, this ring is not what I would call traditional, but it certainly catches the eye.

3. Anna Kournikova

Sometimes a girl just has to have pink, which seems to be the case for Anna Kournikova. The tennis star receved an 11 carat pink pear cut engagement ring from fiancé Enrique Iglesias. The ring also features two trillion side stones and is reportedly valued at $2.5 million. Created by Argyle, this ring is a head-turner. While it is certainly not the most valuable celebrity engagement ring, it is definitely one of the most striking.

4. Tracey Edmonds

Tracey Edmonds caught the celebrity spotlight with her engagement to comedian Eddie Murphy. A celebrity in her own right, Edmonds is the former wife of Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. The Cartier fancy yellow emerald cut diamond with white diamond baguettes was worn by Tracey Edmonds for only a short two weeks until the engagement was called off, yet the elegance and style of the ring is certainly timeless.

5. Tara Reid

While is still unclear as to whether Tara Reid is actually engaged to German entrepreneur Michael Axtmann, the pear-shaped pink diamond she is now wearing on an important finger suggests vows may be in her future. The carat weight has yet to be disclosed, although the healthy size is surrounded by pave diamonds and set in platinum.

6. Mariah Carey

Songbird Mariah Carey received a beautiful engagement ring from husband Nick Cannon. Designed by Jacob & Co., the 17 carat emerald cut diamond is surrounded by pink diamonds and two half-moon diamonds on either side. Reportedly worth $2.5 million, this engagement ring has a look of old-world traditional with new world style.

7. Portia de Rossi

Portia de Rossi received a beautiful ring from partner and wife Ellen Degeneres. Pink paver diamonds surround a center diamond that is of a marquise cut, set horizontally instead of the traditional vertical style. The design of the diamond-encrusted band has a unique flair and seems to fit the couple perfectly.

8. Carla Bruni

French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s new fiancé, Carla Bruni is now wearing a pink diamond, heart-shaped engagement ring. This Dior Cupidon is rumored to have been also worn by Sarkozy’s ex-wife, yet the striking ring has its own beauty and unique design that is uncompromisingly “French”.

9. Carmen Electra

Carmen Electra is not known to conform to expectations and the same is true in her third engagement, this time to Rob Patterson. Electra’s engagement ring is a stunning black diamond flanked by white diamonds all around. The band is gold and the ring, surprisingly for a celebrity, is valued at a very low price. What I like about the ring is not the expected flash, but the bold look of the black diamond. For the bride-to-be who wants to be different, the black diamond is a unique look.

10. Jennifer Lopez

While the engagement didn’t last and a marriage never happened, few can forget the beautiful 6.5 carat plush pink princess cut diamond engagement ring Jennifer Lopez received from Ben Affleck. The beautiful ring drew massive media attention and set off a whole new trend in colored diamonds. Copies of the ring were high in demand and the style continues to turn heads today.

Check back with me next time as I take you on a journey of celebrities wearing white diamond engagement rings.

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Fancy Intense Pink Diamond – 24.78 Carat – to be auctioned by Sotheby's

November 2, 2010 · 0 comments

Now this is why I love Pink Diamonds so much…

When you can see a beauty like this – born of the earth and so intense and clean in colour – it makes me remember all of the reasons why I decided to become a private jeweller in the first place. I just received via email news of this magnificent pink diamond going to auction through Sotheby’s in Geneva this year.

This unbelievable diamond has not been seen on the market place for 60 years… Just to give you an indication of the importance of this particular pink diamond.

24.78ct Pink Diamond

Now look at that – can’t you just see it on YOUR hand? I know I would love to acquire this rock of a pink diamond for my beautiful wife, that’s for sure!

As you can see from the pictures this diamond displays the pure pink colour that everyone is after. It has a clean, crisp and even saturation of colour which makes it one of the most desirable pink diamonds to be seen for some time. Couple that with the fact that this diamond has been graded by the Gemmological Institute of America (GIA) as being a type IIa classification, which comprises less than 2 % of all of the world’s gem quality diamonds. This will make a very fine purchase for whoever the new owner will be.

24.78ct Pink Diamond

As I mentioned above this is the first time in 60 years that this pink diamond has been offered for sale, it is offered for sale with a pre-sale estimate of US$ 27-38 million, the diamond comes from a private collection and has not appeared on the market since it was purchased from Mr Harry Winston.

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