At $186K per Carat, Onassis Diamond Fetches Double the Estimates

A pear-shaped 38 carat D/VVS1 diamond, set in a marquise cut gold and platinum diamond necklace, that once belonged to Christina Onassis was sold Wednesday to an unnamed Middle Eastern buyer for $7.1 million. Christie’s, which auctioned the diamond, gave it a catalogue estimate of £1.8 - 2.2 million ($3.5 - $4.3 million).

The diamond was one of several jewelry items offered for sale by the Onassis family. A gem-set bowenite Buddha by Faberge sold for $2.5 million, more than quadrupling early estimates.

The London jewelry auction broke a number of records. The 190 lots sold fetched together $29.4 million, making the sale the largest jewelry auction in Britain’s history.

The Onassis items alone fetched a total of $13.3 million.

Record breaking sales at Christies included this 38 ct diamond

Graff Diamonds acquired a 14.79 carat pear-shaped D / VVS2 diamond for
$2.2 million ($149,000 p/c), while a 13.37 carat marquise-cut D / VS1 diamond sold for $115,000 p/c to a UK firm.



Source: IDEX



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*****

$5 Mln Lawsuit, Alleging False Advertising, Filed Against Jewelry Television

(June 4, '08, 11:41 IDEX Online Staff Reporter)

Jewelry Television (JTV) has been accused in a $5 million lawsuit filed by a California woman of false advertising. Marliese Weed has alleged that JTV sold gemstones described as rare and expensive red or green andesine labradorites, when they were actually colorless or yellow common feldspar that had been chemically treated.

The lawsuit, according to AP, is seeking class-action status, on the estimation that the gemstones in question have been purchased by thousands of people.

Jewelry Television responded in a statement, saying that it had found out that one of its sources for the gemstone had treated it. The company stated that it shared the revelation with its customers and that it acted responsibly.

Source : IDEX

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Why are online jewelry sales so high?

Officially, it appears that online jewelry revenues were about $4.8 billion or 7.4 percent of total jewelry industry sales in 2007. Preliminary jewelry sales in the U.S. market in 2007 were $64.8 billion.

Total Retail Online Sales for 2007 :

The U.S. Department of Commerce has reported that total online commerce was about $136.4 billion in 2007, up 19.0 percent from the prior year. As a percentage of total retail sales, e-commerce sales in 2007 were 3.4 percent, up from 2.9 percent in the prior year.
The graph below compares online retail penetration for all retail categories versus online penetration for jewelry sales.

Why are online jewelry sales, as a percentage of total industry sales, so high in comparison to the average for all retail categories? Currently, most online jewelry sales represent diamond jewelry. A recent study by ad agency JWT suggests that roughly 80 percent of all online jewelry sales are diamonds and diamond jewelry. Because diamond jewelry carries a much higher average ticket than other jewelry categories, the bias in sales towards diamonds is pushing up the reported online sales penetration. Further, consumers are increasingly buying from online jewelers because they offer the same goods at a much better price than most store-based jewelers.

Source: IDEX & U.S. Dept. of Commerce

*****

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Worlds Biggest Heart

See this worlds biggest heart or buy it for someone you love!

Jeff Koons’s haute-pink heart is inviting its lovers. Only prerequisite is the highest bidder and not the bulky bag of emotions. This 9-foot-tall stainless- steel heart would be available for auction at Sotheby’s under its contemporary art sale scheduled for 14 November in New York. It is anticipated that it will fetch more than $20 million, ending up as a record-breaking auction in the history of Sotheby’s overshadowing the $19.3 million sale of “Lullaby Spring,” (2002 pill-cabinet sculpture) by Damien Hirst’s in June.
The heart has reached Sotheby’s New York avenue on 27 September and to my much aghast it deployed 15 workers for continuously 14 hours to uncover its ceiling. Seemingly light, it weighs 3,500 pounds (1,600 kilograms) competing the compactness of Mercedes.

The very intention of the artist behind this token of love was to express love for his son. This artistic creation tracks back to 1994-2006 and following the custom the seller would like to be named as anonymous. Sotheby’s has assured a stipulated amount to the seller regardless of the outcome generated via auction.
Available in for-shiny colors, the blood-red heart is displayed by Christie’s International at his Venetian museum. Another Koons creation available with Christie’s is “Blue Diamond,” expected to generate $12 mn at its auction on 13 November.

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Wow! who wouldn't want such a big heart. But before you would even think of buying it, make sure that you'll have space for that. The greatest thing about this masterpiece is that the inspiration of the artist is his son. We do all know that nothing can compare to the love of a parent to thier children. That piece should say it all.

Happy Hearts Day!

-ann

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Golden Christmas

Japanese jewelers have prepared a very unusual Christmas and New Year gift for those who love expensive jewelry and luxury pieces. They have unveiled a statue of Santa Claus made of 20 kilograms of pure yellow gold and 1,7 ct of diamonds! The 41-centimeter tall gold Santa Claus carries a shoulder bag and of course not a simple one: it is made of fine gold wire. As for the gifts Santa carries in his bag, they are also made of pure yellow gold. Santa's belt buckle is adorned with 23 diamonds.The gold Santa Claus is already on display at Tanaka Kikinzoku jewelry shop, in Tokyo. It took three months to create the statue of 20 kg gold Santa that measures approximately 41 cm x 24 cm x 25 cm. The gorgeous gold Santa Claus will be displayed at the shop until Christmas but the company is ready to create more pieces on order. As for the price for such an unusual Santa Claus, it reaches about 200 million yen! It would be nice to get such a Santa as a gift for Christmas, wouldn't it?

Source: gifts infonlac.com

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Who wouldn’t love that precious Santa Claus. Whoever thought of making it must have known how precious Santa Claus is. I’m an adult already but still I get excited with the thought of Santa Claus, reminds me of my childhood days, staying up at night waiting for him to bring me my gift. That someone who is going to dish out 2 million yen for this precious thing will definitely have a golden Christmas. Brilliance!

-ann

http://www.jewelrydays.com/

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Graff's - Home of the Finest Diamonds

House of Graff, the producer of the most fabulous diamond jewelry in the world, has been fittingly known for their celebrated stones with outstanding properties - brilliant, rare, and exceptionally crafted. Graff's notable clients comprise of the usual rich and famous - world's royalty, heads of state, and Hollywood stars. It has received numerous accolades, including the Queen's Award, one of the most prestigious awards given to an enterprise.

As most of us know, a diamond's structure, hardness, brilliance and brightness are unrivaled by any other stone known to man because it was formed millions of years ago in the earth's core and it was able to withstand the very long journey to this day. That is the reason why these stones are of such high value.

Below are some facts about the House of Graff and information about their exquisite diamonds.


- Laurence Graff - founder of the House of Graff, also hailed as the 'King of Diamonds'. The jewelry house's own history, which goes back to over three brilliant decades, is just as fascinating as its diamonds.

- The Lesotho Promise - of exceptional color - rated D, the top color for diamonds, this 603-carat stone was discovered at the Letseng Diamond Mine in the Maluti Mountains of Mokhotlong district, North of Lesotho, a kingdom surrounded by South Africa. It is said to be the biggest diamond found in 13 years, and was bought by Graff for a whopping $12 million! The stone went under the hammer at the Antwerp diamond center and are now being studied by Graff's experts. It will take at least a year before it will be cut and polished into brilliant diamonds. It ranks as the 10th largest white diamond ever found.

- The Graff Vivid Yellow - Discovered as an exceptional rough crystal of 190.72 carats, this stunning rock was of such exceptional color that it had to be sent to the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) to verify if it was entirely natural. The challenge for Graff was to preserve the splendid color with a magical weight of 100 carats. It had to undergo a rigorous process lasting over 9 months in which the 190.72 carat rough crystal was expertly transformed into a magnificent polished diamond of 100.09 carats of startling, vivid beauty.

- The Paragon - Sourced from an isolated region in Brazil, this rough diamond of 320 carats took endless months of work before its full glory was finally revealed. A perfect cut and flawless quality has endowed this 137.82 carat diamond with a startling brilliance. It has been certified as a "D color and internally flawless' stone by the GIA, with a statement that it is the largest 'D' flawless diamond they had ever graded.

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- The Star of Lesotho - Hailed as the 'Most dazzling 'D' color heart shape diamond', it weighs 53.11 carats and was recently sold by Graff. It was 123 carats in the rough, when it was discovered in the Letseng diamond mine in the Maluti Mountains of Mokhotlong district, north of Lesotho. The painstaking process of cutting and polishing this stone was undertaken by a team of Graff's experts at its factory in Antwerp.
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- The Golden Star - Weighing over 101 carats, this fancy, vivid yellow, cushion-cut diamond was an astonishing 204 carats in the rough when discovered in the famous Finsch Mine located in the Northern Cape in South Africa. The cutting and polishing was done partly in the Graff factory in Johannesburg and thereafter entrusted to skilled master cutter at the Graff workshop in New York.

- The Graff Legacy - As a vertically integrated company, Graff directly sources diamonds from mines across the world, after which its skilled workers expertly cut and polish the precious stones at its famed workshops. Selecting only the finest and most superior stones, Graff executes lavish, extraordinary jewelry collections that one can cherish for a lifetime and pass on to the next generation.

- Each of Graff's diamonds is laser inscribed on the girdle with the Graff logo and GIA identification number, an inscription visible, only under 10 point magnification. Every diamond over one carat is accompanied by a GIA certificate verifying its cut, clarity, color and carat.

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Source: AME Info

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Discover the compelling power of Graff's creations at Graff showrooms conveniently located in Burj Al Arab, Saks Fifth Avenue - Burjuman Centre and Wafi City. See the finest and most exquisite array of the earth's most enduring and valuable stones - DIAMONDS.

Also view another entry in our official blog which is related to this article. http://blog.jewelrydays.com/2007/08/king-of-bling.html

And of course, Jewelry Days' website (link below) for various choices of jewelry and accessories. We offer diverse types of stones, may it be our blog's topic which is diamonds, or gemstones such as sapphires, amethyst, ruby, pearls, and more, in yellow, white, or rose gold, platinum, and others. Take a look at your options. Enjoy!

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http://www.jewelrydays.com/

--My Life Is Beautiful

“For the Love of God” - a $100 Million Masterpiece of a Skull

"For The Love of God!"

A one-of-a-kind creation has been invading broadsheets, televisions, radios, webpages, and other media. Indeed, it is worth the talk-of-the town, not only for its uniqueness but most importantly, the kind of art and soul it has.

Another unique masterpiece has come to life with the playful and artistic mind of Mr. Hirst. The art-piece known as “For the Love of God”, is a life-size cast of a human skull in platinum, covered by 8,601 almost flawless pavé-set diamonds. To learn more about these kind of diamonds please visit Jewelry Guide.

The state-of-the-art masterpiece is a creation of Mr. Hirst which is rather described as outrageous in its demands (not least a $100m price tag), daring in conception and execution, flamboyantly showy, but as piercingly accurate in its attaching of our thoughts and feelings about wonders of birth and life, death, art and wealth.

Said masterpiece is housed on Jay Jopling's new London gallery, White Cube Mason's Yard. Jay Jopling gave the creation an extravagant unveiling and the “For the Love of God” was displayed like a prized relic in a luxurious casket, in this new temple to contemporary art.

Below is a preview of how “For the Love of God” was carefully and artistically made into being:

(1) Selecting of flawless diamonds.

(2) Shaping the form of the molded skull for furnishing.

(3) The skull, almost half ready, minus the denture part

(4) Pave Setting the diamonds on the subject

(5) Putting details on each of the parts.

(6) Almost done with the masterpiece.

(7) Setting the pear-shape, loose diamond as the centerpiece.

(8) Adding details on the centerpiece.

(9) Furnishing and perfecting details on the centerpiece

Combined with a unique plan, careful calculation, and artistic procedure, diamonds indeed makes a creation more elegant, extravagant, one-of-a-kind, precious and eternal.

Source:

"For the love of God ", Economist.com

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Jewelry Days

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Study Shows That Diamonds Are Nearly As Old As Earth

"DIAMONDS", the word itself describes beauty and splendor, brilliance, elegance, and permanence. The word diamond was taken from the Greek word "Adamas" which means invincible and indestructible. Diamonds are indeed the hardest metal on earth!

Diamonds’ history is as interesting as its name!

There had been a number of studies showing that diamonds had been produced dating back to billions of years ago and certain vital questions could not be answered. Not until recently when group of scientist from Intstitute of Mineralogy found the answers to all its vagueness unearthing the real history of diamonds.

Scientist found out that diamonds had formed shortly after the rapid cooling of the earth making it a little younger than the formation of the earth. Then surroundings had catered to the formation of these precious rocks.

DIAMONDS BEFORE AND NOW

For thousands of years diamonds has attracted kings, queens, pirates and all other human being towards its mesmerizing beauty and value. Diamond has been the source for prosperity, power, love, courage and magical powers.

In the past, diamonds were considered as tears drops of the almighty god with magical powers in it; Hence in olden days persons in possession of diamonds were considered powerful and dominant.

Even now diamonds have the same eminence as it had in past. Whatever may be the history of diamonds, it has always been one of the most sought and precious stone in the entire world.

Learn more about diamonds by clicking Jewelry Guide on the home page.

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--My Life Is Beautiful

Will Blue Topaz Be ‘X-rated’ for X-mas?

Jewelry Days.com Management – Consumer Oriented

The issue: Much rigorous procedure before Blue Topaz is released for the market consumption.

There had been some reports on regulation and heightened controlling of the popular Blue Topaz gems in the market for its allegedly harmful effects if not properly disposed of. The new procedure requires a rigorous and longer preparation and screening before the gem is allowed to be available for everyone’s consumption.

Effects on Jewelers: slower marketing; scarce production; rigorous procedural testing; higher cost for testing; tighter regulation

Basically, an expected harm would require commissions to take double cautions and undertake actions that would ensure the welfare of the consumers as well that of the environment.

A more rigorous procedure would cost jewelers longer time range before the product is APPROVED for market consumption. This would imply lesser product of the kind, slower processing and costly for the availability such a gem.

Jewelry Days.com says:

Jewelry Days.com management assures that each of the jewelry available and in stock and other produce are of its best form and had undergone rigorous testing of products for the benefit of the consumers.

Consumer Protection: Social Responsibility; Respecting and Safeguarding Customers and to gain Trust; Adherence to Technical Procedure of Screening

It adheres to international standard of testing and other procedural testing required to be taken to ensure its value and safety.

Jewelry Days.com aims to treat everyone with respect and we strive to protect people as well as the environment. The company is very well indeed aware of its social responsibility.

Rest assured that products from Jewelry Days.com are environment-friendly and had undergone the correct and necessary screening and testing procedures both local and international commissions for quality control had set upon.


http://www.jewelrydays.com/
--My Life Is Beautiful

Online Jewelry Shopping Out-Competing Neighborhood Stores

According to the Jewelers’ Board of Trade, the number of small, independent jewelry stores has declined 16% over the last ten years.

The cause is more than competing with each other – it’s the keen competition offered by online jewelry sites.

Consumers are learning that they can purchase quality merchandise for less money with just the click of a mouse.

Here are the major reasons for this significant trend:

• Younger buyers want convenience. Jewelry websites let you browse and buy on your coffee break or in your pajamas.
  
• They also want affordability over tradition. With lower overhead, jewelry websites like Jewelry Days.com can pass along significant savings.
  
• Today’s consumers are comfortable buying online. They know that buying online is as safe, if not safer, than traditional shopping. Satisfaction guarantees are now commonplace online.
  
• Traditional stores can’t turn over their inventory fast enough to offer the widest selections…online stores don’t have to. They can access jewelry warehouses worldwide…virtually. So online shoppers get more options.

The future of jewelry buying is, undoubtedly, over the world wide web.

www.JewelryDays.com
-- My Life Is Beautiful

King Of Bling

I recently read an article about Laurence Graff that I thought was very interesting on a couple different levels.

The first thing that struck me is that I always enjoy rags-to-riches success stories. This story proves that if you have a strong enough passion for what you do, you can make it. The owner of this website jewelryDays.com is more proof of this concept. Having arrived in the states in the ‘80’s with almost no money and against family members advice, he went into the diamond & jewelry business and now has a successful jewelry website.

I, myself, left an excellent paying job as a machinist 23 years ago. I would probably be earning in excess of $100,000 today had I stuck with it. Something I can’t quite put my finger on about the jewelry business was too strong of a draw for me to ignore. In the future, I hope to be another one of the successes with my custom faceted gemstones and one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces.

The other aspect of this article I liked very much was the discussion of the concept of vertical integration. Many of the diamond dealers of today are stuck in a traditional rut of procuring loose diamonds for $X and reselling them for $Y which includes their profit. With the progressive thinning profit margins and transparency that now exists in the loose diamond business, the whole jewelry industry for that matter, this old business model will simply leave those unwilling to change in the dust. Mr. Graff started getting personally involved in links further up and further down the diamond jewelry food chain by bringing mining all the way to retail stores “under one roof”. Using myself as an example, I specialize in Oregon Sunstone from the Dust Devil Mine. If I were to simply buy rough, cut the stones and try to sell them, I will never survive. The approach I’m taking is to go to the mine and dig the rough out of the ground myself. Once I’ve cut the stones in nontraditional cuts/shapes, I design custom pieces and have them manufactured, often by hand.

I believe this is the only way diamond dealers and jewelers of tomorrow will weather the storm of drastic changes occurring around them. To quote Hunter S. Thompson, “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.”


Report : Forbes.com


Martin Guptill GG FGA
www.gemartgallery.com

Jewelry is the Most Popular Customized Luxury Gift

Report: Jewelry is the Most Popular Customized Luxury Gift

Did you know there’s a Luxury Institute? Yep. And it conducted the 2007 Wealth Report, finding that affluent consumers (making $150,000 per year or more) prefer made-to-order jewelry above all other high-end purchases.

So Jewelry Days.com customers are in elite company!

The top five items were jewelry, home furnishings, homes, men’s dress shirts and suits.

Not surprisingly, twice as many women bought made-to-order jewelry for personal use, while men more often bought jewelry as gifts.

At JewelryDays.com we make custom, made-to-order jewelry. So when you’re looking for the gift judged most popular by America’s wealthiest folks – we’ll take care of you at prices that even people on a budget can afford.

Report

*****

Axay Shah
http://www.jewelrydays.com/
--My Life Is Beautiful

“Psst! This is Your Earring Calling…”

RFID could make jewelry more secure

The Hitachi Research Labs in Japan have just come out with a Radio Frequency ID (RFID) chip as tiny as a grain of sand. Each chip stores a unique 38-digit number.

The so-called powder chip is so thin it can mix with paper pulp and be embedded in gift certificates, passports, and money.

And jewelers could embed it invisibly in necklaces and rings or any piece of jewelry.

This technology could make it harder to fence, swap or counterfeit jewelry.

Hitachi plans to bring the “radio dust” to market in 2009, and Wal-Mart may be one of the first retailers to host its debut.

So in the future your diamond ring may radiate more than beauty…it may also emit a code to an RFID reader, verifying its identity and location.


*****

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--My Life Is Beautiful

Sex and Money - Wealthy Women

In the Broadway hit musical Guys and Dolls, the long-suffering Adelaide, engaged eternally to her elusive, gangster fiancé, Nathan Detroit, sings:

“The average unmarried female

Basically insecure

Due to some long frustration may react

With psychosomatic symptoms

Difficult to endure

Affecting the upper respiratory tract.

In other words, just from waiting around for that plain,

little band of gold
A person can develop a cold…”

Today, Adelaide might not have had to wait …she might very well have sprung for a $10,000 ring herself…and unbelted the down payment on their starter bungalow in Long Island.

The Economist reports that by 2020, over half of Britain’s millionaires may be female.

In April, 2007, 92 women made the Sunday Times Rich List of Britain’s top 1,000 wealthiest people. That’s up 44% from ten years ago…and not only that, rich women are getting richer; their average net worth has nearly doubled, too!

The Centre for Economics and Business Research estimates that female millionaires will outnumber male tycoons by 2020 and that by 2025 women will control 60% of Britain’s private wealth.

And good deal of the ladies’ wealth comes from personal earnings, including from women-owned businesses.

So maybe in the not-to-distant future, you won’t have to wait for Tarzan to pick out the diamond anniversary rings; maybe he’ll be the one saying, “Oh, darling! You shouldn’t have!”

The Economist report

*****

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--My Life Is Beautiful

$6.5 Million Treasure Chest

Supermodel Karolina Kurkova looks stunning in the bra every woman wants for Christmas. Photo Credit: Victoria Secrets / Splash News

Now diamonds can give you a lift in a whole new way - with the Victoria's Secret 800-carat, flawless diamond bra!

The super-costly lingerie was modeled by Czech actress Karolina Kurkova, who said, "It's very sexy and very comfortable, and it doesn't dig in. And if anyone ever does buy it, I really would like to meet them."

The bra is made of 2,000 diamonds and a 10-carat diamond center brooch.

The price? $6.5 million. Quite an investment to make an impression on what must be a rather limited audience - although it's bound to inspire a whole new breed of cat burglar...

Anyway, it's just further proof that diamonds are uniquely glamorous, romantic, and fun!

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My Life Is Beautiful