Beginning Your Pink Diamond Investment – Part 2

Published on March 23, 2011 in Coloured Diamonds, Diamonds, Pink Diamond Investment and Pink Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

‘It is planning not gambling that produces profit and security!’ – Marcus Aurelius (121-180) Meditations on Stoic Philosophy

When beginning a pink diamond investment, it can seem a little overwhelming at first. There is a lot of information that must be retained and put to use while, at the same time, also knowing what to be wary of.

Continuing on with the second part of this series, we’ll talk about the most important steps needed to start putting this fantastic pink diamond investment into action!

What Do I Need To Do?

Hopefully, by now, your research has been completed and you’ve found a personal broker/advisor that specialises in the pink diamond market. As you move on to the next phase, there are three major areas you may find a couple of ‘What’s’ you will need to ask yourself, those closest to you as well as people you’re doing business with.

Step 1 – Identify your financial goals:

The most important aspect of beginning in any investment is to do something most others will neglect to tell you – get a THOROUGH financial health check!

Without taking this crucial step, it’s easy to miss potential profits or look at multiple investment opportunities. Having a complete overview of your financial goals will also signal any red flags raised by future brokers or other investors you might be dealing with.

The trap that most people tend to fall into is not factoring in expenses they had no foresight to, such as, a medical emergency or purchasing a new car. Having your income plus all of your expenses in alignment will allow you to create the appropriate budget needed to include all unforseen aspects. This will help determine what quality of pink diamonds you’ll be able to afford.

Without your financial goals locked in, your pink diamond nest egg will sit exactly where it started – in dream land.

Step 2 – Assess your investment goals and desired output

When purchasing a pink diamond, it’s recommended to put your stock into a loose pink diamonds weighing at least .75 carats to maintain a steady investment. There is one exception to this when deciding whether carat weight or saturation is more important to your pink diamond portfolio.

If going by carat weight is more your style, obviously, the bigger – the better! For those who can afford a bigger amount of a money set within their budget, pink diamonds weighing 1-1.5 carats demand the highest amount of money in this niche which may be the wisest choice when selecting pink diamonds.

If, however, having a highly saturated pink diamond is the more ideal choice to build appreciation on, you can lower its carat weight down to between .25 – .80 carats. Remember that the smaller a pink diamond is, the higher the saturation is so in this case, bigger is not always better!

This isn’t to say that smaller, less saturated pink diamonds aren’t valuable because any investment grade  pink diamond you own will appreciate over time; rather, it’s just to emphasise the two most valuable types of pink diamond markets available.

After assessing your newly identified goals and desired outputs, it might be helpful to begin listing any and all future spending plans you are forecasting. This could include your children’s college funds, buying property, expanding your pink diamond investment – you get the idea!

Once these expenses are visible, then you’ll be able to see the complete picture with the forecasted cash outflows. This will also come in handy when setting out to build your investment strategy!

Step 3 – Create a Financial Investment Plan

Having your financial goals and desired output in tow, you must put an investment financial plan in place. By including all of your present and future resources that will be available, you can then determine whether your venture in pink diamonds is going to be a long-term or short-term investment.

This is extremely important because it makes the risk factor present itself. If your pink diamond investment plan is prepared for the short-term, a more aggressive approach is needed since the production and supply for pink diamonds have already begun decreasing.

Because this is considered to be a tangible asset, most people will opt to follow a long-term investment plan. This is due to the fact that the market for these rare pink diamonds continues to rise, minimally 15% as it has for the past 20 years, allowing your asset to continue appreciating its value.

All of this can sound a little confusing and get pretty complex for pink diamond novices – but that’s okay! That’s what investors are out there for – helping investees.

Now that you’re aware of how to begin proceeding with your new investment, it is now the time to take start taking action! The steps listed above are geared towards helping you with starting up your pink diamond investment but it’s ultimately up to you to take this investment of a lifetime as far as you’ve dreamed!



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World’s Most Expensive Pens 1-5

Published on March 20, 2011 in Diamonds, Emeralds, Fun Stuff, Gemstones, Mens Jewellery, Rubies, Sapphires and White Diamonds. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , .

5. Visconti Ripple H.R.H. Fountain Pen

Price: $ 57,000
One of the most remarkable Visconti pens is the Ripple H.R.H. Limited Edition fountain pen. Made of 18K white gold and diamonds and with two-tone 18K gold nib, it costs $57,000.00. It has double reservoir filling system and is sold in two variations – white gold and black.

4. Omas Phoenix Platinum Fountain Pen Luxury Limited Edition with Diamonds

Price: $60,000


With an overwhelming price tag of $60,000, this truncated cone shaped pen is a true embodiment of fact and fancy. Made with 950 platinum and yellow enamel with considerable length and diameter, 18K gold rhodium plated engraving nib.

3. La Modernista Diamonds Caran d’Ache

Price: $265,000
La Modernista Diamonds was made by the Swiss company Caran d’Ache in 1999 in homage to Antonio Gaudi (1852-1926), the most famous of Modernist architects. This amazing fountain pen was sold in Harrods, London, for $265,000, becoming the most expensive pen in GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS in 2001. La Modernista Diamonds is made of rhodium-plated solid silver components. It boasts of an 18-carat rhodium-plated gold nib and is set with a total of 5,072 Wessel ton diamonds weighing in at 20-carats, as well as 96 rubies totaling 32-carats. The pen was hand-made by master jeweler Robert Perron taking him six months to complete this true masterpiece of writing instruments.

2. Mystery Masterpiece Mont Blanc and Van Cleef & Arpels Limited Edition

Price: $730,000
To commemorate the centenary of these two renowned brands, Montblanc and Van Cleef & Arpels have collaborated on this fine, limited edition Mystery Masterpiece. Three individual editions, each set with rubies, sapphires or emeralds has been crafted. Using the Mystery Setting technique for the gemstones, these intricate writing instruments are set to stun with their extravagant design, and equally-extravagant price. At US$730,000 each, they are truly a fitting homage to a century of each brands respective history.

1. Aurora Diamante fountain pen

Price: $1,470,600
The Aurora Diamante is the most expensive writing instrument to date. Only one is for sale per year. The Aurora Diamante contains over 30 carats of De Beers diamonds on a solid platinum barrel. It has a two-tone, rhodium-treated, 18KT solid gold nib and is personalized with a coat of arms, signature or portrait. Aurora Pens says it is the only over 30 carat pen in the world.

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Beginning Your Pink Diamond Investment – Part 1

Published on March 16, 2011 in Coloured Diamonds, Diamonds, Pink Diamond Investment and Pink Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

It’s not just another investment idea like getting into real estate, buying and selling shares or even putting stock into gold, for that matter. Investing in pink diamonds is a lifetime investment and is taken extremely seriously with the utmost care and precaution. There is no comparison that comes close to investing in such precious gems, especially with pink diamonds!

While there are numerous blogs and articles on the internet dedicated to pointing out the perks of how beneficial investing in pink diamonds is, the majority leaves unanswered questions about the hard-to-find info, such as, the How’s, the What’s and more importantly – the What-Not-To-Do’s.

Fortunately, the information given in this three-part series will give you exactly what has been so difficult to discover about investing in pink diamonds!

How Do I Start?

Just like the beginning of any important life changing endeavor, start this one with some good homework by doing as much research as humanly possible. By making sure that you’re well educated and informed on EVERYTHING there is to know about pink diamonds, themselves, then you can begin to understand what exactly it is you’re investing in; what the current trends of the pink diamond market are; what the possible risks are and will be involved; what types of competition are out there; who your prospect buyers are, etc.

After fully understanding all of the important information surrounding pink diamonds and the different aspects of its investments, the next important step is to find someone reliable and trustworthy. By finding people within this field, such as an Investment Specialist, you’ll then have someone to ask all of your related questions to and school you on everything that’s needed to know how to make a great investment.

Don’t be impatient with rushing into a pink diamond investment or precipitate your returns. Pink diamonds are the rarest form of gems on this planet and getting into this market will take endurance.

Since not everyone can afford to buy them, this means that you’ll be dealing with the high-rollers. Those who are extremely wealthy will want to know you and want to get to you before anyone else does so it’s up to you to acquire an expertise level of pink diamond investments!

Just remember: The more you know, the more you’ll prosper!

After your ‘Pink Diamond Investment 101’ is completed, it is time to begin applying all that has been learned. A great place to start is by contacting a professional Diamonds Investment Advisor. Developing a relationship with this advisor will get you connected to the market place, keep you up-to-date with the latest pink diamond market and get insider information and deals for upcoming pink diamond auction events.

As with any new asset, there are doubts, concerns and those who will perhaps try to dissuade you from placing your investment into pink diamonds. Some will say that this particular type of investment is not as fantastic as others already in the business make it sound and compare it to a real estate investment or other similar ventures but here’s what they don’t know:

Going along with the real estate analogy, there are always going to be thousands of houses that may look better than yours but in this diamond market, there are ONLY 65 other 1 carat pink diamonds released per year, not to mention a price appreciation of 35% for pink diamonds within the past six months – so let them go and do the math!

Supply and demand can do wonders and with the supply of pink diamonds being so low, you will be in demand!

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World’s Most Expensive Pens 6-10

Published on March 13, 2011 in Diamonds, Fun Stuff, Gemstones, Gold, Jewellery, Mens Jewellery, Platinum and White Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

10. CREW 60TH White Gold Tebaldi fountain pens

Price: $43,000


TIBALDI Pens CREW 60TH are a landmark in pen making history with Bentley, the automobile giant creating its own handcrafted pen sets in association with the worlds best Italian luxury designer pen maker, Tebaldi.
These expensive Tebaldi for Bentley pens have a two-tone 18-carat yellow gold nib covered in rhodium and ruthenium. The pen’s barrel has the fine finish identical to Bentley’s dashboard. This finish was first used in Bentley’s earliest car with a technique called engine tuning. The pens cap, upper and lower barrel parts are knurled for a good grip while writing for the executive. You can see the level of ink through the transparent window of the Tebaldi for Bentley pens. A handmade tie shaped clip on the pen marks Tebaldi’s signature. The Tebaldi for Bentley Crew 60th white gold fountain pen collection is a limited edition of 40 solid white gold fountain pens

9. Gaia High Luxury Omas Fountain Pens

Price: $43,000
Gaia high Luxury fountain pens and roller ball pens by Omas are a glimpse into the dark and deep recesses of the earth. The impenetrable inner core of the earth has inspired wonder, curiosity and interest in man since creation. A miscellany of precious materials such as the white and yellow 18K gold, the Onyx, the Crystal rock, the hematite and the vegetal resin has been utilized into the making of this mystic model by Omas.
Gaia high Luxury fountain pens and roller ball pens are a presentation in the celebration of Jules Vernes futuristic vision of the world. It also commemorates the one hundredth death anniversary. Depicting geographical wonders of the world, the pen absolutely differs from pens that reflect the classic essence of history. The dark grey colour of the metal that it is made of, symbolizes the trip to the dark interior of the earth. The body of the pen from top to toe features the engraved images of gigantic spiders, carnivorous plants, and water beasts. The blend of fear and wonder in the engraving of these horrors makes this particular model different from a range of pen collections.

8. MARTE Omas Fountain Pen

Price: $43,000

Omas Fountain Pen MARTE is part of the Viaggi dellUomo, Travel of Man, Masterpieces collection of custom design fountain pens, roller ball pens and pen sets. The Marte (Italian for Mars) is actually a map of Mars made from classic rose gold to represent the pink-red hue of the planet. Deserts, mountains and craters are all featured on the barrel of this pen with four rubies to mark the landing points of the Russian and American probes. The cap is encrusted with 2K of small diamonds reminiscent of the polar ice caps and the clip details astronomer Tycho Brahes Mural Quadrant. Even the rose gold nib is engraved with a representation of the Greek God Mars! There are just 30 of these fountain pens in circulation, so they are perfect for the pen collector to add to his expensive pen collections or for the executive who enjoys writing with designer pens.

7. Visconti The Forbidden City H.R.H. Fountain Pen

Price: $50,500
The Visconti brand is known for best quality, style and creativity. This distinguished Visconti pen is the Forbidden City H.R.H. Limited Edition fountain Pen. Made of black resin, 18K gold and diamonds and boasting of Power Filler innovative filling system invented by Visconti, it is sold for $50,500.

6. Visconti Alchemy H.R.H. Fountain Pens

Price: $ 57,000

The beautifully handcrafted Alchemy HRH by Visconti is part of the HRH collection of handmade fountain pens and roller ball pens from this fine pen maker. This luxury pen, unlike other fountain pens, has two nibs, two ink reservoirs and is trimmed with two different metals – exquisite gold and silver vermeil. Both nibs are of the best 18K gold and come in different sizes to suit every writing style. Even those used to writing with roller ball pens will love using the Alchemy.
The body is made from a classic, rich, red resin and the gold and silver trim is decorated with expensive 4K diamonds and rubies. One cap has gold trim, the other silver and these trims interlace to create a cosmic map with alchemic symbols stunning!

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Pink Diamonds – Coloured Levels Of Investments

Published on March 10, 2011 in Diamonds, Pink Diamond Investment and Pink Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Found mostly in Australia, pink diamonds have become an increasingly popular investment on every level, from personal collectors all the way up to the corporate world. Since a single pink diamond is worth 20 times more than the average white diamond, the value of pink diamonds is taken very seriously and not left for the inexperienced jewellery investors.

To paint a clearer picture on a pink diamond’s worth, Josephine Acher, Business Manager at Argyle Pink Diamonds, was quoted as saying, “We release  50 [pink diamonds] a year and every year they have outperformed white diamonds price indexes.”

Out of the 25 million carats mined from the Argyle Mine in the year 2000, only 10,000 of these carats were pink diamonds and of those, a mere 10% weighed more than 0.2 grams (1 carat diamond)! Only increasing in its rarity, pink diamonds have become the top notch gem market to put serious investments into, outranking all other gemmological investments.

Currently, the only source to have discovered these exquisite pink fancy-coloured diamonds being the Argyle Mine, depletion of its resources are imminent. Because of this impending reduction of pink diamonds, only the top, most experienced jewellers and markets are able to hold auctions or shows displaying nature’s exceptional work of art.

While all white diamonds are priced according to a price list, a pink diamond’s worth is much more detailed. Much like the snowflake analogy, there are no two pink diamonds alike, making it the rarest and most sought after of all coloured diamonds. With imperfection, ironically, being the sole reason that diamonds change colours, it factors in as the biggest influence on how some pink diamonds are deemed more or less valuable than other pink diamonds.

Unlike other fancy-coloured diamonds that have been chemically tested to understand their colour scheme (i.e. blue diamonds are formed by boron, green diamonds are formed by radiation, and so on), the true cause of what forms a pink diamond has yet to be fully understood or discovered. What can be concluded on is its clarity by determining whether or not pink diamonds include one or more secondary colours.

The most common secondary colours to its pink hue are brown, purple and orange; all contributing to the placement within the fancy-scale ratings of pink diamonds. This gives these diamonds a large range beginning with the faintest of the pink tones through the most intense pink colouring. The more intense the pink colour is, the more its value increases.

To be able to establish a cost based on any one specific pink diamond’s natural make-up along with its carat size and shape, the information listed below is used to indicate the colour grading scale and combined to identify the true cost of pink diamonds:

Pink diamonds’ hue (in order of rarity):

  • PP – Purplish Pink
  • P – Pink
  • PR – Pink Rose
  • PC – Pink Champagne

Intensity of pink diamonds:

  • 1 – Very Intense (Appears nearly red to the naked eye)
  • 2 – Intense
  • 3 – Strong
  • 4 – Medium
  • 5 – Medium Light
  • 6 – Light
  • 7 – Very Light
  • 8 – Blush (Appears very similar to the white diamond to the naked eye)

By combining merging all of the indicated factors above, an average dollar amount can then be revealed, as shown below:

Average pricing for a 1 carat pink diamond:
Colour Intensity Low-End Price High-End Price
Vivid $350,000/ct $700,000/ct
Deep $300,000/ct $600,000/ct
Intense $230,000/ct $460,000/ct
Fancy $125,000/ct $250,000/ct
Light $35,000/ct $70,000/ct
Faint $12,000/ct $24,000/ct

One look at these figures reinforces the seriousness of the fact that pink diamond investments are not only a fashionable trend set by celebrities – it’s the fiscal benefit of a lifetime!  It’s an extremely important liquid asset whose procurement is intended for dedicated and well-informed investors and jewellers.

For people who are highly motivated to begin such an investment, there are three levels of shareholders:

  • Personal Investors
  • Corporate Investors
  • Self-Managed Super Funds

As for those who fall within these categories, we hope you will join our amazing Pink Diamond Investment Opportunity to begin or expand your pink diamond investment!

Since diamonds have an extensive history in the ballpark of approximately four billion years in the making, it’s obvious that the heritage that comes from within each diamond – coloured or not – is priceless.

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Choosing Wedding Rings Together

Published on March 6, 2011 in Bridal Jewellery, Diamonds, Engagement Rings, Eskae Private Jeweller, Jewellery, Mens Jewellery, Platinum, Wedding Jewellery and White Diamonds. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , .

There was a time that it was popular for men to save every cent of their hard-earned money to secretly buy an engagement ring while believing they were concocting the perfect surprise. After hiding the brand new, dazzling wedding ring set in their jacket pocket for a couple of weeks, they would then plan a romantic date, the next hour was filled with stuttering and nervous fidgeting before finally bending down on one knee and giving his fiancé the surprise of her life: A marriage proposal.

Ironically, since females tend to have a lie detector implanted in their brain at birth, covering up surprises isn’t the easiest feat to pull off. Because of this, women feign their surprise and reply with, ‘How did you-when did you-I swear I had no idea!’ before bursting into tears. In all actuality, it’s the true emotion of being proposed to that turns their tear ducts into waterfalls and causes shouts of joy and unfortunately, not the element of surprise.

As this cat was slowly let out of the bag, men and women began picking out their wedding rings together. When the emotional aspect of the proposal was over, it was discovered that when looking down at their new engagement ring, most women didn’t fancy their wedding ring set at all. It became a taboo subject to broach since it sounded entirely ungrateful of all the hard work that their beloved went into finding what they believed to be the perfect ring; but, to wear something intended to be worn for a lifetime – well, that’s just a fashion catastrophe for a woman!

As more and more couples are beginning to pick out their wedding ring sets together, the ‘surprise’ wedding rings purchased have dropped down to a mere 19% as of 2007,[1] changing the proposal scenario a little bit. While men may still try to scheme the perfect proposal, the ring part of this performance is saved for when both partners can go ring shopping together.

Going to shop for a ring together may sound as though the woman will choose her wedding ring while the man chooses his wedding ring. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Call it old-fashioned but men enjoy having a large amount of their choice being included with the final cut (pun intended) of which wedding ring his fiancé chooses.

Women, not to be outdone, also enjoy getting to have her thoughts and ideas incorporated into her significant other’s wedding ring. After all, it’s what says to her; ‘You’re mine – now and forever,’ allowing her to always be reminded of its significance.

Because the newly-engaged pair’s thoughts and feelings lie within the wedding rings, it’s important to understand how each of their ideas can be integrated while keeping each other’s needs in mind.

Ladies first:

Tips On Choosing Wedding Rings For Women – The Men’s Guide:

Find Your Inner Fashion

That’s awful sounding to a man but its intent was to get your attention! The real ploy is to take notice of the colour metal your fiancé wears most often. If she wears silver toned jewellery a lot, the obvious choice would be a platinum wedding set. For yellow gold, then stick with yellow gold. Simple enough, right?

The trickier part is helping to decide what type of wedding and engagement ring design to go with. When noticing which metal your fiancé favours, also notice the style in which she’s wearing jewellery: Is it a lot of dangly jewellery, chunky jewellery or simple studs, gemstones and fragile looking chains?

For women who wear dangly jewellery, this can be incorporated into the wedding ring set by the amount of stones and the settings in which they’re placed in. She’ll already know exactly the style she’s looking for so don’t stress out too much!

Women who like wearing over-the-top, big jewellery then obviously, the size of the diamond (or precious gemstone) they’ll be looking for will follow suit. If the cost is too high, both you and your woman may be able to compromise on distributing some of the stones into a multiple stone cluster setting rather than a single high carat gemstone.

Then there is the simple woman who wears just enough jewellery to subtly enhance her features. A simple diamond or coloured gemstone will suffice, along with a smooth, metal band.

Find The Right Sized Ring

How many times has your girlfriend-turned-fiancé come asking for your opinion on how something makes her look? Chances are, she most definitely has. It’s not to be confused with low self-confidence, rather, that your thoughts are the thoughts that count and matter the most to her.

This is the reason why your input for her wedding and engagement ring is so important to her. The ring your sweetheart finally chooses will be something that she’ll want to display to make a statement of the man she’s marrying. Your fiancé may want to wear something large to show off to friends and family but it may not look the best on her. It’s up to you to rein the excitement in and help her choose a wedding ring set that flatters her, not outweighs her.

Women’s hands are much smaller than men’s hands meaning that her wedding bands should remain a smaller width than his. There are generally four shapes female fingers go by:

  • Long Fingers – For women with long fingers, keep away from marquis and oval shaped cuts. Other than that, any sized stone and band width will do. Just keep in mind that going too large can weigh the hand down while going too small will appear even smaller.
  • Wide Fingers – If your fiancé has wide fingers (never say this aloud to a woman, I guarantee you she’s aware!), stay away from round and rectangular cut stones since this can make fingers look even shorter. Nudge her in the right direction of wearing elongated stones such as teardrop cuts, marquis cuts and pear shaped stones to lengthen the finger by giving it a slimmer shape.
  • Narrow Fingers – Much like long fingers, narrow fingers are more forgiving to any shape or width of wedding and engagement rings. With narrow fingers, big stones look stunning! Cluster rings, which have become extremely popular lately, go perfectly on narrow fingers because it leaves little skin showing on either side, maintaining a full sense of balance.

Find A Sense Of Patience

Women are sentimental and emotional creatures. Already on cloud 9 from a near impending marriage on the horizon, they will take their time looking at and inspecting ALL wedding and engagement rings. It will need to be the perfect size, perfect metal and perfect design since this will be the most valuable possession she’ll treasure for the rest of her life.

Putting aside the shopping aspect, now your gal gets to tell everyone her story of how she got engaged while introducing her new fiancé to everyone within eyesight. The time spent together shopping for wedding rings will not only be cherished but stored away into her mental lockbox. Impatience can bring out the strongest of emotions and allow your soon-to-be-bride to break down into tears or worse, cause a quarrel that will forever change this historical memory of a great experience.

Tips On Choosing Wedding Rings For Men – The Women’s Guide:

Find A Manly Ring

This doesn’t mean picking the biggest and heaviest wedding ring out on the market. Men worry about their looks just as much as women do; they’re just quieter about it and jewellery isn’t a rule to that exception!

Because rings can easily look too feminine or too gaudy on a man’s hand, take some time to get familiar with the size and shapes of his hands and fingers. If your fiancé has smaller shaped hands with lean fingers, think proportional – not too small and not too wide. Going on the heavier side of the ring will weigh the hand down; going too small will make the hand look overtly feminine – which is never a good thing for a man!

For men with heavy palms and thick fingers, thinner wedding rings are better . Without going too small in the band width, keep it on the slimmer side of measurement. A neat trick-of-the-trade is if choosing a diamond or coloured gemstone to place into his wedding band, have the stone set in vertically which also helps lengthen the finger!

Men with medium sized hands and long fingers should opt for a heavier, thick or average-sized wedding band that will help keep a balanced look.

Find The Right Level Of Comfort

Comfort is a MUST for men, whether it’s clothes, shoes or jewellery – especially for men who don’t like wearing jewellery in the first place, such as, active men who play sports or men who work with their hands. Wearing a wedding ring that has the feeling of impending normal physical activity can cause annoyance and cause wedding rings to be found on the bathroom sink or left on dressers.

To determine the correct level of comfort, there are several factors to take into consideration:

  • The edge of the wedding ring – Different wedding ring designs call for different styles of edges. The best option is having a ring with a soft curve on the inside edges of the ring for maximum comfort level. While this edge is more commonly found in yellow gold wedding rings, it can also be placed in other rings with different metals used or different designs.  Another option is having a comfort curve placed on the inside of the ring. Talk with your jeweller about options available to soften the wedding ring’s curve so that your guy is getting both the style and the comfortable feeling he’s looking for.
  • The width of the ring – Although wedding band width can vary in size according to men’s tastes, the average size of the width is between 5mm and 7mm.[2] Obviously, the smaller you go, the more comfort he’ll feel but remember, going too small can make the ring appear too feminine on a man’s hand!
  • The depth of the ring – This part of the ring is known as the ‘wall thickness’ defining the distance from the inside of the ring to the outside of the ring.[3] Because the depth of the ring determines the weight of the wedding ring, this is considered as more of a comfort to your fiancé’s bank account but it can also factor in the overall feeling of his wedding band.

Find His Fashion Sense

With new styles of male wedding rings more present than ever, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the selections available. While yellow gold was always the most popular choice of metal for men, platinum, tungsten carbide and titanium has risen to meet its match.

Not only is there a bigger selection of precious metals to choose from, there’s also the choice of designer work, engraving and precious gemstones to add to the assortment. Have your fiancé share his ideas with you before going shopping together for that stylish wedding ring. Portray his ideas to your jeweller, who can then present both of you with an array of wedding rings as described, minimizing your fiancé’s stress level.

Keep Emotions In Check

Picking out wedding sets can generate excessive tears and emotional swings between stress and happiness. Remember that your soon-to-be-husband may not necessarily enjoy shopping as much as you do and by remaining calm, he’ll participate more and have as much fun picking out your ring, as you do his.

Also, because you’ll most likely be choosing two rings instead of one, planning ahead on which style to look for or perhaps looking up different styles online from home before heading to your jewellers will decrease his amount of time spent wedding ring shopping.

References:

[1] http://www.yourtango.com/2007945/study-finds-that-more-women-picking-out-their-engagement-ring.html

[2] http://www.man-wedding-ring.com/mens-wedding-band-01.htm

[3] http://www.weddingrings-direct.com/guidance/profile_guide.php#http://www.weddingrings-direct.com/images/category_images/plat_wed_cat_7b.jpg

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Unique Jewelry

Published on February 27, 2011 in Designer Jewellery, Eskae Private Jeweller, Gemstones, Hand-made Jewellery and Jewellery. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , .

When hearing the words, ‘unique jewelry’, what comes to your mind?

The most popular answers given are costume jewelry or funky jewelry. Unique jewelry can resemble both due to its distinct style but the materials used construct it are very different. In essence, costume jewelry uses cheaper and generic products to make lovely designs minus the value, whereas, unique jewelry used precious metals, gemstones and customized materials to ensure durability.

What most jewelry wearers don’t associate unique jewelry with are the terms of designer jewelry, custom jewelry and handcrafted jewelry when it is, in fact, a combination of those three components, all rolled into one personalized embellishment.

The only difference that lies between designer and custom jewellery and unique jewellery, is that unique jewellery can be duplicated if the client so chooses. Most people choose not to repeat the design again to keep it as a designer piece of jewellery but there are certain occasions that a reason may arise to replicate the design – such as a wedding parties, family occasions or other personal reasons/events.

Unique jewelry creates bold statements about the designer and the client which is where the handcrafted aspect comes in this customized, designer wear. While earrings, rings and necklaces are considered typical styles of wearing jewelry, unique jewelry can take on brand new designs that include different ways of wearing it.

What puts unique jewelry in the same class as custom jewelry is both the unique aspect along with the client’s suggestions slipped into the design process. The important focus here is that clients completely rely on their jeweler’s artistic skill to take reign and design something enviable and stunning.

From the unique point of view, it’s fantastic because many of the resources used are brought in by the jeweller who is able to use their trade connections to source some  rare and impressive gemstones and other exquisite precious materials.

The best thing about unique jewelry is that the sky’s the limit when creating it and there’s nothing boring about it! It’s fresh, different, meaningful, colourful, twisty, square, worn anywhere and everywhere – so go ahead and have fun with it!

With a limitless variety in which to create unique jewelry, here are a few ideas that will, perhaps, inspire a little of your own creativity:

Upcycling/Collage:

A favorite trend throughout creating unique jewelry is gathering old pieces of jewelry, broken jewelry or even certain memorabilia that’s been lying around waiting to be put on some sort of display. Think of collages – lots of memories arranged all into one, big picture to portray beautiful times and places – the same goes with this method of designing unique jewelry. By utilizing all of the little bits of precious metals, gemstones and other precious materials collecting dust in jewelry boxes waiting to be put into practical use, it can then all be arranged into one artistic piece of unique jewelry.

Body Piercings:

While not everyone is into body piercings, there are quite a few that are mesmerized by it. It’s more popular than one might think because believe it or not, it’s not only designed for rebellious teenagers. There’s quite a history behind it and in many cultures, having piercings in places other than the ears is as common as wearing a wedding ring!

For those not wearing body piercings for cultural reasons, belly rings come in as the most popular trend for cosmetic body piercings which has, in turn, begged for the availability of uniquely, created designs. Some enjoy wearing a single gemmed stud while others veer towards adding customized charms, dangling gems or shaped precious metals to show personal tastes.

Ethnic:

Those who have travelled the globe or have arrived from different countries to settle miss the cultural aspect seen in different locations. Incorporating tribal designs or colors, stones or artifacts and other materials only found in these locations creates a distinctive, unique piece of jewelry that allows for culture to speak for itself.

Collectibles:

With genres that generate collections of fantasy (think Star Trek), pop culture (think Elvis Presley) or historic (think War Re-enactments) memorabilia – along with many others – always present, imagine all of the ways it can be integrated into jewelry! Although some prefer to leave their collectibles untouched, there are others who enjoy proudly displaying their obsessions for all to see.

Bridal:

Brides like to keep their bridesmaids coordinated and oftentimes, it doesn’t stop only at dress attire. A maid-of-honor may share the same bridal bracelet as the bride, however, instead of pearls or diamonds, might opt for colored gemstones to allow the bride to stand out on her celebratory day. Brides who gift jewelry to their bridesmaids may decide to take the route of keeping her crew in sync by presenting them with the same bridal jewelry design, but all with one little change added to personalize each accessory accordingly.

Occasions:

It’s memorable to give a symbolic memento to someone special as a gift on an extraordinary day. Specialized unique jewelry for anniversaries, baby and bridal showers, birthdays and congratulations are just a few of the ways people enjoy showing love and affection to individuals they hold close to their hearts. By engraving a personal message, date or name or adding birthstones, there are numerous ways to incorporate personalized messages of endearment.

Nothing makes jewellers happier than getting the opportunity to design and create unique jewelry. It provides the opportunity to take some time aside from their daily responsibilities and put their amazing talent to use.

Being able to use exceptional and exclusive material to create brilliant masterpieces that illustrate their personal artistic flair is every jeweller’s dream. This is the secret of what holds the pure definition of unique jewelry because this is what can never, ever be recreated!

Unique is one of a kind and is sometimes a little funky but it’s the artist whose heart lays within it those pieces of jewelry that makes this style of jewelry carry its title of uniqueness!

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Amazing Pink Diamond Facts & Statistics

Published on February 23, 2011 in Diamonds, Pink Diamond Investment and Pink Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

  • A 1 carat pink diamond weighs 0.2 grams which is equivalent to a single wood stick match.
  • The most exceptional and rare pink diamonds are sold by annual invitation-only tender. The tender represents the opportunity to bid on exceptional diamonds that are not publicly available.
  • Suitable pink diamonds for the tender are generally more than half a carat in size and will have been collected over a one year period leading up to the tender.
  • In Australia, the produced pink diamonds from Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine are so highly valued that the 40-60 best stones each year are put out to tender.
  • It takes 1 year to reach the target of 50 to 60 pink diamonds accumulated out of the 600 million stones produced by Argyle each year.
  • A half-carat pink diamond’s worth will fetch approximately around $100,000 or more, yet you can buy a fine white diamond for around $5000.
  • Because the high appreciation rate of a pink diamond of around 20% a year, it has to be assumed that the sky may well be the limit once the Argyle mine closes.
  • The Argyle Diamond Mine is located in a remote corner of North West Australia and it produces over 90 percent of the world supply in pink diamonds.
  • The natural coloured pink diamond market is very strong at the moment and prices have risen by 35% within the last six months.
  • The highest demand for pink diamonds is for the 1-1.5 carat stones.
  • A pink diamond’s premium in price demand depends on strong saturation of colour and a VS (higher clarity).
  • It is traditional that first-time owners of large pink diamonds decide on the name of the diamond, a title that will stay with the gem throughout history.
  • Given the results of significant pink diamond auctions and sales over the last decade, Harold Weinstein limited Gemmological Laboratory has estimated that a current value might range from CDN$8million to CDN$12 million.
  • The world’s largest pink diamond is the Darya-ye-Noor which is estimated to weigh between 175 and 195 carats.
  • The most famous pink diamond in the world that did not really exist was the fictitious Pink Panther Diamond.
  • It was reported that when Ben Affleck gave Jennifer Lopez that famous pink diamond engagement ring, websites around the world, experienced 300-400% increase in traffic.
  • The Steinmetz Pink Diamond, which weighs 59.60 carats, was found in South Africa and is the largest Fancy Vivid pink diamond in the world.
  • Natural pink diamonds are so rare that most jewellers have never seen one and will never own one.
  • Fancy pink diamonds were once available only to royalty.
  • An exceptional 1.06 carat oval pink diamond was one of the outstanding gems Argyle showed to prospective North American buyers at the first pink diamond tender in the U.S.
  • The pink diamond colour is believed to have been created through structural pressures exerted on carbon molecules during diamond formation up to three billion years ago.
  • There is only 1 large pink diamond out of the top 66 largest diamonds in the world.
  • Some significant pink diamonds were discovered from the Abaete in Brazil, notably, the 79 carat pink diamond of May, 1999.
  • Caked with 1225 dazzling pink diamonds set in platinum, this Nokia Supreme handset becomes the most expensive mobile phone in the world!
  • The Australian Aboriginal people believe that the Argyle mine was created when a group of women were fishing for a barramundi and it escaped the net. They also believe that the varying colours of Argyle’s diamonds are from the different parts of the barramundi – with pink diamonds’ colouring coming from its heart.
  • An Argyle pink diamond’s wealth is considered to be the most concentrated form of wealth found anywhere in the world.
  • Pink diamond colours range from Red to Pink, Purplish Pink, to Pink Rosé, Pink Champagne and Violet.
  • Every Argyle pink diamond’s clarity and colour is 100% natural!
  • Today, the Argyle diamond mine is currently transitioning from an open pit mine to an underground mine which estimates to extend the production of pink diamonds until at least 2019.
  • The discovery of pink diamonds was found buried 100 miles deep within the Earth’s surface.
  • An entire year’s worth of production of pink diamonds measuring over half a carat would fit in the palm of your hand and the larger rare violet diamonds would barely fill a teaspoon!
  • In 1526, the Rajah of Agra presented Babur, the first Moghul Emperor, with the light pink Agra diamond as a present for sparing his life when Babur’s son captured the city! This pink diamond adornment was worn in his turban for many years.
  • Pink graining is caused within a diamond is a natural deformation of the diamond crystal while it is in a semi-solid state.
  • Pink diamonds have only been found in a few mines across the world: The Rich Golconda River in India, Brazil and Tanzania – all produced notable pink diamonds in the 17th and 18th centuries.
  • The value of a pink diamond is worth 20 times more than its white diamond equivalent.
  • Type I diamonds are derived their colour from impurities embedded in the diamond, while the pink diamonds are classed as a Type II and they get their colour from a process believed to be known as Plastic Deformation.
  • Since formal records were first kept at the beginning of the 1980s, prices for pink diamonds have increased in value by an average of 20% per year, which is 300% better investment than a rental property in Australia, according to the Australian burial of statistics.
  • The market for natural coloured pink diamonds is very strong at the moment and prices have risen by 35% within the last six months. If that pace continues, an investment in a natural coloured pink diamonds today could double in value in the next 12-18 months.
  • It is estimated by 2018, a pink diamond of comparable quality could possibly sell for USD $750,000 plus!
  • In 2010, a pink diamond auctioned for nearly $2.3 million, marked the highest winning bid for a gem in Canadian history.
  • In 2009, a ring with a pink diamond the size of a chickpea sold for a record HK$83.5 million ($10.8 million) at a Hong Kong auction of art, gems and antiques that was fuelled by Chinese buying.
  • A rare pink diamond fetched 45.44 million Swiss francs ($45.75 million) in 2010, virtually doubling the previous record to become the most expensive stone ever sold at auction and underline the strength of the international jewellery market.
  • Damien Hirst’s diamond skull For The Love Of Goa, valued at £50million, is on show in Florence but his new and controversial, ‘baby’ version is cast in platinum and covered in 8,128 pavé-set perfect diamonds, 7,105 natural fancy pink diamonds and, on the fontanel, 1,023 white diamonds.
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Custom Jewellery

Published on February 20, 2011 in Designer Jewellery, Diamonds, Engagement Rings, Eskae Private Jeweller, Gemstones, Hand-made Jewellery and Jewellery. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , .

It has previously been mentioned that there is a fine line drawn between designer jewellery and custom (designing) jewellery. Since that time was spent more on what defines designer jewellery, this time around, we’ll delve into custom jewellery.

Just to jog your memory a little bit, the key component that separates designer jewellery from custom jewellery is who controls the designing process. When a jewellery designer is making a designer piece of jewellery, it’s completely thought up and created through the jeweller’s artistic eye. The goal is to design a masterpiece that will remain as a one-of-a-kind, never to be recreated again piece of jewellery. The amount of dedication, precision and materials used to complete this unique work of art requires a top-notch jeweller, the most precious of metals and the most magnificent of jewels.

Custom jewellery, on the other hand, is client based meaning that the design is thought out or portrayed from the client to the jeweller. It’s up to the customer to determine carat size, width of bands or chains, gemstone, types of precious metals and/or other materials they wish to incorporate into their cherished creation.

More importantly than only how the jewellery looks, it’s the sentimental reasons that go into the custom design that create a truly, original piece of jewellery. Think about heirloom jewellery – what makes it an heirloom? Many times, they’re older pieces of jewellery that are no long created but that isn’t specifically what makes them an heirloom. The secret is the emotional attachment to these pieces of jewellery that are passed down the familial line – sometimes for centuries!

It’s the same thought process behind customised jewellery. A proud husband may gift his wife a diamond ring for the birth of their first child. Mothers may wish to design similar rings or pendants that can grow as her family does, adding birthstones to signify her loved children.

Spouses may want to engrave their jewellery for anniversaries or weddings to include an endearing term or date; perhaps also including a special stone indicating something only each other understands.

Just recently, a very touching and inspiring experience occurred, here at Eskae Private Jewellers, requiring a customised engagement ring for an older couple. Both had, sadly, lost their spouses. Miraculously, this amazing couple found happiness again within each other and became engaged! Wanting to treasure the precious memories each had with their previous spouses, the couple wished to incorporate jewellery from their previous marriages to produce a magnificent engagement ring in honor of their deaths. Talk about a masterpiece!

From a jewellers viewpoint, customised jewellery is a great choice for clients (especially repeat clients) BUT it’s just as fantastic for the designing jeweller! Jewellers are artists at heart and customised jewellery allows for the required finances and extra time to do exactly what got them into the jewellery trade to begin with: Creative design.

Because ordering and purchasing vast amounts of gold and jewels are limited, jewellers save the bulk for their retail stock which doesn’t leave much time left over for their passion of designing. When a request for customised jewellery comes in, that means extra money and time for the jeweller to get the best custom materials by using their trade connections to make sure that you end up with the best piece of custom jewellery possible for your budget

Since custom jewellery has a completely different set of rules than all other jewellery – that is to turn your dream jewellery into a reality – quite literally! The processes used for designing are completely different than your run-of-the-mill window shopping wishes.

For custom jewellery newbies, when first meeting with your jeweller, he/she will sit down with you and work the details you have in mind into a sketch. After your initial meet-and-greet, the jeweller will begin incorporating his thoughts and master mindedness to expand your ideas into several more design options for you to peruse through.

Since most of the custom work revolves around mounting, some of the best custom jewellery creations are created from older or heirloom jewellery you already possess that you may have already thought of incorporating into your design. If you have an heirloom  or a family engagement ring you’d like to adjust to suit your tastes or update it while keeping its sentimental value , this is the perfect opportunity to do so!

For those lacking any creativity in their blood but still wish to have a piece of custom jewellery, fear not! This just means more fun for the jeweller to come up with some designs that can either blend your older jewellery into a new piece or coming up with a new idea altogether.

While many jewellers use old methods to create custom jewellery, many newer technologies have been incorporated, such as CAD (Computer Aided Design) and CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing), to add a large variety of newer options that can’t be done by hand.

But how custom jewellery is made is another story for another time, so until then, happy designing!

Sam Kritsotakis

Private Jeweller

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Designer Rings And Men – Squashing Stereotypes

Published on February 13, 2011 in Designer Jewellery, Diamonds, Eskae Private Jeweller, Jewellery, Mens Jewellery, Platinum and Wedding Jewellery. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

It’s natural for most people to automatically associate women with jewellery because women are generally dainty creatures who love wearing beautiful diamonds and gems which enhance their femininity. While most men won’t always be as flamboyant about their love of jewellery, it doesn’t mean they don’t admire and appreciate jewellery just as much as women do.

Many times, when all a man wants to do is slip on a ring, he feels self conscious because whether it’s talked about or not, most men feel certain stigmas about wearing jewellery. They think other men may find it too feminine, perhaps it looks too flashy or the simple fact of just not knowing how to wear it properly will make them look gaudy.

Saying that, it may be hard for some folks to imagine that men’s designer rings are, in fact, the most booming area in men’s jewellery today! Some might not believe this to be true but herein is where the stereotype lies: Just because men are not as vocal about displaying their jewellery as women are (putting aside our bling-flaunting rappers) doesn’t mean they aren’t collectors and admirers of exquisite jewellery, especially rings. Men and designer rings have quite the history together for the simple fact that rings were initially worn to display wealth and status. As time went on and jewellery progressed, women started to wear them more fashionably for social acceptance and less representative of familial status whereas men continue to this very day, to keep rings as a symbol of accomplishment and manhood. Just to give a few examples – aside from wedding rings – of other men’s designer rings include:

  • Masonic rings
  • High school sports rings
  • College rings
  • Rings that represent countries, i.e., Super Bowl rings, Armed Forces rings
  • Signet rings

Unlike women, the majority of men aren’t window shoppers and instead, tend to go straight to the jeweller to have their rings designed for them. Because men do heavier lifting and more physical work than most women, their rings tend to carry the brunt of  misfortunes making a simple gold ring an easy target of daily wear and tear. Instead, durable, precious metals like platinum, titanium, palladium and tungsten are used to endure dings and scratched surfaces. Diamonds and gemstones are channel set into the ring to forego claws breaking or bending for the same reason. As always, how men wear jewellery is all about style and execution. Because wearing rings on certain fingers can look more feminine than others, it’s important to know the significance each finger represents. The commonly known international reasons for what wearing rings on each finger symbolizes goes a little something like this:

  • Thumb – Generally no ring
  • Index Finger – Means he/she is unmarried but looking for a steady relationship
  • Middle Finger – Shows he/she is in love with a fixed person
  • Ring Finger – Means he/she is engaged or married
  • Pinky Finger – Shows his/her determination for avoiding marriage from the cradle to the grave

For women, this formula can be applied since wearing designer rings is more sentimental and is usually based upon feelings and love. However, in ways that men’s rings are created differently than women’s rings, men wear their designer rings for different significant reasons which then changes this theory of wearing rings to a more updated, masculine formula:

  • Thumb – Historically worn on both, nowadays worn on one which allows the designer ring to portray a statement of self, sexuality or fashion
  • Index Finger – Wearing your designer ring here shows dominance, energy and power
  • Middle Finger – Similar to what showing the middle finger implies, wearing a designer ring on this finger shows rebellion, decadence and irreverence
  • Ring Finger – Universally shows marriage
  • Pinky Finger – Historically used to imprint their signet ring on a stamp or seal, nowadays is most commonly worn to show fashion; although some men also choose the pinky finger to beef up the gangster/mafia look or to show reference to gambling

Most men don’t wear rings on index and middle fingers but to each person, goes their own style. Wearing a ring on the pinky finger is commonly seen and recommended by all jewellers since it’s the fashionable and proper way for men to wear designer rings. Not to mention that it brings out one of a man’s most attractive features! It’s a well know fact that studies prove one of the most attractive physical traits women find in men are their hands.

An interesting trend that’s recently been on the rise is women proposing to their boyfriends with male engagement rings. Before your mind stereotypically wanders off, remember that it’s a man’s ring! It won’t hold a high diamond setting with lots of frilly highlighted details; it will be a customised thick band sometimes including a channel diamond, etching or even a two-toned band for those who wish to add some pizzazz. While men and their rings have a lengthy history together, the mindset is changing as more and more men are accepting designer rings, not only as a form of symbolism or another trophy to add to their collection, but as a fashionable statement of self that’s shows confidence and class. The bottom line is that designer rings are as equally desirable for men as they are for women and there’s nothing stereotypical about that!

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Private Jeweller

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