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Saturday, November 16, 2013

Fifth Edition of the Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair - January 26 to 28, 2014


For three days in January, ADTF takes over the diamond district
The fifth edition of the Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair (ADTF) will be held from January 26 to 28, 2014. For three days, the Antwerp diamond district's main thoroughfare, the Hoveniersstraat, will be red carpeted. The three trading halls of the Antwerp Diamond Bourse, the Diamond Club of Antwerp and the world's only rough diamond bourse, the Antwerp Diamond Kring, will be converted into three fashionable exhibition halls housing 80 of Antwerp's finest diamond firms as exhibitors. Exclusive, diamond-buying jewellery retailers and manufacturers are scheduled to visit from Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Hong Kong and China, the USA and South America.

Jacky Korn, a member of the ADTF Organizing Committee said the decision to add the Kring's impressive trading hall to the ADTF's exhibition venues enabled the number of exhibitors to grow to 80. "With 80 booked exhibitors and a waiting list of companies, we needed more space and the Kring provided the logical solution. We are currently in the process of redesigning the floor plans in order to improve the flow of traffic and enhance both the exhibitors' and buyers' experience". "This will be the largest and most exciting ADTF ever held," Korn added.

Committee member Nele Bouchier, who is Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communications of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) said that with the expansion of the fair to the Kring, the entire diamond district would fall under the spell of the ADTF," Bouchier noted. "Visiting buyers will be fully exposed to the character and charm of the district and understand even better what a unique opportunity they are given by being invited to this annual prestigious event," she stated.

The ADTF's buyers' registration will take place on the ground floor of the Kring building at Hoveniersstraat 2, with the exhibition halls located at both ends of the street.

The Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair is powered by the AWDC.


All photos taken at the previous fair can be viewed on the Facebook page of the Antwerp Diamond Trade Fair.

#Call4Entry - Ganoksin's Fourth Annual International Online Jewelry Exhibition

Ganoksin is pleased to announce its 
Fourth Annual International Online Jewelry Exhibition.

This year's theme will be 
"Changing Hues: Color Embraced by Metalsmiths Around the World."

The exhibition is open to all metalsmiths, professional and amateur, 
advanced and beginner, around the world.

(Image: Testing Japanese Patina Solutions from the book  Japanese Patinas)
The exhibition is seeking works whose primary theme is color, whether that be using colored materials, exploring creating colored surfaces, or encasing the object in color. Works should be about COLOR - not color as an accent or focal point, but with color embraced as their primary visual focus. Works where color is not the primary visual element will be rejected.

As this is an online exhibition the work will only be seen via the photographs metalsmiths submit. It is therefore vital that these be in focus, on a neutral background (preferably not textured), and do an excellent job allowing the viewer to really see the piece and the workmanship involved. 

Any photographs not meeting exhibition standards will not be used, and the submitting metalsmith will be asked to re-submit the entry with a higher quality of photograph. Works will be juried by the curator and director.
Any photographs not meeting exhibition standards will not be used, and the submitting metalsmith will be asked to re-submit the entry with a higher quality of photograph. Works will be juried by the curator and director.

The exhibition will be curated by Beth Wicker, President of the North Carolina Society of Goldsmiths, and Adjunct Instructor at Northeastern Technical College in South Carolina, USA. Director of the exhibition is Hanuman Aspler, founder of The Ganoksin Project, the world's largest internet jewelry site.

Entries will be accepted from now until February 15, 2014

Details and entry information is available at
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/changinghues

Please contact Beth Wicker at http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/contact with any questions.

World Auction Records Set By Sotheby's Geneva


History is Made in Geneva 
SOTHEBY'S ACHIEVES HIGHEST JEWELRY SALE TOTAL IN HISTORY 
The Magnificent Jewels Sale Totals 
$199,512,930 (CHF 183,054,500) 

The Pink Star renamed 'THE PINK DREAM' 
sets A WORLD AUCTION RECORD FOR A DIAMOND OR JEWEL 
AT $83,187,381 (CHF 76,325,000) 

The 59.60-carat Internally Flawless Fancy Vivid, Pink Diamond 
was bought by famous New York-based diamond cutter Isaac Wolf 
who renamed it "The Pink Dream" after the sale 

Among Other Auction Records Set Today: 
World Auction Record for a Jewel by Van Cleef & Arpels, 
A Pair of Colourless Diamonds, 
Sapphire Jewels, a Burmese and a Kashmir Sapphire 
& A Record Price Per Carat for a Sapphire 

David Bennett, Chairman of Sotheby's Jewellery Division in Europe and the Middle East and
Chairman of Sotheby's Switzerland auctioneering the record-breaking Pink Star
This week, Sotheby's Geneva made history when it sold The Pink Star - a 59.60-carat oval cut pink diamond - for $83,187,381 (CHF 76,325,000), a world auction record for a diamond and any gemstone or jewel. This land mark price eclipsed the previous record at $46.2 million established three years ago by Sotheby's Geneva for the magnificent 'Graff Pink' - the 24.78 carat fancy intense pink diamond. 

Today's historic sale of Magnificent Jewels achieved $199,512,930 (CHF 183,054,500), the highest jewellery sale total in history (est. $121,635,591-165,432,534/ CHF 111,601,500- 151,785,500). 

Commenting on tonight's results, David Bennett, Chairman of Sotheby's Jewellery Division in Europe and the Middle East and Chairman of Sotheby's Switzerland, said: "The Pink Star is a true masterpiece of nature. Its immense importance was reflected tonight in the strength of the bidding and we are thrilled that the record price it achieved earned it a place in history. Today's record sale is a further testimony to the strength and depth of the diamond and jewellery market. " 
Four bidders competed for the Pink Star which is the largest internally flawless fancy vivid pink diamond that the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has ever graded. The diamond was bought after nearly five minutes by by the famous diamond cutter Isaac Wolf who has renamed it 'The Pink Dream' after the sale. The diamond - lot 372 in the sale - received the highest colour and clarity grades from the GIA for pink diamonds, it has also been found to be part of the rare subgroup comprising less than 2 % of all gem diamonds - known as Type IIa: stones in this group are chemically the purest of all diamond crystals and often have extraordinary optical transparency. Mined by De Beers in Africa in 1999, the 132.5 carat rough diamond was painstakingly cut and polished over a period of two years and transformed into this stunning gemstone. This was the first time the diamond was presented at auction, with an estimate of $60 million. The landmark price achieved established a world auction record for a diamond (including for a pink diamond and any coloured diamond) and for any jewel.

The "Walska Briolette Diamond" Brooch 
Among the iconic jewels with important provenance presented was The "Walska Briolette Diamond" Brooch. Created by Van Cleef & Arpels in 1971, this masterpiece of design showcases the historic "Walska Briolette Diamond'', a fancy vivid yellow diamond weighing 96.62 carats. On this night it achieved $10,555,778 - an auction record for a jewel by Van Cleef & Arpels (lot 373, est. in excess of $8 million), Once in the collection of opera singer and jewellery connoisseur, Ganna Walska (1887-1984), the briolette was subsequently mounted as a brooch and most recently exhibited at Van Cleef and Arpels retrospectives both at the Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum in New York, in 2011, and at the Palais Royal, Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, in 2012-13. 

Important Diamonds
Also included in this rich offering of white diamonds of D colour - the finest colour grading for white diamonds. Among them was a pair of magnificent earrings set with brilliant-cut diamonds weighing 23.77 and 23.78 carats respectively, which surpassed the pre-sale high estimate to sell for $9,213,009 - a record for a pair of colourless diamonds. Both diamonds were cut from the same 161 carat rough and form a perfectly matched pair (lot 354, est. CHF 6,600,000-7 ,500,000/ $7,250,000- 8,250,000).
Blue diamonds featured strongly. A magnificent rectangular mixed-cut fancy vivid blue diamond weighing 5.04 carats and mounted as a ring rose above estimate and achieved $6,649,541 (lot 349, est. CH F 5,100,000-5,700,000/ $5,600,000-6,300,000), while a 5.51 carat pear­ shaped fancy intense blue diamond ring realized $5,428,842 (lot 330, est. CHF 4,220,000-5 ,000,000/ $4,650,000-5 ,450,000).
A further highlight of this section was an outstanding 20.80 carat marquise-shaped fancy vivid yellow diamond of exceptional hue, mounted as a ring which achieved $5,184,702, again well above its pre-sale high estimate (l ot 357, est. CH F 1,600 000- 2,500,000/ $1,750,000-2,750,000). 

Impressive Gemstones 
A group of impressive gemstones, led by a magnificent Burmese "Royal Blue" sapphire weighing 114.74 carats which almost quadrupled its pre-sale low estimate and sold for $7,137,821 - a world auction record for a Burmese sapphire (lot 355, est. CH F 1,650,000- 2,600,000/ $1,800,000-2,800,000). According to the SSE F, "a natural sapphire from Burma of this size and quality is very rare and exceptional and thus can be considered a true treasure of nature ".
Another fine example of Kashmir sapphire was found in a cushion-shaped sapphire weighing 21.42 carats, mounted as a ring and coming from the Estate of a European Royal Princess. The gemstone achieved$3,231,583), again four times its pre-sale estimate (lot 332, est. CHF 680,000- 910,000/ $750,000-1,000,000) . 
Burmese sapphires were also sought after, with a pair of very fine sapphire and diamond ear clips, each set with a Burmese sugarloaf cabochon weighing 32.47 and 36.80 carats respectively surpassed the pre-sale estimate and sold for $816,343 (lot 322, est. CHF 455,000-725,000/ $500,000-800 ,000). 

A cushion-shaped cabochon ruby weighing 31.30 carats and mounted as a ring by Cartier generated alot of attention. It almost tripled the pre-sale low estimate, selling for $1,077,921 (lot 314, est. 365,000-545,000/ $400,000-600,000)

Natural pearls - the rising stars of all gemstones - achieved strong prices. An extremely fine and highly important natural pearl necklace realized $5,672,982, almost four times its pre-sale estimate (lot 356, est. CH F 1,320,000-2,250,000/ $1,450,000- 2,450,000) . It was designed as a graduated row of fifty-two pearls measuring from approximately 7.95 to 12.50mm with a length of approximately 525 mm. 

Jewels with Important Provenance 

Continuing Sotheby's long tradition of offering jewels with noble and important provenance, the sale presented jewels from th e Collection of Odile de Richelieu (1879-1974), Countess Gabriel de La Rochefoucauld , Princess de La Rochefoucauld, daughter of the Duke of Richelieu and descendant to the family of the Cardinal de Richelieu, Louis XIII's chief minister and eminence grise. Sold in aid of a charitable foundation , the collection included The Richelieu Sapphires, a pair of rare and magnificent Kashmir sapphires weighing a total of 47 carats, mounted with diamonds as earrings which generated a lot of enthusiasm and sold for $8,358,520 - an auction record for sapphire jewels, a Kashmir sapphire and a record price per carat for a sapphire (lot 371, est. CHF 2,300,000-4,200,000/ $2,500,000- 4,500,000, photo below).


The sale was further distinguished with jewels from the Estate of the late Gunter Sachs (1932-2011), including a gem-set and diamond parure "Tutti Frutti" by Cartier which achieved $607,080 (lot 337, est. CH F 230,000-365,000/ $250,000- 400,000). A superb Art Deco bracelet from the 1930s, centering on a marquise-shaped diamond weighing 9.38 carats, which can also be worn as a choker realized $1,051,763, four times its pre-sale low estimate (lot 338, est. CHF 230,000-365,000/ $250,000-400,000).

The auction also featured a magnificent jewel that once belonged to Lily Pons (1898-1976), the celebrated international opera singer. Th is emerald and diamond necklace made by Van Cleef & Arpels circa 1948 almost doubled the pre-sale expectation and sold for $450,133 (lot 336, est. CH F 230,000- 320,000/ $250,000-350,000).



Sotheby’s has been uniting collectors with world‐class works of art since 1744. Sotheby’s became the first international auction house when it expanded from London to New York (1955), the first to conduct sales in Hong Kong (1973) and France (2001), and the first international fine art auction house in China (2012). Today, Sotheby’s presents auctions in 8 different salesrooms, including New York, London, Hong Kong, Paris, and Geneva and Sotheby’s BidNow program allows visitors to view all auctions live online and place bids in real‐time from anywhere in the world. Sotheby’s offers collectors the resources of Sotheby’s Financial Services, the world’s only full‐service art financing company, as well as private sale opportunities in more than 70 categories, including S|2, gallery arm of Sotheby's Contemporary Art department, as well as Sotheby’s Diamonds and Sotheby’s Wine.
Sotheby’s has a global network of 90 offices in 40 countries and is the oldest company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (BID).

For More News From Sotheby’s:Visit: www.sothebys.com/en/inside/services/press/news/news.html
Follow: www.twitter.com/sothebys
Join: www.facebook.com/sothebys & www.weibo.com/sothebyshongkong
Watch: www.youtube.com/sothebys

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Fall 2013 Gems & Gemology looks at the Cheapside Hoard

Gems & Gemology Offers Behind-the-Scenes Look 
at the Cheapside Hoard Jewelry Collection

Fall 2013 issue reviews latest gemological research

The Fall 2013 issue of Gems & Gemology is 
now available.


The Fall 2013 issue of GIA’s (Gemological Institute of America) industry-leading peer-reviewed quarterly journal Gems & Gemology (G&G) journeys to the Museum of London’s astonishing new Cheapside Hoard exhibit of centuries-old jewelry; discusses “digits,” a naturally occurring pattern resembling fingers that is most often found in Ethiopian opal; unveils a useful clue indicating corundum heat treatment; reports on agates from Morocco; and much more. The issue is now available in print, and online with exclusive video content.

G&G’s cover story offers a remarkable preview of the Cheapside Hoard, an unrivaled collection of nearly 500 gems and jewelry pieces believed to have been buried in the seventeenth century that lay undisturbed in London until 1912.  Museum of London Director Sharon Ament and Senior Curator Hazel Forsyth discuss the remarkable history and gemological significance of the collection, which is being exhibited for the first time since the Hoard’s discovery. 

The Fall 2013 issue of Gems & Gemology journeys to the Museum of London’s astonishing
new Cheapside Hoard exhibit of early jewelry.
 Courtesy of the Museum of London;
photo by Robert Weldon/GIA.
Among the pieces chronicled are a gold locket featuring an image of Elizabeth I, a delicately carved cameo inspired by the Aesop fable “The Dog and His Reflection,” and an enameled gold ring set with a table-cut diamond, an evolutionary cut developed in the mid-fifteenth century. The exhibit is now on display through April 27, 2014.

Next is an examination of finger-like digit patterns mostly found in gem-quality Ethiopian opal. In another feature article, John Koivula, GIA’s chief research gemologist, documents a useful visual clue that indicates possible heat treatment of corundum, resulting from the conversion of limonitic residues to hematite in surface-reaching inclusions. The issue also includes a report on the chemical and mineralogical analysis of solid inclusions in Moroccan agate.

The Fall 2013 issue introduces a new G&G article category, the field report, which chronicles GIA expeditions to gem-producing areas and details future lines of research and publication. This issue recounts the July 2013 journey of Duncan Pay, G&G’s editor-in-chief, and a GIA research team to three sources of Oregon sunstone.

Since the first issue of Gems & Gemology was published in 1934, it has been recognized as one of the leading academic journals in its field. In 2013, G&G was made available in its entirety online. Today, the award-winning quarterly journal is available both as a print subscription and at no cost on GIA’s website. 

Additional details about G&G, full articles, more in-depth coverage, hundreds of additional photos, and exclusive video footage are available on GIA’s website at http://www.gia.edu/gia-news-research


About GIA
An independent nonprofit organization, GIA (Gemological Institute of America), established in 1931, is recognized as the world’s foremost authority in gemology. GIA invented the famous 4Cs of Color, Cut, Clarity and Carat Weight in the early 1950s and in 1953, created the International Diamond Grading System™ which, today, is recognized by virtually every professional jeweler in the world.

Through research, education, gemological laboratory services, and instrument development, the Institute is dedicated to ensuring the public trust in gems and jewelry by upholding the highest standards of integrity, academics, science, and professionalism. Visit www.gia.edu

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