February 28, 2011
“Old Mine” River
At the Oscar’s last night, did you see the necklace on Nicole Kidman? It’s called a diamond Rivière – French for river. And it was like a river of diamonds – 150 carats around her neck and trickling down her back! Those pebbles are known as old mine-cut diamonds – fashioned in a squarish shape rather than round. (Take a close look – each is surrounded by a round setting).
There is also an older cut of diamond called the old European cut; however, these have a round outline – introduced after the invention of the bruting machine – an electric device which rounds the rough before the cutter polishes the facets.
The Rivière necklace is a series of diamonds – usually with the largest set in the middle and then graduating smaller in size as they encircle the neck. Even by today’s fashion it’s Ooh Lah Lah! …Dii
February 18, 2011
Rough to Remarkable
The Ekati Spirit
Recently, a 78-carat rough diamond from the Ekati mine in Canada was auctioned in Belgium, bringing over $6 million. Known as the Ekati Spirit, we don’t know who acquired it, but what a great Valentine’s gift!
Not all of us think of diamonds in the rough – the faceted diamond is usually what takes our breath away! But whether 78 carats or only 1 carat, they all begin in the rough and it’s up to the skill of the cutter to make it remarkable. Unfortunately, not all cutters have that goal in mind – some cut to retain as much of the original weight as possible, leaving a diamond that lacks in brilliance and fire.
When purchasing a diamond, you may consider all four Cs – cut, color, clarity and carat weight – but of all these, cut is the most important to beauty AND value. By cut I’m not referring to the shape – it’s the quality of the cut that uses light to its best advantage – in any shape.
Visit your American Gem Society jeweler and ask about a diamond’s rough to remarkable journey. Have a great holiday weekend…. Dii
February 10, 2011
Take a Time Out!
It’s amazing how diamonds are set into just about anything. For example, how about a diamond pacifier? At $17,000, this is truly for those that have too much money and don’t know where to spend it! Of course, who would actually put that ball of fire into your mouth? Or in the mouth of a child? This one is reportedly set with 3 carats of diamonds in white gold.
The setting style is known as pavé. The close-set diamonds resemble a road paved in diamonds. When set in a ring, the diamonds reflect the light and deliver lots of brightness and fire. Great use for smaller diamonds – maybe restyling an old ring comes to mind… Dii
