News – Page 66 – The Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia (DCLA)

‘Grading’ Is Just for Natural Diamonds, Says CIBJO

Laboratories should reserve the term “grading report” for natural diamonds rather than lab-grown stones, the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) has urged.

Lab-grown diamonds lack the rarity that underpins the concept of grading, CIBJO argued Tuesday. Instead, documents providing details of synthetics should be called “Laboratory-Grown Diamond Product Specifications,” the organization says in a new set of guidelines it released to the trade this week.

The standard grading report implies “a degree of rarity of the product,” a CIBJO spokesperson told Rapaport News. “But on the other hand, the consumer has a right to know what the components of the product are. The important element is that the term ‘grading’ is taken out.”

CIBJO’s board has made its new Laboratory-Grown Diamond Guidance available for review by affiliated companies and national associations, the organization said. The consultation phase is the final stage in a two-year process to create harmonized standards for man-made stones.

The rule book, which is not binding, also calls for laboratories to include extra information such as the name of the manufacturer, the country and method of manufacture (chemical vapor deposition or High Pressure-High Temperature), and information about post-growth treatments. It also recommends that the letters “LG” precede the color and clarity grades on the report to indicate the stones are lab-grown.

The guidelines deal with how to describe lab-grown diamonds and display them at events such as trade shows. They also provide recommendations on how companies should disclose the origin of the stones on invoices and consignment documents, and discuss synthetics detection technology.

“A key principle of the Laboratory-Grown Diamond Guidance is that, to ensure confidence, consumers must receive complete and unambiguous information about what they are buying, so that they can make consciously informed purchasing decisions,” CIBJO explained.

CIBJO’s Blue Book, a separate document on grading standards and terminology, notably kept “natural” in its definition of diamonds even after the US Federal Trade Commission dropped the word in 2018.

Source: diamonds.net

Dominion Diamond Mines sale of Ekati falls through

The future of the Ekati diamond mine in Canada’s Northwest Territories remains uncertain after Dominion Diamond Mines announced that a deal to sell it to a subsidiary owned by its parent company, The Washington Companies, has fallen apart.

Dominion Diamond reported on Oct. 9 that three insurance companies – Aviva Insurance Company of Canada, Argonaut Insurance and Zurich Insurance – had reached “an impasse” in negotiation with the purchaser, and stated “there is no reasonable prospect of reaching a satisfactory agreement among them.”

Dominion Diamond, which was purchased by The Washington Companies in November 2017 for $1.2 billion, was granted creditor protection in April. Mining was suspended and the Ekati mine placed on care and maintenance in March due to the coronavirus.

Altogether, the three insurance companies have issued about C$280 million in surety bonds to the government of the Northwest Territories that were intended to guarantee that the diamond mine could be closed safely and reclaimed once the mine closes permanently.

The sale was subject to a condition that the insurance companies and the purchaser reached an agreement on the treatment of the existing surety bonds.

Dominion remains in creditor protection until November 7, 2020, unless extended, it said, and is working with its advisors on next steps.

“The company will be assessing all strategic alternatives to return the Ekati diamond mine to full operations for the benefit of its employees, the Northwest Territories and other stakeholders,” Dominion Diamond stated in its news release.

The company has also confirmed that Pat Merrin, the company’s interim CEO since February, has relinquished that role. “In light of this development, Pat has advised that it would be appropriate that he step down as Interim CEO,” a company spokesman wrote in an email to The Northern Miner.

“Kristal Kaye, CFO and Mike Welch, COO will lead Dominion through this challenging period with strong support from the rest of the management team and our independent Chairman Brendan Bell.”

Dominion Diamond Mines is one of the world’s largest producers and suppliers of premium rough diamonds. The company owns a controlling interest in the Ekati diamond mine, which it operates, and 40% of the Diavik diamond mine. It also holds a controlling interest in the Lac de Gras diamond project. All of its assets are in the Northwest Territories.

Source: Northern Miner

Sotheby’s Expects Pink to Fetch Up to $38M

Sotheby’s will sell the largest vivid purple pink diamond ever to appear at auction, with expectations it could achieve up to $38 million at a November sale.

The oval modified brilliant-cut, 14.83 carat, fancy vivid purple pink, internally flawless, type IIa stone is set to go under the hammer at the Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels auction in Geneva on November 11, Sotheby’s said Monday. The company has given the piece a presale estimate of $23 million to $38 million.

“Pink diamonds, perhaps more than any other colored diamond, have captured the imagination of collectors for centuries, making up five out of the 10 most valuable diamonds ever sold at auction,” said Benoit Repellin, head of the auction house’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels auction. “These exceptional sales, all realized in the last decade, are a testament to the growing appreciation and awareness of the great scarcity of these natural treasures around the world, and with the supply of these beautiful stones becoming ever more limited, they are likely to continue to become even more prized.”

Alrosa cut and polished the diamond from a 27.85 carat rough it unearthed at its Ebelyakh deposit in Yakutia in July 2017. The miner named the polished The Spirit of the Rose after the famous Russian ballet premiered by the Ballets Russes company in 1911, and called the rough Nijinsky, in honor of Vasalv Nijinsky, one of the ballet’s principal dancers.

The Spirit of the Rose is one of the three-stone Spectacle collection Alrosa has dedicated to Russian ballet. The set also includes the Firebird, an Asscher-cut, 20.69-carat, fancy vivid yellow, VS1-clarity diamond, which Alrosa sold to Graff for an undisclosed amount in December. The miner is still manufacturing the third stone. Alrosa had originally expected to sell The Spirit of the Rose in November 2019, it said last year.

Sotheby’s will exhibit The Spirit of the Rose in Hong Kong; Singapore; Taipei, Taiwan; and Geneva prior to the sale.

Source: Diamonds.net

Watch and Jewellery Valuations

AcuVal is a platform and mobile application (App) which makes producing valuations for jewellery easier, faster and more cost-effective.

The AcuVal App is a convenient platform used buy valuers and jewellers to create an accurate valuation, for a piece of Jewellery with a repeatable standard.

A valuation for insurance replacement purposes is primarily a detailed description of the item allowing for an accurate replacement.

Download the App http://acuval.com.au

Piaget’s Diamond Heliconia Necklace Brings to Mind a Stunning Tropical Bloom

Piaget Wings of Light Diamond Heliconia Necklace

The Diamond Heliconia Necklace, a creation from Piaget’s latest Wings of Light Collection, evokes a tropical bloom with 130 gorgeous pear-shaped diamonds.

Piaget’s latest high jewellery collection, Wings of Light, invites you to escape to a fantasy land of magic, mystery, romance and rarity. The creations embody a flourishing natural utopia, while capturing the splendour of a lush, secret jungle filled with hidden treasures. Drawing inspiration from exotic bird plumage, vibrant flowers and sunsets, a universe of extraordinary shapes and colours awaits.

Showing off the maison’s unsurpassed skill in recreating naturalistic pieces is this Diamond Heliconia Necklace. A breathtaking 130 pear-shaped diamonds and 16 brilliant-cut diamonds totalling 44.81 carats evoke the distinctive tropical blooms with flowering bracts.

The vines intersect to lead the gaze to a spectacular pear-shaped fancy vivid 6.46-carat yellow diamond. Remaining true to the precision the maison is known for, the necklace is a transformable piece that can be worn four different ways.

Source: Piaget

Threat of synthetics is an opportunity for diamond traceability

The Namibia Desert Diamonds General Manager of Sales and Marketing, Lelly Usiku, said the threat of synthetic diamonds has brought about an opportunity in the diamond industry to focus on the traceability of the precious stones to verify diamond origins from the mines to jewellery.

Usiku expressed these sentiments during a panel discussion on the diamond industry and its associated value chains. She further outlined that Covid-19 forced Namdia to investigate the possibilities of online trading in order to replicate the physical viewing with a virtual viewing experience.

Chief Executive Officer of Namdia, Kennedy Hamutenya, said in protecting the image of diamonds, the industry made a commitment in 2008 on the number of producers and manufacturers through the Kimberly Process. He said the process helped squeeze out undesirable elements from the diamond business.

According to Hamutenya, trading partnered states agreed to create a menu for the world and buyers that ensured diamonds on the market would not be associated with conflict diamonds. Conflict diamonds are diamonds mined in a war zone and sold to finance an insurgency, an invading army’s war efforts, or warlord activities.
“So, we said every country must implement systems and procedures from the very starting point of mining to the point of export to ensure that there is no penetration of conflict diamonds.

Today, as we speak, 99.8% of all our diamonds are clean, thanks to the Kimberly Process. We have done everything possible to prevent conflict diamonds to penetrate our pipeline,” Hamutenya stated.

According to him, Namdeb Holdings has spent N$3 billion on local procurement of goods and services for the last financial year.
Also, at the same occasion, Brent Eiseb, CEO of the Namibia Diamond Trading Company, elaborated on their mandate and said they sort and value diamonds. He noted that the process entails highly skilled employees as well as technology.
He added that whether diamond mining happens on land or offshore, the value is only confirmed when the stones go through NDTC’s evaluation process.

“This is an important process as it determines the value of royalties and taxes that is to be paid by producers to the government. Another mandate is to facilitate downstream diamond beneficiation.
We take about N$430 million in indexed diamonds and make them available for value addition in Namibia,” explained Eiseb.
He added that this process is vital because it requires quality infrastructure, especially in Namibia, for cutting and polishing of diamonds and also for creating the most job opportunities.

Eiseb concluded that the diamond industry is important in providing for the country at large through development diamonds. He indicated that 85% of total revenue that is created through the sales of diamonds ends up in state coffers through royalties, taxes, and levies that are payable and dividends.

Source: neweralive

Christie’s Sets $10M Price Tag on Muzo Necklace

A Muzo emerald and diamond necklace is expected to sell for up to HKD 80 million ($10.3 million) when it goes under the hammer at Christie’s Magnificent Jewels auction in Hong Kong on November 29.

The double rivière piece, designed by Edmond Chin for the House of Boghossian, contains 28 perfectly cut and matched, near-flawless emeralds, weighing a total of 117.60 carats. The gems were hand-selected by Boghossian CEO Albert Boghossian, the auction house said Tuesday.

Christie’s expects the necklace to prove extremely popular, given it sold the Grand Muzos, a pair of earrings containing emeralds from the same Colombian mine, for almost $100,000 per carat last year.

“The offering of this necklace marks a major moment in the auction world, and will no doubt create a stir among global connoisseurs,” Christie’s said.

Source: diamonds.net

Bulgari’s Roman Inspired Barocko Collection

Named after the extravagant Baroque period of Rembrandt and Johann Sebastian Bach, Bulgari has created a jewellery collection designed to wow

As a jeweller, Bulgari designs baubles that never fail to elicit gasps of awe and delight. With Barocko, the Italian luxury maison’s latest high jewellery collection, Bulgari has remained faithful to its tradition of fanciful, colourful and extravagant pieces guaranteed to make the paparazzi on the red carpet go wild.

Creative director Lucia Silvestri was inspired by the Baroque architecture of Rome and, with her team, scoured the world for the gemstones that would help realise her vision of an era defined by exuberance, grandeur and excess.

While the Barocko collection consists of every type of jewellery, the necklaces brilliantly highlight the Baroque era’s dramatic flair and the intricate work Silvestri and her team have undertaken to translate them. Here are the neck adornments poised to steal the spotlight at the next social events:

Cabochon Exhuberance

ROMAN LANDMARK: HORTI FARENESIANI

The magnificent gardens of Horti Farnesiani on Palatino Hill inspire this one-of-a-kind necklace consisting of two tanzanites from New York, rubellites and emeralds from Jaipur and aquamarines acquired in Hong Kong.

Lady Arabesque

FEATURED GEMSTONES: SRI LANKAN SAPPHIRES

Set with pink and violet sapphires from Sri Lanka, Paraida tourmalines and emeralds, the Lady Arabesque is a fascinating coming together of multiple shapes and volumes in a harmonious spectacle.

Rosso Caravaggio

FEATURED GEMSTONE: MOZAMBIQUE RUBY

A breathtaking 10-carat cushion-shaped ruby sourced from Mozambique shows off, in spectacular fashion, this diamond necklace that took 1,500 hours to complete.

Sapphire Lace Necklace

FEATURED GEMSTONES: DIAMONDS & SAPPHIRES

An interpretation of Baroque lace fabric but draped in diamonds and blue sapphires, this necklace evokes a sensual lightness with its sinuous texture.

Wings of Rome

ROMAN LANDMARK: ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

The wings of Archangel Michael statue at Castel Sant’Angelo were the basis of this bewitching platinum necklace set with diamonds of three different cuts—marquise, round and drop. The diamonds are also set at three levels to create that exquisite sense of depth.

Peacock

FEATURED GEMSTONES: TANZANITES, AQUAMARINES, CHRYSOPRASES & EMERALDS

One of the most dramatic creations in the Barocko collection is the Peacock, aptly named for its kaleidoscope of coloured gems namely tanzanites, aquamarines, chrysoprases and emeralds that evoke the colourful vibrant nature of its namesake bird.

Source: asiatatler

102 Carat D Flawless Diamond Fetches $15.6 Million

A 102.39 carat D color flawless oval diamond was sold in a single lot auction for more than $15.6 million. The sale by Sotheby’s Hong Kong was the first time a diamond of more than 100 carats was sold in a combined online and live auction and such an important diamond was offered without reserve.

The diamond was purchased by a private Japanese collector who requested anonymity, Sotheby’s said in a statement. The person named the gem, “Maiko Star” after his second daughter. The same collector bought the 88.22 carat “Manami Star” at Sotheby’s in April 2019.

The sale of the Type IIa diamond the purest and rarest kind of mined diamond resulted in the highest price achieved for a diamond sold online and earned the most bids for a world class diamond. In addition, it was only the eighth diamond of more than 100 carats ever sold at auction. The auction house describes the diamond as “perfect,” not only because of its top color and clarity grades, but also for its “excellent polish and symmetry.”

However, the total price fell far short of what similar diamonds sold for at auction.

102.39-carat D-color flawless oval diamond sold in a combined online and live auction — 102.39-carat D-color flawless oval diamond

Kate Moss launches her debut jewellery collection with Messika

Despite being the face of many a jewellery campaign over the years, you wouldn’t expect Kate Moss the ultimate poster child for 90s insouciance to care much about high jewellery.

Yet the British supermodel clearly does, as her new jewellery line shows us. It was made in collaboration with French haute joaillerie house Messika, whose casual, contemporary diamond designs have won over the likes of Gigi Hadid, Beyoncé and Rihanna. Moss was the face of Messika’s campaign last year, but this year she takes a much larger role as designer.

It was Moss, as well as Marilyn Monroe, whom founder Valérie Messika first pegged as her muses when she launched her jewellery label in 2005. Through her new collaboration with the fashion icon, things have come full circle.

The ‘Messika by Kate Moss’ line is inspired by pieces in Moss’ own jewellery box. The model’s taste for jewels is actually pretty eclectic, encompassing designs from different eras. In the mix are elaborate Victorian baubles, geometric Art Deco styles and even Indian jewellery, collected from Moss’ travels to India as a teenager.

These influences shine through in the new, 70 piece high jewellery collection, which include sets of earrings, necklaces, rings, bracelets, headpieces and nose jewellery. Some highlights include a tasseled sautoir, sunburst hoops, a three finger ring, and dangling earrings set with pear shaped malachite crystals, after all, are having a moment in jewellery.

These are all enhanced with Messika’s careful selection of diamonds, which are of the highest quality and certified by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Messika herself has an intimate understanding of the gems, being the daughter of French diamond dealer André Messika.

Yet none of that steers the Messika by Kate Moss collection away from the modern ethos at the heart of the jewellery brand. As luxuriously as they are crafted, the designs are meant to be effortlessly worn to everyday affairs, not tucked away preciously in a jewellery box. That design approach is shared with other diamond jewellery designers such as Hong Kong based Nicholas Lieou and British designer Monica Vinader, reflecting the tastes of women today.

The entire Messika by Kate Moss collection is slated to launch in November.

Source: lifestyleasia