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Paula' jewels
Grammy award-winning artist and American Idol judge Paula Abdul presents Forever Your Girl, an HSN exclusive collection of jewelry, handbags, and accessories that captures her spirit and fashion sense. Each season, Paula designs and distributes jewelry for the aspiring singers on American Idol as a keepsake of their experience. Beginning this month, her fans will be able to buy similar items on HSN. Paula Abdul''s extraordinary music career is exemplified by worldwide album sales exceeding 30 million records, two #1 Albums, six #1 Singles, a Grammy Award, seven MTV Awards, two Emmy Awards, two People''s Choice Awards, and Kids Choice Awards. The singer-dancer-choreographer''s other plans include her first album of new material in over a decade and a new reality TV special for MTV called Rah! Paula Abdul''s Cheerleading Bowl.Paula Abdul''s extraordinary music career is exemplified by worldwide album sales exceeding 30 million records, two #1 Albums, six #1 Singles, a Grammy Award, seven MTV Awards, two Emmy Awards, two People''s Choice Awards, and Kids Choice Awards. Now that she has left American Idol US as the brilliant judge she will dedicate more time designing her precious jewels.
Serena's jewelry
Tennis star Serena Williams is launching a new line of jewelry, accessories and clothing in cooperation with HSN (Home Shopping Network). The line will be called Signature Statement and will launch on April 30, 2009. "I always want to make a statement, both on and off the court," Williams said. "One of my dreams has always been to share gorgeous gifts of fashion and luxury with the world. Off the court, my passion is fashion. Signature Statement is my own line of accessories and fashion, complete from jewelry to dresses." The collection will retail from $29.95 to $100 and includes a fashion-forward range of jewelry, handbags and knits. Williams described the accessories as "feminine, classic, statement pieces." Williams joins the ranks of Iman and Paula Abdul, who have developed accessories lines with the $3 billion HSN, which, like its competitor, QVC, is focused on supplying viewers with fresh talent and bold-faced names. "The world has always known Serena to be number one on the tennis court, and now they''ll rediscover her as a fashion icon because she brings the same dedication and expertise to her collection as she does to the court," said Joy Mangano, HSN president of Ingenious Designs, a wholly owned subsidiary that operates the firm''s celebrity division.
Giving the Gift of Giving
The holiday season is coming up so we give you some great tips for who and when you can buy the proper jewelry. Or cash ;-) Jewelry Friends can buy each other jewelry. Family members can buy each other jewelry. But you need to be really, really careful before you buy jewelry for your significant other. Fun, trendy jewelry is one thing, but I''m talking "fine" jewelry: gemstones, precious metals. Diamonds. Do not get your new girlfriend diamonds. Any gift of jewelry is seen as a sign of serious commitment. It''s an investment. Not just in the gift, but in the future: you don''t want that girl to flush your three months'' salary down the toilet if things don''t end well. Cash Cash is a perfectly acceptable gift if you''re giving a bar mitzvah gift or graduation present. Provided that you''re at least ten years older than the person you''re giving the cash to. Getting cash from one''s own peers feels wrong. And just a little dirty. If you''re at a loss, get one of the aforementioned gift certificates, or even a pre-paid bank card that can be used wherever major credit cards are accepted. Just stay away from cash—or checks—unless it''s less a gift and more a payment for services rendered. source: jewelry blog
“Vivid Pink” Diamond May Break Sale Record In Hong Kong
A rare, 5-carat pink diamond will be sold in Hong Kong this December by Christie''s. Experts predict that the jewel may reach near world record prices, thanks mainly to the enthusiasm of top Asian jewelry collectors. Set in a "cushion-cut" ring by famed jewellers Graff Diamonds, the diamond is predicted to bring in between $5 - $7 when it goes on auction later this year. It is very feasible the stone breaks the current world auction record for a pink diamond. In 1994, a 19.66-carat diamond sold in Geneva for $7.4 million. Despite is smaller size, the 5-carat pink diamond is highly praised for its “vivid pink” color and near perfect clarity, and is expected to sell at a similar price. In fact, the jewel is considered one of the best colored diamonds to appear in recent years: "There are pink diamonds and then there are pink diamonds," exclaimed Francois Curiel, the international head of Christie''s jewelry department. "It is extremely rare for a stone of such top quality to appear on the market with top notes in color, cut, clarity and carat weight. This 5-carat vivid pink gem combines the best of all criteria," he added. Despite it not being flawless, the South African-mined diamond’s blemishes could be removed through minor re-polishing according to experts from Christie’s. Last May, Christie''s sold a 101.27-carat diamond in Hong Kong for $6.2 million. According to Kate Malin, a spokeswoman for Christie’s in Asia: "Asian collectors rank among our most important group of buyers ... Hong Kong is firmly alongside New York and Geneva as a top center for the best jewels." What makes this colored diamond stand apart from the rest? "In the fascinating realm of natural color diamonds, those of a distinct pink hue are among the rarest and most sought after," Christie''s maintained. source: David Berkovits
RAPAPORT... Ross Simons jewelers is carrying a new line of jewelry from supermodel Christie Brinkley, and the retailer''s vice president of marketing discusses how the collection has been received so far. Jovella 2009 may have had fewer exhibitors, but those in attendance remain confident in the future of Israel''s jewelry industry. Source: diamonds.net
New Diamond Organization Formed to Steer Industry Marketing Effort
RAPAPORT... The International Diamond Board (IDB) was established over the weekend to improve the public relations efforts of and the generic marketing campaign for the diamond industry. “The overarching mission of the IDB is to create and sustain strong consumer demand for diamonds worldwide through effective category marketing,” according to a statement distributed on behalf of IDB by Rio Tinto Diamonds and BHP Billiton. IDB, which will be incorporated in the U.K., is the result of deliberations by an industry working group initiated at the 2008 St. Petersburg Forum. The group’s steering committee consisted of representatives from the major diamond mining companies — De Beers, ALROSA, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Harry Winston. A wider range of industry representatives is said to have attended the meeting on Thursday that formalized the launch of IDB. The group explained that participants in the working group adopted a broad charter to examine the potential role of the organization and to determine how best it could be structured. It is currently in the process of recruiting a “high-caliber” chief executive officer (CEO) to lead the organization. “Over the next 12 months the IDB will focus on building the organization and initiating its first category public relations and communication program,” according to the statement. Among IDB''s immediate tasks that are “critical” to its success is the securing of support from all parts of the diamond value chain, it added. Source: diamondsnet.net/ By Avi Krawitz
Hezbollah Diamond Smugglers Put On U.S. Terrorists List
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has designated Kassim Tajideen and Abd Al Menhem Qubaysi, two Africa-based supporters of Hezbollah, as terrorists providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. The U.S. has announced the freezing of any assets these Lebanese traders may have under U.S. jurisdiction and is prohibiting Americans from engaging in any transactions with them. Tajideen is an important financial contributor to Hezbollah who operates a network of businesses in Lebanon and Africa. He has contributed tens of millions of dollars to the terrorist organization and has sent it funds through his brother, a Hezbollah commander in Lebanon. In addition, Tajideen and his brothers run cover companies for Hezbollah in Africa. Go for full article to: Idexonline.com by Chaim Even-Zohar
Blue Diamond Auctioned for Record $9.49 Million
(May 13, ''09, 3:12 Edahn Golan) The fancy vivid blue, internally flawless, 7.03 carat diamond was auctioned at Sotheby’s was sold Tuesday for $9,488,754, or $1,349,752 per carat - a record per carat price for an auctioned diamond. The exceptionally rare cushion-shaped diamond was cut from a 26.58 carat rough discovered in 2008 at Petra’s Cullinan mine in South Africa. The diamond was the centerpiece item at Sotheby’s Magnificent Jewels auction in Geneva Tuesday evening. According to Petra’s CEO Johan Dippenaar, the price reflects how incredibly rare and collectable such a diamond is to the connoisseur. “The renowned Cullinan mine continues to captivate the world with spectacular diamonds, building on its legacy as the source of some of the world’s most famous gems.” (May 13, ''09 Edahn Golan idexonline.com)
Blue diamond goes for record sum
A rare blue diamond has sold for a record SFr10.5 million ($9.49 million) at auction in Geneva. The winning bid for the 7.03-carat fancy vivid blue diamond was the highest price paid per carat for any gemstone at auction, Sotheby's said after its Magnificient Jewels sale on Tuesday. It is the rarest stone to enter the international market this year and had an estimate of SFr6.8-10 million. It went to an anonymous telephone buyer after a 15-minute bidding battle between two callers. David Bennett, chairman of Sotheby's jewellery department in Europe and the Middle East, said the results showed the market's resilience despite the economic downturn. The previous record price for a fancy vivid blue diamond was SFr8.7 million for a stone weighing 6.04 carats at a sale in Hong Kong in 2007. The new owner will have the right to name the stone, which is mounted on a platinum ring. The internally flawless gemstone was cut from a 26.58-carat rough stone unearthed last year at Petra Diamond's Cullinan mine, near Pretoria, in South Africa source: Swissinfo.ch
26.58 carats
“Big blue diamonds, how they sparkle,” the great American R&B performer Little Willie John once sang, “but what can they do to warm your soul?” An answer of sorts was available at Sotheby’s in London yesterday where a rare — and utterly perfect — blue diamond went on display before going to auction next month. The 7.03 carat diamond, from the Cullinan mine in South Africa, is no wider than a penny piece, but it is one of only a handful in the world and is expected to reach somewhere between $5.8 million and $8.5 million (£3.9 million and £5.7 million) when it is sold in Geneva. Blue diamonds are the rarest variety of that prized gem, and blue diamonds that big, without so much as a single flaw — well, they are so rare that they excite even grizzled veterans who have spent a lifetime in the industry. “It is a sensational stone,” David Bennett, head of Sotheby’s jewellery department, said. “Blue diamonds all have their own character; this one has real presence. It is magical and mysterious as well as beautiful.” Gary Monnickendam, who cut the stone, said: “As cutters, we live to cut the occasional blue diamond, because it is so exciting. If you get the opportunity to do the best it is like a privilege.” It took Mr Monnickendam seven weeks to produce the final stone from the rough diamond: two weeks of just looking at it, and then five weeks of cutting and polishing. “I’m in a state of postnatal depression now,” he said. “It’s like giving birth.” So excited was the assembled company at Sotheby’s New Bond Street headquarters that nobody could quite remember how many facets the cushion-cut stone had. “I don’t know,” the woman looking after the stone said. “I don’t know,” Mr Bennett said. Even Mr Monnickendam had forgotten. The answer, which emerged after a swift, slightly embarrassing phone call, was 58. The original stone, which weighed 26.58 carats, was discovered last September in the Cullinan mine in Gauteng Province, the same mine that produced the largest rough diamond in the world, from which was cut the Great Star of Africa, which is part of the Crown Jewels. Most diamonds are white, or off-white, or yellow or brown: blue diamonds get their colour from the presence of the chemical boron. Cathy Malins, from Petra Diamonds, which owns the mine, said: “At our mine in South Africa we mine between two or three million tonnes of rock a year, but we would be very lucky to get maybe one, maybe two blue diamonds out of that. Quite simply we don’t know when we’ll mine another one.” Being blue is one thing: being flawless is another. “We were very nervous all the way through the cutting process,” Mr Monnickendam, a fourth-generation diamond cutter, said. His patience, skill and experience paid off, and the resulting stone was graded by the Gemological Institute of America as fancy vivid blue, the highest ranking. Now all they have to do is sell it. For the past three weeks the stone has been on tour, from Hong Kong to New York by way of Paris, and is due to travel next to Geneva where it will form the centrepiece of the Magnificent Jewels sale on May 12. A 3.73ct blue diamond sold in Geneva last May set a record price of $1,328,444 per carat. With the economic downturn, Mr Bennett said, they were expecting more like $850,000 a carat, but he still believed that there were buyers out there. “It will be bought by somebody who wants the cachet of something that nobody else has, somebody who wants something that is exceptionally beautiful and exceptionally rare. I’m optimistic that even in this market the rarity of the stone will carry it along.” It''s new owner will wear it a couple of times on special occasions and lock it up for many years until it''s sold to another person who will do the same... what a waste of money. "(£3.9 - £5.7 million)" This amount could save the lives of 10,000 African kids, where the stone was taken from... source: timesonline.co.uk
No Money for Nothing
Indian diamond banks (and they are probably not the only ones) definitely have some serious sub-prime quality diamond clients. Some of these sub-prime clients may act in ways which will not only figuratively “rob the bank,” but also endanger the entire industry’s future access to affordable credit or to credit at all. As we are writing these lines, an Indian Diamond Trading Company (DTC) Sightholder, a prominent Kathiawari dealer, who owes some $200 million to the State Bank of India, is waiting for an answer to a “friendly ultimatum” that he posed to the bank: You wave one-third of our debt; you agree that we repay the balance over a period of 10 years; and we shall not pay any interest. The bank hasn’t replied yet, because, as is frequently the case in India, the bank acts mainly as the lead lender in a wider consortium. The fact that the credit is spread over a number of different banks increases the likelihood that the sub-prime borrower may actually have it his way. By Chaim Even-Zohar Go for the full article to: idexonline.com
The great diamond heist 2003
Editor''s note: This article will appear in Wired magazine''s April issue, on sale March 24, 2009. It is being published online now because the subject of the story, Leonardo Notarbartolo, was released from prison in Belgium this week. Leonardo Notarbartolo strolls into the prison visiting room trailing a guard as if the guy were his personal assistant. The other convicts in this eastern Belgian prison turn to look. Notarbartolo nods and smiles faintly, the laugh lines crinkling around his blue eyes. Though he''s an inmate and wears the requisite white prisoner jacket, Notarbartolo radiates a sunny Italian charm. A silver Rolex peeks out from under his cuff, and a vertical strip of white soul patch drops down from his lower lip like an exclamation mark. In February 2003, Notarbartolo was arrested for heading a ring of Italian thieves. They were accused of breaking into a vault two floors beneath the Antwerp Diamond Center and making off with at least $100 million worth of loose diamonds, gold, jewelry, and other spoils. The vault was thought to be impenetrable. It was protected by 10 layers of security, including infrared heat detectors, Doppler radar, a magnetic field, a seismic sensor, and a lock with 100 million possible combinations. The robbery was called the heist of the century, and even now the police can''t explain exactly how it was done. The loot was never found, but based on circumstantial evidence, Notarbartolo was sentenced to 10 years. He has always denied having anything to do with the crime and has refused to discuss his case with journalists, preferring to remain silent for the past six years. Until now. Notarbartolo sits down across from me at one of the visiting room''s two dozen small rectangular tables. He has an intimidating reputation. The Italian anti-Mafia police contend he is tied to the Sicilian mob, that his cousin was tapped to be the next the capo dei capi—the head of the entire organization. Notarbartolo intends to set the record straight. He puts his hands on the table. He has had six years to think about what he is about to say. "I may be a thief and a liar," he says in beguiling Italian-accented French. "But I am going to tell you a true story." Go for the full fascinating article to: www.wired.com
Mugabe's wife buys diamond plant
Grace Mugabe, the wife of Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, bought a diamond cutting and polishing plant in Qingdao, China, writes The Sunday Times today. A multi-million-dollar investment. According to The Sun, Britain''s biggest circulating newspaper with over 3 million readers daily, Grace''s biggest extravagance until now was blowing a cool £75 000 in TWO hours in Paris last year. The paper named Grace in a list of spouses of the rich and famous who were "big spenders", documenting how the 40-year-old former secretary to Mugabe has "battered" the 80-year-old leader''s wallet. "Grace has managed to work her way through an estimated £2,1 million most of it on diamonds during her frequent shopping sprees," the paper said. Grace''s lavish spending has been a major discussion point in Zimbabwe for years. She has been to almost all the famous fashion houses in the world, including Harrods in London which was her favourite stop before the European Union barred her an her husband from travelling there over human rights violations. Grace is definitely in good company in The Sun''s "merry wives of wonga" list. Also listed is Imelda Marcos, wife of the late Phillippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos. She reputedly owns 3 000 pairs of designer shoes. Mrs. Mugabe''s indulgencies appear all the more vulgar in Zimbabwe where almost half the country''s population is in need of food aid. Asked recently how she justified travelling to Europe to spend thousands on Ferragamo shoes while her people starved, she replied simply: "I have very narrow feet, so I wear only Ferragamo." Grace began regularly commandeering jets from state airline Air Zimbabwe to ferry her around the world on spending sprees, tearing out seats on return flights to accommodate the spoils of her trip. The UK Daily Mirror speculated recently that they are thought to have spent £200 million on jet fuel. In London, Grace would insist on taking over a suite at the exclusive Claridge''s Hotel. Bodyguards in tow, she would cruise through Harrods before piling her purchases into her chauffeur-driven Mercedes. On one of her London shopping sprees Grace spent £40,000 in an afternoon. At home the spending was just as spectacular. Before the couple were married, Grace was embroiled in controversy after using £500,000 of government funds to build a 30-bedroom mansion in the capital Harare. She named it Gracelands, in honour of herself and her hero Elvis Presley. The High Court ruled the loans taken out on the property were illegal but when Grace sold the mansion to the Libyan Government for £3 million in 2000, she kept the profits. A year after Gracelands was sold, Grace demanded that her husband start work on a new £6million mansion outside Harare. And she went on a spending spree to kit it out. The three-storey home was fitted with imported Italian sunken baths and oriental rugs. It also has a swimming pool decorated with gold, diamonds and other expensive gems.
Belgian diamond trade declines
Belgium’s diamond trade posted significant declines in January as global demand for both rough and polished remained poor. “With the impact of the global financial crisis growing, demand for diamonds continues to fall, as seen in the latest figures for Belgian imports and exports of rough and polished goods in January,” the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (ADWC) explained Thursday in its monthly release of the country’s diamond trade data. Polished exports in January fell 26 percent to $558.4 million, with declines registered for most of the country’s major export destinations. Most notably, exports to the U.S. fell 43 percent, exports to Hong Kong decreased 37 percent and exports to Israel dropped 58 percent. Increases were recorded in exports to the U.K., up 88 percent, and to Switzerland, rising 8 percent. Belgium’s polished imports decreased 13 percent to $656.5 million. Belgium’s net polished exports — exports less imports — were in a deficit of $98 million, far beyond the deficit of $965,749 reported in January 2008. Rough imports dropped 44 percent to $460.6 million, while rough exports fell 68 percent to $304.4 million. Net rough imports — rough imports less exports — were $156.2 million, compared with a deficit of $141 million in 2008. Belgium’s net diamond account, or total exports less total imports, fell to a deficit of $254.2 million, compared with a positive net account of $140 million in January 2008. Belgium Rough and Polished Diamond Imports and Exports January 2009 By Value By Volume 2009 ($ Mil) % Change From ''08 YTD 2009 ($ Mil) % Change From ''08 2009 (Cts 000s) % Change From ''08 Polished Exports $558.43 -26% $558.43 -26% 471.05 -34% Polished Imports $656.45 -13% $656.45 -13% 616.62 -25% Net Polished Exports ($98.01) N/A ($98.01) N/A (145.57) 34% Rough Imports $460.57 -44% $460.57 -44% 8,668.36 -35% Rough Exports $304.37 -68% $304.37 -68% 4,642.21 -69% Net Rough Imports $156.20 N/A $156.20 N/A 4,026.15 N/A Net Diamond Account ($254.22) N/A ($254.22) N/A (4,171.71) N/A rappaport
IDEX Online Research: Christmas Lessons to Apply at Valentine’s (for the whole article from Ken Gassman go to idexonline.com) The 2008 holiday selling season was one of the worst on record for the jewelry industry. But a few jewelers bucked the trend and posted a gain in sales. What did those successful jewelers do? With the Valentine’s selling period in full swing, it is time to review one more time what worked – and what didn’t work at Christmas. There are lessons to be learned from jewelers’ successes. By applying those lessons now and over the next few months, jewelers can leverage consumer demand for jewelry. The Good IDEX Online Research suggests that about 10 percent (maybe less) of all jewelers posted a sales increase in the holiday selling season. A greater percentage (perhaps 20-25%) posted an increase in transactions, even if sales weren’t up. This trend is likely to continue through the first three quarters of 2009, if economists’ predictions turn out to be correct. The lesson: Consumers with incomes above $100,000 spend far more per capita on jewelry than any other income level. Don’t neglect this core group of consumers with excellent long term potential. Stay in contact with them. At some point, they will loosen their purse strings and reward themselves for their austerity by purchasing a small token of jewelry. (for this whole article from Ken Gassman go to idexonline.com)
Jewelry at the Golden Globes
Jewelry at the Golden Globes We always see a wide range of jewelry at awards presentations, but there are usually a few jewelry styles that outshine the rest. Take a close look at Geena''s head-to-toe red look , Gwyneth''s classic lace and pearls and some of the other jewelry that celebs chose for the awards ceremonies. Have you ever wondered where celebrities shop for all the jewelry and fashions they wear to awards shows? Some of them don''t have to go shopping at all... Bling and Beyonce just seem to go hand in hand, and the diva proved that she can carry off some serious heavy-weight jewels at the Golden Globes. The singer-come-actress sported this sparkling Lorraine Schwartz diamond fringe necklace with matching earrings; the perfect compliment to her embroidered Ellie Saab couture gown. Maybe a little pressie from Jay-Z? Eva Mendes chose to accessorise her white pleated Dior gown with this eye-catching multi-layered turquoise necklace. The Spirit actress injected a bright pop of colour to an otherwise neutral dress, which instantly made the whole look more youthful, vibrant and fun. A perfect example of how a well chosen statement necklace can transform an outfit. Maggie Gyllenhaal eschewed the traditional diamonds and instead rocked these rather fabulous gold drop earrings. The unusual cone shape has a golden horses head dangling from the bottom, reminiscent of a merry-go-round pony. Ten out of ten for originality. Kate Beckinsale''s sassy hand-on-hip pose serves not only to emphasise her slim waist but also to draw attention to her wrist-full of diamond bracelets. Four antique Fred Leighton diamond bracelets must surely require a slew of security guards. In a bold move, the actress teamed her bracelets with a not perfectly matching pair of drop earrings. Isla Fischer demonstrates how choosing the right stones for your colouring can take you from ordinary to A-List. The Wedding Crashers actress emphasised her russet locks and warm colouring with a pair of champagne diamond and golden brown pearl earrings by pearl specialist, Yvel. Why wear white diamonds when you can wear much more expensive, infinitely rarer yellow ones? Christina Applegate''s canary yellow diamond drop earrings and white and yellow diamond flower necklace coordinate seamlessly with her pale yellow Roberto Cavalli gown. If playing it safe in a strapless LBD, then you can afford to have a little more fun with your jewels! One Tree Hill starlet Sophia Bush got the balance just right by accessorising with this beautiful vintage-inspired Badgely Mischka necklace, which against anything other than the simplest of dresses would have completely lost its charm. Loving the chic jewelled headband too.
Will 'blood' kill diamonds at the Oscars?
s the international diamond industry getting really, really, really nervous about the impact of "The Blood Diamond” on their Christmas and Valentine’s Day gem sales? You bet. Almost three months before the Warner Bros film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimoun Hounsou, is due for release (Dec. 15), the World Diamond Corporation has launched a major offensive campaign with a big ad in large newspapers (and on their website) explaining that the "conflict" or "blood diamond" problem has been solved. The ads mention the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, a plan put in place to certify a stone''s origins, insuring that no conflict stones enter the marketplace. The KPCS is currently under review with results on the program''s effectiveness due out this fall. Why is the WDC trying to fend off criticism so early? Have they seen any film footage? No, according to studio sources. But the diamond industry seems to be shaking in their bright shiny shoes, worried that consumers will believe that conflict diamonds are still being smuggled and sold. Or worse, that they will read about the stones being a viable currency funding international terrorist forces such as Al Qaeda and Hezbollah. “If they want to educate the public, that’s great. The more information on conflict diamonds that gets out, the better,” says a source close to the film about the WDC''s pro-active ads. “Unfortunately, their ads do not tell the whole story, that, despite their attempts to police their industry, there are flaws and loopholes in the Kimberley Process.” Amnesty International and Global Witness still warn of ongoing inadequacies in the diamond industry’s ability to curtail or control "blood diamond" sales. Whatever happens to the diamond market, it will be interesting to see how A-list actresses will cope with questions about their bling in December, when "Blood Diamond," and other Oscar hopeful films, are released. Here''s a sampling: Did the jeweler who loaned you that million dollar necklace mention how many people had their hands hacked off for it? How do you feel knowing that your pretty ring could have funded Hezbollah? Or that those fabulous chandelier earrings may have bought arms for Osama? May I suggest that any Oscar-hopefuls planning on wearing diamonds on the carpets have a prepared answer to these inevitable questions, along with the notes on who designed their gowns and made their shoes. Otherwise, they''ll risk looking stupid, vapid and uninformed. And that sure won''t help an Oscar campaign, now will it? source: LA Times/ Amy Graves
diamonds are a steel girls best friend
Jeanne was in town to try to get an audience with top labor officials to ask for permission to close a steel mill that she owns. Thirty years ago, she and her husband were so poor that they were scavenging industrial garbage dumps for scrap. They eventually acquired a smelter, and 15 years later, they had 1,180 furnaces. These have been working at pretty much full blast for 20 years, supplying steel for the Chinese real estate boom. Before today, Jeanne had seen better times. She is on the V.I.P. list of all the luxury brands, particularly jewelers, since she firmly believes that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. But since the economy has slowed, she has a huge stockpile of steel that has not been moving, and cash flow has become a problem. She succeeded in selling some minority shares in her firm to a Russian company but was told by the Chinese government that steel plants are strategic assets. Although privately owned, she needed government approval before being able to go ahead with the transaction. The global financial crisis has made things worse. Jeanne told me she was losing about $30 million (200 million renminbi) every month, and she wants to close the plant. But local officials told her that she cannot close the plant because it will cause unemployment. They further stipulated that if she wants to fire people, she has to apply with her local government for permission to cut 20 jobs at a time.Jeanne has been desperate. Coming this week to Beijing, where she has a penthouse apartment, was her last attempt at saving her steel mill. She will petition the government to allow her to close the mill for six months, but she is not sure whether she will be successful. “What if they won’t let you?” I asked. “Then I will just sell all the equipment as scrap,” she said, not at all aware of the irony that she started by salvaging scrap metal, “and I will just walk away.” “But that’s so sad, ” I said. “What about the 4 trillion yuan [$586 billion] economic incentive money the government has?” “Huh,” she sneered. “I bet you not a penny will be spent on private companies like mine. They will just buy majority equity at bargain basement price and wipe us out.” She looked angry, and then she smiled. She said she wanted to show me something. Like a drug dealer trying to show her stash, she looked around to make sure that no one was watching, and then slowly took her hand out of her pocket and showed me a huge yellow transparent rock on her middle finger. “I got it last week,” she said with a smile. “Better than a steel mill. This I can take with me if I leave.” China’s private sector is hurting, and there is no bailout plan for it. Even closing the plant does not seem to be an option. That’s why in southern China, many owners have simply abandoned their factories. Jeanne is right: at times like this, make sure you can wear your wealth around your neck, or on your finger, when you get on a plane. source: The New York Times / hung huang
Antwerp Diamond Sector Contributes €500 mln to Belgian Foreign Trade
Antwerp’s diamond sector contributed about 70 percent of Belgium’s positive trade balance – €1.6 billion out of a total of € 2.3 billion, recent research found as well as an important employer. The research findings are published on the heels of yet another raid by police in the sector, contributing to the growing unease among traders, who are already shifting the bulk their business out of the country. According to the research project by Prof. Dr. Joep Konings and Stijn Vanormelingen at the Catholic University of Louvain (KUL), Antwerp plays a critical role in the economies of Belgium, Flanders and the Province of Antwerp. Among the findings of the research: · The Antwerp diamond sector continues to be a critical generator of both direct and indirect employment in the regional economies, providing more than 34,000 jobs; · The Antwerp diamond sector is a major source of revenue for the national economy, contributing about €500 million of the added value generated by Belgium’s foreign trade; · The Antwerp diamond sector is Belgium’s largest exporter to countries outside the European Community, claiming 14.3 percent of all non-EU exports. “It is impossible to underestimate the importance of the diamond business,” said Freddy J. Hanard, CEO of Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC). “From a national economic perspective we are a sector of vital strategic importance, and our government consequently should do all that it can to ensure that we are provided an optimal environment in which we can consolidate and improve our position within the international diamond trade.” Source: IDEX Online Staff Reporter
Intergem Idar-Oberstein 2008
Intergem Idar-Oberstein Als we in een stralend zonnetje de beeldige Duitse stadjes Idar & Oberstein binnenrijden worden we op slag verliefd. De herfstbladeren lijken wel edelstenen met hun prachtige kleuren en de glinstering van de ochtenddauw. Een logische plaats om de vierdaagse Intergem beurs te organiseren dus. En niet alleen de 163 standhouders uit de hele wereld vinden dat, ook vele enthousiaste inkopers, ontwerpers en juweliers genieten van het diverse aanbod en de geoliede organisatie. Juwelen in vele vormen en kleuren, prachtige parels en diamanten in alle soorten, kleuren en maten. De onbewerkte diamanten met hun doffe groenige of beige kleur zijn erg in trek zowel voor collier als oorbellen. Nadat er in de 15e eeuw edelstenen gevonden werden ontstond er op deze plek een industrie met, volgens velen, de hoogste kwaliteit die er in de wereld te vinden is. De romantische achtergrond van de 2 beeldschone dorpjes, de mijn en het in de rotsen uitgehouwen kerkje, de gezellige winkelstraatjes en volop speelruimte voor kinderen maakt dat een bezoek aan Intergem meteen een weekenduitstapje voor het hele gezin kan zijn. Je kan er heerlijk eten in een de vele restaurantjes, ijssalons met zelfgemaakt ijs en natuurlijk is er hier en daar een bierstube. De trotse Intergem- organisatie verheugd zich op hun 25ste beurs in kroonjaar 2009 dat samengaat met de opening van het nieuwe pand. Wat er precies gaat gebeuren wil de organisatie nog niet prijsgeven maar we kunnen ervan opaan dat het een knalfeest zal worden waar terecht naar uitgekeken mag worden. Na een bezoek aan de beurs dromen we op een terrasje nog even weg. Bruce Willis is een Idar-Obersteiner. Men zegt dat hij nog regelmatig een biertje pakt hier. We hebben pech. Wel ontmoeten we Gaby Tolkowsky, de allerbeste diamantslijper ter wereld. Beroemd van de Golden Jubilee, de geelbruine diamant van maar liefst 545.67 karaat die hij heeft geslepen voor Koning Bhumibol van Thailand. De Antwerpenaar met witte haardos en een weelderige witte snor kan prachtig vertellen over zijn leven in diamant en we hangen dan ook aan zijn lippen. Bruce who..?
Hearts On Fire Chandelier Chosen to Light up Emmy’s
Architectural Digest (AD) chose a chandelier by Hearts On Fire to light up the greenroom at the 2008 diamond anniversary of the Primetime Emmy Awards, the diamond jewelry business said in a statement. Celebrities interested in touching this Hearts On Fire 1,000 carat chandelier will be required to wear special white gloves The three-tiered “Hearts On Fire Diamond Chandelier” is made with over 3,300 diamonds totaling over 1,000 carats and valued at over $10 million. The leading design magazine wanted the décor of the greenroom, which is located off stage and only accessible to Emmy nominees and presenters, to reflect a diamond theme, Hearts On Fire said. The chandelier, which was hand-made in Boston by a team lead by Hearts On Fire''s jewelry designer Katherine Rosenberg Pineau, is plated with platinum and has a sleek and modern design consisting of a series of diamond strands that are illuminated by fiber optics. Backstage celebrities will have the opportunity to experience the chandelier first hand by using white gloves to touch and feel the movement of the thousands of diamonds which it comprises. After the Primetime Emmys, the chandelier will be for sale. The sixtieth Primetime Emmy Awards, airing on September 21 marks the seventh consecutive year AD will design the greenroom in which celebrity presenters make their final preparations before heading onstage. Source: IDEX Online Staff Reporter)
INTERGEM Idar-Oberstein 2008
Gemstone expertise Every year in autumn the town of Idar-Oberstein is in thrill to the world of gemstones. Then, over a four-day period, some 160 exhibitors from Germany and abroad come to the INTERGEM trade fair to present the finest gemstones and gemstone jewellery. In a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere jewellers, goldsmiths, designers and jewellery manufacturers can browse a unique selection of gemstones, diamonds and pearls, fine engravings, objets d''art and jewellery incorporating coloured stones and diamonds. The latest products of gemstone mines from around the world are presented here in both traditional and contemporary settings. The range is rounded off with a rich array of accessories, equipment and services for the gemstone business. Presentations and lectures from top-level experts and attractive social events lend this special trade fair a unique flair. Young talent is also present: young, innovative gemstone and jewellery designers present ever-surprising design ideas; modern, fresh and of high quality. They represent a further highlight of this unique fair, at which traditional cutting techniques and more modern aspects unite harmoniously. A good place for inspiration For over two decades now, a visit to the INTERGEM has been a pleasant obligation in the calendar of the industry as a whole. Many of the exhibitors - well-known companies from the gemstone region and international trading companies - attend the most significant fairs and exhibitions around the globe, in the process obtaining an outstanding overview of current trends in fashion, colour and gemstones, as well as the preferences of the consumer. They present gemstones and gemstone jewellery that reflect the top colours of the fashion world. In this remarkable atmosphere specialist retailers can not only obtain targeted information on all facets of gemstones and refresh their range with an eye to the forthcoming Christmas period. Direct contact with traders and cutters also means that they are ideally placed to develop new design ideas. Contact: Intergem Messe GmbH Mainzer Str. 34 D-55743 Idar-Oberstein Phone: +49 6781 - 41015 Fax +49 6781 - 42418 office@intergem.de www.intergem.de
"Jewellery- & Watch-TV"
Introducing a new television program The jewellery and precious stone industry is in a hard fight for the attention of the consumer. The fascination "precious stone" must be experienceable directly for the consumer. Today this can only be achieved over the mass media tellevision in a crossmedia approach. Such programs or broadcas packages are missing till now in the portfolio of the public and private television stations in Germany. However, we can change it with the jewellery and watch TV during the year 2009. The TV professionals Manfred Kliber and Peter Welchering in cooperation with the marketing expert Prof. Stefan Hencke developed a new broadcast concept for television. Jewellery and watch TV will be able to realize a range of four to five million consumers only in Germany. The concept of jewellery and watch TV is presented for the first time at Intergem 2008.
Spinel - a new trend gemstone?
Dr. Ulrich Henn German Gemmological Association (DgemG), Idar-Oberstein Since some time more and more spinels are offered and demanded in the trade, so that one can talk about a certain trend. In the first place pinkish red to red, partly ruby red stones that have a high clarity as well as a good lustre and brilliancy are concerned. The second important colour of spinel is blue which ranges from an intense shining cobalt blue to a greenish blue. Spinels attract by their beautiful bright and vivid colours but are put in the shade by their well known relatives ruby and sapphire with which they usually occur in many deposits in the world. Spinels show the most attractive red colours besides rubies which vary in a vast range from a light pink to a shiny red and dark garnet like red. Further colours are violet and purple as well as rarely green. Important occurances are located in Burma, Tanzania, Tdjikistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam
U.S. Wedding and Engagement Ring Market $8.1 Bln
The U.S. bridal market is sizzling despite tempestuous economic conditions a recently published study by The Wedding Report said. Their analysis suggested that brides and grooms will spend a total of $8.1 billion on wedding and engagement rings in 2008. The study examined various aspects concerning the purchase of engagement and wedding rings including spending, ring components and how and when couples make their decisions. It noted that U.S. spending on engagement rings would total $6.1 billion in 2008, with an additional $2 billion spent on wedding rings. The bridal ring market is expected to grow by 13.4 percent over the next five years to $9.2 billion, the study said. The vast majority of engagement and bridal rings will have diamonds, and more than two thirds will have white gold, the study said. December is the most popular month for engagements and Saturday is the most popular proposal day. Most couples begin their research more than six months before their wedding, and style and cost are the factors most commonly influencing couples’ eventual purchase decision. The city of Berkeley Lake in Georgia ranks highest as the top growth market with an expected 13 percent growth in weddings and 27 percent growth in spending over the next 5 years, the study said. Wedding anniversaries are also important occasions for jewelers. According to IDEX Online’s analyst Ken Gassman, far too many merchants fail to take advantage of this sales opportunity. Just over one-fifth of all non-bridal diamond jewelry is given as an anniversary gift. With the projected increase in the number of weddings, coupled with a modest decline in the divorce rate, the number of wedding anniversaries in the U.S. is seen rising significantly over the next decade. Jewelers who do not maintain a customer database to target customers with upcoming wedding anniversaries are missing out on a large chunk of potential business. IDEX Online found that online diamond retailer Blue Nile appears to have captured over 4 percent of the total diamond engagement ring market in the U.S. Blue Nile’s average ticket for a diamond engagement ring in 2007 was $6,200, up from the prior year’s $5,700. Though this is well above the industry average of $3,210 in 2006, it is in line with the average ticket for a diamond engagement ring at a guild (AGS-type) jeweler. Source: Idex online Writer: Edahn Golan
Homeowners More Likely to Buy Jewelry
A home-owning consumer is likely to spend roughly 50 percent more on jewelry as a consumer who is renting. That’s a significant difference, and one that jewelers should use as an opportunity. When sales associates are making “small talk” with a potential customer, they might ask where the customer lives. Most towns and cities have clearly delineated areas where renters and homeowners are likely to live. Further, when filling out the credit application, the sales associate should perk up at the magic word “homeowner.” That means this customer probably has significant credit potential and should be up-sold. Go for full article to: IDEX Online Research: Ken Gassman
Marking Synthetic Gem-Quality Diamonds
When De Beers recently announced its Forevermark as a worldwide brand for quality diamonds, the market very quickly grasped that this would enable a clear differentiation between natural and synthetic diamonds. Moreover, it would facilitate the launch of a De Beers synthetic gem-quality brand in due course, without necessarily adversely impacting the clearly identifiable natural product. This is of course conjecture, because De Beers keeps utterly silent about its gem synthetics strategies, its pricing or marketing policies and other plans regarding these high-tech diamonds. What we had not realized before is that De Beers has patented a technology that would also enable the branding of the expensive, gem-quality synthetic diamond. Thus, alongside a Forevermark for naturals, De Beers may also launch a “Near-Forevermark” - this is our term for which there is no patent pending - for synthetics, comparable to a gem and near-gem differentiation. This “Near-Forevermark” for gem-quality synthetics is not a figment of one’s imagination – the capacity is here already. Doing some poolside summer reading, I stumbled upon UK Patent GB 2424903B, titled “Method of Incorporating a Mark in CVD Diamond.” The patent belongs to Element Six, the De Beers synthetics arm. The technology enables the growth of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) single crystal diamond material bearing a mark of origin or fingerprint within the stone, which is “not readily detectable or does not affect the perceived quality of the diamond material under normal viewing conditions.” Says the patent: “The mark of origin or fingerprint in a CVD single crystal diamond material is most appropriate in CVD diamond which is of high commercial or gem quality.” In plain English, De Beers elaborates on its meaning of a “mark of origin” or “fingerprint” and then the company goes quite a few steps further. In the 70-page patent document, De Beers actually outlines the possible applications – and options – for synthetic gem-quality marketing. It essentially provides a range of marketing tools for those who are planning De Beers’ entry into the synthetic diamond jewelry market. Might future Element Six synthetic Sightholders get boxes of goods that already have their corporate logos inside? Would Element Six be able to check on jewelers and whether they are also selling synthetics made by non-Element Six Sightholders? Would Element Six market its gem diamonds as “being the closest to the real thing”? What will Element Six do with technology that will clearly differentiate between one CVD synthetic and another? Will use of the mark require Element Six to polish the diamonds itself or will the mark “survive” the normal polishing process? The possibilities are mind-boggling! Borrowing from Supplier of Choice terminology, this patent’s benefits would be clearly viewed as “value-adding components.” The specific features, which De Beers identifies, will provide, it says in the patent description, one or more of the following benefits: Enable the specific manufacturer of the CVD synthetic gemstone to be identified, either by the manufacturer or by the marketplace. Provide a means by which to generate a distinctive mark such as a trademark. Enhance the identification of the synthetic nature of the diamond material. Provide a means by which modification of the CVD synthetic diamond material may be identified, such modification including changes to physical shape and annealing treatments such as those which modify colour.” Wow! Any recutting or color change treatment of the “Near-Forevermark” would be detectable. The movement of the stone through the diamond jewelry value chain could be monitored. Basically, this is all good news, actually excellent news, but it begs the questions: When? Where? At what cost? And at what scope? Or, as some seem to believe, is De Beers working on building up a massive synthetic gem-quality stockpile? A synthetic Big Bang at Wal-Mart prices? Revealing its Future Plans What is known in the market - and for which De Beers is highly praised - are the company’s efforts to develop sophisticated synthetic detection methods so that any jeweler can purchase an affordable machine to identify the synthetic product. But this is a little bit like computer viruses and anti-viruses. There is historical evidence showing that some of the developers of the early viruses have also become the world’s experts in creating anti-virus programs. Spending a fortune to have all the knowledge on how to detect synthetics – and, seemingly, how to detect synthetics that other companies have put into the market – is one thing. Developing a trademark mechanism that would, presumably, be applied to one’s own production is a different thing altogether. Adding a substance to synthetics manufacturing to enhance its identification is not new in the market. But this De Beers “Near-Forevermark” patent, which was first applied for in 2004 and approved two years later, takes things farther. This De Beers patent seems to have been developed by scientists who are extremely conscious and careful to assure that the application of the marking techniques will in no way, shape or form impact the high commercial value of the synthetic gem-quality stones. They have also been very concerned that the mark will not affect the beauty of the stones after mounted in jewelry. For example, the patent describes the placing of the mark (technically called a “tagging layer”) within the diamond in ways that it will not add color to the gemstone, i.e. the mark shouldn’t impact the light rays reaching the eyes of the viewer. The mark should be positioned in a way that it remains visible when set in jewelry. These are all considerations that are hardly relevant for most of the industrial synthetic diamond applications. Let there be no misunderstanding: Even though this patent can apply to a variety of synthetic diamond products, it is clear that the use of synthetics for jewelry purposes was foremost in the minds of those funding, developing, and filing this patent. De Beers may say that this research is necessary to enable the development of the world’s best detection methods at the service of the diamond and jewelry industry and for the protection of the consumer. That is undoubtedly true. However, the UK Patent GB 2424903 takes things far beyond that. This patent not only tells you how to grow the mark within the material to begin with but also where to place the mark, which will provide the synthetic manufacturer with the widest range of marketing options. This is not just how to detect but rather how to market. Vive le difference! source: IDEX online Chaim Even-Zohar
Hardness Diamond is the hardest natural material known; hardness is defined as resistance to scratching.[7] Diamond has a hardness of 10 (hardest) on Mohs scale of mineral hardness.[8] Diamond''s hardness has been known since antiquity, and is the source of its name. The hardest diamonds in the world are from the New England area in New South Wales, Australia. These diamonds are generally small, perfect to semiperfect octahedra, and are used to polish other diamonds. Their hardness is considered to be a product of the crystal growth form, which is single stage growth crystal. Most other diamonds show more evidence of multiple growth stages, which produce inclusions, flaws, and defect planes in the crystal lattice, all of which affect their hardness.[9] The hardness of diamonds contributes to its suitability as a gemstone. Because it can only be scratched by other diamonds, it maintains its polish extremely well. Unlike many other gems, it is well-suited to daily wear because of its resistance to scratching—perhaps contributing to its popularity as the preferred gem in an engagement or wedding rings, which are often worn every day. Industrial use of diamonds has historically been associated with their hardness; this property makes diamond the ideal material for cutting and grinding tools. As the hardest known naturally-occurring material, diamond can be used to polish, cut, or wear away any material, including other diamonds. However, diamond is a poor choice for machining ferrous alloys at high speeds. At the high temperatures created by high speed machining, carbon is soluble in iron, leading to greatly increased wear on diamond tools as compared to other alternatives. Common industrial adaptations of this ability include diamond-tipped drill bits and saws, or use of diamond powder as an abrasive. Industrial-grade diamonds are either unsuitable for use as gems or synthetically produced, which lowers their value. source: archive/wikipedia
Diamond In mineralogy, diamond is the allotrope of carbon where the carbon atoms are arranged in an isometric-hexoctahedral crystal lattice. Its hardness and high dispersion of light make it useful for industrial applications and jewelry. It is the hardest known naturally-occurring mineral. It is possible to treat regular diamonds under a combination of high pressure and high temperature to produce diamonds (known as Type-II diamonds) that are harder than the diamonds used in hardness gauges.[2] Presently, only aggregated diamond nanorods, a material created using ultrahard fullerite (C60) is confirmed to be harder, although other substances such as cubic boron nitride, rhenium diboride and ultrahard fullerite itself are comparable. Diamonds are specifically renowned as a material with superlative physical qualities; they make excellent abrasives because they can be scratched only by other diamonds, borazon, ultrahard fullerite, rhenium diboride, or aggregated diamond nanorods, which also means they hold a polish extremely well and retain their lustre. Approximately 130 million carats (26,000 kg (57,000 lb)) are mined annually, with a total value of nearly USD $9 billion, and about 100,000 kg (220,000 lb) are synthesized annually.[3] The name diamond derives from the ancient Greek ἀδάμας (adamas) "invincible", "untamed", from ἀ- (a-), "un-" + δαμάω (damáō), "to overpower, to tame". They have been treasured as gemstones since their use as religious icons in ancient India and usage in engraving tools also dates to early human history.[4][5] Popularity of diamonds has risen since the 19th century because of increased supply, improved cutting and polishing techniques, growth in the world economy, and innovative and successful advertising campaigns. They are commonly judged by the “four Cs”: carat, clarity, color, and cut. Roughly 49% of diamonds originate from central and southern Africa, although significant sources of the mineral have been discovered in Canada, India, Russia, Brazil, and Australia. They are mined from kimberlite and lamproite volcanic pipes, which can bring diamond crystals, originating from deep within the Earth where high pressures and temperatures enable them to form, to the surface. The mining and distribution of natural diamonds are subjects of frequent controversy such as with concerns over the sale of conflict diamonds (aka blood diamonds) by African paramilitary groups. sources: achive/wikipedia
H.Samuel and Forever Diamonds Offer Promotion with OK Magazine
H.Samuel has joined up with Forever Diamonds and OK Magazine to launch a competition offering customers the chance to win £1,000 ($1,989) towards their wedding, as well as having their engagement announced in a full-page spread in the magazine, complete with pictures and an interview. The competition is open to any H.Samuel customer who purchases a Forever Diamond engagement ring. With the ring purchase, the buyers will be given an envelope containing the opportunity to win. The envelopes also hold a selection of vouchers including free Love Hearts, discounts at lovehearts.com, discounts at Confetti.co.uk and vouchers for a free copy of Wedding Ideas Magazine. This is the second year the competition has been held Source: IDEX Online Staff Reporter
Van Cleef & Arpels Opens Saudi Arabian Boutique
Fine jewelry retailer Van Cleef & Arpels recently opened its fourth store in the Middle East region, in the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh. The boutique was opened in the Centria Mall in cooperation with the company’s local partnership, the Ali bin Ali Group. The Saudi Arabian boutique will comprise a wide range of Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry, including its high jewelry, classical jewelry and bijoux styles. The Ali bin Ali Group retails luxury watches and jewelry in the Middle East under its ABA Watches & Jewellery division. Previously opened Van Cleef & Arpels stores in the region are located in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Istanbul. “We are very pleased with the positive response we have received since the opening of the Van Cleef & Arpels Boutique in Centria Mall. Saudi clients very much appreciate our exquisite jewelry and the message of glamour and femininity that it conveys,” said Stephane de Palmas, Van Cleef & Arpels Middle East director. (Source: IDEX Online Staff Reporter)
30 months sentence for Jacob
Jeweler to the stars Jacob Arabov, better known as ‘Jacob the Jeweler,’ was sentenced Tuesday to two and a half years in federal prison. Arabov, 43, was convicted of lying to investigators who were gathering information on a large-scale drug operation. Last October as part of a plea bargain, the jeweler pleaded guilty to falsifying records and giving false statements. The federal prosecutors with whom he made the deal requested from U.S. District Judge Avern Cohn that a minimum sentence of three years and one month be imposed on Arabov. But Cohn, who took into account Arabov’s past charity work, shortened that sentence and ordered him to pay a fine of $50,000 and a forfeiture payment of $2 million to the government. Arabov was arrested in 2006 in Manhattan under accusations that he had conspired with others to launder drug profits of about $270 million for the “Black Mafia Family.” In the course of the seven-year investigation, 41 people, including Arabov, were arrested, according to federal authorities. "I feel ashamed that I broke the laws of this country, a country that has been so good for me," said Arabov, who is an immigrant from the former Soviet Union. "I will carry this shame for the rest of my life." IDEX online stafreporter
No Dame for House of Taylor
Following news that Elizabeth Taylor and Kathy Ireland had terminated their licensing agreements with the company, House of Taylor Jewelry (HOTJ) announced Wednesday that it was in default of an $11.2 million minimum loan and that it can no longer continue to operate.
HOTJ stated in the document filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it does not have sufficient working capital to continue its business or the means to protect the collateral.
The firm had been facing financial difficulties for some time. In April, it delayed filing of its financial report, and subsequently its shares were de-listed by NASDAQ.
Estimated unaudited results showed gross sales decreased by $12 million or 35.7 percent to $21.6 million. Net sales for 2007 were a mere $200,000, a decrease of $31.6 million or 99.3 percent, as a result of returns of $12.5 million and sales return allowance of $8.9 million. A record net loss of $14.8 million was expected.
(IDEX Online Staff Reporter)
zirkonia's
Who created the first synthetic jewels? Synthetic jewels are gorgeous gems from a laboratery. From the outside they look exactly like the real thing. The first synthetic jewels, very small ruby’s were produced by scientist Marc A.A. Gaudin in 1837. Fifty years later, in 1877 the french chemist Edmond Frémy created the gems that were big enough to sell as a jewel. He made the cristals from aluminum-oxide. It took 8 days. The General Electric Company started with zirconia’s in 1955 that for the naked, untrained eye looked the same as diamonds.
Las Vegas
The long-awaited JCK Las Vegas show begins this weekend, running from May 30 to June 3. Demand in the U.S. market continues to be focused on high-end merchandise. In Antwerp, the market saw decent activity this week, although traders in every center are expressing confusion and difficulty with the recent price increases in both rough and polished. Traders in Ramat Gan are noting a slight drop in demand levels, while, in Mumbai, an already slow market is feeling the effects of the price increases, along with a drop in the number of overseas buyers. Finally, in Hong Kong, trading has been generally slow, but diamantaires are expressing hope for a good outcome to the show in Las Vegas. source: IDEX Online.com
Jane Seymour Jewelry
Sterling Launches Open Hearts by Jane Seymour Jewelry Collection Sterling Jewelers recently introduced its new Open Hearts by Jane Seymour, a fashion jewelry collection designed by the actress, to be sold at Kay Jewelers and debuted in select stores and on the Kay Jewelers website. The Open Hearts by Jane Seymour collection comprises 40 pieces, including diamond necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings, with price points from $40 to $1,500, each with the line’s open heart design. The line is available in yellow, white and two-tone 14 karat gold and sterling silver. Inspired by a series of paintings done by the actress, the collection “embodies the connection of giving and receiving all of life’s experiences,” Sterling said in a release. Seymour was inspired to create a jewelry collection after fulfilling a dream to dance by competing on Dancing with the Stars. “To me, the universal symbol of giving and receiving love is an open heart, and the Open Hearts by Jane Seymour collection celebrates every kind of love in your life and serves as a perfect reminder that true love has no boundaries,” said Seymour. “I wanted to create this collection of iconic jewelry that would be available at popular price points, so everyone could enjoy. And by partnering with Kay, my collection is accessible to everyone, nationwide.” Source: IDEX Online Staff Reporter
Diamonds/ Antwerp
“Diamonds are what we know best here in Antwerp,” says Philip Claes, head of corporate affairs at AWDC. “With no less than 80% of all rough diamonds passing through Antwerp and 50% of all polished diamonds, this industry represents a turnover of more than €26.5 billion and direct and indi- rect employment for almost 30,000 people.” Source: Flanders Today/ Marc Maes
Diamond Diva's
Marc Maes The Diamond Divas exhibition is certainly a glittering affair. It brings together 74 unique items, from silent movie star Gloria Swanson’s bracelets to Madonna’s marriage tiara. Visitors can also gawp at Sarah Jessica (Sex and the City) Parker’s earrings, designed by none other than Antwerp’s Francis Mertens. The exhibition at Antwerp’s Diamond Museum was organised by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), following up on their two crowd-pulling 1990s shows From the Treasury and their 2005 Living Diamonds, in which they showed how flora and fauna influences diamond jewellery designs. The goal of Diamond Divas is not just to showcase expensive jewellery fashions _ women with charisma, intelligence and audacity. The exhibition is staged on three floors of the Diamond Museum because, explains Jennie Baeten, AWDC special events manager, “we have three kinds of ‘diamond divas’ The rich and famous, royalty and Hollywood stars.” Each theme is in the colour of the display, blue for crowned heads, beige for the rich and famous and a red carpet shade for the movie stars. Without a doubt, Grace Kelly is the star of the show. The Academy- Award winning actress and Prin- cess of Monaco until her death in 1982 is present on all three of the exhibition floors. Five pieces of jewellery are on display: her engagement ring with emerald-cut diamonds (which she movie High Society), the Cartier necklace offered to her by Prince Rainier as a wedding present and a set of three Cartier brooches. A delegation from the Principality of Monaco attended the exhibition opperson commented to Flanders Today: “The Palace of Monaco and his Serene Highness Prince Albert II was enthusiastic on being asked to take part in the exhibition. Princess Grace of Monaco embodied all three of the main themes, and her family gladly lent five jewels because this exhibition clearly fits into their goal of bringing the Principality of Monaco and the legacy of Princess Grace closer to a large international public”. Flanders Today/ Marc Maes
Sotheby's Asia auctions present a huge diamond
Auction house Sotheby''s in Hong Kong will put up for auction this april a 72-carat, flawless white diamond. For an estimated $10 million to $12 million in its forthcoming Asian show, it would make it the most expensive diamond ever sold at auction in Asia. The D-color (finest white) stone D-color found in a southern African mine will be the third largest "pear-shaped" stone ever auctioned globally, said Sotheby''s. "In terms of quality it can''t get any better then this stone," said Quek Chin Yeow, Sotheby''s deputy Asia chairman and its head of jewelry. "Anything above 50 carats is a major stone ... To find a rough diamond of that size and quality and for a cutter to be able to cut it into a perfect stone is really not an easy thing to," he told Reuters. ''We really held our breath"! The stone is expected to raise $10 million to $12 million at the April 10 sale given its size, symmetry and esteemed "Type IIA" rating, given only to the most brilliant of white D-color diamonds. Elizabeth Taylor always said: "a diamond can never be big enough". Well, this one is HUGE. source: Reuters/Nos news
De Beers Opens Hong Kong Jewelry Store
De Beers has opened its first diamond jewelry store in Hong Kong. The 2,200-square-foot store is located in the Central district, within the city’s premier luxury shopping mall, The Landmark. As reported on WWD.com, the store location was chosen after a two-year search. "We have been looking to open a store in Hong Kong for a while, considering what Hong Kong is to the luxury market, but we waited until we found the right location," commented De Beers CEO Guy Leymarie. "For us location is decisive – we would rather open later and have the right location rather than be in the wrong location." The store is being operated as a franchise by Lane Crawford Joyce Group, which is also set to open an additional De Beers store in the Tsim Sha Tsui shopping district later in the year and a Macau store in a few months. In the area of sales, Levmarie commented, “We are looking for substantial sales. [We expect] Hong Kong to be in our top five stores in the world," although he did not provide specifics. The store’s product offerings consist of a half and half mix between high jewelry and “accessible” jewelry. In order to allow for “side-by-side” viewing, the jewelry, watches and loose stones are displayed in cases that can be approached from all sides. There are also two VIP rooms for private viewing. source: idex online
Snake Security
Cobra Protects $130,000 Pair of Stilettos Watch this video about a unique store display where a real-life deadly cobra protects a $130,000 pair of stilettos on HowStuffWorks. The Harrods store in London created this display to promote a new stiletto shoe designed by Rene Caovilla that has a jewel-studded cobra encrusted on the top strap. The jeweled cobra is made of diamonds, rubies, sapphires and white gold. This shoe truly is a girl''s best friend - minus the snake, of course. source: Reuters
Space Diamonds
Space Diamonds Diamonds are not exclusive to Earth. Scientists believe that diamonds may one day be found on the moon. Samples of rock brought back from the moon indicate that carbon is 10 times more abundant in the Earth''s crust than the moon''s, according to the Artemis Project, a group whose goal is to establish a permanent moon community. But this group believes that there may be diamonds under the moon''s surface that Apollo astronauts were unable to detect. There is also some scientific evidence that diamonds may be found in larger abundance on Neptune and Uranus. Neptune and Uranus contain a lot of the hydrocarbon gas methane. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have shown that focusing a laser beam on pressurized liquid methane can produce diamond dust. Neptune and Uranus contain about 10 percent to 15 percent methane under an outer atmosphere of hydrogen and helium. Scientists think that this methane could possibly turn to diamond at fairly shallow depths. source: howstuffworks.com
necklace
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS -- Thieves have stolen a diamond necklace worth US$1.8 million at an arts fair in the southern Dutch city of Maastricht, police said yesterday. Two women from Mexico and a man from Costa Rica suspected of involvement have been arrested, police spokesperson Renske Hamming said, but the necklace has not been recovered. Police said the theft happened Thursday afternoon. The vendor selling the necklace noticed it was missing after having a conversation with the two women, but when she ran after them, a man blocked her, a police statement said. All three were arrested before leaving the grounds of the fair, but the necklace had vanished. Police did not rule out further arrests. The necklace was made in 1948 by American jeweller William Ruser. source: newsstand
Giorgio 'diamond' Armani
''My goal was to create a perfume that reflects the sparkling force of the sexy Armani women'' , says Giorgio Armani. Therefore I present you with ''Diamonds''. Beyoncé presents the perfume in fantastic commercials that are shown all over the world.
Diamonds in Hollywood
Long, dangling diamond earrings were the outstanding diamond jewelry trend of the 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards held Sunday night in Los Angeles. As with every Hollywood awards ceremony, especially in a year when a writers strike is threatening Hollywood’s ability to perform, its biggest names came out to parade in front of long lines of reporters and cameras. To name a few: Diamonds were the gems of choice, seen on large diamond studs, diamond drops and diamond chandelier earrings; stacked diamond bracelets and cuffs and diamond right hand rings. According to PR agents, diamond brooches also made a notable appearance. Sally Field – Martin Katz – Emerald cut diamond drop earrings with 2 carat emerald cut diamonds for a total of 7.34 carats, valued at $115,000 Sophia Bush – Diamond drop earrings Eva Longoria Parker – Verdura – Diamond bracelet Kate Hudson – Cartier – Diamond and white gold swirl bracelet, valued at $138,000 Kyra Sedgwick – Fred Leighton – Diamond bracelets Michelle Pfeiffer – Neil Lane – Stacked diamond bangle bracelets Nicollette Sheridan – Neil Lane – Wide diamond and platinum cuff bracelet Sally Field – Martin Katz – Black and white diamond line bracelets with 7 carats of diamonds each Ellen Pompeo – Fred Leighton – Diamond Star cuff bracelet and diamond drop earrings, old European cut, 2.5 carats each Eva Longoria Parker – Verdura – Diamond bracelet and diamond Right Hand Ring Kate Beckinsale – Van Cleef & Arpels (Private Museum Collection) – Stacked diamond bracelets on both hands; diamond stud earrings; 1919 art deco diamond Right Hand Ring and diamond hair clip worn on her dress Kate Hudson – Cartier – Diamond and white gold swirl bracelet, valued at $138,000; and 4 carat diamond stud earrings valued at $101,500 Michelle Pfeiffer – Neil Lane – Stacked diamond and platinum bangle bracelets; darkened platinum and diamond chandelier earrings Nicollette Sheridan – Neil Lane – Diamond cuff bracelet and diamond pendant earrings Teri Hatcher – Neil Lane – Diamond flower pendant earrings and a diamond ring Vanessa Williams – Fred Leighton – Diamond cuff; diamond and black onyx pendant earrings and an antique cushion cut diamond ring Needless to say that all the jewelery is borrowed for the evening. Source: idex online
Women Still Want Jewelry for Valentine's Day
Valentines Day, the second most important day of the year for jewelry retailers, is fast approaching, and both men and women will be shopping around to buy gifts for their loved ones. According to Jewelry.coms annual Valentines Day survey, more than half of those surveyed said they would like to receive a piece of diamond jewelry. Rubies were the second favorite, at 16 percent. In addition, the most popular answer to whats your idea of the perfect Valentines Day gift was jewelry. However, even if they havent received it, almost 30 percent of women stated that in the past they have bought themselves gifts for Valentines Day. Discover Cards third annual Valentines Day shopping survey revealed that consumers planning to buy a gift this year will spend an average of $76.60 on gifts in general, with men spending almost twice as much as women. In this survey, 34 percent said they planned to gift their loved one with jewelry (46 percent men and 23 percent women), while 22 percent said they would like to receive jewelry (13 percent men and 30 percent women). The most popular gift on the list was a special dinner, with 68 percent saying they would buy dinner for their partner (74 percent men and 62 percent women) and 57 percent saying they wanted to have dinner bought for them (56 percent men and 57 percent women). Men who plan to purchase a Valentines Day gift indicated that they intend to spend and average of $98.20, down a smidgen from last years $100.10, while women said they planned to spend an average of $54.20, up from $51.20. Single people will on average spend more than married. Also, eighty-five percent said they prefer to shop for a Valentines Day gift in a store, while only 22 percent said they would shop online. source: Ronit Scheyer/idex online
Thieves Raid Rare Pink Diamond Jewelry Store in Sydney
A group of thieves Saturday morning drove a stolen SUV through the rear of the Mondial Neuman jewelry store in Sydney, Australia that specializes in rare pink diamonds and looted millions of dollars in merchandise. Witnesses say they saw the car drive up on the curb and into the back window of the store. Masked men then jumped out, ran into the store, demanded money and ran with the jewels. A security guard tried to stop the robbery by standing in from of the getaway car. Michael Neuman, the store’s general manager, said the raid was carried out with “military-style precision,” according to a report by The Sydney Morning Herald. He also said that, although he had only a vague idea of what was stolen, he estimated the total worth to be between AUD$5 million and $2 million (US$4.38 to $1.75 million). The report did not specify whether or not the perpetrators had been caught on video or if the police had any leads. No one was injured in the incident. source: idex online
Power shortage De Beers
Due to a severe national power shortage in South Africa, De Beers Consolidated Mines (DBCM) has ceased production from its six mines, reducing its power consumption – and its mining operations – to “survival load” levels. All major mining operations that are major clients of Eskom, South Africa’s electricity company, have been requested to immediately reduce consumption of power from the national grid to an absolute minimum. Production has been halted at the Venetia, Finsch, Kimberley, Cullinan, The Oaks, and Namaqualand diamond mines. “Survival load” is the use of sufficient power to avoid risk to employees and property, and, in the case of DBCM’s two underground operations – Finsch and Cullinan – safe underground working conditions once power is fully restored. DBCM, as a member of the Chamber of Mines, is in discussions with Eskom and the government about the anticipated length of the power cut. The company has been advised to prepare for contingencies for a long-term cut in power and is awaiting additional information. Earlier this week, DBCM also signed the Energy Efficiency Accord issued by the Department of Minerals and Energy. The company published an Energy Policy and an Energy Management Framework for implementation across its South African operations. This strategy aims for a two to three per cent reduction in the use of energy per year over the next seven years, thereby achieving the targeted figure of a 15 percent improvement by 2015 as aimed at in the accord. Eskom provides 95 percent of South Africa’s country''s electricity needs. source: idex online
Jewelers giving back
Jewelers Giving Back Against a backdrop of eco-consumerism, increasingly heated debates about global warming, the provenance of diamonds and ethical gold, the question of jewelers and their contributions to charity is an important one. In an industry that drives and is driven by desire for excess, issues of corporate social responsibility are timelier than ever. Temples of luxury continue to surface in London (Cartier has just opened a veritable cathedral on Bond Street with voituriers to park your car and offers of refreshments while you make your choices), in New York (November saw Chopard’s 100th store open on Madison Avenue with the largest choice of Chopard watches in the Americas; Graff will open its flagship on the same street this year) and in Shanghai (Montblanc opened its largest store to date in November including a replica of the Montblanc mountain). In a climate of such buoyant market growth, shouldn’t luxury brands emphasize how purchasing them will make a positive impact? “Luxury is still about glamour and a prestigious image,” says Jonathan Kendall, chairman of the World Jewellery Confederation’s marketing and education commission. “But high-end consumers are increasingly coming to expect luxury industries to take a proactive approach in delivering positive outcomes, rather than just great products. Top tier jewelry retailers are expected to be leaders and standard setters – not just in merchandising – but in corporate social responsibility. Wealthy customers are in a better position to choose and think about a product’s virtues when purchasing.” So what are brands doing? The good news is that key top tier jewelry industry players are recognizing their responsibility and capability to bolster charitable coffers. Among the major luxury jewelry houses, HIV/AIDS and children’s causes undoubtedly emerge as the two hottest issues for charitable endeavors. Laurence Graff has published a huge coffee table book documenting the legendary story from his humble and impoverished beginnings in London’s East End to becoming one of the world’s leading diamantaires. “As a fully integrated company, we are closely entwined with the people, history and future of South Africa. I am delighted that we are supporting the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund with all proceeds from the sale of the book going to the charity,” he said recently. Graff-supported charities include the Elton John AIDS Foundation, ChildLine (a free helpline for children and young people in the UK), Clic Sargent (a children’s and youth cancer charity), Eve Appeal (a gynecological research fund), the Golden Age of Couture exhibit at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Red Cross and international children’s charity and ARK (Absolute Return for Kids), which works in South Africa to prevent children being orphaned by AIDS. Graff’s 2007 donations are in the region of $1 million or more, according to a spokesperson. They include proceeds from the Graff book and a donation to an ARK charity auction of a Graff 2.10 carat diamond flower pendant necklace. Chopard sponsors Elton John’s Annual White Tie and Tiara Bal l every year, benefiting the pop star’s AIDS Foundation. Chopard has also produced a book, Noel des Coeurs, for which international stars waived their fees to pose for photos and speak of their childhood, with profits entirely donated to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Chopard has also designed unique watches with opera singer Jose Carreras, the Prince of Wales and Sir Elton John, with proceeds aiding Chopard’s chosen charitable foundations. Award-winning British jeweler Shaun Leane is another supporter of Sir Elton John’s AIDS Foundation. He also supports Teen with a Dream in the U.S. and the War Child Organisation in the UK, often by donating jewelry for dinner auctions. Israeli diamond magnate Lev Leviev’s commitment to philanthropy is well-documented. Reported to give away $30 million to Jewish causes annually, his 1990 audience with the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson, is legendary. During that meeting, Rabbi Schneerson advised Leviev to pursue business opportunities in the former Soviet Union and use the proceeds to help the needy remnants of Soviet Jewry; there’s no doubt it was sound business advice. Today Leviev is also extremely active in supporting numerous charitable activities around the world, including the Carousel of Hope ball and the Children’s Diabetes Foundation. In October 2007, De Grisogono co-sponsored the first Cinema Against AIDS evening in Rome held by amfAR, the American Foundation for AIDS Research, auctioning off a pair of white gold earrings set with 178 amethysts totaling 11 carats in weight, 68 pink sapphires with a total weight of 3.95 carats, 120 orange sapphires weighing 9.35 carats and finished with 44 white diamonds. Roberto Coin, one of the world’s biggest fine jewelry manufacturers, with 975 outlets globally and 675 in the U.S., has been involved solely with YouthAIDS for the last few years. His 2007 advertising campaign focused on Christy Turlington Burns and the brand’s involvement with YouthAIDS. A special charitable event with the model is slated for this year. Coin aims to raise a total of half a million dollars for YouthAIDS this year. “Giving is regenerative and empowering,” says Coin. “We believe every charity starts from home so for personal reasons we support cancer-related charities, especially Macmillan Nurses,” says the jeweler loved by rock stars, Stephen Webster. In 2001 Webster designed a UKinNY ring, with proceeds going to the New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund. Other charities Webster has supported include UNICEF, Action on Addiction and Cancer Research UK. Last fall, Webster collaborated with Swarovski’s Fashion Rocks, by designing a Fashion Rocks pendant, with al l sale proceeds going to the Prince''s Trust, a UK charity helping young people become financially independent. Cartier is a brand partial to unashamed, high-profile extravagance. In London last fall, the brand staged two spectacular red carpet events within weeks of each other – one a world premiere of the latest high jewelry collection, Inde Mysterieuse, in the form of an invitee-only catwalk show at a specially opened government-owned Mayfair mansion, and the other a dinner for 400 guests in the dinosaur entrance hall at London’s Natural History Museum with the entire building exterior swathed in red light. While Cartier loves a good party, it is welcome news to learn that the company has regular charitable commitments to both the arts and social and welfare causes. When Alain Dominique Perrin, Cartier’s president and a man passionate about the arts, opened the doors to Cartier’s Paris-based Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain (foundation for contemporary art) in 1984, his decision was ahead of its time and his thinking avant-garde. Twenty-four years later, the Cartier foundation’s commitment to promoting contemporary art in a variety of media– from sculpture, painting and drawing to film, photography, design and even fashion and performance arts – has led to worldwide respect for both scouting out new talent and playing host to established world-class stars. Design world darling Marc Newson is among the talents whom Cartier has helped to make famous. Of course, charitable contributions may be part of a luxury retailer’s image and reputation-building activities. At Cartier, for example, it would appear that the brand’s charitable giving is high profile and inexorably linked to the brand’s communications strategy. While a Cartier spokesperson claims that Cartier’s giving is “active yet discreet,” the Cartier Loveday, held on 8 June 2007, was anything but. In a worldwide initiative, countries nominated a humanitarian organization to which they would each donate 10 percent of proceeds of the sales of the Love jewelry collection for that day and proceeds from the Love charity bracelet for six months. At the Great Wall of China, hundreds of children stood in a formation spelling the word Love and unleashed balloons with donations going to UNICEF for children with AIDS. Other charities that benefited included the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity in the World, Green Cross Japan, and the Laureus World Sports Foundation in Spain and the World Childhood Foundation in Germany. In New York, a collage of portraits of 250 smiling faces was projected onto the Rockefeller Center building for ten days, to coincide with Loveday. In the past, Cartier has also supported charities including the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the American Heart Foundation and ELA, a European organization that helps children with genetic diseases. But when probed about the proportion of company profits channeled into the Cartier Foundation, Bernard Fornas, Cartier’s chief executive, says he is less concerned with percentages than the amount it takes to complete a project successfully. Fornas is not alone. Tiffany declined to reveal any information about its charitable giving since it keeps the information private. Not one of the companies IDEX Magazine approached agreed to disclose percentages of revenue donated to charity, and only Graff and Roberto Coin revealed an approximate total of their 2007 giving. Perhaps percentages would inevitably sound miniscule in contrast to the shows of excess in which such companies specialize and result in undermining their gestures completely? Luxury goods companies at the top of their game simply have to give their customers opportunities for absolute indulgence. Some hold glamorous celebrity parties around the world on a monthly basis. There are industry insiders who argue that maintaining an image of extravagance is absolutely crucial to adding value to the products jewelers sell and ensuring people keep coming back for more. In recent years, thanks to celebrity involvement and high profile givers such as Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, it has become more fashionable, especially in America, for charitable giving to take place visibly and publicly. “Today’s high-end jewelry customer is compelled to ensure that their purchase is actually contributing to social and environmental causes, not just limiting negative outcomes. Charitable contributions might well become more and more important,” says Jonathan Kendall. source: IDXonline
Amazon’s Most Popular Jewelry Gift: 14k Diamond Stud Earrings
The most popular gift in the jewelry category at Amazon this past year was a pair of 14 karat gold stud earrings set with round diamonds. Other popular jewelry items were silver. According to a “Best of 2007” list published by the online retailer, the bestselling jewelry product, the most positively reviewed jewelry item by Amazon.com customers and the jewelry item that appeared most often on the Wish Lists was a sterling silver open double flower pendant. It retails for $29. Amazon did not provide specific details on which type of round diamond stud earrings was the most popular gift; however a search of the site by category and best selling items results in 1/2 carat total weight, J-K/I2-I3 earrings, retailing for $90. source: idexonline
Van Cleef Sues Heidi Klum, Mouawad over Clover Design
High-end jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels filed suit in a Manhattan federal court against supermodel Heidi Klum on Friday, claiming that she copied its vintage silver clover design. The suit seeks more than $25,000 in damages from Klum’s company, Heidi Klum GmbH, and Mouawad USA, an additional company for which she designs jewelry. As reported by Reuters, the suit alleged that both companies were trying to gain benefit from “Van Cleef’s esteemed reputation” through manufacturing and selling a similar clover design from Van Cleef’s vintage Alhambra line. source: idex online
Demand will outrun supply
Demand will outrun supply in the world diamond market over the next few years, analyst James Allan of the South African firm Allan Hochreiter said. While supply is growing 1 percent a year, demand is growing 4 to 5 percent, meaning that every year $650 million worth of demand is being added to the $13 billion rough diamond market, he said. That annual growth in demand is about half the size of total South African production, he noted. Since 2002, diamond prices have gone up 35–40 percent, he added. This makes investment in diamonds and diamond companies a good idea, he said. While China is adding to the growth in demand for diamonds, the effect is not yet as substantial as the hype might lead one to think because China still accounts for only 3 percent of the world diamond market, Allan said. Allan, who advised the diamond mining firm Rockwell Ventures on its recent IPO, said there will be a good deal of consolidation in the next few years among the 30 or so second-tier diamond companies that tend to engage in much more exploration than actual production. In South Africa, Petra Diamonds will probably be very successful at extracting a profit from the Cullinan Mine, which it just bought from De Beers, as it already has with the Koffiefontein Mine, Allan said. De Beers, meanwhile, will have to make a difficult decision as to whether to extend the Finsch Mine underground, as it has decided to do at Venetia. source: afns
De Beers to Donate R2 Mln to Support Farmers
Developing farmers in the agricultural hub of Kungwini, South Africa, an area near the Cullinan mine, are getting an early Christmas present this year. De Beers, in partnership with the Kungwini Local Municipality, has announced its commitment to develop and expand the area, with a donation of R2 million ($285,905) for the expansion of crop farming projects. The projects will initiate and grow from the beginning of 2008, and the monetary contribution will enable the community to develop an agricultural hub in the nearby Bronkhorstpruit area, with an aim to transform the crop farming projects into a commercially viable, self-sustaining agricultural entity. Although the Cullinan mine was recently sold to the Petra Diamonds Cullinan Consortium, De Beers noted that it will continue to be involved in many of the projects in the areas of education, health (particularly HIV/AIDS), youth sport and recreation projects and small business development. source: IDEX online
iDiamond Ear
Heyerdahl to Retail Limited Edition Had enough of the diamond-encrusted iPod craze? Not quite…. A Norwegian jewelry company, Heyerdahl Jewelers, has released what it calls the “iDiamond Ear” – as a sequel to its iDiamond Shuffle released earlier this year – retailing for a hefty $6,400. “Following the overwhelming response to iDiamond from media, customers and the industry,” the company said in a release, “Heyerdahl decided to go ahead with his idea for the world’s most exclusive earphones for commercial sale.” The iDiamond ear is a pair of Apple earbud headphones dipped in 18 karat white and rose gold and encrusted with a total of 204 F/VVS brilliant cut diamonds (1.65 carats total). The creation will be produced as a limited edition series of 1,000 numbered pairs that will be sold exclusively at the jewelry store beginning in February 2008. source: IDEX online
Rosy Blue wins De Beers award
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 5 December 2007 – The Belgian-Indian diamond conglomerate Rosy Blue has won a marketing award for the best new piece of diamond jewelry of the year during De Beers’ 2007 diamond jewelry design competition for the Persian Gulf region. Rosy Blue’s winning piece is entitled “Flotz Brillance in Air,” and is said to be inspired by water droplets shimmering on a sunlit lotus leaf and by the need to fight global warming. It is made of 2,501 diamonds set in white gold and is valued at $36,000. The piece is part of Rosy Blue’s “Flotz Collection,” which will soon be available for retail sale through a Gulf region jewelry chain store. Rosy Blue has plants, offices and stores in more than 15 countries, and is one of the largest Diamond Trading Company sightholders. It has jewelry design centers in Antwerp, New York, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Mumbai, and offers diamond jewelry under such brand names as ORRA, ROSIBLU, Canadia and Vera Wang. The company has more than 15,000 employees and recorded $1.7 billion in sales in 2005. source: afns
sapphire
Sapphire is a variety of the mineral species of corundum. Most people believe that all sapphires are blue. However, sapphires come in every color. The red variety is known as ruby. Some of the rarest variety actually changes color. Sapphires in vivid colors are green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, violet, brown, black, and gray. Some are, in fact, colorless and others may show a phenomena as an asterism (star) or chatoyancy ("cat''s eye").
the most popular gemstone
Diamonds are in today''s world. Colorless and near colorless diamonds are the most popular gemstone in the world today. However, few people realize that "fancy" color diamonds actually exist. Diamonds may, in fact, occasionally be found in strong saturation and hue in black, brown, yellow, orange, red, green, blue, pink, and purple. These highly prized specimens require an expert to price. Colorless and near colorless diamonds are valued by the comparable rarity of the "Four C''s". These are a) carat weight; b) color: (lack of color); c) clarity, and d) cut. Appearance and beauty is the eye of the beholder, but value is in the eye of an expert. Many factors influence value, including many not known by the general public. Brilliance, dispersion, symmetry, scintillation, and fluorescence can have significant influence on value.
Season's Offers IV
US$8,650 tax-free for export
Impressive 1.03 carat H SI1 oval diamond solitaire (with HRD certificate) with small G VS round brilliant diamonds microset in a platinum ring. The small diamonds around the bezel give the impact of a 2+ carat oval diamond. Ring can be sized to your requirements.
Season's Offers III
USD 11.000 tax-free for export
Magnificent diamond and black onyx in a handcrafted platinum ring - the ultimate black and white ring for any occasion. The ring is studded all over with over 300 of the finest quality D-F IF-VVS Eight-cut diamonds totaling 3 carats. The fine quality black onyx measures ca. 14mm by 11mm
Season's Offers II
USD 19.150 tax-free for export
Stunning 1.69 carat G VVS2 cushion diamond solitaire in an elegant handcrafted platinum ring. The diamond is certified by the GIA. Ring can be sized to your requirements.
Season's Offers I
US$6,675 tax-free for export
Stunning 0.51 and 0.54 carat E VVS1 round brilliant diamonds with IGI certificates set with small E VVS round brilliant diamonds totalling 0.16 carat bead set around the bezel in 18ct white gold earrings. The small diamonds on the outside help to give the impact of 2 x 1+ carat diamond earrings.
Elizabeth Taylor Releases New Jewelry Line at Maximum Capacity Event
Elizabeth Taylor revealed her holiday jewelry line from the Elizabeth collection for House of Taylor Jewelry (HOTJ) yesterday at GEARYS Beverly Hills, at a party so packed the fire marshal was forced to close the store to any additional guests. HOTJ says that jewelry from the Elizabeth collection, which includes pieces with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds and south sea and Tahitian pearls, is designed by Taylor herself. “We were honored to host this rare occasion as Dame Elizabeth Taylor unveiled here jewelry collections at GEARYS,” said Thomas J Bluementhal, president and CEO of GEARYS Beverly Hills. “Only an even with an icon, like Dame Elizabeth, can draw a crowd at maximum capacity.” Source: IDEX online
jewelery
A watch that belonged to Josephine, empress and wife of Napoleon was sold at 900.000 euro''s. The auction took place in Geneva, Switzerland. The watch was gold and made in 1800.
Taylor -Burton diamond part 2
Richard Burton''s first jewelry purchase for Elizabeth Taylor was the 33.19-carat Asscher-cut Krupp Diamond, in 1968. This had formerly been part of the estate of Vera Krupp, second wife of the steel magnate Alfred Krupp. Miss Taylor wears this stone in a ring. She has worn it in a number of her post-1968 films, during her interview on CNN''s Larry King Live in 2003, and just about everywhere else she goes. Next came the La Peregrina Pearl for which Burton paid 15,000. The stone has a long and complex history. For Elizabeth''s 40th birthday in 1972 Richard Burton gave her a heart-shaped diamond known as the Taj-Mahal. The stone is fairly large and flat, with an Arabic inscription on either side. It is set with rubies and diamonds in a yellow gold rope-pattern necklace. "I would have liked to buy her the Taj-Mahal," he remarked, "but it would cost too much to transport. This diamond has so many carats, its almost a turnip." Then he added, "Diamonds are an investment. When people no longer want to see Liz and I on the screen, then we can sell off a few baubles."
By the far the best known of Richard Burton''s purchases was the 69.42-carat pear-shape, later to be called the Taylor-Burton Diamond. It was cut from a rough stone weighing 240.80 carats found in the Premier Mine in 1966 and subsequently bought by Harry Winston. Here there is a coincidence: Eight years before, another cleavage of almost identical weight (240.74 carats) had been found in the Premier. Harry Winston bought this stone too, commenting at the time, "I don''t think there have been half a dozen stones in the world of this quality." This wouldn''t be the first time the Premier Mine would have the last word because the 69.42-carat gem cut from the later discovery is a D-color Flawless stone.
After the rough piece of 240.80 carats arrived in New York, Harry Winston and his cleaver, Pastor Colon Jr. studied it for six months. Markings were made, erased and redrawn to show where the stone could be cleaved. There came the day appointed for the cleaving, and in this instance the usual tension that surrounds such an operation was increased by the heat and glare of the television lights that had been allowed into the workroom. After he had cleaved the stone, the 50-year-old cleaver said nothing -- he reached across the workbench for the piece of diamond that had seperated from it and looked at it through his horn-rimmed glasses for a fraction of a second before exclaiming "Beautiful!" This piece of rough weighed 78 carats was expected to yield a stone of about 24 carats, while the large piece, weighing 162 carats, was destined to produce a pear shape whose weight had originally been expected to be about 75 carats.
Miss Taylor wore the Taylor-Burton in public for the first time when she attended Princess Grace''s 40th birthday party in Monaco. It was flown from New York to Nice, Italy in the company of two armed guards hired by Burton and Cartier. In 1978, following her divorce from Richard Burton, Miss Taylor announced that she was putting the diamond up for sale and was planning to use part of the proceeds to build a hospital in Botswana. In June of 1979 Henry Lambert, the New York jeweler, stated that he had bought the Taylor-Burton Diamond for $5,000,000.
By December he had sold the stone to its present owner, Robert Mouawad. Soon after, Mr. Mouawad had the stone slightly recut and it now weighs 68.09 carats. Before the recutting, the curved half of the stone''s girdle had a very round outline, it is now a little more straight at that end. It also had a small culet, which was made even smaller after the recut.
Source: famous diamonds
My Love Affair with Jewelry...
Elizabeth Taylor''s jewelry and her fabulous diamonds. Elizabeth Taylor - known for her beauty, violet eyes, acting career, humanitarian works and also her jewelry. Her jewelry collection contains some of the most fabulous jewels of history. She has recently written a book - Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry. Dame Taylor generously shares her collection of jewelry sparkeling with exquisite diamonds, rubies, emeralds and sapphires. "I knew that I wanted to give others a glimpse of the thrills and pure happiness that these beautiful creations have given me." She recently hosted an auction of donated jewelry that raised over $240,000 for The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation. When she removed the engagement ring given to her by Richard Burton, an emerald and diamond ring, she told the crowd - "Please know that it is not easy for me to give it away. It is only my commitment to AIDS that persuaded me to let it go. My love is inside that ring forever." Some of the notable jewels in the Elizabeth Taylor jewelry collection include the 33 carat Krupp Diamond ring, La Peregrina pearl (a Valentine present from Richard Burton), an antique diamond tiara (gift from Mike Todd), Taj Mahal heart shaped yellow diamond necklace (gift from Richard Burton), the Duchess of Windsor diamond brooch, a 29 carat diamond ring (gift from Mike Todd), the pear shaped 69 carat Taylor-Burton diamond (sold to fund a hospital) and the Grand Duchess of Russia emeralds. In her book, Elizabeth Taylor: My Love Affair with Jewelry, she says, "I''m fortunate to have some very important pieces of jewelry. I don''t believe I own any of the pieces. I believe that I am their custodian, here to enjoy them, to give them the best treatment in the world, to watch after their safety, and to love them."
Taylor Burton diamond
The Taylor-Burton Diamond
This 69 carat diamond was originally known as the Cartier diamond after Cartier Inc. paid the record price of $1,050,000 for the gem at auction. The next day Richard Burton bought the stone for Elizabeth Taylor. It was then renamed the Taylor-Burton diamond. She first wore the pear shaped diamond publicly at a party for Princess Grace''s 40th birthday in Monaco. In 1978, she sold the diamond to build a hospital in Botswana. It was subsequently purchased by Robert Mouawad.
493 carat white diamond named
Antwerp, November 7, 2007 – Gem Diamonds Limited and the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho have announced the 493 carat white diamond recovered from the Letšeng mine has been named “Letšeng Legacy”. This exceptional diamond will be tendered in Antwerp next week. The Letšeng Legacy ranks as the world’s 18th largest rough diamond and was recovered from the Letšeng le Terai Mine in Lesotho on the 7th of September, 2007. The name reflects growing legacy that the Letšeng le Terai Mine is creating as a producer of remarkable diamonds. Letšeng Diamonds, which is 70% owned by Gem Diamonds and 30% owned by the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho, has now produced three of the world’s top twenty diamonds. Two of these were recovered by Gem Diamonds in the last 13 months - the 603 carat Lesotho Promise recovered in August 2006 and this 493 carat diamond. The 493 carat Letšeng Legacy will be sold on tender in Antwerp by WWW International Diamond Consultants on Wednesday the 14th of November at a ceremony and press conference hosted by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre and attended by the Lesotho Minister of Natural Resources, the Honourable Minister Monyane Moleleki, and the Gem Diamonds directors. The Lesotho Promise, which was the 15th largest rough diamond, was also sold on tender in Antwerp in October 2006 for US$12.4 million to Graff Jewellers. The collection of polished diamonds from the Lesotho Promise is expected to sell for between US$ 25-30 million. The Lesotho Brown diamond was recovered in 1961 and ranks as the world’s 16th largest diamond. It yielded 18 polished diamonds, the largest of which was recently re-acquired by the original buyer, jewellers Harry Winston. In January 2007, Letšeng Diamonds also produced a 215 carat D-colour flawless diamond which subsequently sold on tender for US$8.3 million. The Letšeng Mine hosts two kimberlites, the Main and Satellite Pipes, that have a combined diamond resource value of US$4.7 billion. It is renowned for producing some of the world’s largest diamonds which attract the highest average price per carat of any kimberlite mine. As reported in Gem Diamonds’ Interim Results to end June 2007 released on the 13th September, the average price per carat achieved from the Letšeng Satellite Pipe was US$ 1894 and US$ 1128 from the Main Pipe. This compares with the world average price of approximately US$ 81 per carat. The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) is the official representative of the Belgian diamond sector, and in this capacity is charged with managing the relationship between the diamond sector and government, and promoting the interests of the Belgian diamond industry worldwide. source: AWDC
GIA Launches 1st Public Awareness Campaign
The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) launched on Friday its first-ever national public awareness campaign to help educate consumers about diamonds, as many couples in the U.S. begin the hunt for the perfect diamond engagement ring. The campaign, “The Difference Between Wondering and Knowing,” explains the Four Cs and the importance of having a diamond grading report. The campaign will run in several major publications in the U.S., and prominent websites, targeting audiences with an immediate need to know more about diamonds, such as affluent jewelry buyers and men looking for wedding rings. “People want more information,” GIA chairman Ralph Destino said, “especially now as new technologies advance and synthetics and new diamond treatments begin to emerge in the market.” The ads are designed to direct the public to the second feature, which is a new GIA website: www.gia4cs.gia.edu that provides information about diamonds, the Four Cs, how GIA grades diamonds and how to read a GIA diamond grading report. Another aspect of the campaign is a kit for retailers to help them educate customers about diamonds, the Four Cs and the International Diamond Grading System. This kit’s contents include: quantities of Four Cs brochures, a grading report tool to help explain what is on a GIA Diamond Grading Report and a new "Grading the 4Cs" video. The kit, and other materials, including posters, will be available mid-November on a special retailer website. source: IDEX Online Staff Reporter
Bloody court case
Just imagine that you allegedly ran through a red traffic light and got caught. The police will investigate the circumstances of the offense. Then the press learns about it, and the morning after, news articles are implying or insinuating that you are being held on a triple-murder charge. Is this international disinformation? Or is it deliberate dissemination of false information? These thoughts crossed my mind when reading the story by The Associated Press (AP) headlined “Swiss authorities will hand over documents to aid Belgian blood diamond probe.” It was hard to miss the most disturbing report that, “Swiss authorities decided to provide Belgium with judicial assistance in its investigation of two Belgians accused of dealing in blood diamonds. Belgium alleges that five Geneva-based firms used fake certificates to import raw diamonds worth US$525 million. The diamonds were then sold to Belgians suspected of having made payments contributing to the funding of warfare in African countries.” The article further stated that, “Switzerland''s highest court rejected appeals from the Geneva firms to block the transfer of documents and bank records to Belgian authorities. The rulings by the Swiss Federal Tribunal were released Wednesday. Belgium is also investigating whether fictitious business deals were made through Geneva as a tax evasion scheme, according to the rulings,” wrote AP, as quoted in the International Herald Tribune and other newspapers. What really got to me was the ease in which the term “blood diamonds” was used – the ease with which the report concludes that five Belgians contributed to the funding of warfare in Africa. Though I am not privy to all the details of the investigation, I know enough to be able to write that it involves large volumes of diamonds smuggled out of Russia, which somehow ended up in Switzerland. It is not clear whether the investigation involves recent smuggling or whether the diamonds involved were stocked a long time ago in that country. Somehow, these previously uncertified rough diamonds received Kimberley certificates and ended up in a number of different diamond destinations. Without getting into details, one thing is absolutely indisputable: these diamonds are not “blood diamonds,” they were not diamonds sold by rebels in order to finance arms to commit atrocities in fights against legitimate governments. Undoubtedly, various laws may have been broken here, but that doesn’t justify using the heavily loaded words “blood diamonds,” which are words as damaging and out of place as “triple murder charges” in the aforementioned traffic violation. Unless my information is completely wrong, the investigation involves rough diamonds that had no Kimberley certificates when they entered Switzerland, though this didn’t prevent them from leaving Switzerland duly certified. As it turns out, the customs authorities in Switzerland had asked a few countries for assistance in this investigation, though at least one diamond center declined cooperation. If there was an infringement, it happened in Swiss territory and was carried out by Swiss organizations. Unless someone printed bogus certificates, something I doubt, it seems that somehow uncertified rough became certified in Switzerland. That doesn’t make the certificates “fake” – they are genuine, but may not have been issued in good faith. Anyone involved in issuing these certificates ought to be held responsible and, if laws were broken, put to trial. A good-faith purchaser of rough accompanied with a genuine Kimberley certificate can hardly be faulted. But to suggest that suddenly over half-a-billion dollars worth of blood diamonds suddenly entered into the markets is ludicrous, especially since the source of the stones involved are believed to be non-African. Is it possible that the heavily loaded term “blood diamonds” was introduced to get a court to agree to order the release of documents? Has the traffic violation become a murder charge? Though there are several investigations taking place simultaneously and sometimes it is hard to know what facts are associated to each case, the Belgian investigators apparently have concluded that some of the historic (and widely reported) cases involve transfer pricing and tax evasion. These are “white collar” crimes, which can (and most likely will) be settled by paying some fines. This has nothing to do with atrocities in Africa. Those attending this week’s Antwerp Diamond Conference must have heard Alrosa’s president Sergey Vybornov expressing concern about rough diamonds being used for speculation or for collaterals in “hawalah” transactions. Vybornov feared that the demand of rough for non-industry related purposes impacted the price and triggered unwarranted price movements, which is a point I have been making for some time. Coming from Vybornov, the statement represents a most authoritative confirmation and reiteration of these undesired practices. When rough diamonds, which had been smuggled into Switzerland, possibly after having been used as substitutes for financial transfers, are diverted to the legitimate trade, there comes a point where the rough legitimizes itself by getting a Kimberley certificate. This warrants first and foremost an investigation “upstream” – who did what to the rough before it reached the Swiss Kimberley certification people? Who requested the certification? I find the wire-service article on these $525 million worth of “blood diamonds” extremely disturbing, as, clearly, someone was seeking to use inflammatory terms to serve his/her purpose. What we don’t know is whether these words were used in a court to imply heinous crimes instead of a lesser infringement of tax evasion. Would the Swiss highest court have instructed the release of documents if the case before it was presented as a tax evasion or even a simple smuggling case? In an orderly society the breaking of laws has its consequences – and investigations and court trials are part and parcel of the system. But when paper-less smuggled rough are simply dubbed “blood diamonds,” great damage is inflicted on the entire industry. I wonder whether AP could justify the use of these words – and if they came from court papers, one ought to be able to understand and verify the context in which the term appears. I find it hard to swallow that in 2007 one could find half-a-billion worth of blood diamonds. If the court case focuses on Russian smuggled goods, someone or some institution is being manipulated here. It makes it exceedingly hard to convince the consumers that conflict diamonds are basically part of the past. By: Chaim Even-Zohar
Christie’s Magnificent Jewels Auction Realizes $47.77 Million
Christie’s Magnificent Jewels Auction Realizes $47.77 Million (October 17, ''07, 12:27 IDEX Online Staff Reporter) Christie’s has announced that the sales of its recent Magnificent Jewels and Magnificent Jewels from a Distinguished Private Collection auctions totaled $47,773, 275. The collections were 89 percent sold by lot and 94 percent sold by value. The top lot of the day was a regular cut fancy intense blue diamond of 5.07 carats, which realized $2,885,700 overall, which meant $570,000 per carat (p/c). Other noteworthy items included a Harry Winston rectangular cut D color VV / S2, type IIa diamond ring of 23.14cts, which sold for $2.617 million ($113,000 million p/c) and a 7.88 carat pear shape fancy dark blue-gray diamond, which sold for $1,239,400 ($157,000 p/c). The auction realized sales of 295 lots, out of 331 lots offered. Head of Jewelry for Christie’s Americas, Rahul Kadakia commented, “All eyes were on Christie’s today as the market was waiting with great expectations for the result of the first major jewelry auction of the fall season in the U.S. “Diamonds continue to make sensational prices with…$113,000 per carat for a 23.14 carat D color diamond. The Magnificent Jewels from a Distinguished Private Collection with masterpieces by the likes of Harry Winston and Van Cleef & Arpels was 100% sold and realized a total of $8.9 million,” he noted. source: idex online
Diamond Conference Concludes in Controversy
The two-day Antwerp 2007 Diamond Conference ended Tuesday, with an agreement that beneficiation in Africa is a positive initiative, yet one that needs to make economic sense. African beneficiation should not overlook economic viability, Alrosa President Sergey Vybornov This is not to say that factory owners do not care about the well being people or the economies of Southern Africa; there is no doubt that they do – as some went to great lengths to state. However, the understanding is that for a business venture the perspective on any activity has to be a business one. Nothing underscored this more than the speech given by Alrosa President Sergey Vybornov and discussion that followed. Alrosa’s own plants, Vybornov said, had not been economical, despite the advantage of receiving supplies directly from their parent company. “We have stopped any form of subsidy in Russia. Only the market can decide,” he said. He advised African states to not repeat the same mistakes, while explaining that these operations need investments of hundreds of millions of dollars, but that the large diamond financing banks do not have a presence in Africa. “If plants are set up, the focus should be on economic viability, and populist measures must be rejected,” he argued. In response, South Africa’s Minister of Minerals and Energy Buyelwa Sonjica asked if Russia is willing to supply rough to beneficiating factories. Vybornov replied that Russia would be prepared to supply South African factories. “All I suggest is that we let the market decide,” he said. Sonjica, who also spoke on the second day of the conference, described beneficiation as a break with the past – one in which Africa’s resources were sold without adding value to the producer states. “For so long, African countries did not receive a fair price for their resources. We must create cutting and polishing plants so that we can have sustainable development. We do not want hand-outs, we want investors,” she said. Some 500 members of the industry, government officials and bankers attended the conference. source:IDEX online/edahn golan
Saddam's Rolex for sale
LONDON: A diamond-encrusted Rolex belonging to former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is up for sale. Haitham Wihaib, the former President''s right-hand man hopes to rake in 100,000 pounds from the sale. Wihaib, who worked for the dictator for nearly 20 years before defecting to a secret address in Britain in 1994, said of the watch, "All Saddam''s bodyguards were very jealous" and he never wore it back in his home country for fear. "I never wore it in Iraq. His guards would have chopped my arm off for it," Wihaib said. According to a report in the Sun, Wihaib is also offering a 6,000 pounds pair of Dior sunglasses, a 1,500 pounds ring and a 2,500 pounds Cartier pen with which Saddam used to sign death warrants. source: ADL
AWDC organizes diamondconference oct. 15th
Today, AWDC is happy to announce that the gala dinner on October 15 will be graced with the presence of guest of honor H.R.H. Princess Mathilde of Belgium and H.E. Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson, the president of Liberia who was elected in 2005 and is Africa’s first elected female head of state. This announcement follows the earlier notice on guest speaker and former pop star Sir Bob Geldof. Sir Geldof follows in the footsteps of the major international figures who have been guest speakers at the gala dinner of the three previous Antwerp Diamond Conferences: former U.S. President Bill Clinton, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, and South African President Thabo Mbeki, who in 2004 used the occasion to announce the imminent launch of his government’s beneficiation programme. It is therefore natural that following Mbeki’s ground-breaking speech, the 2007 conference should be entitled ‘Producers in transition: the changing industry dynamic.’ It will focus on the shift of power in the diamond industry, and in particular the emerging strength of the producer countries and their determination to capture more of the “value chain.” With the demands of African diamond producers being met that more diamonds be sorted and processed on home soil, and the passage of legislation making this a statutory obligation, the conference will deal with the burning issue affecting the worldwide diamond business. Among the other major figures taking part in the conference are Deputy Prime Minister of Angola Aguinaldo Jaime; South African Minister of Minerals and Energy Buyelwa Sonjica; Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph E. Stiglitz; Kimberley Process chairman Karel Kovanda; Sergey Vybornov, President of Alrosa; Gareth Penny, Managing Director of De Beers, and many other leading figures. Antwerp, The anticipation is mounting as the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), previously known as the HRD, completes preparations for its first international diamond conference since 2004. The fourth major diamond conference, to be staged October 15-16, features a wide array of internationally known speakers and participants and has drawn the attention of the global diamond trade. In line with its position as the center of the global diamond industry, Antwerp will welcome heads of state and other senior ministers from diamond producing states, heads of the leading companies in the sector, and a Nobel Prize winner to discuss and analyze the changes in the diamond trade at the Antwerp Diamond Conference. Indeed, the conference has been designed to enable the views of all the industry’s stakeholders to be heard. Source: ADL
Bill Clinton wears 'green bracelet'.
Former president Bill Clinton was caught "Green" handed at the VH1 Save the Music 10th Anniversary Gala wearing Simmons Jewelry Co''s philanthropic Green Bracelet. Russell Simmons saw Clinton backstage at the event and seized the opportunity to tell him about the Diamond Empowerment Fund, his initiative that gives back to Africa. The Green Bracelet donates more than $20 from the sale of each to D.E.F. for educational programs in African countries where diamonds are a natural resource. "I was officially dared by Simmons Jewelry president Scott Rauch to put this bracelet on your wrist before you go onstage," Simmons recalls telling Clinton. "He promised me $25,000 to my charity if you do it," he emphasized. Clinton paused, looked Russell in the eye, smiled, and grabbed the Green Bracelet, Simmons said. As Clinton spoke onstage on national TV, Clinton waved his wrist in the air with purpose, displaying the bracelet to millions of national viewers. Clinton and Simmons share the honor of recently being named one of the "25 most influential people of the past 25 years who changed our world" by USA Today. source: jck online
Jewelers need to work harder to win customers trust
Jewelers need to work harder to win customers trust "We are witnessing the rise of the conscious consumer. The industry is addressing this shift with guiding principles for retailers around the world," said Gaetano Cavalieri, president of CIBJO (the World Jewellery Confederation). "Retailers need to respond—sit up, listen and take action." Cavalieri was one of the speakers at the “Importance of Reputation” seminar sponsored by CIBJO, the Council for Responsible Jewellery Practices, the De Beers Group, and Jewellery News Asia. He was among those who urged jewelers to ensure they are paying more than just lip service to their social, technical, and ethical responsibilities to win consumer trust. “A key component of retail margin is based entirely on the level of trust – in diamond jewellery sales, lower trust equals lower margins,” said Bob Gannicott, chairman and chief executive officer of Aber Diamond Corp. Source: JKonline
Laws Harm SA Diamond Prospecting
South African laws and regulations weigh down on diamond prospecting, turning prospecting into “a difficult business” De Beers Group Chairman Nicky Oppenheimer said on Friday. “One of the problems one has in South Africa, and this is not only for diamonds, is that legislation at present makes it difficult and I think the government is coming to appreciate that,” said Oppenheimer. “De Beers would like to be doing more prospecting than it is in South Africa,” he added. While opportunities exist, “The difficulty is the permitting process is complicated." One of the examples Oppenheimer mentioned is De Beers'' use of a Zeppelin airship equipped with kimberlite detecting equipment in their exploration efforts in Botswana. To utilize the Zeppelin in South Africa required environmental impact assessment rules. Over the years, De Beers and the South African government have developed a complex relationship of cooperation and suspicion. According to Oppenheimer, in this case “…all parties are trying to resolve this issue." source: Edahn Golan/indexonline
Diavik water license renewed
The Canadian federal government has renewed the Diavik Diamond Mine water license. The renewed license was approved by the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and covers a period of eight years. The Wek’eezhii Land and Water Board (WLWB) recommended renewal of the license to the minister following a two year public review process. The Board has substantially increased the environmental monitoring, reporting and management requirements of the operation, Diavik said in a release. The license is the first of its kind issued by the WLWB, which assumed responsibility for Diavik’s renewal application from the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board. Source: index online
ludwig van Beethoven's hair turned into a diamond
Ludwig von Beethoven’s hair was grown into a diamond. The famous composer had brown hair and some of it was stored at the University Archives in Connecticut, United States. Experts used 10 strands of the musician’s hair from which they extracted tiny amounts of carbon. A beautiful shiny blue stone was borne and is expected to sell for around 700.000 euro’s. It’s the first time hair from a celebrity or historical figure has been turned into a diamond. LifeGem, the company that has made Ludwig’s diamond has listed it on eBay and is hoping there wille be bids from around the world.
verification huge diamond soon
Word is not yet out on the reported larger-than-Cullinan diamond found in South Africa yet, but there could still be hope. President of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses Ernest Blom said today that he had a contract with its owners to assess, verify and market the stone if it was confirmed a diamond. The stone could not leave South African shores to first appear in a place such as diamond centre Antwerp as this would imply breach of contract between the owners and Blom. The diamond expert said he spoke to partners of the diamond company today who agreed the assessment should take place soon. Blom said he previously did not want to pressure the small but experienced diamond diggers to start the verification process, as they had security concerns. "I would not like to pre-empt the marketing of the stone." "The first step is to verify the stone is a diamond and the second is to do the necessary paper work," he said. Reports about the alleged diamond, found in the North West province of South Africa, first surfaced at the end of August when the SABC, the state broadcaster, said a diamond almost twice the size of the world's largest Cullinan was discovered and transported to a vault in Johannesburg. source: Mineweb/A-DX net
Sparkles in Antwerp
Sparkles in Antwerp September 15th The Antwerp Diamond Museum will stage an exhibition called Bling Bling. It will run through the end of the year . Rembember Mr . T from the show The A- team? He and Liberace where the first performers who wore extremely large jewelery and lots of it. Royalty ofcourse was wearing lots of Bling too but in a more civilized way. Originally called the crown jewels of hip-hop, nowadays Bling Bling is claimed by all sorts of musicians, black & white. The exhibition is divided into 3 parts. The first part looks at the origin of Bling Bling and how it met hip-hop in the late ‘70s in New York. The second part of the display looks at designers of Bling . The third section shows us the heavy use of diamonds on items such as camera’s, watches and even a bicycle. All together this exhibition is really worth a visit.
Harrods security
Harrods department store in London came up with a unique security measure when it unveiled a pair of ruby, sapphire and diamond-encrusted shoes in London in mid-September. The store borrowed a live Egyptian cobra, whose bite can be fatal, to guard the shoe counter and make sure no one made off with the costly footware. The snake was brought in only for the first day’s display of the shoes, which are priced at $152,300. source AFNS
Diamond 494 carats found
Gigantic diamond found Gem Diamonds Limited said it found a 494 carat rough diamond at its Letseng Mine in Lesotho September 7, and insured it for $15 million. This is believed to rank as the 18th largest rough diamond in the world. It has excellent color and high clarity, the company said. The Letseng mine, which is 70 percent owned by Gem Diamonds and 30 percent owned by the Lesotho government, has now produced three of the world’s 20 biggest diamonds, including the Lesotho Promise, which Gem Diamonds found in August 2006. That stone was auctioned in Antwerp in October 2006 for $12.4 million, and is the 15th largest rough diamond in the world, while the Lesotho Brown diamond, which was found at the Letšeng Mine in 1961, was the 16th largest. The mine also produced a 215-carat D-flawless diamond in January 2007, which was auctioned for $8.3 million. The Letseng Mine has two kimberlites with a combined estimated diamond resource value of $4.7 billion. The average price per carat of stones found in the “Letseng Satellite Pipe” was $1,894, and at the “Main Pipe” it was $1,128. This compares with the world average price of approximately $81 per carat. In its report for the first half of 2007, Gem Diamonds noted that it had its IPO on the London Stock Exchange in February, raising $635 million, and since then has acquired the Gope deposit in Botswana for $34 million, BDI Mining in Indonesia for $80.1 million and has made a $263 million offer for Australia’s Kimberley Diamond Company. Operating profits for the period were $16.8 million on revenue of $69.8 million, and the Letseng Mine continues to produce ahead of plan, with a second plant scheduled for commissioning in early 2008. Source: AFNS
Diamond Smuggling in Zimbabwe
Diamond smuggling in Zimbabwe. A delegation from the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme has missed an August deadline to deliver a report on whether diamond smuggling is going on in Zimbabwe. The delegation is investigating alleged smuggling from two areas. One is the Chiadzwa diamond zone in the Marange district, where diamonds were found in late 2006, bringing in hordes of destitute, illegal diggers. The police are said to have arrested more than 20,000 of the unauthorized diggers. The government reserves for itself the right to mine diamonds through the state-owned Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ), but many stones are thought to be smuggled out of the area regardless. The Kimberley Process team also visited the River Ranch Mine in Beitbridge, which is disputed between Bubye Minerals, which used to run the mine, and River Ranch Limited, which now controls it. Bubye Minerals’ owners and attorneys have charged that River Ranch Limited seized the property by force and that the company is controlled by cronies of dictatorial President Robert Mugabe. Bubye Minerals has also charged that River Ranch diamonds are being smuggled out of the country, triggering the Kimberley Process investigation. But Terrence Hussein, a lawyer for Bubye Minerals, says the Kimberley Process team has refused to meet with the company. Source: AFNS
Miners unearth world's biggest diamond
· Expert predicts feverish bidding on huge stone
David Beresford in Johannesburg and Lee Glendinning
Tuesday August 28, 2007
The Guardian
The world's biggest diamond, believed to be twice the size of the Cullinan, has been discovered in the North-West Province of South Africa. The find has electrified the diamond community, but the circumstances of the discovery are shrouded in mystery.
The diamond is expected to attract furious bidding from buyers worldwide and could fetch up to £15m.
A spokesman for the mining house which made yesterday's find, Brett Joli, said the diamond was being rushed to a bank vault in Johannesburg and would be kept there for a couple of days "until we calm down and decide what we are going to do". A security company was being hired to protect the precious stone.
The mining company which made the find has not been identified.
The South Africa Broadcasting Corporation said the stone was said to be twice the size of the Cullinan diamond.
Fred Cuellar, the founder of Diamond Cutters International and author of How to Buy a Diamond, said he first heard about the find a few days ago. "I get a phone call when any rare stone around the world is found and when I heard about this one it was stunning news.
"It caught everybody in the diamond industry offside. There will be a lot of mad bidding from a lot of private individuals as to who is going to buy this stone."
The Cullinan, which was found near Pretoria more than a century ago, was until recently acknowledged to be the largest cut diamond in the world, weighing in at 530.20 carats. In 1985 it lost the record to the Golden Jubilee, which was found in the same mine as the Cullinan and weighed 545.67 carats.
In its rough state the Cullinan weighed 3,106.75 carats. It now forms part of King Edward's sceptre and is in the Tower of London.
The Cartier diamond, famous as a gift from Richard Burton to Elizabeth Taylor, weighed a mere 240.80 carats rough and 69.42 carats cut.
Mr Cuellar said the most important information about the latest find was yet to be forthcoming, including whether it is colourless. "The reported size of the stone is accurate, but there are all these other factors we still don't know and what matters now is how wide, how clear and how well cut it will be.
"Will this diamond rank above the best quality diamonds in the world? I can tell you right now, no. But in as far as the list of the largest diamonds ever found in the world goes, would it make that list? Yes it would."
He said the first seven people who looked at the stone thought it was industrial grade, but that view has changed and it now appears to be a stone that will be cut into a piece of jewellery.
The quandary facing the owner of the diamond now is how best to cut the stone he said. "The thinking usually is with these types of things, we know how big we could get it but we don't know how much it will hurt us on the quality side."
The Cullinan, also known as the Star of Africa, was thought by some to be part of a larger stone which still lies somewhere undiscovered.
There will be interest in who made the find and how they will be rewarded. The black miner who discovered the Excelsior, said to be the second largest uncut diamond ever found, received a horse and saddle, and a sum of money.
Rock stars
· The Cullinan Diamond was discovered in 1905 and at 3,106 carats was the largest gem-quality rough diamond ever found. Cullinan I, or the Great Star of Africa - at 530 carats formerly the largest cut diamond - was one of the 105 gems cut from it.
· The Koh-i-noor is part of the British crown jewels. It originated in India but seized by Britain as a spoil of war in 1849. The diamond supposedly brings good luck to female owners and misfortune or death to any male who wears or owns it.
· The Hope Diamond is a large (45.52 carat), deep blue diamond. It is legendary for the curse it supposedly puts on whoever possesses it. Previous owners include Kings Louis XV and XVI and Marie Antoinette.