by Amber Zhai photo by rvoegtli | Flickr.com The highly anticipated 2013 BaselWorld Watch & Jewellery Show opened its doors on April 25th to some 1,460 exhibitors, over 100,000 international visitors, and at least 3,500 media reps from 100 countries. This year marked a new era for the world-renowned luxury watch and [...]
By Alex Francis The Argyle Diamond Mine in Australia, source of the world's most sought-after diamonds | photo by David Gardiner | Flickr.com If after reading our Valentine’s Day post about the mysterious phenomenon of pink diamonds you were curious to learn more about the precious gems, you are not alone. Though [...]
by Alex Francis An installation featured at Audio Visual Arts in New York last month, titled Making a Record, is not your typical exhibition of precious gemstones. Melissa Dubbin and Aaron S. Davidson, the artists responsible for the innovative installation, selected a ruby, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond to be fashioned into styli [...]
by Alex Francis Photo by Kristina D.C. Hoeppner | Flickr.com The diamond district in Antwerp, Belgium, is considered one of the most-secure places in all of Europe. Trading $200 million in rough and polished gemstones every day, the district conducts countless identity checks, is outfitted with about 2,000 surveillance cameras, and is constantly monitored by [...]
Photo by FancyDiamonds.net | Flickr.com by Alex Francis If you didn’t know that diamonds could be naturally pink, don’t feel bad—you’re only slightly more out of the loop than the world’s scientists. The primary source of these pink diamonds is the Argyle Diamond Mine in Western Australia after which they are named, and they are [...]
by Alex Francis Photo by Katelyn Kenderdine | Flickr Valentine’s Day and Diamonds For decades now, the diamond industry has been the self-appointed sponsor of Valentine’s Day celebrations everywhere. And in a rather blunt article in the Huffington Post titled “Why I’m Not Buying Diamonds This Valentine’s Day,” diamond-aficionado Ira Weissman explains why it’s about [...]
by Alex Francis Photo by FancyDiamonds.net | Flickr.com. Despite the world’s publicized efforts to clean up the diamond trade, millions of dollars worth of the precious stones—more than 90% of those sold throughout the world—continue to pass undocumented through the city of Surat, India. The city’s lax regulations and cheap wages make it an [...]
by Alex Francis Photo by Kim-bodia | Flickr.com. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme was established in November of 2002 as the result of efforts by the international diamond industry, governments, and civil society organizations to stop the trade in conflict diamonds. Conflict diamonds, also commonly known as blood diamonds, are those that come from areas [...]
Gold and silver medals weren’t the only sparkling accessories at last weekend’s Olympic events. Swimmer Ryan Lochte, who won the gold for the 400-meter Individual Medley, made an eye-popping style choice to celebrate his gold medal. The swimmer donned an impressive diamond-encrusted grill and bared his twinkling teeth for the world to see. The Olympic [...]
