Sandy Mandow, owner and founder, SM Productions asked Eskae Private Jeweller to provide a vast collection of our diamond jewellery for their Diamonds Are Forever photo shoot and wow, what a blast that was!

Sandy, herself, took care of the technical stuff such as the photographer, wardrobe and makeup stylists and the studio location while I was asked to bring the brilliance, a.k.a., the diamonds.

Photo shoots can be long and tedious for some people but the experience was just the opposite for me! It was too short and incredibly fun spending the day with such fun, talented people and I’m definitely looking forward to the next commercial shoot!

And do you want to know what the best part is? You can see our final commercial production right here!

Now this takes the cake if you can excuse the pun! This video was sent to me by a friend Sarah Foster who is a fantastic virtual assistant, someone who I have used my times over the past few months. I can highly recommend her services for anyone who is in need of some help in their daily activities.

Below is a short YouTube video of a wedding cake reported to be worth $20M – having been adorned with diamond jewellery, along with a helping of engagement rings and designer jewellery – I can see where the value comes from!

Sam Kritsotakis

Bridal Jewelry

The less colour that’s present in a diamond, the more valuable a diamond is. Given a grade of D, E and F, these diamonds are considered rare and are much more expensive than your average diamond.

Knowing that, it may not make a whole lot of sense that a vibrant, red diamond would be considered one of the rarest and most expensive to those unfamiliar with different categories of diamonds. However, when coloured diamonds are given a class of their own and then rated accordingly, it then takes on its own value.

Coloured diamonds are referred to as Fancy diamonds and rate in a way similar to that of transparent diamonds. They have a ratings scale designed specifically for colour: Faint through Fancy and Fancy through Fancy Vivid. The more effervescent and pure the colour of the diamond is, the more valuable and rarer the stone is. Like transparent diamonds, the value of coloured diamonds also includes the 4 C’s – cut, clarity, colour and carat weight.

To give you a better mental picture, brown Fancy diamonds are on the low spectrum of rarity amongst coloured diamonds. Claret and champagne are the favourite choices of brown diamonds and perhaps the more affordable of all of the colours. Other colours include yellow, green, and orange with blue, pink and red being the most expensive and rarest of all coloured diamonds.

By using radioactive decay schemes, it’s been discovered that all natural diamonds were formed between 990.000,000 and 3.2 billion years ago. Because temperatures need to reach up to 900 – 1300 degrees Celsius to form a diamond, they’re brought up from 100 – 200km beneath the earth when a volcanic eruption occurs.[i] It’s extremely fascinating, isn’t it?

During this process, occasionally trace impurities, irregular growth patterns or exposure of different elements can change the colour of the diamond, thus creating your rare, coloured Fancy diamond.

Here’s a list showing which element creates which hue the diamond becomes:

Yellow – Nitrogen and/or Hydrogen              

Yellow Diamond

Brown – Nitrogen and/or Hydrogen

Brown Diamond

Blue – Boron

Blue Diamond

Green – Radiation exposure

Green Diamond

Pink – Irregular growth patterns within the crystal

Pink Diamond

Red – Irregular growth patterns within the crystal[ii]

Red Diamond

Because of their rarity and value, Fancy diamonds are quite costly. Most people can’t afford coloured diamonds because of the amount of money riding on it. If you’re one of those blessed with the fortune of obtaining such a stone, make sure that a certificate from a respected grading lab is kept securely placed where it can’t be mislaid, stolen or damaged. This is an extremely important document since it verifies the value of the diamond.

Coloured diamonds are not just pricey but because of their intrinsic value and rarity, are also considered to be an investment of sorts. Since so much money goes into purchasing Fancy diamonds, you should be cautious and not make a hasty decision.

The easiest way to identify whether you’re being sold a diamond that’s been coated to appear like a Fancy stone or the real deal is if the salesperson offers a discount or if the stone doesn’t have a certificate of authenticity to go along with it. Fancy diamonds will NEVER be offered for any discount.

I’m sure after understanding a bit more about coloured diamonds, you’ll agree that they’re truly fascinating and perhaps the most exquisite gemstone known to man. If you own a coloured diamond, I would love to hear about it!

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Private Jeweller

[ii] http://www.khulsey.com/jewelry/fancy_colored_diamonds.html

Green Tourmaline History and Background

Green tourmaline (sometimes referred to as verdelite) comes in a variety of colours, including an almost clear variety; however, the most popular shades for male and female jewelry buyers seem to be light-to-medium green.

Although green tourmaline has visual characteristics similar to emeralds (when judged by the naked eye), it is quite unique unto itself and gets its emerald-colouring from tiny bits of chromium and vanadium within the stone.

Chrome Tourmaline

Green tourmaline is primarily found in South America and Africa, although small deposits have occasionally been found elsewhere around the world, including the Middle East.  All tourmaline can be tricky to cut, so it’s best handled by expert jewellers.

Green Tourmaline Folklore and Legend

It has been thought by many societies that green tourmaline can restore life; thus, people with diseases (both mild and severe) have turned to wearing green tourmaline in an effort to restore their good health.  Today, few individuals would purchase a green tourmaline for this purpose.  (With that being said, a green tourmaline given to a significant other could make him or her feel better on an emotional level!)

Additionally, some ancient peoples buried their dead with green tourmaline to help the deceased reach their new existence beyond earthly living.

Tourmaline (all colors) is the birthstone for babies born in October as well as the gemstone associated with the Zodiac sign Leo.  For couples celebrating their eighth year of wedded bliss, tourmaline is the stone of choice for jewelry.

Green Tourmaline

Caring for Green Tourmaline

Like other gemstones that share its natural hardness (5-6 on the Mohs scale), green tourmaline can be easily scratched.  Therefore, any jewelry that includes green tourmaline should be kept from touching other pieces of jewelry.  The best way to do this is to store the green tourmaline piece (whether it is a set of earrings, special ring, handcrafted bracelet, etc.) wrapped in a soft cloth in a secure jewelry box.

Cleaning green tourmaline can be done at home with a very soft brush using mild soap (dishwashing liquid is fine) and water.  The gemstone can also be professionally cleaned if preferred.

Is Green Tourmaline Right for You?

If you’re drawn to stones that remind you of deep water or primeval forests, you may just find that green tourmaline is the perfect gem.  But watch out – once you’ve entered into a love relationship with green tourmaline, it’s going to be tough to stop at just one beautiful piece of handcrafted jewelry!

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Private Jeweller

But don’t let their affordability fool you!  Almandine garnets possess a charm that has attracted people from all walks of life, including royalty – most notably the millennium-old Hungarian Royal Crown – for centuries.

Almandine Garnet History and Info

The deep red, dark purple, intense brown and/or almost black almandine garnet is found throughout the world, most notably in Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Brazil, India and the United States.  Deposits vary in size and typically only the small to mid-sized garnet stones are used to make jewellery.  (Unlike many types of gems, larger is generally not better when it comes to a garnet’s quality.)

Almandine Garnet - has an incredibly rich and deep colour

Because the colour of the almandine garnet is so murky and naturally opaque, the underside of the gem is usually hollowed out regardless of the cut that’s chosen.  This hollowed-out interior allows light to bounce from facet to facet, enabling the vibrant garnet hues (hidden before the gem was cut) to burst forth.

Though most almandine garnets are inexpensive compared to other similar-sized precious gemstones, there are some garnets containing asbestos fiber inclusions that are quite rare.  These types of almandine garnets carry a higher price tag due to their scarcity and complexity.

Folklore and Legend

Like many gemstones, almandine garnets are steeped in folklore.

Numerous past civilizations believed that having almandine garnets close to one’s body offered protection and wisdom.  Physicians in the middle ages (and possibly before that time period) were even known to place garnets at the site of physical injuries or painful body parts to encourage healing.

Almandine garnet is the birthstone for January babies as well as for the Zodiac sign Aquarius.  This makes it a good choice as a “starter” jewellery item given for one’s birthday!

Caring for Your Almandine Garnet

One of the distinct advantages to buying almandine garnet jewellery is that it’s a very easy gemstone to care for.  Having a Mohs hardness scale of roughly 7.0-7.5, garnet isn’t easily scratched.  This makes cleaning at home trouble-free.

Though you can definitely take your almandine garnet necklace, ring or bracelet to a jeweller to bring its sparkle back, you can also get a great deal of shine out of it by cleaning it with a soft cloth, non-abrasive cleanser and water.

As with all jewellery, it’s important that you store your almandine garnet in a dry place and, if possible, within a soft cloth.

Is an Almandine Garnet Right for You?

There’s no doubt that the almandine garnet is a good buy; from a purely financial standpoint, it’s a great way to make your jewellery budget stretch farther.  But it’s just as important to consider aesthetics when determining if almandine garnets fit your style.  For instance, do you like the colour?  Is the look of a garnet something that “calls” to you on a personal level?

The almandine garnet comes in many shapes, so it’s best to check out a number of jewellery items before making your final decision.

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Private Jeweller

In this series of blog posts, I have been examining the brilliance and beauty of the natural diamond. I have touched on the colour, clarity and cut of the diamond. These three, along with carat weight make up the 4C’s. The 4C’s is a method by which the GIA – the benchmark in diamond grading throughout the world – compares the quality of diamonds.

In this post, let’s take a look at carat weight and how that plays into the value and desire of the diamond. The word carat is the term used to express the weight of the diamond and one carat is equal to 200 milligrams of actual weight and five carats is equal to 1 gram. Interestingly, while carat weight is used to measure other gemstones, different stones of the same weight are not necessarily the same sizes as the density of the stone plays a role in total carat weight.

When considering two equal carat diamonds, for instance, one may be cut too shallow and will appear to have a larger diameter but a smaller depth. The other diamond may be cut too deep – what is considered to be bottom heavy – and will have a smaller diameter, but will appear smaller when it is viewed from the top. In this case, both diamonds are equal in carat weight, yet look very different when viewed with the naked eye.

It is important to remember that as the diamond carat size increases, so does the diameter and depth of the diamond. As a result, a 1.00 carat diamond will not look twice as wide as a 0.50 carat diamond. At the same time, you must consider the size of the finger that will wear the diamond as a 1 carat solitaire looks much larger on a smaller finger than it will on a larger finger.

Smaller diamonds are weighed in points instead of carats. The carat weight is still the base of measurement, but the points communicate to the consumer and the jeweller how much of a whole carat is represented in the stone. In other words, there are 100 points in 1 carat and if a diamond is rated a 0.05, this means it is five one-hundredths. A 0.05 carat diamond is equal to five points.

The carat weight of the diamond will impact its value, simply because larger diamonds that are both brilliant and beautiful are much rarer. At the same time, the larger diamond is in more demand than smaller diamonds of the same quality. As a result, a larger carat diamond solitaire has more value that a diamond setting made up of multiple diamonds that total the same carat weight, but are individually smaller. Likewise, the diamond that is just less than one full carat will be less expensive than the diamond that surpasses the full-carat benchmark.

No matter what the carat weight of the diamond, its value will also take into account the cut, clarity and colour as all four combine into the 4C’s when determining the true quality and investment potential of the diamond.

I have enjoyed this series and I do hope that you have been able to learn some new and important information that will help you make the best decision when you are purchasing your next diamond – whether it be for an engagement ring or anniversary or just because…

If you are in need of expert advice, please contact me via my website, Eskae Jeweller and I will be happy to sit with you to go through the various options available in your next diamond purchase.

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Jeweller – Your Private Jeweller

So he figured that if I could get a car that was made of gold, I would be happy!

I am sure you will agree that this would do VERY nicely….

Gold Ferrari

Gold Ferrari

What a way to splash out on some cash, getting your Ferrari 599 GTB done in gold!

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Jeweller – Your Private Jeweller

After much designing, working the candle at both ends, very early starts to accommodate various tradesmen we have the Jewellery Studio on the home stretch!

Once the plaster boards went up, the Studio took on a whole new persona, instead of having only a skeleton to look at through the day, we now had a studio with some flesh on it and we could really start to appreciate the spaces that we would be working in.

The studio definitely does not have the biggest square meterage, so how we used each and every single bit of space was of prime importance, as you can see I was pretty happy with the way the spaces have worked out!

Getting the studio cleaned up for the painters to come in and do there work was such a rewarding thing to do as much as it was a pain! Looking back at the first workbench that went in – it felt like such a long journey to get even that far, I am actually shaking my head here thinking “my god, what a journey that was…”

Now I know why people get stressed when they do home renovations!

What a difference a coat of paint make to the place too! When I walked in on the monday morning, it felt so good to have it all looking clean and fresh and crisp with the coat of paint, We still had a fair bit of work to do but it was a nother major step in getting the Eskae Jewellery Studio up and running.

When the lights were installed, the difference that having them on all the time made to how we worked, was huge. We were relying on spotlights that were actually called “day-makers” these were more floodlights than not and the amount of heat that they gave off was unbelievable…

All I will say is this – Let there be light!

I would like to say thank you to Luke Miles from LME Electrical Contracting for their great service and experience in getting all my electrical parts sorted out for me, as you can see they did a stellar job of it.

When the jewellers benches started to go in, it was like the icing on the cake was being prepared. I have selected solid oak timber benches, which have all been finger jointed, and are all made out of recycled timbers. These benches will take a bit of a beating over time so they need to be up for the challenge of the day to day use that being in a jewellers studio will give them. As you can see they are starting to come together well and the all important underside of the benches with the workings of how a jeweller gets his jewellery made is still a little bit early on, but the benches are coming together that is the main thing and a HUGE step towards getting started in the studio.

There will be 1 more video log of the development of the Studio and I hope that you enjoy the stages of the development.

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Jeweller – Your Private jeweller

I take you through the steps of how you can get a semi professional clean right in the comfort of your own home. Your jewellery will not be polished, but the best advantage of this technique is that all of the grime and layered on dirt will be removed. What this means for you is that the “stuff” that is caked onto your precious diamonds and gens actually gets in the way of light coming through and into the diamond or gemstone. So when this layer of grime is removed, we open the diamond or gemstone up to the full amount of light again, which will significantly enhance the sparkle and brightness of the jewellery you are wearing.

This is best done a little while before you go out to that special party, or event, it will only take you a couple of minutes to do so it really is quick and easy!

Please note CAREFULLY the instructions contained within the video as they must be adhered to for the best result.

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Jeweller – Your Private Jeweller

A marriage proposal is one of the most important and personal events of a lifetime.  A very special engagement ring will reflect the significance of this event.  When you become engaged, you and your partner can create a lasting symbol of your unique love for each other with a custom engagement ring design. With the help of an experienced jeweller, the process of designing a custom engagement ring will bring you and your loved one closer and help you create a ring that both of you will treasure forever.

The Design Process

Once you’ve decided to create an engagement ring that will reflect you and your partner’s personalities and taste, the next step is to consult a jeweller who specializes in custom engagement ring design.  An experienced jeweller has the technical expertise required to guide you through the design process.  Your jeweller will explain the process to you in simple terms and make sure you have input at every step.  You will gain an understanding and appreciation of how much is involved in custom designing and creation of your engagement ring.

Your jeweller will help you make a series of important design decisions related to ring design, including:

• Diamonds – Which one is Right for you? – Your jeweller will help run you through what makes a diamond sparkle with “Fire and Brilliance” and how the different characteristics affect the value of the diamond. Diamonds are a traditional choice for engagement rings, but a truly unique design can be created using other types of stones.  Emeralds, rubies and pearls can be striking alternatives to diamonds.
• The Size and Shape of the Diamond or Gemstone – Once the type of stone is chosen, your jeweller can recommend suitable sizes and shapes.  When recommending a diamond or gemstone, your jeweller will take into account your personalities, what you want to communicate through your engagement ring and a host of other considerations.
• The Style of the Setting – The design details of the setting will have a major impact on the overall style and look of the ring.  The setting can be traditional, with a clean and crisp look that will allow your diamond or gemstone to sparkle with its own “fire and brilliance” or it may be embellished with side stones, engraving or filigrees, adding more detail and intrigue to the design.
• Platinum or Gold? – Which one is Best for your Setting? – The setting design, the diamond and gemstones used and the ring budget will determine the best metal for the engagement ring.

After you have expressed your design preferences, your jeweller will create a custom design for your approval.  Many couples have seen another ring that they want to copy, or they may want to combine 2 or 3 design elements from other rings.  If this is the case with your ring design, feel free to bring in drawings or photos to give your jeweller an idea of what you have in mind.  A talented jeweller will incorporate these suggestions into a single cohesive ring design, adding any details that may be needed to complete the design and convey what you would like to have represented in your ring.

The Surprise Engagement Ring

A marriage proposal and engagement ring are often planned as a surprise.  In this case, the design decisions will be made solely by the man.  His fiancée’s lifestyle, looks, body size and shape, personality and taste in jewellery should be taken into account when designing a custom engagement ring.  Family members or close friends can be a great help in creating a design that will be cherished for a lifetime.

Wedding Band Considerations

The design for your wedding bands should be considered when designing your engagement ring, especially if a bridal set consisting of the two rings is desired.  Using similar stones, metals and design motifs is the best way to tie together the engagement and wedding rings.

Generally speaking, if you use a similar design in both engagement ring and wedding bands, you will gain the benefit of having them look they were designed together at the same time.  When the engagement and wedding ring are worn together they will truly look like a matched set and not two unmatched rings that were bought at different times and places and thrown together.

Custom Engagement Ring Budget

You and your partner need to be aware that a custom designed engagement ring may cost a bit more than purchasing a mass market existing design due to the exclusivity of having an engagement ring designed specifically for you.  It’s important to establish a budget and to work with your jeweller to stick with your budget.  Your jeweller will be prepared to offer many suggestions on how to stick with your budget.  Be prepared to listen to your jeweller’s suggestions and work with the options that are presented to you.

Sam Kritsotakis

Eskae Jeweller -Your Private Jeweller