Will you buy a 'man-made' diamond? - Gemesis Presents 'World’s Largest, Whitest Lab-Created Diamond'

Gemesis Diamond Company, the world’s principal distributor of high-quality lab-created diamonds and jewelry, currently offers a 1.29-carat, E color, VVS2 clarity, emerald-cut diamond – the world’s largest, whitest lab-created diamond – on Gemesis.com.  This  diamond’s retail value is $7,633.64.

According to the international color scale, colors D to F are very rare, with D being the highest level of colorlessness. Certified by the International Gemological Institute (IGI), this diamond – as with all Gemesis colorless lab-created selections – is classified as the purest type IIa, which is extremely rare in nature. Additionally, Gemesis now sells several different lab-created emerald, princess and round-cut diamonds in colors D, E and F on its eCommerce website.

"This is a significant milestone," stated Gemesis' director of marketing, Martin DeRoy. “Gemesis is proud to offer this new choice – lab-created diamonds that possess the same exceptional quality, color and clarity as mined diamonds. We look forward to continuing to produce high colors (D to F) in larger sizes, with increased regularity in the near future.”

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 "Will you choose a laboratory created diamond for your engagement ring?"
For the purpose of saving the environment or for its conflict free associations?
Having said that, there is currently a 1.27ct E-VVS2 Emerald cut diamond listed on the international market that will easily retail for well over the US$10,000 mark. It is also GIA certified. The most recognised diamond grading laboratory in the world.

Here's where it's rather mis-leading and a few cans of worms I must open.
The IGI laboratory is not quite on the same par as GIA laboratory. In the diamond industry, their grading has always been looked as a 'loose opinion' of a diamond's true grade.
One of my many first hand experiences involving the differences in laboratory grading includes this time when a client purchased a beautiful diamond stated a F - colour, VS2 -clarity on an IGI cert. They were uncomfortable or unfamiliar with IGI, and requested for this very same gem to be sent to GIA for a re-grade. It returned as a H - colour, SI2 - clarity by GIA. That difference is significantly remarkable and will also result in a distinct difference in PRICE.

So did they buy a F-VS2 or a H-SI2? What do we do with that near $4000 difference in price point with the drop in colour and clarity?! The ending was not pretty and an encounter to mark and prove that just because a diamond comes with a laboratory certificate, it does not mean it really is what the paper says it is. Hence why jewellery shops, professionals, graders still operate and the human eye and shopping experience cannot really be replaced by buy a diamond online...
I am not here to even say that GIA is a perfect laboratory on its own.... the story goes on...

And so does the allure of the natural diamond... formed underground.. millions of miles away, millions of years old and millions more to go... forever.. befitting the core significance of the engagement ring...

Is the Chinese gold rush over?

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It was on the headlines today - China rush is fading for makers of fine watches. – Basel Switzerland

Swiss exports decline as stores find themselves with excessive supply. After opening hundreds of stores in China in recent years, some watch companies are facing an inventory glut and cutting back their retailing presence there. The downsizing comes as shipments of timepieces to China from Switzerland, the world’s dominant watch production centre, have fallen below the levels of two years ago, after setting a record in 2012.

With a tax rate of up to 70 per cent on luxury goods acquired within Mainland China depending on product category, affluent and travel-hungry Chinese are increasingly buying overseas. As a result ’50 sq meters in paris could be much more meaningful now than having those same 50 sq meters in China.” said Francois-Henry Bennahmias, chief executive of Audemars Piguet, a Swiss watch company that is closing 6 of its 22 stores in china.

Despite warnings in January that the outlook in Asia was uncertain, Richemont announced this past week a rise of about 30percent in 2012 profit, and also LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton reported an increase of 6 percent in first-quarter.

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Oh the Chinese...! In the luxury goods industry, we have a love hate relationship with them. Indeed they love to buy overseas, be it Europe, the US or Australia. They come by the busloads, demand a 70% discount on their $100,000 purchases, throw stacks of hundred dollar bills at you, and asks for a free ‘something’ from the store – because they are ‘good customers’.

I once negotiated a 2.00ct D - Colour, Internally Flawless – Clarity, diamond sale with a customer who decided since is was ‘so cheap’, that she would like two 2.00ct D-flawless diamonds. And of course did I add that she would like two for the price of one? Negotiations did drag and I could see she was dripping with wealth from her tacky cherry blossom Louis Vuitton ‘plastic’ bag to her screaming Burberry trench… she was going to remain seated at our desk till she bought something. I wonder whether it is the Indian customers or the Chinese that can wear us down faster, so we give in our simply invite them to leave.

It finally came down to a point where the sale needs to close and I threw in the line where I said, if you want it for the price, then pay me upfront right now in cash. The silence that follows is the thrill of every salesperson’s day to day… I often think to myself, whether that moment is what’s keeping me ‘alive’ and enjoying this job.

Of course she opened her tiny bag and pulled out pretty stacks of ‘gorillas’ (Australian slang for hundred dollar bills) and literally threw them down on the table right in front of me. The tug of war of power in negotiation. I won. But I did not quite expect her to fit six figure dollar amounts of real cash in her tiny cherry blossom LV. Counting the cash was torture for after much pain whilst chatting, the cash was missing one singular $100 bill even after my careful second count. She with her friend thus joined in the paper search and proved my diligence.

Joys of retail as life goes on, while I wonder if I could one day sit on the other side of the table and ‘deal’ and if the day comes, what price will I need to pay to have sit where she is? Do I really want to be there? Is having those ‘gorillas’ the an important part of my existence?

Blue Diamond for your Engagement Ring

The allure of coloured precious (and semi-precious) can never be underestimated.
I often meet clients who ask me about sapphires, rubies, emeralds and also coloured diamonds and their worth. Indeed an engagement or a gemstone purchase can be viewed as also an investment for the future. The war times in the 20s and 40s where we may have heard our grandparents and parents knowing someone who has sold their precious stones in order to start a new life still rings in our ears.

The beauty of a coloured diamond lies inexplicably in the rareness and the wonder of its creation.
A gift from nature, a freak of nature that colour is introduced to its lattice structure of pure carbon chemical bonds... The pink diamond and today, let me give you a peek of the Blue diamond.

An extremely rare 5.30ct, fancy deep-blue diamond sold for £6.2 million ($9.5million or $1.8million per carat) to Graff the eponymous name in the jewellery trade, at the Bonhams London auction house.
Auctions are absolutely thrilling and even more so when less than 1% of the world's coloured diamonds, pink, purple or blue are worthy of even making it to the market in the obvious sizes as side diamonds from 0.01ct (barely 1mm in physical diameter measurements) to less than a 1.00carat finished diamond.

It is no surprise that the auction house stated that bidding on this gemstone came from around the world through 25 telephone lines as well as from those in the packed sales room. A stone with no comparable 'value' attached to is set to make history.

The cushion-shape blue diamond is set horizontally with a mount pave-set with brilliant-cut diamonds and some beautifully placed baguette-cut diamonds in a Trombino ring made by Bulgari,  circa 1965. The ring went to bid with a high presale estimate of $2.3 million.

"We are delighted with the price it has made," said Jean Ghika, Director of the Bonhams Jewellery Department for the UK and Europe, after the auction. "It was a sensational stone which charmed everyone who viewed it prior to the sale. Blue diamonds, especially those over 5.00 carats, are extremely rare to see on the market and continue to be highly sought-after. We are honoured to have handled the sale of such a unique gem."

Contact me if you like to own a version of this stunning Trombino ring today. 

- Faith from Faith Jewels

She said 'Yes!'

Love is like a bunch of roses... Is it?

The joy of a brand new engaged couple is just so infectious and beautiful.
After several years of my own young marriage, I think the proposal moment is so precious like gold.

Lovely dinner by the water, beautiful flowers, sweaty palms, happy, blissful smiles...

"Hi Faith,

Thank you thank you thank you for the wonderful and georgeus ring..hehe...love it so much, keep looking at it until now. Love the sketch as well. Still can't believe it though.
I'm so happy.. I was very surprised when he actually did it!"

Let's celebrate love everyday! Thank you to my beautiful couple Aldrich & Lucky!
Enjoy your engagement! xxx

Cakes of coloured jewels! :)

Everyday life inspires great design.
Moments of brightness and shapes bring such joy to life.

Cheers to colour! Have a beautiful day!

Custom Made Engagement Ring Design Sketch for a special Proposal

Flying is such therapy.
Listening to the purr of the plane engine and oblivious to the world.
Sketching on the plane was surprisingly fun and efficient use of my time!

A stunning engagement ring for a very special and beautiful couple.
He proposes tomorrow! Who is the lucky girl? :)
My client muses that she keeps the diamond and he keeps the framed hand sketch of chosen ring design.

 

 (Hand Crafted custom designed engagement ring. By appointment only - Faith Jewels )

How do you choose an engagement ring?

This is a question many men and women ponder over.

For the men, the association of the ring to this very special time of their lives where he will propose to the one he loves makes this a very important piece of jewellery.

In so many cultures jewellery is seen significantly as a gift. And especially so with a ring.
If a woman wears a ring on her finger, it is almost immediately assumed it is from her partner and associations of wealth, taste and social status comes instantly at a glance. It makes it almost impossible for a woman to buy a ring for herself just because she likes it without being questioned of her marital status.

I am often curious as to whether clients I meet have felt torn by what they truly want or can afford on their finger vs what they want others to see them in a certain way, eg. from the size of the rock, from the sparkle of the jewel, or from the simplicity or modern style of the ring design.

The engagement ring is of course a gift from the man to his partner. Many clients have commented that this very ring is the most they have spent next to the deposit they have put down on a house, or it cost as much as their bike or car. My sales pitch has often been that this is a ring worn everyday for the rest of her (or his) life, which does make it pretty good value if you like math. Much thought should go into it and end of the day the budget is important to stick with. The wedding, the honey moon, the house, the children all follow... after this ring :)

For today's post, my advice is to set a budget and stick to it. You can have a price bracket in that spending amount but being sensible for the future is always the best bet. If your relationship is an open sharing one between the two partners, then definitely talk about this with each other. Expectations and managing them is the first step to a happy union! I have more tips for you in my next post. Stay tuned!

A Proposal on the way!

Really looking forward to a grand proposal next weekend!

A trip to my jeweller to pick up the completed engagement ring I designed for my client awaits me in the next week.
After hundreds and hundreds of couple I have met over all these years, there's still the thrill of helping a guy pick the most beautiful engagement ring to propose with.
 
Every proposal is special and every couple is unique. I feel joy when I see love and I pray that the couple remembers this beautiful moment for the rest of their lives even at the darkest moments that sometimes descend through life. 

An engagement ring carries with it hope for a future, for a new chapter and sometimes in the midst of winning a sale or a client for the sake of business, it is easy forget the romance and the true essence of why we are here. 

I want to remember everyday that love is what keeps the world going round... 
Let's share some today!




 

A new beginning with diamonds

It is just great for my first post to begin in April - with Diamonds as the month's birthstone.
Do you have many people in your life born in April? How are they special or significant in your life?

Check out this Infographic for diamond lovers from Pricescope Forum, which showcases some interesting information about the history of diamonds, the romance, legend and physics of this natural gemstone.

Like all gemstones from the earth, I believe there is some mystical quality about them. It still fascinates me today how a humble-looking 'sugar rock crystal' of a rough diamond, can become a true work of art and sculpture in a talented cutter's hand.