32 Carat Diamond Sells for Record Price at Christie’s

October 21st, at Christie’s in New York, an anonymous buyer paid $7.7 million for a ring set with a 32.01carat square emerald-cut D flawless diamond, which had belonged to the late Mrs. Leonore Annenberg. The mounting was designed by David Webb and was composed of two pear-shaped diamonds weighing 1.61ct and 1.50ct.

The diamond itself is spectacular: very large and perfect by most standards. The diamond also had a provenance, a history of ownership, which is impressive. The diamond had been owned by the philanthropist Leonore “Lee” Annenberg, purchased on the occasion of her 90^th birthday. While the name is familiar to most of us, the true depth of the generosity of the late Honorable and Mrs. Walter H. Annenberg is astounding. The Annenberg Foundation has donated an estimated $4.2 billion dollars to cultural, educational and medical institutions. Among these gifts was a $500 million donation to public education, one of the largest gifts in philanthropic history. In 2002, upon Ambassador Annenberg’s death, the couple’s collection of Impressionist art, valued at $1 billion, was given to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

It appears that in this tough economic climate there is still a market for rare, collectible gemstones. This year has seen several record setting sales, including the previous record for a 30 carat D flawless diamond, which was set this year in Geneva in May; and a 7.03ct rare blue diamond which sold at Sotheby’s for $9.5 million.

Brown Diamonds: The Other Colored Diamond

If the mystique of colored diamonds intrigues you, but you find the price tag is keeping you from broadening your collection; take a look at brown diamonds.

A jewelry connoisseur should recognize the rarity and value that colored diamonds bring to any piece of jewelry. Brown diamonds, while not rare like blue, pink or even yellow, will receive a fancy color grade in a GIA Certificate. Brown diamonds come in a wide range of hues; these warm and neutral colors make brown diamonds very easy to wear. A beautiful brown diamond’s color adds more visual interest and a curiosity factor to your jewelry. The depth of color pops when placed next to white diamonds.

Victorian Style Today

The reign of Queen Victoria lasted from 1837 to 1901; and various styles are associated with the long reign of Queen Victoria. Parurers, or matching suites of jewelry, remained a constant throughout the period, although later giving way to smaller demi-parurers. These often contained a necklace, drop earrings, brooch and a bracelet or two. Victoria’s reign can be divided in to early, mid, and late for fashion influences in jewelry.

Early Victorian jewelry can be referred to as the Romantic period. Throughout this period the jewelry was primarily composed of yellow gold, hardstones and semi-precious gemstones. Coral, cameos, turquoise, seed pearls and garnets are prevalent in the early Victorian period.

The mid-Victorian period is marked by the death of Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert; in 1861 a twenty-year period of mourning jewelry was begun. During this period black material such as jet, gutta percha and black enamel were greatly used in jewelry. Pietra dura and micro mosaics were very popular. Various motifs of applied gold embellishments on jewelry were influenced by different revivals, including Etruscan, Egyptian and Renaissance.

In late Victorian jewelry we begin to see the introduction of white metal, initially silver topped gold and later platinum. Jewelry is set with diamonds and lighter colored stones in general including moonstones and sapphires. Designs become lighter and more delicate. Finally in 1896, we see the addition of beautiful, delicate enamel pieces to commemorate the Jubilee of Victoria’s Coronation.

Bangle and cuff bracelets were as popular with the Victorians as they are today.  Mid-Victorian, predominately yellow gold, bracelets were often sold in pairs; and can still be found in the estate market. Wearing Victorian jewelry today is fun, and believe it or not…fashion forward.

Hemmerle’s Genius

I encourage you all to visit www.Hemmerle.com, the website of one of Germany’s most exciting jewelry designers. The house of Hemmerle was established in 1904 by brothers Joseph & Anton Hemmerle, who were appointed by the Bavarian Court as Purveyors of Medals and Ornaments. Today the company is in the fourth generation and the designs, as well as the finished pieces, are as simply breath taking as one might imagine they needed to be for a royal appointment.

The unique website takes you from design to execution in a seamless flow of sketches to finished pieces, which combine rare colored gemstones and unusual metals of unique colors, all while listening to music which adds to the intellectual stimulation of the whole experience. Among my favorite pieces are a bangle of purple sapphires, wood and silver, and an stunning tassel necklace composed of tourmalines, sapphires and conch pearls. But, I don’t want to give all the good parts away.

In the age of mass-production-everything, take a virtual trip to Munich and visit a firm which displays old fashioned attention to detail with modern creativity.