Alrosa to Continue Auctions of Rough in Israel

Alrosa to continue holding auctions of rough in Israel in 2013

Ramat Gan, December 3, 2012 - Alrosa, Russia's largest diamond mining corporation and one of the world's leading producers of rough diamonds, is planning to expand its sales activity in Israel. In 2013, Alrosa is expected to hold several auctions for rough diamonds larger than 10.8 carats in Ramat Gan's diamond exchange complex.

During 2012, Alrosa already held two successful auctions for rough diamonds of 10.8 carats and up in Israel. These auctions were the result of a number of meetings, held both in Moscow and in Israel, between Yuri Okoyomov, vice-president of Alrosa and Yair Sahar, president of the Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE).

In light of the satisfactory outcome of these auctions and Alrosa's recognition that the Israeli diamond center is an attractive hub for the trade in rough and polished diamonds, and following further discussions between Mr. Okoyomov and Mr. Sahar, Alrosa has indicated it intends to continue with auctions for rough diamonds of 10.8 carats and up in Israel also in 2013.

IDE president Yair Sahar expressed his satisfaction with Alrosa's position.

"We're very pleased with Alrosa's decision to auction more rough in Israel. It offers further proof of Israel's wide ranging expertise and versatility in diamond manufacturing and trading. We look forward to strengthening our industry's relationship with Alrosa further," Sahar stated.

Happy Holidays from The Daily Jewel!

Try as I may to ignore it - the Holidays are upon us...and there are so many amazingly beautiful lines showing off their best...so the next couple weeks may be blinding...but what a way to go!

So wishing you the happiest of holidays and from my friend Nan Fusco...Happy Lagunakkah...Merry Christmas or Just Have a GREAT 25th!

Call for Entries: Holding Place: A Repository of Containers and Vessels by Metalsmiths Around the World

The Gem and Jewelry World's Foremost Resource on The Internet. Open to the public, Free of Charge!

Call for Entries:Holding Place: A Repository of Containers and Vessels by Metalsmiths Around the World 

One of the axioms of mathematics is that the container must be greater than the contained. Prove us right! 

Ganoksin is pleased to announce its third annual International Online Jewelry Exhibition. This year's theme will be "Holding Place: A Repository of Containers and Vessels by Metalsmiths Around the World".


Viking Bowl, copper, 10.5" x 5"
Fold formed bowl on hammered fabricated stand.
Louise C Coulson, Kingfisher Designs Metals.
Aberdeen, MS. USA
The exhibition is open to all metalsmiths, professional and amateur, advanced and beginner, around the world. All metal containers and vessels are eligible for entry. Examples include, but are not limited to, pill boxes, vases, bowls, pitchers, lockets, prayer boxes and memento mori.

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.

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

Entries are accepted from now until January 15, 2013
Details and entry information is available at
http://www.ganoksin.com/gnkurl/vessels

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

#HolidayGift - Gift Spotlight on Michael M.

Your Annual Opportunity to Support Ganoksin!

The Gem and Jewelry World's Foremost Resource on The Internet. Open to the public, Free of Charge!

Greetings!

Each year at this time, we reach out to ask you and the Orchid community to help sustain the Ganoksin project. Ganoksin is run by a group of people who believe in and love what they're doing.

If you enjoy our efforts, then please feel free to show your support - Please participate in our $10,000 Rio Grande Gift Certificates Giveaway !

Rio Grande is giving away special prizes to members purchasing eBooks or making a Donation!

Each 35$ you spend on eBook downloads or as a donation to the Ganoksin Project entitles you for One entry for in our random door prize draw of $ 10,000 Gift certificates from Rio Grande.

4 lucky winners will share a grand prize pack valued at $ 10,000 to purchase tools and equipment sold online at Rio Grande

1. First prize: $ 5,000 Rio Grande gift certificate
2. Second prize: $ 3,000 Rio Grande gift certificate
3. Third prize: $ 1,500 Rio Grande gift certificate
4. Fourth prize: $ 500 Rio Grande gift certificate

An exciting shopping spree throughout the extensive Rio Grande's tools Catalog! Perfect for outfitting your bench or supplies box.

Now your Rio Grande shopping dreams could be made true.

To enter for the grand prize drawing all you have to do is to

 PURCHASE eligible eBooks from the Ganoksin project website at - Each $ 35 you spend on eBook downloads through the Ganoksin project website entitles you for ONE entry in our random door prize draw of $ 10,000 Gift certificates from Rio Grande.

OR

 DONATE to the Ganoksin project - For every $ 35 you donate to Ganoksin we are offering one entry in the Rio Grande $ 10,000 Gift Certificate Prizes Giveaway

Rio Grande is your online source for innovative jewelry-making products, great service and technical know-how. Whether you are just starting out or are a seasoned professional jeweler, metalsmith or artisan, we share your passion.

Participation is open worldwide - The Grand Prize winners will be drawn on May 15, 2013

• Gift certificate is good for tools and equipment only, shipping and any applicable sales tax for a maximum total of the gift certificate value.
• Gift certificate cannot be combined with any other promotion or discount codes.
• Gift certificate not valid for out of stock items or special order items.
• Gift certificate will remain valid for five years from date of issue.

New Offerings 

Chasing Tools This lecture deals with a number of ways of preparing tool steel to make chasing tools, hardening and tempering in detail. Making chasing tools from concrete nails, basic forming tools, upset (hot riveted) forming tools, forged spiral tools, texture tools, alternative and found chasing tools, examples of chasing tools, Lewton-Brain chasings and hammers, as well as steel theory. More information than anywhere else on basic chasing tools. This eBook download entitles you for ONE entry in our random draw of Gift certificates from Rio Grande! Buy The PDF

Jewelry Photography This lecture gives excellent lessons on how to set up a home or studio photo booth to take professional-quality photographs and slides of your jewelry or small objects such as jewelry, ceramics, glass and so on. Taking your own quality images saves money and time. The system (not counting the cost of camera and tripod) costs less than .00 to set up. How to build a drop shadow photo booth, lighting, miniature spotlighting, composition, backgrounds are covered. This is a visual version of the small scale photography book and deals with digital content in ways not dealt with in that book. This eBook download entitles you for ONE entry in our random draw of Gift certificates from Rio Grande! Buy The PDF

Foldforming Step by Step Foldforming Step by Stepis an introductory lecture, here as a pdf. It is a collection of step-by-step foldforming techniques organized by kind. It has a brief overview of principles and examines the tools needed. It shows how to make basic and tight line folds, pinched line folds, a forged line fold bracelet, Rueger folds, a ruffled leaf, a star base form, a basic T-fold, a chased T-fold (chasing on air), a rolled Heistad Cup, rolled Good fold, scoring and bending with a separating disc, hydraulic press folds and more. This tour of the main areas of fold-forming is an exciting glimpse of the world of fold-forming. This PPS is included in the Fold-forming CDROM, a massive collection of thousands of Fold-form images and over 47 procedure sequences. This eBook download entitles you for ONE entry in our random draw of Gift certificates from Rio Grande! Buy The PDF

Jewelers Bench This presentation, based on a survey of North American bench jewelers, discusses areas that bench users have issues with, such as sturdiness, soldering, material conservation, bench height, wax working and addresses methods of improving efficiency and resolving problems. A comparison of the two main bench types, deep cutout and flat fronted is carried out with the advantages and disadvantages of both forms explored. Tool storage and layout solutions are examined and time/motion considerations discussed. Many vernacular jewelers tricks regarding bench use and tool storage are shown. Safety issues such as ventilation, boric acid and alcohol use and electrical are discussed. The approach is that of a working bench jeweler, a studio user, a goldsmith. This eBook download entitles you for ONE entry in our random draw of Gift certificates from Rio Grande! Buy The PDF

Bench Tricks Lecture This PDF slide show with commentary has over 200 pictures of really great bench tricks, cheap tool sources, surprising ways of using tools and more. This lecture has been presented in New York and Tucson for MJSA and AGTA. It is guaranteed to show you new ways of saving money, making tools and equipment work for you and make you think. Save hundreds of dollars if you apply the ideas in this show. It is available on a CDROM. This eBook download entitles you for ONE entry in our random draw of Gift certificates from Rio Grande! Buy The PDF

A Modern Method of Creating Enameled Filigree Jewelry by Leon Hornstein - Complete Edition This book covers the history of the ancient technique of filigree jewelry making and gives very clear instructions on how filigree is made, and how it can be combined with enamel. Filigree is a group of individual lace-like intertwined wires of gold or silver, soldered together to form a pattern. Topics include: tools and materials, making filigree wire and jigs, soldering preparation and technique, pickling, making filigree jewelry, gold plating and more. 110 pages, 67 b&w photos and diagrams, 3 pages of color, soft cover. Complete Edition

Hinges and Hinge-Based Catches for Jewelers and Goldsmiths by Charles Lewton-Brain - Complete Edition This book analyzes hinges and hinge-like mechanisms in a manner never done before in a single volume. We feel it will be a classic. Along with history, generics, classes of hinges, guiding principles, sections include: design, tube making, hinge pins (force-fit, riveted, upset, tapered, cotter type, tubing, square, threaded, stud), hinge types (basic, thick-walled, locket, bracelet, box, block, cold-rolled, tab, cast and milled), lubrication, catch systems, hidden, alternative, cast hinges and solving design problems. Good index and table of contents. 112 pages, over 200 line drawings. Complete Edition Part 1 Only Part 2 Only

Lost Wax Jewelry Making: The Build-up Technique by Minoru Azama - Complete Edition One of the few books available on wax modelmaking; "Lost Wax Jewelry Making: The Build-up Technique" by Minoru Azama, printed in Japanese by Kashiwa Hobby Books. 1999. Azama process emphasizes building up wax as opposed to starting with a wax blank and carving away material. He uses this approach for organic as well as geometric subjects. The potential of this technique is unlimited! Azama's work is outstanding, some of it so very precise and geometric that one would think it had been carved of hard wax. The book was written for students at the Japan Jewelry Academy, and Mr. Azama has been generous enough to write a complete English translation. Complete Edition Part 1 Only Part 2 Only

Small Scale Photography by Charles Lewton-Brain - Complete Edition  This eBook gives excellent lessons on how to set up a home or studio photo booth to take professional-quality photographs and slides of your jewelry or small objects such as ceramics, glass and so on. Taking your own quality images saves money and time. The system (not counting the cost of camera and tripod) costs less than 60.00$ to set up. How to build a drop shadow photo booth, film types, lighting, miniature spotlighting, composition, backgrounds, surface understanding and image creation are covered. PR techniques are taught and sources are listed. The ideas shared in this set can save you hundreds of dollars in professional photographic fees and time. Free Bonous: Digital photo notes Complete Edition Part 1 Only Part 2 Only

 

Cheap Thrills in The Tools Shop by Charles Lewton-Brain - Complete Edition  This Classic book is a loose, eclectic collection of short cuts, bench tricks and alternative equipment options for goldsmiths. Cheap tool making, conversions and unexpected sources for tools are all described. Sections include shop machines, tools, setting tools, soldering and more. Will save you hundreds of dollars in the jewelry studio. Lots of line drawings, lists and reviews of sources round out the book. A good table of contents and index make finding information easy. This was the first bench tricks book published in English in 40 years and led the interest in Bench Tricks in the jewelry/metals field. Complete Edition Part 1 Only Part 2 Only

Increase your chances! Buy more than one!

Support Orchid! - Participation is open worldwide!

We wish you all the best of luck and happy purchasing.

Kevan Hall Spring 2013 With Accessories By Erica Courtney

Fashion designer Kevan Hall launched his Spring 2013 collection at his atelier in Los Angeles this week.  The star-studded event featured beautiful dresses bursting with rich, bright colors, along with gowns from his White Label collection. Check out the fabulous runway looks that were styled in Drop Dead Gorgeous® jewelry by Erica Courtney®.

photo credit: Faye Sadou

Platinum and diamond blue topaz Chinese Knot earrings

Platinum and diamond moonstone cabochon ring

Platinum and diamond multi sapphire bangles

photo credit: Faye Sadou

Platinum and diamond aquamarine teardrop earrings

Platinum and diamond aquamarine cabochon ring

photo credit: Faye Sadou

18k gold and diamond Goddess earrings with olive quartz drops

photo credit: Felix Foto

18k gold and diamond clip post huggies

18k gold and diamond flower cross bangles

photo credit: Felix Foto

Platinum and diamond skinny huggies

Labradorite bead necklace with platinum flower clasp

Day wear or Evening this is a stunning collection made all the more stunning with the addition of Erica's Drop Dead Gorgeous® jewelry...

Love the "behind the scenes glimpse"  Putting the Look Together!

Dom Pedro Aquamarine Unveiled at Smithsonian's Museum of Natural History!

Photo Credit: Jim DiLoreto

Pictured Left to Right: Donor Jeff Bland, Curator Jeffrey Post, Sant Director Kirk Johnson,and Donor Jane M. Mitchell unveil the Dom Pedro Aquamarine. The largest cut-gem aquamarine in the world, the Dom Pedro is now on display in our Janet Annenberg Hooker Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals.


The story of this amazing Aquamarine Crystal is one of wonder and adventure that is straight from an Indiana Jones  adventure!
In the November 1995 issue of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist magazine, Si and Ann Frazier recounted the escapades of a record-breaking beryl crystal in "Rough Trip to Brazil: Intrigue and adventure surround the mission to spirit a giant beryl crystal out of Brazil."

From the LJJA article:

Besides having immense size, the lovely natural blue beryl was transparent and exhibited beautifully formed crystal faces, making it an exceptionally fine piece," the Fraziers share. "As luck would have it, the garimperos (the local term for these itinerant miners) dropped the specimen, and it broke into three pieces." Even then, the largest of those three pieces was still a record-breaking two feet tall and nearly 60 pounds.

In the Fraziers' exciting insiders tale, you'll learn why that unfortunate drop turned out to be rather fortunate after all, thanks to some unique gemological properties of beryl crystals, as well as the rest of the soon-to-be Dom Pedro aquamarine crystal's secretive escape from behind a bed in Brazil with renegade gem dealers Axel and Chico.

But that's just half the story...

The Fraziers continue the crystal's tale in "Fit for An Emporer," through its carver's months of "step-by-step thinking and not sleeping" to the sculpture's unveiling at the gem show in Basel as a 10,395-carat (about five pounds), nearly 14-inch-tall beauty. The Dom Pedro holds the record as the world's largest cut and polished gem aquamarine, the Fraziers share, after meeting the gem carver, seeing the sculpture themselves, and proclaiming it "beautifully gemmy . . . transparent . . . [and] clean except for one area of natural tubes near the top, as a mineral collector would orient it."

But not Bernd Munsteiner, the Dom Pedro carver and arguably the world's most famous gem artist, who chose "to orient the crystal upside down," putting its included tubes at the bottom of the sculpture, "where they lead the eye into the carving" and "add light, brightness, and movement." Munsteiner believes that "another crystal as suitable for sculpture as the Dam Pedro rough has never been available at any time, anywhere in the world."

Click through the links above for the whole story...and thank you to LJJA for digging up the archives for this great adventure!