Give us Back the Crown Jewel Diamonds, says South African Politician

Pic shows Ndlozi’s tweet

Britain must return two  from its crown jewels, says a member of South Africa’s parliament.

Mbusiyseni Ndlozi, of the left-wing opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) tweeted: “Expropriation of the Queen’s crown without compensation: we want our diamonds back!” A tweet claimed the gems had a combined value of $5bn.

The Cullinan I (Star of Africa), a 530.2 carat pendeloque-cut diamond, is set as the main stone in Queen Elizabeth II’s Sceptre with Cross.

It was cut from 3,106.75-carat Cullinan Diamond, unearthed at the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1905, and presented by the Transvaal provincial government as an extremely generous birthday gift to Britain’s King Edward VII.

Among the other gems cut from it is The Cullinan II (Second Star of Africa) which weighs 317.4 carats and which is set in the Imperial State Crown.

Source: DCLA

Give us Back the Crown Jewel Diamonds, says South African Politician

Pic shows Ndlozi’s tweet

Britain must return two  from its crown jewels, says a member of South Africa’s parliament.

Mbusiyseni Ndlozi, of the left-wing opposition party Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) tweeted: “Expropriation of the Queen’s crown without compensation: we want our diamonds back!” A tweet claimed the gems had a combined value of $5bn.

The Cullinan I (Star of Africa), a 530.2 carat pendeloque-cut diamond, is set as the main stone in Queen Elizabeth II’s Sceptre with Cross.

It was cut from 3,106.75-carat Cullinan Diamond, unearthed at the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1905, and presented by the Transvaal provincial government as an extremely generous birthday gift to Britain’s King Edward VII.

Among the other gems cut from it is The Cullinan II (Second Star of Africa) which weighs 317.4 carats and which is set in the Imperial State Crown.

Source: DCLA

Tiffany Launches Diamond Engagement Rings for Men

 

For the first time in its history, iconic New York jeweler Tiffany & Co. has launched engagement rings for men.

This May, Tiffany unveils the Charles Tiffany Setting, a collection of solitaire men’s rings with sizable round-brilliant and emerald-cut diamonds measuring up to 4.3 carats.

Tiffany, which did more than $4 billion in jewelry sales last year, is on the cusp of a new era. In January, the company was acquired by the luxury-goods behemoth LVMH for $15.8 billion, and now the iconic Blue Box brand belongs to the French. And, after nearly 180 years in business, the jeweler is finally embracing the idea of diamonds for all.

“Why not diamonds for men?” asks Frank Everett, senior vice president, sales director for Sotheby’s luxury division in New York and a man known for his own collection of jeweled and diamond brooches. “Most men love diamonds but haven’t necessarily thought about applying them in their own jewelry.” While there’s always been a segment of men who favored a diamond pinkie ring, Everett says that men’s diamond rings were especially popular in the late ’70s and ’80s, but then they faded out.

He predicts Tiffany’s new engagement rings will help create a greater market for men’s diamond rings. “Once men break the ice and wear a diamond, it becomes comfortable and natural,” explains Everett.

Source: DCLA

Tiffany Launches Diamond Engagement Rings for Men

 

For the first time in its history, iconic New York jeweler Tiffany & Co. has launched engagement rings for men.

This May, Tiffany unveils the Charles Tiffany Setting, a collection of solitaire men’s rings with sizable round-brilliant and emerald-cut diamonds measuring up to 4.3 carats.

Tiffany, which did more than $4 billion in jewelry sales last year, is on the cusp of a new era. In January, the company was acquired by the luxury-goods behemoth LVMH for $15.8 billion, and now the iconic Blue Box brand belongs to the French. And, after nearly 180 years in business, the jeweler is finally embracing the idea of diamonds for all.

“Why not diamonds for men?” asks Frank Everett, senior vice president, sales director for Sotheby’s luxury division in New York and a man known for his own collection of jeweled and diamond brooches. “Most men love diamonds but haven’t necessarily thought about applying them in their own jewelry.” While there’s always been a segment of men who favored a diamond pinkie ring, Everett says that men’s diamond rings were especially popular in the late ’70s and ’80s, but then they faded out.

He predicts Tiffany’s new engagement rings will help create a greater market for men’s diamond rings. “Once men break the ice and wear a diamond, it becomes comfortable and natural,” explains Everett.

Source: DCLA

Christie’s to Auction $12M Pink Diamond Ring

 

A fancy-intense-pink diamond ring with a high estimate of CHF 11 million ($12 million) is set to feature in the Magnificent Jewels sale at Christie’s Geneva.

The oval-shaped, 15.23-carat piece, surrounded by diamonds, will be offered alongside the 100.94-carat Alrosa Spectacle diamond at the May 12 auction, Christie’s said last week.

Other notable items include a heart-shaped, 53.33-carat, D-color, VVS1-clarity, type IIa diamond pendant with a high valuation of CHF 3 million ($3.3 million). A pear-shaped, 141.22-carat, fancy-brown-yellow diamond set in a diamond necklace is also on offer, carrying a high estimate of CHF 2.8 million ($3.1 million).

Meanwhile, a ring featuring a 47-carat, cushion-shaped old mine Colombian emerald surrounded by diamonds will go under the hammer. The jewel, which is from an important private collection, carries a high presale estimate of CHF 1.6 million ($1.7 million).

Christie’s will also sell a rectangular cut-cornered, 8.06-carat, fancy-purplish-pink, VVS2-clarity diamond ring bracketed by tapered baguette-cut diamonds. The piece, created by Boucheron, has a high valuation of CHF 1.5 million ($1.6 million).

Christie’s will preview the items from May 8. The sale will also feature an online component, which will be open for bidding between April 29 and May 10.

Source: DCLA

Christie’s to Auction $12M Pink Diamond Ring

 

A fancy-intense-pink diamond ring with a high estimate of CHF 11 million ($12 million) is set to feature in the Magnificent Jewels sale at Christie’s Geneva.

The oval-shaped, 15.23-carat piece, surrounded by diamonds, will be offered alongside the 100.94-carat Alrosa Spectacle diamond at the May 12 auction, Christie’s said last week.

Other notable items include a heart-shaped, 53.33-carat, D-color, VVS1-clarity, type IIa diamond pendant with a high valuation of CHF 3 million ($3.3 million). A pear-shaped, 141.22-carat, fancy-brown-yellow diamond set in a diamond necklace is also on offer, carrying a high estimate of CHF 2.8 million ($3.1 million).

Meanwhile, a ring featuring a 47-carat, cushion-shaped old mine Colombian emerald surrounded by diamonds will go under the hammer. The jewel, which is from an important private collection, carries a high presale estimate of CHF 1.6 million ($1.7 million).

Christie’s will also sell a rectangular cut-cornered, 8.06-carat, fancy-purplish-pink, VVS2-clarity diamond ring bracketed by tapered baguette-cut diamonds. The piece, created by Boucheron, has a high valuation of CHF 1.5 million ($1.6 million).

Christie’s will preview the items from May 8. The sale will also feature an online component, which will be open for bidding between April 29 and May 10.

Source: DCLA

Company Buys 50,000 Diamonds for World-First Tradable Coins

 

The company behind diamond “coins” for investors will embark on the automated purchase of about 50,000 gems on Tuesday.

The coins will be the world’s first regulator-approved, exchange-traded, fungible diamond commodity offering. 

New York-based Diamond Standard is buying inventory to produce the first batch of 5,000 diamond standard coins, each containing “a set of certified natural diamonds with identical geological scarcity” weighing around 4.5 carats all with the exact value of $5,000.

The diamonds will be assembled into clear plastic coins containing a wireless blockchain token by the International Gemological Institute (IGI).
They will then be traded as a commodity and the price will fluctuate. Subsequent coins will replicate the rarity of the benchmark set. 

“We buy sight unseen,” said CEO and founder Cormac Kinney. “Our computer automatically buys the least expensive diamonds across a statistically valid sample.  

We don’t even know the price. We are literally buying the certificate.”
Diamond Standard bids electronically through its own Diamond Standard Exchange to buy a statistical samples of all qualities of natural, polished diamonds, seeking the lowest price across a wide range – D to L color, IF to SI2 clarity, VG to EX GIA cut scale, from 0.21-carats to 0.75-carats. 

Source: DCLA