37-Carat 'Raj Pink' Diamond Could Fetch $30 Million

The 37.30-carat "Raj Pink" diamond will be the top lot at Sotheby’s Geneva Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels sale on November 15 with a hefty estimate of $20 million - $30 million.

“The discovery of any pink diamond is exceptional, but The Raj Pink’s remarkable size and intensity of color places it in the rarefied company of the most important pink diamonds known,” said David Bennett, worldwide chairman of Sotheby’s International Jewellery Division. 

According to Sotheby’s, the rough diamond that yielded The Raj Pink was studied for over a year after its discovery in 2015. It was then entrusted to a master cutter, who crafted it into a cushion-modified brilliant cut.

The diamond was named by its current owner, who requested anonymity. Its meaning is based on the Sanskrit word for king. 

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA), in its report characterized the diamond as an “astonishing stone,” describing its hue as “a very bright and ravishing fancy intense pink color,” adding, “For a diamond to display strong, unmodified pink color like that observed in The Raj Pink is rare, particularly at so considerable a weight.”

The discovery of a gem-quality pink diamond of any size is an extremely rare occurrence. Of all diamonds submitted to the GIA each year, fewer than 0.02% are predominantly pink, Sotheby’s said.

The current record holder for a fancy intense pink diamond is the 24.78-carat “Graff Pink,” which sold for more than $46.1 million at Sotheby’s Geneva, 2010.

“Only on the rarest occasions do diamonds with vibrant, shocking color like the Raj Pink’s emerge,” GIA said. “Only the most privileged and knowledgeable in the industry know of their existence. With an unmodified Fancy Intense Pink hue, substantial size and desirable clarity, the Raj Pink is certainly one of those gems that only few may have the honor of experiencing.” 

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‘Rockefeller Emerald’ Poised To Break Two World Auction Records

It has size, provenance and "exceptional" quality. Now the 18.4-carat “Rockefeller Emerald” is poised to set new world auction records for an emerald jewel and an emerald per carat.

The Colombian emerald set on a diamond and platinum ring by famed New York jeweler, Raymond C. Yard, will be the highlight of Christie’s New York Magnificent Jewels auction on June 20. The gem, which passed through several members of the Rockefeller family, has a presale estimate of $4 million - $6 million.

It seems fitting that the sale will be held at Christie’s Rockefeller Center headquarters, named after the same family that owned the emerald ring.

The current world record for an emerald jewel and an emerald per carat is believed to be held by a 23.46-carat emerald and diamond pendant brooch by Bulgari, formerly owned by Elizabeth Taylor. It sold for more than $6.5 million ($280,000 per carat) in December 2011 as part of the landmark auctions of “The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor” at Christie’s New York.

If the emerald sells for its $6 million high estimate it will easily beat the current per-carat record. If it exceeds its high estimate it would likely surpass the overall record.

The emerald of Colombian origin was purchased in 1930 by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., the only son among the five children of Standard Oil co-founder John D. Rockefeller. It was part of a brooch believed to have been created by Van Cleef & Arpels for his wife, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller.

When Aldrich Rockefeller passed away in 1948, the brooch was disassembled and the 18.4-carat emerald was given to his son, David Rockefeller. The son then asked Yard to mount the gem on a ring.

Yard—the personal jeweler to several Rockefeller family members—created a classic and understated diamond and platinum setting for the gem. The ring is considered to be one of Yard’s most important private commissions, according to Christie’s.

Christie’s says the Colombian emerald is described by the American Gemological Laboratories as “exceptional,” and possesses what AGL calls an “unusual combination of size, provenance, absence of treatment and quality factors [that contribute] favorably to its rarity and desirability.”

“Due to its rarity, an emerald of this quality and significant weight is not readily found in the market, and it is ranked at the top of its class,” Christie’s added in a statement. “Though it has passed on to other hands, this superb Colombian emerald still embodies the grandeur of the Rockefeller family name.”

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Kerv Contactless Payment Smart Ring Funded On Kickstarter

By Chris Benham, co-founder and director of Inspired Jewellery Ltd., and Angelka Vegar, marketing coordinator of Inspired Jewellery Ltd.

The world’s first contactless payment ring has been funded through Kickstarter, achieving 43 percent more than its goal, with more than 2,000 backers. The backers pledged 110,182 British pounds ($158,000) to help bring this project to life.

The ring is called Kerv, and although there are other smart rings on the market, Kerv is the first ring that allows you to make a payment simply by swiping your hand over a contactless payment terminal. We spoke to one of Kerv’s founders, Philip Campbell.

Campbell and the team behind Kerv have backgrounds in the payments, digital, creative and electrical engineering industries. 

“We worked on a number of innovative projects in the FinTech sector, but we felt that they weren’t fulfilling their potential, and neither did the other products in the market. We felt we could do it better. Our goal was to make a piece of wearable technology that was desirable and looked more like a fashion item than a piece of technology. Nobody wants to wear ugly jewelry. It’s as simple as that.”

The ring comes in seven colors. Its design was developed by creative director, Dean Leybourn. “Dean and I have worked together for over 15 years, and he's a significant influence on the overall concept.”

And it would seem that people do want to wear it, with such a positive response from more than 2,000 backers pledging their money to get their hands (or fingers) on Kerv. It shows that there is demand for this wearable technology.

Kerv is being marketed to those who are young and active, whose minds are on which mountain to climb next or which gig to attend on Friday. Not concerned with the details, they just want to do it, be there and jump right in.

Currently in the production phase, it will be interesting to follow the journey of this new product concept—a wearable that aims to blend a good-looking aesthetic with useful technology. Executed well, it will provide many opportunities for the company, including opportunities to partner with banks, sports and lifestyle brands looking for clever ways to capture the younger, ‘less is more’ audience. You only need to look at the success of minimalist wallets from the likes of Bellroy, echoing the sentiment of millennials whose daily grind is to ditch the excess.

Campbell points out another group of consumers who have showed positive interest in Kerv. “One of the best responses we have received is from people that lack dexterity in their hands, be it the elderly or some disabled users. We are currently working with some disabled users and groups to help refine the product for this group as it could provide significant benefits. We are very keen to see if we can help support this audience”.

Initial plans were to sell Kerv directly online but the firm is now actively exploring the potential to sell via retail partners, specifically jewelry retailers. “This offers a great opportunity for users to see, touch and try the ring which we have seen leads to a very positive impression.”

There’s no doubt that smart rings are on the rise, only last week the OURA Ring was unveiled at CES 2016. But OURA serves a different function — it assesses your body and sleep patterns to help you live a balanced, healthy life. The NFC Ring (also funded through Kickstarter) unlocks doors and smartphones, and Ringly, the ring that most looks like a traditional piece of jewelry, allows you to receive notifications from apps on your smartphone. Kerv claims to be the first ring to allow contactless payments.

When released to the general public, Kerv will retail for 49.99 British pounds ($71).

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The Patai Ring - From Concept Design To Best Seller

An unfurling fern frond of the native New Zealand silver fern was the inspiration behind the Patai ring. Photo credit: Shutterstock

By Chris Benham, co-founder and director of Inspired Jewellery Ltd.

A few years ago we were at a jewelry show where we showcased a collection called Gold Kina. It is a quintessentially New Zealand inspired collection that was deliberately created to be extreme, to provoke and challenge. At that show we met a lady who was absolutely taken with a design in the Gold Kina Collection called Patai. However, she wanted it as an engagement ring not an occasional dress ring, which is what it was designed to be.

The Original Patai design: Sculptured platinum with the hard edged koru form that sweeps and suspends a 1.036-carat pear shaped diamond.

The name Patai is a Maori word translated to mean “to ask, question, enquire, cross-examine, provoke and challenge.” She had laid down a challenge for us. We needed to evolve this design into an everyday wearable diamond engagement ring without losing the essence of the original version.

The design of the Patai engagement and right hand rings evolved into a more delicate curve. In this case, the ring supports a 1-carat pear-shaped diamond

It is amazing how designs can evolve over time and often through customer feedback. Jewelers are fortunate in that we can rapidly adapt designs based on those ideas and feedback. Unlike say car manufacturers where, according to most sources, creating a new model is a billion-dollar-plus exercise and it’s only practical to take on that feedback and implement it every three years.

The Patai ring with a 1.58-carat natural pink sapphire highlighted with 25 round brilliant diamonds along the band

From that first request we evolved the Patai design and it has turned into a best seller. The ring Patai is inspired by the Koru—itself symbolic of new life and new beginnings. A beautiful inspiration when people are getting engaged and starting a new life together. Sculpted from platinum, Patai clasps a pear shaped diamond so gently in the unfurled frond of the koru that the diamond appears as if it is floating.

Since then the design has evolved a number of times to include sapphires, more diamonds and even a round brilliant diamond. Here is a video showing the making of the ring:

Jewelry News Network guest columnist, Chris Benham, is co-founder and director of Inspired Jewellery Ltd., Wellington, New Zealand, a global creative studio for specialist jewelry design.  

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Last Chance To View ‘Cycles of Life’ Rings Exhibition

De Clercq Roman diamond ring

“Cycles of Life: Rings from the Benjamin Zucker Family Collection,” will come to end on December 6. So time is running out to view a private collection of more than 40 rings that run from the 3rd to the 19th centuries. In addition, to it being on public view at till December 6 at the Les Enluminures New York gallery, 23 East 73rd St.

Ruby and enamel gold ring

This is the first time that the entire collection is on display together and it will be the last as the entire collection is for sale. 

Ring with diamond-set Shoulders and bezel

Zucker is a well-known gem merchant and author who’s written scholarly publications and practical guides about gems and jewels, as well as novels. An illustrated catalog published by Paul Holberton, London, will accompany the exhibition, which will include contributions by Zucker, Sandra Hindman, founder of Les Enluminures, and Jack Ogden, chief executive of the Gemmological Association of Great Britain.

Gold ring with hand holding a heart

Many of the rings in the exhibition were previously on loan at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, which is known for its extensive jewelry collection, and a few pieces were at other museums. 

Mourning ring of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas

“Zucker is a great private collector and owns countless jewels,” said Cecilia Bonn, Les Enluminures Marketing and Communications director. “He really wanted the work cataloged. Sondra is good at applying scholarship to collections and specializes in Medieval and Renaissance manuscript illuminations, and Roman and byzantine jewelry. There’s a real compatibility here.”

Gold Jewish Marriage ring

Among the standouts is a Roman diamond ring that dates back to the third or fourth century. Once part of the de Clercq collection of Roman and Byzantine jewelry, the ring is centered by a natural uncut diamond with a double pyramid set in a high openwork bezel. It was acquired by Zucker in the 1970s, and loaned as the showpiece of the international traveling exhibition, “Diamonds and the Power of Love,” organized by the De Beers. The diamond giant declared that “the story of the diamond ring begins here”. It was most recently on display at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. It is second largest known surviving rough Roman diamond ring. 

Gold Signet ring with a merchant's mark and initials

“The roman uncut diamond ring one of 12 in existence that we know of,” Bonn said. “Seven of the rings are in the British museum and six are in private collections.”

Jewish marriage ring

Other standouts are an Italian made 14th Century Medieval sapphire and gold ring set with a 10th- century sapphire inscribed in Arabic; and a German-made 1631 diamond, ruby, and enamel gimmel ring, from the Rothschild Collection. 

Rothschild diamond ring

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Jürgen Abeler Ring Collection Up For Auction

Christie’s South Kensington will be offering more than 500 rings—dating from ancient Egypt and Rome through the 21st century—from the Collection of Jürgen Abeler of Wuppertal, Germany. The majority of the 103 lots, including several groups, will be feature as part of the auction house’s jewelry sale on October 9. More than 40 important ancient rings will be featured in its antiquities sale on October 25.

Estimates for individual rings start at £200. All items on offer from the collection will be on view October 5 till 8 at Christie’s South Kensington saleroom on 85 Old Brompton Road.

Highlights include a 16th Century signet ring of Johann Ernst von Sachsen, Julich, Kleve and Berg the great grandson of Sibylle von Julich, Kleve and Berg, sister of Anne of Kleve (Cleves) (1515-1554) wife of Henry VIII, King England(1491-1547), illustrated above left. Other highlights are mourning rings for Vice Admiral Nelson, killed at the Battle of Trafalgar illustrated above center, and the composer George Frideric Handel illustrated above right. The sale will also include a selection of modern conceptual and design rings.

Born in Wuppertal in 1933 into a family of watchmakers and goldsmiths, Jürgen Abeler continued this tradition. Abeler’s interest in rings stemmed from his grandmother’s Christmas present in 1955 of Heinz Battke’s book on the history of the rings, “Geschichte des Ringes in Beschreibung und Bildern.” Abeler would eventually acquire the author’s own collection of rings. Abeler would collect rings from myriad sources and locations—auctions, antique shops, private hands and foreign lands. The result was a collection ranging from Roman and Egyptian examples to rings highlighting 21st century design. In Jürgen Abeler’s own words he wished to create “a coherent, comprehensive overview about the whole topic up to (the) modern day.”

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Tatler Readers to Virtually ‘Try On’ Million Dollar Rings

The British magazine of glamorous lives and lifestyles, Tatler, is bringing augmented reality to its pages. Starting Thursday, those who have purchased the magazine’s September issue will be able to virtually “try on” rings worth millions of dollars.

Augmented reality is an engaging way of combining live video with computer-generated data, visualizations and sound for a live direct or an indirect view of a physical, real-world environment. The magazine will release the details of how to use this technology with its website tomorrow, but let me explain how it will most likely work.

The September issue of Tatler (to be released Thursday) will contain a page with a seemingly generic image of a ring. Just cut out the image and place it on your finger. Then you need a computer and a webcam. Go to the Tatler website, find the “Try Me” page. Following the directions, place the paper ring on your finger in from of the webcam and an image of an actual will appear on the computer screen. It will be as if you are looking in the mirror trying on the actual ring. There will most likely be screen prompts that will allow you to try on different rings.

And what an assortment of rings you’ll be able to virtually wear. International jewelry brands featured in this AR-enhance piece of editorial are Boodles, Cartier, Chanel Fine Jewelry, Chopard, De Beers, Fabergé, Graff, Harry Winston, Louis Vuitton, Mikimoto, Tiffany and Van Cleef & Arpels.

The AR is being provided by Holition, a U.K.-based company that provides 3D augmented reality solutions and specializes with luxury providers. It’s a name that regular readers of Jewelry News Network will no doubt recognize as it has graced these electronic pages through its projects with De Beers, Tissot, Tacori and Boucheron.

Tatler, which claims its roots to 1709, calls itself the oldest magazine in the world.

“What excites me is that we have brought together the oldest magazine in the world with an industry steeped in heritage and tradition—and combined the two to create a digital innovation,” said Jessica Walsh, Tatler’s jewelry editor. “Digital technologies are changing the way in which people interact with both media and brands and I am excited to be contributing to this shift.”

Hells Angels Sue Alexander McQueen Over Skull and Wing Design

Alexander McQueen's ring that's under dispute by the Hells Angels.

There was a time when the Hells Angels would beat the piss out of anyone who they believed was stealing from them. Now they go to court.

The notorious motorcycle gang has filed a trademark infringement suit against the design brand Alexander McQueen and retailers who are selling the designers’ disputed products, according to media reports.

At issue is the skull design used for McQueen's Hell’s Knuckle brass and silver knuckle duster rings, Professional Jeweller reports. In addition, the suit is targeting a clutch bag, scarf and dress by the designer that feature a similar design.

The Hells Angels are claiming that Alexander McQueen used its patented skull and wing motif without permission. It is also suing Saks and online retailer Zappos.com that sell the items.

The motorcycle group registered patents for its motif in 1984 and has since authorized its use on clothing and jewelry for promotional purposes, according to Professional Jeweller. The suit claims Alexander McQueen did not receive permission.

Royal Asscher Selects Reena Ahluwalia to Create New Designs for Stars of Africa Collection

Toronto jewelry designer Reena Ahluwalia will create five new jewelry designs for Stars of Africa Royal Asscher jewelry collection. The new  pendants, necklaces and earrings will complement the collection’s half-dome, floating diamond ring that was first unveiled about a year ago.

Royal Asscher will debut the new pieces at the JCK Las Vegas jewelry trade show, which opens June 4.

“Reena designs with immense precision and fervor, a perfect stage to continue the Royal Asscher legacy of gemological excellence and innovation,” the Amsterdam-based diamond company said.

“Royal Asscher has a legendary history of innovation and an unblemished ethical record in the diamond world,” Ahluwalia said. “As a jewelry designer, there is no greater motivation for me than to be able to contribute to positive social changes through my art and the ideas it spreads.”

The jewelry consists of full-diamond globes encircled by orbit-like elements. The globes spin to symbolizing earth's rotation while the free-floating diamonds represent the shining spirit of people. These orbits signify education, health-care and empowerment all of which are essential components to the root of the Star of Africa initiative. The pendants function as modern day amulets infused with messages of hope and well-being. The design of necklaces, earrings and pendants are all streamlined to represent the wondrous continent of Africa.

The entire collection benefits Royal Asscher's fundraising initiative, Stars of Africa, named after the largest diamond ever found, the Star of Africa, at 3,105 cts., which the Asscher family cut in 1908. The initiative was launched in 2008 and is aimed at improving infrastructure in Africa by creating funding for healthcare, education and self sufficiency programs.