Genuine Alexandrite

Many people who have either inherited or bought a ring that is purported to be an Alexandrite OR a Russian Alexandrite end up disappointed. They usually have synthetic corundum laced with vanadium to produce the colour changing properties. Even from the turn of the century synthetic corundum was used in place of genuine gemstones. The science of imitating Alexandrite has advanced and flux grown Alexandrite is very common. Only 2,000 kilos of rough were mined in the Urals in the 1800s. Much of this was lost in the faceting process, leaving precious few genuine gems.

55.88ct Synthetic Alexandrite

Since the original find in Russia, other sources of Alexandrite have been found in Brazil, India, Madagascar, Tanzania, Australia and Myanmar. None of these finds have been long lived or plentiful. In 1987 in Brazil there was a find at Minas Gerais that lasted all of 4 months. Synthetic Alexandrite, synthetic Amethyst, synthetic Tanzanite

The value of Alexandrite is primarily in the strength of colour change, the size, the clarity and location (unless verified Russian) doesn’t play a part. A fine Alexandrite is always going to fetch top dollar and that’s the main reason why the gem is very often mis-sold.

Baselworld 2017

Picchiotti L’Anfiteatro, an 8.05-carat ruby ring

The newest trendsetting creations and the most brilliant innovations from the international watch and jewellery industry celebrate their premieres at Baselworld 2017. March 23rd through 30th.

12 tsavorites (0.10 cts) set as hour-markers

The Graff Princess Butterfly Secret Watch

Graff has produced amazing watches over the years and 2017 is no different. Once again its craftsmanship is stealing the limelight.

Famous Diamonds VI

The Blue Empress is a spectacular 14 carat, symmetrical pear-shaped, fancy vivid blue diamond. The stone was mined at the Premier Diamond Mine in South Africa and was purchased from De Beers by the Steinmetz Group. It was first offered for sale by London’s Harrods in 2003 for £10 million.

The 67.50-carat, cushion-cut Black Orlov is named black but is the colour of gun metal. Like the story behind the famous Hope diamond, legend has it that the Black Orlov was an uncut black stone of 195 carats, pried out of the eye (forehead) of the statute of the sacred Hindu God Brahma from a temple in Southern India. The diamond turned up in Russia, where it was bought by Princess Nadia Vyegin Orlov.

The Black Orlov was purchased in 1947 by Charles F Winson who sold it to an unknown buyer in 1969 for $300,000.

The Paragon Diamond is one of the more unusually shaped diamonds. It is a 7 sided diamond of 137.82 carats and is rated a flawless D in color. The necklace currently belongs to the Graff Company and is set in combination necklace - bracelet setting. The gem was mined in Brazil.

The Donnersmarck Diamonds are two yellow diamonds, named after their one time owner Henckel von Donnersmarc. One, a baguette-shaped diamond weighing 102.54 carats, was sold for $3.246 million. The second, tear drop in shape and weighing 82.48 carats, was sold for $4.666 million.

The Sun-Drop Diamond at 110 carats is the world’s largest yellow diamond. It sold at auction for $10.91m in 2011. It was found in South Africa in 2010. The stone was cut as a Pear Brilliant, also called Drop Cut.

The Kazanjian Red Diamond is an 5.05-carat red gem on temporary display in the Morgan Memorial Hall of Gems. Red diamonds are the rarest among colored diamonds. Only three 5-carat red diamonds are known to exist: the Kazanjian Red diamond, the trilliant-cut 5.11-carat Moussaieff Red, and the 5.03-carat De Young Red. The original 35-carat piece of rough was discovered in Lichtenburg, South Africa

The Spoonmaker's Diamond is a 86 carat pear-shaped diamond, pride of the Imperial Treasury exhibitions at the Topkapi Palace Museum, Tehran.

The Marcial de Gomar Collection - Update

“La Gloria”, a rough emerald weighing 887 carats, will be a leading lot at the Guernsey’s auction in New York on April 25th. Est $ 4 - $5m Other rough and cut emeralds will also be auctioned, including the “Marcial de Gomar Star”, which Guernsey’s has described as “the largest recorded star emerald and one of only 11 in the world”.

Estimate $2-3 million

In addition to gold and silver coins salvaged from the Atocha wreck, the Guernsey's sale features spectacular jewelry, such as the Corona de Muzo, which includes a 24.34-carat emerald from the wreck, combined with smaller emeralds and diamonds (estimate $5-6 million). Conquistadora, crafted of 889 diamonds and 35 emeralds, which can be worn both as a necklace and as a tiara (estimate $150,000 to $250,000).

Leibish & Co wins Internally Flawless Argyle Pink

In late 2016 Israel's Leibish & Co. announced it had won the first Internally Flawless Argyle Tender stone offered in more than 20 years. Leibish & Co. has been a major participant in the Argyle Tenders over the past 10 years and has bought a wide selection of stones. Last year, the firm bought 26 of the Tender diamonds. Over the past 30 years there have been no more than two 'IF' stones offered for sale. Natural pink diamonds over a carat are extremely rare; some would say beyond rare. To have one graded 'IF' is impossibly rare.

Sierra Leone pastor unearths 706-carat diamond

Pastor Emmanuel Momoh has unearthed a 706-carat diamond in Sierra Leone's Kono district. One of thousands who seek their fortunes in the informal mining sector that dominates the diamond-rich Kono region, the Christian pastor found what is considered to be one of the world’s 20 largest rough gems. The diamond, whose value cannot be determined until its quality is assessed, is now locked up in the West African country's central bank in Freetown. The 706-carat diamond was presented to President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma who vowed the stone would be sold in a competitive and open process. Between 1991 and 2002, Kono was at the center of the “blood diamond” trade that funded the country’s brutal civil war as rebel groups exchanged gems for weapons.

World’s largest flawless Fancy Pink Diamond visits Dubai

The Pink Star weighs a whopping 59.6 carats and has received the highest colour and clarity grades from the GIA. It is a Type IIa. The stone was mined by De Beers in Africa in 1999, and measured 132.5 carats in its rough form. It was meticulously cut and polished over a period of two years. Battling for attention with the Pink Star was one of the most important watches ever to be offered at auction, the Patek Philippe yellow-gold Calibre 89, which is expected to fetch between $6.4 and $9.9 million when it goes on sale