The dazzling jewellery made for pets

Since ancient times, jewelled collars, saddles and bridles have ensured that animal companions

Since ancient times, jewelled collars, saddles and bridles have ensured that animal companions were as finely jewelled as their owners. Animal bling seems to have been particularly popular from the mid-19th century. Vogue’s 1896 article “Swagger Dogs” told its readers that “Dog jewelry forms an interesting exhibit, is marvelously fine and valuable, if absurdly extravagant”. These dogs sported jewelled collars, leg bracelets and bangles galore.

Lord Berners, the model for Nancy Mitford’s Lord Merlin in The Pursuit of Love, was well known for decorating his pet dalmatians with diamond necklaces, while the poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning made a collar for her dog Flush from a mosaic bead necklace. When Frances Work (Mrs Aurel Batonyi), the great-grandmother of Diana, Princess of Wales, visited the casino with her dog, she matched her jewels with its own diamond collar. The Daily Express of 1903 even recommended “diamond studded dog-collars with receptacles for scent” for smartly dressed dogs. According to early 20th-century newspapers, some dogs even wore bracelets around their paws and gem-set earrings. One of the gifts given to Jenny and Rosie Dolly, the fabulously glamorous cabaret dancers of the 1930s, was a pair of tortoises. These came from the besotted retail magnate Harry Selfridge, their shells set by Cartier with 4-carat blue diamonds.

The Dolly Sisters in the 1920s

The Dolly Sisters in the 1920s

The modern dog with a generous budget could choose from the famously expensive Amour Amour collars, the top-of-the-range set with 52 carats of diamonds, to elegant options from Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany and Christian Louboutin (with signature red lining). Sadly cats haven’t attracted the same attention from jewellers, although they might not have the same patience for dressing up as their dog counterparts.

The size M Loubicollar dog collar from Christian Louboutin

The size M Loubicollar dog collar from Christian Louboutin

Animal lives are shorter than human ones and bereaved owners often wanted a record of their animal companions, often through paintings and photographs but also via memorial jewellery set with their images and sometimes even hair.

The brooch with a portrait of Nero made for Jane Carlyle

The brooch with a portrait of Nero made for Jane Carlyle

Jane Carlyle’s little dog Nero was a great comfort to her through the ups and downs of her marriage to the author Thomas Carlyle. Nero, painted as “large as a sheep” to Jane’s dismay, can be seen lying comfortably on the sofa in Robert Tait’s painting of the Carlyles at home. When Nero died in February 1860, Jane turned to the painter to help her create a memorial. Writing to Tait, she asked him to send her a photograph of the detail of Nero from the painting to make into a brooch.

Queen Victoria’s collie Gipsy, painted by Friedrich Wilhelm Keyl

Queen Victoria’s collie Gipsy, painted by Friedrich Wilhelm Keyl

Jane Carlyle wasn’t the only bereaved owner to want a lasting memory of her pet. Queen Victoria extended her appetite for sentimental jewellery to her animals. As well as a photograph album recording all the dogs in the Windsor kennels, one of her favourite dogs was immortalised in a jewel. In 1863 the Prince of Wales ordered a crystal brooch with the image of the Queen’s recently deceased collie Gipsy from the royal jewellers, Garrards. Some years later, as Edward VII, he kept strands of his favourite terrier Jack’s hair in a locket on his desk.

Amour Amour is the world’s most expensive dog collar with the price tag of $3.2 million

Amour Amour is the world’s most expensive dog collar with the price tag of $3.2 million

And although in general cats have not been lucky enough to be gifted jewels during their seven lifetimes, they have also been turned into a glittery accessory.

Mary Russell, Duchess of Bedford, was well known for her passion for Siamese cats. According to Boudoir Magazine in 1904, she wore a locket holding the portrait of Goblin, her favourite cat. Goblin’s thoughts on the matter are not recorded.

Source: Thetimes

Gemfields hit by Slump in Emerald Sales

Gemfields suffered a slump in sales and prices at its latest auction of rough emeralds from its Kagem mine, in Zambia.

Gemfields suffered a slump in sales and prices at its latest auction of rough emeralds from its Kagem mine, in Zambia.

The UK-based company blamed conflicts, elections, and economic uncertainty in China, compounded by a diary clash with an emerald competitor, reportedly selling at low prices.

Gemfields sold only 61 per cent of the almost 4m carats on offer in a series of auctions ending 13 September in Jaipur, India, and online. At the last four sales it sold well over 90 per cent.

Total sales were $10.8m, down 67 per cent on its September 2023 sales. The average price per carat was $4.47, down by a half on the same event last year.

Gemfields says the mix and quality of lots varies, so the results of each auction are not always directly comparable.

Today’s overall result is weaker than expected,” said Adrian Banks, Gemfields’ managing director of product and sales, “exacerbated in part by a competing emerald producer scheduling their own auction to finish in early September 2024, in the middle of ours, and selling through their emeralds at what customers reported as low prices.”

He said the company was committed to acting responsibly – as it did at this auction – by withholding auction lots when fair market prices were not achieved.

Source: Idex

Lucara recovers sixth diamond larger than 1,000 carats at Karowe mine in Botswana

1,094 carat diamond from its Karowe mine in Botswana.

Canada’s Lucara Diamond has dug up a 1,094 carat diamond from its Karowe mine in Botswana.

This is the sixth diamond weighing more than 1,000 carats to be recovered at the mine, and it comes only weeks after the recovery of a 2,492 carat diamond the second-largest diamond ever recovered.

“This remarkable stone bears striking similarities to the 692 carat diamond announced in August 2023, which was polished by HB Antwerp and yielded polished diamonds that sold for in excess of $13 million,” the company said in a press release.

“This newly recovered 1,094 carat stone will also be polished by HB Antwerp, as part of the ongoing partnership between the two companies,” Lucara said.

The Karowe mine has produced several large diamonds in recent years, including the 1,758-carat Sewelô in 2019, the 1,109 carat Lesedi La Rona in 2015, and the 813 carat Constellation, also in 2015. The mine is also credited for having yielded Botswana’s largest fancy pink diamond to date, the Boitumelo.

Botswana is the world’s largest producer of diamonds, and the trade has transformed it into a middle-income nation.

Karowe remains one of the highest margin diamond mines in the world, producing an average of 300,000 high value carats each year.

Shares of Lucara rose 8% by 11:40 a.m EDT in Toronto. The miner has a market capitalization of C$221 million ($162 million).

Source: mining.com

Gem Diamonds finds 122 carat stone at Letšeng mine

122.2 carat Type II white diamond

Africa-focused miner Gem Diamonds has unearthed yet another massive white diamond at its prolific Letšeng mine in Lesotho, just days after another major find.

The 122.2 carat Type II white diamond was recovered over the weekend and is the eleventh greater than 100-carat precious stone mined this year at the operation, the company said.

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Type IIa diamonds are the most valued and collectable precious gemstones, as they contain either very little or no nitrogen atoms in their crystal structure.

The Letšeng mine, owned 70% by Gem Diamonds, is one of the world’s ten largest diamond operations by revenue. At 3,100 metres (10,000 feet) above sea level, it is also one of the world’s most elevated diamond mines.

The operation has a track record of producing large, exceptional white diamonds, which makes it the highest-dollar-per-carat kimberlite diamond mine in the world.

Source: mining.com

Zimbabwe Ramps up Diamond Production

The Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC)

Zimbabwe’s state-owned diamond company is forecasting a 16 per cent increase this year.

The Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) said it was ramping up production to 5.7m carats in 2024 and would aim to increase that figure to 10m carats next year.

Munashe Shava, ZCDC board chairman, said: “Commodity prices are depressed on the global market and we have come up with various initiatives to offset this worrisome development.

The Chronicle newspaper reported him as saying: “We have ramped up production and this year we have set a target of 5.7m carats and we see this target nearly doubling to 20m carats in the coming year.”

Zimbabwe, the world’s seventh biggest diamond producing nation, recorded an output of 4.9m carats, according to Kimberley Process data, valued at $303m. It exported 5.6m carats valued at $297m.

Earlier this year the US sanctioned Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa for human rights abuses, corruption and smuggling gold and diamonds.

Mnangagwa, 81, who has held office since 2017, insists the claims against him are “defamatory” and “malicious”.

Source: IDEX

$300m Loan to Boost Okavango Diamond Purchases

Botswana's state-owned diamond marketing company will increase its borrowing to fund additional rough purchases.

Botswana’s state-owned diamond marketing company will increase its borrowing to fund additional rough purchases.

Finance Minister Peggy Serame said last Thursday (29 August) that the government had arranged a $300m credit facility, with the Standard Chartered Bank for the Okavango Diamond Company (ODC).

It hopes to capitalize on a long-awaited recovery the global diamond market.

At the moment ODC’s limited cash reserves mean it can only buy $70m of its allocation of diamonds produced by Debswana, the 50/50 joint venture between De Beers and the Botswana government.

ODC holds 10 auctions a year to sell its 25% allocation from Debswana. That share is set to double to 50 per cent over the next decade, as part of a deal agreed last year between Botswana and De Beers.

Last October ODC halted its rough sales amid weak demand.

Source: Idex

US Sanctions Russian Diamond Cutter and Retail Jeweler

jewelry brand Miuz and the diamond cutter Kristall

The US has added the prominent jewelry brand Miuz and the diamond cutter Kristall to its list of sanctioned companies in Russia.

Kristall, Russia’s largest diamond cutter, is now on the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List administered by the US Treasury Department.

Alrosa, its parent company has been on the list since April 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. Kristall, based in Smolensk, has been part of the Alrosa group since 2019.

Miuz Diamonds, which has production facilities in Moscow and Perm and a chain of 300 retail outlets, has also been added to the list.

Miuz is part of the Ruiz Group of diamond and jewelry enterprises, linked to Israeli billionaire Lev Leviev.

It is not clear why the companies were not sanctioned sooner.

Kristall and Miuz are among almost 400 individuals and entities in Russia and beyond its borders that were added to the SDN list last Friday (23 August).

“Russia has turned its economy into a tool in service of the Kremlin’s military industrial complex,” said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo, announcing the additions.

“Treasury’s actions today continue to implement the commitments made by President Biden and his G7 counterparts to disrupt Russia’s military-industrial base supply chains and payment channels.”

Source: Idex

US Lifts Ban on Grandfathered Diamonds Amid New Sanctions on Russian Gems

diamond jewellery and loose rough gem-quality diamonds

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued new licenses under the Russian Harmful Foreign Activities Sanctions Regulations, allowing for the sale of diamond jewellery and loose gem-quality diamonds imported before recent sanctions were implemented. This significant policy shift permits goods that were previously prohibited to re-enter the market.

Under the new guidelines, diamond jewellery purchased before March 1, 2024, as well as loose diamonds of 1 carat or larger bought before that date, and those of at least 0.50 carats purchased before September 1, 2024, can now be sold. The relaxation for loose diamonds will remain in effect until September 1, 2025.

However, starting September 1, 2024, the next phase of G7 diamond sanctions will impose restrictions on all goods of 0.50 carats or above from Russia, regardless of where they are cut and polished. This phase of sanctions is set to take effect next Sunday, despite substantial opposition from various industry stakeholders.

In response, the Jewelers Vigilance Committee has reported that the United States is considering supporting a delay in the implementation of these sanctions. This potential delay, which aligns with the European Union’s proposed extension to March 1, 2025, aims to provide additional time to resolve the intricacies of the sanctions and their impact on the diamond trade.

Source: diamondworld

AI system grades diamonds faster, cheaper, more accurately

Sarine’s first eGrading machines

Assessing the value of a diamond is a job that’s been done by eye for centuries. 

But artificial intelligence (AI) is now so sophisticated that it can do the same task faster, cheaper and more accurately.

There can be a huge difference in value even between two diamonds of the same size. That’s why a whole industry has developed, dedicated to grading them.

But advances in machine learning have now made computers more reliable than humans, according to Sarine, a diamond-tech company based in Israel. 

Today the vast majority of diamond manufacturers – the businesses that cut and polish rough gems – send their loose stones to grading labs.

They wait a couple of weeks for the diamonds to be returned with certificates listing their key attributes. And they typically pay at least $100 per diamond for the service (depending on size).

Sarine aims to dramatically cuts cost and delays by locating its automated eGrading technology inside factories in a lease arrangement.

Staff operate the machine, which can grade and certify a diamond in a matter of minutes.

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It’s as convenient as using an ATM, says Roni Ben-Ari, deputy CEO & VP products at Sarine.

He says the machines consistently deliver higher quality results than the best grading labs, without the expense of employing gemologists (gemstone experts) or paying for premises, infrastructure and other overheads.

Can’t cheat the system

You may be thinking the diamond factory gets to “mark its own homework” if the grading machine is inhouse, and that it could cheat the system to get a better grade.

But Ben-Ari is adamant that the system’s security is so tight it’s simply not possible for anyone to interfere.

Every diamond is unique – like a fingerprint, a snowflake or DNA – and every diamond is identified by full 360-degree images.

The raw data that Sarine’s machines gather is securely uploaded to the cloud, and only then converted into a grading report.

like a fingerprint, a snowflake or DNA
Grading diamonds objectively with Sarine’s eGrading system.

It’s worth considering what’s at stake here. 

An absolute top-quality natural one-carat diamond (a popular size for engagement rings) could set you back $14,000. But you could get a poor-quality diamond of the same size for under $2,000. That’s why grading a diamond is so important.

The 4Cs

Four main criteria determine the value of a diamond. They’re known as the 4Cs – carat (weight), cut (how well the rough stone has been shaped), color (the best diamonds are colorless) and clarity (absence of flaws or blemishes).

AI system grades diamonds carat, cut, color and clarity faster, cheaper, more accurately
Diamonds are valued on the basis of carat, cut, color and clarity.

Color and clarity are the hardest criteria to determine. Labs give diamonds a letter for color (from D to Z) and a label indicating one of 11 levels of clarity (from IF, internally flawless, to I3 for diamonds with the worst flaws or “inclusions”). 

Weighing a diamond is straightforward, but the other three Cs can be subjective. 

“I can guesstimate that if you sent the same 100 diamonds to the lab over and over again, around 70 percent would get the same grade,” says Ben-Ari. 

That leaves 30% where a different lab, or a different day, or a different staff member could give the diamond a different grade – and a different value.

IF, internally flawless, to I3 for diamonds
Sarine’s system uses AI to grade clarity.

A lot of biases

“The human eye is a muscle; it gets tired,” says Ben-Ari. “It’s affected by your physical conditions, whether you’re tired or angry, or it’s the beginning of the shift or the second half of the shift. 

“There are a lot of biases. It’s very difficult to educate people from different cultures in different locations around the world to grade the same diamond in the same way.

“So the labs invented a very sophisticated process where two people grade the diamond. When they agree, that’s the diamond grade and when they don’t, they bring in a third person.”

But it’s a labor-intensive business. Sarine, already an established world leader in guiding diamond cutters to get the highest value from a rough gem, realized it could develop a better way of doing things.

world leader in guiding diamond cutters
Sarine’s loupe doesn’t get tired like a human eye would.

AI can grade diamonds

The company, founded in 1988 and based in Hod Hasharon, central Israel, embarked on the mammoth task of teaching AI how to grade diamonds.

That involved showing the AI model more than 30,000 diamonds that had already been graded by GIA (Gemological Institute of America) the world’s biggest lab. The more diamonds they showed it, the better the results.

Sarine introduced eGrading machines, using AI to grade diamonds. Photo courtesy of Sarine
Sarine introduced eGrading machines, using AI to grade diamonds.

Because Sarine deals in technology and not in physical diamonds, all those diamonds to train the computer model had to be borrowed.

That’s why Sarine’s first eGrading machines, installed in mid-2022, were located in factories in India, where over 90% of all diamonds are cut and polished. 

“We started in southern India, where we have a facility with 400 employees to provide customer support,” says Ben-Ari.” The next step will be a rollout to Botswana and Namibia, both counties which mine and manufacture diamonds.”

Lab-grown diamonds

We’ve been talking so far about “natural” diamonds, but what about lab-grown diamonds? 

Natural diamonds formed miles below the Earth’s surface under high pressure and high temperature in a process that took over more than a billion years.

Lab-grown diamonds are created within weeks, are optically and physically identical to natural diamonds, and now sell for a fraction of the price.

They have driven the need for cheaper grading because in many cases the cost of an ordinary certificate outweighs the cost of manufacturing the diamond.

There are, however, some complex technical differences between natural and lab-grown diamonds, which means Sarine technology can grade them in the lab but not yet remotely with eGrading at factories. Sarine is working on an AI fix for that.

Source: Jason Harris

LUCARA RECOVERS EPIC 2,492 CARAT DIAMOND FROM THE KAROWE MINE

LUCARA RECOVERS EPIC 2,492 CARAT DIAMOND FROM THE KAROWE MINE
LUCARA RECOVERS EPIC 2,492 CARAT DIAMOND FROM THE KAROWE MINE

Lucara Diamond Corp. (“Lucara” or the “Company”) is thrilled to announce the recovery of an exceptional 2,492 carat diamond from its Karowe Diamond Mine in Botswana. This remarkable find, one of the largest rough diamonds ever unearthed, was detected and recovered by the Company’s Mega Diamond Recovery (“MDR”) X-ray Transmission (“XRT”) technology, installed in 2017 to identify and preserve large, high-value diamonds. The stone was recovered from the processing of EM/PK(S) kimberlite, the dominant ore type that Lucara will continue to target during the first years of the Company’s underground mining operations.

This discovery underscores Karowe’s reputation as a world-class asset and reaffirms Lucara’s position as a leading producer of large, exceptional diamonds. This latest recovery joins an impressive roster of other significant finds from the mine, including the 1,758 carat Sewelô and the 1,109 carat Lesedi La Rona.

William Lamb, President and CEO of Lucara, commented on this historic discovery: “We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492 carat diamond. This find not only showcases the remarkable potential of our Karowe Mine, but also upholds our strategic investment in cutting-edge XRT technology. The ability to recover such a massive, high-quality stone intact demonstrates the effectiveness of our approach to diamond recovery and our commitment to maximizing value for our shareholders and stakeholders.”

Mr. Lamb added, “This discovery reinforces Karowe’s position as a truly world-class diamond mine and highlights the continued success of our operational and underground development strategy.”

Botswana’s diamond industry delivers wide-ranging socio-economic benefits to the country that extend well beyond the mining sector. Its influence supports national development by funding critical areas such as education and healthcare.

This discovery symbolizes Botswana’s continued ascent as a global leader in diamond production. It represents not only the unparalleled wealth found in Botswana’s soil, but also the remarkable progress the nation has made in developing its diamond industry for the benefit of its citizens.

This news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Lauren Freeman, PhD. Pr. Sci. Nat., Vice-President, Mineral Resources of the Company and a “Qualified Person” for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101.

On behalf of the Board,

William Lamb