Sotheby's To Sell Big Blue Diamond

Although overall diamond prices are down, the sales for the big and rare stones are still pretty strong. Petra Diamonds, a miner of stones in Africa, is hoping for a high number for their first sale of a cut and polished stone through Sotheby's. They will be selling a 7.03-carat blue diamond from the Cullinan mine in South Africa. The Cullinan mine has yielded most of the best blue diamonds in the world. The stone has a fancy vivid blue color and is rated internally flawless. Petra decided to sell the stone as cut and polished versus selling the rough as they usually do because they are hoping to get maximum exposure for the gem.

The stone will be shown in Hong Kong, Paris, New York and London before winding up in Geneva for the Sotheby's auction on May 12. It is estimated to sell for as much as $8.5 million. Maybe the stone will appeal to famous diamond dealer Laurence Graff. Last December he picked up the Wittelsbach diamond, a grayish-blue 35.56 carat stone with an impressive historical provenance, for $24.3 million making it the world's most expensive blue diamond.

Obama Poem Becomes Jewelry Collection

Posted Apr 3rd 2009 4:01PM by Syko

The market for Obama jewelry is still going strong. The range of jewelry runs from the inexpensive and symbolic to the extravagant diamond Obama necklace. Somewhere in the middle range is the "Elements of Change" collection from jewelry designer Jeanine Payer. The line features pieces inscribed with excerpts from President Barack Obama's inauguration poem by Elizabeth Alexander, "Praise Song for the Day."

The collection includes three necklaces and three bracelets offered in sterling silver and 14-karat gold. The bracelet shown above has a 14k gold medallion hanging from a sterling silver multi-chain. The engraving appears on the pendant's front and back and the piece sells for $620.

Most Expensive Gold

Written by: jeremy Filed Under: Luxury, World on February 17th, 2009

If you think all gold is the same, think again. Scotgold, an Australian mining company, has recently purchased the Cononish mine in Tyndrum, a small village in Scotland, which produces the most expensive gold in the world—Scottish gold.

A ring made of Scottish gold
from the Scottish Gold Collection.

Scottish gold is heavily valued for its yellow color, rarity and the back-breaking sluicing process used to gather it. The expensive gold’s price can be more than five times that of normal gold. The Cononish mine was approved in 1996 for the mining of 25,000 ounces of gold per year. Unfortunately, a steady decrease in the price of gold shelved the project for the ten years before Scotgold bought the mine.

One important work of Scottish gold is the Crown of Scotland, part of the Honours of Scotland. The Honours are the oldest set of royal regalia in the United Kingdom. The Crown itself was made in 1540 for King James V.

The world’s most expensive gold is currently valued at around $1400 per ounce.

Most Expensive Earbuds

Written by: jeremy Filed Under: Electronics, Fashion on January 7th, 2009

The Sennheiser Orpheus may be a great pair of headphones for audiophiles, but what about those who prefer style over sound quality? Well, that’s what the world’s most expensive earbuds are for.

Created by Thomas Heyerdahl of Heyerdahl Jewellery, the same person behind the iDiamond iPod, these blinged out buds aren’t just a one-off for charity—they were carefully constructed in a series of 1,000. Each pair of iDiamond ear earphones is made of 18 karat gold set with 204 diamonds (1.65 carats total). Each pair is numbered, so you know that your pair is entirely unique.

Of course, getting one now may be a hassle. They were distributed to high end jewelry stores in March of 2008 and, at the time, sold for $6,400. Considering their limited availability, purchasing a pair now might require a considerably larger investment.

Most Expensive Diamond

Written by: jeremy Filed Under: Fashion, Luxury, World on January 12th, 2009

Diamond-owners rejoice—even in a recession, diamonds command a hefty price. In fact, the first half of 2008 saw a 32% increase in jewelry sales at Christie’s auction houses when compared to sales in the first six months of 2007. They saved the best for last, however, as the world’s most expensive diamond was sold in December of 2008.

The Wittelsbach is a 35.56-carat blue diamond mined in India. The historic diamond was chosen by King Philip IV of Spain as part of the dowry for his daughter, the Infanta Margarita Teresa. Her suitor, Leopold I, later became Holy Roman Emperor and passed the diamond on to his heirs after she died in 1673. When the Archduchess of Austria married Bavaria’s Crown Prince in 1722, the diamond became known as “Der Blaue Wittelsbacher” (The Blue Wittelsbach) after the Crown Prince’s family.

The world’s most expensive diamond sold for $24.3 million, beating a previous record of $16.5 million for a 100-carat diamond in 1995. While the Wittelsbach is the most expensive diamond ever sold at auction—and likely the most expensive diamond ever sold, period—the world-famous Hope diamond would no doubt put the Wittelsbach to shame were it ever so

Most Expensive Grill (For Your Teeth, Not Your Barbecue)

Written by: jeremy Filed Under: Luxury on March 13th, 2009

If you’re male and listen to hip hop, then you’ve probably considered getting a grill at one time or another. After all, what better way is there to show off your bling than to stick it to your teeth? Of course, if you want to put the most money where your mouth is, you’re going to have to get the most expensive grill in the world.

A Paul Wall grill

The most expensive grills are offered by rapper, jeweler and “People’s Champ” Paul Wall, whose designs start at $65 per tooth. The grills are custom made from mouth molds performed by your local dentist and your teeth can be covered in 14- or 18-karat yellow or white gold with diamonds in yellow, white, rose gold or pink.

Of course, the design is one of the most important factors in the price of the grill. The most expensive grill mentioned on Grills by Paul Wall’s site is the American Flag grill that sells for $10,000. It must have something to do with their 10% discount for military personnel.

Conscientious buyers take note—no blood diamonds will be used in your grill.

Most Expensive Ring

If you’re an aging bachelor and billionaire looking to wed someone half your age, you may want to look into expensive engagement rings. One such individual’s proposal to an ex-model involved a $1.5 million engagement ring. That may seem way out there, but it’s not even close to the most expensive ring in the world.

The Chopard Blue Diamond Ring is the ring that makes any other diamond ring look bad. Set with an enormous, oval-shaped blue diamond, the expensive ring also has diamond shoulders and an 18k white gold band paved with diamonds.

Blue diamond is among the most expensive diamonds in the world. It is found among boron deposits, from whence it derives its shade. This particular gem weighs in at nine carats.

The world’s most expensive ring is valued at $16.26 million, enough to put a dent in the wallets of even the wealthiest individuals.

Most Expensive Diamond Necklaces

An expensive diamond necklace is more than a simple accessory. It’s a statement of opulence that will set members of your family apart for generations. Check out some of the world’s most expensive diamond necklaces.

H. Stern’s Venus Necklace - $3.17 million

This 110-carat diamond necklace features a number of cushion, square and pear-cut diamonds set in 18k noble gold. Even the clasp is exquisite, featuring a 14-point diamond star. This is truly a piece that looks just as good from behind as it does from the front.

The De Beers’ Marie-Antionette Necklace - $3.7 million

From the De Beers High-Jewellery collection, this luxurious necklace features over 181 carats of mixed cut diamonds. Beneath the deep pink diamond (1.84 carats) on the first string are two yellow diamonds (5.24 and 7.06) along the second and third strings. The 8.05 carat pear-shaped white diamond hanging from the fourth string, though, is the showstopper on this beautiful piece of jewelry.

Neil Lane’s Diamond Necklace - $4 million

The 140 carats of diamonds featured on this valuable necklace feature three different cuts—pear, cushion and teardrop. The diamonds are set in platinum along the six strings that make up this necklace.

Garrard’s Heart of the Kingdom Ruby - $14 million

The most expensive necklace in the world features a 40.63-carat, heart-shaped Burmese ruby surrounded by 155 carats of diamonds. Burmese ruby is one of the most sought after varieties of ruby due to its blood-red hue. This gem is particularly valuable due to its extraordinary size—Burmese rubies rarely exceed a few carats!

The most expensive necklace can also be worn as a tiara.