Friday, 31 August 2018

Cartier’s Coloratura high jewellery

Cartier’s Coloratura high jewellery collection is a jubilant treasure trove of gemstones.

Cartier officially unveiled its Coloratura high-jewelry collection in July.
Each piece in the collection is a one-of-a-kind work of art, although several pieces can be reproduced.

The series includes complete suites of jewelry inspired by a specific culture or color.

Thursday, 23 August 2018

The Cora Sun-Drop Diamond

The Cora Sun-Drop Diamond is the largest known yellow pear-shaped diamond, weighing 110.3 carats.

It was sold for $10.9 million at Sotheby's auction in Geneva in 2011 and set a world record price for a yellow diamond. Cutting the diamond took six months. The Cora Sun Drop is cut in a brilliant pear shape. This is also known as a drop cut, hence the name.

Certified as "fancy vivid yellow" the Sun Drop is one of the largest diamonds of any color to have ever appeared at auction.

Yellow is the result of traces of nitrogen trapped within carbon molecules.

Wednesday, 22 August 2018

Valani Atelier

Award-winning designer Heena Chheda Shah is the youngest jewelry designer to have won prestigious AGTA Spectrum, Platinum Guild, and Women’s Jewelry Association Awards three years in a row. She trained at the GIA.
Based in New York, Valani Atelier sells jewelry set with rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and pearls sourced directly from mining centers. The results are masterfully executed pieces that combine a heritage of artistry and striking design.


Tuesday, 21 August 2018

Mastery of an Art: Van Cleef & Arpels in Kyoto

Titled “Mastery of an Art: Van Cleef & Arpels – High Jewelry and Japanese Crafts”, the exhibition ran last year at The National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto. It brought together 1,200 years of Japanese crafts and the skills of the renowned jeweller.
On display were 260 creations from Van Cleef & Arpels, alongside 60 works of art by Japanese artists.

Thursday, 16 August 2018

Chameleon Diamonds

The rarity of chameleon diamonds is due to their unusual ability to change color temporarily when heated to about 150°C, or after prolonged storage in the dark.

Chameleon diamonds will show different colors if observed under halogen light, incandescent light and daylight. If Chameleon diamonds are exposed to heat they can change to a greenish-yellowish color very quickly and when they cool down and stabilize their normal color will return; this is known as thermochroism.
With all natural fancy color diamonds, an element other than carbon has made its way into the diamond which results in a new color.
In the case of Chameleon diamonds, an excess of hydrogen and a small amount of nitrogen has entered the diamond and this creates the unique colour-changing property. Most Chameleon Diamonds return to a green shade after exposure to heat or light. These diamonds usually fluoresce yellow. They often take on a strong red glow when they are being polished.
The Chopard Chameleon Diamond is a 31.32 carat oval-cut chameleon diamond and the largest known.
8.04 carat radiant cut “fancy dark grey green chameleon”. It is valued at $2,100,000

0.49 Carat VS1 Pear Shape Fancy Dark Chameleon Diamond

0.50 Carat Cushion Fancy Deep Chameleon Diamond

0.52 carat Fancy Deep brownish Greenish-Yellow Chameleon diamond.

Tuesday, 14 August 2018

The Treasure of San Gennaro

Januarius was Bishop of Naples, and is a martyr saint of the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Churches.

The Treasure of San Gennaro contains a selection of the most important works donated to Saint Januarius by over 700 years of Popes, Emperors, and European Kings. The works have the highest artistic value: they were made using a huge number of precious stones, by the most eminent goldsmiths of the time.
Januarius is the patron saint of Naples, where the faithful gather three times a year in Naples Cathedral. Saint Januarius is famous for the miracle of the annual liquefaction of his blood, which, according to legend, was saved by a woman just after the saint's death.
Two major masterpieces of the treasure are the Collana di san Gennaro (Saint Januarius’ necklace) and the famous Mitra (Mitre) made of silver and precious stones.

A total of over 22,000 pieces make up the entire collection.