Many Faceted

A New Look for the Tiffany Diamond

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It’s always a pleasure to share an outstanding piece of jewelry — I mean, let’s face it, posting beautiful images is one of my favorite things! Today, I present the 128.54-carat Tiffany Diamond in a new setting, in honor of Tiffany & Co’s 175th anniversary. (You can hardly see the prongs for all the scintillation — the brilliance might knock you over, in person. I don’t know that for a fact, but I volunteer to try it out!)

The finished necklace with the 128.54-carat Tiffany Diamond and white diamonds totaling more than 120 carats. Photo Credit: Carlton Davis
The finished necklace with the 128.54-carat Tiffany Diamond and white diamonds totaling more than 120 carats. Photo Credit: Carlton Davis

Despite the volume of accompanying diamonds, there’s nothing to obstruct or distract from the centerpiece in the frontal view. I love colored diamonds, especially yellow ones. The Tiffany Diamond is a prime example of what a yellow diamond can and should be! It has 82 facets — quite a few more than the standard 58-facet brilliant cut. The intensity of the yellow makes the surrounding diamonds look nearly blue by contrast.

One thing that fascinates me about jewelry making (and other forms of creative work) is the “process” — design sketches, ideas, how the concept emerges and develops — and I’m delighted to see some of that in this image:

Proposed sketches for the Diamond's new setting. Photo Credit: © Tiffany & Co.
Proposed sketches for the Diamond's new setting. Photo Credit: © Tiffany & Co.

I love the ornate side details of the Tiffany Diamond’s setting (both the final design, and the alternates.) It’s beautiful from the front, and breathtaking from the side.

Here’s a snippet from the press release (and two detail views from the images above):

Sunburst details of the Tiffany Diamond Setting

The Tiffany Diamond is one of the world’s largest and finest fancy yellow diamonds. The transcendent and mesmerizing beauty of this wondrous stone symbolizes Tiffany’s reputation as the quintessential jeweler for diamonds of the utmost quality. The necklace designed for this priceless gem was created in this great tradition.

Detail of Tiffany Diamond necklace

Tiffany’s jewelry designers submitted innovative ideas and concepts for the new setting, and the result perfectly reflects their efforts. Like the generations of expert craftspeople before them, skilled artisans then meticulously hand cut and set each diamond in the modern, fluid design that rests lightly on the neckline, radiating light and energy with every movement. Over a year in the making, the elegant necklace of white diamonds totals over 120 carats and features 20 Lucida® diamonds and 58 brilliant-cut diamonds. The Diamond’s mounting, an openwork motif of sunrays, is designed with 481 sparkling stones.
— Tiffany and Company

The Tiffany Diamond necklace will appear at celebrations in Tokyo, Beijing, and Dubai, before returning home to New York City. If I have an opportunity to revisit NYC in the near future, I’ll surely pay it a visit!

Céleste, Comète

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Chanel Céleste brooch in white gold, diamonds, and pearls.
Chanel Céleste brooch in white gold, diamonds, and pearls. One of a kind.

Why am I so excited, you ask? Because Chanel created a line of celestial jewelry JUST FOR ME. (Okay, not just for me. But it is a jewelry line after my own heart.)

Chanel Comète Ring in 18K white gold, sapphires, diamonds, and sapphire crystal.
Chanel Comète Ring in 18K white gold, sapphires, diamonds, and sapphire crystal. "Price upon request."

Launching the Comète line are some amazing one-off pieces, in celebration of the 80th anniversary of Gabrielle Chanel’s 1932 Exhibition de Bijoux en Diamants. These pieces will tour the world in a traveling exhibition — this article has more photos.

Of the one-of-a-kind pieces I’ve seen, my favorite is the Céleste brooch above. The soft colors, the combination of glowing pearls and sparkling diamonds, and the design elements (stars! rings! planets!) are hitting me in all my vulnerable spots. This piece has me palpitating.

From the Comète line, I adore the sapphire and diamond Comète ring (available, but “price upon request.” Eep.) I can’t fathom how something like that is created, but I LIKE IT. I LIKE IT A LOT.

In conclusion, all the starry things are gorgeous. I hope you agree!

Fall Update

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Phew, it’s been a while! I had it in mind to write “article”-type posts here (read: LONG), which I think may have been a mistake, as I’ve missed several “update”-type opportunities to post over the past few months. And now here it is, November, and interesting things have been happening, none of which I’ve told you about!

Here’s a sampling of what I’ve been up to, since July:

I completed my Accredited Jewelry Professional diploma through GIA, which means I can add the words “dangerous enough for retail” to my credentials. Wait. No. It means I can add the initials AJP to my credentials. Sorry about that.

I started Colored Stones at the end of July, and Pearls at the beginning of September; I am nearly done with Pearls now, about halfway through Colored Stones (somewhat behind, in my original estimate; got bogged down with work this fall, which has curtailed the studying significantly.) I am going to Carlsbad next weekend to take the Colored Stone Grading and Pearl Grading labs. I plan to take the Gemstone Identification lab in late January.

Chatham Created emerald crystal
My prize: a Chatham created emerald crystal (a bit over 1/2" long.) I keep it on my desk.

In late September, I had the pleasure of meeting Tom Chatham, of Chatham Created Gems in San Francisco. Tom was very kind, extremely generous with his time, and quite patient with this googly-eyed gemology student (who spent the entire visit with her fingers in a bowl full of synthetic emerald crystals. Don’t judge me. You wouldn’t be able to resist them either!)

Art Deco 26 Carat Star Sapphire Ring at Lang Antiques
Lavender star sapphire ring, Art Deco. Yes, please.

After my visit at Chatham, I made my way over to Lang Antiques and met some of their enthusiastic staff (hard not to be enthusiastic, working with their inventory every day!) I was happy to finally meet the awesome Barbra Voltaire, administrator and gem-goddess of GemologyOnline.com and the helpful GO Forums. (I visited Lang earlier in September, but she was off that day. I did spend some time ogling the stone to your left, which is probably my favorite piece in their inventory. Not sure, but I think I need to be queen of something before I can wear a ring like this.)

Art Deco Onyx and Diamond Locket at Lang Antiques
The back/inside looks as good as the front/outside.

This visit, I spent some quality time with the piece to your right, a fabulous onyx and diamond locket from the Art Deco period. You really must go look at all of the pictures, because the inside is as beautiful as the outside, and the whole thing is just… dreamy. [swoon] Why is it, that I always like the expensive things? Maybe if you work with expensive jewelry every day, you get over it. (I’d like the opportunity to test that theory…)

For the record, Barbra was swooning over the locket, too.

Last but not least, a week from today, I will be joining the GIA Alumni Association’s Los Angeles chapter on a field trip to the famous Stewart Lithia Mine in Pala, CA. I’m going in a mine!! And then I get to sort through mine tailings and look for gems!! I’m ever so excited about all this. (In case you can’t tell.) I hope to have PILES of gems to photograph and post (but really, I’d be happy with just a small handful.)

There’s more to tell, but that will have to wait for the next post. Stay tuned!

Crowned

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Ring in 18k yellow gold has 1.34 cts. t.w. diamonds; $6,300. Norman Covan
Ring in 18k yellow gold has 1.34 cts. t.w. diamonds; $6,300. Norman Covan

Nearly three months ago, there was a fairly significant wedding, at which time I came across this crown-themed post at JCK. I love crowns and tiaras, so pretty much everything featured was to my liking; these are a few of my favorites.

Crown ring in 18k rose gold has 0.73 ct. rubies and 0.53 ct. diamonds; $6,600. Parade Design
Crown ring in 18k rose gold has 0.73 ct. rubies and 0.53 ct. diamonds; $6,600. Parade Design
Palace ring in 18k white gold has 7.77 cts. t.w. black diamonds and 6.70 cts. t.w. colorless diamonds; $41,000. Siera Jewelry
Palace ring in 18k white gold has 7.77 cts. t.w. black diamonds and 6.70 cts. t.w. colorless diamonds; $41,000. Siera Jewelry
The Princess ring in 14k yellow gold has 0.52 ct. diamonds; $2,450; Kamofie
The Princess ring in 14k yellow gold has 0.52 ct. diamonds; $2,450; Kamofie

Surprised by Diamonds

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Millennium Star diamond

When I first considered the Graduate Gemology program at GIA, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the diamond courses. Diamonds are a big part of the jewelry industry, naturally; but they weren’t exactly my favorite. Frankly, I wasn’t sure I’d like them much. How mistaken I was! I never could have dreamed how fascinating diamonds are; how beautiful and varied their inclusions, and how many colors they come in! The more I study diamonds, the more I grow to love them and the fascinating things found within them.

One of the first things I found interesting was that diamonds can burn. In hindsight this makes sense — after all, they’re made of carbon, and carbon burns — but until I saw a photo of a burned diamond, I hadn’t thought it possible. The diamond had survived a house fire, but came out looking more like an opal than the hardest substance known to man. I was also interested to learn about laser sawing, cutting and engraving, all of which work on the same principle (burning diamond, but on purpose.) It almost seems like a cheat, after centuries of struggle for even the crudest diamond fashioning. Technology marches on, I suppose.

I knew that diamonds frequently had inclusions, but I had no inkling that said inclusions could be tiny crimson garnets, or vivid green chrome diopside crystals… or other diamonds, for that matter. Thanks largely to the amazing microphotography of John Koivula, I was introduced to interior sights that almost seem fictional. Heart-shaped clouds of microscopic inclusions, unicorn-shaped feathers (breaks within the stone), gems within gems. I had no idea diamonds could be like this!

Langerman Selection colored diamonds poster

Another thing I was quite unprepared for was the range of colors diamonds come in. Some I knew about beforehand — it’s hard to escape knowledge of the Hope Diamond’s existence, I’d seen other lighter blue diamonds, pinks, yellows. But greens? Grays? Reds? Cognac and champagne browns? The range of natural color is staggering, and treatments expand the spectrum further! (I’m generally not “for” treatments or treated stones, but I acknowledge that some people want and like them. Don’t be such a snob, Danielle.)

Given all the colors I’ve just described (also seen in the poster image to your left, click for larger version), you’ll probably think me a weirdo for saying this, but I think the color diamond I’d like to own the most is gray. I’m a big fan of gray and silvery colors, and the thought of a gray diamond… I can hardly stand it. I want one. I’m also fond of the medium to dark steel blue colors, and I’d never say no to a pink diamond, or a cheerful yellow. (Actually, yellow is one of my favorite diamond colors. Really!)

The glamour of handling diamonds in person, in the five-day Diamond Grading Lab, wore off more quickly than I expected. This thrill was replaced by the frustration and pain that is the VVS and VS range of stones — “very very slightly included” and “very slightly included”. Or in other words, “there is something in this stone that is almost impossible for a student to find. Knock yourself out.” (I was going to add onto this that the teacher is secretly laughing at your anguish, but my teacher was extremely nice. And she liked the same Sanrio characters I do, particularly Chococat, which was a little odd. But I digress.)

My ring

I’m fascinated by diamond’s tendency to fluoresce, although none of the diamonds I graded exhibited this phenomenon. (Half the stones in my channel-set wedding band, on the other hand, did — and I have a ghastly iPod picture to prove it! See?)

I completed my requirements for the Graduate Diamonds certificate last month, and came away with a greater appreciation for “that stone” everyone seems to want. No wonder diamond is so popular! Not only is it extremely hard (10 on the Mohs hardness scale, which is 140 times harder than corundum, hardness of 9), but diamonds are formed under extreme temperatures and pressures, and endure when many other things would crumble to dust. No wonder it’s a symbol of love and devotion! With a range of colors, clarity grades and sizes, there is truly a diamond to suit every taste. And I love them all.

A Visit to Harry Winston Fine Jewelry

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Fancy Vivid Pink Diamond Ring

Two weeks ago I was in New York City, taking the GIA Diamond Grading Lab, shopping and enjoying the Big City in general. (Yes, I live in California. Yes, GIA’s Carlsbad campus is much closer than NYC. Long story.)

One evening I set out to visit as many high-end jewelry shops as possible (given that I was in class until 5 pm and most places closed between 6-7 pm.) My first stop was Harry Winston Fine Jewelry (they closed the soonest.) I also visited Cartier, DeBeers and Tiffany & Co, but my best memory from the entire nine-day adventure was my time spent at Harry Winston.

At the other stores, I was more or less ignored upon entering. I browsed around a little, but left each store feeling quite unwelcome. Not so with Harry Winston. The entrance was a bit imposing, and I admit, I had to muster up my courage to go in. I was greeted cheerfully, immediately, by a woman at the front desk. Her kindness gave me the nerve to explain that I was studying diamonds at GIA, and came there to see wonderful things, and would she mind if I looked around? Not at all, she assured me, “and be sure you don’t miss the fancy vivid pink diamond in the back, it’s worth nine million dollars!”

I didn’t need further motivation! After (internally) drooling my way around the room, I settled at the case in the middle, staring at what had to be a D Flawless step-cut diamond. I called over a salesman to ask about the carat weight, gave my “I’m a diamond student, please excuse my googly-eyes” explanation again, and to my delight he took me on a “tour” of everything notable in the room.

Cat's Eye Chrysoberyl, courtesy of PalaGems.com

I saw my first Kashmir sapphire — the most desirable color, the blue other sapphires only dream of being. I saw an ideal-color “milk and honey” cat’s eye chrysoberyl. I saw a fabulous necklace of red spinels ($16M), several mind-blowing emeralds, the above-mentioned fancy vivid pink diamond, and other gems, all fantastic.

At one point, my tour guide and I stood in front of a 40-carat fancy vivid yellow radiant cut diamond set in a ring. (BIG. Fabulous.) I shook my head and asked him, “…how could you even lift your hand?” He paused, and replied, “well… you manage.” “True,” I said. “I’m not unwilling to try!” He laughed.

At the end, I asked for a business card (proof that I’d been there) and was given one, and a promotional book of HW jewelry. I was sent on my way with hearty well-wishes — “Good luck on your final tomorrow! You’ll do FINE!!” The whole thing was vastly encouraging, possibly the nicest retail experience I’ve ever had.

I will never forget you, Harry Winston — your staff is as impressive as your gems, and just as valuable. I walked into your store and was treated like a human being; I walked out feeling fantastic. Thank you for choosing to share your knowledge and enthusiasm, and lift up someone whom other stores chose to ignore.