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Monday, December 28, 2009

The Aurora Pyramid of Hope

Was browsing thru wikipedia when I chanced across this very interesting diamond exhibit known as the The Aurora Pyramid of Hope which is the most comprehensive natural color diamond collection in the world!

Pictures from Wikipedia
All the colors of the spectrum that diamonds exist in are represented in various shapes, saturations and modifiers including blue diamonds, pink diamonds, red diamonds, green diamonds, orange diamonds, purple diamonds, violet diamonds, yellow diamonds, olive diamonds and brown diamonds. Also represented are color changing chameleon diamonds. Aurora Pyramid of Hope was put together by Alan Bronstein and Harry Rodman over 25 years.

What a beauty...

Definitely a must see for all diamond lovers!





Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas


Here's wishing all blog readers

A Merry Merry Christmas!
Thanks for the continuous support over the past year!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

How to buy Christmas jewellery for your girlfriend

An interesting video..

Something in line with the festive season!

How to buy Christmas jewellery for your girlfriend- Great tips! enjoy!

Friday, December 18, 2009

Feature Friday: Lee Hwa Jewellery Facebook page

This week's Feature Friday is not really on jewellery design, but rather on how a Singaporean jeweller, Lee Hwa Jewellery has moved onto using the popular social neworking site, Facebook, to keep its customers and fans updated!

Be intrigued by the numerous photos from events like Lee Hwa Diamond Odyssey - Municipal of Haute Luxe, Terrain of Glamazons, etc...

Check out the page on Facebook!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Vintage jewellery

With the Christmas around the corner, are you thinking of what accessories to match your outfit for your party?

If you are thinking of vintage as a theme, don't forget to jazz up your outfit with vintage style rings or even vintage pendants! Vintage jewellery definitely has more character and emotions attached to them compared to commercially mass produced modern pieces, which can be molded by the thousands.

Navigating the vintage jewelry market, be it at the auction house or the retail malls, can be of a challenge to both the novice to the expert!

When shopping for vintage jewelry, you should look for a period piece that speaks to you and fits your personality and dressing style. If you plan on wearing the item every day to work and play, make sure it is versatile in a way that it will be able to match with both business and weekend wear.

Another tip in buying vintage jewellery is to choose a piece that you will wear and future generations will want to keep, such an item should also have a strong resale value. Try to stay away from trendy items and stick to the evergreen classics designs that will still be in style years from now.

Some interesting vintage rings I have come across recently include:

Silver & Gold Vintage Ring studded with a Zircon Gemstone.

It is an extremely interesting design that comes in two colour tones ( gold and silver) which are shaped into swirling patterns that join to create a cage-like, concave shape. Additional gold embellishment atop the silver base creates an abstract, flower-like pattern.

Another eye catching piece would be this:
14K Gold Vintage Style rind wide band

This is a very simple wide-banded 14k gold ring that is also elegant at the same time. Small, raised divots throughout the gold band give the simple ring some texture. Looks indeed a evergreen piece destined to withstand the waves of time!

Friday, December 11, 2009

Feature Friday: Montblanc Ingrid Bergman La Donna Fountain Pen

In their continuing celebration of famous screen actresses, Montblanc have released this special edition pen in honour of the work of Ingrid Bergman. The famous Swedish actress won three Oscars and was celebrated for her roles as film star and mother of four children. The pen is inspired by the sleek. cosmopolitan elegance of the 1940s.

Cartridge Fountain Pen, 18 K gold nib with heart-shaped hole. Metal cap engraved with a pattern and coated with a mother-of-pearl style lacquer, decorated with Ingrid Bergman´s signature. Red-gold-plated clip set with a royal-purple amethyst (approx. 0.25 ct). Barrel is made of black precious resin.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Friday Feature - CatherinetteRings

Welcome to my very first Friday Feature, where I feature some interesting and new designs.

Today's spotlight in on Catherinette Rings, which specialises in Steampunk Jewellery. What is steampunk anyway? According to Wikipedia,teampunk is a sub-genre of fantasy and speculative fiction that came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date.

Alright, enough with the long and lengthy introduction.

Here's some of the interesting rings featured for sale by Catherinette Rings on Etsy:
(All images from Catherinette Rings)
Robot Ring:


A ring made with clock gears and Sapphire jewel vintage watch crown:
My personal favourite, Ring with Boulder Opal, which I have of course, reserved!
So, if you are into quirk and interesting sculpture rings, check out Catherinette Rings on Etsy!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

"Vivid pink" diamond sells for record $10.8 million

HONG KONG (Reuters Life!) – A rare, 5-carat pink diamond was auctioned off for a record $10.8 million in Hong Kong on Tuesday, putting some shine back into the world's rare and large stones market which was badly hit by the financial crisis.

The stone, of a "vivid pink" hue and considered near perfect, but not quite flawless, triggered brisk bidding in Christie's autumn sales of Asian and Chinese art in Hong Kong.

The price smashed the previous record, set 15 years ago in Geneva for a 19.66-carat stone that sold for $7.4 million. The pink gem's per-carat price of $2.2 million was also the highest ever paid for any diamond at auction, Christie's said.

"No stone has ever been sold for $2 million a carat, we were used to ... a million dollars a carat for colored diamonds but never 2 million," said Francois Curiel, Christie's Europe chairman. "This is an absolute record that is not going to be broken for a while I believe."

The stone, set in a so-called "cushion-cut" ring by famed jewelers Graff Diamonds, was just a quarter the size of the Geneva stone and not quite flawless but the stone's "vivid pink" is considered near perfect. Curiel described it as a "fabulous pink diamond, probably one of the rarest stones I've ever seen."

While the South African-mined diamond isn't quite rated flawless given minor blemishes, Christie's said that these could be removed by minor repolishing.

Christie's has a track-record of putting rare polished stones up for sale in Asia, given its confidence in the depth of the Asian market for the world's top gemstones and artwork.

Last May, before the financial crisis began to hurt the global auction market, Christie's sold a squash-ball-sized, 101.27-carat diamond in Hong Kong for $6.2 million.

Despite this, some major gems have disappointed in Asia, including a 72.22-carat "D" flawless white diamond that failed to hit its reserve price in a Sotheby's Hong Kong sale last April, falling short of its $10-12 million pre-sale estimate.

While the world's most expensive jewel ever sold at auction is the "Wittelsbach" blue diamond, a 17th-century deep grayish-blue stone that fetched $24 million last year, top red and pink gemstones are also known for stratospheric valuations.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Wedding Jewellery Shopping

Went on a spree with my colleague who was looking for a pair of wedding bands.

Eventually, they settled on a pair of Destinee bands at Lee Hwa Jewellery! It even came with a free wedding pillow as well as a jewellery box!

Impressive!

Friday, November 27, 2009

Start of Feature Friday

I am thinking of starting a Friday special called Feature Friday whereby I will feature a design / designer's work. It could either be a handmade jewellery designer or some haute couture brand.

Anyone with any comments or recommendations to make?

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Gold price breaks $1,195 an ounce

LONDON (AFP) - – The price of gold soared above 1,195 dollars an ounce for first time in history here on Thursday, following a purchase of IMF gold by Sri Lanka's central bank.

Gold hit 1,195.13 dollars per ounce at around 0400 GMT on the London Bullion Market, extending its record-breaking run.

The precious metal has won support in recent weeks from inflationary fears, the weak US currency and increasing moves by central banks to diversify assets into gold.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced Wednesday it had sold 10 tonnes of gold to Sri Lanka's central bank for 375 million dollars as part of a restructuring of its financial resources.

It was the third IMF sale of gold in a month as the Washington-based institution seeks to reduce its dependence on lending revenue and bolster its finances amid the global economic crisis.

The sale brought the total IMF gold sold to central banks to 212 tonnes. India bought 200 tonnes between October 19 and 30 for 6.7 billion dollars and Mauritius bought two tonnes on November 11 for 71.7 million dollars.

Prices had smashed their way to record levels on Wednesday amid a newspaper report that India was mulling the purchase of more IMF gold reserves.

A weaker greenback makes gold cheaper for buyers using stronger currencies, which tends to boost demand and prices.

At the same time, fears over higher inflation have also lifter the market because gold is widely regarded as a "safe-haven" investment in times of economic uncertainty.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Thanks to Entrecard Droppers

Many thanks to all Entrecard Droppers who have been dropping by recently.




This humble blog of mine has once again been gaining popularity on Entrecard!

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Cazenovia Jewelers Commercial

What an ingenuous way to get a dog for a proposal stint!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

3 new ancient crocodile species fossils found

WASHINGTON – A 20-foot-long crocodile with three sets of fangs _ like wild boar tusks _ roamed parts of northern Africa millions of years ago, researchers reported Thursday. While this fearsome creature hunted meat, not far away another newly found type of croc with a wide, flat snout like a pancake was fishing for food.

And a smaller, 3-foot-long relative with buckteeth was chomping plants and grubs in the same region.

The three new species, along with new examples of two previously known ancient crocodiles, were detailed Thursday by researchers Paul Sereno of the University of Chicago and Hans Larsson of McGill University in Montreal. They spoke at a news conference organized by the National Geographic Society, which sponsored the research.

"These species open a window on a croc world completely foreign to what was living on northern continents," Sereno said of the unusual animals that lived 100 million years ago on the southern continent known as Gondwana.

Hans Dieter Sues of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History said the discovery revises the ideas of what crocodile-type reptiles were like.

"It's a joy for anyone who is interested in ancient life to see," said Sues, an editor at ZooKeys, which published the findings.

The researchers suggest that these crocs could gallop across the landscape chasing prey and yet dive into water and swim.

"My African crocs appeared to have had both upright, agile legs for bounding overland and a versatile tail for paddling in water," Sereno wrote in an article for National Geographic magazine. "Their amphibious talents in the past may be the key to understanding how they flourished in, and ultimately survived, the dinosaur era."

They weren't racehorses, Sereno said, but they could move quickly. Freshwater crocs in Australia manage to eat a few people every year and these would have been able to do as well, he said. However, there were no people around at the time.

The newly discovered species are:

_ Kaprosuchus saharicus, nicknamed "BoarCroc," found in Niger. BoarCroc was a 20-foot-long meat-eater with an armored snout for ramming and three sets of dagger-shaped fangs for slicing. The tusks stuck out above and below the jaw like a modern warthog, said Larsson. "This has never been seen before on any crocodile."

_ Araripesuchus rattoides, which the researchers call "RatCroc," found in Morocco. This 3-foot-long croc was a plant- and grub-eater with a pair of buckteeth in the lower jaw it used to dig for food.

_ Laganosuchus thaumastos, or "PancakeCroc," found in Niger and Morocco. Also 20 feet long, it was a squat fish-eater with a 3-foot pancake-flat head and spike-shaped teeth on slender jaws. Sereno said it probably remained motionless for hours, its jaws open and waiting for prey.

In addition the researchers found new fossils of two previously named species:

_ Anatosuchus minor, "DuckCroc," found in Niger, a 3-foot-long fish-, frog- and grub-eater with a broad snout and Pinocchio-like nose. Special sensory areas on the snout end allowed it to root around on the shore and in shallow water for prey. Its closest relative is in Madagascar.

_ Araripesuchus wegeneri, or "DogCroc," found in Niger, a 3-foot-long plant- and grub-eater with a soft, doglike nose pointing forward.

Sereno has focused since 2000 on fossils in the Sahara Desert, his first find being Sarcosuchus imperator, a 40-foot-long creature that would have weighed 8 tons and which he called "SuperCroc."

The new findings are detailed in the journal ZooKeys as well as National Geographic magazine and a documentary scheduled for Saturday on the National Geographic Channel.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Should I change my Template?

This humble site of mine has already been running for more then a year now, and I am currently contemplating whether I should have a new template for it.

Came across this site that has free website templates and even Joomla templates...

I must say that I am very tempted:

Free templates without any subscription fee or download fees and the best thing is that, the templates are all unique!

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Perfectionism in a diamond..

A clear, flawless diamond is sometimes deemed to be an epitome of a perfect, happy marriage.

Indeed, clarity is one of the factors that influence the price of a diamond.

But have you ever thought that it a diamond with some flaws in it would better represent a true relationship? Just like the saying that 'no one is perfect', we should not only live with the flaws but also learn to appreciate the flaws.

So the next time you look at a flaw in a diamond... think are you perfect?

Friday, November 6, 2009

Dragon Phoenix Cufflinks...

Received notification that my dragon phoenix cufflinks is ready for collection!


Thursday, November 5, 2009

Christmas is here...

You just know Christmas is round the corner when you get plenty of Christmas related jewellery sales in your mail box!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Dragon Ring...

A 24k pure gold ring.. gets a makeover...


A rhodium (white gold) plating!
Making it look less gawdy!





Saturday, October 31, 2009

Dropped Ring

Recently, I nearly lost a ring that slipped off my fingers while I was clearing my rubbish.

Thank god, I discovered it in time!

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Stash from Jewelfest 2009

This is my stash from Jewelfest 2009:
Silver enameled cufflinks... with a distinct vintage Indian feel...
I like the intricate features on it... looks almost like a peacock!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Lee Hwa JewelFest Event - The Love Affair

Headed to Ngee Ann City for the private event - The Love Affair by Lee Hwa Jewellery.

Models strutting their ware:






Beautiful and trendy designs:


A gorgeous piece...

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Lee Hwa Jewellery Private Event - The Love Affair



I am looking forward to attending this event by Lee Hwa Jewellery tomorrow at the Jewelfest 2009!

Hope to update with pictures and more!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

A Trip to Jewelfest 2009

Went to Jewelfest 2009 today...

It was indeed better then previous years!

Illustrations coming!

Friday, October 9, 2009

Mother of Pearl Cameo Tie Clip

My mother of pearl cameo tie clip is finally ready!!!

It is matching with my pair of mother of pearl cameo cufflinks!

Like the vintage look to this piece!

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Wedding Bling online!

What is a wedding without bling bling?

With the recent spotlight on the wedding bling of Singapore's Mediacorp artistes, Christopher Lee and Fann Wong, here's an interesting site, Mariloff , that features lots and lots of engagement rings, including customized ones! You might be surprised and ponder about the different reasons to buy wedding ring sets online when one can buy from shops on the streets.

Here's some background information about Mariloff: They employ only the most skilled, experienced and passionate craftsmen, manufacturing the diamonds and jewelry in the Mariloff collection. Thus by handling all phases of diamond and jewelry manufacturing and marketing, Mariloff is able to eliminate the need for intermediaries, such as distributors, wholesalers and retailers, who mark up the price of diamonds, adding on the costs to consumers.

Mariloff’s slogan, “A Diamond for Generations” is rooted in this legacy, passed from generation to generation. It is the company’s hope to also serve its customers and their offspring for generations to come.

So has your time come for a diamond engagement ring? Choose Mariloff today!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Peranakans' Love of Diamonds: A gemologist perspective!

I had the honour of attending a talk by Mr. Tay Thye Sun of Far East Gem Institute at the Singapore Peranakan Musuem. Entitled 'Peranakans' Love of Diamonds: A gemologist perspective', it was indeed a useful talk whereby Mr Tay covered many issues on how cuts of diamonds have evolved with time, and on how to choose a diamond with a good cut!



Other topics on jade and sapphire stimulants / enhancements were also covered!

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

S. African mine discovers 507-carat white diamond


JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – Mining group Petra Diamonds has discovered a 507.55 carat white diamond at South Africa's Cullinan mine, one of the largest high-quality rough diamonds ever found, the firm said on Tuesday.

"This spectacular gemstone was recovered on Thursday 24 September and is currently with experts for analysis," said a statement released by the London-listed company which operates mainly in Africa.

Initial examinations of the diamond which weighs just over 100 grams (3.5 ounces), have shown it to be of exceptional colour and clarity.

The diamond is undergoing colour grading, but is believed to be a rare Type II diamond, with very low traces of nitrogen -- considered an impurity -- making them among the most transparent and colourless of the gems.

"The Cullinan mine has again given the world a spectacularly beautiful and important diamond... we now eagerly await the findings of the expert analysis," said Johan Dippenaar, Petra's chief executive.

The precious stone was found alongside three other special white gems of similar colour and clarity, a large diamond of 168.00 carats and two other stones of 58.50 and 53.30 carats.

The mine which was previously owned by diamond mining giant De Beers, is renowned for the discovery of the famed Cullinan Diamond in 1905, which is part of the British crown jewels and weighed 3106 carats.

In May 2008, the mine produced a sparkling 101.27 carat diamond, roughly the size of a ping-pong ball.

The Cullinan Diamond Mine is the third richest diamond producing mine in South Africa.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Dream Ring

Pictures of my dream ring:

Its made of 850 platinum....

But the sad thing is that, it is a current size 13!



There is a fancy yellow diamond set next to a bigger slightly blue piece!







Saturday, September 26, 2009

Platinum Ring

I have my eyes set on a platinum ring recently... but not too sure if it can be resized!!!

If it can be, it will definitely be my first platinum piece!

So keeping my fingers crossed!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

3 men arrested in Bangkok jewel heist

AP - Tuesday, September 22

BANGKOK – Thai police on Tuesday said they had arrested three men suspected of stealing $1.7 million worth of jewelry from a Bangkok gems fair, but none of the stolen ruby or emerald jewels have been retrieved.

The three men, two from Mexico and one from Peru, were arrested Monday in the seaside town of Pattaya, 60 miles (100 kilometers) south of the capital, Bangkok, shortly after what police say was Thailand's biggest jewel heist in recent memory.

The men were accused of entering a booth at the Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair on Saturday and posing as customers who asked the vendor to open a display case, then distracted her and ran off with it.

The case contained nearly 100 items with a reported value of 56 million baht ($1.7 million), according to the vendor, said police Lt. Col. Pairote Rattanamanee, in charge of the investigation.

The most expensive items were a ruby and mixed gem ring worth 2 million baht ($60,000) and a variety of ruby and emerald earrings, said Sittaya Tiyasuksawat, the vendor's sister.

Police commander Chalong Sonjai said Tuesday the suspects were positively identified by the vendors and footage from security cameras appeared to show the same men at the gem fair. He also said that phone records and rental car documents "indicate that these are the people who committed the crimes" even though the gems have not been retrieved.

The vendors had earlier said the three men who entered their booth appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent and were clean-shaven, handsome, roughly in their 40s and wearing white dress shirts and dark trousers.

The suspects told a police news conference in Bangkok they were in Thailand for tourism and committed no crime.

"We don't have anything, we didn't do anything in this country," said one of the suspects, Oscar Alexis Martinez Aguirre of Mexico. "We didn't commit any crimes in this country. I don't know why they have us here."

Sunday, September 20, 2009

You Gotta See This!

Calling all those who enjoy making videos!

You would probably find this iLASIK Video Contest interesting!!


Contest

Abbott Medical Optics Inc. (AMO), which specialises in laser vision correction, wants to know how better vision could improve — or has improved — your life. They are currently holding the “You Gotta See This” Video Contest whereby contestants are to make a video showing the impact of improved vision, for a chance to win cash and prizes.

How to get started? It's just so simple!

First you have to think of a theme for your video, example how your contacts are giving you problems in your day to day life, how you can excel in your favourite sport with better vision. Make your video using a software like Windows Movie Maker and submit your video.

Next thing you need to do is to then create some buzz and tell friends to vote, make use of Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites! The more votes you have, the better! Votes are one of the key factors in determining which videos win a prize.

What do you stand to win?
$5000 dollars cash prize for one Grand Prize winner! Three First Prize winners (one per video category) will walk away with an HDTV package worth $2500 in value! Another three Second Prize winners (one per video category) will win a Flip UltraHD™ camcorder worth $199.99!

So what better way to showcase your budding video making talent and win prizes?

It's time to submit videos, view and vote on all entries at www.GottaSeeThisNow.com. Get it done today!
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Fann Wong's S$2.5 million bridal bling



he celebrity bride-to-be designed her own jewellery pieces for her upcoming Sept wedding.

For Fann Wong's upcoming wedding to Christopher Lee, the bride-to-be personally designed three lavish jewellery sets totalling S$2.5 million. The three sets of accessories required a staggering 165 carats of diamonds and are sponsored by Celestial by Goldheart Jewelry. It consists of a headpiece, necklaces, bangles, bracelets, and earrings.

The couple revealed that the earrings and bracelets that were made by thin filaments and diamonds represented the sweet memories they share together. The September 29 bride divulged, "This design represents hope. When I look at this piece of accessory, I will start to slowly reminisce about the little memories I share with him."

Apart from that, Fann also designed a couple of Bohemian-inspired accessories which consists of a headdress, earrings, and 50 bangles. "I personally love this set a lot. If you were to look at each of the bangles, you will find that they have very simple designs. When you put them together, it is big and heavy but not overly ostentatious."

The most attractive piece in Fann's self-designed jewellery set would be the eye-catching 'Starbliss'. It consists of a 60-carat diamond necklace, bracelet and earring.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Japan World Exposition 1970 Silver Medallion


Just bought this antique silver medallion...
It was minted in 1970 probably in conjunction with Japan World Exposition, EXPO in 1970.
Condition of the medallion is still pretty good as you can make out from the pictures!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Frog Tie Clip Attachment

This is a tie clip attachment of frogs carved from Mammoth Ivory. The carvings were bought from the Singapore International Jewellery Show 2009.

What I like about such attachments is the versatility of having one tie clip.. but many different looks!

Reverse of the tie clip.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Mother of Pearl Snuff Bottle

This Mother of Pearl snuff bottle was also gotten recently from the same antique shop...

They are carved from an entire shell...


And have typically Chinese scenes carved on both sides of the bottles

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Jade Bottle gourds pendants

I got this little bottle gourd pendants, which are carved from jade, at an antique shop recently...




They look pretty much vintage...




The bail on both pendants are apprently 22k gold, but I can't seem to find a hallmark on them..

Will have an interesting project coming up with these soon..

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Signature for Good

Received this in my email today, a mailer by Montblanc:



They are launching a charity iniative for UNICEF and have a range of pens, jewellery and leather items specially for the cause!


Since 10% of the sales sold in US and UK will go towards the fund, isn't it a good idea to indulge for a good cause?