In 2010 Chow Tai Fook, a diversified company that is property development, hotel, casino, transportation, jewelry, port and telecommunications businesses had purchased a rough diamond that weighed 507 carats at the cost of $35 Million and was called the Cullinan Heritage. At 507 carats its one of the largest rough diamonds ever mined in the world. Chow Tai Fook ( here's a link to their jewelry website, the pieces are truly incredible!,
http://www.chowtaifook.com/en/ collaborated with Hong Kong jeweler Wallace Chan on creating a piece of jewelry with the Cullinan Heritage. What resulted is an extraordinary necklace aptly named the "heritage in Bloom " that consists of 11,151 diamonds the center being 104cts and also 24 flawless diamonds cut the from Cullinan. Add 22 people and 44,000 man hours it almost explains the price tag of $200 Million dollars. This necklace can also be worn 27 different ways! Its also the most expensive diamond necklace to date. No official word from The Guinness Book of Records, yet!
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| Petra CEO Johan Dippenaar and the 507ct "Cullian Heritage" |
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| A sketch of the infamous necklace, so many working parts! |
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| Wallace Chan working on the model, larger than life size! |
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| Magnificent, looks unreal, the diamond color is fascinating |
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| Closer view of the intricate setting holding the 104cts diamond |
Jewels of a royal provenance have always besotted auction goes and jewelry connoisseur. To be to actually own ( and if you can afford the price) of royal history fascinates many. A highly desirable and also along with quite the story is the fabled necklace and tiara of Queen Nazli. Not just any necklace and tiara.
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| Queen Nazil of Egypt |
The two items were commissioned by Van Clef and Arpels at the request of King Farud on the event of his daughters Princess Fawzia marriage to the future Shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi in 1939. Truly breath taking, the necklace contains 212 carats of diamonds set in platinum and is hinged so it nestles on any womans neck. While the tiara has 274 carats. Both pieces were auctioned off in 1975 to aid the ousted Queen Mother of Egypt ( a title which she was stripped off when she had coordinated the marriage between her daughter and
Riyad Ghali Effendi, who was a Copt and went against the Kings wishes) and her daughter who were living in Beverly Hills. Apparently the daughter had a lavish lifestyle she wished to live. Trying to claim bankruptcy the court had decided that for the selling the jewels for $180,000 they had decided to sell them privately to get more funds. They initially thought they would bring in $500,000 to help clear debts. A sad story of truly fabled royal jewels.
Exceptional not only in size but also quality these two pieces will be auction on December 9th by Sothebys for the Magnificent Jewels in New York. The pre auction estimate is $3.6Million - $4.6Million. One of the most spectacular necklaces at the auction, but the tiara is not included in this sale.
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| The custom created tiara created for Queen Nazil in 1939 by Van Clef and Arpels |
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| Joseph Lau Hong Kong Real Estate Developer, $11.1 Billion net worth! |
Joseph Lau is a businessman with eccentric tastes and obviously adores his 7 year old daughter, Josephine. Mr. Lau who is one of Hong Kongs largest real estate developers owning 1/3 of the real estate in China. He had a small setback in 2014 when he was sentenced to 5 years for bribery in Macau. But fortunate for him, there is no extradition between China and Macau. His name comes into the news, this time for a different reason. He recently purchased not one but TWO of the largest diamonds ever to come to auction totaling a remarkable $77 Million dollars. Joseph didnt purchase one but bought two exceptional diamonds from the Sothebys "Noble Jewels" auction in Geneva on November 11th. The auction had netted $139 Million dollars and featured two prominent colored diamonds. The 12.03 blue diamond set a world record auction price at an astonishing $48 Million dollars! he had also purchased a 16.08ct pink diamond ring for $28.5 Million dollars. Pink and blue hued diamonds are the rarest colors in the shades of diamonds.
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| The 12.03ct "Blue Moon of Josephine"set world records when auctioned for $48 Million dollars, thats about $4 Million/carat! |
“Tonight we set a new world record, a new
auction record for any diamond, any jewel, any gemstone, with the sale
of the Blue Moon diamond,” said auctioneer David Bennett in Geneva. He
specified the price as $48,468,158. “I have never seen a more beautiful
stone. The shape, the color, the purity — it’s a magical stone.”
"The polished blue gem was cut from a
29.6-carat diamond discovered last year in South Africa’s Cullinan mine,
which also yielded the 530-carat Star of Africa blue diamond that is
part of the British crown jewels, and the Smithsonian Institution’s
“Blue Heart” discovered in 1908. "
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| The 16.08ct Pink diamond , "Sweet Josephine" sold for $28.5 Million |
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| A very fortunate 7 year old, Josephine Lau~ |
Rio Tinto mines have unerathed a record breaking 1,111 rough diamond in the Lucara Diamond firm Its the world’s second-largest diamond of
gem quality in Botswana. This 1,111-carat diamond is second only to the
3,106-carat Cullinan diamond found in South Africa in 1905. The gem
measures 65mm x 56mm x 40mm and was recovered from the Karowe mine
located just north of the capital, Gaborone.
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| Not actual size! 1,111 Lucara rough diamond |
“This has been an amazing week for Lucara with the recovery of the
second largest and also the sixth largest gem quality diamonds ever
mined,” William Lamb, chief executive officer of Lucara. It was also released that Lucara’s stock price rose 32%, adding $150 million to its
market value. Call your stockbroker dears~
This is the largest diamond unearthed in a century! It is roughly the size of a tennis ball. This mine had a great week also unearthing two other rough diamonds weighing 813 carats and 374 carats! No word as to the value of the latest large rough. With stones of this size it can take a year or longer to diagram and cut the diamond. And more than likely it will be cut into several smaller stones. I would hope to see some of these magnificent diamonds in a museum, for the whole world to see and enjoy~
Until next time, keep sparkling!
