Paraiba tourmaline - Star of the Gem World

Paraiba tourmalines have become one of the most popular gems in the world. First discovered in the 1980s by Heitor Dimas Barbosa - who spent years digging in the hills of the Brazilian state of Paraiba, Paraiba tourmaline's vivid glow cannot be found in any other gemstone.

Boghossian ring with 5.17 carat Paraiba tourmaline from Mozambique

Copper-bearing tourmaline weighing 75.20cts, from Mozambique

A product of the trace element copper, colours range from turquoise to blue-green. Good quality Paraiba from Brazil over three carats is very rare. Authentic Brazilian Paraiba tourmalines can achieve five figures per carat.

In 2003, a wave of luminous green-blue tourmalines entered the market, mined in the copper-rich mountains of Mozambique and Nigeria. They are Paraiba-like in every way, with only minute chemical differences to those unearthed in Brazil.

Chaumet

See ----->http://highlifelivingluxury.blogspot.ca/2016/11/paraiba-tourmaline.html

The Lost Faberge Eggs

Peter Carl Fabergé and his brother Agathon were Russian jewellers of French descent based in St. Petersburg. They became famous for the quality and beauty of their work. In 1885 Tsar Alexander III (House of Romanov) commissioned the production of the gold and enamel 'Hen Egg' for his wife the Empress Maria.

The tsarina and the tsar enjoyed the egg so much that Alexander III ordered a new egg from Fabergé for his wife every Easter thereafter. Fabergé was made ‘Goldsmith by Special Appointment to the Imperial Crown’ and over the next 33 years 52 eggs were made for the Russian Royal Family as well as a further 15 for other private buyers.

The 1917 Russian Revolution toppled Tsar Nicholas II who was executed along with much of the royal family in July 1918. The Fabergé eggs and many other treasures of the Royal family were confiscated and stored in the vaults of the Kremlin Armoury. Some were sold to raise funds for the new regime. Over time eight of the original 52 Imperial eggs vanished and their whereabouts remained a mystery.

Imperial Coronation Egg

The Rosebud Egg

A $14,000 sale find turned into millions of dollars for a man who'd been thwarted in his attempts to turn a quick profit by selling the tiny ornament to scrap metal dealers. The man overestimated what the tiny golden egg would be worth once melted down. He'd been hoping to make $500. He typed "egg" and the name engraved on the clock it contained,"Vacheron Constantin", into Google. His search brought up a 2011 article in Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper describing a "frantic search" for the object: the Third Imperial Easter Egg, made by Faberge for the Russian royal family and estimated to be worth millions. The Third Imperial Easter Egg is one of 50 delivered by Fabergé to Emperors Alexander III and Nicholas II from 1885 to 1916, and until its recent discovery was one of eight lost eggs. Only two others of the lost eggs are thought to have survived the revolution.

See ----->http://highlifelivingluxury.blogspot.ca/2015/12/fabulous-faberge-jeweller-to-czars.html

Michele della Valle

Designer-jeweller Michele della Valle dreams in colour, conjuring up lyrical compositions from a treasure trove of gemstones. Rare and precious or unexpected and mysterious, he has become celebrated among elite collectors and connoisseurs.

Whether in his design studio overlooking Lake Geneva, visiting the atelier in Rome or on his boat in the Mediterranean, Michele della Valle developed his distinctive style and became one of the most sought-after jewellers in the world.

Famous Diamonds Examined by the GIA

The Hope Diamond may be the most famous coloured diamond in the world. GIA graded the cushion antique brilliant of 45.52 carats as Fancy dark grayish blue. GIA described the 41 carat Dresden Green as Fancy green, with a modified pear-shaped brilliant cut. The green has medium tone and slightly grayish saturation.

Ocean Dream - Fancy Deep blue-green, 5.51 ct

The Mouna weighs 112.53 ct and is Fancy Intense Yellow

The Portuguese Diamond weighs 127.01 carats and is colour graded M with a VS1 clarity. The Portuguese has a strong blue fluorescence. The Idol’s Eye weighs 70.20 carats. Its colour grade is Very Light blue and its clarity is VVS1.

The Moussaieff Red weighs 5.11 carats and is the largest pure red diamond known to exist. It was cut and polished from a 13.9 carat rough.

The 33.19 ct Asscher cut Elizabeth Taylor Diamond. The 30.62 carat Fancy Deep blue Blue Heart Diamond.

The two stone Bvgari Blue made $ 15.76m at auction. It features a 10.95 carat VS2 Fancy Vivid blue diamond, and an 8.87 carat G colour VS1 diamond. The Pumpkin Diamond is Fancy Vivid orange and 5.54 carats.

The 59.60 carat Flawless Fancy Vivid pink Pink Star was formerly known as the Steinmetz Pink. The 101.29 carat cushion cut Allnatt is graded Fancy Vivid yellow.