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Jeweler News

  • Gold Tattoos – The New Skin Jewelry?

    If committing to a real ink tattoo is a little too intimidating, then consider these gold alternatives. Produced by high-tech company Genefinity, these temporary tattoos adhere to skin. They’re pretty amazing. Thanks to 10x for this discover.

     

    Italian engineers have come up with an alternative way to wear gold, silver and other metals: as temporary tattoos adhered to the skin.

    GT1

    Produced by the high-tech company Genefinity, Gold Sin Jewels are the product of scientific research in nano-tech materials. Available in different patterns, the tattoos last between three and seven days–and because they’re stuck to you, it’s hard to misplace or lose them. Impossible, actually.

    GT2

    So how do the tattoos work? Genefinity calls it the “Ghost” process, and it involves fixing thin films of gold, silver, platinum and palladium to flexible substrates, or surfaces on which organisms live.

    Gold Sin Jewels are made on a paper support that functions with hydro-soluble molecules, such as a think 24-karat gold film. A bio-compatible resin layer allows the film to adhere to skin, and keeps it safe, waterproof and lasting.

    GT3

    Read more.

  • Biggest Cut Emerald in the World

    This rock is just a tad too big to be worn around the neck. And maybe just a bit out of most of our price ranges! But boy, what an amazing specimen. Even if you’re not a gem fanatic like we are, you’ll still be “green” with envy:

     

     

  • Bling Time! The Golden Globes Jewelry Highlights

    It’s all about the bling at award shows. The Golden Globes, in particular, can signify trends that will continue throughout the year. And remember, if there’s a look you like, we can create a piece in similar style, for a fraction of the price. You’ll have to buy your own red carpet though!

     

     

    Retna

    Freida Pinto’s bib necklace
    A lightweight Chopard design enhanced Pinto’s ever present glow.

     

    Jeff Vespa/WireImage

    Charlize Theron’s headband
    Theron’s vintage Cartier headband added the perfect fairytale finishing touch to her princess gown.


    Gilbert Flores/CelebrityPhoto.com

    Heidi Klum’s necklace
    Klum offset her nearly-nude figure-skimming column with punchy turquoise Lorraine Schwartz jewels.

    Jeff Vespa/WireImage

    Tilda Swinton’s cuffs
    Swinton amped up her icy design with a pair of floral Fred Leighton wrap-around bracelets.

     

    Lionel Hahn/ABACUSA

    Julianne Moore’s earrings
    Moore punctuated her chic black dress with bold green Fred Leighton emeralds.

     

    Jeff Vespa/WireImage

    Elle Macpherson’s bracelets
    Stacked Lorraine Shwartz pave bangles added color and sparkle to Macpherson’s airy gown.

     

    Source: MSNBC

  • Diamond Studded Business Cards – When you REALLY Want to Make an Impression

    The beauty of excess is it never stops growing. At $1500 a pop, these diamond studded business cards send one heck of a message. I wonder if you can scrape the stones off and make a piece of jewelry with them? Hmmmm…

    Black Astrum is out with customized Signature Card range. Meant for high profile people across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, the Swiss metal business cards come studded with diamonds. Said to be a “highly distinctive symbol of status and wealth”, one set of the cards feature over 30 carats of diamonds.

    Since its exclusively customized to a client’s specifications, the cost of making varies. However, the company states that the average selling price per card is about the £1000 ($1,500), and it is sold in sets of 25, 50 and 100 cards.

    Sufian Khawaja, Black Astrum’s concept director says, “We’ve had several enquiries from American celebrities and international businessmen, however our cards are offered by invitation only, reflecting our desire to serve only the most premier individuals”. The cards were originally created as a one-off project for a wealthy Middle Eastern family.

     

    Source: Luxury Launches

  • Gold Prices, a “Fear Trade” Continue to Rise

    According to Bloomberg News, gold prices continue to rise, after recent news about Iran’s nuclear development:

    Gold futures headed for the biggest gain in 10 weeks on increased demand from investors after reports that Iran produced its first nuclear fuel rod and as the dollar weakened. Silver also gained.

    A domestically-made rod was inserted into the core of Tehran’s atomic research reactor after performance tests, the Iranian Students News Agency reported yesterday. The dollar fell against the euro on signs that manufacturing is expanding in the U.S. and China. Blackstone Group LP’s Byron Wien, who had correctly predicted last year’s gain in gold, said bullion will rally 15 percent in 2012 to $1,800 an ounce.

    “Fear trade is back because of Iran,” Adam Klopfenstein, a market strategist at Archer Financial Services Inc. in Chicago, said in a telephone interview. “Also, we are seeing buying across commodities because of the weaker dollar.”

  • Jewelry Sales Indicate Signs of Economic Recovery

    It seems almost obvious: if people are feeling comfortable enough to buy luxury items such as jewelry, it may indicate that the economy may be slowly creeping up once again.  Though, as this article points out, customers may be willing to splurge a bit more, but “tap out” easily. The momentum, in short, is choppy:

    All the quarterly financials for the major chains covered by National Jeweler and included in that particular newsletter were positive. Comps rose 14 percent for Sterling Jewelers, 6 percent for Zale Corp., 15 percent for Tiffany & Co. in the Americas and 8 percent for Neiman Marcus.

    The sales figures released by major chains are in harmony with the reports we received from retailersand the post-Black Friday sales figures released by a myriad of different analysts and agencies.

    In short, it was a strong weekend for sales.

    But, will this momentum continue through the holiday season and into next year? The answer seems to be nobody knows, or, at least, nobody can agree on a prediction.

    In analyzing sales on Black Friday, The NPD Group Inc. said that the day came in with a “roar” as consumers packed stores early to take advantage of heavily advertised savings but went out with a “whimper.”

    According to NPD, 56 percent of consumers who shopped on Black Friday said they weren’t likely to shop again that weekend, an indication that consumers are “tapped out,” one industry analyst said.

    Read more.

  • You Too Can Buy Liz Taylor’s Jewelry…or Can You?

    It looks like the well-known and prestigious Christie’s auction house in London is no longer for the special few in attendance. Christie’s will be auctioning off several of Elizabeth Taylor’s pieces online as well as in-house. And although they’re calling it a “online-only sale”, I have a sneaking suspicion it won’t be cheap!

    The two-week online sale will run concurrent with the live auctions. This marks the first time that the famed auction house will host an exclusively online addition to a private collection.

    Christie’s has hand-selected more than 500 fine and costume jewelry items for the online-only sale, including exceptional Art Deco-era jewelry and an array of signed jewels by Cartier, Chanel, Christian Dior, and Ruser, among others.

    Through a special engagement with the luxury fashion retailer Moda Operandi, Christie’s will offer prospective shoppers a sneak peek at a selection of highlights from the online-only sale starting Nov. 14 at shop.modaoperandi.com/ElizabethTaylor. Beginning Nov. 18 the full complement of online-only lots will be available for viewing at Christie’s website at christies.com/etonlineonly.

    “To ensure the full breadth of the collection is accessible to collectors worldwide, Christie’s has taken the innovative step of adding this special, online-only component to our live auctions, so that bidders from around the world can participate in this landmark two-week-long event,” Marc Porter, chairman and president of Christie’s Americas, said in a statement.


    The first piece is a diamond-encrusted necklace with 12 golden pearls mounted in 18-karat white gold, estimated at $200,000 to $300,000.

    Source: JCK Jewelry

  • Platinum Honors at the 2012 AGTA Spectrum Awards

    We’ve talked about platinum at length over the last year. It still remains a much talked about metal, including the considerable attention it received at the 28th annual AGTA Spectrum Awards hosted by the American Gem Trade Association that celebrates outstanding design using colored gemstones. The 2012 AGTA Spectrum Awards™ competition was held in New York City on October 22-23. Take a look at some of the amazing highlights:

     

    Platinum Honors™ 2012 Winners:
    Best Use of Platinum and Color
    Michael Endlich, Pave Fine Jewelry: Platinum ring featuring a 19.05 ct. cushion-cut Aquamarine with pave-set Diamonds (.41 ctw.).
    Bridal Wear
    James W. Currens, J.W. Currens Inc.: Platinum ring featuring a 16.80 ct. sugarloaf Ruby accented with Diamaonds (4.54 ctw.).
    Day Wear
    Leon Mege, Leon Mege, Inc.: Platinum Ring featuring a 16.76 ct. Paraiba Tourmaline cabachon accented with antique cushion-cut Diamonds and Diamond melee (3.10 ctw.).
  • Only the Wealthy Spending More this Holiday

    Right about this time of year, people are groaning about the holidays. Many are already feeling an economic pinch (or stranglehold) so buying gifts only adds to the existing financial burden. Unless you’re rich. Apparently, according to a recent poll, they are the ones who plan on spending more this holiday season.

    The Survey of Affluence and Wealth in America, released annually by Harrison Group and American Express Publishing, found that those at the very top of the income spectrum, with discretionary incomes of $250,000 or more, plan to spend an average of 7 percent more on holiday gifts.

    However, those with discretionary incomes in the $100,000 to $250,000 range said their holiday spending budgets will be 17 percent lower than in 2010.

    As for non-affluent consumers, with incomes below $100,000, some 28 percent said they expect to spend less on gifts than they did in 2010.

    Overall, some 57 percent of affluent consumers say they are looking to buy fewer gifts this holiday season, with the number one reason being “they have too much stuff.” In 2010, the no. 1 response to this question was they were “worried about the economy.”

    The survey also found that 36 percent of wives would like jewelry as a holiday gift, while only 27 percent of husbands plan on giving gifts in this category. Source: JCK Magazine

     

    main view of Round Pave Stone Heart Pendant

    Style 10044

    Round Pave Stone Heart Pendant

     

    Heart pendant and bail with approximately 1 2/5ct t.w. round brilliant pave’ stones, comes with an 18″ cable chain.

    Style 7064M
    Antique Style Filigree Moissanite Bracelet

    Antique style filigree bracelet with Charles and Colvard created moissanite. 3/16″ wide and the standard 7″ long.

    Available Total Weight: 3.60ct t.w.

  • Stars of Africa Collection Makes its Debut at Harrods Today

    Royal Asscher’s Stars of Africa collection is certainly a sight to behold. Diamonds floating a top some of the most magnificent and mighty rings. You may have seen these stunners in magazines such as Elle, InStyle, Runway and Lucky and worn by celebrities such as Kate Bosworth, Sophia Vergara, Megan Fox, Joss Stone, Serena Williams, Estelle and Reba McEntire.
    Well, today marks their debut at Harrods. And on top of that good news, the collection benefits a good cause:

    Royal Asscher Diamond Company is thrilled to announce that Harrods, London’s famed luxury department store, will be selling the Stars of Africa floating diamonds collection. The collection will debut on Saturday, October 8th .

    Harrods will have the largest collection of Stars of Africa jewelry in the UK, including the limited editions with pink diamonds and the Royal Stars with orange diamonds, which are a tribute to the Royal Dutch family for the extension of the Royal title earlier this year.

    Launched in 2009, this beautiful and innovative collection (comprised of rings, earrings, pendants and cufflinks) consist of diamonds encased within fluid-filled sapphire domes, which allow the diamonds to float freely like snowflakes in a snow globe. The result is cascading diamonds that emit light, fire and beauty, which creates a truly  mesmerizing effect.

    The Stars of Africa collection has more than just aesthetic appeal: The collection benefits Royal Asscher’s Africa-focused fundraising initiative, Stars of Africa. This philanthropic initiative aims to improve infrastructure in Africa by generating funding for healthcare, education and self sufficiency programs. As a family and as a company, the Asschers have a strong collective social conscience and an inherited love of the undeniable beauty of diamonds. Royal Asscher considers it to be of paramount importance that diamonds not only bring happiness to the wearer, but also to everyone involved in the diamond supply chain.

    Mike Asscher says: “The world’s most famous luxury department store is a perfect fit and we are very proud that the Stars of Africa Collection is now being sold within the vicinity of the true Star of Africa: the Cullinan diamond.”

    Royal Asscher is renowned for its unique heritage and history, which includes cleaving the world’s largest rough diamond in 1908, the Cullinan, presently housed in Great Britain’s Crown Jewels. Royal visitors to the Amsterdam based company include Japan’s Emperor Hirohito, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands.

    Source: The Daily Jewel