Diamond

Chisholm Hunter sells rare £500,000 diamond ring

Luxury jeweller and diamond merchant Chisholm Hunter has sold a rare diamond ring for more than £500,000. The 5-carat round brilliant D-colour flawless diamond ring was purchased by one of the store’s customers as a Christmas present for this wife. The diamond ring was crafted by the retailer’s in-house jewellers…

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Another step forward in an ongoing challenge

Diamond grading issues have been a hot topic in recent months, but a new ISO Standard could benefit the consumer and retailer. STELLA LAYTON, chief assay master at the Birmingham Assay Office, explains.[divider style=”solid” top=”20″ bottom=”20″] The industry has come a long way since we staged our first Great Debate…

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Laing Edinburgh opens new £1.7m store

Laing Edinburgh has announced the opening of its new £1.7m store on the capital city’s George Street. The 9,000 sq ft store, which is believed to be the largest jewellery store outside of London, was officially opened on Friday, 18 December, in celebration of the company’s 175th anniversary. The three-storey…

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Boodles expands in Manchester with new three-storey shop

Fine diamond jewellery retailer Boodles is set to expand its presence in Manchester with the opening of a new three-level store. The company is set to move its Manchester store into Manchester city centre’s King Street, where it will operate a 3,000 sq ft store which will undergo a major…

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Rare Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring sets new world auction record

A rare sapphire and diamond ring acheived $1.35m (£892,000) at Bonham’s New York fine jewellery auction on 8 December, setting a new world record. The Tiffany & Co ring – centred by an oval-cut sapphire, and flanked by European-cut diamonds weighing 7.84-carats – set the world record for the most…

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Rare spider diamond ring predicted to fetch £200,000 at auction

A rare diamond ring in the shape of a spider – dubbed the ‘Spia-mond Ring’ – has been predicted to fetch £200,000 at auction. The original ring from the premier of the Spiderman 2 movie went on sale for 10 days on online auction website Catawiki on Friday, 4 December.…

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Polished diamond prices increase for first time in six months

Polished diamond prices increased in November for the first time in six months, boosted by shortages of select categories and seasonal holiday demand. That is according to the latest RapNet Diamond Index (RAPI) which found 1-carat, GIA-graded diamonds rose 0.7% in price in November – its first increase in six…

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Bonhams jewellery sale sets three world records

Bonhams’ last London Fine Jewellery sale of the year, which took place on Saturday 5 December, set three new auction world records. Jewellery from renowned designers including Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, along with a pair of Kashmir sapphires belonging to a European princess, went under the hammer. The…

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De Beers suspends Canada Snap Lake mine operation

De Beers has announced it has suspended operations at its Snap Lake diamond mine in Canada due to poor market conditions. The company said work to suspend production at the mine has begun, a process which could take up to nine months. It will evaluate market conditions over the next…

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Petra and Ekapa Mining acquires De Beers’ Kimberley mines

Petra Diamonds and South African mining company Ekapa Mining have announced the acquisition of De Beers’ Kimberley mines. Petra, which owns the Finsch and Cullinan mines, said that deal of 102 million rand (£46.9m) will see it own a 49.9% interest in the mine, with Ekapa owning a 50.1% share.…

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