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

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/

September Birthstone

Birthstone Color: Deep Blue
The striking deep blue of a quality sapphire is reminiscent of a cloudless night sky. Ancient civilizations believed that the world was set upon an enormous sapphire, which painted the sky blue with its reflection. This legend, as well as the belief that the ten commandments were inscribed upon tablets made of sapphire, gives September’s birthstone a royal place among gemstones.

Named after the Greek word "sapphirus", meaning blue, Sapphires have long been a favorite among priests and kings, who considered them symbolic of wisdom and purity. These gemstones are prominent among the British Crown Jewels, and Prince Charles chose this as the engagement stone for his fiancée, Princess Diana.

In ancient times, Sapphires were thought to be protective against envy, and even against poisoning. A common belief was that a venomous snake placed in a Sapphire vessel would rapidly die! Ground to a powder, the blue stone was believed to cure colic, rheumatism and mental illness, and to strengthen eyesight.

Sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum. Corundum is found in every color of the rainbow, with red being designated as ruby and all other hues Sapphire. But the most prized color of Sapphire is a rich, deep blue. These gemstones were mined as early as the 7th Century BC from India and what is now Sri Lanka. They are found today in Sri Lanka, Kashmir, Myanmar, Thailand, Australia, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, China, Madagascar, and the United States. Large specimens of Corundum crystals are rare, although the 563-carat Star of India can be seen in the American Museum of Natural History. This is the largest and most famous of star Sapphires, which are cut to reflect light from inclusions within the stone, revealing a bright six-legged star pattern.

The Sapphire is second only to the Diamond in hardness, making it a durable gemstone for setting into jewelry. A gift of Sapphire represents sincerity and faithfulness. As nourishing to the soul as gazing up at the sky on a summer day, this brilliant blue gemstone is truly a heavenly choice!

http://www.about-birthstones.com/septemberbirthstone.html