A well cut ciamond

In defining the best cut, personal preference will always be an issue. So the listed category Well Cut, Very Good, Excellent & Ideal assists you in selecting the right diamond. Ideal cut has the narrowest range, with Excellent and Very Good following later. The lowest score becomes the overall cut grade. The lowest assigned grade for any individual characteristic is always used. For e.g. If the table percentage falls within excellent and yet the depth percentage is in the very good range, the diamond is classified as Very Good.

Every shape of diamonds does not have the same proportions. Every diamond shape requires its own guidelines in order to achieve maximum beauty. Due to mathematical differences, inherent in different shapes, the table and depth guidelines are formulated to maximize fire & brilliance. This is done to have a magnificent display that highlights the individuality and character of each shape.

Girdle:
The girdle is the outer edge of a diamond. It usually has a frosted appearance. Many diamonds are also finished with a fully polished or even a faceted girdle. This characteristic does not affect the value of a diamond and is often more a reflection the diamond cutter's preference. The girdle is rated in terms of thickness. Girdle size is generally defined as Extremely Thin, Very Thin, Thin, Medium, Slightly Thick, Thick, Very Thick, or Extremely Thick. The girdle can also be described as a range of these terms such as Thin to Thick. Avoid the two Extremes. When purchasing a diamond, select one with a girdle that is neither Extremely Thin nor Extremely Thick.

Culet:
The culet is the bottom point of the diamond. In many cases this point actually has a very small facet. The culet is referred to in terms that relate to the presence or size of this facet. The culet is generally graded as None or Pointed, Very Small, Small, Medium, Slightly Large, Large, Very Large, and Extremely Large. Smaller is more desirable.

Polish:
This characteristic refers to the finishing or final polishing of the facets, or flat surfaces. Contrary to common belief, diamonds are ground and polished, not chipped away, until they reach their final form. Each facet should be carefully fashioned by the diamond cutter to shine and be free from polishing imperfections. The polish of a diamond is generally defined as Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, or Excellent. When purchasing a diamond, select one with a polishing grade of Good or above.

Symmetry:
This characteristic refers to the alignment and positioning of the facets, or flat surfaces. Each facet should be carefully positioned by the diamond cutter in proper proportion and relationship to the other facets. The alignment of each facet should be sharp and precise; improperly joined facet junctions can make a diamond appear uneven. The symmetry of a diamond is generally defined as Poor, Fair, Good, Very Good, or Excellent. When purchasing a diamond, select one with a symmetry grade of Good or above.

Fluorescence:
This characteristic refers to the diamond's ability to fluoresce under ultraviolet light. When exposed to UV light, many diamonds will give off a distinctive glowing blue coloration. Although fluorescence may be displayed in various shades, blue is the most common in diamonds. The fluorescence of a diamond is defined by its intensity as either None, Faint, Medium, Strong, or Very Strong. Most of the time fluorescence isn't an issue unless the intensity is Strong or Very Strong. In the very high colors D, E, and F, Strong fluorescence is considered less desirable. Ironically, in slightly lower colors of J and below, Strong fluorescence is desirable.

Sunstone : The stone of luck and romance

Sunstone is a gemstone in the feldspar group that exhibits schiller or sheen. It is exhibiting in certain directions a brilliant spangled appearance, which has led to its use as an ornamental stone. The effect appears to be due to reflections from enclosures of red haematite, in the form of minute scales, which are hexagonal, rhombic or irregular in shape, and are disposed parallel to the principal cleavage-plane. These enclosures give the stone an appearance something like that of aventurine, whence sunstone is known also as "aventurine-feldspar."

Sunstone is a rich golden or reddish brown colour, with plays of red yellow and orange light, sometimes also with green, caused by the inclusion of microscopically thin plates of goethite or hematite. On Mohs’ scale of hardness, sunstone ranks 6 to 6.5. While it is found in India, Canada, Madagascar, Russia (Siberia), and the United States, sources for the best sunstone include Tvedestrand and Hitero on the south coast of Norway.

Sunstone is believed to strengthen the life force, bring luck, instill optimism and increase strength and vitality. The Greeks used sunstone to prevent poisoning. They believed that sunstone improved the life force, increased vitality and brought plenty to any who wore it. While n India, the sunstone was used to protect the wearer from destructive forces. It is thought to bring luck and romance to the wearer. Sunstone enhances contemplations. It is a good stone for meditation. It makes your thinking clearer; helps you recall dreams more vividly.

Having sunstone with you is like carrying your own cheering squad with you. It constantly encourages you to move forward. It quietly encourages you to celebrate your accomplishments; celebrate who you are now and who you are becoming. It seems like your sunstone is telling you that you'd make easier, clearer decisions if you'd just set your fears aside and act from the magnificence that's in you. It would tell you that you are evolving and moving forward at your own pace. In other words, sunstone gives us confidence and having the courage to move forward at our own pace. It helps us to relax and enjoy life! What a wonderful gemstone to have with us!!

Jubilee Diamond: A colourless, flawless, clear white, cushion-shaped diamond

The Jubilee Diamond, originally known as the Reitz Diamond is a colourless, flawless, clear white cushion-shaped diamond weighing almost 651 carats in rough form. It was found in the Jaegersfontein mine in South Africa in 1895. It was originally named after Francis William Reitz, the then president of the Orange Free State where the stone was discovered

A consortium of diamond merchants from London purchased it along with its even larger sister, the Excelsior, in 1896, and sent it to Amsterdam where it was polished by M.B. Barends. A 40 carat chunk was removed, which itself yielded a 13.34 pear-shaped gem eventually purchased by Dom Carlos I of Portugal.

Later on, it was faceted into a cushion brilliant of about 245 carats in 1897, the year of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, from which it takes its name. “Excelsior diamond”, until the discovery of the Cullinan diamond in 1905, the world's largest-known uncut diamond. When found by a worker loading a truck in the De Beers mine at Jagersfontein, Orange Free State, on June 30, 1893, the blue-white stone weighed about 995 carats. After long study the Excelsior diamond was cut (1904) by I.J. Asscher and Company of Amsterdam into 21 stones ranging in weight from less than 1 carat to more than 70 carats.

Cullinan Diamond : The largest gem diamond ever found

This 3,106.75 carat diamond is the largest gem diamond ever found. It was discovered on January 26, 1905 at the Premier Diamond Mining Company in Cullinan, Gauteng, South Africa, by Frederick Wells, a mine superintendent. Although a carbonado found in Brazil weighed more than 3,600 carats (720 g), no gem-quality material could be extracted from it. The stone was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the diamond mine.

The stone was bought by the Transvaal government for $800,000 and presented to King Edward VII. It was cut into three large parts by Asscher Brothers of Amsterdam, and eventually into some 11 large gem-quality stones, 96 smaller brilliants, and 9.5 carats of unpolished pieces. At the time, technology had not yet evolved to guarantee quality of the modern standard, and cutting the diamond was considered difficult and risky. In order to enable Asscher to cut the diamond in one blow an incision was made, half an inch deep. Then a specifically designed knife was placed in the incision and the diamond was split in one heavy blow. The diamond split through a defective spot which was shared in both halves of the diamond.

The Cullinan I was the largest gem produced from the rough stone. It is a pear shaped stone of 530.2 carats and is the world's largest cut diamond. The Cullinan I is now in the head of the royal scepter in the British crown jewels. The second largest cut diamond, the Cullinan II, is a cushion-shaped stone weighing 317.4 carats, and is set in the British imperial state crown.

Excelsior Diamond : named after the Jubilee in honor of Queen Victoria

On the evening of June 30, 1893, an African mine worker picked up an immense diamond in a shovelful of gravel which he was loading into a truck; he hid it from his overseer and delivered it directly into the hands of the mine manager. The diamond was discovered in the Jagersfontein mine in the Orange River Colony. The lucky Kaffir was rewarded he received $2500 and a horse equipped with saddle and bridle. The diamond had a blue-white tint and weighed 971 3/4 carats (194.2 g) or equivalent to 995.2 metric carats

The shape the diamond stone was flat on one side and rose to a peak on the other, rather like a loaf of rye bread. Apparently it was this fact which caused the diamond to be given the name of Excelsior, meaning higher. The stone was ultimately named the Jubilee in honour of the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the accession of the late Queen Victoria.

Until 1905, when the larger Cullinan diamond was found, the Excelsior was the largest known diamond in the world. The rough stone weighed 971 3/4 carats, measured two and one-half inches in length, two inches in breadth, and one inch in thickness.

Like the Cullinan Diamond, its predecessor had a fault that prevented its becoming a single gem; this was a black spot in the centre which made it necessary to cleave it, as the Cullinan was cleaved. After prolonged study it was decided to first cleave the diamond into ten pieces: this operation which was performed by Mr. A. Asscher, resulting in the three largest pieces weighing 158, 147 and 130 carats. The larger portion was cut into an absolutely perfect brilliant, weighing 239 international carats of 205 milligrams and measuring one and five-eighths inches in length, one and three-eighths in breadth, and one inch in depth.

The polishing was supervised by Henry Koe and yielded 21 gems, ranging from 70 carats to less than 1 carat. They totalled 373.75 carats which represented a loss in weight of almost 63 percent. The final result, however, was considered to have been better than anyone had expected. The specifications of the larger gems cut from the Excelsior are as follows:

(metric carats)
Excelsior I ... 69.68 carats ... pear shape
Excelsior II ... 47.03 carats ... pear shape
Excelsior III ... 46.90 carats ... pear shape
Excelsior IV ... 40.23 carats ... marquise
Excelsior V ... 34.91 carats ... pear shape
Excelsior VI ... 28.61 carats ... marquise
Excelsior VII ... 26.30 carats ... marquise
Excelsior VIII ... 24.31 carats ... pear shape
Excelsior IX ... 16.78 carats ... pear shape
Excelsior X ... 13.86 carats ... pear shape
Excelsior XI ... 9.82 carats ... pear shape

The Excelsior gems were sold seperately, three of them were bought by Tiffany & Co., in their old store in Union Square in New York City. The names of the other buyers have not been disclosed but it is known that De Beers displayed one of the marquise-shaped fragments at the 1939 World's Fair in New York.

The curse of the Hope Diamond

The unusual Blue diamond that became the Hope, appeared in Europe in 1669 and is believed to be from Golconda. It is sapphire-blue gemstone and one of the largest blue diamonds known. The 45.52 carat steel blue Hope Diamond was found in India back in remote times as a rough crystal weighing 112 carats.

The stone was brought to France by the jewel trader Jean-Baptiste Tavernier and purchased by Louis XIV in 1668 as part of the French crown jewels. This stone, later called the French Blue, was recut into a 67-carat heart in 1673 and disappeared after the crown-jewel robbery of 1792 , possibly reappearing in Spain 7 years later. According to the legend, a curse befell the large, blue diamond when it was stolen from an idol in India - a curse that foretold bad luck and death not only for the owner of the diamond but for all who touched it. Whether or not you believe in the curse, the Hope diamond has intrigued people for centuries. Its perfect quality, its large size, and its rare color make it strikingly unique and beautiful.


Later on, a dark blue diamond appeared in London in 1812 and is reputed to weigh "above 44cts". It aquired its name from Henry Philip Pope a banker, It was displayed in 1851 and 1855 but was sold in 1901. It was sold again in 1909 and again in 1910, by Cartier who had repoished it and set it.The new owner, a Mrs McLean immediately had the stone blessed. At her death in 1947 it was valued at $176,920 Harry Winston purchased the stone in 1949 and he presented it to the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. in 1958

Regent diamond: formerly Pitt Diamond

Regent diamond, also called Pitt Diamond, a brilliant-cut stone with a slight blue tinge that once was the outstanding gem of the French crown jewels; it is said to have been discovered by a slave in the Parteal Mines (also spelled 'Partial') on the Kistna River of India about 1701 and weighed 410 carats in rough form. The slave stole the enormous rough concealing it in bandages of a self-inflicted leg wound, and fled to the seacoast. There, he divulged his secret to an English sea captain, offering him half the value of the stone in return for safe passage to a free country. But during the voyage to Bombay, temptation overcame this seafaring man and he murdered the slave took th diamond. After selling it to an Indian diamond merchant named Jamchund for about $5000, the captain squandered the proceeds in dissipation and, in a fit of remorse and delirium tremens, hanged himself.


In 1702, Jamchund sold the stone for about $100,000 to Sir Thomas Pitt, British governor in Madras, who was the grandfather of William Pitt of American Revolutionary fame. Known to historians as the "Elder Pitt," William was the British Prime Minister for whom Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was named. Thomas Pitt published a letter in the London Daily Post to counter rumours that he had stolen the gem. The stone was cut to a 141-carat cushion brilliant called the Pitt diamond and was purchased in 1717 by the Duke of Orleans, regent of France, from which it gets the name Regent.


The royals used the stone in many ways including being set in the Crown of Louis XV, as a hair ornament of Queen Marie and as an adornment in the hat of Marie Antoinette. After the French Revolution the stone was set in the hilt of Napoleon Bonaparte's sword. Napoleon's wife, Marie Louisa, carried the Regent back to Austria upon his death. Later her father returned it to the French Crown Jewels. Today, it remains in the French Royal Treasury at Louvre.

Centenary Diamond: the world's largest colorless, flawless diamond

The Centenary Diamond was discovered in the Premier Mine on July 17, 1986 using their X-ray imaging system. It is the world's third-largest, modern-cut perfect diamond that possesses 599 carats in rough form. The Gemological Institute of America has certified Centenary Diamond with a color grade as D color. This is supposed to be the highest grade of colorless diamond.


The original rough was presented on May 11, 1988 in the Centennial Celebration of the De Beers Consolidated Mines. As then-chairman Julian Oglivie Thompson said, "We have recovered at the Premier Mine a diamond of 599 carats (119.8 g) which is perfect in color – indeed it is one of the largest top-color diamonds ever found. Naturally it will be called the Centenary Diamond."


The Centenary is characterized with 75 faces on the pinnacle, 89 on the base and 83 on the girdle that forms a total of 247 facets. In recent times, the diamond has been placed as an element of the British Crown Jewels.


The complete version of the Centenary diamond was unveiled in February 1991 and comprises a body mass of 273.85 carats (54.770 g) with proportions computing to 39.90 × 50.50 × 24.55 mm. The complete gem statistics consists of 247 facets with 164 on the stone and 83 on the girdle. The stone was indemnified at over US$100 million at the time of its unveiling ceremony during May 1991. The recent fact about the stone is that it was loaned to the Tower of London where it was on exhibition for a number of years.

Is It Or Isn’t It? The World’s Largest Diamond

Unconfirmed reports are in from South Africa regarding the discovery of what may be the world’s largest diamond.

According to Brett Jolly, a shareholder in the small South African mining company that found the diamond, the stone is around 7,000 carats, twice the size of the world’s largest diamond - the Cullinan Diamond.

In 2000 police foiled a plan to steal the 203-ct. flawless pear-shaped Millennium Star diamond and 11 other rare blue diamonds, including the 27.64-ct. blue Heart of Eternity diamond from London’s Millennium Diamond. In a scene right out of the James Bond movie "The World is Not Enough," the robbers planned to make their getaway via a speedboat on the nearby Thames River. But police, acting on a tip given several weeks ago, had prepared for the theft and had officers stationed around the Millennium Dome dressed as members of the cleaning staff carrying weapons in their refuse bags. Some 100 officers lay in wait as a gang attempted to use a mechanical digger to steal the gems valued at £350 million. The robbers only managed to damage the glass display case, however, the police, had swapped the jewels for worthless copies

The Cullinan, the centerpiece of the British crown jewels, was discovered near Pretoria in 1905 and weighs about 3,000 carats. The unpolished Cullinan, also known as the Star of Africa, was 3,107 carats when De Beers found it in 1905. The cut stone now resides in the Tower of London, set in the sceptre of King Edward VII.

But industry experts are skeptical about the unconfirmed claim. In a photograph emailed to the BBC, the 'stone' appears to be about the size of a coconut, and has a greenish tinge.

But a spokesman for De Beers, the world's biggest diamond mining company, said the north-west province was not known for producing gems and greenish stones were even rarer.

Ernie Blom, chairman of the South African Diamond Council and president of the World Federation of Diamond Bourses, said from what he could see in the photograph the gem did have the characteristics of a diamond in terms of shape and color.

'It would be an extremely rare find. It would almost be like finding another Rembrandt,' he said. He said the stone would have to be certified by an expert.

Source : Jewelry.com.

For The Love of God: A Damien Hirst's diamond skull

Damien Hirst's latest artwork is this life-size platinum skull encrusted with 8,601 fine diamonds. The sculpture, titled "For The Love of God," will likely sell for as much as $100 million, making it the priciest contemporary artwork ever made. White Cube gallery is selling several limited edition silkscreen prints of the work, priced from £900 to £10,000, for one sprinkled with diamond dust. The title of the piece comes from Hirst's mother who asked her son, “For the love of God, what are you going to do next?” From the New York Times:


For Hirst, famous pickler of sharks and bovine bisector, all his art is about death. This piece, which was cast from an 18th-century skull he bought in London, was influenced by Mexican skulls encrusted in turquoise. “I remember thinking it would be great to do a diamond one — but just prohibitively expensive,” he recalls. “Then I started to think — maybe that’s why it is a good thing to do. Death is such a heavy subject, it would be good to make something that laughed in the face of it.”


Hirst, who financed the piece himself, watched for months as the price of international diamonds rose while the Bond Street gem dealer Bentley & Skinner tried to corner the market for the artist’s benefit. Given the ongoing controversy over blood diamonds from Africa, “For the Love of God” now has the potential to be about death in a more literal way.


“That’s when you stop laughing,” Hirst says. “You might have created something that people might die because of. I guess I felt like Oppenheimer or something. What have I done? Because it’s going to need high security all its life.”

Source: Boingboing.net

4 Billion years Diamond : The World's oldest diamond

Scientists have discovered what they believe are the world's oldest diamonds beneath the Australian outback in a surprise find that could force a rethink about how the Earth formed.


The diamonds are believed to date back more than four billion years, making them almost as old as the 4.5 billion year old planet, according a report from Australian and German researchers in the scientific journal Nature. "We're still stunned, it was the last thing we expected to find," geologist Alexander Nemchin from Western Australia's Curtin University of Technology told AFP.


The diamonds were found trapped inside zircon crystals from the Jack Hills region in the remote north of Western Australia state. The 50 gems are tiny, with the largest measuring only 70 microns, or about the width of a human hair and most invisible to the naked eye.


Nemchin said they could have major implications for scientists trying to understand the Earth's early geology because they are believed to have formed up to a billion years earlier than the oldest previously discovered diamonds.

He said diamonds need immense pressure from the planet's tectonic plates to form, and scientists had believed the plates were too thin so early in Earth's history because at the time it was little more than a molten ball.

"It means it's possible that the Earth looked similar to the modern Earth much earlier than we thought," he said.

"It's a very controversial area though and not everyone will agree with that conclusion."

Source: Diamondinformationcenter.com

Blood Diamonds are still a reality

Conflict or blood diamonds fuel conflict, civil wars and human rights abuses. They have been responsible for funding recent conflicts in Africa which resulted in the death and displacement of millions of people. During these conflicts, profits from the illegal trade in diamonds, worth billions of dollars, were used by warlords and rebels to buy arms.


An estimated 3.7 million people have died in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Liberia, and Sierra Leone in conflicts fuelled by diamonds.

While the wars in Angola and Sierra Leone are now over and fighting in the DRC has decreased, the problem of conflict diamonds hasn't gone away.


Despite the fact that an international diamond certification scheme called the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme was launched in 2003, conflict diamonds from Côte d'Ivoire are finding their way through Ghana into the legitimate diamond market. As the brutal conflict in Sierra Leone has shown, even a small amount of conflict diamonds can wreak enormous havoc in a country.


Between 1991 and 2002 over 50,000 people were killed, over 2 million displaced within the country or made refugees, and thousands mutilated, raped and tortured. Today, the country is still recovering from the consequences of the conflict.

The launch of the film Blood Diamond is a timely reminder that governments and the diamond industry must ensure that no conflict diamonds find their way into the consumer market.

Modest diamond found in Finland

The idea of diamond discoveries in Finland might seem far-fetched. However, since the early 1980s, kimberlite rocks have been discovered in Finland. These rocks contain the sparkling and much sought-after gem.


“Kimberlites are ancient, usually small and very rare volcanic rocks, which millions of years ago erupted to the surface from a depth of 200 to 300 kilometres,” says Marjaleena Lehtonen, M.Sc.


In her doctoral dissertation in the field of geology, she studies the diamond potential of Finnish rock, while simultaneously searching for new ways of locating diamond deposits.


So far, discoveries in Finland include about two dozen kimberlite deposits, each measuring a few hectares. According to Lehtonen, their diamond content is modest compared with the deposits in the world’s leading diamond-producing countries, such as Canada and South Africa.


However, the quality of diamonds discovered in Finland meets the requirements for jewellery, and Lehtonen says there is a possibility of discovering a financially viable diamond deposit.


“Eastern and Northern Finland are part of the same bedrock area that stretches to the Archangel region in Russia, which is home to world-class diamond deposits.”


So far, the largest diamond discovered in Finland measures 5 mm in diameter and weighs 1.2 carats.


Although the diamond content of the kimberlite deposits thus far discovered in Finland is low, the country’s good infrastructure attracts prospectors. The good road network, for instance, significantly reduces the total costs of prospecting.


Discovering new kimberlites is not, however, easy, as they are often overlain by dozens of metres of soil. Nevertheless, Lehtonen’s study gives new hope to gemstone hunters. It revealed what accompanying minerals are found near kimberlite deposits. A new deposit was also located in Kaavi during the study.

$1.795 million for Japanese Diamond Dress

Chris Aire isn't the only one who makes diamond dresses. Recently a store in Osaka, Japan displayed an evening dress decorated with 2,000 diamonds. The dress is blue silk festooned with 300 carats of diamonds and sells for approximately 200 million yen (around $1.795 million).

Blingmaster Chris Aire Plans Second Jewelry Show

Blingmaster Chris Aire is planning to host his second annual jewelry fashion show at New York's Fashion Week. Last year he turned heads by draping Naomi Campbell in a red gold halter. Chris Aire is the only show designed to just display jewelry and his pieces draw heavily on the use of his trademark red gold. This year's headturners will include a short dress made of red gold with platinum and diamonds and a full-length red gold and diamond dress. There will also be a red gold hat of more than 10,000 individual links. Aire will also debut his new colored stones collection which also uses red gold. There will also be a surprise musical guest who will perform using a 1940s microphone covered in diamonds.

Quality diamond jewelry at Iceforever.

Gold and Diamond Statue of Liberty Charm

This diamond charm is made of 14k yellow gold and diamond Statue of Liberty charm that measures approx 1 3/4''. Each Diamond Charm features a lobster claw clasp for easy attachment to a Necklace or Charm Bracelet.

Pink Diamond Headset

Love it or hate it, gadgets are the new bling, literally. Creators of the Pama 7008 Pink Diamante Bluetooth Headset decided that pink was not girly enough, but pink with diamonds, now that is how you girlify a gadget. Aside from the "pretty in pink diamonds" setup, the headset comes with a neckstrap, one button action, 5 hours of talk time, weighs 12.7 grams, and enhanced audio. It's only available in the UK and sells for 47.95 EUR.

Most Expensive Diamond Necklace

Diamonds are not only the girl's best friend. They are also an economical man's worst enemy! It is no secret that diamonds and diamond necklaces as well as diamond jewelry are costly. The ordinary you and I might wish to have a necklace with small, cheap diamonds just to tell others we have diamond necklaces as well, but well, otherwise, the more exotic diamond necklaces with large stones or many stones are simply not for average folks.

How about a diamond necklace that has a pear shaped diamond, about 75 carats? The necklace looks simply stunning with the diamond in it, and it costs only about US $5 million. There is also a diamond ring that is quite cheap - about $1 million. A beautiful diamond necklace, by Stefano Canturi, costs only about &750,000 - $1 million.

$1.3 million handset: the world's priciest phone

Guinness World Records certifies this GoldVish phone as the most expensive in the world--1 million euros, or about $1.3 million. The odd-shaped device is made out of 18-carat white gold and features 1,800 diamonds totaling 120 carats. A Russian businessman bought Le Million for his wife last September at a luxury goods fair in Cannes, France. Don't have a spare million for this made-by-request gadget? Geneva-based GoldVish has plenty of expensive phones in its lineup, including models with gold plating and diamond-studded cases.


Last year, Vertu teamed up with French jeweler Boucheron to make the second-most-expensive phone on our list, a limited-edition series of eight $310,000 handsets sporting red, jewel-encrusted snakes. The Signature Cobra includes two diamonds, two emerald eyes and 439 rubies snaking around an 18-carat rose gold case.


Like most of the phones on our list, Vertu's devices are fairly standard, "unlocked" handsets compatible with any wireless carrier whose networks use a calling technology called GSM--in the U.S., that's AT&T, formerly Cingular Wireless, and T-Mobile, a division of Deutsche.


Wireless both use a competing technology that's not compatible.) Vertu phones also include a direct-dial button to a concierge service, which can help with travel information, restaurant tips and events.


While some manufacturers flaunt diamonds, others are showcasing phone cases made from rare, antique wood. The pitch is that the varying grain patterns make each handset truly unique. Russia's Gresso boasts that its Black Aura handsets are 200 years old--the age of the African Blackwood on each phone's case. Canada's Mobiado says it has sold through its 200-unit run of the $2,200 jet-black Professional EM, made from ebony wood and hard-anodized aluminum with titanium buttons.

The Most Expensive Computer Mouse that Worth $24,180

Most consumers just use the mouse that comes with their desktop and only purchase a mouse when they spill the inevitable hot cup of coffee and ruin the wheel action on their mouse and their mousepad.


Others must think of their mouse as a fashion accessory though, because why else would Swiss manufacturer Pat Says Now produce the world’s most expensive computer mouse. The costly peripheral is cast from 18 carat white gold and set with 59 brilliant cut diamonds, and will only set you back £12,400 ($24,180 USD). The most expensive mouse utilizes a modern 3-button wheel optical mouse design, options for USB or PS/2 connections for either PC or Mac, a 800 dpi Resolution, and a 3 year warranty.

The expensive mouse comes in two designs, “Diamond Flower” and the “Scattered Diamond” layout. You can bling out and personalize the most expensive computer mouse by adding your initials in diamonds, and can choose from yellow, red or white gold with white or black trim.

$100,000 Diamond Stella Egg: The Most Expensive Easter egg

This image might not have surprised you for the very reason that Easter is at the doorstep and an edible studded with precious gems is expected to be in queue. This is the Diamond Stella Egg, studded with 100 half-carat diamonds, costing $100,000. The Diamond Stella Egg, standing 60cm tall was on display yesterday at the La Maison du Chocolat in London.

To quote Neil Duttson, of Duttson Diamonds, the Knightsbridge dealer, who provided gems to the specialty shop at Paris:

It’s a gimmick, a PR stunt. And it probably won’t sell unless a rich Russian walks by with his trophy wife and decides he wants it ... Chocolate and diamonds - what more could a woman want? Well, the dealer does not have to worry about it as the stuffing inside the studded chocolate body is the richest that any chocolate lover would die for - peach and apricot chocolate and pralines.

However, if it were I at the display I would have studded my platinum bracelet with all the diamonds scraped off from the body of the chocolate.

A globe that made of gemstones

Twenty five exquisite Grade A Gemstones are used for the hand cut diamond shaped shell oceans and map of the world globes. Each of the 50 states are individual gem stones and hand cut & highly detailed. The meridian lines are crafted in genuine gold and silver ribbon. The globe measures 13 inches diameter, 20 inches overall height and weighs 22 pounds.

The gorgeous Globe Oceans are made of "Hand Cut" diamond cut shells seamlessly fit into this one of a kind gemstone globe. Each unique jeweler quality globes are made of unique gemstones indigenous to the countries they represent. The Gem Globes contain no fake gemstones as with some manufacturers. The oceans are made of reconstituted genuine Grade A gemstones with a 15% resin mix, not all resin as in lower quality globes. The Brass Stand has a bright finish.

A diamond-studded tennis racket

At the “Diamond Games” tournament in Antwerp, Belgium, Amelie Mauresmo beat “hometown” favorite, Kim Clijsters, in her final tournament appearance in her native Belgium. By collecting her third title in five years at this popular stop on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, Mauresmo’s trophy cabinet will now sparkle as much as her play in the tournament with the addition of the diamond-studded tennis racket trophy.


This unique trophy is probably one of the, if not the, most expensive trophy in all of sports. The 8.8 pound gold racket trophy is studded with 1,702 diamonds. What does one do with such a stunning and valuable trophy? Mauresmo admitted after the match that, despite her previous comments to the contrary, she had been thinking about possibly winning the diamond-studded racket trophy all week.

Therefore, the racket will probably find a home among her other tournament trophies… but for how long? Maybe Mauresmo will hold on to the trophy forever or perhaps she will follow in Pete Sampras’ footsteps by donating it to a charity auction in the future. In the 1990s, Sampras donated the diamond-studded trophy he’d won to be auctioned to raise money for The Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS.

World's most expensive earrings

What is the most expensive earrings in the world?

Harry Winston is the 'jeweler to the stars' and you can find him, where else, at the House of Winston at 371 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, California. Every year Harry Winston lends out hundreds of millions of dollars worth of jewelry to the stars so they can look good at the Oscars.


For 2006 the House of Winston created a pair of 'Extraordinary Diamond Drop Earrings' consisting of two pear-shaped diamonds in a platinum setting totaling 60.1 carats of wallet emptying glitter.

If you're interested in buying the world's most expensive earrings be prepared to shell out a cool $8.5 million USD.

Diamond Jacket valued at $1 Million Dollars

The special event will feature a Diamond Jacket, valued at $1 Million Dollars, along with $10 Million Dollars of the most beautiful diamonds in the world. This event is free to the public.

The press release for the event is below:

The Warner Company Jewelers will display Lazare Diamond's Million Dollar Diamond Jacket for the first time in the United States.

Lazare Diamonds, known as "the world's most beautiful diamond", has partnered with acclaimed Japanese designer Risuko Shiraham, to create an extraordinary, one-of-a-kind diamond encrusted evening jacket valued at $1,000,000.

Delicately layered rows of Lazare Diamonds signifying a bouquet are sewn directly onto the jacket to give a three-dimensional appearance and maximum beauty. The black taffeta and platinum mountings also radiate a beautiful contrast.

This stunning design consisting of 2,000 ideal cut Lazare Diamonds, 300 carats, and 2 lbs. of platinum combine for an ultimate feminine effect will appear for the first time in the United States at a special event hosted by the Warner Company Jewelers, November 10th through the 12th.

"The concept of a one-of-a-kind couture jacket exemplifies the drama and rare beauty of Lazare Diamonds and the talent and design innovation of Ritsuko Shirahama", said Marcee Feinberg, Vice President of Marketing for Lazare Kaplan.

This special event was held last November 10-12 of the year 2006.

30 carats of diamonds for the most expensive shift knob

Owning a Bentley has long been a certifiable symbol of status and high-class, now you can take it one step further with the diamond encrusted Bentley shift knob. You could easily purchase several new cars for the price of this one knob. Bentley has been making automobiles out of Britain since the 1920’s and interestingly enough, one of the company’s earliest owners was heir to a diamond mine fortune. Bentley Motors saw hard times in the Great Depression when it was sold to its competitor, Rolls Royce in 1931.

The most expensive shift knob will certainly gain you a lot of attention, maybe even a shattered window from a break-in attempt. If you can afford this expensive shift knob then you can probably also afford some nice window tinting.

So, how much is it worth, you may ask? The Bentley Gear Shift Knob is approximately worth $150,000 and features 30 carats of diamonds, and 10 ounces of 18-carat white gold. Just to give you an example of how ridiculous this shift knob really is, the Bentley Continental GT costs $165,000. How could anyone justify the purchase of a diamond encrusted gear shift knob!?

The LP Wheel Group (IcedOutEmz) designed the expensive shift knob and owner Tony Lee reports that they have not found a buyer yet.