Tag Archive for 'Diamond'

Engagement Ring Shopping Is Twice The Fun!

Published on January 11, 2012 in Diamonds, Engagement Rings, Proposals and Wedding Jewellery. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

Way back when, long, long ago – okay, not really that long ago – traditionally, it was a man’s responsibility to find the perfect diamond engagement ring for the woman he wanted to spend eternity with. The problem was that snooping inside of their girlfriend’s jewellery boxes, eavesdropping on her friend’s conversations and trying to learn a woman’s fashion sense could be physically exhausting and mentally overwhelming to most men.

As time has moved along, so has the way men used to shop for engagement rings.

Diamonds are timeless, classic and elegant and when making this purchase, it literally represents the most sacred choice you and your significant other will ever face. If the wrong engagement ring is chosen, men will forever remember the look of disappointment on their girlfriend’s face or else women will feel incredibly awkward and possibly forced to wear a ring they dislike, forever.

This is exactly why more and more women are choosing to shop WITH their boyfriends to pick out the perfect engagement ring together.

But gentlemen, this doesn’t mean that the element of surprise needs to be taken out! The proposal can be everything you’ve dreamed and much, much more this way.

You can still surprise her with a box containing a starter engagement ring, the dinner, the bending down one knee or whatever romantic idea it is that you’ve. The only difference is that the ring is still in the store and not yet on her finger.

As anyone knows, women love to be understood more than just about anything else! Shopping together for her input will make your woman feel incredibly important and extremely valued because she can contribute to the whole decision-making process about the ring that will be worn forever with pride and love.

Choosing an engagement ring together might sound a little strange to some people but think about it for a few minutes: It’s practically a foolproof situation! You get to give her the story of her life to tell everyone she knows while she gets the ring she’s dreamed about since she was a little girl.

Men get to spend less time going from store to store stressing out and women can have the ring resized and looking just right all in one go. Both parties are much more at ease making this experience a memorable one, not to mention, the end result is phenomenal!

You’ll worry less about what she might think of the engagement ring you’ve chosen and be able to put more time and effort into the whole proposal. Your better half will feel nothing but happiness and surprise, leaving no room for that awkward silence of accepting a ring they hate – assuming, that is, she wants to say yes.

Buying these rings are definitely not a light purchase to be made which is why diamonds are always considered an investment no matter their size and not just another ring to wear to the latest gala.

Not only that, it’s much more common to look at choosing your engagement ring together than you think! Out of all women who are proposed to, 75% of them receive a diamond engagement ring and from that, a whopping 53.7% of couples chose the engagement ring together. That’s more than half!

As the numbers continue to increase, some worry that this could mean a decrease in sales for diamond engagement rings but in Australia, jewellers say that their sales has remained exactly the same while the U.S. reports only a $600 decline as of 2008.

Shopping for engagement rings together has become the new trend of diamond wear and hopefully will continue to be so for the decades to come.

Are you one of those couples who have shopped for your engagement and wedding rings together? If so, we’d love to hear your story – leave a comment below for me!

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The Top 10 Most Common Questions About Diamonds

Published on September 4, 2011 in Coloured Diamonds, Diamond Certification, Diamond Education, Diamonds, Eskae Private Jeweller and White Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

1. How are diamonds formed?

The formation process that diamonds go through is absolutely amazing! Diamonds are the only element discovered that consist of one single element, Carbon, that form between 120-200 kms below the earth’s surface.

Obviously, the farther below the earth’s surface you go, the hotter the temperature gets, majorly increasing the pressure from all of the layers of surface above. This extreme heat and large weight of pressure cause carbon atoms to crystallise – which is how we get these beautiful diamonds that we treasure.

2. How are diamonds mined?

Not many people really think too much about the extraction part of the diamond process when putting a diamond on their finger but extraction is exactly what mining diamonds is. Before it can even be worthy of catching your eye, diamonds are pretty unrecognisable when inside of a mine.

Because it takes great skill and patience to gather diamonds without damaging them, there are two types of mining that are the most commonly used methods: Pipe mining and alluvial mining. Pipe mining is the more dramatic of the two since it involves recovering diamonds from volcanic pipes. Miners have to be lowered deep within the cave to be able to find these valuable stones.

Alluvial mining is a little less intense  and one that most people are likely to be more familiar with since it’s done above the earth’s surface. This type involves the screen you’ve actually seen before at riverbeds and ocean beaches, where people sway them back and forth, sifting in search of diamonds and other treasures.

3. Can diamonds break easily?

This is a very important question because the popular thought is that diamonds are invincible when surprisingly, they’re not!  Remember that even Superman has his weaknesses!

While they are the strongest gemstone known to man, they can still go through wear and tear just like any other precious stone and yes, diamonds absolutely can be broken if hit hard enough with a hammer (not that anyone would likely want to do this!).

Not only can they be damaged, they can also damage other gemstones if sitting too close together. For example, if a person is wearing two rings next to each other – a diamond ring on the ring finger and a ruby ring on the middle finger – and both rings accidentally turn towards each other, the diamond will win that battle, hands down.

4. What are the 4 C’s?

Instead of constantly spelling out all four components that make up a diamonds value (cut, clarity, colour, carat), it’s commonly known as the 4 C’s in the jewellery world.

The cut of a diamond is perhaps the most important ‘C’ of the bunch. This is what determines a diamond’s beauty and when cut to perfection, will enhance the diamond’s colour and hide inclusions at the same time.

Since everything is based on the diameter of the diamond, the perfect diameter for a 1ct. round diamond is exactly 6.50mm – not 6.48mm or 6.55mm – but 6.50mm. This allows for the perfect proportion to then be cut, resulting in a diamond that is now able to break up white light into the appropriate colour spectrum very strongly rather than very weakly.

The clarity of a diamond has to do with how ‘clear’ a diamond is. Any inclusions or imperfection within the diamond can lower its overall grade which decreases the diamonds value. In layman’s terms, the more clarity a diamond has, the more the diamond is worth.

The colour of a diamond is simply just that: the colour. Diamonds come in a beautiful variety of colours, to include just about any colour you can think of. To distinguish the difference between their colours, the terms Faint through Fancy and Fancy through Fancy Vivid are given to these gorgeous coloured diamonds.

And finally, the carat, refers to the weight of the diamond (see question #7).

5. What process do diamonds go through to get that, ‘Girl’s Best Friend’ sparkling, Fire and Brilliance finish?

Believe it or not, diamonds don’t pop out of the earth, glittering and ready to be sold! Diamonds are actually pretty dirty rocks that take an enormous amount of fixing up to get it engagement ring ready. Of course, diamonds are valuable as rough, raw stones but cutting and polishing them improve the diamond’s value by a minimum of 50%!

In order to get the full price and value put into a diamond, it takes an extreme amount of expertise and patience (this process can sometimes take up to an entire year to finish!) until the diamond is ready to be placed into a jewellery setting.

The first important C’s of any diamond is its cut, followed closely by the diamond’s colour. This is what gives each diamond, what I refer to as, that ‘Fire and Brilliance’. The cut and colour of every diamond is its heart and soul which makes these two C’s matter greatly in just how important a good diamond is.

Because diamonds rate a full 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness, very precise tools, such as diamond saws and lasers, are used to cut the shape of the diamond. A Russian mathematician, Marcel Tolkowsky, worked out a formula in the early 1900′s that’s used nowadays to maximise the Fire and Brilliance of diamonds.

To give it that special dazzling factor, jewellery professionals use a special formula to determine where the facets should be placed on the diamond. The final process involves a fine, mechanically controlled saw, a laser or a rotating disk that is sprinkled with diamond powder.

6. What constitutes the carat of a diamond?

This is a very short answer with a single explanation: Technically speaking, a diamond’s carat is the term used to express the weight of a diamond, with one carat equalling 200 milligrams of actual weight. If a diamond is extremely small, it can then be expressed by points, i.e. 0.01 or one-hundredth of a carat.

7. Is there a difference between certified and uncertified diamonds?

Those who aren’t in the professional world of jewellery have a hard time fully grasping the concept of certified and uncertified diamonds. The reason that the difference between both kinds of diamonds might throw people off is because these words sound more like more valuable and less valuable. This is a diamond myth that has absolutely nothing to do with a diamond’s value, whatsoever!

Certified diamonds are graded diamonds. In other words, diamonds with a piece of paper that reputable gemmology labs grade a diamond’s quality with. This may sound a little disappointing but it’s actually the biggest difference between certified and uncertified.

Now, here is where this myth that certified diamonds cost more lies: Diamond wholesalers who possess a certified diamond will occasionally charge more for a certified diamond because the buyer knows without a doubt that everything about the diamond is authentic. This has nothing to do with the certification and has everything to do with the seller.

8. What are the three most famous diamonds in the world?

There are so many famous diamonds but sticking to the three biggest and most magnificent diamonds:

The Cullinan diamond: This is, without a doubt, the biggest diamond to have ever been discovered to date. Coming in at 3,106.75 carats of pure white diamond, it was then cut into nine smaller (figuratively speaking) diamonds with the two biggest rocks taking on famous names themselves: The Great Star of Africa (or Cullinan I) weighing 530 carats and the Lesser Star of Africa (or Cullinan II) weighing 317 carats

The Golden Jubilee: The reason for this diamond’s fame isn’t just on carat weight alone but for its colour. The Golden Jubilee is the biggest brown diamond to make its way to the earth’s surface with a whopping weight of 345.67 carats!

The Incomparable: This amazing yellow diamond was first discovered in its 890 carat glory but after being cut and polished, still holds firmly in third place with 407.48 carats of pure beauty.

9. Are diamonds a good investment?

Absolutely! Diamonds will always be valuable and is the one precious stone that will always remain in tact and at the top of the gem hierarchy. They’re a completely tangible investment because of this very reason.

Even if there is a slight fall in inflation, diamonds are guaranteed to ALWAYS go back up on the rise. Even if it’s hard to find a buyer right off the bat, it’s like any other investment that takes patience. The rewards that can be reaped by diamond investments can cover pensions, send children to college and provide a life of financial security if the right investment techniques are used.

10. Where can people find the best quality diamonds?

The most important advice for those who are looking for the best quality diamonds that nature has to offer, is to begin their search with the most reputable jewellery professional in town. Clients need to feel a sense of security and trust with their jewellery professional before rushing into any purchase so that they’re left 100% satisfied with their purchase with all questions answered.

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The Royal Wedding Jewellery

Published on August 7, 2011 in Diamonds, Gemstones, Jewellery, Proposals, Sapphires, Uncategorized and White Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

A special thanks to Dr. Marc Dussault of Exponential Programs for providing us with this great find on Happily Ever Richer! With the royal wedding still abuzz around the globe, it was only a matter of time before the jewels became a highlight for us to talk about!

Click to enlarge

There probably isn’t much of Prince William’s and his new bride, Kate Middleton’s wedding left that hasn’t been viewed or talked about all over the world. This ‘It’ event of the year (or century) has people are talking about a Cinderella-ish wedding that girl’s only ever get to dream of!

While people are still buzzing about the wedding dresses (yes, that’s plural!) Kate wore during her big day, let’s talk about the royal wedding rings that are just as lavish and worth much, much more.

Engagement and Wedding Ring

In an era where coloured gemstones and diamonds are the new white diamond, the engagement ring that Prince William proposed to Kate with extravagantly fits right into that category. Previously, Princess Diana’s own engagement ring, this 18 carat oval blue sapphire surrounded by 14 small diamonds originally cost $45,000 USD.

The sapphire, alone, is now valued $300,000 USD. With the total price of the ring equalling a little over half a million USD, what many people may not know is that Princess Di’s sapphire engagement ring was originally given to Prince Harry while Prince William received her Cartier watch. When the older Prince became engaged, Prince Harry gave the ring to him for Kate Middleton. How’s that for brotherly love?

As for the wedding ring itself, the Prince has chosen not to wear a wedding ring but that doesn’t mean he skimped out on Kate’s ring! Going to their family jeweller at Wartski, a jewellery company founded in Bangor, the ring was made from a single, large nugget of Clogau gold only found in Wales.

What makes this gold even more valuable is the fact that this type of gold is extremely rare making this wedding ring, very possibly, the last piece of jewellery to ever be crafted from this particular type of Welsh gold.

Earrings

Princess Diana’s engagement ring wasn’t the only family heirloom passed on down to Kate. During their honeymoon, Prince William also gifted his mother’s diamond and sapphire earrings to his new bride.

Using the great advantage of custom jewellery, Kate took Princess Diana’s favourite earrings and had them the remodelled to include a more modern look that suited her own personality. These exquisite earrings were originally designed as large, jewelled studs but are now a gorgeous pair of single tear drop earrings.

On her wedding day, Kate was given a pair of new diamond encrusted drop earrings designed by Robinson Pelham as a wedding gift from her parents. While these earrings were certainly jaw dropping in price, the simple yet elegant style suited Middleton perfectly

Tiara

Now, not many girls get the option to choose which historical, jewelled filled tiaras they’ll be wearing, Kate Middleton certainly did – and choose she did!

The talk was that Middleton would perhaps wear the famous tiara that Queen Elizabeth wore on her wedding day but instead, she chose the 1936 diamond Cartier tiara that was originally purchased by the Duke of York who later became known as King George VI.

Set in platinum, the tiara is made from old, baguette-cut diamond with the upper part forming a range of lotus flowers and the lower ‘zig-zag’ part forming a removable piece that can be used as a bandeau. This royal tiara was given to Queen Elizabeth when she was still just a princess and has now been passed on to Kate Middleton.

A statement hasn’t been released yet as to whether or not Kate will keep this tiara as her own but for now, all clothing and jewellery is up on display at Buckingham palace.

So there you have it! Something old, something new, something borrowed and a lot of things blue!

While the total value of all these jewels can only be found in a royal bank account, the style and sentiment behind them are entirely priceless!

*If you’re having a hard time viewing the picture, click it to zoom in closer.

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Birthstone Of The Month – July

Published on July 31, 2011 in Coloured Diamonds, Diamonds, Gemstones, Jewellery and Rubies. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

While people whose birthdays lie in July are thought to be more laid back (according to horoscopes), their birthstone is quite the opposite. One of the boldest and richest coloured gems known to man, the ruby is full of mystery, loud and oozing with royalty.

Origins

Much like their bold colouring, how rubies are formed is also extremely interesting! Coming from the Latin word ‘ruber’, which means large, high-quality natural rubies are extremely rare making it no surprise that these beauts come with a steep price. Most rubies found in stores are synthetically made but if you ever come across a deep, red-coloured ruby, you can bet it will be worth more than a diamond!

The main element used in forming rubies is called corundum which is the elemental mineral consisting of densely packed aluminium and oxygen atoms. As an interesting side-note, corundums without the red or white colour are a very common gemstone that most are familiar with: Sapphires.

Corundums are typically colourless; however, depending on the small amounts of chromium that lay inside of a corundum give off the red colouring that is associated with rubies.

Because of their rarity, geoscience professional deem rubies as a minor geological miracle since the entire process of how a ruby is formed from start to finish still remains unknown, although the ‘glow’ of a ruby can be explained quite easily.

The dazzling glow factor that occurs inside of rubies is simply when the chromium element meets ultraviolet lights. This is one of the main factors that have given rubies their mystical qualities that still run strong today.

Mystical Qualities

Rubies are one of the most revered gems in all of history as well as currently. Centuries ago, Burmese warriors were known to actually embed rubies under their skin to make them invincible in battle while warding off enemies. Probably not the healthiest of tactics but it does portray the strong amount of faith people have put into rubies.

In today’s era, rubies are most notably worshipped by Hindus. Those of Hinduism belief follow a very distinct ritual, each and every time, before ever wearing a new ruby on their body. This is based on the person’s birth month, date and year, followed by varied numbers of chants while letting the ruby sit in unboiled milk.

Believed to be a representation of the sun, here is how the entire process typically plays out:

  • Rubies must be without flaws, transparent and dark red in colour
  • Rubies should be set in gold at the minimum of 14 carats
  • If the jewellery is a ruby ring, it must be worn on the left ring finger for males and right ring finger for females
  • It can only be placed on the body after being bathed in unboiled milk and gangajal AFTER sunrise and BEFORE 10am on Sunday
  • The ruby must touch the stone on the feet of any favourite God after chanting the appropriate mantra – for 10 continuous Sundays
  • There are a couple mantras of Sun. After picking the suitable mantra, it must be chanted 108 times after the Ganesh mantra

*Please note that this is only one of many methods, mantras and beliefs of the ruby.

More generalised beliefs of rubies revolve around symbolisms of everlasting love, good fortune and was/is worn as a talisman to ward off evil spirits and natural disasters.

Gift Ideas

With birthstones and coloured diamonds being the new ‘It’ trend for engagement rings, rubies are no exception. The difference between a ruby and another coloured gemstone is both the value and the colour which should both be kept in mind when considering the purchase.

Because of the value that rubies hold, chances are that a ruby engagement ring will be the proposal gift of the year but that also means insurance is a must. Knowing how to care for a ruby is also extremely important.

While rubies are extremely hard, depending on how many inclusions or if it has any internal fractures, it will crack over time if not monitored. Most jewellery professionals offer ring rejuvenation services to polish and clean your engagement ring while checking for any problems it may have.

Rubies are a much bolder jewel than most other gemstones which means that wearing a ruby makes a bold statement in itself. The colour of a ruby speaks for itself meaning that you won’t need to deck yourself up too much with other jewellery since it will either get outshone by the ruby or worse, clashing and turning a magnificent statement into a fashion faux-pas!

The same rules apply to all ruby jewellery, whether it’s a necklace, bracelet, earrings or rings. Value and colour! Keep those two things in mind and you’ll be wearing your ruby like royalty!!

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The 10 Most Expensive Dream Shoes – 10 through 6

Published on June 26, 2011 in Designer Jewellery, Diamonds, Eskae Private Jeweller, Fun Stuff, Gemstones, Hand-made Jewellery, Platinum, Sapphires and White Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

The 10 Most Expensive Dream Shoes – Shoes 10 through 6

Everyone wants to own the nicest and latest fashioned, name branded shoes but what about shoes that girls can only dream about? Believe it or not, they do exist! All you have to do is add the most exquisite diamonds, jewels and precious metals to these coveted shoes.

Still don’t believe it? Well, go ahead and take a look at the first half of the world’s most amazing and expensive dream shoes!

10. Dream Shoe Designer: Unnamed Italian Designer in Wuhu

Although the designer has remained vague about his creation, his masterpiece is anything but! These sparkling, gold pumps used 680 grams of pure gold to mould them into perfection under the invitation of the World Gold Council.

While the price is has also not been released, if you calculate the going rate for 1 gram of gold ($44 USD), then the price for the gold alone comes in $29, 920 USD.

9. Dream Shoe Designer: Bruno Frisoni for Roger Vivier

Named, The Dovima, these taxidermy bird shoes (yes, they’re actually real birds!) were dyed a rose pink colour and attached to the toe of these heels by their crystal encrusted head. Frisoni really knew how to set himself apart in the designer world since this is the type of shoe that will never be forgotten once you’ve seen it!

Each bird’s crystallised head is surrounded by 24 carat gold-coated mesh, silk, ribbons and crocodile-skin rosettes with the added bonus of protective crocodile or snakeskin that are attachable to keep the shoes, themselves, from ever touching the ground.

These oddly creative, animal-esque shoes can be ordered for $30,000 (USD).

8. Dream Shoe Designer: Giuseppe Zanotti

This Italian shoe designer created the design for these extremely pink shoes with the help of the fine jewellery company, Chopard, who gave the jewellery needed for this fascinating footwear.

Unlike the previous shoe Shellis designed using one specific type of stone, Zanotti incorporated pink diamonds, pink sapphires, tourmalines and russellites to create this one-of-a-kind satin high-heels.

The biggest plus for these shoes is that the jewelled ankle strap of the shoe is removable so that the owner can have not one, but TWO valuable bracelets!

Totalling 22 carats of diamonds, 134 carats of rubellites and 199 carats of pink sapphires, Giuseppe Zanotti also designed a matching set of rose gold, pink sapphire and diamond hoop earrings.

Believed to be auctioned off for up to $175,000 dollars USD for amfAR’s fight against AIDS, these gorgeous bejewelled, satin stilettos sold for an even bigger sum of $200,000 (USD) to a private bidder!

7. Dream Shoe Designer: Christopher Michael Shellis for House of Borgezie

Founder and jewellery designer of the House Of Borgezie, Shellis has designed some of the most expensive shoes of all times with his main attributes to them consisting of diamonds, platinum and solid gold.

This shoe was given the title of, The Eternal Borgezie Diamond Stiletto, and rightfully so due to the 30 carats of 2,200 encrusted white diamonds set into this platinum beauty.

Since all of his jewelled and precious metalled shoes are made with such precision and the best raw materials, they’re guaranteed to last much longer than 10 lifetimes – 1,000 years!

Shellis’ reason for creating these expensive shoes is to showcase the jewels and create jewellery rather than making shoes for people to wear. He has begun the pricing at £100,000 UK.

6. Dream Shoe Designer: Christopher Michael Shellis for the House of Borgezie

Designing another shoe on our Top 10 list, Shellis has once again created his own pair of diamond encrusted stilettos that he calls, ‘A treasure of the feet’ – which, they truly are!

These shoes required a team of goldsmiths to work with temperatures of over 1000ºC to create the entire shoe out of gold. After the base was made, over 2,200 white diamonds were again added to both shoes, totalling a humongous 30 carats.

Having gone on sale just 5 months ago, these dream stilettos can be bought for the big price of £140,000 UK or $319,469 USD.

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Luxury Emerald And Diamond Tiara

Published on June 19, 2011 in Diamonds, Emeralds, Eskae Private Jeweller, Gemstones, Hand-made Jewellery, Jewellery and White Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Breaking the news again after auctioning off the word record holding Graff Pink just last year, Sotheby’s is at it again this year, bringing a circa 1900s and extremely rare emerald and diamond tiara to this years auction!

This exquisite, once-in-a-lifetime jewel encrusted tiara was created by renowned jewellers, Chaumet, for Guido Count von Henckel, First Prince von Donnersmark, as a gift for his second wife, Princess Katharina. The emeralds, themselves, are believed to be a part of a collection owned by Napolean III’s wife, Empress Eugenie before the tiara was designed for Princess Katharina.

Not only is this the most rare and valuable emerald and diamond tiaras to come to light, it’s also one of the most historic and prized jewellery pieces to make its debut at Sotheby’s in over 30 years!

Sotheby has recently released this description of the Luxury Emerald and Diamond Tiara:

“The tiara is a crown of foliate and floral inspiration. The base is set with a central row of eleven larger cushion-shaped diamonds, each set between pairs of muguets, above a line of laurel leaf motifs and surmounted by festooned ribbons, pierced and millegrain set throughout with rose and brilliant-cut diamonds, surmount by a row of eleven polished pear-shaped emeralds. The emeralds, totaling approximately 500 carats, graduated in size from the center, each emerald drilled and held in diamond set cusp motifs, the nine largest tipped by rose diamonds, mounted in silver and gold, later detachable tiara fitting”.

Quite the description to match the tiara’s intricate, magnificent historical piece of work!

Understandably so, this amazing and brilliant Luxury Emerald and Diamond Tiara is estimated to sell for $5 to $10 million dollars in Geneva on May 17, 2011.

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top 10 biggest diamonds in the world

Published on May 1, 2011 in Coloured Diamonds, Diamond Education, Diamonds and White Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

The Top 10 Biggest Diamonds In The World

These legendary top 10 biggest diamonds in the world come in all shapes and sizes. While their prices are sure to be left to pure royalty, there is no limit to the amount of admiration and awe to be shared amongst everyone.

Take a look for yourself and see if you aren’t dazzled by these diamonds!

1. The Golden Jubilee

Weight: 545.67 carats or 109.13 g

Estimated Value: $8 – $12 million

Firmly holding onto its #1 spot, The Golden Jubilee is the largest known diamond in the world! This large brown diamond was discovered in 1985 in a premier mine in South Africa with the original total rough shape weight of 755.5 carats (151 g) which was later reshaped and resized. The first name originally given to this enormous diamond was simply, ‘Unnamed Brown’. In honor of King Bhumibol Adulyade’s 50th coronation anniversary, this brown diamond was presented to him as a gift during which, he renamed the brown diamond as ‘The Golden Jubilee’.

2. The Cullinan I

Weight: 530.4 carats or 106.1 g

Estimated Value: Over $400 million

Also commonly known as Star of Africa, the Cullinan I is the second largest diamond in the world. This pear shaped diamond measures 58.9 mm × 45.4 mm × 27.7 mm. It is called the Cullinan I since it was the largest of the 9 stones cut from the Cullinan Diamond which weighed 3106 carats when first discovered. The Cullinan Diamond was named after Thomas Cullinan (later Sir Thomas), who was a South African mine company owner.

3. The Incomparable

Weight: 407.48 carats

Estimated Value: $600,000

The Incomparable is the third largest diamond in the world, measuring in at 53.90 mm × 35.19 mm × 28.18 mm and was found in the town of Mbuji Mayi in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) in the 1980s. This large rock was first discovered in its rough state weighing 890 carats, then reshaped and resized and finally adjusted into a ring. The cutting of the diamond was done by a the team of Marvin Samuels, who was the co-owner of the stone together along with Donald Zale of Zales Jewellers and Louis Glick.

4. The Cullinan II

Weight: 317.40 carats

Estimated Value: Unknown

Initially dismissed as a real diamond, the cushion-shaped Cullinan II is now the fourth largest diamond of the world. Discovered by mine manager, Fred Wells, this diamond rests in the center-front of the Imperial Stat Crown of Great Britain which had, at one time, belonged to Queen Elizabeth II of England. It was cut from the same rough diamond, the Cullinan, and fascinatingly, has two loops on either side to wear it as a broach or with the Cullinan I.

5. The Spirit of de Grisogono

Weight: 312.24 carats

Estimated Value: Unknown

Coming in as the fifth largest diamond in the world, the Spirit of de Grisogono is also the world’s largest cut black diamond, discovered in West Central Africa. This deep, dark diamond’s original rough weight was 587 carats but was later cut and resized.  It’s now fitted into a ring and is encrusted with 702 small white diamonds which have a total weight of 36.69 carats.

6. The Centenary

Weight: 273.85 carats

Estimated Value: Unknown

The Centenary, discovered on 17th July 1986, is the sixth largest diamond of the world and has an almost heart-shaped appearance. This perfect coloured diamond was found at the premier mine by the electric X-ray recovery system at the Premier Mine and those who were a part of it were sworn to secrecy. The rough shape weight of this diamond was 599 carats with 247 facets, measuring in at 39.90mm × 50.50mm × 24.55 mm. It has since been reshaped and resized.

7. The Jubilee

Weight: 245.35 carats

Estimated Value: Unknown, although, in 1900, its estimated value was 7,000,000 francs.

The seventh largest diamond in the world is the colourless, cushion-shaped Jubilee. Discovered in 1895 in the Jagersfontein Mine located in South Africa, it was sent to Amsterdam where it was polished by M.B. Barends. The previous name given to original diamond before it was cleaved was the Reitz in honour of the then president of the Orange Free State, Francis William Reitz. After a 40 carat slab was separated from the original 650.80 carats of rough diamond, the remaining piece was polished, renamed as the Jubilee and destined to be sent to Queen Victoria. The Jubilee is now located in the Royal Thai Palace and is fixed into the crown along with other expensive and popular jewels.

8. The De Beers

Weight: 234.65 carats

Estimated Value: Would be valued $20 – $30 million if found again

The De Beers is the eighth largest diamond in the world and was discovered in the Kimberly mines located in South Africa in 1888. Before being resized and reshaped this amazing diamond weighed 428.50 carats. It was bought by the Maharaja of Patiala and then fitted into a necklace which was named the Patiala Necklace. In 1978, after being loaned to an event in Israel, the famous necklace went missing until it turned up later at a second-hand jewellery shop in London in 1998 – without the De Beers diamond. This light yellow diamond has yet to be found and until that day arrives, De Beers allowed Cartier to restore a cubic zirconium look-a-like to replace its spot on the Patiala Necklace.

9. The Red Cross

Weight: 205.07

Estimated Value: £2 million

The Red Cross is the ninth largest diamond of the world weighing 205.07 was also discovered in the Kimberly mines, South Africa but at a later date in 1901. There are two extremely significant features that make this canary yellow diamond so valuable and unique. The first rare feature is that after exposure to brilliant light, it emits those rays becoming self-luminous in the dark. Even more intriguing is its second rare feature: The Maltese Cross distinctly visible in the top facet, hence its name, the Red Cross.

10. The Millennium Star

Weight: 203.04 carats

Estimated Value: While the estimated value is kept private, it was insured by De Beers Chairman, Nicky Oppenheimer, for £100 million

Although it’s the last of the Top 10 List, the Millennium Star diamond is definitely not the least and is in fact, the second largest faceted D-Flawless diamond in the world. Discovered in Zaire in 1990, this clear blue coloured stone weighed 777 carats in its rough state and was considered to be a magical number. What makes this diamond extremely exceptional is that it is externally flawless without a single scratch or burn marks on any of the facets.

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Art Deco Jewellery For Every Personality

Published on April 24, 2011 in Art Deco Jewellery, Diamonds, Gemstones, Jewellery, Pearls, Platinum and White Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Art Deco Jewellery Today

The world has recently seen a stunning return to boldly styled, richly jewelled, statement-making jewellery of the glamorous Art Deco era, in all its shimmering splendour.

Many of the pieces we create here at Eskae Jewellers take inspiration from the decadent Art Deco era, designed with a new, updated interpretation of the “bold and statement-making” Art Deco pieces. It’s extremely fascinating so take a few minutes to read more more about the origins of Art Deco Jewellery by clicking the hyperlink!

Art Deco Jewellery and You

A fashion favourite that’s a must-have for most people, Art Deco jewellery takes a twist on classic styles of jewellery by creating a brand new genre for jewellery lovers alike. Including a combination of materials and geometric designs and shapes, art deco jewellery can be formed by using different techniques to form these timeless, one-of-a-kind masterpieces.

Art Deco jewellery techniques that are commonly used include:

  • Glass Art Jewellery
  • Machined Art Jewellery
  • Jewelled Art Jewellery
  • Hammered Metal Jewellery

Whether or not you’re aware, chances are that you’ve purchased a piece of Art Deco jewellery, knowingly or unknowingly. If this purchase was intentional, then you’re familiar with what types of Art Deco jewellery that suit your personality.

If you bought this type of jewellery unintentionally, then here are a few suggestions to fit right into the two most commonly seen personality types!

The Socialite/Partier:

Tending to hit all of the smartest parties or social events, your style is colourful and a bit flamboyant to make a bold impression. Look for larger pieces of Art Deco jewellery with uniquely crafted metal and brightly coloured gems or diamonds.

Rings: Your ring will have to tell a story about you! Since you love fun, your ring needs to reinstate that message.

While almost all women love chunky rings, this style will look especially spectacular with a medium to large colourful stone with a geometrically complimenting frame that’s been customised especially for your personality. Platinum and titanium are amongst the most popular of this look since they compliment all styles with these types of stones.

Earrings: While traditional tear drop earrings would look good on anyone, an Art Deco chandelier style designed in an abstract form with a bold and colourful design pattern would look even better. Earrings are a lot fun without any specific regulations so let your imagination go ahead and get the better of you!

Necklaces and Pendants: Even before other people’s eyes wander off to decorated fingers or ears, they focus on the neck first. This is what draws in people’s attention and lets them decide if they should look further to other pieces of jewellery – the ‘attention grabber’, if you will.

This makes the necklace vitally important to your overall appearance which means that heavy choker necklaces or an extra long, asymmetrical chain with pendants, charms or different coloured precious gems, glass or stones will stop others in their track.

Remember, just because you’re wearing bold statement jewellery, it doesn’t mean lose control and go overboard! If your earrings scream your personality, tone it down with the rings and necklaces – the same goes for necklaces, bracelets and rings.

Conservative and Classy:

You like the finer things in life; you are a person of great taste and take pride in what you do, where you go and who you associate yourself with. It helps to have Art Deco jewellery that portrays your conservative side without overdoing it and yet, still adds that extra ‘oomph’ of class!

Here are a few ideas for different types of jewellery that would look great on you:

Rings: While there are many different types of rings that will fit right into this category, to narrow it down a bit, think about the one place where you find yourself the most. This could be your office, your kid’s school with the other moms or dinner parties.

Some are under the impression that Art Deco jewellery is too casual or fun for this personality but guess what? They’re wrong! While you definitely need to take a more toned down path, you can still add a bit of funkiness to your single studded rings by keeping your ring white and black, i.e. a hammered platinum metal band with an irregularly cut onyx stone in the middle.

Earrings: Perhaps you’re more comfortable with a simple pair of studded diamond earrings but now it’s time to step out of your comfort zone by adding a little pizzazz with an elegant pair of drop earrings.

Pearls are very conservative but instead of wearing single pearl studs, have a funky setting customised specifically for you so that you now have to gorgeous drops of pearls hanging from your ears!

Necklaces and Pendants: Again, not being the type of person who likes to draw tons of attention your way, keep this look simple, yet classy by wearing a thicker chain than you’re used to with a colourful, multifaceted rare stone without a visible setting and voila!

It will give all of your friends something great to talk about while at the same time, keeping it simple!

Remember that Art Deco jewellery doesn’t necessarily have to be funky to be in the Art Deco class. It just means that your typical jewellery will include a slight twist but it’s up to you to decide how far to take it.

So there you have it – Art Deco jewellery can be made to suit all personality types while at the same time, bringing the recognition it AND you deserve!

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Pink Diamond Investment Success!

Published on April 10, 2011 in Coloured Diamonds, Diamonds, Eskae Private Jeweller, Pink Diamond Investment and Pink Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Everyone loves a good success story for several reasons. They’re uplifting, demonstrate positive outcomes and most importantly, are inspiring. Talking about beautiful, sparkly and dazzling precious stones lets the imagination run endlessly and is anything but boring.

Having spent time discussing how to begin a pink diamond investment and the high amount of patience needed to successfully yield a profitable asset can leave the inexperienced wondering what their outcome could one day be. Therefore, to have a little fun, here are three amazing examples of diamonds being put to use:

Imagine this Mercedes Benz, literally covered in diamonds, as your own success story:

Or this snazzy iPhone 4 complete with a 7.4 carat pink diamond:

And if that’s not enough, what about this Philips Ambilight television encrusted with 2,000 diamonds?

Now, these examples may be a bit extreme but it’s an entertaining way to put into visualisation what most wish to come out of their very own savings. When talking about any beginning investment, there’s so much knowledge to retain and steps to be taken that sometimes, the outcome – being the best part – is easily forgotten

Recently, the success of the pink diamond market has been splashing all over international headlines, shattering world records and as a result, has put the spotlight onto these one-of-a-kind diamonds. It has become a global investment, picking up status at such a fast pace, that specialty investors have been scrambling to keep up with demand.

Obviously, this causes pink diamond investments to be an extremely finicky market since even the smallest of diamond investments requires only those with enormous amounts of capital to enter into this league. It also results in these auctions being few and far between since less than 10% of all pink diamonds mined weigh more than .20 carats. This makes bidding extremely fierce and allowing only the best of the best able to participate in the auctions.

Because of fiscal magnitude that these pink diamond auctions hold, invitations are extremely selective and offered specifically to those who can put down the premium capital required by the auction holder by either cashier’s check or bank wire transfer.

Upon this deposit, only buyers who can provide their financial suitability beforehand will even be allowed to participate in the bidding process! While people may have the opportunity to bid on one or more different stones, bargains are rarely found since the sellers are specialty dealers who normally have their own select clientele.

If the chance to bid does come up, nearly all of the bidder’s financial data must be provided with the understanding that little discretion and confidentiality will be included.

These little pink stones consist of mere ounces in net weight, however, carry enormous monetary weight and typically,

Actual Carat Size

aren’t any bigger than the tip of a matchstick. Concealing these pint-sized fortunes is so simple that many people feel safer carrying them on their body – hemlines, folded pieces of paper, shoes, etc.

Understandably, all of these reasons combined call for excessive security measures to be taken. This is why you’ll seldom hear the location of any diamond auction, the prices will always be kept private and if a pink diamond is purchased, you’ll rarely hear the buyers name released to the public until its new location and insurance are fully covered.

The discretion that is used for this process gives pink diamond auctions a mysterious and desirable air about it. Therefore, when a huge pink diamond is auctioned, it makes international headlining testimonials, becoming highly inspirational to people who have merely thought about taking the first step into this investment.

Take the three most famous pink diamonds that sold at recent auctions, for example.

The 24.78-carat emerald-cut pink diamond purchased by Pattie Wong, Sotheby’s Chairman in Asia, on behalf of Laurence Graff, a London jewellery dealer, for $46 million francs at the Sotheby auction:

World Record: This fancy-intense pink diamond has set the world auction record for not only the purest and most vibrant of any diamonds sold at an auction but also for the price any diamond or jewel has ever previously sold for.

The 5-carat fancy-vivid pink diamond purchased by Chinese stock-investor tycoon Liu Yiqian and his wife, Wang Wei, for $83.5 million HK at the Christie’s International auction:

World Record: This purple-pink diamond set the record for price per carat for diamonds sold at any auction!

The 10.11 fancy coloured pink diamond with VS2 clarity was purchased by an anonymous bidder via phone for $2.3 million CAN at the Toronto-held Circa auction. Since the buyer has wished to maintain confidentiality for security reasons, there have only been a handful of pictures released and zero video footage for the time being.

World Record: This pink diamond set the new record in the country for price per carat, not only for Canadian diamonds but for any gem in Canadian history!

In just over a span of one year, there have been three world records broken and all have revolved around pink diamonds. Perfect examples for the perfect investment!

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Beginning Your Pink Diamond Investment – Part 3

Published on April 3, 2011 in Coloured Diamonds, Diamonds, Pink Diamond Investment and Pink Diamonds. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Embarking on such a rare and rewarding investment involving rare pink diamonds naturally brings about some precautionary questions. There is absolutely nothing wrong with asking these questions, in fact, not asking any questions would mean that you’re not taking this investment serious enough!

To wrap up this series of Beginning Your Pink Diamond Investment, let’s take a look at the Do’s and Don’ts to watch out for. Now that you have the general idea of what it takes to get started on your new pink diamond investments, this will give you a better outlook of exactly what to look for and where to target your new found assets.

Don’t buy pink diamonds online:

This is one of the most important ‘don’ts’ when considering putting your stock into the pink diamond market. As with anything costly, the last item you’d ever want to purchase is an imitation pink stone or even worse, get sucked in by an online scam.

Pink diamond jewellery and gemstones sold online are meant to appear enticing and affordable but have you ever hear the saying, ‘If it looks too good to be true, it probably is’? This adage couldn’t have been applied to a better example!

It’s inevitable with the production of pink diamonds declining, that more imitations or simulants will come about which is what makes this investment all the more valuable.

To be very clear, a pink diamond investment is not meant for anyone trying to look for an easy way into this market. In order to become a good collector or investor, you’ll need to go in person with a certified gemmologist to check out the pink-coloured stones with your own two hands. This way, your future pink diamond purchase will be inspected in front of you and you’ll know without a doubt, this is meant for you.

Of course, if you’re looking for an imitation pink diamond to wear, by all means, take the risk – it’s your time and your money; however, if this pink diamond is intended for a lifetime savings fund, then it is an absolute must to never skimp on any steps intended for acquiring only the best pink diamonds available!

Don’t leave without a Certificate of Authenticity:

Unless you’re an extremely experienced pink diamond investor, it might be helpful to take an experienced diamond broker or another experienced investor come along with you to make sure all bases are covered before the purchase.

In order to guarantee that your pink diamond will be top-of-the-line quality, you’ll need this certificate to verify the 4 C’s of the pink diamond and to also state whether it’s an enhanced pink diamond or a natural pink diamond.

It is extremely important to have the Certificate of Authenticity in hand before leaving because it’s a known practice for some unscrupulous people to alter the colour of coloured diamonds to show a more vivid or sparkling stone. It’s not that all people are dishonest but for the simple fact to try and keep up with the demands for coloured diamonds that outweigh the supply.

Don’t rush into buying pink diamonds:

Although there has been an influx of snatching up pink diamonds while they’re still available during the last couple of years, you can’t sell a pink diamond for its maximum profit if you don’t take the time and carefully look at all of the needed perspectives that will benefit you in the long run.

Remember, you’ll always get what you pay for! Rushing into anything isn’t usually a good thing to do but in this case, it can be more detrimental when shopping for that perfect pink diamond to invest your future into. Besides the fact that it will make you an easy target for fraudulent jewellers, you could possibly miss out on an even better deal if you’d had a little more patience.

Do opt for loose pink diamonds:

As mentioned in Part 2 of this series, it’s better to stay away from preset pink diamond jewellery. Unless the pink diamond you’ve bought is meant for wearing, keeping the diamond in loose form will allow it to continue appreciating over time. You will also severely limit the risk of any damage to the pink diamond during the setting stage of mounting it in a ring or pendant or similar. To spend all that money on something as beautiful and rare as a pink diamond… to have it damaged at such a crucial stage is disastrous!

Pink diamonds that have already been cut, shaped and/or placed into jewellery will extremely limit your investment market since you’re limiting buyers who might not like the pre-chosen settings.

Another reason why it’s smart to take this route is because these loose stones are graded heavily on their carat weight. If they are cut down to size to be mounted, that means that their carat weight has also been cut down making it worth much less than before as a loose pink diamond.

Your objective, when getting involved in a pink diamond investment, is to start big and finish bigger!

Do buy pink diamonds from a reputable or preferred location:

There are scams galore surrounding the diamond market especially since everyone wants a piece of that pink diamond pie. Before getting deeply vested into this rare diamond market, get to know the jeweller you will be working with.

Very similar to an interview, you’ll need to feel confident that your jeweller is open and honest when answering all of the questions asked. Developing this important relationship can make all the difference in taking your investment to the next level.

Because pink diamonds are so rare, very few jewellers have actually handled a single pink stone which means there will be a small amount of specialty jewellers to choose from. Once you’ve learned to understand the difference between a knowledgeable jeweller and a sales-pitchy jeweller, you’ll be able to locate the best pink diamond locations/auctions as well as having a fantastic jeweller by your side!

Do insure your pink diamond (s):

The largest reason pink diamond auctions and purchases are left discreet is to prevent theft from happening. Although it’s rare, it’s not impossible!

To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, choose a reputable and renowned insurance provider for this rare and expensive stone. In some countries theft is a direct result of information being leaked out from banks and insurance companies since they know exactly how much you have and where you have it! Go to a respected company and do business with the most senior, responsible person you can get to.

For less dramatic reasons than theft, insurance is also important for loss or damages. Depending on whether you have a homeowner’s insurance policy or not, insurance for pink diamonds can be added onto it.

In conclusion of this three-part series, the overall guideline is intended to show how investing in pink diamonds is a winning situation in every financial aspect – IF you know how to do it!

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