Thursday, 28 May 2020

Carmel sapphire


The rough carmel sapphire is typically black, blue to green or orange-brown.
Miner Shefa Yamim announced that carmeltazite, a mineral found in one of its gemstones, the carmel sapphire, has been recognized and approved as a new mineral. Its major chemical components are titanium, aluminium and zirconium. The carmel sapphire is a newly discovered type of corundum. It is not exactly like any other sapphire in the world.

Saturday, 23 May 2020

Apollo and Artemis Diamonds - $57.4m

In 2017 Sotheby's auctioned a pair of "phenomenally rare" blue and pink diamond earrings. The 'Apollo and Artemis Diamonds' brought $57.4m at the sale in Geneva.
The 14.54-carat Apollo Blue was estimated to fetch between $38m and $50m The 16-carat Artemis Pink was expected to rake in $12.5m to $18m. The diamonds were named after Apollo, the Greek god of music and of the Sun, and Artemis, his twin sister, who was goddess of the hunt and of the Moon.

Friday, 22 May 2020

Argyle pinks/reds a thing of the past

When Argyle closes after 37 years in which it became known as the world's largest supplier of natural colored diamonds, it will mark the end of the supply of highly-coveted Argyle pinks and reds.

Last year Hong Kong-based Kunming Diamonds bought the Argyle Pink Everlastings Collection comprising smaller Argyle pink and red diamonds totaling 211 carats.

Saturday, 16 May 2020

Chaumet Fine Jewels

Marie-Étienne Nitot (1750-1809) settled in Paris in 1780 after having served his apprenticeship at Auber, then jeweller to Queen Marie-Antoinette. His aristocratic clientele remained loyal to him until the French Revolution in 1789.

He later became the official jeweller of Napoleon in 1802. Nitot created the jewellery that would offer the French Empire it's splendour and power.
The jewellery for Napoleon’s wedding to Joséphine de Beauharnais, and later to Marie Louise de Habsburg-Lorraine, was created by Nitot. He designed and set Napoleon’s coronation crown, the hilt of his sword as well as many other pieces for the court.

François Regnault Nitot took over his father’s jewellery House on his death in 1809 and continued his activity until the fall of the Empire in 1815. Napoleon’s exile caused Nitot, a fervent royalist, to withdraw from the jewellery House, selling the business to his foreman.

French Tiara given to Josephine by Napoleon.

Crown of Empress Eugenie

Coronation crown of Napoleon

Napoleon's Iron Crown of Lombardy Ring
Chaumet was bought in October 1999 by LVMH. After an unsuccessful attempt to penetrate the American market in the end of the 1990s, the company opened stores in Asia to fuel growth.

Chaumet is now part of the watch and jewellery brands that includes TAG Heuer, Zenith, Fred, Hublot, Montres Christian Dior, and De Beers Diamond Jewellers (a joint venture between the LVMH and De Beers groups).


Saturday, 2 May 2020

'Cullinan Dream' - $ 25m

The “Cullinan Dream,” the largest fancy intense blue diamond ever offered at auction brought $ 25m at Christie’s New York Magnificent Jewels sale on June 9 2016. The 24.18-carat cut-cornered rectangular mixed-cut gem had an estimate of $23 to $29m.

The diamond is nearly 10 carats larger than the 14.62-carat “Oppenheimer Blue,” which sold for a world auction record of $57.5 million. The Cullinan Dream has a VS2. The Cullinan Dream is the largest of four blue diamonds cut from a 122.52-carat rough diamond discovered in 2014 at the Cullinan mine, famous for the 530.20 Cullinan I, the largest polished white diamond known and part of the British Crown Jewels.

The Cullinan mine has produced many significant blue and pink diamonds, including the 10.1-carat “De Beers Millennium Jewel 4,” that sold for $31.8m, and the 12.03-carat “Blue Moon” that sold for $48.4m.

The 'Oppenheimer Blue'
The price is much lower than the $3.9m per carat achieved by the Oppenheimer Blue in May 2016, which set the mark as the most expensive diamond ever sold at auction, or the $4.02m per carat achieved by the Blue Moon of Josephine in November 2015.
De Beers Millennium Jewel 4 made $ 31.8m in April.
Blue Moon of Josephine