| World's
Largest Diamond Exhibition Opens in London |
Astunning
line up of some of the world's most important diamonds went on view
at the Natural History Museum in London on July 8. The exhibition,
which will run till February 26, 2006 is said to be the largest
of its kind in the world.
The star of
the show undoubtedly is the De Beers' Millennium Star, a 203.04
carat D colour internally flawless diamond, which was cut from a
777-carat rough. The De Beers Millennium Star will be exhibited
in public in London for the first time since its last showing at
the Millennium Dome where it became the target of a foiled robbery
attempt in the year 2000. The Millennium Star is billed as the sixth
largest white diamond in the world.
Along with
the Millennium Star, five other incredible fancy coloured diamonds,
which were exhibited at the Smithsonian's Museum of Natural Hitory
in 2003, are also on show here.
These include
the Steinmetz Pink, which at 59.60 carats is the world's largest
fancy vivid pink, flawless diamond. It took Steinmetz almost two
years to cut this magnificent oval shaped diamond, which was first
revealed to the world around the neck of model Helena Christensen
in Monaco in May 2003.
The next year,
when Steinmetz did a special promotion in Bangkok called Steinmetz
at the River of Kings, HRH Princess
Ubolratana graciously agreed to wear the Steinmetz Pink diamond
at the function held at The Oriental Hotel on December 2, 2003.
The Ocean Dream,
which at 5.5 carats is the world's largest natural fancy deep blue-green
diamond. It's incredible colour caused by exposure to natural radiation
over millions of years in the bowels of the earth markes it one
of the rarest diamonds in the world.
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HRH Princess
Ubolratana graciously agreed to wear the Steinmetz Pink at
the "Steinmetz at the River of Kings" function held
at The Oriental Bangkok on December 2, 2003. |
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The Steinmetz
Pink at 59.60 carats is the world's biggest fancy vivid pink,
flawless diamond.
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The
Moussaief Red is also one of the most prized diamonds in the world.
Naturally occurring red diamonds are the rarest kind there is and
at 5.11 carats, with a deep intense ruby red colour, this is the
most exceptional of them all. Cut from a 13.9-carat rough, it was
originally discovered by a Brazilian farmer in the 1990s and is
the largest natural red diamond ever known.
The Heart
of Eternity is another exceedingly rare diamond, all the more exceptional
for its light tone and deep saturated colour, Graded as a fancy
vivid blue, at 30.82 carats it is the largest heart shaped blue
diamond in the world,
The Allnatt,
at 101.29 carats with a vivid yellow colour and cushion cut is among
the most striking stones of its kind.
Apart
from these, there are other amazing diamonds on display too. The
Incomparable is the third largest cut diamond in existence at 407.48
carats, It was cut from a massive 890-carat rough and this yellow
gem 'is truly incomparable in its beauty and size.
The 616
is so called because it is a 616 carat rough that remains uncut
and is the largest single diamond crystal in the world and is larger
in carat weight than any cut diamond known today,
On
loan from New York diamond collectors Alan Bronstein and Harry Rodman,
and displayed for the first time ever in Europe, is The Aurora Collection,
a set of 296 natural coloured diamonds weighing a total of 267.45
carats.
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1 De Beer's Millennium Star was the target of a sensatiional heist
planned at the Millennium Dome in 2000. Although the heist was foiled,
this is the first time this
203.04 carat D colour, internally flawless diamond is being displayed
in London since then.
2 The Allnatt is a vivid yellow cushion cut diamond of 101.29 carats.
3 The Moussaief Red is amongst the rarest of diamonds for its deep
intense ruby red colour. Thif, 55./ carat gem was cut from a 13.9
carat rough foum by a Brazilian
farmer.
4 The Heart of Eternity is the largest heart shaped blue diamond
at 30.82 carats.
5 The Ocean Dream is the world's largest natural fancy deep blue-green
diamond. It weighs 5.5 carats.
6 The Natural History Museum
in London, which will play host In the world's largest diamond exhibition
until February 26, 2006
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This
confection ot extraordinary stones includes examples from
the 12 colour varieties of diamonds and reveals an enchanting
spectrum from emerald green to blood red A diamond of tremendous
historical significance is the Eureka Diamond, a 10,73-carat
brilliant, which wascu from the first authenticated diamond
found in South Africa in 1866. It is displayed alongside
the Star of South Africa, a47.69-caratoldstyl( pear shaped
stone, which was found in 1869 and is credited with triggering
off the "diamond rush" in South Africa in the
late 19th century.
The
diamond exhibition has been made possible thanks to the
generous support of the SteinmetzGroup with additional support
from De Beers' Diamond Trading Company (DTC).
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| Sotheby's
and Steinmetz Team Up to Create an Important Jewellery Joint Venture |
Auction
giant Sotheby's and diamond powerhouse The Steinmetz Diamond Group
have come together in a. joint venture to set up what will undoubtedly
the world of fine and exclusive diamond jewellery.
To be called Sotheby's Diamonds, the
joint venture will be a retail jewellery business, which will combine
the cutting and polishing skills of Steinmetz, creator of some of
the world's finest alurnonas- ruge-iYTtsrwrt1? i\^& awesome
influence and client
Sotheby's Diamonds
will actually represent an evolution of the Salon Prive, which
thus far was the auction house's retail arm offering fine quality
jewels in Asia, Europe and North America, With the introduction
of Sotheby's Diamonds, the Salon Prive name will cease to exist.
The first Sotheby's Diamonds collection
will be unveiled in New York and Hong Kong in December this year,
followed by events and private appointments in key markets around
the world.The initial collection will include rare ana imporranT
aiamonas and diamond jewellery of outstanding quality and workmanship
with prices that will start at $100,000. However, as the saying
goes, if you need to ask how much it costs, you can't afford it.
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The relationship
between Sotheby's and Steinmetz actually goes back a long way. For
many years, Steinmetz has been one of the most important clients
of Sotheby's and has sold many important, rare and exceptional white
and coloured diamonds, both through Sotheby's auctions ana'pnvafeiV'.
ftbtotate^TNTr;^ these was the 100 carat pear ehr-ipoH n mini ir
internally flawless diamond that sold in Geneva in 1995 for $16.5
million, which was the world record price for a diamond at auction.
Sotheby's Salon Prive and Steinmetz
have also collaboratec in the past, including most recently in an
exclusive selling exhibition held during the weekend of the glamorous
Monaco Grand Prix.
Steinmetz is one of the most important
names in the diamond industry. With more than seven decades of expertise
in the diamond industry and having cut, polished or owned some of
the most extraordinary diamonds in the world including the 203,0-1
carat internally flawless De Beers Millennium Star, and the Steinmeti
Pink, a 59.60 carat flawless fancy vivid pink diamond.
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Swarovski Crystallises
its Presence in Hong Kong
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Swarovski, the
world's leading manufacturer of cut crystal presented its special
platform for trend forecast, the Crystallized Cosmos for the second
consecutive time at the Asia Fashion Jewellery & Accessories
Fair, which was held from June 18-21 in Hong Kong.
Swarovski's Crystallized Cosmos wowed
all the visitors to the fair with its stunning layouts of trends
by top international designers and brands predicting what will be
hot in Spring/Summer 2006.
It was a perfect display of how a
designer's creativity can make a personal statement while still
following the parameters of a trend. The displays took visitors
on a glorious journey from a hotel room in buzzing Berlin (for the
Direkt trend), to an opulent beach bar in the Caribbean (Liquid
Sunshine), from a romantic hotel room in Shanghai (Acid Candy),
to a spa in a luxury lodge at an African game reserve (Light &
Shadow), and finally, for a 1920s dinner for two on the French Riviera
(Grand Hotel).
Swarovski also used the occasion to
relaunch its Crystallized magazine in a brand new look and format.
This publication has already made a name for itself as a defining
look at trends, fashion, innovation in the sphere of cut crystal,
and is also prized for the news, views and interviews that it presents
from renowned international fashion, style and artistic luminaries.
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The company also hosted a very special party
for the heads of all the Swarovski offices in the Asia Pacific region
and for the members of the B2B and B2C press from the region as
well. Mr. Mag. Markus Lampe, Vice President of Marketing, Crystal
Fashion Components, of D. Swarovski & Co., in Austria and Vice
President of Operations Mr. Georg Nussdorfer specially flew down
to Hong Kong for the event. Bangkok Gems & Jewellery Magazine
was the only B2B publication invited to represent Thailand at this
function in Hong Kong. |
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