Birthstones

You are sure to know your birthday but do you have information about your birthstone too? Well, it is a good time to enhance your knowledge in this field especially when it has become fashionable to sport a birthstone on your ring finger nowadays. Adorning your person with a gem stone that is connected to your birth date is considered to be lucky. While many believe that it will bring them wealth and prestige, others are more concerned with their health but both groups believe in the power of the birthstones. The idea is not new though and the tradition dates back to the pre-biblical era with the Persians, Romans, and even Aztecs strongly believing in the might of their birthstones.

But what exactly is a birthstone? While there are many beliefs about them, there has been no common consensus to date. You may choose to adorn yourself with a mythical birthstone, a biblical one, or a zodiacal one. However, the modern birthstone came into existence in 1912 when a group of American jewelers invented the chart that is by far the most popular. The months of the year are associated to a particular gem stone in the chart and you are sure to get lucky by wearing a blue topaz, if you happen to be born in December or can do away with all ills by sporting a ruby if you are a July born person.

Types of Jewelry with Birthstones

While you are free to wear the gem stone in any form you fancy as long as it lies in touch with your skin, there are a few fixed pieces of jewelry that come encrusted with your birthstone. The list includes:-

·         Rings – These are the most commonly worn birthstone jewelry due to the reasonable pricing as well as the sheer variety of precious metals available for setting the gem. Young people are not always open to buying highly expensive gold rings and opt for the low-end range of birthstones set in silver or white metal.

·         Necklaces – Enhancing your looks and heightening your luck at the same time is possible when you choose to wear a beautiful necklace studded with precious gems including your birthstone. The appeal for wearing your luck on your neck also lies in the common astrological belief of wearing it close to the center of your body.

·         Bracelets – These are extremely handy as gifts especially when the birthstone dangles from an attractive lucky charm bracelet.

So, go ahead and wish your near and dear ones all the luck in the world by giving birthstones as gifts on birthdays, anniversaries, and graduation ceremonies. 

Record Breaking Price for Emerald Cut Diamond

A 100.20 carat, internally flawless, D color, Type IIA diamond was sold at a remarkable $22.1 million at Sotheby’s Auction on 21^st April. The diamond known for its exceptional features and quality is now also known as the world’s most expensive diamond. The diamond was sold at a price which was true to the name of the exhibits- Magnificent Jewels. With this record breaking price and flawless features, this magnificent diamond now belongs to a league of its own. The diamond was sold at such a staggering price because it is a perfect emerald cut diamond to ever appear at an auction. Moreover, it is 100 carats which makes it a gigantic rock.

Being the most expensive emerald cut diamond is not the only title held by the gemstone. The diamond is also the first colorless one to command such a price. The diamond was extracted from a South African mine and originally weighed 200 carat. This was cut and given the emerald shape which took a year. It is rare to find an emerald cut diamond in such gigantic measurements. Therefore, the stone has already attracted lot of interest from people around the world. Over the last 25 years, 6 perfect diamonds have been sold at high prices at Sotheby’s auctions. This is the 6th one.

Other than this huge rock, chunky engagement rings were also top draws at Sotheby’s auction. Among the top draws were a purplish pink fancy diamond and sapphire ring which drew $2.4 million and a 22.30 carat oval-cut diamond ring that garnered $3.3 million. The colored gemstones were equally liked by enthusiasts and a particular diamond and emerald pendant was sold at a price of $2.8 million making it the third highest bid at the auction. Not just the new modern pieces, the show garnered equal acceptance for the vintage ones dating back few 100 hundred years.

A necklace belonging to 1920s in the design marking the Mughal era was sold for $2.6 million at the auction. The necklace is encrusted with diamonds, sapphires, lapis lazuli and emeralds. It is said to have belonged to the wife of Baron Eugene de Rothschild. Another expensive engagement ring was picked up by an online bidder for $1.9 million. It is a Kashmir diamond and sapphire ring which dates back to 1915. The second highest bid of the day involved a majestic 22.30 carat diamond ring sold at $3.3 million online. Lastly, a diamond brooch was also sold at $1 million.

Splash of Gold for Summers

No metal in the world can beat gold in terms of popularity, glamour, richness and elegance. Decadent jewelry screaming glamour can please you for the timing, but gold is eternal. The metal for all seasons and reasons morphs into beautiful and exquisite pieces to complement any outfit. Various jewelry brands are resorting to good old gold to craft exclusive luxury jewelry items from delicate golden necklaces to rings with a splash of gold and dash of color. The wide array of luxury items offered by them is tempting fashionista to pick up their favorite items and wear them again and again.

Among the most gorgeous and innovative jewelry types is the fabulous wearable gold pieces from Rocco inspired collection. This movement had a deep seated influence on art, culture and everything else in the late 18^th century. The Rocco collection presents jewelry items inspired from those designs with a modern twist. The highlight of this entire gold collection is the legendary Rocaille egg inspired section which has major impact of the Rocco movement. All the jewelry pieces have been created masterfully from rose gold with white enamels displaying artistic twists and turns.

For those who are worried about the warmer months ahead there are fine gold jewelry pieces manifesting the feminine touch perfectly. Long, sautoir-style gold necklaces with amethyst enclosed in golden cages embellished with arabesque motifs will complement the light, airy, floaty look of summer dresses. While some are inspired from artistic movements and from the floaty summer feeling, others are serving up items far away from bright colors to make them look more elegant and charming. To take their forward one step further, these fine gold jewelry pieces have a generous smattering of diamonds.

The designs are complex giving an impression of volume. However, the volume just being an illusion, the pieces are light in weight just perfect for the scorching summers. The pieces sit delicately on the skin of the wearer to express her personal style in a subdued manner. The bow appears as a recurring theme in some of the high fashion jewelry items. This year it has been explored like never before with a wide range of gold jewelry items displaying the bright red ruby to other subtle gemstones in wearable designs. The highlight in the bow collection is a ring resembling the smooth and silky satin with 3 rows of diamonds truly making it the show stopper. 

The Delicate, Whimsical, Beautiful and Eternal Butterfly

Butterflies- the colorful, whimsical and pretty blessings of nature have adorned fine jewelry items since ages and even then their charm has not faded away a bit. Fluttering from one necklace to a ring and from earrings to bangles, butterflies render a delicate charm and fanciful air to any jewelry item. A perpetual favorite of jewelry designers, the beautiful butterfly motif is the recurrent themes in millions of jewelry items. They are also considered to be the ideal motif to usher in warmer months. More than just a pretty design, the delicate butterfly has always represented eternal love since the Greek times. The butterfly represents Psyche, the wife of Eros who is the goddess of soul.

The oldest evidence of butterfly on a jewelry item is a Hellenistic necklace which dates back to the 2^nd century BC and is now a part of exhibits at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, USA. The butterfly also provides an opportunity to the master craftsmen in Victorian times to display their intricate jewelry designing skills. During the Art Nouveau period, butterflies along with other nature inspired motifs were used recurrently in unique jewelry designs. Bees, wasps and beetles come second only to the popularity of the butterflies.

One of the most innovative uses of butterfly can be seen at a jewelry house in London where they accompany Tahitian pearls. The butterflies made from diamonds accentuate the Tahitian grey pearl necklace which looks elegant and exceptional. The necklace can be worn singularly or by pairing it with earrings and ring completing the matching look. Butterflies have held their position in the hearts of jewelry designers and also in the hearts of buyers as one of the most delicately beautiful designs. Hence, modern jewelry has no dearth of butterflies in different colors and versions.

It can be found perched on top of a pair of gold and onyx earrings in golden hue enhancing the beauty of the pair. In another example, it is sitting with its sparkly wings spread wide on a ring of diamonds and pink sapphire adding dimension to the ring. The luxe aesthetic denoted in butterfly is unmatched with any other motif. Not just fine and heavy jewelry, dainty and light weight jewelry also has butterflies on them. Rose gold butterfly rings and diamond studded butterfly necklace can complement any light airy dress for summer. In another piece a butterfly in flight has been perfectly captured with its gorgeous diamond and tourmaline wings spread across beautifully with two yellow diamonds on its antennae. 

Another Burmese Ruby is All Set to Become the World’s Most Expensive Ruby

The jewelry world is waiting with bated breath for the auction of a dazzling fiery ruby at Sotheby’s jewelry auction in Geneva. It is believed that this ruby will break all the earlier records and set a new one for being the most expensive ruby on planet. The 25.59 carat Burmese ruby is all set to be displayed at the Magnificent Jewels and Noble Jewels auction on 12^th May for this year. Jewelry experts estimate its price to be $12-18 million which is much more than what was paid for the current most expensive ruby in the world. The most expensive ruby in the world now had a price value of $8.6 million which is known as the Burmese ‘pigeon’s blood’ ruby. Greek magnate Dimitri Mavrommatis was original the owner of this ruby.

This huge rock is named “The Sunrise Ruby” after a poem composed by the Sufi poet Rumi. Its pigeon red hue makes it the most remarkable ruby in the world. According to the Swiss Gemological Institute it is nature’s unique treasure. Its fine color, purity, attractive and precision cut also makes it a one of a kind gem. The ruby has been mounted on a beautiful ring for the display. Burma has produced rubies of various sizes but this one is in a league of its own. David Bennett, the global chairman of Sotheby’s International Jewelry Division, acclaimed that he has never seen a “ruby of this caliber.”

Burma is a land that holds much significance for producing some of the finest rubies of the world. The ‘pigeon’s blood’ hue ruby is intrinsic to Burma and is the most sought after type of ruby. The ancient Mogok mines in Upper Burma have traditionally produced the best rubies in the world. However, Burmese rubies are also known to be small in size but this ruby all set to appear in the auction is of huge size which is almost like a record in itself. Moreover, this ruby is flawless. The price is estimated to be so high because Burmese natural ruby producing resource is depleting leaving the world no choice but to diversify their search to other countries like Africa.

‘Pigeon’s blood’ has now become a term used to describe a specific color of ruby which is the most sought after one. This term now encompasses a good quality ruby which is used by dealers of classic stones. However, it is this category of ruby that had set the gold standard and has been originally found in Burma.