‘The Centenary Diamond’

The Centenary Diamond was discovered in the Premier Mine on 17 July 1986. The original rough weighed 599 carats (119.8 g). It is perfect in color and one of the largest top-color diamonds ever found.

This diamond was to be cut into a smaller stone; however, the cutting of such an immense diamond was a long process. An expert was hired to lead a team of diamond cutters, a group of engineers, electricians, and security guards were specially selected for the operation. Thirteen different potential designs were presented to the diamond company that owned the Centenary diamond, with a strong recommendation for what would become the eventual modified heart-shaped design.

The final cutting of the Centenary diamond was completed in February of 1991, five years after its discovery. It was considered internally and externally flawless with its rating of color grade D, the highest grade of colorless diamond. This diamond is worth $100 million USD.

‘The Moussaieff Red Diamond’

The Moussaieff Red was discovered by a farmer in Brazil in the mid-1990s. As such the diamond must have originated in the alluvial deposits of the diamond mining areas of Brazil. In the rough state the stone weighed 13.90 carats.

The diamond was acquired by the William Goldberg Diamond Corporation of New York. The master cutters of the Goldberg Corporation transformed the stone into a spectacular triangular brilliant-cut, also known as a trilliant-cut. This is the largest red diamond in the world today, weighing 5.11 carats.
It was sold to Moussaieff Jewelers Ltd. in the year 2001 or 2002, for a rumored $ 7,000,000, and after this transaction the diamond was referred to as the Moussaieff Red.

‘Le Bleu De France’

‘Le Bleu De France’ The diamond with a curse …

The 112-carat ‘Hope Diamond’ also known as the ‘Le Bleu De France’ inhibits a rare, intense red phosphorescence after exposure to ultraviolet light. Despite it’s beauty the diamond is believed to carry a curse…

The legend of the Blue diamond began in 1679. A French man Tanvernier stole the diamond from the eyes of a statue of the Hindu god Sita, in India. Since this incident there have been many unfortunate occurrences connected with the blue diamond. Coincidence? Or is this the curse of the beautiful blue diamond?

Tavernier died when he was torn apart by wild dogs on a trip to Russia. This was the first horrible death attributed to the curse of the Hope diamond. After him, many people were hit by bad luck or died after owning this unique diamond. Among them Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI were beheaded during the French Revolution. All the family members of the super-rich Hope family (who gave its name to the diamond) went bankrupt. Evalyn McLean saw her first born son, Vinson, died in a car crash when he was only 9. Later her daughter committed suicide at age 25 and her husband was declared insane and confined to a mental institution until his death in 1941.

Its last owner, Harry Winston eventually decided to donate the diamond to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. in 1958. Believe it or not, the Hope diamond traveled in a plain brown box, by registered mail to the Smithsonian Institution. Winston probably did not want to travel with it… It is now a 45-carat diamond after it had been re-cut in order to break its curse.

If you could, would you become its next owner?​

Inspiration in Florence

DIAM Gems & Stones made a trip to Florence last week and whilst roaming the beautiful city we walked on Ponte Vecchio, one of the oldest bridges in Florence.

The jewellery and diamonds on display were truly inspirational!

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Merry Christmas everyone!

Diamond sold at $1,313,144 per carat

The Sotheby’s sale of Magnificent Jewels which was held in New York achieved $49.2 million. Laurence Graff won the top three lots and diamonds featured in nine of the top ten lots sold.

It was noted that at least six bidders bid for the top lot which was a 6.54 carat, fancy intense pink, internally flawless diamond ring by Oscar Heyman & Brothers that belonged to Evelyn Lauder. The ring sold for $8.6 million or in other words $1,313,144 per carat!

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Great ideas how to propose this Christmas

So that magical time of the year is just around the corner…Christmas…a time to be with friends and your loved ones and celebrate. It’s also a wonderful time of the year to propose. We have put together some unique ideas on how to go about the proposal as inspiration. Proposing during Christmas will certainly be an unforgettable moment for your loved one.

Traditional and Romantic
If you are the very romantic and intimate type, take her out for candle lit dinner and propose by getting down on one knee and ask her if she will marry you.

The Big Surprise
A fun way to propose this Christmas is to put the ring box inside a much bigger box and wrap it up with a big Christmas now. Fill the big box with tissue paper or foam peanuts so she has to hunt for it! This will be a special moment she finds the ring and you propose either on your own or in front of family and friends. For her to discover that the big box contains the biggest of all gifts which is a piece of your heart and the knowing that she is the woman of your dreams.

Say It With Photos
Why not create a photo album of all the wonderful memories you have shared so far and give it to her on Christmas? After the last photo in the album place a little card with the words ‘Will you marry me?’ and the engagement ring attached to it. This is a very intimate and original way to propose and what’s even better it will be completely unexpected for her.

Christmas Tree Decoration
Another great idea is to tie the ring to a tree ornament that you added to the tree. At the right moment walk her over and point to how “sparkly” the ornament is and see if she finds the extra sparkle.

Mistletoe Sparkle
Our favorite is of the course the simplest one. The Mistletoe. This is a very romantic opportunity. Hang your engagement ring on some mistletoe at a secluded place in the house. Walk her under the mistletoe. Ask her whether she’d like to make THIS your first kiss as an engaged couple. Have the ring in hand and take the one knee position to propose.

Keep It Simple
Cozy up before a huge fire with some marshmallows and coffee while you propose. Make sure the moment is right… then present the ring to her and ask her the question. Sometimes plain simplicity is what works best!

Good luck with your proposal and we hope she says ‘YES’ this Chrsitmas.

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Who wants a diamond encrusted credit card?!

I don’t know about you, but I certainly do!  Just imagine the envious looks amongst fellow shoppers when they see you casually take out your sparkling credit card from your purse/wallet.

100 valuable customers of Russia’s largest bank Kazakhstani, will have this glamourous luxury.  The gold credit card will be encrusted with 26 diamonds (totalling 0.17 carats) and weigh between 40g-50g and will cost $100,000 each.

Included in the cost of the card is health insurance worth 40m Kazakh (£164,000), entry to business class lounges at airports, a 24-hour phone concierge service and a free iPhone 5.

It’s definitely something that is unique and identify the holder as being classy and of high status.

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Attention men! How to choose the most excellent diamond engagement ring

One of the most exciting and memorable moments in any woman’s life is her engagement, when she accepts a proposal of marriage from the one she loves. A diamond ring will be regarded by any woman as a symbol of love and a promise of commitment. She will expect to receive a diamond engagement ring that sparkles with brilliance and that she will treasure for the rest of her life.

Choosing a diamond engagement ring should not be a rushed decision. For quite a few men the choices out there might seem vast and confusing with all the different diamond shapes, settings and styles. We have provided some helpful engagement ring buying advice to help you make the best choice.

Quality
Here’s a little well known secret amongst women…EVERY woman expects a diamond on her engagement ring. If you’re thinking of choosing a ring without a diamond gemstone you will be choosing a lower quality rock. Gemstones such as emeralds, amethysts and sapphires may look attractive, but they don’t come anywhere near to the hardness and sparkle of a diamond.

Style
You might know what style of jewellery she likes already. Some prefer a plain band and some like diamonds embedded in the band. Remember she will wear this ring for the rest of her life every day so she has to be comfortable with the style. If you really are unsure you can always have a unique design made through our bespoke jewellery design service.

Metal
There is a choice of metals to choose from for the engagement ring – platinum, yellow gold, white gold and rose gold. The most popular is yellow gold with 14K and 18K gold used. Silver is not an ideal choice as it won’t last a long time. White gold looks similar to silver but has a gold worth and a metal that some women prefer over yellow gold. The most expensive and durable is platinum.

Centre stone
Some women prefer a centre diamond stone on her engagement ring that stands on its own while others prefer a centre stone with side stones or with three stones – a trilogy ring. A solitaire diamond is cut in various shapes – round, princess, emerald, asscher, marquise, oval, radiant, pear, heart and cushion. You may choose the shape based on a personal characteristic of your beloved but if in doubt the most classic and beautiful is the round brilliant – you will not be disappointed and neither will she.

Finally it can be the most hardest decision to choose which diamond ring is the best. DIAM Gems & Stones has the best advisors who can help you choose that perfect diamond ring.

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Famous diamonds worn by Grace Kelly, Coco Chanel and Liz Taylor go on display

Today marked a very special occasion when almost 400 pieces from the Cartier Collection went on display.

Exhibits include one-off commissions for leading ladies Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor, as well as gems worn by designer Coco Chanel and the once controversial Wallis Simpson.

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