Top end 3 carat blue diamond pulled from auction

In a sign of trouble in the high end high jewel market, a top tier 3 carat blue diamond was pulled from the auction block for the lack of bids. It's estimate was $4.3m to $6.3m. Top lot was a 7 carat fancy intense light pink diamond that fetched more than $3 million

Half the lots went unsold in a recent auction at Sotheby's.

Twin Turbo Furious Bugatti 300+

Last August, Bugatti unleashed a souped-up version of its Chiron supercar. Not only did the car break the mythical 300 mph barrier (304.773 mph, to be exact), it inspired the French carmaker to build the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+, a production model available in a limited edition of 30 examples. Thanks to Jacob & Co. we have the Twin Turbo Furious Bugatti 300+.

3 are being made, each priced at $580,000.

Red Diamonds

Pure red diamonds devoid of secondary hues are the rarest in the world. Less than 30 certified red diamonds are known to exist. The Argyle Diamond Mine is the only known significant source of pink and red diamonds, producing over 95% of the world's supply. In the last 30 years of mining, Argyle has found a total of 14 pure red diamonds. Red diamonds are so rare that there is little gemological information about them. What is known is that crystal lattice defects showing stress lamination during the diamond's formation are the cause of the red color.

The largest red diamond known is the Moussaieff Red. The 5.11-carat trilliant-cut stone was discovered in Brazil in the 1990s and weighed 13.90 carats rough. It sold for $8 million at auction in 2001. It was discovered by a Brazilian farmer in the Abaetezinho river, in a region known as Alto Paranaiba.

The Kazanjian Red Diamond is 5.05-carats, emerald-cut. The gem was discovered in the 1920s in Litchenburg, South Africa. It was 35 carats uncut. A diamond broker paid eight pounds per carat.

The De Young Red is 5.03 carats and graded as Fancy Brownish Red. It was found in South Africa in 1927. The stone was once mistakenly sold as a red garnet and was set in a hat pin. Eventually the garnet was proven to be a diamond. It currently resides at the Smithsonian.

The Rob Red Diamond is modest in size at 0.59 carats but it holds a special place in the diamond world. The Rob Red is rated as the most intense red diamond ever discovered. The diamond is rated fancy purplish red by the GIA. The diamond is VS-1 clarity, pear-shaped. The Supreme Purple Star is an enigma. It surfaced in London in 2002. Rotating the diamond while viewing it, it goes from a deep purple to a vivid purplish red, making it unlike any other seen before. It's whereabouts is unknown.

Kunzite

Kunzite is the best-known variety of the mineral spodumene. It’s named after gemologist George Frederick Kunz, who was the first to identify it as a unique variety of spodumene around 1902. Kunzite gets its color from trace amounts of manganese. California’s San Diego County is an important source of kunzite. It’s also found in Afghanistan, Brazil, and Madagascar.

Kunzite can be irradiated and then heat-treated to enhance its color. Both treated and natural color in kunzite can fade with exposure to heat and bright light. Kunzite rates 6.5 to 7.0 on the mohs hardness scale, making it ideal for jewellry.

It is not unusual to find kunzite in large sizes. The Smithsonian houses a faceted heart-shaped kunzite that weighs 880 carats.

Chopard's Red Carpet Collection 2020

Chopard has unveiled some of its 73 high jewels from its “Red Carpet Collection” for 2020. Caroline Scheufele, Chopard co-president and artistic director, creates the theme of each year’s Red Carpet Collection and designs the jewels.

Gems from the Merriweather Post Collection

“Spectacular Gems and Jewelry from the Merriweather Post Collection” opened to the public on June 10, 2017. The exhibit included 50 pieces of jewelry that Marjorie Merriweather Post collected from the 1920s through the 1970s. The cereal heiress, founder of General Foods and former wife of E.F. Hutton was once the wealthiest woman in America.

Oscar Heyman circa 1929

Her magnificent jewelry collection included important jewels of royal provenance and countless masterpieces specially commissioned from Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Harry Winston.

Harry Winston