As you may know, diamonds are mined throughout the world and often cause conflict and destruction ecologically. More and more retailers are looking for “conflict free” or ethically mined diamonds but are they willing to pay more? Michelle Graff at 10x gives us the lowdown at a recent conference:

Last Wednesday, I attended a panel discussion on “ethical” diamonds organized by the Women’s Jewelry Association and held here in New York.

Inevitably, the discussion, moderated by jewelry industry writer and editor Peggy Jo Donahue, came around to the question of money: How much are people willing to pay for a diamond that lays claims to being responsibly mined?

It’s not unlike the questions Americans face in a myriad of other shopping situations.

You’re at the grocery store and the free-range, organic eggs, presumably produced by chickens with a (somewhat) better life than their factory-farmed counterparts, are lined up alongside regular, non-organic options. The organic eggs are double or even triple the price of the non-organic variety. Are you willing to pay more? Which will you choose?

Two of the panelists, Rebecca Foerster, the U.S. vice president of Rio Tinto Diamonds, and Forevermark U.S. Inc. President Charles Stanley, said their companies charge a premium for their products because they believe there are people who are willing to pay for the assurance of owning an ethically sourced diamond.

Stanley noted that there will come a “tipping point” when the origin of products will become an issue across the board.

But Andrea Hansen, CEO of Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry, said from their viewpoint, the consumer hasn’t reached that point yet. Rather than attach a premium to their ethically sourced merchandise, the company takes a lower margin. “I don’t see on the retail level yet that the consumer is willing to pay that much more for the product,” she said.

Read more.

At Joseph Schubach Jewelers, we pride ourselves in using eco-friendly materials. Read more about our practices.

What can you say about this incredible piece of art but…wow. The Swiss jeweler Shawish has created a ring  made entirely of one 150-carat diamond.

The ring, valued at approximately $68 million, was unveiled last year in London.

“A ring made entirely of a faceted diamond has always seemed like a fantasy,” Mohamed Shawish, president of Geneva-based Shawish Jewellery, according to press materials. “To create the perfect diamond ring is the epitome of art.”

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/fashion/diamond-ring-made-bling-150-carat-bauble-fetch-68m-article-1.1049818#ixzz1rg1IBDJ4

Most people don’t truly understand how diamonds could possess any color. They’re all colorless, right? Not exactly. Diamonds can possess secondary colors that affect the worth and look of the gem. Here’s a chart that gives you an idea of the different degrees of color a diamond can possess.

(Stay tuned for our announcement on Forever Brilliant, the latest, greatest moissanite ever created, with an even more amazing color!)

My friend had a garage sale last week. She and her family sold all the junk that had been residing in their basement for years. After a day’s worth of hard labor, they made $182. On the other side of the world, Sotheby’s in Hong Kong made just a hair more.

Sotheby’s Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite spring sale achieved $64 million (HKD 499 million) and was  79 percent sold by lot and 70 percent by value.

The top lot of the sale was an emerald-cut, 8.01 carat, fancy vivid blue diamond ring that sold for $12.7 million (HKD 99.2 million), or $1,588,079 per carat.

Quek Chin Yeow, the deputy chairman and head of Sotheby’s jewelry department in Asia, noted that the sale represented one of the highest totals for jewelry sales held in Asia by the auction house.

“Throughout the day there was spirited competition among collectors from across Asia for top quality round white diamonds and pink diamonds, as well as for Burmese ruby, Colombian emerald and jadeite jewelry,” he said.

Other top lots included a brilliant- cut, 18.11-carat, D, FL  diamond that sold for $3.96 million (HKD 30.9 million). A pear-shaped, 3.28-carat internally flawless, fancy vivid pink diamond and diamond ring fetched $3.2 million (HKD 25.3 million) at the sale. A Burmese ruby and diamond necklace with 23 natural unheated rubies with a total weight of 53.07 carats garnered $3.1 million (HKD24.2 million) while a 14.12-carat moval-shaped Golconda, D, IF diamond ring sold for $2.4 million (HKD 18.6 million) at Sotheby’s Hong Kong.
Source: Diamonds.net 

Well, the price is not exactly stellar, unless you’re exceedingly “in the pink.” But the stone itself? Magnificent! It’s one of two known significant sized round pink diamonds in this world with no modifying colors. In short, it’s pink and nothing but pink!

Take a look:

12.04-ct. fancy intense pink Type IIa round brilliant-cut diamond ring by Harry Winston.© Christie’s Images Limited 2012

The largest round fancy intense pink diamond to ever appear at auction will be part of Christie’s Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels sale on May 29. The 12-ct. diamond is estimated to fetch $8 – $10 million.

The extremely rare diamond is owned by a private collector. It was purchased from Harry Winston in 1976—the same year, the United States launched its first satellite on a mission to Mars: The Viking landers. Ronald Winston named the diamond the “Martian Pink” to honor the historic event.

The Martian Pink is one of two known significant sized round pink diamonds in this world—the other being the 23.60-carat Williamson Pink diamond that was presented to Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her wedding in 1947. While most natural pink diamonds exhibit a color modifier like purple, orange or grey, the gem that is up for auction “shows absolutely no trace of a secondary color, making it exceedingly rare,” the auction house said. “Combined with a Type IIa characteristic, the diamond shows an extraordinary limpidity together with a lovely intense pink coloration.”
Source: Jewelry News Network

 

Looking for a more “down to earth” price for a pink gem? Feast your eyes on one of our favorite rings:

Style 9505M- Rose Gold Diamond and Pink Moissanite Ring Stunning, delicate 14kt rose gold engagement ring set with a 1.0ct (dia equiv) Charles and Colvard created round moissanite color enhanced to spring pink surrounded by 1/3ct t.w. white diamonds. Matching earrings also available.