Diamonds & Engagement Rings News

I came across this artical on MSN please let me know what you think.

Blue Nile’s stock should be on a roll, heading into the holidays with lots of momentum. Instead, the shine is gone. Still, the online jeweler got a nice smooch from Forbes last week. According to the magazine, Blue Nile is selling more engagement rings and wedding bands than Tiffany & Co. — $197 million in bling last year compared with Tiffany’s $186 million. Says Forbes:

“The retail experience just serves to sucker and intimidate the customer, especially men who often feel as out of their depth in a jewelry store as they do inside Victoria’s Secret–no wonder three quarters of Blue Nile’s Internet ice-buyers are guys.”

Oh come on, do men really feel that awkward in a jewelry store? Anyway, that’s beside the point. I want to know what’s going on with this company’s stock. After crossing the $100 mark three weeks ago, the share price has dropped 20% to $80. Are investors feeling jittery before Blue Nile’s Nov. 6 earnings release? 

Even at its lower price, Blue Nile is trading at a huge premium — about 92 times earnings, compared with 29 for Tiffany. The Motley Fool points out that company insiders are dumping stock like crazy. CEO Mark Vadon’s holdings are down some 64% from a year ago.

It’s hard to compare prices for diamonds, but for watches Blue Nile’s prices don’t seem to be that great. I checked out a couple and found them for cheaper on Amazon. This Seiko Coutura watch sold for $297 on Blue Nile and for $244 on Amazon. This men’s Skagen watch sold for $108 on Blue Nile and $71 on Amazon.

Blue Nile’s stock is overvalued and there are enough red flags to put this company in the “avoid” column.

Does the thought of purchasing a diamond ring overwhelm you? Don’t think you know enough about certificates, inclusions, grading scales, and colors? Or do you know the basics, but need a refresher course? A good understanding of diamonds is necessary before you begin shopping. Our guide gives you the basics — the all-important “four Cs”,  and more,

We will start with the four c’s

Today we will talk about cut, please feel free to add your coments.

CUT

The cut of the diamond is perhaps the most important of all C’s as it determines its brilliance. While nature determines the color and clarity of a stone, diamond cut is dependant solely upon the skill of the cutter. A diamond cutter spends years mastering his craft, learning how best to cut a rough diamond to achieve the ultimate cut with the fewest imperfections and the least loss of carat weight. The better the cut, the more valuable the diamond.

A good cut gives a diamond its brilliance. The width and depth have an affect on how light travels within the diamond and how much brilliance it will exude.

For starters, find out what shape she likes. Diamonds come in nine basic shapes.

Determining the cut of a diamond extends further than straightforward measurements of the width and depth. Diamond grading laboratories utilize optical measuring devices to create a three-dimensional image of your diamond in order to ascertain its proportions and angles.

Polish and symmetry are crucial to the diamond cutting process. Both polish and symmetry are assigned a grade, which appear on the diamond certificate. The polish grade indicates the smoothness of the facets, while the symmetry grade evaluates the alignment of the facets. With poor polish, the surface of a facet can be dulled and may create lackluster, blurry sparkle. With poor symmetry, light can be misdirected as it enters and exits the diamond.

Because cut is so important, several grading methods have been developed to help consumers determine the cut of a particular diamond. In general, these grades are ideal, very good, good, fair and poor.Diamonds on Fifth uses the measurements from each diamond’s grading report to determine: Table percentage: The ratio of the largest facet on top of stone to the girdle’s overall diameter.
Depth percentage: The ratio of the total height or depth of the diamond to its diameter.

From these proportions, Diamonds on Fifth has assigned each diamond a cut grade. The following are the proportion ranges for each grade of diamond cut:

Ideal cut: An exquisite and rare cut that reflects nearly all the light that enters the diamond and creates maximum fire and brilliance. “Ideal” for the person who enjoys knowing that he has one of the finest diamonds that money can buy. Very good cut: Reflects almost as much light as the ideal cut but for a lower price. A Diamonds on Fifth recommended buy.Good cut: Reflects most of the light that enters the diamond. The cutter has chosen to create the largest possible diamond from the original rough crystal, rather than cutting extra weight off to create a smaller but higher quality diamond. Diamonds in this range offer an excellent cost-savings to customers who want to stay in a budget without sacrificing quality or beauty.

Fair cut: A fair cut diamond will not be as brilliant as a good cut, but is still considered a quality diamond.

Poor cut: This includes all diamonds that do not meet the performance standards of a fair cut. These diamonds are deep and narrow or shallow and wide and tend to lose most of the light out the sides and bottom. Diamonds on fifth does not carry diamonds with cut grades of poor.

Diamonds on Fifth carries an exquisite selection of certified ideal-cut diamonds. We do not carry diamonds with cut grades lower than good as these are generally too shallow or too deep to present an acceptable amount of brilliance.

Diamonds on Fifth Recommendations
While a good quality round diamond with an ideal cut will certainly be very beautiful, very good and good cuts might be just as attractive without costing as much. Diamonds on Fifth recommends that for fancy shapes, good and very good cut grades will result in the best performance. Consider the length to width ratio of the diamond and the design of the mounting when selecting a fancy shape.

Two men made off with $268,000 in diamonds from a Cyprus jewelry boutique marking the first theft of its kind on the island according to Limassol police.The men told a jewelry shop owner they were diamond traders from Russia and sought 375 carats in goods. The owner ordered diamonds from Belgium, according to police, and once the shipment arrived on October 24 the two men returned to weigh the diamonds,  provided a deposit of $2,800, and were supposed to return the following day with the balance due. The shop owner recalls placing the diamonds in a sealed box, but police suspect the men switched boxes while the owner was counting the deposit.

The men did not return to the store and when the jeweler checked on the box of diamonds he found only kernels of corn. Police have issued international arrest warrants for the suspects.

Swiss watchmaker Tissot unveiled yesterday the T-Touch Danica Patrick Limited Edition watch, which is inspired by the company’s brand ambassador, racecar driver Danica Patrick.

The watch features a mother-of-pearl face set with 58 Top Wesselton diamonds with VS/SI clarity totaling 0.14 carats. The caseback features Patrick’s engraved signature and the limited-edition number. A total of 2,007 units will be available worldwide.

The T-Touch offers proprietary tactile technology activated by the touch of a finger. It includes features such as a barometer that indicates meteorological definitions, chronograph, compass and thermometer. The retail price is $1,095.

At the unveiling, Patrick said she loves the watch, and if she had to buy it she would, labeling it as “ideal.”

We have people calling us up to purchase a diamond for engagement ring or jewelry for there loved one, we get into this long discussion regarding diamonds and engagements, we teach them all about the 4’cs the pro and cons. Then some of them ask me if I ever heard of bluenile.com and I tell them sure they are one of the biggest retailers on the web. 

Then comes the big question why should I buy from Diamondsonfifth.com  over Bluenile.com, and this brings us to our post today. Here are some of the reason why people purchase from us even after they had gone to bluenile.com and seen what they offer. 

1)I don’t know if a lot of people knows this but Bluenile doesn’t own not a single stone, every stone they sell online gets drops shipped directly from the manufacture, Now you ask yourself why should I care, the answer is simple, every single stone looks different then the other there can be two D SI1 stones that will look completely different (For example, a lot of times the SI1 inclusion can be in the center of the stone and it will not be clean to the naked eye, while the other stone is in the side.) so when you purchase a D SI1 stone from them they can’t tell you where the inclusion is, while every stone Diamondsonfifth.com sells online gets checked by one of our professionals to make sure that you are getting the best stone for your price.

 2)And because we have every stone in our hands before it gets shipped, we have the benefit to shoot some pictures for the customers to see how the stone looks like before they make the purchase. 

3)Diamondsonfifth.com offers a upgrade program, meaning that when you purchase a stone and a few years later you saved up money to be able to purchase a bigger stone. We buy back the first stone and put that money towards the new purchase.

 4)When you call Diamondsonfifth.com you always speak to one of the owners, so we will do everything to make our customer happy. 

5) Diamonds on Fifth offers the unique opportunity to meet with any of our experts in person to discuss and view your purchase and answer any questions you may have.   This is some of the Diamondsonfifth different. Please take a look at what our customers have to say.

 www.diamondsonfifth.com 

866-382-0288

PHOENIX, Oct. 24 (UPI) — The state Attorney General’s Office in Phoenix plans to auction off jewelry belonging to notorious mobster Salvatore “Sammy the Bull” Gravano.

A representative for the Attorney General’s Office said the items, which include diamond-encrusted pinkie rings, will be auctioned off to help raise funds for a federal racketeering program, the New York Post reported Wednesday.

“A lot of them were assets gained from the criminal enterprise he participated in,” representative Andrea Esquer said.

“The money will go into our (federal racketeering program) to fund other criminal investigations,” she added.

Gravano gained notoriety by informing on his fellow mobster, “the Dapper Don” John Gotti, and entered the witness protection program, but was arrested in 2000 in Phoenix for dealing ecstasy. He is currently serving a 19-year sentence.

Since Gravano’s wife, Debbie, has since pleaded guilty to charges she was involved with the drug-running scheme, her belongings will also be placed up for sale Nov. 3.

The Post said that along with her Phillipe Charriol watch, Debbie Gravano will be losing a bracelet that has her name spelled out in diamonds.

Swiss watch brand Breitling may be best known for its presence in the cockpits of airplanes or on the wrists of pilots, but the watchmaker is reinforcing its place on the road as well.

To accompany the launch of luxury automaker Bentley’s new Continental GT Speed, the most powerful production Bentley ever, Breitling has entirely redesigned the dashboard clock that is featured in each of Bentley’s famed Continental models.

The timepiece features Breitling’s logo with the raised, winged B in gold and silver-plated hands. The minute circle has been slimmed down, and the hour circle passes by 12 numerals, with four larger numerals marking the quarters.

Breitling first partnered with Bentley in 2002, contributing to the design of the technical instrumentation and creating the dashboard clock for the original Continental GT. Since then, the clock has also been fitted into the Continental Flying Spur four-door saloon and the GTC convertible.

As consumers shop for the perfect diamond engagement ring this holiday season, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has launched its first-ever national public-awareness campaign to help better educate people about diamonds.

The new campaign, “The Difference Between Wondering and Knowing,” explains the GIA-created Four C’s (color, clarity, carat weight and cut) and the importance of a diamond-grading report in informing consumers of the gemological qualities of the stone they intend to purchase.

“We are a public-benefit institution and, as such, we want people to see us as a resource with tools to help them,” GIA Chairman Ralph Destino said in a statement. “Our purpose in initiating this new awareness campaign is to help educate the public about diamonds and diamond-grading reports so they are able to make more informed buying decisions.”

Destino said consumers want more information, especially as new technologies, synthetics and diamond treatments emerge in the market.

“New jewelry-distribution channels make diamonds more visible and available to more of the general public than ever before. People see and hear more about diamonds, and therefore want to know more about diamonds,” he said. “This campaign will help answer their questions.”

The campaign has three components. These include a national print and online advertising campaign targeted to audiences with an immediate need to know more about diamonds, such as high-end jewelry buyers and men on the market for wedding rings. Ads will run in select major publications in the United States and on prominent Web sites.

Another component—which the ads will direct consumers to—is a new GIA Web site: Gia4cs.gia.edu. The site will offer information on diamonds, the Four C’s, how the GIA grades stones and how to read a GIA diamond-grading report. It will offer basic and unbiased information about diamond origins, the difference between natural, man-made and look-alike stones, and details on diamond care and other diamond essentials.

The last part of the campaign is a kit for retailers to help educate consumers and includes info on the Four C’s and the International Diamond Grading System.

“Retailers are key providers of diamond information to the public,” Destino said. “We’ve had many requests from retailers for these kinds of tools, and we’re glad to provide them and make it easy for stores to respond to their customers.”

This kit includes: Four C’s brochures, a grading-report tool to help explain what’s on a GIA report, and a new “Grading the 4Cs” video. The kit, and other materials, including posters, will be available in mid November on a special retailer Web site.

It is the ultimate diamond in the rough. And if you have to ask how much it costs, you can’t afford it. A rare and flawless blue diamond has set a record as the most expensive precious jewel of its kind ever sold.

The gem, which is 6.04 carats and sparkles with an unusual blue hue, is almost as breathtaking as the price it fetched at a Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong. It went for an astounding US$7.98 million, or about $US1.32 million per carat.

That easily surpassed the cost of the previous record holder known as “The Hancock Red”, which fetched a “paltry” US$926,000 per carat in 1987.

Blue diamonds are rare but not unheard of and the ones in spectacular condition almost always fetch a huge price. Despite this sale, the most famous remains the Hope Diamond, a 45.52 carat monster that has been owned by everyone from King Louis XIV of France to a rich socialite named Evalyn Walsh McLean. It’s the largest gemstone of its kind ever found and now resides in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

The new record holder for price isn’t quite as large, so how it could manage to reap those sparkling bucks? Experts say it’s all in the quality of the cut and the “fancy vivid blue hue”, a result of trace amounts of an element called boron in its crystal structure. That makes it worth about 10 times what a regular white diamond would bring.

So who owns this incredible piece of jewelry? A company called Moussaieff Jewellers in London, which specializes in acquiring such rare specimens, ponyed up the money after a private Asian collector decided he needed a little - or in this case a lot more - cash.

Which just goes to show you don’t always need yellow to turn a shade of blue into something green.