INSPIRED BY NATURE AND BY THE HAND OF MANKIND

OPEN MINDED

[barbariankingdom]

A bracelet clasp with a Medusa on an emerald cameo. Gold is treated with diamond and enamel. 18th century. Made in England.

[diamondsforlife]

[diamondsforlife]

[diamondsforlife]

Lucara Diamond Corp. has unearthed a 36.92-carat “stunning” blue diamond from its Karowe mine in Botswana.

The miner recovered the stone, which is a “high-quality” type IIb, using X-ray transmission machines from ore sourced from stockpile material, it said Monday. Lucara has been seeing increased production of specials from stockpiles, it explained. Since the beginning of January, it has retrieved five stones greater than 100 carats by processing stockpiled ore.

“Lucara is delighted to announce the recovery of this stunning blue, high-quality diamond from the Karowe mine, which again reinforces the special nature of this asset,” said Lucara CEO William Lamb. “Recoveries such as this demonstrate the value contained within the company’s surface stockpiles, which remain an important source of mill feed and a contributor to ongoing diamond recoveries.”

The stone is only the second special blue the company has found at Karowe since it discovered a 9.74-carat blue along with a 4.13-carat pink in 2019. However, the miner, which is known for its large, high-quality rough, did pull up a 37.42-carat, pink, type IIa diamond in August.

The new discovery is a boon for the company, which has been struggling amid the challenging market and a lack of larger stones, which generate higher revenue. In its most recent results, reported earlier this month, the company announced revenue for 2025 dropped 22% to $159.7 million, while profit fell 35% to $26.1 million.

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Image: The 36.92-carat blue diamond. (Lucara Diamond Corp.)

[diamondsforlife]

[diamondsforlife]

The stone is mounted in the head of the Sovereign's Sceptre with Cross. The second largest cut clear-diamond is Cullinan II or the Second Star of Africa, weighing 317.4 carats (63.48 g), mounted in the Imperial State Crown. Both are part of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.

[diamondsforlife]

[diamondsforlife]

[diamondsforlife]

[the-jewel-catalogue]

Rose of York brooch

This brooch originally formed the centrepiece of a bracelet. 

At the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of York (the future King George V and Queen Mary) in 1893 each bridesmaid received one as a gift from the bridegroom, whose emblems are integral to the design. 

The diamond anchor recalls Prince George’s naval career and the white Rose of York, highlights his recent creation as Duke of York.

Previously belonged to Princess Victoria and now sits in the Royal Collection Trust

[retropopcult]

Michelle Pfeiffer modeling the famous Mackay Emerald necklace, 1995. The Hope Diamond may be the most famous gem at the Smithsonian, but it’s by no means the only amazing piece of jewelry on display at the Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.  Even larger—and arguably even more stunning—is the Mackay Emerald necklace, which was originally a 1931 wedding gift from Clarence Mackay to his wife, the New York Metropolitan opera singer Anna Case. The giant centerpiece stone is a 167.97 carat emerald from the Muzo mines in Columbia, which Cartier transformed into an Art Deco masterpiece set in platinum with 35 smaller emeralds and 2,191 step-cut diamonds.

In 1995 while the Smithsonian was doing a renovation, they loaned Life magazine a large portion of the national gem collection, which is essentially the closest thing the United States has to a "royal collection of crown jewels". Pfeiffer was chosen to model many of the pieces, and for the Mackay necklace photographer Joe McNally chose to have her pose in front of a mummy case at the Smithsonian.

“The whole project was amazing,” remembers McNally. “I had access to the entire gem collection. And Michelle was sublime. She could change her look, her character, with the simple lift of an eyebrow. I was allowed to rummage through the halls of the basements of the Smithsonian, and pick out props and pieces that weren’t on display. It was one of the more involved, educational, and revealing shoots I have ever done.”

[diamondsforlife]

[frostedmagnolias]

Ring

17th century

Ring of gold enamelled in pale blue, white and black and set with diamonds, decorated with skull and crossbones and nielloed inscription

England

National Museums Scotland

[egypt-museum]

Falcon Pectoral of Tutankhamun

Late 18th Dynasty, reign of Tutankhamun, c. 1332–1323 B.C.

Gold, lapis lazuli, turquoise, carnelian and light-blue glass

From the Tomb of Tutankhamun. Now at the Grand Egyptian Museum.

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[diamondsforlife]

🧡🧡Happy Halloween🧡🧡

Orange diamonds have been called Fire Diamonds for their colour and depth of the hues. Orange diamonds have many colour combinations and intensities from the pure colour fancy vivid orange to a deep brown, almost chocolate orange hue.

Orange diamonds are some of the rarest diamonds available, even rarer than colourless gemstones and their price reflects the rarity. It is hard to be accurate about such unique stones, but many gemologists suggest that orange is the fourth rarest coloured diamond after red, violet and pink.

In this article, we look at where orange diamonds come from, why they are so pricey and how you can enjoy the beauty of an orange diamond at a lower cost than might be expected from their rarity.

What Is An Orange Diamond?

Most natural diamonds are clear or carry a slight yellow tint. Coloured diamonds are usually coloured by traces of impurities that become part of the crystal lattice of the gem. Orange diamonds take their colour from traces of nitrogen in the diamond's structure. The depth of the orange colour is a result of the concentration of the nitrogen atoms. Orange coloured diamonds are not the rarest of fancy coloured diamonds. Most orange stones have traces of other colours modifying the colour. A diamond that has no secondary hue is very rare indeed.

[diamondsforlife]

[diamondsforlife]