Diamond Bridal Jewelry | Diamond Engagement Ring

The auspicious day of your wedding is the most important day of your life. You definitely want everything as perfect image and ecstasy, because the day will never come and will always be there as a set of time even in your family album. The most important things that catch the attention of the entire family and guests are bridal jewelry sets. And, if the bridal jewelry sets are the sets of prestigious bridal diamond jewelry, then it is certainly something that deserves all the talk of the meeting. Diamond jewelry wedding, successfully captures the attention of the masses and the elite. Manufacturing and workmanship of the diamond wedding sets of commands from the essence of the beauty of any bride. Needless to say, all decorated bridal jewelry, ornament that has the attention of all is the diamond wedding ring.

If you happen to buy diamond wedding jewelry on the market, first and foremost requires the reporting of several factors that are closely related to the development and pricing of bridal diamond jewelry. The factors that are part of things as the 4 Cs of diamonds are carat, color, clarity and cut of the diamond used. These factors command of beauty, as well as the cost of diamond jewelry. Then, there are different types of configuration used in the manufacture and breakdown of diamond jewelry. The adjustments could set bezel, pave setting, establishing channels and many more. All these settings contribute to the overall look of diamond jewelry.

Nice ice - Diamond jewelry still tops for retailers

source : nationaljewelernetwork.com
By Catherine Dayrit
May 04, 2010

Carla Amorim's "Champagne" ring in 18-karat yellow gold with 1.5 carats of diamonds; suggested retail price is $9,000. CarlaAmorim.com

New York--Despite widespread efforts to reduce inventory, there are some items that jewelers simply must keep in stock.

Diamond hoops and studs, as well as delicate pendants, are can't-go-wrong options for need-it-now customers, while trendy diamond charms and colored diamonds might catch the eye of customers seeking the unique.

Diamond jewelry continues to represent the largest category of sales among jewelry retailers, bar none, thanks in part to a marketing machine matched by no other jewelry category. Credit is also due to innovative new styles--who would have thought rough cuts and brown diamonds would become designer darlings?--offering a welcome retreat from the familiar. ...

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The bridal category remains solid as a rock

source :nationaljewelernetwork
By Michelle Graff
Nisan 12, 2010

Natural blue and pink diamond ring by Scarselli Diamonds, Scarselli.com. Blue was the second hottest natural color diamond choice (behind yellow), with 22 percent of the vote, while 7 percent picked pink.

While consumers may remain hesitant to splurge on fashion jewelry, nothing seems to stop them from falling in love and getting married, the results of National Jeweler's Product Panel on bridal jewelry show.

Nearly half (47 percent) of the retail jewelers who took the survey reported that their loose diamond, diamond engagement ring and wedding band sales have increased over the last three years, while 36 percent said they have remained steady.

As the economy continues to bounce back, bridal will no doubt remain central to any jewelry store's success, as retailers find creative ways to adjust to a post-recession world and continued Internet interference. ...

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Loose Diamonds - Most Popular Diamond Cuts

Round

For almost 100 years, cutters have been perfecting their art in effort to achieve the grandeur and luster of the round diamond.

Asscher

A uniquely modified square Emerald. Being a trademark design cut, Asscher diamonds are short in supply and highly sought-after.

Princess

Brilliant, square diamonds with no trimmed corners. An extremely popular choice for engagement rings.

Radiant

Rare and unique, the Radiant Diamond features beautiful barely trimmed corners. This blazing cut makes an exceptional choice.

Cushion

Gently rounded like a cushion, this exceptional cut has been in high demand for over a century as a solitaire.

Pear

Pear shaped diamonds go back to the 1400s. These stones are most popular as engagement rings & pendants.

Marquise

This slim and point-ended cut, set parallel to the finger & often embellished by accent stones. Popular for wedding rings.

Heart

The heart shape is mostly in demand in recent years for pendants. High color level is important as it is visible at the corners.

Oval

Elegant and luminous, oval diamonds compliment feminine fingers, and are usually extremely fashionable among small-handed women.

Emerald

A rectangular cut of the emerald diamonds featuring trimmed corners and rectangular facets, popular when set with accent stones.

Triangle

Also "Trilliant Diamonds", these stones are often used in stud earrings. Chosen wisely, this cut can be a splendid center stone.

source : diamonds-usa.com

Historic stones rule the day at Christie's

source : nationaljewelernetwork.com
April 23, 2010

Legend has it that the Archduke Maximilian, who once ruled as emperor of Mexico at the urging of Napoleon III, had the Emperor Maximilian Diamond in a pouch around his neck when he was executed by a firing squad. The 39.55-carat cushion-cut stone sold for $1.76 million at Christie's on Thursday.

New York--Two stones with colorful histories sold above their estimates Thursday at Christie's "Jewels: the New York Sale."

According to a news release issued by the auction house, a private U.S. buyer paid $1.76 million for the 39.55-carat, I color Emperor Maximilian Diamond, which was estimated to fetch between $1 million and $1.5 million.

The cushion-cut stone has a long and interesting history, having once been owned by the Archduke Maximilian, who ruled as emperor of Mexico at the insistence of Napoleon III but was later executed. It is believed that he was wearing the diamond around his neck when he faced the firing squad.

After passing through a number of owners, the stone fell into the hands of diamantaire Laurence Graff, who bought it at Christie's in 1982 and sold it to Imelda Marcos, widow of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. ...

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Red-hot diamond on block at Sotheby's Australia

source : nationaljewelernetwork.com
April 01, 2010

The 0.82-carat center stone of this ring will mark the first red diamond to be offered for public auction in Australia. The ring is estimated at as much as $921,556 and also features fancy blue diamonds and brilliant-cut colorless diamonds set in platinum.

Sydney, Australia--Sotheby's Australia's upcoming April 12 sale of antique and contemporary jewelry will be a significant one for the auction house. The event will mark the Australian branch's first standalone jewelry sale, with the highlight slated to be the first red diamond ever offered for public auction in Australia.

The 0.82-carat, fancy purplish-red Argyle diamond is set into a ring and is flanked by a pair of fancy blue diamonds in a round brilliant-cut diamond surround, all mounted in platinum. Its value is estimated at between 700,000 and 1 million Australian dollars (between about $645,065 and $921,556) and will be accompanied by a letter from Argyle Diamonds attesting to its rarity.

Sotheby's said in a media release that despite the notable discovery of the Argyle pink diamond deposits in Western Australia, less than a handful of red diamonds have been discovered, and connoisseurs have long considered red diamonds to be among the most precious and rare of diamonds.

The April 12 sale will offer even more superb examples of colored stones, including a double strand of graduated emerald beads accented with diamond-set rondelles (estimated between $9,676 and $11,519), a sapphire and diamond ring (estimated between $23,034 and $32,248) and an emerald and diamond ring (estimated between $64,497 and $82,907). ...

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Black Diamonds

What are Black Diamonds, as seen in most jewelry?

Black diamonds are typically enhanced. Black diamonds are genuine diamonds treated with radiation to make their color appear black. Under normal lighting conditions the color enhanced black diamond looks black. However, it is actually very dark green. To observe the very dark green color, a fiber-optic light source can be placed near a thin edge of the diamond (such as the girdle or culet). This allows the light to illuminate some of the interior of the stone. The very dark green color that becomes visible is commonly seen in enhanced black diamonds. The very dark green color that is seen is never seen in natural diamonds. It is a result of radiation treatment.

Famous Black Diamonds

The Black Orloff

The Black Orloff (Orlov) cushion cut diamond (shown left) which still weighs in at a very respectable 67.50 carats. It is reported to have belonged to a nineteenth-century shrine near Pondicherry, India, and to have weighed 195 carats in the rough. Set in a diamond and platinum necklace, the Black Orloff has been widely exhibited. In 1969, the stone was sold for $300,000. It was resold in 1990 at Sothebys for $99,000. Also called the Eye of Brahma Diamond. The diamond is currently owned by Dennis Petimezas, a diamond dealer from Pennsylvania who bought the diamond for an unspecified sum in 2005.

"The Gruosi" Black Diamond

Upon creating amazing black diamond jewelry for his luxury jewelry house de Grisogono, chairman and founder Fawaz Gruosi enjoys a special place in diamond history: he is credited with popularizing the fascination with black diamonds in 1996 - a fascination that continues today.

He also had a rare opportunity - a rare opportunity even for a grand jeweler like himself: he got to name a diamond. Naming a diamond is something reserved only for original buyers of a rough diamond. The de Grisogono founder chose the name "The Gruosi" for the incredible 115.34-carat black diamond. In fact, Fawaz Gruosi has actually been involved in naming two diamonds - the other being the 312.24-carat "The Spirit of Grisogono," also a black diamond with the famous Swiss jeweler Mr. de Grisogono. These two black diamonds are the two largest black diamonds in the world.

sources : generousgems.com,blackdiamonds.co.uk,vialuxe.com

By choice or not, jewelers fall off brand-wagon

source : nationaljewelernetwork.com
By Michelle Graff
April 15, 2010

Hearts on Fire says it is renewing its focus on bridal pieces, like this "Beloved" ring, featuring a 0.75-carat center stone and 0.37- to 0.47-carat side stones; setting retails for $2,650.

New York--In a month known for hearts and cupid's arrows, some of the industry's biggest brands weren't showing recession-battered retailers any love.

In February, both diamond company Hearts on Fire and the Richemont Group-owned Cartier acknowledged they were severing ties with under-performing retailers, and both cited essentially the same reason: They wanted to maximize their brand's potential by partnering only with those retailers who really know how to push their product.

Stories detailing these divorces blew up online at NationalJeweler.com, remaining on the site's top-viewed list for weeks. But was the frenzy whipped up by the jewelers directly impacted or by the love-hate relationship jewelers often harbor when it comes to their favorite brands? Longtime retailers and industry observers suggest the latter. ...

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In Pictures: America's Most Popular Diamond Cuts

Round

With one out of every three diamonds sold in the U.S. being a classic round brilliant diamond, this cut is far and away the most popular.

Scarlett Johansson and singer Fergie both sport classic rounds.
Princess

The princess diamond was created in 1980 but has catapulted into massive popularity, making it the second-most popular diamond cut in the U.S. Diamond analyst Kenneth Gassman estimates that princess cut diamonds make up approximately 13% to 20% of diamond sales.

Freddie Prinze Jr. proposed to Sarah Michelle Gellar with a princess cut.

Emerald

The third-most popular cut has long clear "step cuts," which emphasize the diamond's clarity and gives it a more subtle appearance than the "brilliant" cuts of most diamonds.

Nick Cannon proposed to Mariah Carey with a reported $2.5 million emerald-cut diamond.

Pear Shape

The pear shape, the fifth-most popular diamond, is also called a "tear drop" for its single point and rounded end.

The most famous pear-shaped diamond has to be the 69-carat pear-shaped diamond given to Elizabeth Taylor by her fifth and sixth husband Richard Burton. Taylor wore the Taylor-Burton diamond in a necklace.


Asscher

The Asscher cut has been around for a century but soared in popularity, especially in Hollywood, after being featured in an episode of Sex and the City in which nice-guy Aidan proposed to protagonist Carrie Bradshaw.

Kate Hudson and Elizabeth Hurley were both given Asscher cuts by their soon-to-be husbands.

Source: Kenneth Gassman, The Diamond Source of Virginia, Blue Nile.
source : http://forbeslife.nl/2009/04/17/engagement-weddings-diamonds-forbes-woman-style-retail_slide.html?partner=contextstory

News : Christie's Auctions Two Huge Gems

March 26, 2010, jewelry.com

It's auction time again. See the two stunning stones that are causing a stir this time around.

Jewelry lovers may not be able to afford the gems and jewels offered for sale at big auction houses like Christie's and Sotheby's, but we can certainly gawk at the incredible display from afar. To that end, we give you two stunning pieces on the block for the upcoming Christie's New York sale on April 22^nd: The Catherine the Great Emerald and The Emperor Maximilian Diamond.

The first stone comes in the guise of a large emerald and diamond brooch once worn by one of the world's most powerful and ruthless female leaders, Catherine II of Russia. The hexagonal-cut stone weighs between 60 and 70 carats and is surrounded by rose and old mine-cut diamonds. The estimated price for this little beauty clocks in at around $1 to $1.5 million.

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Blinged Out Bluetooth

Jewelry.com, 05/12/2008

If you're not worried about little things such as a mortgage, bills, car payments, the price of gas or what your friends would say, Jewelry.com has found a little Bluetooth headset that might just be what you've never wanted.
Motorola knows that sometimes practicality can get rather staid, so they've thrown diamonds to the wind and come up with a bluetooth that every blinged out millionaire should have. The Motoral Motopure H12 is no ordinary headset. This one is made from either yellow or white gold and covered with 184 diamonds.
The price - a mere $17,000.