Christie’s has done it again…break diamond auction records, that is. This time, it’s at a Hong Kong spring sale of highly covetable jewelry, including a 75.36-carat D briolette diamond. This particular piece of diamond jewelry was sold per carat to an anonymous buyer from Asia. The diamond was purchased for $11.2 million, or $148,000 for each carat. This end-of-May sale broke the world record for the highest-paid briolette ever.
If we look back at the past month’s posts, Christie’s was also featured a couple of times in this blog for other record-breaking diamond sales. On May 28, the auction house’s Magnificent Jewels event in Geneva saw a 101.73-carat pear-shaped diamond called the “Winston Legacy” go for $26.7 million. Meanwhile, the “Princie Diamond”, a near flawless cushion-cut pink diamond weighing 34.65 carat, fetched $39.9 million…or a whopping $1.1 million per carat. It was sold during a mid-April Magnificent Jewels auction in New York.
Tags: Diamond, Record-Breaking
Categories: Diamonds, Jewelry, News
A woman wearing earrings is not exactly a strange phenomenon (hey, even men wear them these days). They’ve been worn as ornamentation and as a means of expression since time immemorial. Earrings have a way of defining personalities, as portrayed by this infographic created by Brilliance. Even celebrities’ personal styles have been characterized by the earrings they like to adorn themselves with. From Audrey Hepburn to Natalie Portman through to Princess Diana, get to know the various personalities which a particular pair of earrings help to highlight.
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Tags: Earring, Personality
Categories: Jewelry, Style
Be that sleek and stylish bridegroom with Brilliance’s Beveled Men’s Wedding Ring in Ceramic. It features a timeless, non-fussy, yet edgy design. This men’s wedding band has a highly polished beveled edge, giving it a very masculine look and feel. It is made of ceramic, a hypoallergenic material, providing a comfortable fit for even the most sensitive skin. For the man on the go, this is the perfect wedding band to say “I do” with.
Like this band? Check it out here: Beveled Men’s Wedding Ring in Ceramic. You may also browse our entire collection here: Men’s Wedding Bands.
Tags: Beveled, Ceramic, Men's, Wedding Ring
Categories: Brilliance, Jewelry, Rings
The emerald is the birthstone for the month of May, and Brilliance shines the spotlight on this brilliant green gem with a handy infographic. Information about it is segmented into facts and figures, color, variants, a location map of its mines, its physical characteristics, history, healing properties, legend, usage, and ideal purposes for gift-giving. As an added bonus, the infographic features the different celebrities who have the emerald as their birthstone, as well as those who have been spotted wearing emerald jewelry.
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Tags: Birthstone, Emerald, May
Categories: Brilliance, Gems, INFOGRAPHIC, Jewelry
In this day and age of androgynous dressing, it seems anything goes even in the realm of jewelry. Engagement rings no longer fall under women’s jurisdiction; bracelets are not considered strictly feminine anymore, and earrings on both sexes are becoming the norm. It is an exciting time to invest in jewelry pieces, but if you want to stick to safe choices first, here are five classic male jewelry examples you might want to start with.
Simple wedding band
For the longest time, men wore jewelry as a symbolic (and yes, sentimental) gesture. It tells of a man’s commitment to his partner, and is the perennial finger jewelry that is expected to stand the test of time. Men’s wedding bands are typically simple round rings with little to no adornment, but in recent years, more and more are featuring diamonds and other gems and ornamentation. As well, a variety of precious metals beyond the usual gold and silver are being utilized to accommodate the wearer’s lifestyle, preferences, and other factors.
Dog tag-style pendant necklace
To all intents and purposes, anything ornamental worn around the neck is called a necklace. However, instead of looking “precious”, the kind of neck adornment many men have favored over the years is the one that appears part of their persona. Consider something that looks good even when worn in, and doesn’t require high maintenance such as polishing or buffing. Dog tag-style pendants are good examples of such. They are not sparkly and are no-nonsense. They can also be worn on chains, leather cords, thin rubber, or woven thread.
Cuff links
Formal events call for a simple jewelry adornment or two. If you want to wear a couple of jewelry pieces, make sure to stick to one metal tone for all. Cuff links are great accessories to keep shirt sleeves looking neat and tidy. More casual occasions merit trendier designs, but if it is an event with a dress code you are attending, it is best to stick to sedate and simple geometrical shapes. Cuff links are supposed to complement an outfit, not clash horribly with it or use clothing as a backdrop for making a statement.
College or fraternity ring
Jewelry is always symbolic, and are worn to express pride or affinity with something important in your life such as the university you graduated from, or the city you grew up in. This is why even grown men keep wearing their college or fraternity rings regularly. Many men can pull this off even with the presence of a wedding ring on their other finger, but again, it’s best to keep things simple so as not to come off as gaudy. Don’t pile on rings and try to stick with one metal color.
Lapel and tie pins
Functional as well as ornamental are the keys to classic men’s jewelry. Lapel and tie pins are great examples of this. They keep your necktie and lapel in place, and also make subtle statements about your chosen affiliations in life. Again, it is best to stick to one choice of metal if you plan to wear both in one go, and to avoid wearing pins with a design that can possibly offend someone.
To Shop Our Wide Selection of Mens Wedding Bands, Please Click Here: Mens Wedding Bands at Brilliance
Tags: Jewelry, male, trends
Categories: Brilliance, Jewelry
Image Source: Brilliance.com
Any woman getting married this year is in for a pretty interesting array of options as far as bridal jewelry goes. She can always go for classics, or she can choose to follow the styles that are fast defining the 2013 bride: eco-friendly yet bold, and with a flair for personalized, sentimental designs. Here are some of the year’s best jewelry trends you can take inspiration from.
Emerald engagement rings and wedding bands
Pantone’s declaration of emerald green as color of the year has definitely helped to add a touch of freshness in many wedding themes this year. So far, it has been seen on bridesmaid’s dresses, groom’s men’s cummerbunds and bow ties, and other nuptial ceremony trimmings. Choosing emerald as an accent stone for your engagement ring or wedding band can help you look back on the year when this beautiful green gem took center stage…a literal “mile” stone!
Ethical jewelry choices
Natalie Portman and her former beau showcased their concern and advocacy for reducing carbon footprint even during a highly sentimental occasion as getting engaged and married. They chose a ring made of recycled precious metal and stones, thus significantly cutting down on energy and labor needed to produce an entirely new ring from scratch.
The ethical bride of today should already know about blood diamonds and other questionable practices involved in the process of jewelry making. From proper stone extraction in mines to child labor in gem-cutting sweatshops, the 2013 bride must be aware of all it takes to give her wedding day its sparkling significance, and make the right choices.
Artisan and handcrafted bridal jewelry
Heirloom pieces are still highly-favored in this day and age, but the forward-thinking bride wants things done in a personalized way. This is why many are looking towards handcrafted, one-of-a-kind rings, bracelets, and necklaces that stand out in terms of originality. You can scour for vintage pieces in many places and have a jewelry piece repurposed, or have a trusted artisan-jeweler make a unique set of bridal jewelry for you based on your specifications.
Floral and bejeweled headpieces
Voluminous veils are fast becoming things of the past…for 2013, at least. This year, many fashion-forward brides are favoring quirky fascinators and headpieces that do not hide their pretty faces and glamorous hairstyles. As seen on celebrity brides Anne Hathaway and Natalie Portman’s heads in their recent weddings, headpieces featuring silk and fabric flowers and encrusted with tiny jewels add to that bridal glow.
More jewel-toned touches on bridesmaids’ dresses
Jade, emerald, sapphire, ruby, garnet…these jewel tones are not just hot things to incorporate in wedding bands, but also on bridesmaids’ dresses and accessories! While 2013 is still relatively young, we’ve already been seeing plenty of jewel-bright gowns and knee-length ensembles on members of the bridal entourage.
To Shop Our Wide Selection of Exquisite Engagement Rings, Please Click Here: Engagement Rings at Brilliance
Tags: 2013 Bride, Jewelry Styles
Categories: Brilliance, Jewelry, Style
Brilliance launches the birthstone feature for April: the timeless diamond. It provides interesting facts and figures, as well as information on the diamond’s color, variants, a location map of its mines all over the world, and its most recognizable physical characteristics.
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Tags: April, Birthstone, Diamond
Categories: Brilliance, Diamonds, Gems, INFOGRAPHIC, Jewelry
The 2013 runways for springtime fashion are blossoming with transparent details on clothes and see-through accessories. Fringes and tassels are also sought-after features on jewelry and clothing peripherals. As well, minimalism is highly visible in jewelry pieces, with starkly contrasting tones adding visual impact.
Spring-time jewelry for this year are all about muted yet non-boring pieces that aim to accentuate the wearer’s clothes, not overwhelm them. Let’s take a look at some of spring’s predicted jewelry trends.
Crystal or Lucite bands and pendants
Fashion-conscious people are going to bare some skin in a non-summery fashion as a subtle statement that they are glad winter is over. This is probably why many designer clothing and accessories such as bags and shoes have transparent straps,heels, and other detailing for spring.
Jewelry pieces with transparent details made of Lucite (clear acrylic) and crystal accents are expected to be a hit, as well. Some great examples: chunky transparent bangles and crystal drop earrings. They will go well with solid-colored or two-toned get ups. In particular, colored beads strung on transparent cords are bound to be attractive on bare throats accentuated by the scooped necklines of springtime-wear.
Tasseled and fringed neck pieces
Parisian designers are adding fringes on their spring haute couture, and jewelry makers are mirroring this trend. Necklaces and bracelets are fringed and tasseled, harmonizing well with classically cut clothes. Nina Ricci and Versace have launched their spring accessories line for the year, and both featured neck pieces embellished with long metallic fringes and tassels on their runway models.
Austere metal accessories
The emphasis of smooth metals on chunky bracelets, rings, and chokers are apparent in the accessories worn by the mannequins of Balenciaga, Ferragamo, Lanvin, Rodarte, Dries van Noten, and Givenchy for spring’s early fashion shows. Gold, silver, and platinum are favored metals. They emphasize the springtime trend of high-contrast clothing, with black and white patterns and blocks of colors giving an austere yet stimulating effect.
Colorful clustered beads
On the flip side, spring is also the time to celebrate the comeback of bohemian style. Gypsy-like colored beads were also seen on the models as they sashayed down the ramp in their springtime get-ups. In particular, long drop beaded earrings grazed the shoulders, and clusters of acrylic beads mixed with some metal detailing and colored stones are expected to be a hit among the more daring. Ralph Lauren, Tory Burch, and Dolce & Gabbana, and Gucci are among those who featured jewelry pieces inspired by gypsy aesthetics.
Tags: Jewelry, Spring
Categories: Jewelry, Style
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