Who paid record price for 101 carat diamond?

A 101-carat colourless diamond the size of a squash ball sold for a record $HK46.2 million ($6 million) at a Christie’s auction in Hong Kong, a radio report said today.

 

The gem, the biggest colourless diamond ever sold in Asia and one of only three colourless diamonds over 100 carats ever sold, was bought by a private buyer on Wednesday.

 

Government-run radio station RTHK said today the buyer’s identity was not being revealed but he would have the option to name the diamond, the most expensive single piece of jewellery sold in Asia.

 

Set in a tiara, it was the biggest colourless diamond to come up for auction anywhere in the world for 18 years, Christie’s said.

 

Diamond prices have boomed in recent years partly because of the economic slowdown, with new buyers from Russia, India and Asia pushing auction prices higher.

See And Be Seen With Diamonds!

I had to let out a chuckle today when I was reading the Jewelry Insider blog, a site that takes a look at the fashion side of the jewelry business.

The blogger was sharing her insights regarding the U.S. Open (tennis) Tournament which is now taking place in New York City. As she noted, many of the tennis stars are fond of showing off some bling while they’re playing, recalling an incident in 2005 where Serena Williams dropped one of her $40,000 diamond chandelier earrings in the middle of her 6-1, 6-3 dispatching of Taiwan’s Yung-Jan Chan.

Hit It With Diamonds!

This year, Serena has been outdone by upstart teen tennis sensation Asia Muhammad who decided to adorn her pink tennis racquet with a diamond. That’s right, a diamond! Thanks to the work of Las Vegas jeweler Michael E. Minden, Asia’s racquet (pictured) has been custom fitted with 1.00ctw of VS quality pave set diamonds in 2 letter A’s which can be found just above her grip.

“This is the first time I’ve actually put diamonds on a piece of athletic equipment,” notes Minden. “However, we came up with a special process to affix it to the racquet, with a special technology to transfer the letters to a new racquet when Asia wears out the first one. The same diamonds can be added to a golf club, and makes a very exclusive gift for any exceptional athlete in most any sport.”

Let’s Play Tennis!

The price for each letter? A cool $1750 which includes installation. Tennis, anyone?

Iced Diamonds, When You Can’t Afford To Give Her The Best!

Iced diamonds, the perfect gift for those times when you just cannot afford to give her your very best!

You’re in love and you want to seal your relationship with a diamond solitaire engagement ring. However, you have a huge problem — you’re flat broke.  So, instead of getting her an expensive ring, you do the next best thing: you take a look at cubic zirconia jewelry and realize you cannot even afford the faux diamond either.

What is an impoverished guy to do?!

Well, if you have some imagination and she has a sense of humor, why not give her lots of diamonds — even a glass full — and win her heart that way?

Novelty retailer Fred and Friends has the exact item you need, a diamond making device that uses an important ingredient — water! That’s right, these diamonds are made of 100% H2O, the most abundant molecule on the face of the earth.

Just fill up the flexible tray with water (or your favorite liquid), stick the tray in the freezer, and hours later six three dimensional diamond shaped “cool jewels” are ready for sharing. Place them in a glass and serve them to her and she’ll have more diamonds from you than she can imagine.

The cost? About one dollar per diamond or $6 for the tray when purchased from Amazon or other online retailer. You won’t be able to turn the iced diamonds into an engagement ring with sidestones, but you can spread some cheer and perhaps buy enough time to save up your money to purchase the real thing.

Cheers!

Your Guide To Choosing and Buying Diamonds

If you are in the market for loose diamonds, a diamond ring, diamond pendant or any other piece of jewelry containing diamonds, then selecting the right diamond will ensure that you are paying a reasonable price for your purchase. Before you buy a diamond, there are some things you need to keep in mind when doing your search:

The 4Cs – Carat, color, clarity and cut are what is known as the “4Cs” of diamonds. Decide which ones are most important to you and make your purchase decision based on that determination. A fifth “C” is cost, which will ultimately determine what you are willing to pay for any given diamond.

Certificate, Please – Low cost diamonds are available for purchase, but they aren’t worth considering if they don’t have an accompanying certificate from the Gemological Institute of America (G.I.A.) or the American Gem Society (A.G.S.). A certificate acts a “grading report” for each diamond (as in the case of the G.I.A.) where 3-6 gemologists will review each diamond independently and assign a final grade to it. Diamonds sold without certification are considered suspect and should be avoided.

Shop Around – Whether purchasing your diamonds online or at your local Kay Jewelers or other mall retailer, compare diamonds, prices, service, and more from retailer to retailer. Of course, you cannot touch or wear an online jeweler’s diamond ring in advance of your purchase, but you should familiarize yourself with the market by visiting your Macy’s, Fortunoff or other fine jeweler first. Compare your mall retailer with a reputable online retailer’s diamonds and once you see the price differential, guess where you’ll be buying your jewelry from now on? Online!

Let’s Rap! – No I don’t mean urban music, rather familiarize yourself with the Rapaport Diamond Report, which lists wholesale diamond prices for New York. Why New York? Because, that city is the nerve center for diamond pricing world-wide. “The Rap” is the leading source of diamond pricing and market information developed for the diamond industry. It is accepted as the international standard used to establish prices in all the major cutting centers and dealer markets. The average consumer may not be all that interested in what Rapaport has to say, but if you are investing in diamonds you should definitely subscribe.

Returns, Shipping, Guaranty, Etc. – If you buy a diamond engagement ring what is the retailer’s return policy? 30 days is reasonable in this industry. If buying an engagement ring online, who pays shipping and is it insured? What other guaranty or warranty is offered? Of course, when buying online being able to pick up a phone and chat with a representative is reassuring as well as operating from a secured internet site that protects your personal financial information is essential.

The more you learn about diamonds before your purchase one, the better for your wallet. Then again, if you choose a diamond engagement ring without considering her personal tastes then everything I said is moot. In that case, start over again and find out what type of diamond she really wants and budget yourself accordingly.