5 Carat Cushion Cut Pink Diamond WOW!

Hong Kong--A five-carat cushion-cut pink diamond known as "The Vivid Pink" is set to lead Christie's Hong Kong sale this fall.

According to a media release from the New York-based auction house, The Vivid Pink is the largest potentially flawless fancy-vivid-pink diamond ever offered for sale at auction.

Property of a private collector and set in a ring by renowned jeweler Laurence Graff, the diamond is expected to fetch HK $39-$55 million (about $5 million-$7 million).

Christie's fall Hong Kong sale is set for Dec. 1.

Prior to the sale, The Vivid Pink will be on display in the following cities: New York, Oct. 17-20 at Christie's Rockefeller Center Galleries; Singapore, Oct. 29-30 (by appointment only); Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 11-12 (by appointment only); Geneva, Nov. 15-17 at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues; Taipei, Taiwan, Nov. 21-22 at the Fubon Life Assurance Building; and Hong Kong, Nov. 27-Dec. 1 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Excerpt from National Jeweler.

Great Jewelry Does Not Necessarily Mean High Price

Sometimes the simplest design can be a work of great art. I took a class with Charles Lewton Brain once and he talked about how any jeweler that can make a living full time at their craft is an amazing individual. This is the basis of the whole Indie movement in craft, affordable quality jewelry. This is not to say that all of the Indie work is great but as with any other profession greatness is bestowed upon a few. To find quality Indie jewelry in your area I suggest you contact the local "Craft Mafia" located in most major metropolitan area or visit sites like Etsy and Indie Public. There are over 10,000 stores so you will need to sharpen your search skills. Since this work is not juried you'll have to kiss a lot of frogs. But it is wonderful feeling when you find a gem!

Hand Textered Bracelet by Pat Baker $83

Best Online Shops for Art Jewelry

I have blogged for some time now about the virtues of Art Jewelry. So now it is time to share my favorite online jewelry shopping sites.

www.artjewelryonline.com
www.americacreates.com
www.soleyne.com

Pictured to the left one of my favorite artists Hratch Babikian. You can find Hratch's work for sale at any of the online sites listed above. Pendant in photo has a 2 inch in diameter.

Don't Let This Happen to You

I have included an excerpt from an article in National Jeweler. As you can see some poor resident of Baltimore sold what they thought was a mediocre diamond for a lot less than it is worth. Don't be to eager to cash in on the sell your jewelry for cash frenzy without an objective appraisal of your jewelry from a reputable source.

(Photo...Black Diamond Bracelet from Jeweler Shana Kroiz.)

NJ Article

Baltimore--Last year, Ron Samuelson, chief executive of Samuelson's Diamonds in Baltimore, bought an 8.5-carat brownish-yellow round diamond mounted in a men's nugget ring from a customer who was seduced by the "sell your jewelry" offer on the store's Web site.

"It was a big, ugly stone," Samuelson recalls. "When we showed it to our cutter, he said, 'Yeah, I could make this into a fancy yellow.'"

The resulting diamond, a 6.86-carat fancy-yellow radiant, is now part of the store's inventory, and Samuelson is confident that when he eventually sells the stone, it will net him a tidy profit.

"I've almost eliminated my need for diamond dealers," Samuelson says. "For every one person who wants to buy a diamond, 20 want to sell."

As a comment on supply and demand in the high-end diamond trade, the Samuelson's transaction is fitting though hardly anomalous. On Manhattan's 47th Street, it happens countless times a day.

Soleyne, New Online Art Gallery

I have been talking to the owner of a new online gallery named Soleyne. Susan is promoting her sight as "more art than craft". I am pleased with the caliber of artists that she has brought on board in such a brief time. If you have a chance to stop by please do so and let me know what you think. Pictured to the left is an item from their store. Limited Edition Lace Cuff Bracelet by Janet Huddie.

Cloisonne

Cloisonne is one of those mediums that offer a painterly quality to 2 and 3 dimensional objects. Fine jewelry cloisonne artist Sheila Beatty best describes cloisonne as:

The ancient and elusive medium of cloisonné is slow and painstaking in its creation. The design of each piece is defined by fine ribbons of silver or gold, which I shape by hand and place on a fine silver backing. The compartments thus created are filled with thin layers of enamel - glass ground into a powder - in vibrant colors. Each layer is fired in a kiln at a high temperature.

I found an interesting article online that discusses the pricing and characteristics of authentic cloisonne jewelry. They suggest that buyers should be wary of imported cloisonne that tries to pass as an older piece. You may view it at http://www.antiqueshoppefl.com/archives/agilbert/cloisonne.htm. I personally prefer the cloisonne jewelry of contemporary American artists such as Sheila Beatty, Carly Wright and Anne Havel. Their work was featured in the June issue of the Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist magazine.

Cloisonne History

Among the earliest examples of cloisonné are six Mycenaean rings of the 13th century bc. The great Western period of cloisonné enameling was from the 10th to the 12th century, especially in the Byzantine Empire. In China cloisonné was widely produced during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911/12) dynasties. In Japan, it was especially popular during the Tokugawa (1603–1868) and Meiji (1868–1912) periods.. "

Jewelry appearing in this article is the handcrafted work of Sheila Beatty.

Art Jewelry Defined

Halstead Bead, Inc defines art jewelry as “bridge” jewelry, which is the segment between costume jewelry, and fine jewelry that includes accessories in sterling silver, semi-precious stones, crystal, freshwater pearls and other similar materials. Many jewelers that specialize in Art Jewelry and those that collect it would disagree with this definition in that their medium and designs are not limited to any metal or gem. The American Jewelry Design Council defines Art Jewelry as "original jewelry design as art." This definition more closely fits the true nature of this category. I view Art Jewelry as wearable art and have defined it as such...

Art Jewelry is an expression of art & sculpture designed to adorn the human form.

Now that we have defined Art Jewelry, we will start to focus on how to identify Art Jewelry that is finely crafted and has the potential to become a collectible work of art.

"I have invented my life by assuming that whatever I did not like would have an opposite which I would like." -Coco Chanel

Bibliography:
Image: Regal Dancer by Shana Kroiz on Display and in the Permanent Collection of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City.
www.shanakroiz.com
American Jewelry Design Council
www.ajdc.org
Halstead Beads