550 carat Rough Diamond Sold for $16.5 Million

The Letseng Star, a 550 carat, Type IIa, D color rough diamond was sold for $16.5 million, Gem Diamonds announced. The diamond has been sold into a profit sharing arrangement, under the company's new sales and marketing strategy the miner added.

Gem Diamonds recovered the diamond on August 19 at its Letseng mine in the Kingdom ofLesotho. The Letseng Star is currently ranked as the 14th largest white diamond on record and is the fourth diamond of such historical significance to be recovered at Letseng since 2006.

Under, the Letseng Star has been sold into a profit sharing arrangement for a rough price of $16.5 million, payable immediately.

Letseng Diamonds will then further benefit from a significant share of the downstream polished margin uplift resulting from the sale of the polished diamonds cut from the Letseng Star, the diamond miner stated.

"Gem Diamonds' strategy of maximizing revenue generation from our rough diamonds by seeking value-added initiatives further up the diamond value chain is gaining importance for the Group, and we are becoming increasingly successful in selling rough and polished diamonds with good margins being realized," said CEO, Clifford Elphick.

November Birthstone: Topaz

Topaz is one of the most imitated and misrepresented birthstones.  Although the name comes from the island of Topazios and its noble history began over 6000 years ago, most of what our ancestors called Topaz was actually citrine quartz.  Citrine is a beautiful gemstone and is available in a variety of hues from lemon to smoky.  But the centuries of misrepresentation resulted in dubbing rare, peachy to pink Topaz as Precious or Imperial Topaz. Precious Topaz is very durable rating 8 on the Mohs scale.  Today, most Topaz is mined near Ouro Preto in Brazil.

Blue Topaz is another very popular color of Topaz that often imitates the December birthstone, Blue Zircon.  There are a wide variety of treated Topaz gems available today in a rainbow of colors.

32.77 Carat Vivid Fancy Yellow Diamond

Christie’s New York will host a jewellery and gem auction in October, headed by a 32.77 carat vivid fancy yellow diamond estimated to sell for more than $6 million (£3.6 million).

The Vivid Yellow, as it has been named, is a rare highly saturated fancy vivid yellow diamond of 32.77 carats, as the star lot of the October 18 sale called Magnificent Jewels.The yellow hue of this large pear-shaped diamond is so intense that the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) ranks it amongst the rarest of gemstones in its class. The stone is expected to achieve in excess of US$6 million, and could sell for as much as $8 million (£4.8 million).

Rahul Kadakia, head of jewellery for Christie’s America said: “The Vivid Yellow literally blazes with color, unlike any yellow diamond I’ve ever seen.

“In the world of diamonds, a naturally coloured stone of this incredible colour and size represents a freak occurrence -- an extremely rare geological phenomenon. The appearance of this extraordinary gemstone on the market truly represents a once in a lifetime opportunity for top jewellery collectors.”

In its grading report for the stone, the GIA classifies The Vivid Yellow as fancy vivid – the highest saturation one can find in a coloured diamond. Only about one in 10 million diamonds possesses a colour pure enough to qualify as fancy vivid.

The unmounted diamond, which is about the size and shape of a guitar pick, will be the star lot of Christie’s first major jewellery sale of the autumn auction season, to take place October 18.

The stone has the potential to surpass the per-carat price of US$203,000 (£124,000) achieved for The Golden Drop, a pear-shaped yellow diamond of 18.49 carats sold in June 1990 at Christie’s London. Christie’s has arranged a global preview tour of The Vivid Yellow diamond prior to its sale at Christie’s New York in October. The diamond will be on view at Christie’s London on August 30 and 31.

Courtesy of the professional jeweler

World’s Most Expensive Hello Kitty Item

Sanrio’s Hello Kitty, that adorable cartoon cat that comes to us from Japanese popular culture, has appeared on a host of commercial products from credit cards to the Hello Kitty Jet (an Airbus A330-220). The character, designed by Yuko Shimizu, debuted in 1974 as a decoration on a vinyl coin purse.

To celebrate the 35th anniversary of Hello Kitty in 2009, Sanrio partnered with crystal maker Swarovski and Japanese jeweler I.K. to create the Super Hello Kitty Jewel Doll. This 4-inch “doll” is made of solid platinum studded with thousands of precious gems, including 1,939 pieces of white topaz, 403 pink sapphires, a pair of black spinels for her eyes, a citrine for her nose and a 1.027-carat diamond on her signature bow.

The ultimate Hello Kitty doll was unveiled at Switzerland’s Baselworld watch and jewelry show and is valued at 15 million yen—about US $167,000!

Courtesy of World's Most Expansive Journal

September Birthstone - Sapphire

The striking deep blue of a quality sapphire is reminiscent of a cloudless night sky. Ancient civilizations believed that the world was set upon an enormous sapphire, which painted the sky blue with its reflection. This legend, as well as the belief that the ten commandments were inscribed upon tablets made of sapphire, gives September’s birthstone a royal place among gemstones. 

Pure corundum is colorless, but most corundum contains minute amounts of chemical impurities called trace elements. Blue sapphires are colored by a combination of the trace elements iron and titanium. Iron and chromium together result in gold or orange sapphires, and when chromium is the only trace element, it makes a sapphire pink or a ruby red.

Different combinations of trace elements are responsible for the extraordinary range of colors in sapphires, which are commonly called fancy sapphires. This variability is what makes each sapphire unique from all others. It can be difficult to find sapphire pairs because no two are ever exactly the same. Rare and unusual sapphires are almost irreplaceable, even if they are only 1 or 2 carats in size.

The Sapphire is second only to the Diamond in hardness, making it a durable gemstone for setting into jewelry. A gift of Sapphire represents sincerity and faithfulness. As nourishing to the soul as gazing up at the sky on a summer day, this brilliant blue gemstone is truly a heavenly choice!

Letšeng recovers an exceptional white diamond of 553 carat

493 carat Letšeng Legacy

603 carat Lesotho Promise

Gem Diamonds announced an unusual find, a 553-carat Type II D color diamond. The exceptionally large diamond was mined at the Letšeng Mine in Lesotho. It is currently undergoing analysis in Antwerp.

478 carat Light of Letšeng

The diamond ranks as the 15th largest white diamond ever to be recovered. It is the fourth historic diamond recovered from the Letšeng Mine in recent years, following the recovery of the 603 carat Lesotho Promise, the 493 carat Letšeng Legacy and the 478 carat Light of Letšeng.

The 553-carat diamond has not been named yet.

NBC's "It's Worth What?" Is Bringing On The Bling!

This summer, NBC premieres "It's Worth What?," a new alternative series hosted by comedian Cedric "The Entertainer"

"It's Worth What?" is a game show that taps into America's curiosity for cost and value, such as the hidden gems found in one's attic. Through set imagery and a never-ending flow of collectibles, antiques and near priceless treasures, America is brought into a world with seemingly endless doors behind which are various objects ranging from a night at the Jersey Shore house to a cave bear skeleton from 150,000 BCE as well as unique and stunning pieces of jewelry and diamonds.


Here are some of the items that were featured on the first few shows:

Diamond Encrusted Computer Mouse

This fully functional computer mouse is cast in 18-carat white gold and set with 59 diamonds forming a flower design that weighs more than 2.5 carats. It is an RF Wireless, 3 button USB Optical mouse and comes with a certificate of authenticity. (Value: $26,000, courtesy of Pat Says Now Computer Accessories)

Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse

Created by the Mouawad, this heart-shaped purse is handcrafted from 18-karat gold and features over 4,500 diamonds weighing over 381 carats. It's listed by Guinness World Records as the "Most Valuable Handbag." (Value: $3,800,000, courtesy of Mouawad)

Diamond Dog Collar

That's right! This is a 52-carat diamond dog collar! Crafted with over 1,600 hand-set diamonds, each set in a mixture of platinum and 18 karat white gold, and accented with pieces of crocodile leather. (Value: $3,200,000, courtesy of I Love Dogs Diamonds)

Gold-Plated BeefEater Grill

This is the world's first fully operational gold barbecue. Its many features include six burners, a roasting hood, a warming rack and quartz start ignition, all of which are individually plated in 24-carat gold. (Value: $20,000, courtesy of BeefEater BBQ)

De Beers Diamond Hourglass

Forget "sands through the hourglass"! This limited edition hourglass from De Beers is filled with 2000 natural rough diamonds with an approximate total weight of 36 carats, suspended in silicone fluid. Although this is an hourglass, it only takes about 10 minutes for the diamonds to move from top to bottom. (Value: $15,500, courtesy of Beverly Loan Company)

Jacob & Co. Limited Edition Quenttin Tourbillon Watch

This 18-carat, rose gold, Quenttin Tourbillon Rose Gold Watch is one of only 18 ever made. The word Tourbillon refers to mechanisms inside this type of watch that make it run precisely. This watch was designed by high-end jeweler Jacob & Co. whose celebrity clients include Tom Cruise, David Beckham and Beyonce. (Value: $440,000, courtesy of Jacob & Co.)

Bling H20 750ml Dubai Collection "The Ten Thousand" Bottle of Water

This bottle of water features over 10,000 hand-applied Swarovski crystals. Bling H20 water bottles are all made to order, numbered and come with white handling gloves and a case. (Value: $2,600, courtesy of Bling H2O)

Vintage Gold Rolex Men's Watch (circa 1992)

This is an 18 karat, solid-gold Day-Date Oyster Perpetual Men's watch. This piece from 1992 comes with its own numbered certificate, and still has the green-case back sticker that was used to indicate new, unworn Rolex watches. It's a classic that any watch enthusiast would be excited to have in their collection. (Value: $16,800)

A show that is really fun to watch, some of the items just leave you baffled,  i cant wait to see what they bring out next week...

Sell or Trade Your Old Gold and Diamonds

Now is the BEST Time to Sell or Trade Your Old Gold and Diamonds...

If you have checked gold prices, you know that gold is at an all time high. There has never been a better time to sell or trade in than right now. 
Years pass and your jewelry box can become cluttered with pieces of old or worn out jewelry that you no longer wear.

Now is the perfect time to bring in old scrap gold in any form of broken, unworn or unwanted jewelry, bring all items into Diamore Jewelers and we will buy it from you and pay immediate cash!

We are paying top dollar for old/broken gold jewelry and diamonds: 
Mismatched earrings, gold chains, gold bracelets, old earring backs, gold anklet chains, old ring mountings, old school rings, old gold charms, old gold watches and much more! 

Or Trade Up... old treasures into new pleasures!

If you are looking for a new piece of jewelry, you can trade your old jewelry and diamonds in towards a new purchase.
Get more value if you put your old gold towards a new purchase! 

Unable To decide… Sell Or Trade?

Just bring your gold and diamonds and we will weigh it and tell you the value - at no charge – there is absolutely no obligation. Our expert staff will weigh the options with you so you can decide the best direction for you.

Most people are amazed once they learn the value - many getting more value then they thought they had.

We want to buy all of the items that you no longer wear or no longer want. Why let it gather dust, clutter a drawer when you could sell or trade the old jewelry and diamonds, and receive a substantial cash payment or even a new piece of jewelry for your old gold items?

Here are just a few good reasons to sell your old jewelry and diamonds to us...

Fast payment 
Top dollar paid 
No hidden fees 
A trusted name
A local office you can visit 
A friendly, knowledgeable staff 
A bonus – if the old jewelry and diamonds were purchased at Diamore Jewelers we match the Trade In – dollar for dollar!!!

Schedule a private appointment to discuss any questions or concerns.

August Birthstone - Peridot

If fire appears to leap from the vibrant green surface of the Peridot, this may be because this gem is formed as a result of volcanic activity. Many years ago, natives discovered Peridot crystals in the black sands of Hawaii, explaining their presence as tears shed by Pele, the volcano goddess. Throughout history, August's birthstone has been used as a means to connect with nature. Early Egyptian priests drank a stimulating beverage called Soma from cups made of Peridot, believing this practice to draw them closer to Isis, the goddess of nature.

The name Peridot comes from the Arabic word "faridat," meaning gem. Ancient Egyptians called them the "gem of the sun," because of their dazzling brilliance when seen in the desert sun. It was believed that the Peridot glowed with light even as darkness fell, which is why miners were said to have scouted for these gems during the night, marking their location, and returning in the light of day to retrieve them. Perhaps this legendary mining method is the reason that the Peridot is sometimes called "evening emerald."

Peridot is a mineral named Olivine, which is found in a variety of greens, ranging from light yellowish green to a dark olive. Early mining for this gem was done on Saint John's Island near Egypt around 1500 BC. The green crystal was considered protective against evil and when set in gold, especially helpful against night terrors. It was ground to powder and used as a remedy for asthma and as a cure for thirst brought on by fever. Today, Peridot is mined in Burma, Norway, Brazil, Australia, Hawaii, the Congo, and in Arizona.

The force of nature is alive within a Peridot, making a gift of this gemstone symbolic of vitality. It signifies strength, both individual and within a relationship, as well as the promise of new growth in years ahead.

Alternate August Birthstones:

An alternate birthstone for August, Sardonyx is a type of translucent or opaque quartz with alternating parallel bands of brownish red and white. This stone was worn as a talisman by the Egyptians to protect against infections and evil. Today it is highly polished and carved into beautiful beads and cameos. Sardonyx is mined in India, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Brazil and Uruguay. A gift of this stone is considered symbolic of happiness within a relationship.

The First All-Diamond Diamond Ring

In my years covering the diamond beat, I’ve seen a lot of unique spins on the diamond ring concept, but I have to give credit to Geneva company Shawish for this one: They have introduced the first diamond ring made entirely of diamond.

That’s right: The whole thing is made of single faceted diamond. It is the “first diamond ring,” says the company, who has patented the concept. And it certainly looks striking:

Here is a brief video: 

The resulting creation reportedly weighs 150 cts. and will retail for $70 million.

All this raises some questions: Would anyone buy, or even wear, this? Are they going to make a “second diamond ring”? And just how comfortable could this be on your finger?

Courtesy of JCK online

Katy Perry: Smurfette in Sapphires

Katy Perry's dress at the Smurfs movie premiere in New York on July 24Th almost stole the show from the little blue guys themselves!

Sporting a bedazzled Smurfette corsette designed by The Blondes, a smurf manicure and blue Louboutins - what else does the voice of the world's most famous female smurf need?

How about sapphires? Seems the like the smurfiest choice, right?

Looks like Ms. Perry took the blue bling to heart, wearing a pair of sapphire button earrings and what looks like a sapphire, diamond and gold bangle bracelet (still looking for designer credits...anyone know?)

The other jewelry highlight of the night was violet vixen, Sofia Vergara, in a a gorgeous Missoni gown, turquoise earrings and elbow-deep bangles in every shade of purple - all by Lorraine Schwartz!

Papa Smurf? Eat your heart out!!!

Courtesy of Jewelry insider.

Sources Say Marc Anthony Controlled J.Lo

In a totally expected twist of fate, serial wife, Jennifer Lopez, is getting a divorce from her husband of seven years, Latin singer, Marc Anthony. Will she give him back her engagement ring?

The Associated Foreign Press reports:

"This was a very difficult decision. We have come to an amicable conclusion on all matters...It is a painful time for all involved, and we appreciate the respect of our privacy at this time," said the celebrity couple.

Rumors are flying that Anthony was a controlling husband who hated J.Lo's sexy public image. Apparently, he took issue with her wardrobe and vetoed many outfits that the Selena star loved very much.

Lopez evidently felt suffocated by Anthony's behavior and believed that the marriage had run its course and it was time to separate.

A mole reported to E! that:

"He would micromanage their lives together. He was all over her all the time and I know she tried very hard, and for a long time, to act like it didn't bother her, but I know it did. A lot. He would hover over her, and it was almost antagonizing. She couldn't breathe."

A few days after announcing the divorce, Lopez was paid 1 million dollars to sing at a wedding in Ukraine.

Lopez will remain in custody of their children as the details of the divorce are hashed out.

Barbie with diamond choker sells for record price

The one-off Barbie, created by Stefano Canturi, wears a black strapless evening dress with a choker featuring a one-carat square-cut pink diamond.

A Barbie doll wearing a diamond necklace has sold at an auction in New York for a record amount.

It went for $302,500 (£191,500) to an anonymous bidder.

The figure is at the lower end of the estimate that the auction house had given but it is still the most ever paid for a Barbie.

The previous world auction record for a Barbie was $17,091, set in 2006.

Barbie was first created in 1959 and she has undergone many transformations since then.

Canturi, an Australian jewellery designer, said he wanted to pay homage to Barbie's "modern yet timeless style".

The BBC's Laura Trevelyan, who was at the auction, says the doll is also an investment in uncertain economic times - because of the diamonds.


Canturi says: "People are finding things other than the normal channels for investing and what's happening is going back to the basics like going back to beautiful gold, gems, something they can actually hold on to."

The prices of diamonds and coloured jewels have gone up by more than 20% over the past year, according to the auction house, Christie's.

The proceeds of the sale of the bejewelled Barbie will go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Gold Passes $1,600 as Concern over Europe and the U.S. Persist

A mixture of speculation and economic woes in the U.S. and Europe propelled the price of gold past a historic $1,600 per ounce. Debt concerns in the financial markets are driving demand for the safe-haven commodity.

“The current worldwide macro-economic scenario of competing inflationary and deflationary forces combined with sovereign debt contagion in Europe and the federal debt ceiling impasse in the US continues to be a positive one for gold,” according to Marcus Grubb, Managing Director, Investment at the World Gold Council.

“In Europe, sovereign debt contagion is once again being priced into bond markets with Italian and Spanish spreads over Bunds rising to multi-year highs.  In the U.S., weak labor and housing markets, high energy costs and the prospect of weak growth are adding to market uncertainty,” Grubb added. 

The price of gold has climbed by more than 38% in the past year and silver is up more than 130% despite a sharp drop in May. The price of platinum, the third precious metal commodity, has increased by just 16.8% in the past year.

The price of diamonds keeps breaking records too. On Tuesday, the IDEX Online Polished Price Index was just shy of 147, after three days of holding above 147.5.

Courtesy of IDEX

July Birthstone - Ruby

The gemstone ruby is the red variety of the mineral Corundum , the second hardest natural mineral known to mankind. Ruby is the July birthstone, and the Capricorn Zodiac stone. Ruby has been associated with the values of love, success, integrity, passion, and promise.

All colors of corundum other than red or white are called Sapphire The red color in ruby is caused by trace amounts of the element chromium. The best shade of red for ruby is often given the name "pigeon blood red", but ruby can be any shade of red up to almost pink.



Oriented rutile crystal inclusions cause a six-rayed-star light effect (called asterism) to form the popular Star Ruby.Rubies come from all over the world but good gemstones are found at Thailand, India, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, North Carolina in the U.S., Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, 
Tanzania, Kampuchea, and perhaps most notably, Burma.

Like most gemstones from the antiquities, Ruby is one of the Biblestones. In Exodus, the Breastplate of Aaron is described as containing a "sardius", the ancient name for ruby.
Rubies have a famous place in science - the first lasers were made from artificial ruby crystals.  They still are used for this purpose although other materials offer improved efficiency.  Some natural ruby crystals show the fluorescence (actually very short term phosphorescence) that makes a laser possible.

Solitaire Engagement Ring Set With Round Brilliant Diamond - Classified Ad

Solitaire Engagement Ring Set With Round Brilliant Diamond - Classified Ad

Kate Moss goes into meltdown as she loses engagement ring

Supermodel Kate Moss is tying the knot with fiance Jamie Hince this week. But wedding day jitters aren’t the only thing stressing Kate out. on June 26th Kate temporarily lost her $22,000 1920 vintage engagement ring while at the Glastonbury Festival. According to The Mirror, Kate started hyperventilating once she realized the ring wasn’t on her finger. 

A source said: “Everyone was looking for the ring, with Kate practically hyperventilating at the side of the stage. She was screeching at her mates, begging them to get down on their hands and knees, and trawl through the mud for the sparkler. Even Kate was half-heartedly flicking mud around with her welly, tying to unearth the ring.

“Two hours later, and still crying, she went to the loo only to root through her bag for a tissue and magically find the ring. It had been there the whole time. Kate was cackling hysterically but no one else found it quite so funny.”

Bet they didn’t.

Losing an engagement ring can be a pretty traumatic experience. After all, engagement rings are expensive and not easily replaceable. Have you ever lost your engagement ring?

Khloe Kardashian’s Engagement Ring

While everyone is still salivating over Kim Kardashian’s stunning 20-carat engagement ring, there’s still one person who remains unimpressed: Kim’s sister, Khloe.


“Oh, it’s fake. You can suck on it, like a lollipop,” Khloe joked with PopEater’s Rob Shuter, according to OK! Magazine. “Kim’s ring is from Nordstrom’s… $7.99 … But no one knows if it’s really real or fake these days, so why do we care?”


Khloe’s engagement ring might not be as large as Kim’s, but it’s still a gorgeous ring. Husband Lamar Odom proposed to Khloe with a 9-karat, radiant cut sparkler, complete with a matching pave band. 


Engagement ring info: 
9.00 carat Radiant cut diamond
Platinum ring
Estimated retail value: $100,000 

Father's Day Gift Ideas

Father's Day is a celebration honoring fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in society. Honor you'r father this year with a gift that will last a life time of memories.

Here are some wonderful gift ideas: (Order today to get it in on time for Father's Day.)

#67901285 Tungsten Steel & Black Ceramic Bracelet ($150)

#68238585 Tungsten Bracelet ($115)

#68238685 Tungsten and Black Ceramic Bracelet ($140)

#69459224 Sterling Silver 8mm Beveled Anchor Chain ($240)

#69295810 Black Beveled Ceramic Band ($75)

#14007 0.50CTW Round Diamond Mens Fashion Band ($1,000)

#48453 0.16CT Diamond Mens Fashion Band ($1,300)

We have a large selection of mens rings, bracelets, cuff links, money clips and more.

Let us know what your looking for and we can help you find it at our wholesale prices.

Call today and get your order in before Father's Day. 

Info@Diamorejewelers.net