Was the Hope Diamond another Titanic?

By Larry Woldenberg - GWP Magazine

According to Sue Cliff of Robert Cliff Master Jewellers, the movie Titanic’s theme evolved around a diamond thrown into the ocean called “The Heart of the Ocean”. The implication was that just like the Hope Diamond (from which it was named after), it, too, carried a curse.

But did the Hope Diamond really carry a curse? A look at its history shows both tragedy and prosperity depending on the era. Interestingly, Sue points out: “As art imitates life, so life imitates art”.

Common lore says the large blue Hope Diamond was stolen in the 17^th Century by a man named Tavernier from the forehead of a Hindu goddess statue of Sita. Because of this, Tavernier was later torn apart by wild dogs in the frozen tundra of Russia. If this were true, the Hope Diamond would certainly qualify as a first rate curse!

But the truth is quite different. Jean Baptiste Tavernier was a French jeweler who actually purchased the 112-carat diamond in India in 1642. It’s believed to originate from the Kollur mine in Golconda.

As a commercial jeweler, Tavernier  sold the diamond in 1668 to the Sun King, King Louis XIV, along with hundreds of other diamonds. Undoubtedly, he earned a princely sum from this, for he was made a noble and died after a full life at the age of 84 in Russia. While it is not known how he died, it was certainly not at the hands of wild dogs.

Meanwhile, King Louis had the diamond cut to one half its size in order to enhance the diamond’s brilliance and was often seen wearing it on a long ribbon around his neck.

The diamond then stayed in the Royal Family’s possession until the French Revolution whereupon it was surrendered and was later stolen. It’s true that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were beheaded in 1793, but can this be laid at the feet of the Hope Diamond? Probably not, for it would have happened regardless.

The diamond then suffered the fate of another re-cutting—this time to hide its origins as another jeweler, Daniel Eliason, purchased the stone. Eventually the diamond passed to Henry Phillip Hope from which the stone derived its name—the Hope Diamond.

The idea of the stone being cursed arose from the story that Henry went bankrupt after its purchase. But, once again, history fails to corroborate  this story. Actually, he was one of the heirs to a banking firm Hope & Co. which was sold in 1813. After that, Henry became a collector of fine art and gems. Since he never married, he willed his estate to his three nephews. The eldest took possession of the diamond and, after years passed, a grandson, Lord Francis Hope, inherited the stone. Here good fortune ended as Lord Francis had gambling debts and had to sell.

After changing hands several times more, the gem ended up with Pierre Cartier. He found a rich buyer in Evalyn Walsh McLean who upon hearing of the diamond’s history replied that, for her, bad luck turned into good luck. Evalyn then wore the diamond continuously as a good luck charm, only taking it off for a goiter operation. But the scourge of the curse seemed to vehemently re-surface. First, her first-born son, Vinson, died in a car crash at the age of nine. Then her daughter committed suicide at the age of 25, followed by her husband being declared insane and confined to a mental institution until his death in 1941.

If ever there was a curse, this was the strongest evidence.

Upon Evalyn’s death the diamond was sold to pay the estate’s debts. A far-sighted New York jeweler, Harry Winston, bought it and used it to raise monies for charity. He then donated it to the Smithsonian Institute in 1958 in hopes that a national jewel collection would be initiated. It currently is on display as part of the National Gem and Mineral Collection in the National Museum of Natural History for all to see.

So does art imitate life and life art? Apparently Richard Burton thought so when he bought a 69-carat diamond in 1969 for Elizabeth Taylor. It had been cut from another Harry Winston diamond that originally came in at 240 carats. Elizabeth Taylor wore it for the first time when she attended Princess Grace’s 40^th birthday in Monaco. Nine years later in 1978 she sold it for a reported $5,000,000 to another New York jeweler, Henry Lambert, and donated the proceeds to a hospital in Botswana.

Thank you Robert Cliff Master Jewellers for bringing these intriguing stories to our attention.  

THE CORPORATE & PERSONAL FORCES BEHIND MODERN JEWELLERY

By Robert Cliff

It is interesting to explore the personal and corporate forces behind modern jewellery.

Who creates it, who buys it and why?

Jewellery may be the oldest art.  It has always meant something important to almost all the human race; sometimes it has been money, sometimes a prayer to the gods, sometimes a status boast or an invitation to seduction, almost always a reflection of character and a contribution to beauty.  Jewellery style is poised between the requirements of dress on the one hand and of airing one’s importance and personality on the other, even of expressing one’s religion and enlisting the magical help of one’s gods; it has the background, too, that artists in every medium, at any period, speak to some extent with a common language.

Why does talk about fashion in clothes usually lead to purchasing, whereas talk about new styles in jewellery so often leads only to more talk?  Is the jewellery scene really becoming livelier? And if so, how?

Jewellery designers are now emerging into the public eye more than for centuries past and with their improved status are using better materials.  All designers prefer to work in gold; nearly all of them use diamonds.  Very few of them like the base metals.  This may seem irrelevant, as who could possibly choose glass rather than diamonds, iron rather than gold?  

Rene Lalique did, who from 1905 had among his customers the richest people in France, made some of his most important jewells in glass and brass.  Julio Gonzales, a colleague of Picasso, son of a goldsmith and a modern abstract sculpture, made lots of jewells around 1910 in punched iron, probably none in gold.  However, today, there is a change back to solid quality, more gold, more diamonds and precious stones.

Much of this new emphasis in the word’s jewellery is due to the astonishing social revolution since 1945, the distribution of wealth, the rise of the mass market.  In the wealthier countries many people can now buy Jewells, whereas fifty years ago only the rich could do so.  The present enterprise in jewellery is due not only to changes in taste and spending power, but perhaps mainly to the colossal increase in the number of buyers.  The spread of education, of newspapers and of television has brought a much wider appreciation of art.  Apathy and caution naturally influence anyone buying and selling expensive jewellery – the risk of experiment can lead to bankruptcy, and thus our designs are influenced, less money risk, more enterprising designs.

Another cause of the new trend is the Science of Publicity – it helps ones image; a lively image helps sales; and the only way to get publicity is to provide news.  Hence the unexpected recent gallivanting of some of the oldest and most dignified retailers.  They need the publicity which young designers can get them, to harness and locate the new purchasing power wherever it may be.

However, most of our dynamic enlightenment has come from De Beers.  The main driving forces behind the publicity enlightenment; they set up International design competitions, and advertised diamonds in most of the wealthiest countries in the world and have set up diamond publicity committees in eleven of them. Giant corporations have the same power today as the great princes of the past.  All credit to them for showing the same public spirit!  But what they cannot have is personal taste, often so necessary to harness an artist’s vision.  Competitions are the substitute and they are a matter of luck; nobody knows what the word ‘best’ means, nobody can foretell what will be the corporate opinion of judges who do not know each other; nobody can be sure how the selected drawings will look when made up, nobody can know whether the made-up prize winners will in fact be sold or prove commercial tragedies.  If a competition is run by experienced retailers, who think they know what sells easily, the results will be unexciting and will achieve no publicity; a jury of people that have developed an appreciation of beauty, especially in the arts may make a startling choice and get the publicity, but the result may not be to the tastes of the shoppers.  Artists are helped much more by a precise, personal brief from their client than by the chance verdict of a jury thousands of miles away which did not know what is was looking for and which often does not even see its finished selection.  Competitions are no more than the appetizer which should create better private patrons.

De Beers have helped to spread the lure of diamonds throughout society; it is no longer a matter of “diamonds for duchesses”.  The same goes for the Chamber of Mines of South Africa; they may have revived the fortunes of gold. Gold is often linked with Fort Knox and with money and often seems too precious and awe-inspiring to impinge on ordinary life; this fear of the legendary into a desire for the charming has been transformed.

Precious jewellery is now recognized as art, exhibited and enjoyed not as a menial disguise for minerals, but as a positive facet of human nature – a desire, and a want that is now a need and a need that is readily fulfilled by most!

PRETTY IN PINK!

By Robert E Cliff  F.G.A.A., JP

As long as about three thousand years ago, man bent down to pick up a glistening pebble and by some chance found it to be different from other stones.  From that time, diamond began to acquire magical powers and to be regarded with awe, worship and avarice. They were collected, treasured, had legends built around them, were traded in, used as tools, treated as a gem, used to raise loans, fought over and eventually, symbols of love and trust.  Mans early instinct to treat diamond as unique was true, because today probably more effort goes into discovering the nature of diamond than into research on any other material.  Diamond is the hardest substance man has ever discovered and the purest that occurs in Nature.  Most highly prized as a gem, however, it is composed of one of the commonest substances on earth, ordinary carbon.

It has been estimated that only about 130 tons of diamonds have been mined since they were first discovered thousands of years ago – the reward is small against the effort of discovering the source and then mining it. 

Diamond is the only mineral that still has to be sorted by hand as a last stage in the mining process.  There is no substitute for the human hand, eye, and brain, in gauging quality and estimating value.  There is no other mineral that has such a high intrinsic value when mined.  Diamond crystals are therefore kept under guard from the moment they are discovered.  They remain so through the stages of sorting, cutting, and setting in jewellery, yet they are commonly transmitted from place to place through the ordinary post.  Extreme security precautions have to be taken to protect both crystals and polished stones from crooks.  Yet within the trade itself, diamonds of great value pass from hand to hand on a signature and often without even that formality.  Anyone unconnected with the diamond trade is amazed at the extent of the trust placed in each other by buyer and seller.  This trust is the keystone that keeps the entire trade in being.

You will pay anywhere from tens of thousands of dollars to over a million dollars per carat for the world’s most valuable diamond and the Argyle Diamond Mine (East Kimberley region of Western Australia) produces 95% of the world’s supply!  As rare as they are beautiful, pink Diamonds are sought after by collectors, designers and celebrities.

Their scarcity is a large part of the Argyle Pink Diamond’s appeal – comprising less than 0.01% of Argyle’s annual diamond production.  However, only a small percentage of Argyle Pink Diamonds are worthy of tender-quality status (for fine jewellery), in 2009 just 43 stones were worthy of tender, and all chosen for their magnificent colour and clarity. According to their Business Manager, Argyle Diamonds mines each year a million carats of diamonds to get just one carat of tender-quality diamonds, because they are so rare, not everyone can own one, they are highly sought after and find their way into important pieces of jewellery.  Some are so highly prized that they are given their own names, e.g. ‘Shalimar’, (1.25carat, round, magic and intense in colour), named after the exotic garden sanctuary built by Indian emperor Jahangir for his beloved wife.  ‘Scarlet’, another outstanding stone unearthed, 1.10 carat, oval diamond – certified as a very rare red diamond and I believe there are only five comparable red diamonds on the world market at the moment.  ‘Aphrodite’, after the Greek goddess of love and passion, sold for a record price – name of the bidder and final price not released.  During 2009, ‘Argyle Amour’ was sent to tender, a magnificent 2.61 carats of intense pink and heart-shaped, perhaps the most valuable heart-shaped pink diamond every produced from the Argyle Diamond Mine.  What will become of these magnificent pieces, locked away in a collectors safe until investment tides turn, perhaps adorning the neck of glamorous celebrities such as Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez and Victoria Beckham, all of whom are said to be partial to pink diamonds?

The Argyle Diamond Mine established its own colour-grading system in the l980’s to accommodate the intense-coloured diamonds it produces.  This is now an internationally recognised system, pink Diamonds range on a scale from 1-9, colours running from purplish pinks to rose and pastel pinks.  A 1P grading using this system indicates a more intense pink than a 9P grading. The Argyle Pink Diamonds are legendary and easily recognised by professional coloured-diamond dealers, renowned for their intensity of colour compared to the pink diamonds found sporadically in countries such as India, Brazil and Africa – they tend to have a blue fluorescence. 

The Argyle diamond Mine, owned by Rio Tinto, will decline in production over the next two to three years and is predicted to have just 10 more years of life, which makes its rare offerings keenly sought by investors, collectors and diamond experts from around the world.

Most top-end jewellers create fashionable pieces by setting pinks with white diamonds, many to become a classically designed heirloom piece.  It is unusual to see pink diamond earrings as the individuality of each diamond makes them so hard to match.  Many collectors will wait years to collect a perfect match.

As the Argyle Diamond mine begins to scale back its operations in preparation for closing within the next decade, Rio Tinto’s annual tender process will no doubt create increased frenzy and intense competition among collectors.  The romantic appeal of the pink diamond is destined to live on after the mine has closed, ‘Shalimar’, ‘Scarlett’ and ‘Argyle Amour’ will have their own romantic stories to tell.

OPAL – A SOUND INVESTMENT?

By Robert E Cliff F.G.A.A., JP`

“Opallios”, Greek word for “to see a change in colour”. 

Opal comes from Eastern Europe, Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico and most importantly, from Australia (our national Gemstone).   It occurs in volcanic lava and in sedimentary and igneous rocks in veins, as lumps or in pipes.  It can be found in Brazil, South Africa, Zimbabwe and the USA.  

Black opals are the rarest and most valuable of the stones.  The difference between them is that they are found in different parts of Australia and each has very unique appearances.  Black opals are considered the “Rolls Royce” of opals, and have a high price attachment associated with their status and rarity.

 A top quality black opal can secure a higher price per carat than a good, clear one-carat diamond.  In contrast to the diamond industry, there is no monopoly in the world marketing of opal and true market forces of supply and demand determine price.

Federal Government agency Austrade estimates current Australian production figures for uncut opals between $100 million and $200 million.  However, few Australians would have opal designs in their jewellery boxes,  the US, Japan and much of Europe enjoys the stone. Three major mining areas in Australia, each producing a different variety of the stone: Coober Pedy in South Australia; Lightning Ridge in New South Wales and central Queensland.

There are four types of opal commonly used in jewellery: white, black, & boulder.  Opal is one of the few non-crystalline gem stones; a hardened jelly made up of silica and water.  The play of colour, or iridescence, is due to the interference of white light on minute silica spheres in the structure of opal.

The world’s most valuable opal, black opal, is found in the town of Lightning Ridge.  The stone has underlying dark background hue, which gives the colour a greater intensity;  the word “black” doesn’t refer to the face of the opal but to its background, and its precious colours come in a rainbow of shades. The worlds most valuable Black Opal is “Aurora Australis”, found at  Lightning Ridge in l938,  valued at $1 million.  It weights l80 carats and sparkles red, green and blue against a black backdrop. 

Coober Pedy is home of the white opal, sometimes referred to as the milk opal -  pale white or light body tone. They are much more plentiful than any other kind of opal and generally display less vibrant colours.   The towns of Mintabie and Andamooka also have the gem.

Boulder opals are lesser known but have equally stunning colour.  Here the opal runs in thin veins on ironstone backing (hence the dark colour), price is generally less per carat due to the ironstone content of the stone.  Found all over Queensland.  It is often found as a thin veneer of opal of vibrant colours naturally covering the surface of the ironstones rock.  

German geologist Johannes Menge made the first Australian Opal discovery in 1849 in Angaston, South Australia.  This area in Queensland attracted many miners during the l880s.  Production actually began at White Cliffs NSW in l890.  When Australian Opal first appeared on the world market it was at first thought not to have been genuine – perhaps because of the fire of colours never before seen in the European specimens.

Around this time is has been said that the diamond merchants saw the amazing attributes of opal and realised that it was going to be a serious threat to their livelihood.  Opal was increasing in popularity and could represent a threat to this lucrative diamond trade. Rumor has it that the diamond trade spread the belief that opals are bad luck to protect themselves and give opaIs a bad reputation.  The diamond trade continued to flourish however and by 1932 most Eastern European opals were unable to compete with Australian opals and ceased production.  This is when Australia won the title of premier opal producer of the world.

Australian opal can be a sound long-term investment, with value appreciation climbing yearly.  Few visitors to Australia return home without buying an opal.  In the past, most purchases were quite modest, however today we see a far greater realisation of the investment values of solid or precious opal.

Buying for Investment:

·         Solid Opal is most valuable.

·         Red on black is most valuable colour.

·         The next most valuable colour, Orange, followed by yellow, green and then blue being the most common.

·         Think about what you are going to use the stone for.  Shape & size is an important factor when considering the setting for jewellers.

·         Brilliance

·         Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.

Cautions when buying:

·         Solid Opal is a soft stone, approx. the same hardness as glass, avoid high temperatures (boiling water) or low extremes, e.g. Zero humidity bank vaults.

·         Be cautious of people selling boulder opal at price per carat, they may be leaving the heavy ironstone on the back of the stone.  This is a dishonest way of pushing up the price of the stone.

·         High quality stone should be set in a high quality setting.

·         Ensure any Certificate of Authenticity (signed) is by a Registered Valuer. 

Opal has been plagued for centuries by misinformation, superstition, wives’ tales.  It has also been considered a good luck talisman,and prized by many civilisations, possessing magical properties.  Romans believed that like the rainbow, it brought its owner good fortune, a token of hope and purity.  Greeks believed the opal bestowed powers of foresight and prophecy upon its owner.

It certainly has not stopped overseas customers and celebrities enjoying the stone, US media mogul Ted Turner famously gave actress Jane Fonda a massive black opal Engagement ring, and there have been many others.

With Australian Opal fields slowly running down, it is logical that values on quality gems will steadily increase year by year.  For the overseas visitor, it is also logical to buy at the source of supply and save money.

 Australian precious opal is the most sought after and the most stable of opals in world markets.

IN WHOM WE TRUST!

Robert E. Cliff

(GWP Magazine July 2010)

Faith, confidence, expectation & reliance – all the ingredients of trust, all the reasons why we once happily referred all our friends to “My Doctor”, “My Dentist”, “My Hairdresser” and “My Jeweller”.  Australia, once relatively insulated from the rest of the world, has matured and our wants and needs have changed.  We are far more discerning now in our purchasing experiences and thus should be wary of our vulnerability.

I will attempt here to offer our reader a basic appreciation of precious metals, gemstones and qualities that may help and to encourage us back to that old fashion world of Trust!

Seeking out a reputable jeweller - firstly, one that is actually a Jeweller and secondly, one that you trust to help you make an honest, informed decision.  This is actually more priceless than your purchase!  Salesmanship is out of control, and like buying a car, you have to ensure that the service is going to be there in the future.  Ensure that your “jeweller” is actually a Jeweller and not just a retailer of jewellery.  Registered Jewellery Trade certificates & Manufacturing Workshop, Industry memberships such as Registered Jewellery Valuer & Gemmologists, Retail Traders Association, is to name just a few of the necessities and that were, once a pre-requisite of being called a Jeweller.

Diamonds are breathtakingly beautiful, get the blinkers off and don’t be blinded by size or price.  Diamonds of equal size can vary significantly in value, depending on their quality.  All your Diamond purchases should be accompanied by a Valuation for insurance at the very least and your Diamond should have its own appraisal (not to be confused) that must include the four main factors that affect a diamond’s quality rating – that is, cut, colour, clarity and caret weight.  This appraisal will ensure your diamond is not synthetic, free from treatments and is conflict free.  Note, most diamonds have a one or many flaws, it is the degree of the visuality that affects the value of your diamond – most can only be seen using very powerful microscopes – done before the stone is set into a piece of jewellery.

Coloured Gemstones, of excellent quality are as prized as diamonds for their durability, beauty and rarity.  In all beautiful gems, their value is often owed to its cut – it allows us to enjoy and appreciate its true colour and splendour within.  Transparent gemstones cut from a single original crystal are the most prized, however, it must be noted that most coloured gemstones sold today have been treated in some way to increase their value.

In purchasing your gold Jewellery always search for the carat mark stamp that refers to the amount of pure gold contained within your piece.  Pure gold (24ct) is too soft for most jewellery so it is alloyed with other precious and base metals to increase its durability.  White and rose gold are created by mixing yellow gold with small quantities of other metals. For white gold it also has a coating of rhodium to enhance its brightness (In the past, nickel was used in white gold, however, due to skin allergies, it  is infrequent in its use today).  The makers mark, manufacturer’s identity stamp, jeweller’s logo or initials are often visual on Gold jewellery. 

	PRECIOUS METAL MARKINGS
GOLD	SILVER	PLATINUM
9k or 375	Sterling	Plat
14k or 585	925	Pt
18k or 750		950
22k or 916

Pearls much loved traditionally and admired for the uniqueness and luminous beauty.  The diamonds of the sea are a personal favourite of mine!  Most Pearls sold today re cultured, meaning that man has triggered the shell to create a pearl by inserting, physically, a small irritant that the oyster naturally coats with layers of nacre to give pearls their glow.  Natural Pearls are formed when this happens naturally – and today, extremely rare.  Size, depth of lustre and iridescence of the pearl gives Pearls their value.  Bigger, in this case, is generally better, but shape affects value too.  Irregular shaped pearls are sold as baroque pearls.

Antique jewellery certainly has its own specialised market, however, in Australia there is very little of it, genuine antique that is and you are likely to pay too much for a rare piece.  “Estate” Jewellery does not guarantee that it is a genuine antique.  Genuine antique pieces always had the makers stamp inside.  Any pieces said to be Antique and from England should carry a LAPADA certificate which guarantees it is over 100 year old.  When buying Antique Jewellery for an investment – know how you may resell it so you can realize your investment and be prepared that it may be some time before fashion swings your way.

I do believe, that all fine Jewellery purchases should be accompanied by a detailed Valuation report, a document that is acceptable for your insurance company, and an estimate of the market price for your item at time of purchase. Registered Valuers are experts in gemstone grading and in detecting synthetic substitutes.

With apparent vast “choices”, great dollars spent in advertising and all ensuring us  that they have  ”much better value for money” than anyone else, it is here where I am seeing caution depart.   “Caveat Emptor” (the Latin phrase for “buyer beware”) has never before in the Jewellery Industry in Australia been more true when investing in fine Jewellery.  Ensure, with confidence, that when you are making that very special, emotional, frivolous or investment purchase that you are undertaking this with someone you have faith in, and has a conviction to your beautiful fine jewellery’s future.  It’s all about Trust!

AUSTRALIA – WORLD LEADER IN PEARL PRODUCTION & DESIGN

Reported by Robert E. Cliff

Australia’s modern pearling industry began with a fleet of abandoned pearl luggers on a beach in Darwin!

In the early l950’s the invention of plastic was crippling the booming trade of mother-of-pearl fishing for the production of buttons, buckles and cutler.  Back then, the pearl itself, the lustrous orb so rarely found inside the shells of oysters harvested from the wild were considered a bonus and not the main focus of the industry.

The Japanese had been successful in growing substantial quantities of their native Akoya pearl within controlled environments.  With the help of Japanese scientists, Nicholas Paspaley, a Greek migrant who fell in love with the industry as a teenager, was not to be deterred by the down-turn in the industry and set about creating his own pearl farm in l956, some 420kms north of Broome.

Pearls form naturally when a foreign object such as a grain of sand, or parasite, finds its way into the pearl oyster, causing the oyster to react by coating the irritant with layers of mother-of-pearl, or nacre. Paspaley’s team intended to simulate this by retrieving the indigenous south Sea oyster from the sea bed and manually inserting an irritant to promote pearl growth.  They couldn’t find a way to keep the South Sea Oyster alive until harvest.  By l970 the venture had failed!

Paspaley and his son needed a new direction and over time, the two introduced radical farming methods that were successful in keeping the oysters alive and nurturing the growth of cultured pearls, thus the beginning of the extraordinary rise of the Australian Pearling industry as a whole.

Fifty years after Paspaley’s first farm opened for operation, Australia is the main producer of South Sea cultured pearls, generating exports valued at approx. $180 million annually.  Several pearl farms dot the tropical coastline from Broome to the Northern Territory border, across the Arnhem Land coast and down to Cairns.

The gold and silver lipped oysters that produce white south sea pearls with silvery, cram, pink and golden undertones thrive in Australia’s northern waters because these waters are so pristine – isolated and the huge tides serve to distribute the nutrient-rich material for the oysters to consume!

Farming procedures has not changed too greatly since the l970’s however technology has improved. Cultivators know that the best way to achieve high quantities of large, luminous cultured pearls is to implant each oyster shell with a round nucleus drawn from fresh water mussel, since it is least likely to be rejected from the oyster.  It is also important to give each oyster time to recover from the surgery, to regularly clean the shells themselves, to turn each shell in order – to ensure even coverage of nacre around the nucleus.  Boats used now are equipped with surgically clean laboratory and operating facilities for technicians to implant the oysters at the collecting grounds.

Australian South Sea pearl is regarded around the world as the most beautiful of all varieties, consistently the largest, the most luminous, and possesses the most prized natural colour.

Initially, Japan has absorbed the vast majority of Australia’s South Sea pearl production, due to the considerable demand for large, white pearls to be set as engagement rings.  Now Europe, the US and the rest of Asia are vying for hefty slices of the product.

Australian pearl farms are currently producing just under three tonnes of white South Sea pearls per year – 260% increase in production compared with six years ago. While Indonesia is the biggest producer of South Sea pearls, Australia is the leader in value with a market share of almost 50 per cent.  Of all produced in Australia, just 2 to 4 percent remain in the country for local use.  Vast majority are exported to the US, Japan, Hong Kong and Europe.  Globally, the global pearl farming market is estimated at $US1.5 billion, a figure tipped to double by the end of this year, 2010.

A few facts of interest!

South Sea Pearls – come in white and black, primarily cultured in the northern waters of Australia, the Philippines and Indonesia, range in size from 8mm right up to 20mm and come in various shapes, and don’t require bleaching, tinting, or dying. The black ones re found over a wider area stretching from the Cook Islands, eastward through Tahiti and beyond.

Tahitian Pearls – Cultured in the atoll and lagoons of the south Pacific, tend to be more “drop” in shape, size vary from 7mm-15mm.  Light grey to black with shades of green and purple.  More expensive than Akoya Pearls, but cheaper than South Sea varieties.  Rarest colour is peacock green.

Akoya pearls – Farmed mainly in Japan and China, primarily round or oval in shape, measure a relatively small 2mm-10mm, ranging in colour from pinkish white to cream and silvery blue.  They are the pearls most used internationally in necklace strands.

Freshwater Pearls – Found in bays and rives in Japan, China and the US. Cultivated from freshwater molluscs and are less lustrous than salt water cultured pearls, their low price and unique colours and shapes have made them popular in recent years.

Kasuminga pearls – a new type of pearl that comes from a lake northeast of Tokyo.  Te mussels are crossbreed between Japanese and Chinese freshwater mussels, implanted with round or flat seeds.  Kasuminga pearls come in rosy hues of light to dark pink.

With Australian pearling companies experiencing steady growth, even though a young market, it has already established itself as one of the country’s most lucrative. 

I believe there is a slight pearl renaissance at the moment.  The most sought after pearl is still the round pearl with high lustre and a pink hue.

From a man’s perspective, pearls are a safe gift because pearls are a staple part of a wardrobe just like a good pair of jeans!

There’s a Story Behind Every Great Diamond of the World

By Larry Woldenberg - GWP Magazine

“Every diamond has four Cs—carat, colour, clarity and cut, used over 100 years as a basic system and grading the quality of Diamonds” explains Susan Cliff of Robert Cliff Master Jewellers. “These are recognized universally as the four principal characteristics by which both quality and ultimate value of diamonds are determined. But today, a fifth C—the Certificate of Authenticity. These documents are   not a valuation. Rather, it’s about the stone itself, assuring either quality or origin . By possessing such a Certificate, you’re assured of getting a genuine stone.”

However, there’s one qualification to the above. You need to make sure the Certificate originated from a Registered Gemmologist and issued by qualified Diamond Grading Laboratories.

Perhaps one of the most famous diamonds is the Koh-i-noor diamond belonging to the Royal Family of England. It had been bitterly fought over for centuries having belonged to various Mughal and Persian rulers. Finally, it was seized by the East India Company and became part of the British Crown Jewels when British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli proclaimed Queen Victoria Empress of India in 1877.

“Indian legends say the Koh-i-noor diamond originally belonged to Krishna, a Hindu God, and was stolen one night whilst he was sleeping,” Sue comments. “Perhaps that’s why it’s presumed to be cursed. In fact, it has been stolen numerous times over the ages. Various parties warred over the great diamond.”

One particularly amusing story occurred in the 18^th Century when Nadir Shah of Persia invaded India and all the treasures of the Moguls fell into his hands except the great diamond. When one of the Mogul emperor’s harem informed Nadir Shah that the stone was hidden in the emperor’s turban, Nadir Shah invited him to exchange turbans. Of course, the hapless emperor had no choice but to comply. Later, in the privacy of his tent, Nadir Shah unrolled the turban and the gem fell out. It was then that the Persian proclaimed “Koh-i-noor” which means “Mountain of Light”. Hence, it derived its name.

Other Persian emperors were not so lucky. One descendant of Nadir Shah lost his eyes to a marauder demanding to know the whereabouts of the diamond.

Originally the stone was 186 carats. It’s hard to imagine this size when you consider that the average Engagement ring diamond is 1-2 carats in weight. Unfortunately for the Koh-i-noor diamond, Queen Victoria complained that it had insufficient sparkle. So an Amsterdam jeweler was employed to re-cut the diamond. That’s because the more facets a diamond has, the more brilliant (sparkle perhaps) it becomes. The poor Dane laboured over 38 days as he cut the diamond down to 105 carats. Apparently the pressure to perform was too great as he later suffered a nervous breakdown.

According to the records, the cutting did not add much to the stone’s brilliance. In fact, many maintain that the historical value of the diamond was instead diminished.

But the stone’s history continued to be colourful for the diamond was worn by Queen Victoria as an ornament and through the years ended up as part of a crown made for Queen Mary and another in 1937 for Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) which she wore for her husband’s coronation. The latter crown ended up residing in the Tower of London and was last seen in public adorning Queen Elizabeth’s mother’s (the Queen Mother) casket a few years ago.

“While the British have the Koh-i-noor diamond safely locked away, it hasn’t stopped India from claiming that it was stolen and periodically lobby for its return,” adds Sue. “Had there existed perhaps a Certificate of Authenticity for the Koh-i-noor diamond, the British would have to have given it back.”

Today the Certificate of Authenticity also tells another bit of information. It should indicate whether or not the diamond is a “conflict diamond”. The United Nations defines such diamonds: “Conflict diamonds are diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council.”

 The movie Blood Diamond with Leonard DiCaprio well illustrated the horrendous circumstances behind such stones. Today people won’t buy such diamonds when they discover their origin.

There are plenty more diamond stories to tell but Susan is saving those for another day. More important is the fact that the people of North & Western Sydney have a Registered Gemmologist and Valuer in their midst. He is Susan’s husband, Robert Cliff, and he is located at  Robert Cliff Master Jewelers in Castle Towers,  in Castle Hill.

 

Diamonds are a Great Investment

By Larry Woldenberg - GWP Magazine

In times of uncertainty putting money into a tangible investment like jewellery is a good idea. According to Susan Cliff of Robert Cliff Master Jewellers, diamonds are, indeed, “a woman’s best friend”.

“Certificated Diamonds are a good long term investment - top quality Diamonds are in demand, hence the price has risen dramatically.  Diamonds are all about supply and demand,” claims Susan. “Gold is also a great investment, it’s at the highest price it has ever been at the moment.  It has remained at a steady price for years, however, in the past 12 months has sky-rocketed and there is no sign of it going down”

“My husband, Robert is always commenting on how shocked people would be if they realized just how much gold, and certainly in dollar value, that they are actually sitting on in the back of their Jewellery drawers. Instead, they could bring in their pieces and turn them into something that will be worn and enjoyed whilst increasing in value.

“Think of it like trading in a car or up-grading your home. You can trade back your diamonds, too, into larger ones. When you trade in your gold, we’ll test and value it  free of charge – to market value at the time you come in, and then take it off the price of a beautiful new design.”

“As for those pieces that are stone set, Robert will design you something new utilising what you’ve got and if you want, add more stones. He will actually do a sketch for you of what the piece can look like once finished. In fact, people often frame his sketches. This kind of skill and service is hard to find these days, the art of jewellery making is disappearing.” Susan claims.

“Robert actually consults the client, asking them about their preferences and how they intend to use the new piece. Then he’ll present them with a few options designed from scratch. That’s the difference between a Master Jeweller like Robert and ordinary retailers, the Master Craftsman is irreplaceable – he is an artist.” Susan claims.

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“A favourite strategy of people is to have their old gold pieces melted down and made into solid gold bangles – worn, enjoyed, and becoming a great heirloom.

“The turnaround time depends on the complexity of the project. The normal time to complete the commission is 2-3 weeks. The credit you receive when you trade in a piece depends on the weight of the gold, if it’s 9ct, 14ct, l8ct,or 24ct.

Trends in jewellery change as well. “People are more discerning and want quality now.  Years ago you couldn’t give pink diamonds away, now, they’re the rage, gone through the roof.   Argyle, the Australian Mining company are planning to mine underground and whilst they change over to this, there will be no supply.   Hence, prices have risen and will go on doing so. Black diamonds are quite popular now too. They go well with traditional white ones. Other less popular colours include yellow and cognac (brown).

“Pink diamonds are very expensive.  But to be sure about your investment you need to go to a registered gemologist. Cheap lower quality diamonds from overseas easily fool people. Trust is paramount. You have to trust who you’re dealing with in this business. That’s why people come to Robert. He’s been 40 years in the trade, 25 years in his own business and has been at our present location in Castle Towers, Castle Hill, for over 9 years.”

Good quality white diamonds are rare and can command a high price.  There is no signs of diamonds going down, they truly are forever, remember, they did take thousands of years to form - an heirloom in most families.

If you want your jewellery valued to trade-in, Robert will examine and test it for free. If you then decide to trade in your piece to upgrade, and once you have your new piece  you can then come in yearly and he’ll do a free appraisal to keep you up-to-date on your investment.

The time it takes to assess depends on the complexity of the pieces. As Robert is also a Gemmologist, he is able to acquire the help of other specialists when people bring in exotic pieces, like jade, antiques, etc.  that are more difficult in their uniqueness to assess.

A $20,000 diamond can be the size of the end of your pen, so you have to be sure that what you are investing in is truly of value.  Robert won’t hear of all the doom and gloom talk, look to the future, invest now. so you can get pleasure from your investment while you hold onto it.

Most people don’t know the value of what’s sitting in their drawers. Maybe it’s time to pull out the pieces from Grandma and find out their value. Then why not have them made into something you would want to wear? Sounds like a win-win proposition.

Changing Times

We are not born with a sense of “time”; however throughout the history of civilization a manifestation of order and an incredible interest in past, present and future seemed to create a need to measure our tasks and activities.

First, simply the measure of light and dark destined our lives.  The observation of the moon, the sun and stars, together with their movement helped measure the passing of time and enabled a little planning.  The Egyptians were probably the first to divide daylight into twelve equal parts however, as the length of days changed with the seasons, that it was not until l884 that a 60 minute hour was universally adopted at the International conference.  It was here that the Prime Meridian of longitude would pass through Greenwich, England, thus establishes the system of world time divisions that exists today.

However, the first5 timekeeping device was probably the shadow clock, known to the Chinese as early as 2500BC.  Egyptians later utilized shadow clocks (or sundials) from around 1000BC; the Weather clock was used in Egypt as early as 1400BC to record time during cloudy periods and during the night.  The Hourglass was also a very well known time keeping device together with the burning of graduated candles.

In approx. the first half of the l4cht Century, we see the presence of weight driven mechanical clocks.  These early clocks used a bar, oscillating to and fro about a central pivot.  This permitted the teeth on a “verge” wheel to escape one by one thus releasing power intermittently to the clock mechanism which enabled its hands to show the time.  This system continued to be utilized until around the middle of the l8th century.  As all early clocks were weight driven and made mostly to strike the hour, most were found in prominent buildings for public utilization. 

Coiled springs was a real breakthrough in about l500, and paved the way for small portable timepieces of all kinds.  We saw the emergence of these in Italy around 1500, however, the German, Peter Henlein is credited with the idea of producing a watch that was specifically intended to be worn on the chest or carried in a purse.

Over time, these time pieces became smaller and smaller, but little improvement in the performance.  Huygens, in l657 created the first pendulum clock, and shortly after, in about 1660, English physicist Robert Hooke perfected and used flat coiled balance (or hair) springs in watches.  This is when the art and skill of watch and clock making parted and became separate trades all together.  This enabled errors to be reduced to minutes rather than the hours per day.  Thomas Tompion, George Graham and Thomas Mudge all improved on each others ideas and led to the picket watch era of the l800s and the wrist watch era of the 20^th century and beyond.

The first quartz crystal clock was developed by Warren Morrison at the Bell Telephone system of America laboratories in l927.  Its precision and stability led to its adoption as the primary time and standard in the l930s and 40s displacing pendulum clocks.  Eventually, quartz clocks achieved and accuracy of less than 1/100^th of a second per day.  The invention of the transistor in l947 which would later see electronic circuits miniaturized to the point where an electron watch would be possible.

The first battery powered wrist watch was produced by the Lip Watch Company of France in l952.  Hamilton Watch Company of USA claimed the world’s first commercially produced electric watch in l957. 

In November l959, the Bulova Watch Company announced the arrival of the world’s first electronic watch – the Acutron.  A revolutionary concept in that it used a tuning fork vibrating at 440 hertz in place of the traditional balance as well as transistor switching to supply maintaining power.  During the l960’s we saw Ebauches SA, Citizen, Junghams and Seiko also introduce electronic watches, using transistor switching in place of earlier mechanical contacts and were much more reliable.

The first Watch to use and electronic digital display was made by HMW Industries of USA under the Pulsar brand.  This used tiny light emitting diodes to form the display, a system later discarded because of its heavy current demand on batteries.  The first liquid crystal display was produced in Switzerland in l972 – providing a constant indication, instead of a button that had to be pressed to see the time.

Many, many improvements have been made and great sophistication has become apparent in terms so functions and longer battery life etc. and of course recently, the commercialization of the Ground Positioning Systems (GPS) radio control and mobile telephone function, and appears to me, no end in site!!!!

Quarts versus Mechanical?

The difference is their accuracy which is determined and controlled by an oscillator or balance and the power source, either in spring or a battery.

Mechanical watches use a balance wheel fitted with a flat spiel spring as the oscillating element.  It is would manually by turning a winding crown or auto-magically by a rotor weight that swings backwards and forwards with the movement of the wrist. 

Treaded with care and regularly maintained, these watches will last for a very, very long time and can be stored for long periods with out the worry of internal damage through leaking batteries, this feature is particularly beneficial for dress watches or those not worn regularly.

Downfall of Mechanical watches is that they have a relatively small power reserve – after winding, rarely more than 40 hours without winding again.  The automatic winding systems only work on movement, thus, not on the wrist, no movement, not winding!

Quartz is named for the quartz crystal used to make the oscillator.  An electric charge will cause quartz to bend, and bending the quartz causes it to generate an electric charge.  When a battery is the source of the electric charge, it supplies the power to the circuit which then produces an alternating current.  The physical dimensions of the crystal will determine the frequency at which it then will oscillate.  As it oscillates, it generates a current very stable, alternating, which is transmitted back to the integrated circuit.

Quartz Watches offer much greater accuracy for timekeeping.  Improvements in design and technology produce watches now which can run for many years on a battery.  Because the quartz watch have few mechanical components, designers are able to produce very slim and elegant watches.  The slimmest available is less than 1mm total thickness, from case back to glass.  Analogue displays (with hands) are easier o read than digital displays.  At a glance the wearer can determine not only the time but the time remaining until the next hour and the time elapsed since the last reading.

Quality is the real difference!

The quality of the watch case will be a good indication of the overall quality of the watch.  The material which the case is made from is a good indication as a precious metal case (i.e. gold and platinum) are not fitted with lower-grade movements.

Gold is an excellent case material because of its resistance to corrosion and its any-magnetic properties.  A quality well-made gold or platinum case will give many years of service if not abused.

Stainless steel is excellent material because of its resistance to wear and corrosion.  However, necessary to check that case made entirely of stainless steel and now lower grade plated cases with just a stainless steel back.

Highly scratch resistance metals can be tungsten carbide alloys, ceramic and titanium which can be made in steel or gold-colored finishes – these are more often found in the higher end price range due to costs associated with the materials.

Most popular cases are plated types, and now even plastics, generally watches in the lower price ranges.

Mechanical Movements are influenced by the material the components are made from – highly refined alloys, the higher priced watches. 

The higher the quality of the watch movement, the more stable and reliable its performance.

Battery power, the correct battery must be fitted and is best to follow the manufacturer’s recommendation and to have it fitted professionally.  Batteries designed for hearing aids, calculators or cameras may work in watches but their sealing is not designed to be reliable over long periods and they should never be used in watches.

Water-Resistance?

Is the internationally agreed term for describing the qualities of a watch that offers protection to the consumer against damage caused to watches by the entry of moisture. 

Water-resistant – is just that, it may resist (not necessarily will) water by immersion in no more than one meter of water for approx. 30 minutes.  However, not guaranteed by the manufacturer or the retailer.

It will not resist water for any depths more than this, and most certainly not for any length of immersion.

If a Water resistance case is opened it may not be resistant again.  It is recommended that any watches that are marked water resistant, they be returned to the manufacturer for battery replacement.

Divers Watches?

The watch must be subjected to water immersion without damage to 200mtrs, Dial clarity, Ability to resist the corrosive effects of salt water; cases are much stronger and better sealing.  There is Standard for Divers Watches, which was ratified in Australia in l996.

Caring for your Watches

Mechanical:

• Should be wound daily, unless automatic (at beginning of the day).
• May vary in timekeeping, 15-30 seconds a day is not unusual
• Serviced and re lubricated about every three to four years.
• Performance can be affected by exposure to strong magnetic fields
• Auto winding systems need to be worn six to eight hours a day to ensure they stay fully wound

Quartz:

• Should be told at point of sale the battery life, that they should be removed as soon as watch stops to prevent damage from substance that may leak out
• What timekeeping accuracy that may be expected
• Those with auto generating systems need to be work for six to eight hours a day to function properly.

All Watches:

• Should be told at point of sale if they are water resistance
• The affect of wear, exposure to chemical, rough treatment and ageing of the gasket with watch cases.
• Exposure to extended periods of vibration
• Dress Watches usually offer a lower level of protection against water resistance, dust entry and rough treatment.

Servicing?

All good quality watches should be serviced regularly.  Reputable jewellers and watchmakers should have established their businesses to provide high quality specialist services and it should be an aspect that sets them apart from retailers who rely heavily on price alone to sell their products.

Many customers own high quality watches which are increasing in value due to the fact that they are no longer made or have become collectables due to the reputation of their makers or technology inherent in their construction.  It is most important that those handling these items recognize their value, handle them appropriately and offer the high quality service they deserve.