Our newest infographic features some of the latest diamond heists and how the bad guys did it.
Let’s Go Steal Some Diamonds! #infographic #CoolHeist [Tweet this]
Slick #Diamond Heists Infograph [Tweet this]
Who Says Crime Doesn’t Pay? Check out this Diamond Heists Infograph! [Tweet this]
Categories: Brilliance, Diamonds, Education, INFOGRAPHIC, News
Pantone has declared Emerald as 2013’s Color of the Year. The company, a widely recognized expert on color systems-based communication, has become a standard in color-influenced industries such as fashion, advertising, graphic design, home interiors, textile, architecture, and paint. Since 2000, Pantone had named a particular color as the one that will set the trend for things such as clothing and home furnishing, and which will affect the mood of the entire year.
How effective has Pantone’s declarations of a particular color for each year been? Last year’s chosen color, Tangerine Tango, was geared towards fun and luxury via a collaboration with makeup company Sephora. From false eyelashes and nail polish to glittery eye makeup, many fashion-forward people wore the Pantone Color of the Year as spring-time accents. It was all about celebrating the key colors of major elements of the season.
Desirable emerald traits: fresh, pure, radiant, lush, healing.
This year, the hand-picked color seems to be all about green, growing things with more than a hint of hope. Pantone selected this radiant jewel tone for 2013 because the company believes it promotes balance and harmony, and inspires well-being. Emerald as a precious stone has been valued throughout centuries in many cultures for promoting good health, prosperity, growth, and renewal. It is associated with Venus, the goddess of love, and is thought to keep a lover faithful when presented as a gift. In some cultures, an emerald stone is also believed to heal diseases of the eye and heart.
For 2013, Emerald Green is a refreshing pick for home décor, clothing, and accessories. It is a color that complements any skin type, and places special enhancement on the green undertones of certain eye colors such as hazel, brown, blue, and green.
Emerald city: a refreshing look from head to toe.
The New Year has just started, and yet many fashion-forward taste-makers are predicting (and wearing!) 2013’s exciting new hue. For instance, the wedding industry is abuzz with excitement over emerald green on bridesmaid’s dresses, wedding favors and details, shoes and accessories, and yes, even bridal gowns. All the desirable traits of the emerald stone are translated in a fresh, exciting way with emerald green as a wedding motif. As well, selecting an engagement ring and wedding band featuring emerald stones with the classic diamond is a great way to mark 2013 as your year to get married.
Since emerald green is flattering with any type of skin tone and eye color, expect many makeup palettes to carry it for 2013. The nail lacquer color wheel is also likely to feature emerald green, paving the way for fresh-looking fingertips this brand new year.
Haute couture is raring to incorporate emerald green in its spring collection and fashion shows. Both on the ramp and on the streets, emerald is a look that is just waiting to burst forth and bloom, with heels, blouses, jewelry, hair accessories, skirts, shirts, jackets, and ties making a statement come spring, summer, fall, and winter.
To keep up with the emerald trend, Brilliance offers an array of emerald green rings and custom jewelry to fit any style and budget. Give us a call today at 866.737.0754 so you are not left behind this 2013!
Oppan Gangnam Style! The newest and zaniest dance craze ever to have hit American shores is a catchy Korean pop song released this past July by South Korean rapper and hip-hop artist PSY. The music video quickly became viral due to its highly addictive beat and unusual dance choreography. After debuting at #1 on the Gaon Singles chart in South Korea, the music video for Gangnam Style, posted on Youtube, garnered enough views to be named the most viewed K-pop song on the popular video-sharing website.
PSY performed Gangnam Style for this year’s MTV Movie Awards pre-show, and was even featured on the Ellen show to teach the “dress classy, dance cheesy” choreography to host Ellen DeGeneres and fellow guest Britney Spears. But what, exactly, is Gangnam Style? The title of the song refers to the affluent Gangnam district in Seoul, South Korea. The choreography can only be described as wildly comical yet addictive to watch (and even imitate). In the music video, PSY appears in unexpected locations of the song’s namesake district and proceeds to dance in the manner of a man riding a horse. We’re not doing it justice by describing it in words, so check out the official music video yourself:
One celebrity was so overcome with Gangnam Style fever that he commissioned Brilliance to create a custom pendant in honor of the wacky dance. This diamond pendant, in the shape of a man doing the signature horse-riding Gangnam Style dance, contains over 600 diamonds for a total of 6 1/4 carat total weight set in 18k white and yellow gold. The Gangnam inspired diamond pendant is now available for purchase through our website.
Categories: Brilliance, Custom Jewelry, Jewelry, News
Beautiful and impossibly svelte actress Kate Bosworth finally gets engaged to long-timeboyfriend Michael Polish, and her ring is something to behold!
The pretty 29-year old Hollywood star shared a black and white picture of her diamondengagement ring via WhoSay, declaring that her fiancé took the photograph himself. The image shows Kate displaying a square-cut diamond ring on what seems to be either a silver or white-gold band.
A day after the proclamation, the coo-some twosome was seen stepping out for a walk in Soho, she in a short black dress and he in a sweater and jeans, holding hands and looking very happy. Kate proudly held up her left hand to hold the strap of her shoulder bag, giving paparazzi and casual observers alike a good look at her sparkling new diamond ring and making Tinseltown engagement-ring watchers wonder who created the bling (and how much it cost).
Last week, the actress Tweeted: “Thank you all for the wonderful engagement wishes… We feel truly blessed.” She and 41-year old indie film director Michael Polish had kept a relatively low profile on their dating life, but this recent turn of events found the actress describing him as “my fiancé” in a casual blog post for Vogue in early September. He is her director in the upcoming movie Big Sur. It has been reported that it was in the movie’s set that the two first met and started dating.
It was during a Coldplay concert in August 2011 when Kate showed up with Michael as a couple. Before Kate and Michael became an item, the actress dated high-profile actors such as Alexander Skarsgard of True Blood fame for two years before ending the relationship July of last year. She and English actor Orlando Bloom also had a four year on-and-off relationship that finally ended in 2006.
Categories: Engagement Rings, News
Branson Landing became the scene of a romantic and quirky wedding proposal last weekend. Brilliance, the trusted online retailer of diamond engagement rings, was in pride of place at the memorable event!
Forty-one year old Lewis Holleman, a widower and father of five, came up with the “brilliant” and unforgettable idea of proposing to his girlfriend Lorena Winegartener whom he met on a dating site nine months prior. He planned the event with the single-mindedness of a man on a mission. As an opening act to the musical-like proposal, he envisioned their friends and family sitting on benches all over the park. These “bench sitters” were actually going to be part of a flash mob for the proposal.
When Lewis first though up this idea he did not think that many people would say “yes” to helping him with the proposal, however everyone wanted to join him in this event. All the participants practiced the dance moves at a local dance studio for a couple weeks prior to the proposal date (they worked on a total of three choreographed routines).
He ordered a diamond engagement ring from Brilliance with a beautiful loose diamond to present to Lorena. Lewis corresponded with Tracy Powers of Brilliance by email and laid out his proposal plans to her.
“She’ll be escorted to the bottom near the lake to sit and enjoy the flash mob until I appear to offer my proposal. Once the music starts, the water show will begin, along with fire that comes out of the barrels sticking out of the lake”, he wrote in one email.
And the result? A picture-perfect execution at Branson Landing:
The 33 year old bride-to-be, who works as a master control operator at KY3, stood in the middle of the park with a surprised look on her face as each of Lewis’ kids gave her a flower while the dancing continued. Then the groom-to-be himself appeared and gave a speech about how much Lorena means to him. On bended knee, he presented the dazzling diamond ring and asked for her hand in marriage.
“Thank you to everyone that showed up here. I’m so flabbergasted and honored and I’m just very happy right now”, Lorena said in a KY3 interview.
Click here to check out the video of the proposal
Categories: Brilliance, Custom Jewelry, Diamonds, Engagement, News
The Australian mining company Lonrho Mining Ltd. has discovered a gem-quality 131.5 carat diamond alongside a 38.3 carat diamond from its Lulo Diamond Concession in the African country of Angola. The 38.3 carat stone was also from the same alluvial bulk sample where the former was found, and is the third biggest diamond recovered from the concession to date. This diamond is the biggest one discovered by the Perth-based company since its partnership with Endiama, the national diamond company of Angola.
The discovery of the 131.5 carat diamond is significant, as based on a report by Bloomberg, because it has outsized one of the former title-bearers of ‘world’s largest diamond’, the Koh-I-Noor. At 105.6 carats, it was also known as the ‘Mountain of Light’ and the ‘King of Jewels’ in the history of precious gems. It is now incorporated in the platinum crown of the late Queen Elizabeth of the British monarchy.
It should be noted that the world’s biggest rough gem-quality diamond of record is the Cullinan Diamond at 3,106.75 carats. The Cullinan I, one of the world’s largest polished diamonds at 530.4 carats, also known as ‘The Great Star of Africa’, was cut from it. The gems cut from the Cullinan Diamond, known as Cullinan I and Cullinan II respectively, were incorporated in the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.
The 545.67 carat Golden Jubilee was the contender that beat the Cullinan I in being the largest polished diamond in 1985. It is currently owned by King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the reigning monarch of Thailand. It was presented to him in honor of his 50th coronation anniversary. The Golden Jubilee is now housed in the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
The two Angolan diamonds were found during Lonrho’s preparations to commence drilling on the sixty-one kimberlite sites throughout the concession area, which covers around 3,000 square kilometers of mining land. Kimberlite is a kind of volcanic rock, considered the main source of diamonds. According to Lonrho managing director Miles Kennedy, “Given the incredible size of this diamond, there is little doubt the kimberlite source is very close by.”
No value estimate has been given for the stone yet, as it is still to be subjected to evaluation by diamond experts. Lonrho is optimistic about the exploration potential of the Lulo Concession as it proceeds to undertake its drilling operations in the African country. According to DeBeers, the world’s leading diamond company, Angola follows behind Botswana, Canada, Russia and South Africa as the world’s largest diamond producer by value. Investors in the Angolan mining industry are starting to have high hopes because of this recent discovery.
Photo: Diamonds.net
The finale of the reality television show ‘The Bachelorette’ definitely had all the elements of a fairy tale happy-ever-after ending: a beautiful woman, a dashing young man, an exotic backdrop, a romantic proposal of marriage…and a gorgeous 3.5-carat diamond engagement ring thrown in for good measure.
Emily Maynard, single mother to a 7-year old and the star of the TV series, has created ‘The Bachelorette’ history by getting her ring finger adorned with a 2.5-carat emerald-cut diamond; the biggest yet that a Bachelorette has received. It has 87 smaller round-cut diamonds surrounding the main stone set on a slender band, providing a total of 3.5-carats. The dazzling piece of diamond jewelry is custom made by celebrity jewel designer Neil Lane, who does all the jewelry for The Bachelor franchise. Industry insiders and celebrity engagement-watchers peg the ring’s retail value to at least $150,000.
Many have been comparing Emily Maynard’s sparkling new diamond jewelry to that of actress Reese Witherspoon’s, a 4-carat Ashoka diamond affair with a similar cut and settings. Prior to the big finale, jewelry and celebrity sites leaked teaser photos of some of the possible ‘The Bachelorette’ diamond engagement ring designs. Included is an emerald-cut, halo design that looks a lot like what Emily Maynard received, and a variation of it in a monarch cut. Also featured were a vintage and an Art Deco design, but with price ranges falling way below what the dazzling diamond jewelry in the just-concluded series racked up.
As for the man who slipped it on her finger while on bended knee? He is none other than entrepreneur Jef Holm.
Jef Holm bested Emily’s other suitors including close contender Arie Luyendyk Jr., a race car driver, during the ABC series finale that a lot of viewers favored. The proposal unfolded in sun-kissed Curacao, with the Bachelorette pronouncing Jef Holm as both her “soul mate” and “the perfect person” to spend her life with.
Their courtship was a story that climaxed with Jef Holm proclaiming for television audience how in love he is with Emily Maynard, and how he wishes to be part of her and her daughter’s life. The three were shown walking off hand in hand as the show concluded.
Photo: ABC; Inset: Courtesy Neil Lane
Categories: Diamonds, Engagement, Engagement Rings, Jewelry, News
Diamonds have been a thing of the royal and noble people before the discovery of South African diamond mines. They collect them because of their beauty and rarity. One of these royal diamonds is the Beau Sancy diamond which has been recently sold at an auction in Geneva.
The 35-carat modified pear double rose cut gemstone was once reputed to have belonged to the Mughals of antiquity, but is more likely of Indian origin owing to its cut which is unusual by Western standards.
It was first recorded in history in 1570 when it was purchased in Constantinople by diplomat, financier and jewel expert Nicolas de Harlay, Lord of Sancy. It was then purchased by French King Henri IV upon insistence of his wife, Marie de Médicis. “She wanted that stone as soon as she knew that Nicolas de Harlay had sold Le Grand Sancy to the King of England, James I, for his wife,” a Sotheby’s spokesperson told Le Parisien newspaper.
It is said that this diamond did not bring great pleasure to the both of them since just a day after the coronation of Marie de Médicis, for which the large pear-shaped gem was set atop her crown – Henri was assassinated, leaving her with six children under the age of nine.
It has since passed among the royal families of France, England, the Dutch Republic and Prussia to show off their wealth and to pay their debts as well. In 1631, because of rivalry between Marie and her son King Louis XIII, the now Queen Mother of France fled to Brussels and then to Amsterdam. From there, to settle her debts, she sold Le Beau Sancy to the Dutch royal family where it was used to seal the wedding of William II of Orange to Mary Stuart, daughter of King Charles I. When William died, Stuart returned to England and pawned the jewel to fund her brother Charles II’s fight for the throne.
It returned to royal ownership when her son William III of Orange-Nassau married Mary II with whom he jointly ruled England until her death in 1694. When he died without heirs Le Beau Sancy was returned to the Dutch family and then to the first Prussian Kaiser, Frederik I, in 1701. It has passed down through generations of the House of Prussia.
Today, the 34.98 carat jewel has been sold to an anonymous bidder at Sotheby’s in Geneva, Switzerland for 9,042,500 Swiss francs including the buyer’s premium – more than double the $US2-$US4 million estimate.
David Bennett, co-chairman of Sotheby’s Switzerland, said before the sale “We’ve sold much larger diamonds but it has this wonderful romantic history, an unparalleled royal history – it has never been in non-royal hands.” However, since the buyer has been anonymous, no one knows whether the historic jewel fell to the hands of a royalty or a commoner.
Photo: AP Photo / Keystone, File, Alessandro Della Bella
No comments | Leave a comment