Colored Gems and Diamonds Sparkle at September Hong Kong Jewelry Fair

A rare 2.5-carat pink diamond from VMK Diamonds

Everything seems to be the largest in the world at the September Hong Kong Jewellery & Gem Fair and this includes the colored gem and diamond pavilions. In addition to quantity there’s also quality on display among the hundreds of vendors. In fact, there are very few places on earth where you would see gems of that are as rare and beautiful. Handfuls of these stones may even end up on the auction block commanding millions of dollars. 

An 8.37-carat brilliant-cut emerald from Panjshir Valley, a company that specializes in emeralds from Afghanistan

But in the booths these items are sold with care and discretion. The Fine Gem Pavilion, in Hall 9 of the AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE), alone has more than 70 of the world’s top suppliers of colored gemstones. Several of these dealers will also be exhibiting in the Fine Design Pavilion at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, where finished jewels are being shown beginning Wednesday. These dealers will showcase their valuable gems and diamonds set in jewels and will be joined by dealers in vintage and antique jewels as well as contemporary high jewelry artists. 

A rare 20-carat natural Burmese sapphire from Caram

Meanwhile, in the Gemstone Pavilion, where colored gemstones in virtually every hue of the rainbow are showcased, occupies five Halls in AWE as well as the Hall 1 Concourse. The International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) has 40 exhibitors. All totaled, there are approximately 800 gemstone companies exhibiting and approximately 560 diamond suppliers. 

 

A layout of well-matched colored gemstones from Paul Wild

“The September Fair has always been known for its rich and diverse selection of colored gemstones from top dealers, cutters and mine-to-market suppliers,” Celine Lau, director of Jewellery Fairs at Informa Markets, said in a statement. “This is the sourcing event for classic stones; exotic and hard-to-find gem material; and commercial-grade to mid-range quality gemstones. This fair offers a world-class experience to buyers.”

Leibish & Co. Unveils Colorful Gem Jewelry And Free Engagement Ring

Online colored diamond retailer, Leibish & Co., has expanded its colorful offerings into gemstone jewelry. The new collections include sapphires, rubies, and emeralds set within necklaces, pendants, bracelets and earrings.

A significant part of this new push into colored gemstone jewelry is engagement rings. White diamonds (often paired with white gold and platinum) is the standard for bridal jewelry and has been for many years. Other tried to convince consumers into adding color gems to their engagement rings but success has been sketchy. 

To help promote this jewelry category, the company is giving away a free gemstone engagement ring to one subscriber to the website. 

“Over the past three years, I have seen in the market a new trend developing for strong colors, intense pinks, intense blues, vivid pinks and vivid blues. Only, these diamonds have become unaffordable to the majority of buyers,” said Leibish Polnauer, founder of the Israeli-based company. “Not wanting to lose the opportunity to serve all of our clients, we created an exciting and beautiful new line of jewelry made with precious stones that are larger and more modestly priced.” 

Please join me on the Jewelry News Network Facebook Page, on Twitter @JewelryNewsNet and on the Forbes website.

NCDIA Industry Gala in New York

The Natural Color Diamond Association is hosting an industry gala Wednesday, December 5, at Reade Studio, 60 Reade St., New York.

The event, open only to jewelry industry professionals, will run from 6 p.m. till 9:30 p.m. and include awards, cocktails and a silent auction.

Admission is free for NCDIA members. For non-members, the cost is $15 in advance and $25 at the door. To RSVP or for more information contact NCDIA at info@ncdia.com or call 212-644-9747.

NCDIA is an international trade organization dedicated to increasing awareness of color as a unique and valuable attribute in diamonds.

Flaming Yellow 32-Ct. Diamond Sells for $6.5 Million at Auction

A rare vivid yellow, 32.77-ct.diamond sold for more than $6.5 million at Christie’s New York Magnificent Jewels auction held Tuesday. The golden yellow hue of the pear-shaped gem is so intense and so deep that the Gemological Institute of America ranks it among the rarest of gemstones in its class.

The unmounted diamond, about the size of a guitar pick, was the top lot of Christie’s first major jewelry sale of the fall season. The auction fetched $46.6 million with 83 percent sold by lot and 93 percent by value.

“Despite recent volatility in the financial markets, the jewelry world continues to hold strong with active participation from top private collectors and members of the trade for superb gems and jewels,” said Rahul Kadakia, head of Jewelry at Christie’s New York. “At $201,000 per ct., the 32.77-ct. Vivid yellow diamond achieved a sensational price.”

Diamonds of all colors stole the show at Christie’s Rockefeller Plaza flagship, but there were some fine jewelry pieces that caught the attention of buyers. Top sellers include:

An oval-cut D color, potentially flawless diamond ring of 25.74 cts. by Graff sold for nearly $3.9 million.

 

A modified pear-shaped 3.21-cts., fancy vivid blue VS2 diamond sold for more than $2.7 million.

A rectangular-cut D color VS1 diamond ring of 20.43 cts., by Cartier, 1940, fetched $2.1 million.

A pear-shaped fancy purplish pink internally flawless diamond ring, of 8.20 cts., by Tiffany & Co. sold for more than $2 million, exceeding auction estimates.

 

A diamond line necklace of fifty-seven graduated pear-shaped D-color diamonds, weighing a total of 123.22 cts.sold for more than $1.4 million, shattering its estimate of $600,000 - $800,000. 

An 11.05-ct., pear-shaped D color, potentially internally flawless diamond fetched more than $1.3 million. 

An 11.11-ct., cushion-cut D color, potentially internally flawless diamond sold for nearly $1.4 million, exceeding auction estimates.

A natural pearl and diamond necklace of forty-nine graduated natural pearls sold for more than $1 million.

An Art Deco diamond and multi-gem "Tutti Frutti" bracelet, by Cartier, circa 1930, topped estimates, selling for $962,500.

Sotheby’s Sees Red in Upcoming Hong Kong Jewelry Auction

1.92-carat VS2 fancy red diamond ring.

China now has 115 billionaires, according to Forbes magazine, and it appears Sotheby’s is making every possible effort to attract these super-rich residents as well as other high-net-worth individuals from the Asian countries with its Magnificent Jewels and Jadeite Spring Sale 2011 in Hong Kong.

The international auction house is presenting a display of colored diamonds, colored gemstones, jadeite and luxury jewelry from several periods for its April 6 sale at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre—promising that buyers will be seeing plenty of red. The sale will offer 329 lots, with an estimated value of more than $60 million. (All prices are in U.S. dollars and don’t include the buyer’s premium.).

“This auction provides a colorful variety for Asian and global collectors who have discerning taste for truly exceptional gems,” said Quek Chin Yeow, Sotheby’s deputy chairman and head of its jewelry department.

Despite all the color, the top two lots of this sale are expected to be for white diamonds. The first is a pair of D color internally flawless diamond pendent earrings totaling 36.48 cts. by Harry Winston (left), each suspending a pear-shaped diamond weighing over 14 cts., surmounted by an oval diamond weighing 4.01 cts., all D color and internally flawless (auction estimate $4.1 – 4.8 million).

This is followed by a 25.50-ct. brilliant-cut unmounted D-color flawless diamond (auction estimate $3.8 – 4.8 million) with excellent cut, polish and symmetry and Type IIa chemical purity (left). 

 

The third big item being offered is a jadeite bead necklace (Est. $3.8 – 4.5 million) comprising 53 graduated fine natural jadeite beads of luscious translucency, imperial emerald green color and great consistency. Measuring approximately 12.36 to 9.92 mm, the necklace is further adorned with a clasp set with rubies, sapphires and diamonds.

The Hong Kong auction is introducing what it calls the “Red Sale,” led by three stunners. The first is a 1.92-carat VS2 fancy red diamond ring (top picture). It is among the most unusual and rarest color in diamonds, Sotheby’s said. Few red diamonds exist in the world, most are of SI or below in clarity and rarely weigh more than 1 carat (auction estimate $2.5 – 3 million).

Next is a 27.67-ct. Burmese ruby and diamond ring from Bulgari (left). The auction house says its “pigeon’s blood” color “is the largest gem-quality unheated Burmese ruby from the legendary mines of Mogok, famous for producing the world’s best rubies to appear at auction in recent years.” Rubies exceeding 10 carats without thermal enhancement are extremely rare and are irreplaceable as the mines no longer produce rubies of such a significant size and quality (estimate $1.5 - 2.5 million).

Finally, there’s a Burmese ruby and diamond necklace, and pair of matching pendent earrings, totaling 29 rubies weighing 75.56 cts. (left), also from the Mogok mines (estimate $1.4 - 1.9 million).

The top colored diamond being offered is a 12.72-ct. pear-shaped internally flawless fancy pink diamond and diamond ring by Indian jewelry designer Nirav Modi (Est.$3.2 – 4 million). Also featured in the sale is a 25.26-ct. fancy vivid yellow diamond and diamond ring (Est. $1.7 - 2 million); and a 1.13-ct. fancy vivid yellowish green diamond ring (Est. $500,000 – 580,000).

Colored gemstone offerings are led by a 23.19-ct. Brazilian cat’s-eye alexandrite on a diamond ring (Est. $1.3 – 1.6 million). The color changes from reddish purple in incandescent light to bluish green in daylight (pictured left). This combined with a well-centered and pronounced chatoyancy (or cat’s-eye effect), makes the gem is extremely unusual and among the finest to exist in the current market in both quality and size, Sotheby’s said.


 
Other natural gemstones include a 29.20-ct. Burmese sapphire and diamond ring ($400,000 – 600,000) and a pair of 9.10 and 8.56-ct. Burmese sapphire and diamond earrings ($190,000 – 230,000), both natural, unheated and of noble “Royal Blue,” color, the most desirable in Burmese sapphires, Sotheby’s said. In addition, there’s a pair of 10.73 and 9.52-ct. Colombian emerald and diamond pendent earrings (pictured left) with natural untreated Colombian emeralds ($800,000 – 1 million).

Chinese and Chinese inspired jewelry designs include a 7.31-ct. cushion-shaped F-color diamond, amethyst and pink Sapphire ring, by renowned Hong Kong contemporary jewelry, Wallace Chan (Est. $85,000 - 120,000). Another highly sculptural piece is a diamond and gem-set “Azalea” solstice cuff by Cindy Chao (pictured left). Centering on a 7.02-ct. fancy light yellow diamond, the bangle is modeled as a blooming azalea and adorned with diamonds and gemstones of more than 30 colors, together weighing approximately 124 carats (Est. $150,000 – 190,000). There’s also the "endless-cut" diamond bangle by Nirav Modi (Est. $60,000 – 80,000), weighing approximately 16.80 cts. (pictured left) It features Modi’s signature diamond cutting and setting technique known as “Enigma setting.” It requires diamonds of a particular shape substantially different from ordinary diamond cuts. The result is an endless ring of brilliance, without beginning or end.

Classic period jewels include a Burmese ruby and diamond “Foliage” bracelet from Van Cleef & Arpels, circa 1959 (Est. $400,000 – 480,000), made of natural and unheated Burmese rubies weighing approximately 29.60 cts. and diamonds weighing about 20 cts., mounted on a lithe and graceful bracelet that curls naturally around the wearer’s wrist (left). There’s also a Kashmir sapphire and diamond clip brooch from Cartier London (Est. $50,000 – 60,000). The Art Deco creation centers on a 3.04-ct. hexagonal natural unheated Kashmir sapphire, surrounded by sapphires totaling approximately 7.50 cts. 

Then there’s a Jadeite “Huaigu” ruby and diamond necklace and pair of matching pendent earrings by American jewelry designer Carvin French, circa 1996. The Chinese-inspired suite comprises 33 highly translucent jadeite “huaigus”—one of the most iconic forms in traditional Chinese jewelry – each centering on a cabochon ruby. The necklace is accompanied by pendent earrings each set with two jadeite “huaigus” (Est. $490,000 – 640,000).

Finally, there’s a pair of Jadeite “8” and diamond pendent earrings (Est. $320,000 – 380,000), of vivid emerald green color and outstanding translucency. The number 8 is an auspicious symbol in traditional Chinese culture that bestows good fortune upon its wearer.