Jewellery Insides

Synthetic Diamond Names – A Negative Side of the Human Imagination  🧠 🍎 If it’s red, then it’s ruby! “Ruby” comes from the Latin “rubinus,” meaning red. Historically, red-cut gems like rubies, spinels and garnets were considered ''ruby'' or if they were cabochon-cut ''carbuncles''. 🔮 The reason for calling all red gems ruby was primarily due to a lack of knowledge to classify them and of course, the misuse of selling them for more money. Here are just a few of the terms or trade names for rubies: Alabandine ruby (almandine), American ruby (pyrope), Bohemian ruby (Czech pyrope), Balas ruby, Black Prince's ruby, Timur ruby and Oriental Ruby (all related to red spinel). 🔬 The Progress of Science and Technology helps in one word to classify the gems. Ruby was separated as a trading name, for pinkish to pigeon blood red variety of the mineral corundum (sapphire is also a variety of the same mineral corundum, but in all other colours, except the red one). 💎 The developed diamond grading scale or system, based on knowledge supported by advanced technology, was not enough to stop the old tradition in the trade market of misleading, scamming, frauding, fading, swindling, hoaxing, cunning, scheming and flimflamming... ❌ "Let's try to list all the trade names popular in the market for diamonds synthesized in a laboratory, which should be correctly called SYNTHETIC DIAMONDS: 🫢 Lab-grown diamonds, lab-created diamonds, man-made diamonds, cultured diamonds, cultivated diamonds, artificial diamonds, industrial diamonds, simulated diamonds, laboratory diamonds, engineered diamonds, manufactured diamonds, factory-made diamonds, eco-friendly diamonds, conflict-free diamonds, human-made diamonds, technologically produced diamonds, grown diamonds, LG, LGD, LGC, MGD, SCD, EGD, PLD, GFD, BCD, and ALD. ❌ We never even used lab-grown ruby before? It is synthetic ruby, so lab-grown diamonds go on the scam list too!  Enjoy! 📷 Synthetic CVD (Chemical Vapour Deposition) rough diamond (left), laboratory-grown HPHT (High-Pressure High Temperature) rough diamond (middle), and natural octahedral rough diamond (right) © Russell Shor, GIA (Gemological Institute of America) #diamonds #naturaldiamonds #syntheticdiamonds

Star Diamonds: Nature’s Hidden Constellations 🌠 🙌 In the summer of 2024, two large diamonds were reported to the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) and later published in Gems & Gemology, Summer 2024, Vol. 60, No. 2. An 8.14 and an 8.57 carat rough diamond with asteriated cloud inclusions, also known as “star” diamonds. ✌️ The 8.57 carat diamond was a polished stone with bruted edges, while the 8.14 carat diamond retained its rough surface. Interestingly, the rough surfaces displayed brown radiation staining, indicating a history of natural alpha irradiation followed by annealing within the Earth. 👇 Without going into details of this phenomenon, simply it occurs due to different impurities dispersion within the diamond structure. This results in mixed-habit growth, incorporating cuboid and octahedral sectors. 👉 Particularly, in these two diamonds, the clouds are associated with higher concentration of hydrogen (H), nickel (Ni) and graphite inclusions. In both diamonds, the clouds fluoresced green under long-wave UV due to Ni-N (nickel-nitrogen) related centres detected only in the clouds. 👐 Enjoy the beauty ✨🌟💫 📷 Two diamonds with asteriated cloud inclusions in daylight and under long-wave UV © Annie Laurie, GIA (Gemological Institute of America). #Diamonds #NaturalDiamonds #Gemstones #RareGems #GIA

What if rough diamonds came in such funky colours? 📸 👉 This is the question posed by Ilan Taché, which actually defines the world we live in! 🙌 A world where we buy online, a world shaped by a mixture of social media and emotions that drive our purchases. 🖖 Where is the boundary between reality and imagination, between rationality and irrationality? 👇 Look at the photographs and think about it! © Ilan Taché, Groupe Taché #Diamonds #NaturalDiamonds

Sunday Jewellery Insights, past or today!? 🐙 ✌️To compare today with the past, what is Hype and Quality? Nothing or perhaps both? 👍This playing card brooch, Argine, the Queen of Clubs, was created by Pierre Sterlé for CHAUMET around 1965. Crafted from gold and malachite, with an aquamarine for the bust and diamonds, it showcases the expertise passed down through generations. 👏A pioneering jeweller in the 1960s and 1970s, Pierre Sterlé designed unique pieces for CHAUMET, such as this pair of playing card brooches. #Jewellery #Chaumet #HighEndJewellery

The Red Diamond Mistaken for a Garnet 🍫 ✌️ The DeYoung Red Diamond is a 5.03-carat Type IIa diamond, graded by GIA (Gemological Institute of America) as deep red in colour with a slight brownish hue and VS2 (Very Slightly Included) clarity. It is the third-largest publicly known red diamond, just 0.02 carats smaller than the 5.05-carat Kazanjian Red Diamond and the 5.11-carat Moussaieff Red Diamond. 👆 A closer look at its cut reveals something unique. The diamond has a modified round brilliant cut (RBC), where the kite-shaped facets on the crown are horizontally divided in two. This distinctive feature enhances its brilliance beyond that of a traditional round brilliant cut. 👇 The diamond is named after Sidney DeYoung, a renowned Boston jeweller who donated a collection of exceptional fancy-coloured diamonds to the Smithsonian Institution’s Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C. 🤞 Perhaps the most remarkable part of its story is how it was discovered. The jeweller purchased the diamond in the 1930s-1940s as part of an estate scarf pin. The dark brownish-red stone was initially mistaken for a garnet or maybe a ruby - one of many "semi-precious" red gemstones. 📷 DeYoung Pink Diamond © The National Gem Collection, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Smithsonian Enterprises. #Diamonds #NaturalDiamonds #FancyDiamonds #FancyColorDiamonds #Gemmology

Heavy Elephant of Light Titanium – Jewels by JAR 🐘 🤲 The use of titanium in jewellery is a relatively modern phenomenon, probably dating from the 1990s, but surely emphasised in the creations of one of the most prominent jewellers in the world. Forbes named him "The Fabergé of our time". His name is Joel Arthur Rosenthal, known as JAR., from 7 Place Vendôme, Paris 🇫🇷. 🙌 Designed as an elephant wearing an aigrette, the piece features titanium, a modified pear brilliant-cut diamond of 2.32 carats, single-cut diamonds, oval cabochon sapphires, tusk-shaped white cacholong, blackened gold, and platinum (French marks). Measuring approximately 17 cm, it was created around 2013 and is signed – JAR Paris. 👏 The jewel went under the hammer for five times its estimated price, selling for $555.000 at Live Auction 17464 – Maharajas & Mughal Magnificence, 2019, Christie's. 📷 A diamond, cacholong, sapphire, and titanium brooch, JAR Paris © Christie's, Christie's Education. #HighEndJewelry #Jewels #Jewelry #Jewellery #Christies #Brooch

Gem Curving 4C = Colours, Craft, UnClarity, Lots of Carats! ⚒️ 🫰 At least every woman has heard about diamonds, and while rubies and sapphires may be far from the minds of those not involved in our fields, it is worth mentioning something that might be unfamiliar to many of us, even those dealing in different sides of jewellery and gemmology. 🫱 Gem curving! - Let’s just remind what it’s about!: 👉 Yes, it is older than cut and polished techniques; 👉 It can’t be done in the same way as laser cutting of RBC (Round Brilliant Cut), as there is no clear reason why it is done that way; 👉 It is material-dependent! - Where can one find such colour-change large enough tourmaline? 👉 Mastering gemstone carving is an experience full of mistakes and secrets. 👊 One mistake – goodbye forever! 🙌 Gerd Dreher (1939–2018) – was a gemstone engraver from the House of Dreher, a master gemstone carver from Idar-Oberstein, Germany, renowned for his exceptional craftsmanship in carving animal sculptures, who was working together with his son, Patrick Dreher. If Gerd was recognized as "The Master of the Craft," Patrick Dreher brought fresh carving techniques to the family tradition. 📷 Multi-colour tourmaline frog carving by Gerd Dreher, tourmaline rough crystals and gem © William F. Larson Family. #Gems #Gemstones #Jewelry

What Happened to the Prongs of the Harry Winston Pink Legacy Ring?  💍💎💍  🫰 The Harry Winston Pink Legacy is an 18.96-carat Fancy Vivid Pink diamond with a VVS2 clarity grade, certified by GIA (Gemological Institute of America) report no. 2191528443. It belongs to the rare Type IIa category. This exceptional gemstone made history as the largest Fancy Vivid Pink diamond-without secondary hues-ever auctioned at Christie's Geneva in 2018. Selling for over $50 million ($2.6 million per carat), it set a world record that remained unbeaten until The Williamson Pink Star, an Internally Flawless (IF) 11.15-carat Fancy Vivid Pink diamond, was sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2024 for a double $5.2 million per carat (GIA (Gemological Institute of America) report no. 5222335753). 🫣 In High-End Jewellery auctions, exceptional gemstones are often presented in simple or temporary settings, such as a ring or pendant, to enhance their appearance, facilitate transportation, and comply with trading regulations. These settings are typically designed for presentation rather than permanent wear. 👀 However, was this the case for The Harry Winston Pink Legacy? The ring’s setting and craftsmanship were completed by Harry Winston, and as of the date of this post, it remains featured on the brand’s official website and social media. But have you noticed the difference in the prong settings between the photos and videos from Christie's and those from Harry Winston? Actually, both rings are also featured in Harry Winston's media. Look closely-what really happened? 📷 The Harry Winston Pink Legacy Diamond Ring © Harry Winston, Christie's; Christie's Education;  📷 The Harry Winston Pink Legacy Diamond Ring © Harry Winston, Christie's’; Christie's Education. #Diamonds #DiamondRing #HighEndJewelry

The Most Expensive Diamond Clarity Grade Jumping - or Just a Mistake? 💸💸💸💸💸 🙌 Natural pink diamonds are among the most desirable, rarest, and priciest diamonds on Earth. Prices can exceed $2 million per carat, depending on the 4Cs (Colour, Clarity, Cut, and Carat). Such prices stem from their rarity, a coincidence of many factors, and in the end, only a tiny percentage of diamonds have a saturated Fancy Vivid colour and only a tiny percentage are over a carat. And that is not all! 👇 🔬 Since the pink colour is primarily associated with plastic deformation (as well as atomic defects causing the pink hue but many scientific discoveries are yet to come), consequently, graining, internal features, and colour zoning can reduce transparency, colour homogeneity, saturation, and ultimately - The Clarity. 🫰 The Harry Winston Pink Legacy is an 18.96-carat, Fancy Vivid Pink diamond with 👋 VS1 (Very Slightly Included) 👋 clarity, Type IIa, the largest Fancy Vivid Pink diamond auctioned at Christie's Geneva in 2018. It set a world record for the largest sold Fancy Vivid Pink diamond for more than $50M ($2.6M per carat). 👉 However, in the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) report 2191528443, which is still available for verification, GIA (Gemological Institute of America) graded the diamond as 👋VVS2 (Very, Very Slightly Included) 👋! 🔎 According to the GIA (Gemological Institute of America), the clarity grades are described as follows: ✌️ Very, Very Slightly Included (VVS1 and VVS2) - Inclusions are difficult for a skilled grader to see under 10× magnification; ✌️ Very Slightly Included (VS1 and VS2) - Inclusions are minor and range from difficult to somewhat easy for a skilled grader to see under 10× magnification. Similarly grade them IGI - International Gemological Institute India. 🔍 European diamond grading institution HRD Antwerp describe them similarly fallows: ✌️VVS1 and VVS2 (Very, Very Small Inclusions); ✌️VS1 and VS2 (Very Small Inclusions, minor or minute inclusions); These correspond to Very, Very Slightly Included or Very Slightly Included in the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) system. 👀 Looking at photos and available videos, parallel graining is visible in this natural pink wonder. So why did Christie's grade it as VS1, while the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) graded it as VVS2? 👋 Was it a technical mistake or a grading disagreement for a diamond sold for $50M? 🫰 📷 The Harry Winston Pink Legacy Diamond Ring © Harry Winston, Christie's; 📷 Christie's Lot 311, sold at Live Auction 16112, Magnificent Jewels, Closed: 13 Nov 2018 © Christie's; Christie's Education; 📷 GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Report 2191528443 © GIA (Gemological Institute of America). #Diamonds #PinkDiamonds #NaturalDiamonds #FancyDiamonds #FancyColorDiamonds #Christies

The Pylos Combat Agate: Reaching the Limits of Glyptic Art? ⚔️ 👉 Now we turn our minds to Greece, to the 15th century BC, even in the heart of winter. Remarkably, in 2017, the Pylos Combat Agate was discovered in the Griffin Warrior Tomb near Pylos, known as Navarino, a town in the Peloponnese, Greece. It stands as a beautifully preserved testament to the Mycenaean civilisation, a close ally of Minoan Crete and other Mediterranean cultures, flourishing between approximately 1750 and 1050 BC. 🙌 The Pylos Combat Agate is regarded as one of the finest examples of Aegean glyptic art, perhaps even the most exquisite glyptic masterpiece ever created. The engraved scene bears a striking resemblance to late Bronze Age depictions found on the Battle of the Glen gold ring and the gold cushion seal from Grave III of Grave Circle A in Mycenae. These compositions may trace their origins to a common prototype, as archeologist suggest, perhaps a renowned wall painting of that time. 🗡️ The seal portrays a warrior who, having already vanquished one opponent sprawled at his feet, is plunging his sword into the exposed neck of another foe wielding a figure-of-eight shield, while at the same time seizing the crest of the man's helmet. The anatomy, down to the expressions on the faces, is rendered with astonishing naturalistic clarity. 🤏 This masterpiece is carved in an amygdaloid (almond-shaped) agate, 3.6 cm (1.4 in) in length, and features two oval gold caps, each decorated with 14 beads. 👆 More than 3.5 millenniums ago, Early Mycenaean glyptic art reached an extraordinary level of refinement, its craftsmanship almost unparalleled. And today, do you not sense that art and craftsmanship, for all their brilliance, have their limits, a summit beyond which no further ascent is possible? 📷 The Pylos Combat Agate, 15th century BC © Jeff Vanderpool, Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, College Year in Athens. #Gems #Gemstones #Gemmology #JewelleryHistory