Top Quality Sapphires Are Rare

Kamis, 27 November 2014

Sapphires, call them gemstones of the sky though we may, lie well hidden in just a few places, and first have to be brought to light Sophirethrough hard work. Sapphires are found in India, Burma, Ceylon, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Brazil and Africa. From the gemstone mines, the raw crystals are first taken to the cutting-centres where they are turned into sparkling gemstones by skilled hands.

When cutting a sapphire, indeed, the cutter has to muster all his skill, for these gemstones are not only hard. Depending on the angle from which you look at them they also have different colours and intensities of colour. So it is the job of the cutter to orientate the raw crystals in such a way that the colour is brought out to its best advantage.

Depending on where they were found, the colour intensity and hue of the cut stones vary, which means, later on, that the wearer is rather spoilt for choice. Should she perhaps go for a mid-blue stone which will remind her even on rainy days of that shining summer sky? Or should she prefer a lighter blue because it will continue to sparkle vivaciously when evening falls? The bright light of day makes most sapphires shine more vividly than the more subdued artificial light of evening. So in fact it is not, as is often claimed, the darkest tone that is the most coveted colour of the blue sapphire, but an intense, rich, full blue which still looks blue in poor artificial light.

Specialists and connoisseurs regard the Kashmir colour with its velvety shine as the most beautiful and most valuable blue. These magnificent gemstones from Kashmir, found in 1880 after a landslide at an altitude of 16,000 feet and mined intensively over a period of eight years, were to have a lasting influence on people's idea of the colour of a first-class sapphire.

Typical of the Kashmir colour is a pure, intense blue with a very subtle violet undertone, which is intensified yet more by a fine, silky shine. It is said that this hue does not change in artificial light. But the Burmese colour is also regarded as particularly valuable. It ranges from a rich, full royal blue to a deep cornflower blue.

The oldest sapphire finds are in Ceylon, or Sri Lanka as it is known today. There, people were already digging for gemstones in ancient times. The specialist recognises Ceylon sapphires by the luminosity of their light to mid-blue colours. Having said that, most blue sapphires come either from Australia or from Thailand.

Their value depends on their size, colour and transparency. With stones of very fine quality, these are, however, not the only main criteria, the origin of the gem also playing a major role. Neither is the colour itself necessarily a function of the geographical origin of a sapphire, which explains the great differences in price between the various qualities.

The most valuable are genuine Kashmir stones. Burmese sapphires are valued almost as highly, and then come the sapphires from Ceylon. The possibility of the gemstone's having undergone some treatment or other is also a factor in determining the price, since gemstones which can be guaranteed untreated are becoming more and more sought-after in this age of gemstone cosmetics. And if the stone selected then also happens to be a genuine, certificated Kashmir or Burmese, the price will probably reflect the enthusiasm of the true gemstone lover.

It is not often that daring pioneers discover gemstones on a scale such as was the case on Madagascar a few years ago, when a gemstone deposit covering an area of several miles was found in the south-east of the island. Since then, not only have there been enough blue sapphires in the trade, but also some splendid pink and yellow sapphires of great beauty and transparency.

Meanwhile, experts in Tanzania have also found initial evidence of two large-scale gemstone deposits in the form of some good, if not very large sapphire crystals coloured blue, green, yellow and orange. And the third country to register new finds recently was Brazil, where sapphires ranging from blue to purple and pink have been discovered. So lovers of the sapphire need not worry: there will, in future, be enough of these 'heavenly' gems with the fine colour spectrum. Top-quality sapphires, however, remain extremely rare in all the gemstone mines of the world.

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Sapphire Gemstone

In earlier times, some people believed that the firmament was an enormous blue sapphire in which the Earth was embedded. Could there be a more apt image to describe the beauty of an immaculate sapphire? And yet this gem comes not in one but in all the blue shades of that firmament, from the deep blue of the evening sky to the shining mid-blue of a lovely summer's day which casts its spell over us.

However, this magnificent gemstone also comes in many other colours: not only in the transparent greyish-blue of a distant horizon but also in the gloriously colourful play of light in a sunset – in yellow, pink, orange and purple. Sapphires really are gems of the sky, although they are found in the hard ground of our 'blue planet'.

Blue is the main colour of the sapphire. Blue is also the Sophire favourite colour of some 50 per cent of all people, men and women alike. We associate this colour, strongly linked to the sapphire as it is, with feelings of sympathy and harmony, friendship and loyalty: feelings which belong to qualities that prove their worth in the long term – feelings in which it is not so much effervescent passion that is to the fore, but rather composure, mutual understanding and indestructible trust.

Thus the blue of the sapphire has become a colour which fits in with everything that is constant and reliable. That is one of the reasons why women in many countries wish for a sapphire ring on their engagement. The sapphire symbolises loyalty, but at the same time it gives expression to people's love and longing.

Perhaps the most famous example of this blue is to be found in music, in George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". And the blue of the sapphire even appears where nothing at all counts except clear-sightedness and concentrated mental effort. The first computer which succeeded in defeating a world chess champion bore the remarkable name 'Deep Blue'.

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Cat Eye Gemstone

Selasa, 25 November 2014

The mineral or gemstone chrysoberyl is an aluminate of beryllium with the formula BeAl2O4.The name chrysoberyl is derived from the Greek words χρυσός chrysos and βήρυλλος beryllos, meaning "a gold-white spar". Despite the similarity of their names, chrysoberyl and beryl are two completely different gemstones, although they both contain beryllium. Chrysoberyl is the third-hardest frequently encountered natural gemstone and lies at 8.5 on the hardness scale, between corundum gemstone and topaz .

An interesting feature of its crystals are the cyclic twins called trillings. These twinned crystals have a hexagonal appearance, but are the result of a triplet of twins with each "twin" oriented at 120° to its neighbors and taking up 120° of the cyclic trilling. If only two of the three possible twin orientations are present, a "V"-shaped twin results.

Ordinary chrysoberyl is yellowish-green and transparent to translucent. When the mineral exhibits good pale green to yellow color and is transparent, then it is used as a gemstone. The three main varieties of chrysoberyl are: ordinary yellow-to-green chrysoberyl, cat's eye or cymophane, and alexandrite. 

Yellow-green chrysoberyl was referred to as "chrysolite" during the Victorian and Edwardian eras, which caused confusion since that name has also been used for the mineral olivine ("peridot" as a gemstone); that name is no longer used in the gemological nomenclature.

Alexandrite, a strongly pleochroic (trichroic) gem, will exhibit emerald green, red and orange-yellow colors depending on viewing direction in partially polarised light. However, its most distinctive property is that it also changes color in artificial (tungsten/halogen) light compared to daylight.

The color change from red to green is due to strong absorption of light in a narrow yellow portion of the spectrum, while allowing large bands of blue-greener and red wavelengths to be transmitted. Which of these prevails to give the perceived hue depends on the spectral balance of the illumination.

Fine-quality alexandrite has a green to bluish-green color in daylight (relatively blue illumination of high color temperature), changing to a red to purplish-red color in incandescent light (relatively yellow illumination).However, fine-color material is extremely rare. Less-desirable stones may have daylight colors of yellowish-green and incandescent colors of brownish red.

Cymophane is popularly known as "cat eye gemstone". This variety exhibits pleasing chatoyancy or opalescence that reminds one of an eye of a cat. When cut to produce a cabochon, the mineral forms a light-green specimen with a silky band of light extending across the surface of the stone.

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Auction Sets World Record for Jewelry

Kamis, 13 November 2014

Christie's said that 346 items had found new owners on Tuesday evening for a total sum of 147.2 million Swiss francs, exceeding the late actress Elizabeth Taylor's collection which netted $116 million three years ago.

Many of the jewels on the block in Geneva were from the large estate of a late Saudi collector, experts said.

The cushion-shaped sapphire, weighing 392.52 carats and suspended on a diamond tassel pendant, soared to double its pre-sale estimate at the auction, where private collectors and professional traders from the Middle East bid heavily.

"We are extremely proud that the Blue Belle of Asia established a new world record for any sapphire sold at auction," Rahul Kadakia, International Head of Christie's Jewelry Department, said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The private collector, seated in the room, is now the new owner of the most valuable sapphire in the world," he added, without identifying the buyer.

It was not immediately clear if the sapphire had belonged to the late Saudi collector. His gem box did include several items made by Swiss-based jeweler Jahan, experts said.

London luxury jeweler Laurence Graff, known as the "King of Diamonds", bought a pair of Bulgari fancy vivid blue and fancy vivid pink diamond ear pendants for 15.5 million Swiss francs, Christie's said.

A gold bangle bracelet by Paris-based American jeweler Joel Arthur Rosenthal, known as JAR, sold for 3.52 million Swiss francs, well above a pre-sale estimate of up to 290,000 francs.

The bracelet, known as the "Parrot Tulip", and designed as a gold flower studded with diamonds and green garnets, set the second highest price for a creation by JAR, Christie's said.

"These prices are a sign that money is available for exceptional things, within limits that are no longer limits," Eric Valdieu, a Geneva-based jewelry dealer formerly of Christie's, told Reuters after attending the sale.

"As easy as it is to explain that Graff paid the market price for ... the pair of diamond earrings, it is hard to explain 3.5 million for the gold bracelet by JAR. It remains inexplicable," Valdieu said.

The Geneva auction has taken place twice-yearly since 1969.

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For Truly Gemstone

Rabu, 12 November 2014

Historical association is one of the factors determining the value of a gemstone. take The Emerald as an example. Famous objects such as Cleopatra's seal and the Moghul Emerald Cup add substantial emotional appeal to the investment equation for this green crystal.

For colored gems, while the "big three" ruby, sapphire and emerald have ample room for appreciation, it makes sense to buy while the stones are still priced at a relatively low level. Current indications are that kunzite, a lavender-pink gem, first discovered in California and named after the eminent gemologist of Tiffany, George Frederick Kunz, in 1902, is a good choice.

This pastel pink stone shot to stardom at Sotheby's auction in 1996. Among the jewelry from the estate of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was a ring with a 47-carat cushion-cut kunzite surrounded by 20 diamonds. The ring was originally purchased by President John F Kennedy as a Christmas gift to his wife in 1963. Tragically, he was assassinated in November that year. With a pre-auction appraisal at HK$46,800 to HK$62,400, the ring sold for a remarkably high price of HK$3.36 million. This is a clear case where the provenance of the piece inflated its value.

The price of kunzite depends on color, clarity, cut and size, with the more saturated pinks commanding high premium. Ranging from HK$400 to HK$800 per carat, the gem is increasingly popular as gifts among young urban professionals. Known as a Stone of Emotion, its beauty, affordability and
ethereal properties combine to secure its place in the gem market. It is best worn as evening jewelry as some stones may fade in color when exposed to direct sunlight for prolonged periods.

A relaxation stone emitting exceptionally tranquill vibrations, kunzite is often used by crystal healing experts for releasing tension and guarding against depression. Practitioners believe that the gentle energy of kunzite helps open the heart to a silent communion of joy and delight. Clients are often advised to gaze at or hold a kunzite to release daily stress, calm nerves, anger or fear and enhance intuition.

Globe-trotters also like to wear kunzite for safety and good fortune while on a trip. The soothing power of kunzite calms nervousness during an interview or assessment and pundits say its soft pastel colors represent a new career milestone. All in all, kunzite is a gem that truly meets the modern day workplace requirement of multitasking! Retired senior civil servant Juliana Chen is a passionate crystal collector who shares the good things in life.

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Juen's jewels

Senin, 10 November 2014

 

Bold and Beautiful Bling

From a “Pussy Brooch” created as an homage to controversial songstress Peaches to a range inspired by beetles, German-born, Shanghai-based jewelry artist Lisa Juen is primarily concerned with pushing the boundaries of beauty in her creations.

“If you want to wear one of my pieces it has to be a good day. If you are not having a good day it might be too much,” Juen says with a laugh, and more than a hint of understatement.

Shanghai designers -- Lisa Juen - pussy broochThe (in)famous "Pussy Brooch," created as a homage to the singer Peaches, from Lisa Juen's Booming Blooming line.Some of these pieces are the size of dinner plates and many of them also come complete with flashing LED lights, Juen, it seems, only designs jewelry suited to the brashest of Shanghai fashionistas.
Creative contrasts

A recent visit to her Shanghai studio revealed Juen's new jewelry series that incorporates materials as diverse as stainless steel, laser cut stones and enamel, alongside an enduring fascination with the nature of how we perceive what is aesthetically pleasing.

“There is a contrast between the coldness and artificial feeling of the steel and the homely feeling of the enamel. There needs to be a contrast,” Juan says of her next line of work.

“My pieces are pretty, but at the same time, there is something repulsive in there as well. Not everything is as nice as it first appears.”

After a tough creative beginning to her time in Shanghai (she describes her first year in the city as “completely blocked”), Juan has acclimatized to her new surroundings and now finds inspiration in the city's chaotic environs.

    If you want to wear one of my pieces it has to be a good day.— Lisa Juen, Shanghai  jewelry designer

“I try to tell little stories through my pieces. I usually start with a word and go from there -- it's quite intuitive,” she says.

“I work with my environment a lot,” Juen continues. “The lights and the blinking incorporated into my jewelry in recent years are very Shanghai.”
Spreading the word

Though avant-garde jewelry art is still in its infancy in China, Juen is doing her bit to spread the word.

As well as working on her own collection, Juen spends her time (and earns much of her living) as the course director of the Contemporary Jewelry Foundation Course at AIVA (Academy of International Visual Arts) here in Shanghai, preparing young Chinese designers for a future in jewelry.Lisa Juen -- shanghai designers - brooch 2Lisa Juen's "I Make You Look Smart" brooch from her Globalores line. The piece doubles as a brooch and necklace.

At the moment Juen's jewelry is primarily sold through her website, and occasionally through galleries when she exhibits her collections.

The artist's attachment to her work is obvious as Juen speaks, and she admits that after working so hard to create each piece, it can be difficult to say good-bye when they do find a new home.

“It's very sad to let pieces go because I made them and it's like they are a part of me,” she says.

“But I guess it's like having children," Juen continues. "I want them to go out into the world and have their own life.”

Adopting one of Juen's babies will set you back RMB 6,500 to 9,000 for the larger pieces, but there is also a commercial range of “more pretty, wearable pieces,” according to Juen, retailing for between RMB 500 and 1,500.

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