Diamonds Update

Magnificent Colored Diamond Sale

Sotheby’s “Magnificent Jewels” sale in Geneva November 17 was a high dollar success for colored diamonds and other colored gemstones but the highlight of the show was a green diamond ring.
Only a few natural green diamonds have been auctioned in recent decades and most of those had bluish or yellowish secondary color, which pointed to the importance of the sale of a 2.52-carat Fancy Vivid green color Cushion Modified Brilliant Cut diamond.  The rare diamond was claw-set in a platinum mounting with yellow gold head.

The cushion modified brilliant cut diamond was graded Fancy Vivid Green color, VS1 clarity, depth 63.9%, table 58%, measurements 8.80 x 7.35 x 4.70 mm, ratio 1.20, Excellent polish, Very Good symmetry, Faint fluorescence, and was laser inscribed “GIA 2106213537.”  While not the highest priced item at the auction, the $3.08 million sale set a world-record for price per carat for a green diamond at auction.

Other colored diamonds sales made history too.  A 3.17-carat Fancy Intense blue diamond sold for $2.52 million and set a new world-record for price per carat for an Intense Blue diamond at auction.  The round brilliant cut diamond was set in a simple four-prong platinum mounting.  The natural Fancy Intense blue colored diamond has VVS2 clarity.

The Roxburghe Rubies, a necklace and earring set, sold for $5.77 million, five times the estimated price before the auction.  The necklace contains 24 cushion shaped rubies and 24 cushion-cut diamonds and the set dates back to the late 19th century.  The necklace was the property of Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe and is thought to have been purchased from Garrards by the 5th Earl of Rosebery, as recorded in one of his diary entries.  The necklace is accompanied by its original turquoise velvet fitted case, embellished with the monogram R under a coronet, by R&S Garrard & Co, Goldsmith and Jewellers to The Crown, as well as by the original hand-written documentation detailing the weights of the stones.

PrinceCut Diamond Shape

For diamond shoppers who like the shape of the emerald cut but would like to have more sparkle, yet not as much as the radiant cut, the PrinceCut diamond shape is a great option.

The PrinceCut, patented by the Avi Paz Group, was designed to be an improvement on the traditional emerald cut.  With 111 facets, compared to the emerald cut’s 57 facets, the PrinceCut has a much greater brightness and fire.  The PrinceCut® received international patents and a U.S. patent in August 2000.

The mesmerizing facet pattern of the PrinceCut diamond produces an ever-changing kaleidoscope of alternating reflections and flashes of rainbow colors.  The rectangular shape is stunning as a solitaire setting but also is beautiful in a three-stone ring.

Learn more about PrinceCut diamonds...

Old Mine Cut Diamond For Sale

Diamond Source of Virginia has this exceptional 4.02-carat Old Mine Brilliant Cut loose diamond for sale.  This old-fashioned diamond shape has a beautiful facet pattern that produces great brightness, sparkle, and a face-up appearance that is white with lots of fire.

Old Mine cut diamonds have become very hard to find and beautiful diamonds over four carats are becoming very rare.  The shape, also known as the Old Miner, was first cut in the late seventeenth century and was the first shape to have all the facets of the present round diamond, but with a little different size and alignment.  These differences in facet pattern produce the distinct old fashion appearance and charm.  Other names for the Old Mine cut include a Full Cut Brilliant and the Triple Cut.

The Old Mine Cut got its name from the fact that the diamonds were typically sourced from the old mines located throughout India while most modern diamonds are from the relatively new mines in Africa, Australia, Russia, and Canada.

The specifications for the beautiful diamond are as follows:
Old Mine Brilliant, 4.02 carat, J color, VS1 clarity, depth 60.9%, table 56%, Good polish, Good symmetry, No fluorescence, Large culet, measurements 10.45 x 9.91 x 6.04 mm, and ratio 1.05 (EGL Diamond Certificate US 45000001D dated 2/38/07)

Pictures of this diamond do not capture its true beauty.  This is one of those unique diamonds you have to see to appreciate.  If you are looking for one of these rare and old-fashioned Old Mine Cut diamonds, give the folks at Diamond Source of Virginia a call at 888-477-8385 and they will be happy to tell you more about this diamond.  This is your chance to own a beautiful piece of history.

Diamond Ring Photos

Several months ago, I realized our business website was so focused on providing education about diamonds and diamond shopping advice; I had neglected to talk about the beautiful rings we provide clients.  I have recently added some web pages that show some of the many diamond ring styles we provide clients.  I hope that you will find these photos enjoyable and if you are shopping for a diamond ring, they might provide some ideas what you can do with your diamond from Diamond Source of Virginia.

The following links take you to those diamond ring photo pages for the various diamond shapes:

Asscher Cut Diamond Ring Photos

Cushion Cut Diamond Ring Photos

Emerald Cut Diamond Ring Photos

Heart Shaped Diamond Ring Photos

Marquise Cut Diamond Ring Photos

Oval Cut Diamond Ring Photos

Pear Shaped Diamond Ring Photos

Princess Cut Diamond Ring Photos

Radiant Cut Diamond Ring Photos

Round Cut Diamond Ring Photos

Emerald Cut Grades by AGS Laboratories

The American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories, headquartered in Las Vegas, announced they will begin including their cut grade on Diamond Quality Documents for emerald cut diamonds February 1, 2007.  The AGS had previously announced they would be including the cut grade for emerald cuts, but only recently established a date when they would start.

The cut grades will be included for three emerald-cut shapes: square emerald, rectangular emerald cut and the octagon step cut.  The AGS had introduced their Performance-Based Cut Grade System in 2005, first with round brilliant diamonds and then for princess cuts.

Most other cut grading systems are proportion-based which use external measurements of the diamond to determine the cut grade.  By contrast, the AGS’s Performance-Based Cut Grade System includes the light performance of the diamond by estimating the movement of light through the diamonds and establishes a cut grade based on the brightness, dispersion, leakage, contrast and weight ratio, as well as the proportions, polish and symmetry.

Because the AGS’s Performance-Based Cut Grade System makes it easier to establish cut grades for different shaped diamonds, we would expect to see the AGS Laboratory establish cut grades for many of the common fancy shapes in the next several years.

AGS Laboratories Introduces Emerald Cut Grade

The American Gem Society (AGS) Laboratories has instituted a new Performance-Based Cut Grade system for the emerald cut.  In 2005, the AGS introduced a cut grade system for the round brilliant and the princess shaped diamond.  The new cut grades include the three basic emerald cut shapes: square emerald cut, rectangular emerald cut, and the octagon step cut.

The Performance Based Cut Grade system was a move away from the proportion-based grade system previous used which relied on measurements of the diamond fitting within prescribed ranges.  With the new cut grade system, ray-tracing software monitors light’s path traveling through a diamond.  The software quantifies the amount and quality of light returned to the viewer in terms of brightness, dispersion, leakage, contrast, and weight to size ratio.  In addition to the light performance, the traditional proportions, polish and symmetry of the diamond are considered in determining a final cut grade.

The AGS has become the industry leader in fancy shaped diamond cut grades, as they are the only major grading laboratory to establish cut grades for princes and now emerald diamond shapes.  Because it is relatively easy to apply their new Performance Based Cut Grade system to different shapes, they plan to introduce cut grades for other fancy shapes in upcoming months.

Ten Commandments Diamond

Last November I wrote about unique shapes of diamonds, including one shaped like the Ten Commandments tablets.  That article is located at http://diamonds.blogs.com/diamonds_update/2005/11/israeli_manufac.html

Trillion Diamond Company, perhaps best known for creating the trillion-cut diamond, recently received a Registered Trademark on the expression “Ten Commandments Diamond®.” Marvin Finker, President of Trillion Diamond Co. also announced the creation of a new website http://www.tencommandmentsdiamond.com to promote their fascinating diamond shape.

The words of the original Ten Commandments are permanently laser inscribed on the table facet of the new diamond shape and are easily read with a magnifying glass.

If you are looking for a special gift for someone who would cherish these historic religious words, consider this is very special keepsake.

Diamond for St. Patrick's Day

The shamrock, a three-leafed clover, has long been symbolic of Irish culture.  According to legend, the shamrock was called the “seamroy” by Celts, was a sacred plant to the Druids of ancient Ireland symbolizing the rebirth of Spring.  Legend also has it that St. Patrick used the shamrock in the 5th century to illustrate the doctrine of the Holy Trinity as he promoted Christianity in Ireland.

In the 19th century the shamrock became a symbol of rebellion with the risk of death by hanging for anyone found wearing it.  This let to the now popular phrase “the wearin’ of the green.”  With its deep Irish history, the shamrock is now the most recognized symbol of the Irish.  This is especially true on St. Patrick’s Day, when everyone is Irish for a day.

While the classic shamrock has three leaves, occasionally a fourth leaf will appear, making a “four-leaf clover,” believed by many to bring good luck to the person who discovers it.

The four leafed flower shape is also very special when it is cut from a diamond.  The Lily cut has 65 facets compared to the 43 facets of the princess cut and is cut exclusively by Lili Diamonds located in the center of the Israeli Diamond Exchange in Ramat-Gan, Israel. They still hold the worldwide patent for the Lily Cut that was granted in 1996. This diamond features 4 lobes which resemble a shamrock, clover, or flower and has beautiful sparkle, brilliant and a truly unique diamond shape.

http://www.diamondsourceva.com/Education/Shape/diamonds-shape-lily-cut.asp

Spring Cut Diamonds

The Spring Cut is comprised of elements from both the emerald and radiant cuts. M&M Diamond Imports wanted to create a cut that combined the fire and scintillation of the radiant cut and the elegance of the emerald cut.

Emerald cuts are distinctive and beautiful, though understated, because the cut lacks fire. Radiant cuts were developed to remedy the lack of fire in square cuts, but have always been difficult to match, because slight differences in the depth percentage of the stones caused one stone next to another one to look totally different. In devising the new cut, M&M attempted to bring in the best of both worlds by marrying the finer points of emerald cuts and radiant cuts.

Learn more about Spring Cut diamonds at http://www.diamondsourceva.com/Education/Shape/diamonds-shape-springcut.asp

Royal Asscher Cut Diamonds

Royal Asscher Diamond Company has designed the the Royal Asscher® Cut, a variant on the Asscher Cut that has had patent coverage since its design in 1902. What is special about this Royal Asscher® Cut is the spectacular light reflection thanks to its 16 extra facets. The new model is square and has a total of 74 facets. On the girdle (side) of the stone the logo Royal Asscher® Cut is laser inscribed as well as a unique number. The unique number is stated on the Royal Asscher® Cut certificate. All Royal Asscher® Cuts are provided with a colour and quality description from the worldwide known laboratory of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in the U.S.A. or from the High Council for Diamonds in Antwerp (HRD).

Numerous emerald cuts have been sold as so-called Asscher Cuts. This incited Royal Asscher Diamond Company to improve the brilliancy of the Asscher Cut even more in the new model. This process took over years of research. In this period numerous stones were cut and many computer simulations were made to eventually come to the optimal new Royal Asscher® Cut. This cut combines our company’s century-old tradition of diamond polishing with modern technology.

Each Royal Asscher® Cut comes with a Royal Asscher® certificate stating not only weight, colour and clarity, but also the unique Royal Asscher® Cut number, which is laser inscribed on the girdle. This is the proof of the Royal Asscher® Cut.

Check out the Royal Asscher Cut Diamond web site at http://www.asscher.nl/en/index-flash.html where you great "Diamonds Are Forever" music while you view the site.

Learn more about Royal Asscher Cut diamonds at http://www.diamondsourceva.com/Education/Shape/diamonds-shape-royal-asscher.asp