September 2006 Archives
How Do I Clean My Diamond Engagement Ring?
Is a question we get all the time.
Our answer is that while Ultrasonic cleaners are the rage today with manufacturers touting their magical cleaning prowess, they are expensive to purchase, expensive to maintain (you have to change the dyed/perfumed alchohol cleaning fluid constantly...also expensive), and the violent shaking and spinning inside the machine's container while cleaning has been known to loosen the diamond(s) on your ring to the point where you'll be at the office, a party, or some other corporate or social function, look down and find to your horror that your diamond is gone.
We've found the best cleaning solution to be isopropyl (rubbing) alchohol ($1.59 at your local drugstore) and a small bristle brush (from any shaving kit) with medium to hard bristles.
Soak your ring for 1-2 minutes in the alchohol, then brush vigorously with the brush, especially in between the prongs and on the undersides of the basket and shank, re-soak for another two minutes and pat dry on a kleenex. Will look like it just came out of the factory.
You should this at least once every 48 hours. In addition you should check to see if your diamond is securely held within the prongs. Take your thumb and forefinger and place at opposite ends of the girdle. Very gently try to move the diamond. If there is even the slightest "give" it's a sign that the prongs need tightening. Another test is to hold the ring up to your ear and shake. If you hear a Rattle 'N Roll, it's time to tighten those prongs.
South African Diamond Cutters Turning Into Dinosaurs.
South Africa’s diamond cutting firms are shedding jobs as they grapple with squeezed margins in a sector the government hoped would expand and create more employment.
Diamond officials told Reuters today nearly a fifth of cutting and polishing jobs had been lost in Johannesburg, center of the industry in South Africa.
"We have been faced with huge retrenchments since January.
To date we have had retrenchments of around 400 members," said Shadrack Motloung, of the United Association of SA trade union, which represents diamond cutters.
That has brought employment in Johannesburg down to around 1 800 cutters, with around 600 cutting jobs elsewhere in the country where the situation is not as serious, he added.
The government is seeking to boost local diamond cutting as part of a wider strategy to reduce exports of raw materials from its mining industry and process them locally to boost jobs and economic growth.
A new diamond law passed last year, but not yet implemented, will create a state diamond trader to expand the supply of rough diamonds to new cutting and jewelery firms.
The head of a major diamond cutting factory in Johannesburg, who declined to be named, said there was a imbalance between the high price of rough diamonds and revenues from selling the finished product.
"In general there’s still good demand, the problem is that people are not prepared to pay. The rough prices in certain categories are very expensive, it’s just not profitable," he said.
His factory, one of the largest, has shrunk its workforce by natural attrition, but might have to start forced job losses if the business fails to improve.
"We still have to watch the situation, if things deteriorate we might have to take other measures to take care of the business," he told Reuters.
De Beers, the world’s largest diamond producer, warned in late July that higher interest rates, rising fuel prices and geopolitical instability would make it tough for its second half sales to match those of a year earlier.
In May, an official with De Beers marketing arm, the Diamond Trading Company (DTC) told Reuters a price rise for rough diamonds of just under 2% in February may have weakened sentiment among cutters and jewellery makers.
De Beers is 45% owned by mining group Anglo American.
The Johannesburg manager of the diamond cutting factory said he hoped De Beers would take some action to lower prices, but prices were unchanged at a sale last week.
"Maybe they can do something because prices are too high at the moment. Most people are unhappy," he said.
MacDonald Temane, chair of the South African Master Diamond Cutters Association, said a delay in putting in place the government’s new diamond law was not helping the industry.
"There’s really been a bit of a destabilising effect where there is uncertainty because implementation has not happened.
People don’t like uncertainty," he said.
A source in the mining ministry said there were many elements of the complex diamond law that had to be put into place, including input from the National Treasury on a proposed export duty. The law might be implemented by the end of year or early next year, he said.
These retrenchments and layoffs in the Diamond Cutting Industry in South Africa come as no surprise to me. It has already occurred in other major Diamond centers such as New York, Antwerp, and Israel. The high cost of diamond rough coupled with the non-commensurate sell prices of the polished diamonds combined with the cost of labor has made diamond manufacturing a money losing proposition. Major diamond cutting centers have now gravitated and taken root in India and China where the cost of labor is cheap and the labor force highly intelligent and motivated.
Here in New York, for example, the number of experienced and highly competent diamond cutters is but a fraction of what it was back in the 80's when I worked at the bench. The uncertainty of having consistent work/income is driving young people away from considering this noble profession.
Tiffany Lucida Style Diamond Engagement Ring
Here is a picture of a beautiful diamond channel, diamond engagement ring that was manufactured by a different company and just completed for a customer. It is a bit similar to the authentic Tiffany Lucida ring but there are obvious differences, such as the accent stones and actual ring ring construction.
U.S.A. Diamond Imports: What Is "Fair Trade"?
The Manufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America (MJSA) is asking its members to contact their trade representatives and Congress to urge them to push for fair trade agreements that would put an end to what the association says is an "unfair trade advantage" given to India and other countries.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has asked for public comments about whether to limit, suspend, or withdraw the eligibility of India and 12 other countries that currently can import goods duty-free under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program. It is also reviewing whether to withdraw presidential Competitive Need Limitation (CNL) waivers that allow India, among 19 other countries, to import specific products duty-free. The bulk of the waivers to India cover precious metal jewelry products. Legislation authorizing the GSP benefits will expire on Dec. 31, 2006, unless Congress re-authorizes it.
Currently, India ranks first among exporters of precious metal jewelry to the United States, with $1.75 billion exported to the United States in 2005. The United States exported only $108 million in precious metal jewelry to India during that year, resulting in a $1.65 billion trade deficit, says MJSA.
Much of that deficit can be attributed to not only India's unfettered access to the U.S. market, MJSA says, but also the tariff and non-tariff trade barriers that U.S. manufacturers face when they try to export goods to that country. Currently, India places a 31.5 percent duty on U.S. precious metal jewelry, as well as multiple additional taxes, including a 1 percent landing charge and various municipal and state taxes. All told, these taxes and fees can add as much as 26 percent to the duty, says MJSA.
The Indian Diamond and Colorstone Association, in contrast to MJSA's position, has been urging jewelry retailers to write to USTR before the Sept. 5 deadline for public comment to ask the USTR to continue the trade benefits granted to Indian jewelry manufacturers under the GSP program.
Sound familiar? Shades of Taft-Hartley and Protectionism. Perhaps the correct answer is to become more competitive.
Lindsay Lohan Engaged?
Ya gotta be kidding!
Lindsay Lohan caused a stir in Venice last night by going to the premier of her new film with a huge diamond ring on her wedding finger.
Rumours have been rife that Lohan is set to marry her boyfriend Harry Morton after he was spotted looking at rings in LA’s Cartier shop last week.
He is said to have proposed to the Mean Girls star after they jetted off for a break in Hawaii at the weekend.
Lohan was in Venice to promote her film ‘Bobby’ which is about the assassination of Robert Kennedy in 1968.
How long will this one last? Place your bets.
How do You describe The Color of A Gemstone To An Internet Customer?
This important question may now have an answer, reports Reed Business Systems.
How do you describe the crisp green glow of an emerald or the complex interplay between colors in a ruby?
Each gem is unique, so words cannot paint an accurate picture, and digital photographs do not capture their color accurately. Now a technique to describe and record a jewel's exact color has been developed by Menahem Sevdermish of gem software company GemEwizard, based in Ramat Gan, Israel.
The technique should vastly improve the buying and selling of precious stones online, and could also help to spot stolen gems. "It's like the fingerprint of the stone," he says.
Diamonds are commonly traded online because their vital characteristics, including tint, clarity, cut and carat value, are easily described. Gems are different, says Richard Drucker, a gemologist in Northbrook, Illinois. "We just say 'slightly purplish, medium tone.' It's very vague."
To record a gem's color, Sevdermish scans it in a white box using special lighting. Computer software then splits the image into thousands of spots, like pixels, and measures the hue, darkness, and color intensity of each. This numerical description of the gem at each spot forms a unique color map.
An online seller could scan a gem and email its map to a buyer, who could use Sevdermish's database of 150,000 fingerprinted gem images to show the closest match on screen or compare the fingerprint with the details of a lost or stolen jewel.
Luxury Watch Seller Tourneau Knows What Time It Is
National Jeweler reports that Watch retail giant Tourneau has announced Wednesday that it has agreed to be acquired by an investor group led by Green Equity Investors IV for more than $300 million. The group includes members of the Wexler family, which currently owns Tourneau, and members of Tourneau's senior management team.
The transaction is expected to close next month. Current CEO Robert Wexler will now serve as chairman of the board, while Howard Levitt will continue as president and add the new title of CEO. Tourneau's current senior management team will remain fully intact.
"We are pleased to partner with one of the nation's preeminent private equity firms," Wexler said in a statement. "This transaction allows the Wexler family to retain significant ownership and continue our active role in the business that we have owned since 1975. The ability to preserve the company's highly successful strategy was an important element in our selection of Leonard Green as our partner."
Green Equity Investors is an affiliate of Leonard Green & Partners, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm specializing in management buy-outs, going-private transactions and recapitalizations of established public and private companies. Managing approximately $3.7 billion of private equity capital, its portfolio companies include several other retail heavyweights: the Neiman Marcus Group, The Sports Authority, FTD Group, Rite Aid Corp. and Leslie's Poolmart.
Meanwhile Tourneau says its recent expansion plans will continue apace.
"We have great plans to expand the Tourneau business over the next decade and to continue as the leader in the luxury timepiece market," Levitt said in the statement. "As a result of Tourneau's 100-plus year history, continued backing from the existing shareholders and the support of a private equity firm with extensive retail experience, the company is well-positioned to achieve these plans. We think this is a tremendous partnership."
The pending buyout comes at a time of rapid expansion for Tourneau, both domestically and abroad. In the United States, the company recently opened its 33rd retail store at the Pier at Caesars in Atlantic City, N.J. It was the company's seventh U.S. store opening this year. In April 2006, Tourneau announced its retail partnership with Swatch Group through which it will open watch stores in premium outlet malls across the United States.
In addition, Tourneau recently opened two stores in Shanghai through its joint venture with the Peace Mark Group. Tourneau is forecasting net sales in excess of $300 million for the fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2007.
Tourneau is currently #22 on NATIONAL JEWELER's $100 Million Supersellers list ranking the nation's largest retailers of fine jewelry based on sales volume. Established in 1900, Tourneau sells new and pre-owned watches retailing more than 100 well-known brands, including Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier, Omega, Breitling, TAG Heuer as well as its own Tourneau brand, in more than 8,000 unique styles. It is recognized by the by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest watch store in the world.
You Can Grow Diamonds!
For all you Guys and Gals out there. Heads Up!
And for you Guys this beats spending hours in a jewelry store.
Read it here:
Want To Grow Diamonds? DON'T Take A Haircut
Diamond TV Is Here.
Do you have some extra cash lying around and it's burning a hole in your pocket?
Try this.
An Italian design company called Keymat Industrie has brought bling into the home by introducing the $130,000 Yalos Diamond TV, which features a diamond studded white gold frame, holding at least 20 carats of the precious gems in its own "grill." Available in 26, 32, 37, 40 and 46 inch sizes, I doubt whether the fact that the screen maxes out at 1080i will concern potential customers like Jay-Z and Master P all that much.
A few years down the road when this technology becomes obsolete, just pull the diamonds and look for some other faddy doo-dad.
Only 108 Shopping Days to Christmas!
Shreve, Crump, & Low; High End Jewelers Goes Chap 11.
The parent company of Boston jeweler Shreve, Crump & Low --Tyringham Holdings Inc.-- blames high remodeling costs and the jewelry store's relocation for a decline in business for which it was forced to file Chapter 11 on September 6.
Tyringham also owns the Schwarzschild Jewelers chain in the state of Virginia, which consists of three store locations in the Richmond area.
Prior to Christmas season 2005, Tyringham invested more than $7 million to relocate and remodel one of two Shreve brand stores. The store also commissioned a hand-made Steuben sculpture for a central design element. Revenue fell some $1.5 million following the move. Tyringham's 2005 revenue clocked in at $31 million, down 26 percent from year 2000, and net losses came in at $9 million, up from $648,000 in year 2003, according to court papers.
Court documents list assets at $24.8 million and liabilities at $24.3 million.
Tyringham has been soliciting bids for both chains and allowed four companies to conduct due diligence in 2006. Tyringham reports having signed "a pact" with Carlyle & Co. Jewelers of North Carolina, following a $9.8 million proposal to buyout only the Schwarzschild chain.
Do You Like Pink Diamonds?
Many people do. They are exquisite, beautiful and very rare. Also mucho, mucho expensive.
High above Manhattan streets this week some of the world's rarest and most valuable Pink diamonds were on display as Rio Tinto Diamonds of Australia brought its annual pink diamond tender to the New York City.
This year marks the first time the Argyle mine tender, which includes 65 diamonds ranging in size from about 50 points to just over 2 carats, will be conducted under the auspices of Rio Tinto Diamonds, the sales and marketing division of the Rio Tinto Group. The tender has been re-christened the Rio Tinto Diamonds Argyle Pink Tender.
Underscoring just how rare the collection is, Faye Jenkins, manager of sales and marketing for Argyle Diamonds in Western Australia, says pink production at the mine is less than 1 percent of total production, while those pinks deemed worthy enough for the tender are a significantly smaller percentage. The estimate is that for every million carats of rough diamonds produced at the mine, one carat is suitable for sale at tenders.
Exclusive clientele from around the world are invited to view the diamonds in Perth, Australia, Hong Kong, London, New York and Geneva. The viewings began late last month and bids must be in by Oct. 3. The bids are confidential and the names of successful bidders and values are not disclosed. For the first time, the company's Select Diamantaires, core customers who do business with Rio Tinto year-round, will also have an opportunity to preview the diamonds.
Diamonds represented at the tender come from a year's worth of production. The stones are cut and polished at the company's facility in Perth and then sent for grading at two independent laboratories. About 80 to 100 stones are held back from regular sales and then the tender is chosen among these. Jenkins says the offering usually includes 55 to 65 diamonds. In addition to the pink stones, this year's collection includes two diamonds in the blue to grey range.
In July, Rio Tinto released "Diamonds as Art" a limited edition catalog displaying some of the stones available at the tender.
"Last year's tender was incredibly successful and we expect even greater accomplishments in 2006," said Jean-Marc Lieberherr, general manager marketing of Rio Tinto Diamonds, in a media release. Of the 60 diamonds from last year's tender, he said 22 clients were successful with no one company dominating, which meant the stones were evenly distributed to clients around the globe.
The demand for rare pink diamonds grows unabated as does the price for these gems. Diamond pricing is generally a reflection of the market dynamics of supply and demand and with Argyle's pink diamonds, they are truly a scarce product, popular but very rare. Therefore, a one-carat, good quality white diamond would be $20,000 and the equivalent pink diamond can command $400,000."
Interest from celebrities like Jennifer Lopez and Victoria Beckham have made Pink diamonds more sought after than ever.
Diamonds Are A Robber's Best Friend
Unfortunate aspect of this industry.
Here is another illustration of this.
Tacky Engagement Ring Pictures
Diamond Engagement Rings, Wedding Rings, and Wedding bands should be things of beauty.
Ongoing discussion at Diamondtalk.com showing some really hideous rings.
The link is here: Tacky Ring Pictures
Beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder.
Quantum Computers Wear Diamonds, Too.
Interesting article on the role of Diamonds on Quantum Computers.
Gold Bulls Are On The Run.
Gold on Monday plunged below $600 an ounce for the first time in more than two months, as investors weighed bullion's longer-term prospects in the face of a declining oil price.
Gold last sold for under $600 an ounce on June 30., when it cost as little as $596.85 an ounce.
Oil prices slipped under $66 on Monday, adding to last week's slide on an improved U.S. supply picture and signs of easing tension over Iran's nuclear programme.
Rising crude prices tend to spark inflationary concerns, sending some investors into safe-haven commodities, including gold.
That's A BIG Diamond!
Novosti News reports that Moscow residents and visitors will soon have a chance to see the third-largest diamond found in Russia after authorities in Siberia's main diamond-bearing region sold it to the national fund of gemstones and precious metals.
Vladimir Rybkin, the head of the collection, said Monday the 298.48-carat diamond was valued at "several million dollars." But he declined to name the price at which the stone had been bought from the government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), which owns the mining company that unearthed it in July 2004.
The new acquisition will be displayed to the public in Moscow's Kremlin Armory Palace, where the Diamond Fund, started by Tsar Peter the Great in 1719 as a royal jewelry collection, is now housed.
"There has never been the desire to sell such stones in our country's history," Rybkin said.
The fund's largest Russian diamond, of 342.5 carats, was uncovered in 1980 and the second largest, weighing 320.65 carats, emerged nine years later. Other highlights include the diamond-encrusted coronation crown of Catherine the Great and the 190-carat Orlov Diamond, given to the empress by her lover Count Grigory Orlov. The collection also boasts the world's largest sapphire and Easter eggs designed by imperial jeweler Carl Faberge.
According to Russia's Finance Ministry statistics, Russia is the leading producer of diamonds by volume and second to Botswana in terms of value. Some 99% of Russian diamonds are mined in Sakha.
Van Cleef Diamonds And China: Like Hand In Glove.
Quietly and quickly, China is becoming a World Power destination for high-end couture diamonds and jewelry.
Century-old Van Cleef & Arpels plans to open a retail store in Shanghai Henglong Plaza during October 2006. Van Cleef & Arpels has about 50 stores worldwide and the Shanghai store will be the third outlet in China for the luxury brand.
In November 2005 Van Cleef & Arpels opened a boutique in Beijing. The demand for luxury goods in China "goes beyond expectations," the company's represenative told China's press.
We blogged about China's World Power ascendency into the world of Diamonds and Jewelry back in May of this year.
The link is here: Diamonds In China
New York's Diamond In The Rough
Is the Naked Cowboy who you'll find everyday in his Jockey briefs, strumming his guitar on the traffic island on 45th Street and Broadway to the admiring ogles of his many female fans.
Certainly ends our day on a bright note.
His story is here.
Harry Winston Disappears from the Diamond Scene.
The end of a glorious era in couture jewelry? In the current climate of faceless corporate homogenized leadership, even the upper-crust jewelry boutiques have not gone unscathed.
The Aber Diamond Corporation has entered into an agreement to purchase full interest in retailer Harry Winston for about $157 million.
Aber purchased 51 percent share in Harry Winston for $85 million in April 2004, and had since increased equity to 53 percent.
"The past two and half years have demonstrated the tangible benefits of linking the marketing of rough diamonds to a high-end diamond retailer in the form of improved margins at both ends of the business," said Robert Gannicott, chairman and CEO of Aber. "This acquisition solidifies our position as the world’s premier publicly traded diamond company."
The full ownership of Harry Winston strengthens Aber’s strategic position as a diamond company comprising the two most profitable segments of the diamond pipeline -– mining and retailing the company reports.
The history of the House of Harry Winston dates back nearly 100 years and includes some of the most famous diamonds in the world, from the legendary Hope Diamond, now on permanent display at the Harry Winston Pavilion at the Smithsonian Institution, to the magnificent jewels owned by royalty, movie stars and heads of state. Harry Winston’s dimensional and fluid designs, flawless craftsmanship and unparalleled quality have set the standards for diamond jewelry.
Wonder if Aber will put up a corporate billboard/sign in front of the the flagship New York Winston Emporium here in New York, much the same way as corporations are doing on sports stadiums around the country?!
"Aber Field" just doesn't have the same ring.
Fortunoff Names "Humanitarian" As New Spokeperson
Here she is, folks!
Petra Nemcova
The Fortunoff press release goes on to say:
"Supermodel and activist Petra Nemcova is the first personality associated with the brand since Lauren Bacall, who served as spokesperson 26 years ago, the company said in a media release.
Nemcova—known for her charitable endeavors as well as her beauty—will serve as the face of the company's regional advertising campaign and its fall and holiday jewelry catalogs, reaching over two million consumers nationwide.
A portion of the proceeds from select items will benefit the Happy Hearts Fund, which Nemcova founded in 2005. The fund provides aid to children who have suffered loss or hardship as a result of natural, economic or health-related disasters."
Humanitarian? Utter Blasphemy by mentioning Petra Nemcova and Mother Theresa in the same breath.
Lazare Kaplane Sues Photoscribe over Inscription Patents
International heavy hitter Diamond manufacturer Lazare Kaplan International (LKI) has sued Photoscribe Technologies alleging that Photoscribes's laser inscription of diamonds infringes on LKI's patent rights.
LKI alleges that two of their patents; Laser Marking System issued on 11/5/2002 and the Microinscribed Gemstone patent issued on 3/14/2006 have been infringed.
Photoscribe contends that it introduced it's laser inscription technology in 1999 after extensive due diligence including full disclosure to LKI in 2000 and that LKI lawyers at that time did not express any reservations or threathen litigation.
With growing consumer demand for laser inscription of their diamonds and gemstones as a valid form of identification, the timing of the LKI lawsuit at this juncture is curious.
Gold In Major Correction.
Down $15.00 today to $575.00.
Gold Bulls are getting their "shorts" handed to them.
Why You Should Buy A Hearts & Arrows Loose Diamond
As you learn more and more about loose diamonds, you will come to understand that the ideal cut round diamond, will have the most refracted brilliance from any other diamond. Another hallmark of the finest ideal cut diamonds is the hearts and arrows patterning exhibited in these stones. There are many visual benefits in diamonds that have hearts and arrows patterning within the stone. These benefits will be most noticeable when the diamond is viewed in various lighting conditions. This is an important factor, since a loose diamond, when worn on her finger, is not a static object. Rather, it is constantly moving with every motion of her hand. These movements will play the light off of the diamond in a brilliant array of brilliance, fire, and scintillation, but, only when the diamond is cut for maximum brilliancy.
Continue reading "Why You Should Buy A Hearts & Arrows Loose Diamond" »
What is an "AGS-0" or "Triple Zero" Ideal Cut Diamond?
The term “AGS-Triple 0” used to be synonymous with a “0” designation for the loose diamond’s size, color, and clarity, exclusively.
Precision Cut Grade:
AGS Ideal 0
Diamond Polish: Ideal
Diamond Symmetry: Ideal
Diamond Proportions: Ideal
Diamond Color Grade: AGS 0 (D)
Diamond Clarity Grade: AGS 0 (IF / Flawless)
By today’s standard as defined by the AGS (American Gemological Society), an AGS-0 Ideal Cut Diamond, or AGS-000 Triple Zero diamond, is defined as a loose diamond that has ideal polish, symmetry, proportions, finish, and light performance.
These Ideal cut diamonds, or AGS-0 diamonds, or “AGS triple zero” diamonds will be amongst the finest and most brilliant diamonds that money can buy.
Click here to view examples of AGS-0 Ideal Cut Princess Diamonds.
Jewelers Targeting Hispanic Market
The U.S. Hispanic population is exploding and making up an increasing proportion of the U.S. economy. 39 million Spanish speakers represent 12.1% of the U.S. fine jewelery purchases and spent 1.5 billion, up 10% from 2004.
Jewelers are sitting up, taking notice, and addressing this group through the use of visual advertising, pitching diamond engagement rings, wedding rings, and wedding bands.
Research firm Scarborough Research has found that Hispanics respond to visual
merchandising even better than the general population.
Latino culture by nature is more emotional and colorful and promo material such as fliers, banners signs, and store policies, is geared in this way to the audience.
U.S. Census Bureau data shows that Hispanics marry at a younger age than non-hispanics. 20.8% of hispanic men and 43.8% of Hispanic women marry between the ages of 15 and 24, compared to 16.9% of the white men and 31.8% of white women.
How To Buy A Diamond Engagement Ring
Just saw this excellent article on buying a diamond engagement Ring! It's a must read.
Did You Know That Mauritius Has Diamonds?
Either did I and I bet you didn't either. They export frozen fish and clothes but diamonds?
But lo and behold Wire services carry the story today that The United States signed a trade agreement with the Republic of Mauritius to boost trade between the two nations. Mauritius is an island nation due East of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.
Mauritius exported some $22.5 million in polished diamonds to the United States in 2005, up 159 percent from 2004, according to the Commerce Department. Some $15 million in polished goods were less than 0.50-carats.
From January through July 2006 the island nation has exported $9.2 million in polished goods to the United States.
Mauritius’s foreign minister Madan Murlidhar Dulloo signed the accord with deputy trade representative Karan Bhatia of the United States to increase trade between the two nations. Overall trade between the United States and Mauritius was valued at $252.7 million in 2005.
So next time you have fish, think of Diamonds and Mauritius.
About Scott Kay Diamond Engagement Rings
One of the stars of designer diamond engagement rings is master jeweler, Scott Kay.
Scott Kay is one of the better known designers of platinum jewelry and stunning diamond enagagement rings. While his actual designs may be very similar to other designer engagement ring manufacturers, like Tacori, Verragio, Vatche, etc....his awesome tag line is certainly unique.
I love it everytime I read it!
Check it out:
Awesome marketing!
Thailand & The Diamond Industry
The news in today regarding the coup staged in Thailand by the army loyal to the king (whose name I cannot pronounce so I wont try to spell it either...), may have some very interesting consequences and short term (at the very least) impact on/for the diamond industry in general.
Why?
Did you know that Thailand imported some $38 million worth of diamonds from the United States in 2005, while exporting some $110 million worth of diamonds to the United States.
In general the (jewelry industry) trading markets in Thailand can be categorized into six groups: Diamonds, colored stones, synthetic stones, jewelry, costume jewelry, and miscellaneous categories, with jewelry making up 46 percent of the market's total sales, followed by diamonds at 27 percent.
Pave Diamond & Diamond Halo Engagement Rings Are Hot!
The fashion trend of the moment are beautiful diamond rings with intricately set (pave style) accent diamonds. Diamond halo engagement rings are also very popular! Here are some examples of these diamond engagement ring styles.
Diamonds In Hospitals Not Welcome
England's Daily Mail reports today that Nurses are being urged by hospital bosses to cover up their cleavage and make sure they don't inadvertently expose their pants to patients.
I Need A Nurse, Quick!
The new uniform guidelines drawn up by health bosses also place a ban on high heels as they can wake up sleeping patients.
Workers at Southend Hospital in Essex are being asked for their views on the proposals which also include a ban on jewelery other than ear studs and wedding rings.
Doctors have also been told not to wear stethoscopes around their neck for fear of spreading infection around hospitals.
Guess many of the old geezer patients will now be checking themselves out of this hospital. Bummer!
Would You Buy A Diamond Engagement Worn By A Celebrity?
Good Question. Would you be influenced?
While luxury brands are eager to get celebrities to show off their goods, the impact may be negligible, according to a new study. In fact, the survey found celebrity endorsements are twice as likely to backfire as they are to produce immediate sales results among wealthy consumers.
The Wealth Report, compiled by the Luxury Institute, finds only one percent of wealthy consumers (median income of $250,000 and net worth of $1.5 million) will buy a luxury product based on an endorsement from a celebrity. Only five percent say endorsements would increase their consideration of such purchases.
Of those surveyed, 13 percent would definitely not consider a celebrity-endorsed luxury product, and 63 percent said celebrity endorsements do not affect their decision-making at all.
But the report finds celebrity endorsements do raise awareness of luxury products and services. Of those surveyed, 18 percent said celebrity endorsements help them become aware of luxury offerings.
In terms of products, celebrities have the greatest power in promoting fashion designers, with 30 percent of those surveyed admitting celebrity influence in this category.
Gold Keeps Dropping
Reports Bloomberg News.
Gold in New York fell for the third time in four sessions after a U.S. government report showed inflation is easing, reducing the appeal of the precious metal as a hedge against accelerating consumer costs.
The price of gold has fallen 20 percent from a 26-year high of $732 an ounce in mid-May after the U.S. Federal Reserve raised interest rates 17 times in two years to head off inflation. Core prices paid to U.S. producers fell 0.4 percent in August after a 0.3 percent drop in July, the Labor Department said today. It was the first back-to back-decline since the end of 2002.
``Lately, inflation is less of a concern,'' said Matt McKinney, a commodity broker at Infinity Brokerage Services Inc. in Chicago. ``That's a clear indication by the price of gold coming down $50 in the last few weeks.''
Gold futures for December delivery fell $6.80, or 1.2 percent, to $586 an ounce at 10:35 a.m. on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange. The metal gained 1.6 percent yesterday after dropping 5.6 percent last week and losing 2.4 percent the previous week.
Prices have climbed each year since 2001 and are up 13 percent in 2006.
No sign of the Gold Bulls.
WhiteFlash - A Cut Above Diamonds - Launches New Website
www.whiteflash.com, a web based company selling ideal cut diamonds and fine jewelry, has announced today the launch of their newly revamped website. Whiteflash.com is a retail jewelry website that sells superideal cut and hearts and arrows cut diamonds which they brand under their trademarked, A Cut Above Signature name. A Cut Above diamonds is a type of Ideal Cut diamond that achieves Ideal proportions for diamond polish, symmetry, finish, and light performance. These diamonds are usually accompanied by an AGS diamond grading report and are amongst the finest hearts and arrows loose diamonds on the market today.
Other Superideal cut branded diamonds are SuperbCert Diamonds, Hearts on Fire Diamonds, and Eightstar Diamonds.
The new Whiteflash website incorporates many new elements including flash animation, one line diamond filters, and a very unique "build your diamond ring feature".
The overall look of the new website is (IMO) clean, professional, and high end; an altogether pleasant experience.
It is really interesting to note, that sales of loose diamonds, diamond jewelry, and diamond engagement rings on the Internet is no longer reserved for the drop ship monsters like Amazon and BlueNile. Indeed, there are many reputable diamond companies on the Internet today, who are distinguishing themselves by their commitment to sell only the highest quality ideal cut diamonds and diamond engagement rings at outstanding values. Companies like Whiteflash and others, pride themselves on only selling loose diamonds that have been physically inspected by their in-house gemologists first. They also focus on one of a kind custom made diamond engagement rings to suit the customers exact specifications.
Not unlike fast food chain stores, such as MacDonalds and Burger King, there will always be a market for drop ship diamond companies like Blue Nile and Amazon.
However, more and more diamond shoppers on the Internet are turning to the smaller, consumer oriented diamond companies, that are represented by knowledgeable experts in the diamond industry, who sell only the highest caliber loose diamonds and designer engagement rings at wholesale prices. These customers are assured of a brilliant diamond buying experience with expert guidance, a unique selection of diamond rings and jewelry, a commitment to customer satisfaction, and the lowest diamond prices on the Internet.
N.Y.C. Diamond District Mostly Closed In Observance of Rosh Hashana
Rosh Hashana, which marks the new year on the Jewish calendar begins this Friday evening.
Many diamond and jewelry stores here in the N.Y.C. diamond district will be closed in observance of the Holiday, begining tomorrow morning through Sunday evening.
Google has a really cool logo with a Shofar in honor of Rosh Hashana
See it here. http://www.google.co.il/
Inspiration for this blog entry taken from Barry of CartoonBarry!
This Matchmaker Was A True Diamond!
"Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match, find me a catch", goes the song in Fiddler On The Roof.
This Matchmaker was special.
Read it here:
www.ExcelDiamonds.com Set To Launch Custom Jewelry Gallery!
Exciting things are happening at www.exceldiamonds.com; one of the Internet's largest sellers of
Ideal
Hearts & Arrows diamonds and diamond jewelry.
ExcelDiamonds announces today that in the next few weeks it will be launching a comprehensive gallery of exquisite, one of a kind diamond jewelry pieces on its' e-commerce website.
This selection of hand crafted diamond jewlery which will be built to suit each customers exact specifications, will include diamond engagement rings, diamond earrings, diamond wedding bands, eternity rings, diamond bracelets, Tiffany Inspired diamond engagement rings, Cartier reproduction engagement rings, Vera Wang inspired engagement rings, Bvlgari inspired engagement rings, and much more!
ExcelDiamonds.com has already garnered a tremendous reputation on the Internet, for manufacturing unique pieces of dazzling diamond jewelry designed by the customer and flawlessly executed by ExcelDiamonds in its New York City Jewelry Shop and factory.
The designer jewelry gallery featured on ExcelDiamonds.com will showcase many of these pieces and give the customer the ability to create something similar to suit his or her individual tatses.
The addition of this designer jewelry gallery will coincide with many other exciting new changes and additions to the ExcelDiamonds website.
Here are some examples of unique diamond jewelry and engagement rings already manufactured and soon to be featured on the new ExcelDiamonds.com Custom Jewelry Boutique!
SuperbCert Signature Diamond With Pear Shape Side Diamonds!
Here is a gorgeous photo I just took of a SuperbCert Signature, Superideal cut diamond, with two pear shape side diamonds.
The center diamond is a 1.84 I SI1 Round diamond (completely eye-clean!!) and the side pear diamonds are .45 carats each!
I think the look is gorgeous and perfect for a custom 3 stone diamond engagement ring!
Siberia and Diamonds: Perfect Together.
It can be a hot as hell day in July but just mention Siberia and you start to deep freeze. Your sweat drys instantly, your clothes become crisp and sharp, your thirst miraculously disappears.
Siberia is legendry for its viciously cold climate. And with the nine-month-long winters and temperatures that can plunge to minus 60 Celsius, tourism ain't happening.
Nevertheless Siberia has something which draws Men towards it with great eagerness.
Diamonds.
Agence France-Presse in todays editions reports on the eastern Siberian city of Mirny (population: 40,000) and its giant Mir diamond mine that is one of Russia's best kept secrets.
It is still quite difficult for foreigners to set foot in this city of wooden barracks and hastily-built apartment houses without an official invitation from ALROSA, the world's second-largest diamond producer after DeBeers.
Foreigners who do turn up without authorization are likely to be interrogated by the Federal Security Service -- especially about their interest in diamonds -- and abruptly escorted out of the region.
Mirny is nestled in Yakutia, a region the size of India (three million square kilometers, or 1.16 million square miles) straddling the Arctic circle. Yakutia is rich in kimberlites, vertical volcanic shafts where diamonds are formed.
The first diamond deposit in Yakutia was discovered about 50 years ago, and since then extraction has grown quickly. Mir (Peace) was the the first such deposit to come into operation, and has long been Russia's pride. Since 1958, more than $17 billion (EURO 13.4 billion) worth of diamonds have come from this dig, which is 1.3 kilometers in diameter (0.8 miles) and about 500 meters deep.
Now, the crater is filled with clear green water, as technical constraints have prevented open-air mining at Mir since 2001. The deposit awaits rebirth in 2009, when an underground mine is due to be opened.
Several kilometers away, an underground mine called International is already in operation. Some 870 miners work in round-the-clock shifts to extract the precious gray-green mineral, which is then hauled off by trucks in loads weighing about 100 tons to a complex that extracts the diamonds.
Once pried out of their stone bed, raw diamonds are sorted behind armored doors in ALROSA's laboratories.
The smallest are exported to India, while the largest go to Antwerp, the center of the world diamond trade where they are cut into polished diamonds for the public.
Despite the difficult conditions and extreme climate, many are drawn to the diamond mines by salaries averaging more than $1,000 (EURO 786) a month -- a considerable sum for the region.
But Mirny's infrastructure is decrepit with broken roads and crumbling houses showing how little the town's natural riches have brought it, with the exception of a few colorful buildings that serve as ALROSA's offices and a spa hotel offered by the company.
Obviously ALROSA Mining Executives know how to take care of themselves and as regards the Mirny towns people have learned well from Marie Antoinette:
On the count of three, All together now, Gang..."Let them eat Borscht"!
Tension Set Engagement Rings Can Give You a Tension Headache.
We declared our disdain for Tension Set Diamond Engagement Rings in a recent Blog here:
Tension Set Diamond Rings
In a Tension Setting, the diamond is (hopefully) held securely in place at opposite ends on the mid-point circumference by two pieces of the metal wall.
Well, we're not surprised to note the angst and anger of a customer writing today on the diamond internet Forum, Pricescope.com, who purchased a tension set Diamond Engagement Ring at the Robbins Brothers Jewelry Store in Torrance, California and found that the diamond popped out of the setting not once but twice.
You can read his gaga saga here:
Diamond Tension Settings can give you a tension headache
Wedding Facts and Figures.
So you've spent the big bucks in getting her that diamond engagement ring and matching wedding band. My friend, your expenses are first beginning. Gotta plan the Wedding and make sure you have the cash to pay for it.
Weddings are a big industry and a growing one. The Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants (ACPWC), [wow that is a mouthful] estimates current wedding spending at 120 billion a year and projects growth of 6.5% by 2009.
One out of every 62 Americans got married in 2005, with the greatest number of weddings occurring in California, Texas, Florida, Nevada, and New York.
Newly marrieds are affluent, with an average annual household income of $60,000. Weddings are expensive as the average wedding costs between $20,000 to $25,000. Regional differences do apply with the average in New York coming out to $31,000 while a wedding in the Southeast will cost $17,000. Nearly half - 45% - of couples spend more on their wedding than they had planned to, which includes the groom's gift to the bride and wedding dress.
An interesting statistic is that the cost of enagement rings is going UP. In 1995, the average diamond engagement ring cost $2909. In 2000 it was $3390 and in 2005 it was $4146. According to Hallmark Cards, approximately 75% of first-time brides receive a diamond engagement ring, 67% for repeat brides.
Wedding Ring Costs
Finally, the most commonly cited statistic about about American marriages is that more than half of them end in divorce. 59% of brides who marry before the age of 18 are separated and divorced within 15 years. Nevertheless, people like getting married. The proof is in the number of second marriages with 33% of the annual 2.4 million weddings being remarriages. Second marriages occur most frequently between the ages of 34-49. The average age of remarrying brides is 32 and the remarrying groom 37.
Information About Martin Flyer Engagement Rings
Martin Flyer is a designer of some beautiful and unique diamond engagement rings. I recently had a chance to view a Maryin Flyer diamond setting and was quite impressed by the beauty of the ring. They are located right around the corner from us, in the heart of the New York City Diamond District, so I might just go over one day to visit. In any event, I think this guys stuff is nice, if not a bit pricey. Is there better value for the money in a designer engagement ring? Possibly. That is up to you to decide.
Flyer Diamond Rings
They do make some very nice halo engagement rings for Asscher cut diamonds and fancy shaped diamonds. I do not believe Martin Flyer diamond engagement rings can be purchased over the Internet, although I do know of one Internet company that offers Martin Flyer jewelry without recognition (at least on the product pages..)
See The Diamond Hearts & Arrows & Ideal-Scope Results In Action!
There is much information available on the Internet today concerning the Hearts & Arrows patterning in a Hearts & Arrows cut diamond and how it is indicative of the most precisely cut diamond that money can buy.
The Ideal-Scope technology has also gained popularity amongst diamond consumers for its ability to demonstrate light leakage/refraction in a diamond by menans of a very simplistic device.
The Idealscope was developed by Australian gemologist; Garry Holloway.
For more information on the Ideal-Scope device and what it measures, please click here:
Wouldn't you love to actually SEE the internal Hearts & Arrows patterning for your loose diamond?
Some companies offer a FREE Diamond Toolkit with every purchase of a loose hearts and arrows diamond, or an ideal cut diamond.
Here is an example of our free diamond toolkit, provided with the purchase of any SuperbCert Super-Ideal cut Diamond.
Can you guess which items perform which function?
**Please note: Although we own a few of the trademarked IdealScopes by Mr. Holloway, and use them in-house (in conjuction with our various other technologies) to evaluate leakage and light performance in our diamonds, the photo you see below is not one of Mr. Holloway's trademarked Ideal-Scopes, but rather a similar functioning ImageScope of our own manufacture.
We developed this ImageScope which is slightly different from the IdealScope to include in our Free diamond toolkits to all of our customers.
