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Jewelry News

  • Jewelry Auction Recap 2016

    Throughout 2016, we shared a copious amount of juicy auction information in our blog: celebrity jewelry, fancy colored and rare gems and of course, the exorbitant price-tags and bidding wars that leave us all a little breathless.

    Yet auctions have their ups and downs like any other business and 2016 was no different. Records were set (pink and blue diamonds continued to pull in the highest bids) while other gems failed to generate the expected interest (like Shirley Temple Blue, a 9.54-carat fancy deep blue, owned by the child actress with an estimate of $25 – $35 million).

    But blue gems still pulled their weight (sorry Shirley), namely The Oppenheimer Blue which pulled in top dollar for 2016. Looking at it, we can only sigh and see why.

    The Oppenheimer Blue

    The Oppenheimer Blue, a 14.62-carat fancy vivid blue rectangular-cat diamond snatched a world record for any jewel sold at auction (more than $58 million!) at Christie’s in May.

     

    Source: Forbes

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  • Jewelry and the Millennial Movement

    When you think of a millennial, you probably don’t think in terms of diamond buyers. Their lives are too transient, too tech-based…right? Well perhaps its for those reasons that diamond sales tend to be on the slow and steady climb with this demographic.

    According to Bloomberg:

    So-called millennials now account for 68 percent of diamond jewelry sales by value in the world’s most-populous country — worth $6.76 billion last year, according to research by De Beers SA, the world’s biggest diamond producer.

    Millennial women — defined by De Beers as those aged from 18 to 34 — spent about $26 billion on diamond jewelry in 2015 in the world’s four main markets, acquiring more than any other generation.

    But here’s the catch: this isn’t about ever-lasting love but status and practicality:

    For Chinese millennials, diamonds are more of a fashionable mark of achievement instead of a symbol of everlasting love, said Joan Xu, Shanghai-based associate planning director at J. Walter Thompson, an advertising agency.

    According to one unmarried grad student:

    “We don’t have to passively wait to be gifted a diamond by a man,” the unmarried college graduate said. “Diamond jewelry is a natural way to express ourselves. It’s a far better investment than most fashion items as it won’t only gain value, but can also be passed down through the generations.”

    Image result for millennials

     

  • Dip in Jewelry Sales this Holiday

    Image result for sales graph

    Jewelry is a fluctuating market but during the holidays, it tends to stabilize. Why? Because jewelry is the go-to gift. But this year highlights a trend in cheaper jewelry, meaning customers are moving away from higher end items and looking toward more affordable pieces:

    According to CNBC:

    While many on Wall Street view those types of challenges as transitory, some have expressed concern that the critical millennial shopper does not have an interest in fine jewelry. Instead of investing in a classic piece they can wear every day, some argue, they prefer to scoop up a larger quantity of costume pieces. That way, they can easily — and cost-effectively — update their wardrobes.

    Diamond alternatives are on the rise, as eco-conscious shoppers discover their cost-savings and quality. We provide an extensive of affordable diamond alternatives, including moissanite for any of your custom made jewelry needs.

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  • Emerald Cut Fancy Intense Pink Diamond – the Shade is the Thing

    8.73 carat Intense Pink Diamond, vvs2

    The emerald cut 8.73 carat Fancy Intense Pink Diamond VVS2 Image: Sotheby’s

     

    Sotheby’s (like the rest of us) has an ongoing love affair with pink diamonds. Last month in Geneva, there was an incredible array of these pink-hued gems, waiting to be awarded to the highest bidder. But all pink diamonds are not created equal. Note here how the different shade of pink creates such a range in the auction estimates.

    According to Naturally Colored:

    The first Fancy Intense Pink diamond is a beautiful 8.73 carat Fancy Intense Pink VVS2 emerald cut diamond set in a ring. The auction house has set its estimate between $2.5 million to $4.5 million, or $286k to $515k per carat. Considering the prices that Sotheby’s estimated for the other Fancy Intense Pink diamonds for the evening, and considering the enormous spread between its high and low estimate, it leads us to speculate as to what is going on here with the price.

    We presume that either the color is a very light or weak Fancy Intense, making it look more like a Fancy Pink, and that the diamond will break its lowest estimate by a large margin. Alternatively, the color may be strong indeed and the high estimate may be an undervaluation.

     

     

     

     

     

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  • Beyond Bling – When Jewelry and Art Meet

    A ring that Bernhard Schobinger made in 2010 by impaling a chunk of smoky quartz on a countersink nail.

     

    We would love to check out the latest installation currently running at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (but it’s a long drive from Scottsdale). It’s called “Beyond Bling” and presents jewelry worthy of the status of art, not mere adornment. This includes a ring that Bernhard Schobinger made in 2010 by impaling a chunk of smoky quartz on a countersink nail [pictured above].

    Beyond Bling showcases an extraordinary assemblage of contemporary studio jewelry from the United States, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. The exhibition, which features a selection of 50 works from the gift of over 300 pieces from collector Lois Boardman, explores the use of nontraditional materials and techniques, the ways jewelry can communicate personal or political messages, and the medium’s potential to shock and delight. The collection is the first of its kind to enter a museum on the West Coast.”

     

     

     

     

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  • Are Americans Buying Less Jewelry?

    Let’s hope not…for obvious reasons. What we do hope is that they’re buying smarter jewelry (like eco-friendly diamonds alternatives such as moissanite). The days of blowing your wedding budget on an engagement ring are changing. More people (the millennials, in particular) see the value option of a custom design ring where the couple chooses the material and the price.

    But other factors come into play when looking at jewelry sales dropping. According to the Wall Street Journal:

    …jeweler Tiffany & Co. on Thursday said sales at existing stores fell 8% in the second period, extending a string of declines. But unlike Signet, which counts on middle America for the bulk of its sales, Tiffany is heavily dependent on foreign tourists, who have been buying less because of the strong dollar.

    “We believe that macro market and political uncertainties are likely playing a role in restrained consumer behavior,” Mark Aaron, Tiffany’s vice president of investor relations, said Thursday.

    And let’s not forget the effect of the Kaye diamond swap scandal. A jeweler’s reputation is everything. And when one is tarnished, sales are bound to drop, even though the executives at Signet say differently:

    People aren’t buying as much jewelry at Signet Jewelers Ltd. , but executives said it wasn’t because of concerns that some diamonds at its shops were swapped with lesser-quality stones.

    Instead, they pointed to a host of other reasons for the unexpected 2.3% drop in sales at established stores and a weak outlook: the prolonged oil slump, the divisive U.S. election, even the Brexit vote.

    The retailer, which also owns the Kay Jewelers, Zales and Jared chains, cut its earnings and sales targets for the year, sending shares down more than 14% to $82.65 in Thursday morning trading.

    Our advice always remains the same: choose a jeweler you trust (like one that’s been in business over 100 years…hint, hint) and stick with a budget that works for you. You can have your dream ring at the price you decide!

     

  • Nancy Reagan’s diamond and gold lion pendant-brooch necklace

    Christie’s is preparing a “landmark auction of The Private Collection of President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan, the celebrated 40th President and First Lady of the United States,” slated for September 2016 and coinciding with Christie’s Americana Week sales series in New York. Proceeds from the auction are designated for The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.

    While the auction encompasses everything from furniture to memorabilia, our eyes are on the jewelry, especially the 40th First Lady’s Van Cleef & Arpels diamond and gold lion pendant/brooch necklace and matching diamond and gold lion ear clips worn on a state visit to the U.K. in 1988, worth an estimated $50,000 and $20,000 respectively. These pieces (that the First Lady wore on a state visit to the U.K. in 1988) are expected to lead the jewelry sales.

    Courtesy Christie's

     

     

     

     

  • Good Luck Jewelry at the Olympics

    We’re all coming down from a week of globally felt excitement post-Olympics. But we’re keeping it alive by reviewing some of the jewelry worn by some its top athletes. You might think many athletes wouldn’t don jewelry (since it could interfere with their performance) but USA star Kerri Walsh Jennings is a big believer in the power of positivity.

    One of her primary positive sources?

    Me&Ro Hand of God Pendant.

    According to Yahoo:

    The majority of pieces worn by Walsh Jennings come from Me&Ro. Jewels from the New York City based firm have acted as her lucky charms since she won her first gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. “Kerri is a big believer in the power of positive everything and jewelry is a part of that,” says Me&Ro designer Robin Renzi who became friends with the volleyball player after spotting her in the jewels on television.

     

  • The Jane Seymour Ring

    Jane Seymour Diamond

    What a ring! What a shade of blue!

    Russian conglomerate World of Diamonds just unveiled an incredible blue diamond ring. Their 2.08 fancy vivid blue cushion shaped diamond is set in a platinum setting and plated in rose gold, and is named ”The Jane Seymour” Diamond after the famous Bond girl.

    According to Naturally Colored:

    The ring celebrates the illustrious career and philanthropic efforts of Jane Seymour, an accomplished actress, producer, painter, businesswoman, philanthropist and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (although it is unclear whether the funds from the ring will go toward philanthropy or to WOD).

    We hope the price tag doesn’t make you blue:

    $2 Million

     

  • The Triumph of Nadja Swarovski

    Nadja Swarovski

    What a fascinating look at Nadja Swarovski in the Telegraph, especially during a time where we see more women breaking through the glass (in this case, close to literally) ceiling in a myriad of ways, including the recent nomination of Hilary Rodham Clinton for President.

    Swarovski has had a storied history, not all of it good. The famous crystal company had a besmirched reputation decades ago, where the media and public regarded it skeptically, as cheap or dated product.

    You do the swan and the duck – why would we ever want that in fashion?” Nadja Swarovski shudders  as  she recounts the withering put-down from a snooty magazine stylist twenty-five years ago.

    The sole female member of an Swarovski executive board, which counts four male distant cousins, she fought her way back into the family business and gave the crystal group a new lease of life -transforming it from a dated tableware and chandelier business to one which counts collaborations with feted designers such as Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane, Karl Lagerfeld, Peter Pilotto and a new home range that includes Aldo Bakker and the late Zaha Hadid.

    Read more about this fascinating woman and how she expanded the vision of Swarovski to include fashion and so much more.