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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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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Topaz Jewelry Photos

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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Jewelry Art Awards 2009 of Jewelry Artist Magazine

The 2009 Jewelry Arts Awards

Jewelry Artist magazine's annual competition yields 10 outstanding winners

Pins & Brooches

Naomi Sarna
First Place, Pins/Brooches
(Also Best of Competition)
FIRST WAVE
32mm x 23mm. 18K gold, Chinese freshwater pearl, VS diamonds, Montana sapphires, Contra-luz opals, Imperial topaz. Handmade lost-wax gold setting surrounding pegged and epoxy-set pearl. All stones are pave set with bright-cut finishing. Photo: Azad. sarna.naomi@gmail.com, naomisarnadesigns.com

Naomi Sarna
Second Place, Pins/Brooches
JUBILANT HEART. 38.5mm x 43.3 mm. 87.5 carat rose quartz, 18K gold, VS diamonds, Montana sapphire, Impreial topaz, Contra-luz opal. Lost-wax carved and gold-cast setting. Photo: Azad. sarna.naomi@gmail.com, naomisarnadesigns.com

Bracelets

Genevieve Yang
First Place, Bracelets
MOON PHASES CUFF. 2.0" x 2.5" x 1.75". Fine silver, sterling silver edge, and 24K gold. Spray of flush set VS F plus diamonds, Hand fabricated, forged, roller embossed, keumboo, flush setting. Photo: Hap Sakwa. genevieve@genevieveyang.com, www.genevieveyang.com

Alex Maryaskin
Second Place, Bracelets
UNTITLED. 8". 14K yellow gold, Australian opal, and diamonds. Filigree work, scroll work, and spiral and granulation detail. Photo: Ralph Gabriner. 757-596-0481, www.artoffiligree.com

Earrings

Nanz Aalund
First Place, Earrings
NAUTILUS EARRINGS
33mm x 5mm x 26mm each earring. 22K gold and epoxy resin. Corrugated 22K gold is spiraled with epoxy resin cast into the spiral. Fabricated ear clip. Photo: Doug Yaple. nanz@nanzaalund.com, www.nanzaalund.com

Pendants/Necklaces

Marie Scarpa
First Place, Pendants/Necklaces
TWENTY ONE. 3.25" x 3" x 5". 20-gauge Argentium sheet, 3mm Argentium heavy walled tubing, 12-gauge round Argentium wire, 36-gauge 3½% platinum silver wire, 34-gauge 18K yellow gold wire, 7mm 1.51 carat whirlpool cut citrine, 2.5mm round faceted black spinels, 4.5 round white freshwater pearls. Fabrication including sawing and soldering, hand weaving, stone setting and hand polishing, and texturing. Photo: Hap Sakwa. 707-765-6558, www.mariescarpadesigns.com.

Melissa Pedersen
Second Place, Pendants/Necklaces
CELEBRATION SPROUT NECKLACE. 25cm x 15cm x 3cm. Sterling silver, Argentium silver, 3mm fresh water pearls. Hand carved wax, lost wax casting, fused, constructed, and soldered. Photo by the artist. info@melissapedersen.com, www.melissapedersen.com.

Miscellaneous Jewelry

Jeffrey Appling
First Place, Miscellaneous Jewelry
BROKEN CIRCLE. 17" and 10mm. Sterling silver, 14K white gold, 14K yellow gold plate, 13mm faceted triangular black spinel, 2.0mm black diamonds, and 2mm colorless diamonds. Black rubber neoprene. Carved, cast, fabricated, flush set and tension set. Photo: Hap Sakwa. 760-322-2883, www.JeffreyAppling.com.

Robin Antonsen
Second Place, Miscellaneous Jewelry
OBJECT. 6". Sterling silver hair pin. Constructed, rolling mill, hydraulic press, and patina. Photo by the artist. brightshadow@cheerful.com.

Rings

Jeffrey Appling
First Place, Rings
SURFER RINGS. 15mm x 21mm x 29mm. Silver and copper with paint pigment cross-linked into the upper metal molecules, 2mm diamonds, 7.5mm freshwater cultured pearls. Carved, cast, tension set, flush set, baked. Photo: Hap Sakwa. 760-322-2883, www.JeffreyAppling.com.


L. Sue Szabo
Second Place, Rings
SWAY. 1.5" L x 0.375" W 1" D. Sterling silver, 4 carat pink sapphires, 0.33 carat burmese ruby. Hand fabricated, tube settings for gems. Photo: Ericka Crissman/Wired Images. www.lsueszabo.com

For information on entering your jewelry in the next competition, click here!

source : jewelryartistmagazine.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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Yael Designs celebrates Earth Day with 'Pacifica'

April 13, 2010

Yael Designs' new "Pacifica" collection includes earrings, pendants and rings, such as this one above, featuring tanzanite and colorless diamonds set into recycled 18-karat gold.

San Francisco--Fine jewelry design house Yael Designs has launched a new ocean-inspired collection just in time for Earth Day, and has also announced its role in an auction that raises funds for environmental causes.

The sea-centric "Pacifica Collection" features deep blue tanzanite stones, ranging in size from 3 to 22 carats, and set into diamond-accented rings, earrings and pendants. The 38 pieces in the collection are available in 18-karat recycled white or yellow gold, and retail from $5,000 to $25,000.

According to Yael Designs Chief Executive Officer Yehouda Saketkhou, the collection was inspired by the beauty of the Pacific Ocean, noting that its crashing waves lie less than a mile from the company's headquarters.

"I was attracted by tanzanite's royal blue and violet hues," Saketkhou said in a media release. "I often walk around the beaches of the Pacific Ocean and think this beautiful stone tells the story of our blue planet, dominated by oceans that are in dire need of protection." ...

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De Beers' 'Millenium Blue' sells for $6 million

April 08, 2010

Hong Kong--A 5.16-carat fancy vivid blue diamond, once part of De Beers' Millennium Jewels Collection, sold for $6.4 million at Sotheby's Hong Kong on Wednesday, as diamonds continued to show strength in the auction market.

According to a news release from the auction house, Moussaieff of London emerged as the winning bidder for the pear-shaped diamond, which sold for well over its estimated sale price of $4.1 million to $5.1 million following "intense" bidding.

The sought-after stone was once one of the 11 blue diamonds in the Millennium Jewels Collection, a group of rare diamonds selected by Andrew Coxon, president of the De Beers Institute of Diamonds, to mark the turn of the millennium.

Wednesday's sale of the 5.16-carat millennium blue marks the first time one of these stones has been put up for sale since the diamonds were placed with private collectors in 2000.

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Celebrity Diamond Engagement Rings run the Gamut

Posted By Leanne in Celebrty News

If you are looking for flashy engagement rings you need look no further than Hollywood. Celebrities have somewhat of a reputation when it comes to sporting extremely large and flashy engagement rings. While a one or two carat diamond engagement ring might seem like a lavish ring to the girl next door, nothing less than a three carat diamond engagement ring will do for many celebrities. Multi-carat diamond engagement rings in elaborate settings are definitely ‘in’ when you have photogs trailing behind you and trying to snap pictures of every second of your day.

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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

Citrine Jewelry

Aquamarine - Jewelry photos

Amethyst

Jewelry Art Awards 2007 of Jewelry Artist Magazine

source : Jewelry Artist

Jewelry Artist is pleased to announce the winners of our 2007 Jewelry Arts Awards. Entries for our sixth annual competition were judged by Todd Reed, a self-taught goldsmith and metalsmith who has been exploring the use of rough diamonds in his award-winning, signature jewelry since 1992; Robert Diamante, a professional photographer who has been photographing jewelry for the craft industry since 1993; and Thomas Mann, a jeweler committed to both the artistic and business sides of jewelry making, who has been active in the contemporary craft movement for more than 30 years.

Congratulations to the winners and our thanks to the judges and everyone who entered.

Jewelry Arts Awards 2007 Winners

Miscellaneous Jewelry

First Place: Daniel M. Nagy - Best of Competition
(also First Place, Miscellaneous Jewelry) Frutto di Mare

14K yellow and white gold 353.5g, 3pcs Tahitian pearls 9mm semi baroque, 2pcs 10.5 round AAA grade 86 pcs, 1.659 ct. brilliant cut diamonds. Wax carved and chased shells, hand cut handpiece, and engraved gemstone buttons. Original electronics only; workable inner part is rebuilt based on design and requirements. 200mm x 80mm x 70mm.
Photo: Arion Kudasz Gabor.

Miscellaneous Jewelry

First Place: Daniel M. Nagy, Frutto di Mare, above.
Second Place: Blue Moon, Marie Scarpa

Maria Scarpa, Second Place
Miscellaneous Jewelry
Blue Moon, 18K gold and platinum, hand fabricated pin/pendant; bezel-set 18mm 7.15ct abalone pearl center and 64 spires divided into 3 levels. Woven, invisibly soldered. Embellished with 28 round faceted 2.0mm pink sapphires, 4 round faceted 2.5mm yellow sapphires, eight round faceted 2.5mm blue sapphires, 4 round faceted 2.9mm blue sapphires, 16 round faceted 3.0mm teal green tourmalines, 4 round faceted 3.5mm teal green tourmalines. Hand fabricated and hand woven. 2.25".

Earrings

First Place (tied): Dream Catcher, Jeffrey Appling
First Place (tied): Whirlpool, Daniel M. Nagy

Jeffrey Appling, First Place (tied)
Earrings (above)
Dream Catcher, platinum chain, 18K yellow and white gold. Two half-moon diamonds, two 5-point-star diamonds, six natural yellow diamonds, 2mm square and round ruby, blue and yellow sapphire, spessartite, tsavorite, blue/green tourmaline, amethyst, two half-moon drusy onyx tablets. Cast manufacture, hand fabrication, bezel, tube, bead, and mock (bead) setting for cubes. 62mm x 26.5mm.
Photo: Hap Sakwa.

Daniel M. Nagy. First Place (tied)
Earrings
Whirlpool, 18K white gold, 15.5g. Tahitian pearl AAA, 10mm round 2pcs. Computer designed, wax printed, chased, hand finished. 120mm x 20mm x 20mm.
Photo: Daniel M. Nagy.

Rings

First Place: Pearl Protrusion, Jeffrey Appling
Second Place: Message, Daniel M. Nagy and Agnes Kertesz

Jeffrey Appling, First Place
Rings (above)
Pearl Protrusion, 950 platinum, 8.5mm faceted black cultured pearl and 8.5mm faceted white cultured pearl, tsavorite garnets and pink sapphires. Hand carved wax and of cast manufacture, bead-set small round gemstones and hand carved (artwork) along outside borders. 10.5mm x 20mm. Photo: Hap Sakwa.

Daniel M. Nagy & Agnes Kertesz, Second Place
Rings (above)
Message, 18K white gold 10.8g, Tahitian pearl AAA round 1pc 9.4mm, brilliant cut diamonds. 20mm x 15mm.

Bracelets

First Place: Salad Blues, Laura Parr
Second Place: Dragon of 4 Elements, Dmitriy Pavlov

Laura Parr, First Place
Bracelets (above)
Salad Blues, forged and riveted sterling silver sheet, wire, tube, copper sheet; ten 1.5 millimeter, tube-set and riveted sapphires; ink. 51mm x 82mm x 72mm.
Photo: Jeremy Addington.



Dmitriy Pavlov, Second Place
Bracelets (above)
Dragon of 4 Elements, pierced, bent, and engraved sterling silver. 51mm x 82mm x 72mm.
Photo: Galina Pavlova.

Pins & Brooches

First Place: Inception, Tricia Lachowiec
Second Place: Star, Wendy McAllister

Tricia Lachowiec, First Place
Pins/Brooches (above)
Inception, 18K gold on sterling silver, copper, enamel, diamond, steel. Chasing and repoussé, enameling. 23⁄4" x 1-5⁄8" x 3⁄4".
Photo: Dean Powell.
Wendy McAllister, Second Place
Pins/Brooches (above)
Star, sterling silver, acrylic, lenticular lens, 24K gold leaf, fabricated silver brooch, fabricated double pinstem back; found objects: candle bobeche and child’s ruler. 3.5".
Photo: Ralph Gabriner.

Pendants & Necklaces

First Place: Mary Darwall
Second Place (tied): Evolution, Jeffrey Appling
Second Place (tied): Fruit, Tricia Lachowiec

Mary Darwall, First Place
Pendants/Necklaces (above)
Eleven turquoise cabochons, turquoise beads, freshwater pearls, glass seed beads, beading cloth, nylon thread, 49-strand wire, 14K closure, leather backing. Hand needle woven, bead appliqué, freeform peyote, branching stitches. 18".
Photo: John Yohman.
Jeffrey Appling, Second Place (tied)
Pendants/Necklaces (above)
Evolution, 30.37ct drilled citrine intruded with malachite, coral, and lapis tubes, 3.66cts. Drilled-out citrine pavilion injected with gemstones, pendant area cast, and hand fabricated. 16", 30.5mm x 33mm.
Photo: Hap Sakwa.

Tricia Lachowiec, Second Place (tied)
Pendants/Necklaces (above)
Fruit, oxidized sterling silver, electroformed copper, enamel, 14K gold, cognac diamonds, sapphires. Electroforming and enameling. 10" x 6-1⁄4" x 1-1⁄4".
Photo: Dean Powell.

source : Jewelry Artist