$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

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


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Making gemstones from household kitchen products?

3 June 2008

Making gemstones from household kitchen products? Open those cabinets and let's make gemstones in your kitchen! If you are at home right now go stand in your kitchen. Go on. Go to your kitchen and look around and make note of some of the things in your cabinets, shelves, and counter tops. Go ahead, we’ll wait. Hum hum humm hum hum da dee dah dee dum…….OK, you’re back. Did you know that you just saw virtually all of the ingredients required to make gemstones in your kitchen. It’s true! Let’s find out how. Look up again at the banner photo of this week’s ISG newsletter and you will probably see a lot of the same ingredients that are in your kitchen. And if we look at the chemical composition of gemstones you will find just about everything you need to create sapphires, peridots, opals, pearls, and a virtual smorgasbord of other gemstones, right out of the ingredients in your kitchen. Here are some examples: Ruby To make a ruby all we need is some aluminum from our roll of aluminum foil, some oxygen from our computer keyboard dust blower can, and a bit of the chromium from our vitamin cabinet. Al2O3 with Cr(chromium) and we have our first batch of gemstones from our kitchen.....ruby. Sapphire We can make a blue sapphire out of our same aluminum foil, oxygen can, but this time we will add some titanium used to make the plastic cups white (titanium is also used in your tooth whitener products) along with some iron from our cast iron skillet. Al2O3 with FeTi(iron/titanium). Quartz Crystals How about a batch of phantom quartz crystals. For this we only need some of the silicone from our tube of adhesive and some oxygen from our oxygen can. Place them in the oven at just the right temperature and pressure and we grow ourselves some very nice quartz crystals. SiO2 Peridot How about some yummy peridot. For this we need some magnesium again from our vitamin chest, some iron from our cast iron skillet, some of the silicon from our adhesive tube, and just a pinch of oxygen from our can. Put them all together and you get a beautiful peridot gemstone. (Mg, Fe)2SiO4 Pearls And let’s not forget pearls. That is one of the easiest gems to make in the kitchen (although don’t tell the oysters we said that). All we need is the calcium carbonate from the bottle of Antacid Tablets that I always have here at my desk at the International School of Gemology. Nothing else needed. Calcium carbonate in pearls is just like the calcium carbonate in our antacids here at the ISG office. (we need a lot of them) Jadeite How about some jadeite. Pretty easy for us now as we are getting good at making gemstones out of household kitchen products. To make our jadeite we need some sodium from the salt (sodium chloride) in our Morton’s Salt box, some more of the aluminum foil from our foil wrap, some more silicon from our tube of adhesive, and finally some oxygen from our can. Add a little chromium from our vitamin and mineral cabinet and we have made ourselves a nice batch of jadeite. NaAl (Si2O6) And yes, the jadeite photo is kind of cheezy but after all, we are in the kitchen! Labradorite Sunstone And we just couldn’t do this without making ourselves a pan of labradorite sunstones from Oregon . For this we need more sodium from our salt shaker, some of the calcium from our antacids, a few inches more of our aluminum foil, a little more silicon from our tube of adhesive, and some more oxygen from our air can. Add just a pinch of copper from those scrubber brushes by the sink…..and we have ourselves a beautiful labradorite sunstone. Na(AlSi3O8)Ca(Al2Si2O8) Opal And for dessert, how about an opal. Easy to bake and fun to enjoy. For our opal we just need some of the silicon from our adhesive tube, the rest of our oxygen from our air can, and we will add just a bit of water from our tap to give it the needed H2O to really make it zing. And voila’ a beautiful opal to end our time in the kitchen. SiO2 nH2O Please put the phones down Ok, Ok before anyone freaks out, I admit it........in truth, you cannot make gemstones in your kitchen. You could never create the heat and pressure necessary to actually make gemstones. But it is a fact that if you could emulate the conditions of gemstone crystal growth in your kitchen, you do indeed have virtually all of the ingredients you need to mix up a batch of many different types of gemstones right there. The study of the chemical make up of gemstones is fun and interesting. But I hate trying to read off those long and very boring chemical equations. Sorry, but I really don’t care about them. I would rather think of a ruby as some aluminum foil and oxygen from my kitchen, with some of the chromium tablets my wife makes me take from time to time. I have learned the same information about the chemical make up of gemstones using my method, and quite honestly have had a lot more fun than those folks having to memorize the chemical equations. And after all, it’s the fun that we’re really here for, isn’t it? And the most fun for me? I guarantee you someone will still call me asking what kind of kiln and pressure cooker set up they need to actually make gemstones in their kitchen. Now THAT….is when I REALLY start having fun! Robert James FGA, GG President, International School of Gemology ©2008 International School of Gemology .

World's Most Desirable Luxury Brands

Ask a friend what he would buy if he had a bigger bank account and he might rattle off a list that includes a limited-edition sports car, a round-the-world trip or a million-dollar beachfront home.

Goods by Gucci, however, top the lists of luxury brand lovers. That's according to an online survey conducted late last year by The Nielsen Company, a market research firm. It asked 25,000 consumers in 48 countries which luxury brand they would buy if money were no object. Besides Gucci respondents chose Chanel, Calvin Klein, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior.

It's easy to see why Gucci reigns. Worldwide sales, though recently tapered, have jumped since Mark Lee became president of the company in 2004, then CEO the following year. In 2007, sales increased 11%; that's on top of a 17% increase in 2006 and a rise of 18.4% in 2005. Gucci is a part of the Gucci Group, which has a number of fashion brands in its portfolio, including Yves Saint Laurentand Sergio Rossi. PPR, a French holding company publicly traded on the Euronext exchange in Paris, owns the Gucci Group.

Complete List: World's Most Desirable Luxury Brands

"Gucci manages to offer high fashion and very commercial items," That red and green stripe is some of the most iconic luxury branding ever created, and people want a piece of it."

Behind The Brands

Born as a leather goods company, Gucci is now most well known for its logo-ed handbags. When the company opened a new 46,000-square-foot store, the largest of its 233 worldwide, on the ground level of the Trump Tower on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue last month, they also launched a "Gucci Loves New York" handbag collection which sold out within two days of opening. Proceeds from the bags went to Playground Partners Central Park Improvement Program.

Chanel and Calvin Klein tied for second. The privately held Chanel, famous for the little black dress, tweed suit and quilted handbag, was founded by Coco Chanel in 1909 and is currently helmed by Karl Lagerfeld. It stays relevant thanks to a slew of consistently classic yet stylish products. The label's current must-haves include a quilted leather envelope clutch and a sleeveless embroidered cashmere dress with pink trim; its current pitch woman is Keira Knightley.

Calvin Klein's global retail sales surged to $4.5 billion in 2006--that's an increase of 50% since Phillips Van Heusen acquired the company in 2003. It manages such reach thanks to its three labels: Calvin Klein Collection (designer apparel and accessories), ck Calvin Klein, (bridge apparel and accessories) and Calvin Klein (better apparel and accessories). Top looks for spring include slim trousers cut on the bias for men and a high-waisted white skirt suit for women.

Shopper Stats

When looking at who actually buys designer brands today, the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong come out on top. Almost one-third of survey respondents living in these areas claimed to buy the brand with the iconic interlocking-G logo. Only 7% of North American shoppers polled buy Gucci products.

While designer goods are certainly desirable in emerging markets, North America was the least interested in luxury brands, with 35% of respondents claiming they would not be tempted to buy even if money was not an issue. When quality comes into play, 34% of respondents in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America believe designer goods have the highest quality vs. non-designer; that figure falls to 20% for both Europe and North America.

What would you buy if money were no object? Weigh in..
"In emerging markets such as Latin America and the Asian Pacific, designer brands are probably more of a proclamation," says David Boyd, vice president of Nielsen Global Research, "a way to set themselves apart or feel that they've arrived as part of the new economy."

Regional differences also emerge over counterfeit goods peddled at market stalls globally. Over a quarter of North Americans questioned believe that fakes are just as good as the real thing, but in Asia, where most of the fakes are produced, consumers hold them in low regard, with only 8% putting them on par with the genuine article.

"People in Asia can pick out a fake bag like no one I've seen," says Boyd, "But in the U.S., people are less aware and less concerned, because in the U.S. luxury brands are considered more mainstream..

Top 1o Luxury Brands:

1st - Gucci

Guccio Gucci founded the House of Gucci as a saddlery shop in Florence in 1906. A century later, the company's horse bit and stirrup motif is an enduring symbol of luxury. He started out selling leather bags to horsemen in the 1920s and progressed to luxury luggage as his clients graduated from equine transportation to horseless carriages. Today, with Frida Giannini at the creative helm, handbags with the interlocking double-G logo are among the company's biggest money makers.

2nd - Channel tied up with Calvin Klein

Chanel is one of today's best-known fashion brands, and has been practically since it was founded by Coco (Gabrielle) Chanel in 1909. Coco Chanel established herself as the 20th century's single most important arbiter of fashion by offering women no-nonsense, elegant, relaxed and functional clothes. Today, the tweed Chanel suit with a nipped-at-the-waist cardigan jacket remains one of the most popular--and most copied--fashion staples. In 1983, Karl Lagerfeld reinvigorated the brand with a dose of sexiness. He's been designing the collection ever since.

Calvin Klein

In 1968, Calvin Klein and an investor started the company as Calvin Klein Limited with a small line of men and women's coats. In the '70s, Klein won two Coty Awards for his minimalist styles, and by the middle of the decade he had created a designer-jeans craze by putting his name on each pair's back pocket. Advertisements featured a 15-year-old Brooke Shields who famously said, "Nothing comes between me and my Calvins." In 2003 Phillips Van Heusen acquired the brand, and today there are three tiers within the collection ranging from high-end pieces to moderately priced casualwear.

4th - Louis Vuitton

The French luxury fashion and leather goods brand, now a main division of the French holding company LVMH, was founded in 1854 as a luggage retailer. The company is now known for its monogrammed leather handbags and employs designer Marc Jacobs as its creative director. Keeping up with the demand for exclusive luxury, the company is collaborating with a series of artists for limited-edition handbag collections.

5th - Christian Dior

The designer founded the company in 1945 and quickly became famous for the "New Look," a fitted jacket with a nipped-in waist and full calf-length skirt. After the rationing of fabric during the World War II, Dior's lavish use of material was bold and shocking. Since 1996, chief designer John Galliano has been at the creative helm of the French fashion house, owned by the LVMH luxury goods group.

6th - Versace

Gianni Versace founded the Milan-based company in 1978. After his 1997 death, his sister Donatella Versace, formerly vice president, stepped in as creative director and his older brother Santo Versace became CEO. Today, despite talks of going public, the company is still entirely owned by the Versace family. While the collection is known for its flashy, embellished style, this spring the looks that came down the runway put more emphasis on cut and volume than shimmer and bling.

7th - Giorgio Armani

Giorgio Armani, 74, is the sole shareholder, president and chief executive of the designer brand. The fashion and luxury goods group manufactures, distributes and sells everything from apparel to cosmetics to home interiors under a range of seven brand names, but it is best known for its menswear.

8th - Ralph Lauren

After a stint as a Brooks Brothers tie salesman, Ralph Lauren, 69, started his powerhouse brand 42 years ago with a collection of ties. Today there are over 35 boutiques in the United States. The company offers three collections: Polo is the fast-fashion-fix line for the young metropolitan male; Black Label is a more upscale, edgier version of city dressing; and Purple Label is the ultimate deluxe line. The designer has a personal fortune of $4.2 billion.

9th - Prada

Milan-based Prada was founded as a leather goods company in 1913 by Mario Prada. His granddaughter Miuccia inherited the company in 1978 and grew the business into a fashion apparel company. Her claim to fame was the signature Prada nylon handbag, which helped turn the family company into a billion-dollar business.

10th - Yves Saint Laurent

Founded in 1961, Yves Saint Laurent was the first fashion house to launch women's ready-to-wear. He opened Rive Gauche boutiques for women in 1966 and added men's ready-to-wear in 1974, which helped make designer luxury labels more accessible to the wider public. The Gucci Group acquired Yves Saint Laurent in 1999

*****
Source: Forbes.com

Ritz
http://www.jewelrydays.com/

My Life Is Beautiful

E-Commerce 25th Anniversary

"Clearly, e-commerce has gone from kind of a glimmer in someone's eye to arguably one of the most important and powerful developments, I'd say, in modern-day commerce," remarked Standard & Poor's analyst Scott Kessler. "It has become not just popular or pervasive, but also critical for both companies and consumers as they look for goods online and, in many cases, are often selling goods online."
It may not have been noticed in the whirlwind of online transactions on Web sites like eBay or Amazon , but e-commerce turned 25 on Tuesday.
On March 4, 1983, Husband-wife team of Alex Randall and Cameron Hall quietly launched a business revolution that was then the stuff of dreams, when their year-old company, Boston Computer Exchange, sold a computer "on line" to a buyer in South America.
Randall and Hall had started their company as a clearinghouse for buying and selling computers at a time when PCs like the Apple 2, Tandy, IBM PC and Sinclair were first becoming available.
"Almost nobody outside of universities had computers," Randall told the E-Commerce Times. "But we could see it coming.We recognized that eventually you'd be able to trade all kinds of things this way."

"In 1983, the only people who had computers were bleeding-edge aficionados," he recalled. "The only thing we could trade was computer equipment. There was no market for fresh fruit delivered to your door. The only people out there were computer users and people looking to buy computers."
Randall said he and Hall developed a marketplace where computer users could upgrade from old units.
The two started at a meeting of the Boston Computer Society with trading cards and conducted hundreds of transactions over the phone. They began to dominate trading in used computers as a paper and pencil company, Randall said.
They then bought a 300 BPS modem -- a system so slow, Randall said, that the user could read text faster than it came to the screen), bought a new database system called "Alpha 2" and struck an agreement with the owners of Videotext -- which would later become Delphi (NYSE: DPH) -- for an online bulletin board system running software that allowed users to dial into the system over a phone line.
By partnering with Delphi and using its own dual floppy disk drive computer, BCE could post its database of products on a public access system.
On March 4, 1983, Randall and Hall got a call from a buyer in Santiago, Chile, and they subsequently made their first "on line" transaction.
"He was looking at the database online," Randall said. "He saw something that would be good to own. He phoned me he wanted to buy the system."
The caller purchased an IBM PC for $7,000, Randall said.
Randall and Hall later wrote an instruction book for creating a freestanding computer trading enterprise in any city.
The couple sold BCE in 1990 He became a professor of communications at the University of the Virgin Islands. Hall died of cancer in 1998.
"Cameron was a brilliant economist," Randall said. "She was very smart about money, and how marketplaces worked in the abstract."
Date Debate
The actual birthdate of e-commerce is not undisputed.
When told that e-commerce had just turned 25, Gordon Haff, principal IT advisor for Illuminata, paused.
"My initial reaction is that it's an interesting date to pick but also somewhat an arbitrary one," he told the E-Commerce Times. "People have ordered stuff, if you would, via e-mail, certainly long before 25 years ago."
However, the genesis of e-commerce, as the world has come to know it, probably is a lot more recent than 1983, Haff added.
"I wouldn't say 'e-commerce,' if you think about it, really was anything approaching mass market until the Web era," he said. "I'd say we really had mass market closer to 10 years than 25. But, sure, you can find early examples."
"Our original concept was to build databases that could be infinitely expanded for any product," he explained. "It's utterly incredible. We were uploading data at 350 bits per second then, and now we have people buying things from eBay and Amazon on a click of a mouse without even thinking. It's astonishing how far we've gone."
Gartner analyst Avivah Litan shared that enthusiasm.
"I was thinking yesterday about an interview I had with Bill Gates before Windows came out," she told the E-Commerce Times. "I asked him what was in the future, and he said, 'graphics.' Back in the beginning, the interfaces were kind of kludgy, awkward, kind of heavy and hard to use."
For Better or Worse
As much as e-commerce has matured, it's still mostly potential.
"It's still only around 10 percent or less of all sales in the U.S.," At some point, it will probably get 20 to 25 percent. But at this point, more people use it to window shop than actually make a purchase."
The explosive growth in e-commerce hasn't been all good.
"We saw the crooks come in, which is what I follow the closest now."It's not as safe as it used to be."
Whatever its roots are, e-commerce has matured into a major business category, an equity analyst at Standard & Poor's.
"Clearly, e-commerce has gone from kind of a glimmer in someone's eye to arguably one of the most important and powerful developments, I'd say, in modern-day commerce. "It has become not just popular or pervasive, but also critical for both companies and consumers as they look for goods online and, in many cases, are often selling goods online."
Randall said he was content to let others apply their own ingenuity to what he and Hall began in their living room."I feel like the guy who invented the Stanley Steamer," he said. "It didn't end up as the model used in the automobile industry, but it played a part."

*****

Source:E-commerce times

Ritz

http://www.jewelrydays.com/

My Life Is Beautiful

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

*****

http://www.jewelrydays.com/

My Life Is Beautiful

"The Bejeweled Car"

"This car stands a good chance of getting stolen with all that bling on it, but at least it'll never get into an accident..You can see it coming miles away!"

If you think the stylish and glamorous Mercedes Benz SL550 is still not enough to grab everyone’s attention, then maybe a DIAMOND covered SL550 will most definitely do.. Or rather, overdo.

This one was unveiled at an auto show in oil-rich Dubai, most probably to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the legendary Mercedes Benz SL550...This Precious, embellished ride is said to be owned by Saudi Arabian businessman Prince Waleed Bin Talal, the world's fourth-richest man. If you want to feel the diamonds..well, the cost of touching it is $1000..and the total for this diamond studded car is a whooping $4.8M.. Some people just have all the fun!

**********

Ritz

http://www.jewelrydays.com/

My Life Is Beautiful

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

www.jewelrydays.com

My Life Is Beautiful

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/

My Life Is Beautiful

Another Record-Breaking Auction for a Diamond Today

A Sotheby's employee holds the largest brilliant-cut D-color flawless diamond during a preview at Sotheby's in Geneva, Switzerland.

An 84.37-carat white diamond touted by Sotheby's for its unprecedented size and beauty could beat the record today, Wednesday, for the most expensive jewel ever sold at an auction.

Sotheby's estimate on the jewel: a whopping 12-16 million dollars.

"In my 32-year career, this stone ranks among the most beautiful diamonds I have ever seen," David Bennett, the auction house's chairman of jewelry for Europe and the Middle East, said last month when announcing the sale. He called it a "magnificent and unique stone."

The diamond has received the highest possible grading:

- D-color, or finest white,
- has flawless clarity,
- its cut, polish and symmetry have all been graded excellent.

The New York-based company is hoping the "Magnificent Jewels" sale at Geneva's historic Beau Rivage hotel will help it bounce back from the disheartening results of its Impressionist and Modern Art auction, which sent its stock tumbling.

The sale last week fetched $269.7 million, well short of estimates, and led some analysts to speculate whether the flight from risk currently gripping financial markets may be spilling over into the art world.

The company announced that it lost $14.6 million by purchasing paintings that failed to sell.

The white diamond already has been showcased in Hong Kong, Paris, New York, Rome, Los Angeles, London, Dubai and Bahrain. The auction Wednesday will also feature other diamonds, colored stones and gems from the world's leading jewelers.

Source: KEPR CBS 19 News



Today's auction at Sotheby might become another record-breaking event, the selling of the most expensive diamond ever to be auctioned. As stated above, this 84-carat diamond has garnered the highest possible grades in diamond ratings so it is expected that it would be sold for a very high amount. It also appears that the company really needs to sell this diamond at the right price so as to bring back the money they lost on previous auctions. Well, let us find out if this first-class diamond will reach everybody's expectations.




!!!!!!!!!!!!!!UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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And the 84-carat diamond goes to.....

GUESS clothing company founder GEORGES MARCIANO.

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Marciano's winning bid, made by telephone, came to $16,189,769 including the buyer's premium. It was just short of the all-time auction record for a stone or piece of jewelry, a record held by the same Sotheby's branch in Geneva for a 100.1-carat diamond that fetched $16.5 million in 1995.

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Source: AZCENTRAL

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So I guess it was not a record-breaking deal at the Sotheby auction yesterday, but still, the precious diamond was sold for a hefty amount which it deserves. Let us just wait for the next big auction and for the future record-breakers.

*****************

http://www.jewelrydays.com/

--My Life Is Beautiful

A True Hero - Founder of $10,000 Diamond Earrings

MADISON, Wis. - A garbage truck operator is being hailed as a hero for finding $10,000 worth of diamonds that had accidentally been thrown away.

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"We got a call from a customer that had some earrings in the garbage," said front-load truck operator Ron Lund.

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At Pellitteri Waste, where Mr. Lund works, those types of calls come in about once a month so he really wasn't surprised, though these were no average earrings. They were $10,000 diamond earrings from a local jewelry store, WISC-TV reported.

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What surprised him is he actually found them!

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"I'm thinking, 'No way, I'll never find them,'" said Lund. "I told them, 'Good Luck,'" he laughed.
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On his route, Lund picks up garbage from more than 130 businesses, including the jeweler.

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"I was thinking, 'Little diamonds versus 30,000 pounds of garbage,'" said Lund. "No way."

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But, those little diamonds got him looking.

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"I kind of knew where the store was on the load," said Lund. "So I drove forward to lay it out."

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And the digging began.

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"I grabbed a bag and started looking in there and that's where I found them," said Lund. "I found one first then I thought the other's got to be in the bag, and I found the other one."
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It took him a total of eight minutes.

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"I was just surprised I found them," said Lund. "I'm surprised anybody would find them."
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The business owner gave him an $80 reward.

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Lund said that he decided to try his luck again.
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"I already spent it," he said. "I went and bought Powerball tickets. I figure I found the earrings, I'll buy the tickets and maybe I'll get lucky."

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Lund also admitted he once dumped all his keys into the garbage, and was lucky enough to find them, too.

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Source: Channel 3000

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What a very remarkable deed (..and luck!) done by Ron Lund! Who would have thought you could find something tiny and valuable in heaps of trash. What I did not like about the incident though, was that the company only gave kind, hardworking, and honest Mr. Lund only 80 bucks. I mean, for something worth $10,000? They could have at least given him a thousand, 500, or even just make it a hundred. I just think he deserves more than 80. Surprisingly, amidst all the surprises, Mr. Lund was happy about it and bought himself Powerball tickets. I commend Mr. Ron Lund for a job well done, not only being honest, but someone who does good without asking for anything in a return. Ron Lund, you are a true hero and a fine example for us all!

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***********

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

Top 10 Rare U.S. Coins

Why do people collect coins and why are they deemed valuable aside from them being simply cash? Every single coin gives us a fascinating historical record and a unique story. Just by looking at a coin's design, mint mark, condition and composition,one can glimpse into history and a better understanding of the past.

Some people collect coins in the hope that they will appreciate in value. Some coins have intrinsic bullion value (such as silver, gold and platinum coins). Others become valuable because they are rare.

Coin collecting, one of the oldest hobbies, was once practiced only by kings and the wealthy. That's why coin collecting is often called the "king of hobbies" and the "hobby of kings." Today, there are millions of coin collectors in the United States alone. The thriving coin-collecting community, which includes clubs throughout the United States provides numerous opportunities for collectors to meet and trade.

The first United States coins were copper cents, which were struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1793. At that time, production was manually intensive and the coins were struck one at a time. Today, about seven hundred coins can be produced in one minute.

Shown below are the top 10 rare coins in the United States.

10

1943 Copper Penny

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The Second World War meant big rationing on copper, and the US Mint was no exception. Most wartime pennies were instead made of a brass-steel alloy, except for a few struck from the outlawed bronze (a copper alloy). The difference: the common brass version will stick to a magnet, while the bronze won't - it could be worth big bucks.

(Mint - a place where coins of a country are manufactured under government authority. Today, United States Mint facilities in Philadelphia and Denver produce all U.S. circulating coins.)

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1776 Silver Continental Dollar
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Not long after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the new United States Congress decided to assert its freedom by striking the first true American currency. The design, usually attributed to Benjamin Franklin, is a whimsical motif including the words "fugio" (time flies) and "mind your business," along with thirteen interlocking rings representing the colonies. Many were struck in pewter and a few dozen remain, but the silver version is very rare.

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1866
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This famous silver coin, owned by the DuPont family, was the target of a heist in 1967 and only recovered just a few years ago. Just a few denominations, and probably only the one duPont dollar, were produced without the classic "In God We Trust" motto in 1866. According to some sources, it was upon special request from a collector and friend of mint executives, a pharmacist who provided opium to the workers in return.

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Almost Anything from 1870
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...or more specifically, from 1870 and created in San Francisco. Three of the most coveted collector coins - the 1870-S Half-Dime, 1870-S Silver Dollar and 1870-S Gold $3 coin (the S stands for the mint city) - come from the year when construction began on a new mint in San Francisco. Just a few coins in those denominations were produced that year, most of which were destined to be embedded in the foundation's cornerstone.

6

1913 Liberty Head Nickel

This five-cent piece is a numismatic legend. Despite being retired in 1912, five nickels with the "Liberty Head" design were struck in 1913 and came into the possession of one man. The collector started a rumor about their existence, driving up the value of the nickel if one was ever found but neglecting to mention he had all five. They were sold a few years later and, in a recent change of hands, one was valued at 3 million dollars.

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1974 Aluminum Penny

With the rising price of copper, in the early 1970s it almost cost as much to make a cent as the penny was worth. The US Mint tested alternatives, like this aluminum penny that was sent out to VIPs as a sample, and then never recouped.

4

1861 Confederate States Half-Dollar
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The New Orleans Mint came under the control of the Confederate States in 1861, but without a reserve of precious metals, the South chose paper money instead of coinage to support their war efforts. The few Confederate cents and half-dollars that were struck were virtually unknown until they began popping up in private collections after the Civil War.

3

The Brasher Doubloon
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Before New York adopted the new constitution in 1789 it, like other states, had the right to issue its own state coinage. Goldsmith Ephraim Brasher got one of those contracts, to mint copper coins, but it appears he largely ignored that material and went on to produce several very artistic gold specimens for reasons unknown. Just seven of these unique coins are known to exist.

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1804 Draped Bust Dollar
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When the Jackson administration, in 1834, wanted to dole out coin sets to foreign dignitaries, there was a problem - silver dollars hadn't been pressed for thirty years, to combat a rash of counterfeit schemes. The mint was ordered to press eight silver dollars for the occasion and they were dated 1804, the only dollar coins that would ever bear that year. Today, each has a value of over one million dollars.

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1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle
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In 1933, with the Depression in full swing, President Roosevelt took the country off the gold standard and recalled all gold coins for melting. About a dozen never made it back to the mint or were smuggled out again by enterprising employees, including this one, which resurfaced in 1992 and was confiscated by the Secret Service. In 1933 it had a face value of $20; in 2002, it was sold at auction for over 7 million dollars.

Source: Live Science



As seen with the collection of the top ten rarest United States coins, we had a journey to the past. Not only do pictures or documents live an imprint on the past, coins too, and even gems. Like diamonds, when extensively studied, we learn more about the past, the time when none of us were even living in this planet yet. Let us treasure these relics of history because they are not only records of the past events, but they are also constant reminders of how the world and everything in it, went through life's journey full of obstacles, thus giving us what we have today.

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http://www.jewelrydays.com/

--My Life Is Beautiful

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.