Rare heart-shaped colored diamonds in LA!

Los Angeles--The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) will display five rare heart-shaped colored diamonds in its new exhibition, The Lady Heart Diamond Collection, from Feb. 1 to June 30.

Each diamond is a different color--red, pink, orange, yellow and blue--and is a fancy vivid natural color diamond, as graded by the Gemological Institute of America. The stones range in size from 1.71 to 2.28 carats, and all are set in separate pieces of gold jewelry, custom designed for the temporary exhibit in the NHM’s Gem Vault.

“A heart-shaped diamond itself is immensely rare. While the diamond is in the rough, the final shape of the stone is determined by the diamond cutter based on which shape will maximize carat weight, symmetry and value,” said Bernard Bachoura, fourth-generation jeweler at California’s Sophia Fiori and designer of the exhibition.

Within the exhibit is the Lady Orquidea, a 2-carat fancy vivid orange heart-shaped diamond (below) mounted in a heart-shaped bezel accented with white pavé diamonds. Fancy vivid orange diamonds are believed by experts to be among the rarest of colored diamonds, the NHM said.

The Lady Zahira is a 2.26-carat fancy vivid yellow heart-shaped diamond (below) set in rose gold for the exhibit. This diamond originates from the Zimi mines in South Africa and its color “is more intense than most vivid yellow diamonds,” the NHM said.

Additional information about the NHM museum can be found on its website.

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Tiffany inks new agreement with Elsa Peretti

New York--Tiffany & Co. has extended the life of its sales and marketing partnership with Elsa Peretti for 20 years, Securities and Exchange Commission filings show.

The deal pays the 72-year-old Italian jewelry designer $47.3 million plus annual royalties for continuing use of her trademarked jewelry and other products, and requires that Tiffany reduce prices on Peretti products by 20 percent so as to achieve overall average gross margins of no more than 50 percent, with Peretti’s personal opinion on pricing to be given “due consideration,” the SEC filing states.

Tiffany must display the licensed Peretti products in its stores and devote a portion of its advertising budget to the line. The new agreement also prods Tiffany to stock more of Peretti’s non-jewelry licensed products, such as tableware. The inventory value of non-jewelry licensed products averaged about $4 million over the previous five years, according to the filing.

In addition, Peretti has the right to terminate the new agreement should any “change of control” occur at Tiffany & Co., which includes a sale, transfer or other disposition of the company’s assets.

The new agreement was finalized on Dec. 27 and extends a partnership that has been in place since 1974. Tiffany remains the sole licensee for the intellectual property rights necessary to sell Peretti’s trademarked jewelry and other products. 

Back in May, it appeared the long-standing relationship might come to an end, however, as SEC filings showed that the two parties were unable to agree on a price for Tiffany to buy Peretti’s intellectual property rights.

http://www.nationaljeweler.com/

Graff Pays $8.3 Million to Own 50 Carat Diamond for Third Time

Time and again, a certain 50 ct. D-color potentially flawless mega-rock keeps coming back to Laurence Graff.

The London diamond magnate purchased the top lot at Christie’s New York Dec. 10 Magnificent Jewels auction—a ring that he originally designed, featuring a 50.01 ct. rectangular-cut D-color potentially flawless diamond. He paid $8.37 million, or $167,400 per carat, said the auction house.

Christie’s sold the same diamond for $4.2 million in 2005, meaning in the intervening years its price has nearly doubled.

“This is the third time that I have owned this beautiful diamond and I am as thrilled today as I was the first time,” said Graff in a statement. “This is one of the finest D-color diamonds in the world and I am delighted to have it back again.”

The sale also set two notable records:

• An ultra-rare 3.15 ct. reddish orange stone—the largest such stone ever graded at the Gemological Institute of America—sold for $2.09 million, setting a new world auction record for a reddish-orange diamond, and a new per-carat record of $666,200.

• An 8.91 ct. sapphire sold for $1.37 million, or $154,000 per carat, setting a new per-carat record for a Kashmir sapphire at auction.

All in all, the sale realized a total of $32.5 million, with sell-through rates of 84 percent by lot and 86 percent by value.

www.jckonline.com

Color of the Year for 2013

It’s been a jewel-tone hit on the red carpet for some time, and now emerald green has officially taken hold of the fashion world given thatPANTONE has dubbed it the Color of the Year for 2013.

Emerald green, or PANTONE 17-5641, is the PANTONE Color Institute’s Color of the New Year for 2013.

The color authority, which surveys couture designers regarding their fave collection hues each season, revealed its annual choice this week, calling it “a lively, radiant, lush green.” Fashion designers Tracy Reese and Nanette Lepore are just two designers noted in thePANTONE Fashion Color Report Spring 2013 who are incorporating emerald into their spring collections.

PANTONE 17-5641 officially replaces Tangerine Tango, the Color of the Year for 2012, described as a “spirited, reddish orange” that “provided the energy boost we needed to recharge and move forward,” according to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.

Most often associated with precious gemstones, the perception of the color emerald is sophisticated and luxurious, and represents growth, healing, and new life in cultures worldwide. It’s also the color of renewal and prosperity, and enhances a sense of well-being and promotes balance and harmony.

“Green is the most abundant hue in nature—the human eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum,” Eiseman told the press. “Symbolically, emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal, and rejuvenation, which is so important in today’s complex world.”

Even cosmetics brand Sephora and department store chain J.C. Penney are capitalizing on the Color of the Year by launching unique emerald-green collections. Jewelry store owners can do the same by showcasing cases of emerald jewels large and small, available across a wide range of prices, as well as offering complementary jewel tones for the influx of emerald green clothing that will be in stores by spring.

www.jckonline.com

Art Deco Jewelry

Art Deco Jewelry

Art Deco emerged in an era of economic slumps and depressions, social strife, hunger marches and the political battle between Communism and Fascism. It was against this troubled and traumatic background that Art Deco forged it's own identity.

Art Deco designing was at its height during the 1925 world's fair in Paris, called the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes, an event set up by the French to showcase what they viewed as their supremacy in creating luxury goods and avante-garde position in industrial design. Everything from jewelry to small personal items, such as vanity sets and decorative boxes, to furniture was on display there. It was later that the period became known as Art Deco, shortened from the words arts decoratifs in the fair's name.

Art Deco was essentially an eclectic style; it's artists and designers plundering a diversity of historic sources. Simultaneously, however, it emphasised modernity, employing the latest industrial materials and techniques. It was this fusion of history and modernity that gave Art Deco its unique character.

Art deco is characterized by sleek, streamlined forms; geometric patterns; and experiments with industrial materials such as metals, plastics, and glass.

www.farlang.com

Harry Winston - The Water High Jewelry collection

Harry Winston has introduced its latest Water High Jewelry collection during the Biennale des Antiquaires in Paris, a wealth of rare blue and green gemstones.

Harry Winston is renowned for the crystal clarity of its pieces, with only rare splashes of colour. In the Water collection, though, the 19 new pieces are set with sapphires and emeralds, as well as turquoise and Paraibas – and the legendary Winston diamonds are still present too.

Featuring fluid lines and pristine purity, this new collection brings high jewelry on a journey to the very heart of nature.

http://www.cijintl.com/

Rolex Redux: In-Demand Models From the Iconic Watchmaker

Wearing an iconic Rolex such as Paul Newman’s Daytona or the Sports Submariner isn’t only about getting a trendy look or flashing a status symbol. According to retailers, buyers are attracted to the history behind the dial. We spoke with three vintage watch experts to find out what their customers look for when purchasing a preowned Rolex.

“The market for vintage Rolex is stronger than ever,” says Josh Bonifas, watch expert and co-owner of Fourtané Jewelers in Carmel, Calif. “Everything is about the watch itself, the condition and the look. It’s like jewelry; if it doesn’t look good, it won’t sell.” The masculine Steve McQueen Explorer II, which retails from $10,000 to $15,000, is the shop’s best-selling model.

A vintage Steve McQueen Explorer II Rolex at Fourtainé Jewelers (courtesy of Fourtané Jewelers)

"Vintage Rolexes are very popular because of the historic appeal,” says one of the watch experts at DeMesy Fine Watches & Jewelry in Dallas. The Paul Newman Daytona men's chronograph watch in stainless steel, which sells for between $10,000 and $80,000, is a perennial favorite at the store.

A vintage Paul Newman Daytona Rolex at DeMesy Fine Watches & Jewelry (courtesy of Fourtané Jewelers)

Vintage stainless steel Sports Submariners, which are priced between $2,000 and $5,000, are the most in-demand Rolex models at Bachrach's Jewelers in Richmond, Va. “The historic part of Rolex is what attracts people to them,” says the sales manager. “They’ve been popular probably since the 1980s,” but the best-selling models in the store are from the ’60s and ’70s.

A vintage Sports Submariner Rolex at Bachrach's Jewelers (courtesy of Backrach's Jewelers)